Chapter 153: Chapter 1
“But I can’t bear the thought of you being in such a place!”
Riftan pried her away from him and sat up. The bluish dawn illuminated his broad shoulders. He gazed down at her for a moment, his eyes shadowed, before roughly rubbing his face.
“This is not what I wanted for you when I brought you to Anatol.”
“R-Riftan, I... truly am content here. I am your w-wife. I also... wish to be helpful. I-I might not be able to do much... but I am a healer, and I’ve mastered a few spells. I’ve grown healthier too. I’ve managed to make it this far, haven’t I? I am not th-that weak.”
Despite her impassioned argument, Riftan still looked unconvinced. Maxi was about to pull him into her arms again when she stopped herself, the fear that he might jerk away making her hesitate. Seeing this, Riftan sighed and pulled her into a tight embrace.
Maxi moaned when she felt his thick tongue push into her mouth. His hard chest crushed her breasts, and his muscular arms tightened around her like the roots of a tree. Maxi gasped for air like a fish caught in a net.
He explored her with such passion that his regal nose bore down on her own, and his stubbled chin chafed her smooth skin.
Maxi shuddered as his hot, wet tongue hungrily tasted the roof of her mouth and the insides of her cheeks. It was a feverish kiss, one that made Maxi feel as though he were trying to devour her.
“Maxi...” Riftan murmured, his voice thick with desire.
He lowered her onto the cot, and Maxi flinched and grabbed his forearm when she felt his hot fingers slide between her thighs. The fire in his eyes was so intense that it made Maxi wonder if what heated them was desire or hatred.
He fondled her until he could bear it no longer and crushed her under him. Electrifying heat coursed through her as his weight pressed down. It nearly drove her out of her mind.
Matching his urgency, Maxi hungrily explored Riftan’s smooth, muscular body. Droplets of sweat began to form on her skin, and her rapid pulse even extended to her fingertips.
It felt as though her blood boiled with desire. She caressed his back over and over again, and Riftan’s seductive moans filled her ears. Maxi thought that she would not mind dying like this, crushed beneath him.
Urgent footsteps outside the tent shattered their moment of passion.
“Commander! We are to convene,” shouted a voice.
Riftan slammed his head on the cot and cursed in frustration.
“Goddammit, talk about timing...” He squeezed his eyes shut and barked irritably, “I’ll be there soon.”
Maxi yanked down her bunched-up tunic. Riftan watched her with blazing eyes before slowly rising to his feet. She saw that the muscles on his back were tense from unsated desire.
After running a hand through his tousled hair, Riftan grabbed a clean tunic and threw it on. He then washed his face and donned his armor with astonishing speed.
With the blanket wrapped around her, Maxi watched as Riftan flawlessly transitioned back into a knight in the blink of an eye. Lastly, he strapped his sword belt around his waist.
He turned to look at her with frightening eyes. “I will be back soon, so don’t even think about leaving this tent.”
“B-But I also have-”
Maxi quickly snapped her mouth closed.
His voice came out in the growl of a wild dog as he warned, “I will not have you wandering around a camp full of animals by yourself. You’re not to take a step out of this tent.”
Before he walked out, he gave her a menacing glare as if to warn her that further disobedience would not be tolerated. Maxi hastily dressed and tried to go after him, but the soldier guarding the entrance blocked her path.
“Forgive me, my lady, but Sir Riftan has commanded that we keep you inside.”
Maxi impatiently looked up at the soldier. Idsilla would be worried about her, and if she did not return soon, the other female clerics might misunderstand the situation. Maxi felt restless as she looked up at the brightening sky.
“I-I won’t be long... I will only visit the infirmary.”
“I’m sorry, my lady, but Sir Riftan’s orders come first.”
The soldier refused to budge. Maxi bit her lip and glowered at him but eventually withdrew to the tent. Though she was angry at Riftan’s unreasonable treatment of her, she could not resent him for trying to protect her.
She slumped down onto the cot and waited for him to return. However, she soon grew restless, her body having become accustomed to all-day labor.
Maxi roamed the tent, inspecting the items she came across. Though Riftan’s tent was spacious and comfortable, it was humbly furnished. Layer after layer of sheets covered the cot, and beside it stood his armor and sword stand, along with his spear and shield. Dozens of chairs surrounded a large table that could seat at least thirty people.
A round hole in the diamond-shaped ceiling seemed to serve as a window. A flap designed to cover the hole was attached to a rope that stretched to the ground. Like a curious cat, Maxi tugged at it.
She was looking idly about the tent when she sensed that the noise outside was growing louder. Maxi leaped to her feet and threw back the cloth over the entrance. Not far from the tent, Riftan stood arguing with a woman. Maxi grew wide-eyed when she saw the woman’s face.
“P-Princess Agnes?”
They somehow heard her murmur and turned to her in unison.
“Maximilian!” The princess pushed Riftan aside and ran over to Maxi. “I thought the knights were mistaken when I heard them talking, but it was true! It’s been a long time, hasn’t it? Have you been well?”
Maxi’s eyes grew round at the unexpectedly warm welcome. Paying no heed to Maxi’s bewildered reaction, the princess squeezed both of her hands and carried on excitedly.
“You must have suffered a difficult journey here. I hear that these stuffy men have been busy nagging instead of welcoming you.”
Princess Agnes flicked her head toward Riftan with a disapproving look.
