Chapter 8: Chapter “N-No... Th-That’s not what I...” “What is it, then? Is there another man?” Unable to make sense of Riftan’s words, Maxi could only gaze fearfully at his blazing eyes. He closed in on her, spitting words out through clenched teeth. “Were you with another man while I was off fighting for my life?” “N-No!” Her voice faltered. His grip loosened, but his face was still contorted in suspicion. “Then why did you bring up divorce?” “Everyone s-said that when you c-came b-back, you would d-divorce m-me and m-marry the p-princess, s-so...” “Princess?” he asked sharply, understanding finally dawning on his face. Maxi nodded, holding back tears. He blinked before emitting a stream of curses, running a hand through his hair. “Blighted fools, wagging their useless tongues...” He then scooped her into his arms, blanket and all, and sat down on the bed. Ignoring Maxi’s flailing legs, he placed her on his knees and cupped her face with his hands. She felt his tongue licking up the tears that had welled up in the corners of her eyes. His warm breath tickled her cheeks and lips, distracting her enough to stop weeping. He wound an arm around her waist and let out a deep sigh. “I don’t know what silly rumors you’ve heard, but I turned down that proposal a long time ago.” “You t-turned it d-down?” Maxi’s eyes went wide with disbelief. “Of course I did! Did you think I would accept such a deranged offer?” Deranged? Why was it madness to offer a princess’s hand in marriage to the hero who had saved the world? “I thought the king had finally lost his mind when he made such an offer to a married man!” “B-But...” “But what? It is a sacred vow we swore before God. If I ever find a bastard who dares to break the holy vows of matrimony, I’ll castrate him with my own hands. Do you think me a base scoundrel?” Maxi gave him an incredulous look. Was he sincere? She knew well that knights prized loyalty, but Riftan seemed to have an almost religious devotion to chivalry. How could he choose a forced marriage over an opportunity to marry into royalty? Glory, titles of nobility, and an unimaginably large dowry would have become his. Above all, his child would have had the right of succession to the throne. Yet, he had dismissed all of that as madness for a wife he had never wanted. Perhaps he’s the mad one. It finally dawned on her that Riftan regarded their marriage with utmost sincerity. He had no ulterior motive – he was taking her with him because she was his wife, just as he had said. She was overcome with surprise. “B-But...” Did he truly have no regrets? Perhaps he did not understand the opportunity he had just let slip by. Forgetting that her predicament obliged her to cling to him, she blurted out another question. “Are y-you really a-all right with that? P-Princess A-Agnes is very b-beautiful...” “Have you met Agnes?” She winced. Riftan said he had rejected the princess, but they were close enough for him to address her by her first name. “N-Not in p-person...” “Then how do you know she’s beautiful? I cannot stand women who romp about unbridled like wild stallions.” Taken aback by hearing him speak so candidly about the royal family, Maxi looked at him with a bewildered expression. He used a thumb to wipe off the traces of tears around her eyes before continuing. “Forget that ridiculous rumor. Palace life suffocates me, and I don’t intend to live out my days under the shadow of a haughty princess.” “B-But...” “Enough with your buts! Did you bring up the rumor as an excuse to escape the marriage you so despise?” A threatening glint flashed across his eyes. He relaxed again only when Maxi vigorously shook her head. “Good, then. Don’t you ever mention such nonsense again. I won’t be so patient next time.” Maxi rolled her eyes. Patient? He had been shouting away all this time! But her thoughts came to a halt when she felt Riftan’s hand on the small of her back. She froze. His hands inched down, making their way under the blanket that was covering her. “W-Wait...!” Maxi kicked her legs in alarm, realizing anew that she was wearing nothing but a thin tunic. Riftan slid a hand under her bottom and lifted her slightly. He pulled out the blanket from beneath her, then tossed it on the floor. She frantically pulled the tunic over her legs, but to no avail. Riftan simply rolled up the lower half of the tunic and grasped her high-perched breasts. She let out an unceremonious scream as the roughness of his warm hands brushed across her tender skin, sending strange and intense sensations coursing through her body. “W-W-Wait...” “Is that your favorite word? Or have you forgotten your own husband’s name?” Riftan, who had been burying his nose in her nape, raised his head, looking disgruntled. Maxi blinked like an owl. Then his eyelids quivered, and his lips smacked hers roughly as if to chastise her. But his lips were surprisingly warm and soft, and for a moment, Maxi doubted whether those cold, harsh words had come out of those same lips. “Don’t look so startled. As you said, we were not married under ordinary circumstances, but there was little we could do. You must learn to accept me.” He combed her hair back with his warm, firm fingers. The tenderness of the gesture surprised her. His lips incessantly explored her cheeks, temples, and ears, his warm breath tickling her nape. She felt his muscular thighs twitch under her rear. Maxi grasped Riftan’s clothes without realizing it and clenched her eyes shut. She knew what this overture meant, for she had experienced it once before. And she remembered the pain that had followed. Her body stiffened, drawing a sigh from him. “Try to relax. You’re going to hurt yourself.” “B-But...” “This isn’t your first time.” Riftan stopped nibbling on the soft flesh of her neck and gazed at her. “Do you not want to?” he asked hesitantly. ... She could only open and close her mouth in response. She did not have the heart to refuse. He had turned down a chance to marry the princess to honor his marital vows. It would not be right, she felt, to deny such a man her bed. After a long pause, she nodded in affirmation. Riftan wasted no time in pushing his tongue deep into her mouth to taste every corner. She put a hand on his chest, only to pull them back in shock when she felt how fast his heart was beating. Moist lips peppered soft pecks on her chin before sliding along her neck and coming to a rest on her collarbone. Damp breath and a wet tongue caused the hairs on her nape to stand up. “Raise your arms.” With a rigid movement, she obeyed. As his calloused palms stroked her from the waist to the armpits and pulled the tunic over her head, she hugged herself to hide her bosom. He embraced her from behind and planted a kiss on her shoulder. “I’ll be as gentle as I can.” Maxi watched him with trembling eyelids. His eyes greedily drank in her body. Following his gaze, she beheld her own body under the reddish lamplight. Round breasts and a flat midriff. A pair of pale thighs, and the tender region between them. She shut her eyes in shame at the sight of her bare body. But closing her eyes only amplified the sensation of his fingers stroking her nipples. After nibbling at her collarbone, he took her breasts into his mouth with a sudden hungry movement and began to suck. Maxi gasped. She felt him moisten her skin with his lips before tasting it languidly with his warm tongue. Teeth nibbled her flesh, stopping just short of causing pain. A tingle coursed through her from neck to ear. “H-Hey... W-Wait...” “Riftan.” ... He sucked hard as if to punish her. Maxi emitted a small scream. Not knowing what to do with her hands, she tore at his clothes. He loosened her hands and draped her arms around his neck. Her insides tingled at the touch of his warm skin and the tickle of his sleek hair on her neck. “Say my name... Riftan...” “Uh, um...” “Say it.” His command was firm but gentle. Finally, she called his name in a shaky voice. “R-Riftan...” A shiver passed through his shoulders. He muttered something unintelligible in a guttural voice before overwhelming her with wild kisses. His brawny arms tightened around her waist with such strength that she thought she might snap in half. A passion she had never experienced before overcame her. She clung to his neck, panting. With his lips on hers, he chuckled. “That’s it. Hold on to me tight.” For the first time, she saw him smile. He rained kisses on her with a hand on the back of her head. With his other hand, he drew circles on her navel before pushing it between her legs. She clamped her thighs together, but it was too late – his hand had already settled in position. He moved his fingers gingerly. Feeling a tingle in her stomach, she sat up with a jolt.