Chapter 26: Chapter “My lady.” Maxi turned to see Ludis standing quietly by the door. “The lord has returned. He plans to dine with the knights in the dining hall. Do you wish to join them?” After hesitating briefly, Maxi nodded. The company of knights was uncomfortable, but she did not want to forgo dinner with Riftan. “Then allow me to arrange your hair again.” Ludis used a comb and hairpin to twist her disheveled hair back into a neat bun. Maxi inspected her dress and face in the mirror before leaving the room. Outside, servants were busy lighting lamps along the corridor. She passed by them and was descending the stairs when she heard angry voices. She paused, then slowly stepped toward the source. Through the half-open door of the dining hall, she glimpsed Riftan engaged in a heated argument with three knights. “We must leave for the royal capital tomorrow!” “Don’t make me repeat myself. I told you we’re leaving in three days.” “You must attend the ceremony! How much longer will you test His Majesty’s goodwill?” “For once, I agree with Ricaydo. With the rain subsiding, we’ll have no problem making the journey.” Maxi had been hovering by the door, unsure of whether she should enter. Hearing the knights’ words, she froze. She recalled that they had made similar remarks during the journey. As the hero of the Dragon Campaign, Riftan should have made for the royal capital as soon as Sektor was slain. Maxi tried to approximate the distance between Anatol and the capital. By her calculation, Riftan would be absent for a fortnight at the shortest or a month at the longest. “I’ve sent a carrier pigeon to the capital. This is the first time I’ve come home in three years. King Reuben will understand.” “Commander, I know you’re trying to distance yourself from the king,” said the knight standing furthest away from her. “But if you make it too obvious, you could lose his favor.” Ricaydo turned around abruptly. “Distance himself?” “Elnuima Reuben III is anxious to have the commander in the capital. Commander, are you wary of becoming shackled to the royal family under the pretext of their rewarding you for your contributions?” Riftan remained silent. “And there’s the matter of Princess Agnes. It’s clear that the king wants to tie you down. I understand why you’re wary, but you must avoid antagonizing him. He distrusts his vassals as it is.” “Elliot’s right. If we miss the celebration, the king will think that he was humiliated in front of his vassals. With his propensity for holding grudges, there’s no telling what kind of retribution he’ll plan.” “Hebaron Nirtha! You dare blaspheme the king?” Hearing their agitation grow, Maxi turned on her heel. “P-Please bring my m-meal to m-my room,” she instructed Ludis before making her way up the stairs. Her mood failed to improve even as she dined alone. She wondered whether she would be all right while Riftan was away. Everyone had been kind to her, but perhaps that was because he was with her. She felt uneasy. Ludis, who had been waiting on her, noticed her glum expression. “Is the food not to your liking, my lady?” Maxi quickly shook her head. “N-No, it’s d-delicious. I j-just... don’t h-have an a-appetite.” “Are you feeling unwell?” “I’m j-just a little t-tired. I’d like to r-rest.” “Should I take away the plate?” Maxi nodded, and Ludis left with the half-finished food. Still seated at the table, Maxi gazed at the figurines that Aderon had left behind. The tiny statuettes had lost their charm. Being alone should not have alarmed her; in fact, she had always been alone. For twenty-two long years, she had lived with a cruel father, callous half-sister, and disrespectful servants. There was no ostensible reason for Riftan’s month-long absence to make her feel so forlorn. A hand suddenly entered her vision. “What’s that you’re looking at?” 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖 Maxi whipped her head around in surprise, not having noticed Riftan enter. He was examining a marble miniature in his hand with a bemused expression. “They’re m-models of the d-decorations for the b-banquet hall.” “Banquet hall?” Riftan frowned. Maxi’s heart sank. “Y-You wanted me to r-redecorate the c-castle...” “I forgot that there was a banquet hall in this castle. Well, we’ll have to hold banquets and balls soon anyway.” Maxi gulped, her throat constricting at the look of anticipation in Riftan’s eyes. The thought of hosting a ball or banquet was enough to make her head spin. “I-If you d-don’t want to...” “I don’t dislike the idea, though I can’t say I’m used to such noisy affairs.” He bent forward slightly to pull out the pin that held her hair in place. Her thick braid fell heavily onto her back. He undid the braid, the softness of her hair putting a gentle smile on his lips. “I want to see you dressed up and dancing.” Maxi had never thought of herself as beautiful, and she had