Riftan scowled and gritted his teeth. “I don’t want you giving my wife false hope.”
“False hope? Must you phrase it so?” The princess snorted. “I offered you a sensible solution. And it is Maximilian’s opinion that matters, not yours, sir.”
Unable to follow their conversation, Maxi began backing away when Ruth materialized out of nowhere and tried to stop their bickering.
“Both of you, please, calm down. Do you not see that Lady Calypse is uncomfortable?”
Riftan shot Ruth an icy glare before turning to Maxi. Seeing her anxious expression, Riftan rubbed his face, then begrudgingly stepped away from the entrance.
“Fine. We’ll discuss this inside.”
“Oh, how nice of you,” Agnes quipped as she strode into the tent.
Bewildered, Maxi followed them. Seeing her confused expression, Agnes gave Maxi an apologetic smile.
“I apologize if we startled you. I’m afraid we lost our tempers while we were discussing where you should be accommodated. You know how obstinate this man can be.”
“My... accommodation?” Maxi asked, nervously looking back and forth between Agnes and Riftan.
“It is my prerogative to decide where my wife stays, Your Highness. You have no say in this.”
“I am the commander of the coalition forces of Wedon. And since Lady Calypse is also a subject of Wedon, I do have a say in this matter!”
“She is not a mage dispatched by the kingdom!”
...
“Which is why I’m offering her the position!”
“J-Just a moment!” Maxi cried out, bringing an abrupt end to the shouting match. “Could someone please... explain to me what is going on?”
Ruth had been standing with his back to Maxi throughout the exchange. Evidently deciding that neither of the commanders would be able to give Maxi a clear explanation, he sighed and said, “It’s simple, my lady. You joined the support unit disguised as one of Livadon’s female clerics, but you are no longer able to continue as such. Which is why the idea that you be formally introduced as one of Wedon’s mages came up.”
“A-An official mage?”
“No need to feel daunted, Maximilian,” the princess added when she saw Maxi’s scared face. “It will only be a titular position. Your duties within the camp will largely remain the same.”
Maxi gave her a dubious look. “I-If nothing is going to change... is this complicated formality really necessary? I do not m-mind staying with the female clerics-”
“And you think I would allow such a thing?” Riftan growled through gritted teeth. “Damn it! The fact that you were forced to stay in such a place is enough to make my blood boil. Is this your way of mocking me?”
“That’s why it is no longer an option for you to stay with the female clerics,” Ruth muttered dryly.
His shoulders sagged as though he were exhausted, and Maxi surmised that Riftan must have given him an earful.
“At the moment, your position within the camp is ambiguous at best,” continued Ruth. “Since you can no longer claim to be a female cleric, Sir Riftan and Princess Agnes have been arguing over the suggestion of conferring you with a position as one of Wedon’s mages.”
“Of course, your tasks will mostly be the same. The only thing that will change is that you will now tend to the wounded as a healer of Wedon and not a female cleric of the basilica,” Agnes explained in a gentle voice. “You might think it unnecessary, but affiliation matters greatly in an army camp. Soldiers from Livadon, Wedon, Osiriya, and Balto are currently gathered here at Eth Lene. The men are in disarray because the lines of command are a mess. If a problem were to arise without us making your affiliation clear, none of the kingdoms would be able to offer you protection. You have been receiving the protection of the basilica’s soldiers until now, have you not?”
...
Maxi nodded.
“Now, you must allow Wedon to protect you.”
“I will protect my wife!” Riftan spat out as though he had reached the end of his patience. “I don’t need you meddling in my affairs.”
“Do you intend to stay by her side all day, Sir Riftan?” Agnes retorted cynically, crossing her arms. “And when you are required on the battlefield? What then? Are you going to confine her to your tent? Stop being so stubborn! This is a war, and a war has no need for a noblewoman. If Maximilian remains at this camp as your wife and not as a mage, both of you will become a laughingstock.”
“Let them say whatever they want. I’ll do my part in this war, but that doesn’t mean my wife has to do the same!”
“But I... want to sh-share your burden,” Maxi interjected. “I-I do not want to be a liability. I wish... to accept Her Highness’s offer.”
Riftan pressed his lips together. She had only just managed to placate him, and now she could see him growing as cold as ice once again. But she could not back down.
“If you recall... I served as a healer in Calypse Castle as well. I don’t see h-how this is different. I won’t overwork myself... so please stop opposing the idea w-without giving me a chance. I know I can do well.”
Riftan’s lips were a thin line as his eyes bore into Maxi’s face. She saw his eyes darken.
“Fine. Do as you wish,” he replied coldly. “You’re going to do what you want regardless of my objections anyway, so I would rather have someone watching you from the start than have you hoodwink me again.”
Maxi hunched her shoulders at his reproachful tone.
He glared at her for a moment, then turned his back to her. “I will assign men to guard you immediately. You can’t refuse me this.”
With that, Riftan walked out of the tent. Maxi was about to follow him, but Princess Agnes was quick to stop her.
“You should give him some time. People might think he’s bad-tempered, but deep down, he is a sensible man. Once he has had a chance to cool his head, he’ll see that this is the best option we have.”
“B-But...”
“Sir Riftan seems to be irrationally protective of you. Some might say as if he were trying to protect a six-year-old,” said the princess disapprovingly. “Of course, that wouldn’t be a problem if you had no objection to it. But if that is not the case, you must make him see that you possess a will of your own.”
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