Chapter 112: Chapter 1 Although Maxi had declared that she did not wish to talk to Riftan, they still shared a bedchamber. It would be impossible for her to avoid seeing him altogether. This was why she resorted to the admittedly childish tactic of feigning sleep. “Maxi, we need to talk.” Riftan had returned earlier than usual and now anxiously hovered by the bed. Maxi lay still with the blanket pulled over her head like a caterpillar. Riftan tried to yank the blanket away, but Maxi clutched onto it until her fingers shook from the effort. In a desperate attempt to appear asleep, she even began snoring. “Goddammit, I know you’re awake. Stop pretending.” He must have grown irritated, for the shaking of the cover was growing rougher by the second. Maxi used all her strength to hold onto the blanket and obstinately kept her eyes shut. She could hear him gritting his teeth at the head of the bed. “Are you going to keep this up? A while ago, I...” Riftan trailed off, suddenly sounding deflated. He withdrew his hand and slumped down next to her. After a moment of heavy silence, he said coldly, “Fine. Do whatever you want.” With that, he took off his shoes and lay down. Feeling resentful, Maxi positioned herself as far from him as possible and curled into a ball. It was true that she did not wish to speak to him, but it also made her angry that he had given up so easily. What was it that she wanted him to do? Pull her into his arms and appease her gently? Apologize for his harsh words and tell her that he had not meant it? She felt betrayed by his indifference. Their frostiness continued until the next day. Maxi refused to budge under the covers until Riftan left the room. It was only after he reluctantly set off for the day that she slowly got out of bed and ensconced herself in Ruth’s tower. There, she spent her time reading and mixing herbs as she usually did. Every so often, Riftan’s words would suddenly spring to mind, making it difficult for her to concentrate. She collapsed over the top of the desk and gnawed her lip. No matter how hard she tried, it did not seem like Riftan would ever acknowledge her. But, why would he when she could not hold a candle to the beautiful, grand sorceress who could have been his wife? Maxi was unable to stop her thoughts from growing dark. She was certain that he did not wish to share any other aspect of his life with her except for the five hours he spent in their bedchambers every day. He wanted to treat her like a domesticated cat one kept in their room to pet from time to time. She had thought that she had grown used to rejection, but her heart still ached. Unable to focus on her studies at all, Maxi continued to drown herself in self-deprecating thoughts. All of a sudden, it occurred to her that it was the time she usually dropped by the infirmary. Maxi hesitated. She was not so thick-skinned that she could appear unperturbed to the knights after being so humiliated in front of them yesterday. Still, it also hurt her pride to stop her visits for that reason. Everyone must think I was shocked by his words. Maxi scowled. It was true, but she did not wish to appear like a meek woman. On the other hand, she was afraid that she would be compared to the obstinate princess. After much deliberation, Maxi left the tower with a pouch of herbs. If the knights looked troubled by her presence, she would tell them that she had simply dropped by to restock the remedies. Hiding behind the gate that led to the training grounds, Maxi scanned the yard to make sure Riftan was not around before darting toward the knights’ quarters. When she entered the infirmary through the side door, she saw a knight bandaging his wrist. The knight looked surprised to see her. He jumped to his feet and bowed his head respectfully. “Good day, my lady. I did not think you would be coming today.” “The infirmary was... running low on herbs f-for aches... so I brought some more,” she said, even though he had not asked anything. She glanced at his wrist. “Have you h-hurt your wrist? Would you... like me to heal it for you?” “That won’t be necessary, my lady. It took a hit from a sword, and the bandage is to help alleviate the shock on the joints, that’s all.” The knight smiled and shook his hand as if to assure her that he was telling the truth. Maxi sighed in relief. She had been secretly worried that Riftan had ordered the knights not to allow her anywhere near the infirmary. Judging by the knight’s response, that did not appear to be the case. Relaxing, she sat at the desk by the window and began to sort through the herbs she had brought. The knight finished binding his wrist and left the room with another nod. The sounds of swords clanging rang from the grounds as she arranged the well-dried herbs inside a wooden chest. She was busy restocking the chest when she heard a deep voice near the door. “What’s this? Have you already patched things up with the commander, my lady?” Maxi gave a neutral smile. “G-Good day to you, Sir Hebaron.” “Good day to you as well, my lady,” replied Hebaron, striding into the infirmary and bowing deeply. “Are you feeling better today?” “I-I would say so.” In fact, she felt terrible. Maxi closed the lid of the chest with a loud thud. Hebaron gave a knowing smirk when he saw her expression. “Ah, I see that the battle is still on.” “I-I am not in battle w-with my husband.” Displeased at how he seemed to be enjoying this, Maxi regarded him indignantly. As