Chapter Thirteen #2
“I appreciate your offer, but no. There are currently plenty of mages in Anatol. If I need help, I will employ their services. There is no need for you to worry about such things.”
The refusal was so resolute that Maxi clenched her mouth shut, unable to say anything more.
Although he had said only last night that she was the only family he had, it was clear to Maxi now that he did not, and would never, consider her a true comrade.
The only roles Riftan saw her in were those of the lady of the castle and the wife of his bed.
He would not confide his innermost troubles with someone as, in his words, feeble-hearted as her.
Hiding her disappointment, Maxi trailed behind Riftan all the way back to the castle.
—
True to Riftan’s words, Maxi no longer had to attend to the princess after that day.
Princess Agnes spent most of her time with Riftan.
They would ride out early in the morning to inspect the southern parts of the Anatolium Mountains, and on days they did not, they would discuss matters at the training grounds or tour the lands.
Of course, they were never alone with each other. Whenever they ventured outside Anatol, the Remdragon Knights and the royal knights would accompany them. When they toured within the borders, the princess’s attendants followed close behind.
Still, Maxi felt anxious and discontented.
Seeing a woman as dazzling as the sun itself standing beside Riftan made her heart ache.
Princess Agnes was everything Maxi felt she could never be.
She was beautiful and full of confidence, a true force to be reckoned with.
Maxi worried that by spending too much time with the princess, Riftan would soon recognize his wife’s inadequacies.
He would finally see just how pathetic and miserable she was.
A chill ran down her spine whenever such thoughts invaded her mind.
Her whole life, Maxi had been compared to her sister, Rosetta.
The thought that even her own husband might start comparing her to another woman filled her with dread.
So ingrained was her sense of inferiority that she could not rid herself of it completely, no matter how hard she tried.
Chewing on her lip, she let out a forlorn sigh and gazed out the window into the garden below. It was beginning to show more signs of life.
“What has caught your attention so, my lady?”
The voice snapped Maxi out of her thoughts, and she turned her head to look at the speaker. Ruth stood at the entrance of the library, munching on an apple.
Maxi furrowed her brow at his nonchalant demeanor. “Where…have you been? I was worried. You haven’t been in the library…when I come by.”
“I had to shut myself up in my tower these past couple of days so I could finish making the magical device,” he answered flatly. He strode into the library and plopped himself down on his usual seat.
Maxi gave him a quizzical look. “But don’t you usually…work on the devices in the library?”
“I wished to avoid running into that troublesome woman.”
“T-Troublesome…woman?”
“Princess Agnes.”
Maxi’s eyes widened at the unexpected answer. Most of the Remdragon Knights seemed to be on amicable terms with the princess, so Maxi had assumed that Ruth would also hold the princess in high esteem.
“Do you…not get along with her?”
“I am afraid the acrimony is one-sided. I am merely a victim of the princess’s bullying.
You see, she sees me as a renegade for breaking the rules of the Mage Tower.
” Ruth crossed his arms over his chest and shuddered.
“Truth be told, I would like to have nothing to do with her if possible. She made sure I had a hard time during the campaign. I doubt even a cleric would have treated a pagan so cruelly.”
“I-I was unaware of that. You…never said anything…whenever you’ve mentioned the princess in the past.”
“Why would I have mentioned such a thing?”
He plucked a book from the pile next to him and flipped it open. A strange sense of solidarity rose inside Maxi. The fact that there was someone else who disliked the princess gave her consolation. Though she knew how shameful that was, it still made her feel better.
“I-I do not think…she is a bad person…” she muttered in a veiled tone.
“Objectively speaking, yes. She is a talented, fair-minded person when she wishes to be. Very cordial to the Remdragon Knights. But I believe I am free to have my own opinion of her. And in my opinion, she is difficult to deal with.”
Ruth’s frankness bolstered Maxi’s confidence enough that, after a moment of hesitation, she confessed her own feelings. “To be honest…I am also ill at ease with the princess.”
“I would have been surprised if you were not,” Ruth answered blandly, turning a page of the book. “In fact, I would have thought it strange if you had happily welcomed your husband’s once-considered suitor into your home.”