never danced at a ball. The disparity between Riftan’s expectations and her true self unnerved her. “C-Come to th-think of it, I h-haven’t even thanked you p-properly. Th-Thank you for hiring a t-tailor ...” “No need to be so formal over something so trivial,” Riftan answered impassively, returning the miniature on the table. “I know that life here is nothing compared to your life at Croyso Castle. But bear it for now. With time, I’ll give you everything you want.” He wound an arm around her shoulders and kissed her earlobe. She shrank in his embrace. She wanted to say that she lacked for nothing and that his kindness was more than she could have hoped for, but the words never left her mouth. She was just happy that he cherished her, though it could all be an illusion. “I need to leave for the capital in a few days. I’ll bring back a cartload of gifts.” “A-All right...” “I’ll come home as soon as I can. I’ll just attend the ceremony and return immediately...” He trailed off as his soft, moist tongue parted her lips. Her eyelids quivered. She tasted traces of wine on the tip of his tongue. With his warm palms cupping her cheeks, he gently rubbed his stubbled chin against hers. There was something distinctive about the way he pursued her. Though his persistence and wildness frightened her at times, his tenderness was sublime. Under his gentle touch, she felt like a delicate wildflower that he had torn from the ground and brought home to treasure. ... “Damn it... I really don’t want to go,” Riftan whispered. When their lips parted, a string of silver saliva stretched between them. Maxi gazed up at him from beneath trembling eyelids. He took her breast into his hand and pulled her closer by the waist. “I just want to lock myself in this room and rest for as long as possible.” His passionate voice was thick with fatigue accumulated over three grueling years. Maxi felt guilt and sympathy well up in her heart. She hesitated, then gently embraced his head. As she began to stroke his hair, he stopped peppering kisses on her neck and looked up in surprise. Her voice trembling, she managed to squeeze out a few words. “Ch-Cheer up.” His obsidian eyes flickered with an indecipherably dark emotion. He looked down at her with a turbulent expression, then suddenly locked his lips onto hers. As their moist breaths mingled, she felt goosebumps rise on the back of her neck. “You’re the one who started this, so don’t blame me later,” growled Riftan. He lifted her into his arms as if she weighed nothing. Unafraid this time, she felt a sharp thrill. She was beginning to realize the important place he had come to occupy in her life. And that was the only thing that frightened her. *** “E-Enough...” Maxi whimpered hoarsely. ... The sky was bright white, covered by a blanket of misty clouds. Milky sunlight seeped in through the windows. It was well past dawn. Maxi crawled across the sheets to evade Riftan, but her limbs had been depleted overnight. She did not have the strength to pick even a small flower. “R-Riftan, p-please...” “Just a little more...” His breath grazed her between her legs as she buried her face in the sheets. The flicker of the dying fire licked their skin, which glistened with sweat and the essence of their love. Even that faint heat felt like torture. “It’s amazing that you have a part that can receive me,” Riftan murmured to himself as he fondled her. “And that I have a part that can connect with you...” Raised high in the air, Maxi’s hips trembled. Her wide-open thighs were stiff and cramped, and her wet, swollen flesh throbbed. She sobbed quietly. Laid defenselessly bare under his scrutinizing eyes, her heart constricted. “Do you know how beautiful you are here?” His hand gently parted and stroked her most intimate region. Maxi sank her teeth into the pillow, sure that she would go mad. It felt as if her entire body had melted, leaving only the part that he was stimulating. Tears streamed down her cheeks at the intensity of her climax. “Maddeningly beautiful...” Riftan whispered, stroking her waist to soothe her. His deep, husky voice grazed her neck and the back of her ears. Overwhelmed by the sensations, Maxi tore at her hair. His hot breath warmed her sensitive flesh and his teeth nibbled gently on her engorged nub. Every nerve in her body seemed to split. “I c-can’t... Ah...!” Her hips jutted even higher into the air. Riftan clasped his hands tightly around her buttocks, tasting her before sliding his thickness into her yet again. She lacked the strength to lift even a finger. His heavy mass pressed her into the bed, which creaked as it shook. Swollen to an unbearable degree, he parted her wet flesh and filled her to her depths. With each thrust, he grew bigger and his movements rougher. Her body, flushed and sensitive, was shaken and pressed into the bed. As her vision dimmed, sounds became indistinct.