could be expected from someone who enjoyed teasing people, however, Hebaron remained unfazed. With a sigh, Maxi changed the subject. “Are you... h-here because you’ve hurt yourself?” “As you can see, my lady, I am perfectly fine. I’ve come to pack some emergency herbs for the scouts.” “Th-They are on the shelf. I’ve placed some coagulants... detoxicants, and restorative herbs... inside the sack.” Hebaron walked over to the shelf, picked up the sack, and cheerfully strutted out of the infirmary. Sitting at the desk, Maxi skimmed through a book that expounded on southern medicine and returned to her chambers before the sun began to set. It was still early, but there was a chance that Riftan could return anytime. This time, she would truly be asleep when he returned. Putting all her recent efforts to shame, Maxi began to sleep early and wake up terribly late. By day three of being shunned in this manner, Riftan’s patience finally ran dry. Maxi had been back at the infirmary tending to the cuts and bruises of the knights when Riftan burst into the room. Not wanting to miss the spectacle, Hebaron and a few of the knights crept in behind him. Maxi shot them a glare before looking down and pretending to be busy scribbling on a parchment. Riftan stalked to her desk and looked down at her with a gloomy expression. “Maxi, we need to talk.” Maxi continued writing. She could feel his furious gaze boring into the top of her head. “Maximilian Calypse, do you not hear me?” Riftan said, hissing out each word. “Sir Hebaron,” said Maxi, turning her gaze to Hebaron who was leaning against the wall. The knight looked nonplussed at hearing his name being called out so unexpectedly. Completely ignoring Riftan glowering next to her, Maxi addressed Hebaron. “Could you please inform... the person standing next to me... th-that I have nothing to say to him?” Frosty silence fell over the room. Hebaron blinked at her vacantly, then glanced at Riftan and repeated her words. “Commander, her ladyship says she has nothing to say to you.” ... “I heard her.” Gritting his teeth, Riftan slammed a hand on the desk with a thud. “I have something to say.” “Sir Hebaron,” said Maxi. Hebaron gave her a troubled look as if to ask why she was dragging him into this. Maxi pretended not to notice and continued. “Could you please... tell the person s-standing next to me... that I do not wish to hear anything he has to say?” “Commander, her ladyship says-” “I can hear just fine!” Riftan bellowed. He leaned over and brought his face close to hers. Maxi stubbornly turned her head away from him. “Stop acting as if I’m not here. Look at me when I’m talking to you!” Riftan seemed tired and at a loss for what to do. “N-No.” Riftan drew in a deep breath at her terse reply, and his voice was deflated when he said, “Maxi, what I said to you last time came out wrong. I swear to you, I never intended to belittle or criticize you.” ... When she still refused to raise her head, he began to plead with her desperately. “I was merely worried for you. I didn’t want you to be burdened with such a task! Once you start taking on the role of healer, people will come to you whenever a problem occurs. When that happens, a day might come when you’ll have to push yourself again. Damn it, I don’t want you to go through such a thing!” “Riftan... you must think that... I am incapable of handling s-such a burden, do you not?” Maxi said in a choked voice, her eyes fixed on the desk. “You don’t believe... that I could ever be like P-Princess Agnes. Isn’t that why... y-you are always worried about me?” “Why does that name keep popping up? Goddammit, I don’t care about the princess!” Riftan exclaimed, pulling at his hair. “Look at me, Maxi. Please, look at me so we can talk.” Unable to ignore his earnest pleas, Maxi reluctantly met his gaze. Riftan let out a low groan when he saw tears welling in her eyes. “I swear to you, I did not mean to upset you,” he said, cupping her face in alarm. “I only wanted you to live in comfort.” “E-Even when... I tell you that is not what I want?” she muttered. Her voice was choked with emotion. Riftan looked dumbstruck as if something had pierced his tongue. Maxi gazed up at him and continued in a shaky voice. “Riftan... I do not wish to live in c-comfort. I... want to live doing what I can. Learning new things... is rewarding... a-and being able to use magic is wonderful and fun. It... h-hurts me... every time you tell me not to do anything.” It was as if he had been struck. His mouth parted several times, but no words escaped it. He hung his head, his face clouded with dismay. “I understand,” he mumbled listlessly. “If you truly wish to be a healer, then you may do so. So please don’t make that face, and stop avoiding me.” Seeing him so sullen, Maxi felt like a child throwing a tantrum. She had been extremely hurt by his harsh words, so why did he look so gaunt as though he were the one who had been in anguish for days? She was regarding him with an inscrutable expression when she realized that he was waiting for her response. When she gave a slow nod, Riftan’s tense shoulders relaxed. He pulled her head to his chest and wrapped his arms around her. At that precise moment, the knights, who had been quietly watching their quarrel, clapped in unison. Maxi’s face flushed as the shame of having a petty argument with her husband in such a public manner finally sunk in. “If you are done watching, get the hell out,” Riftan growled.