Immediately, it was as if a weight had been lifted from Maxi’s shoulders. Whenever her jealousy of the princess reared its ugly head, she felt like a wicked witch from the old tales. “Be that as it may…I still feel quite awful…that I find her difficult…when she is h-helping Anatol.”
Ruth snorted, turning another page. “Believe me, my lady, the princess is not helping us merely out of the goodness of her heart. I heard that she asked to claim most of the harvested monster loot in exchange for her assistance. That alone makes this a fruitful deal for her. And I’m certain she also intends to use this opportunity to try to convince Sir Riftan to return to the capital; King Reuben is desperate to keep him close. ”
Maxi’s shoulders stiffened. “Princess Agnes…wants to bring R-Riftan back to the capital with her?”
“Well, I do not see why else she would come to such a remote region as Anatol.” Ruth answered indifferently, but when he saw the look on Maxi’s face, he quickly added, “Of course, I doubt Sir Riftan would ever agree to it no matter how hard the princess tried. Our liege is not fond of life in the capital, nor does he like staying in Drachium Palace.”
“Wh-Why is that?”
“I would think it was obvious. Ever since he was knighted, the nobles of Drachium openly showed him contempt. Even if they were to welcome him now, I doubt he would accept their company. Your husband despises conceit to a fault.” He shrugged casually.
“Besides, Sir Riftan is fond of Anatol. Why would he want to be a lapdog in Drachium when he could be the king here?”
“K-King?”
“To Anatolians, their lord is a greater liege than even King Reuben. After all, it was Sir Riftan who helped this desolate, forgotten land flourish into the thriving region it is now. The people adore him, and he also cares deeply for them in return.”
Maxi looked out the window, suddenly overwhelmed by an emotion she did not understand.
The sweeping scenery outside was more beautiful than any mural, painted with bold brush strokes of life and wilderness.
As Ruth said, this land was special to Riftan.
He would never leave it behind. Though she was relieved, she also felt a familiar pang of loneliness.
It was as if she were envious of this land that could so permanently bind him… .
“In any case, Princess Agnes will not be able to stay here forever. Surely, she will return to the capital once she realizes that Sir Riftan cannot be swayed. Just endure her ’til then, my lady. I, for one, intend to avoid her as much as possible.”
His jovial voice roused Maxi from her foolish thoughts, and she gave him a small smile. Ruth was right. She could only wait and hope that the princess would give up sooner rather than later. Then, hopefully, she would be liberated from this anxiety of losing her husband.
—
Unfortunately for Ruth, his plan of avoiding the princess was not to be.
The extensive road construction required enormous manpower.
The knights left the estate several times a day to hunt the monsters that stalked the construction site and threatened the safety of the workers.
Ruth was assigned to take part in the monster raids and thus had to suffer Princess Agnes’s constant provocations.
Although he looked thoroughly unhappy whenever Maxi saw him, she envied him.
It seemed like everyone in Anatol was allowed to help Riftan except for her.
While she merely directed gardeners, even the squires Ulyseon and Garrow were out slaying monsters or running errands for the knights.
She knew that managing the castle was nothing to scoff at, but Maxi still felt like a child left alone in an empty house.
As the days went by, Maxi began to wonder if there was even a reason for her to continue learning magic. What would she do with defensive wards, or the ability to summon fire or wind, when she was never allowed to leave Calypse Castle?
Ever since starting magic lessons, she had harbored a dream of becoming a great sorceress who braved perils by Riftan’s side.
Now, that dream lay shattered. Riftan would never allow her to join him on dangerous adventures.
The realization was isolating, but there was no one she could talk to about it.
Though the servants were courteous, Maxi did not think it appropriate for her to confide in them.
Riftan was always busy, and, in a way, he was the last person she wanted to reveal such feelings to.
The only thing she could do was to endure the solitude and resolutely go about her daily routines.
“Are you feeling unwell, my lady? You have not been eating well,” Ludis asked cautiously when she noticed Maxi picking at her late lunch.
Maxi shook her head and forced a smile. It was true that she was fatigued and did not have an appetite, but that was from waiting up most nights for Riftan.
“You look tired, my lady. Might I suggest a nap?”
“Th-Thank you for worrying…but I’m expecting the spice peddler l-later in the afternoon.”