Under the Oak Tree - Chapter 229

Chapter 229

She wondered just how in the world did Riftan react that the blunt wizard with nerves of steel had behaved in such fear. Max clenched the sheets, her expression evidently anxious. Seeing her face, Ruth was quick to add to his words to

Max’s eyes widened and Ruth scratched the back of his head and spoke awkwardly.

Surprised by the sincerity, Max hurriedly waved her hand.

Suddenly, a sad smile appeared on Ruth’s lips, but before she could ask anything further, the wizard went out of the tent. Although the conversation was brief, Max felt exhausted. It had to be true that she was unconscious for a whole week: all of her wounds seem to have healed, but her limbs felt tired, and her head felt heavy. She stared up at the ceiling with sunken eyes, then tried to sit up when suddenly, she heard more footsteps rushing towards the tent and two priestesses came rushing into the tent.

Max smiled heartily as she saw the faces of Idcilla and Selena. Seeing that they were both alive and well, Max let out a sigh of relief. Idcilla immediately ran over to her and tucked a thick pillow behind her to ease the pressure on her back.

The girl scolded her incessantly and pulled the blanket up to her chin. Selena walked over to her and set a tray by the head of the bed.

Max took the spoon and looked at the two girls. Max was concerned that something bad had happened to them while she escaped in the middle of the chaos, but fortunately they seemed to have survived and hidden well from the monster army. Her expression was bright, thinking that everything was well, but suddenly a thought crossed her mind and her face hardened as she recalled the battle. She began to wonder what had happened to everyone else. Although Ruth informed her, she did not hear of any details. No matter what the result was, a full-scale invasion still took place. There must have been a massive number of casualties.

Idcilla poured porridge into the bowl and gave her a stern look.

Max took the steaming bowl and looked around. She wanted to probe for more details, if everyone was really fine, or if any of the Remdragon Knights were injured, but seeing how busy everything was, she didn’t want to snoop and be a nuisance. She blew on her porridge and slowly took a sip. She ate her food little by little and when she finished, Idcilla placed a partition to surround her bed.

She then carefully helped her clean, wiping her face, hand, feet, and back with a wet towel. Max was a little embarrassed but didn’t refuse. She had done this hundreds of times for her patients, but it felt a little strange to be on the other end of care.

Even the minute movements required to dress drained her stamina. Once they finished, Max collapsed back onto the pillows. She nervously opened her mouth to ask.

Selena’s head tilted to one side and Max felt a dark heavy cloud form in her chest. She must have dropped it somewhere while she was frantically running away. She fell and rolled on the ground countless times. It was a cherished memory that Riftan had kept since he was a child, and her mouth went dry at the thought of losing something so precious to her husband.

At her request, Selena’s face grew visibly muddled.

Selena’s words grew quieter, but seeing the expression on Max’s face, Idcilla tried to turn the conversation around.

The girl’s voice slightly cracked, and she coughed quickly to cover up her lies, then rushed to get Selena out of the shed with the wet towels, the basin, and the empty tray in hand. Max took a few more sips of the porridge and went back to sleep. After a while, Idcilla returned, and Max awoke to the sound of her approaching footsteps. She looked at the girl with concern and anticipation, and Idcilla smiled widely as she held up the ashen copper shekel with its edges burnt.

Max quickly accepted the coin gratefully. She felt both relief and regret to have it back.

The girl shrugged like the task was no big deal.

Max ran her fingers over the rough surface of the coin with a darkened face as she heard everyone’s devotion to her. She felt a complex mix of feelings: after all she had still escaped, leaving everyone else behind, to save her own life. Max couldn’t meet Idcilla’s admiring eyes and she didn’t dare to tell the truth either. She was afraid that if she confessed what really happened, they would turn cold on her.

Idcilla explained enthusiastically, as if happy to be used as a servant, then slipped out of the tent again. Max leaned back on her bed and fiddled with the coin in her hand. The small piece of copper was very distorted now compared to when Riftan first handed it over to her. One side of the coin was completely burnt black. She tried to scrape off some of the ashes with her nails, but eventually, she succumbed to fatigue and fell back to sleep again.

As Max wandered through her hazy consciousness, she felt something touch her cheek and her eyes flew open. Riftan was at her side. His face, indecipherable, as if he were wearing a mask. Instantly, the groggy remnants of sleep fled from Max, and she tried to get up as she gazed into his eyes anxiously. Riftan’s expression was identical to that of when they met at Croix Castle. The Remdragon Knight insignia embroidered on his deep blue cloak and dark gray armor evoked a terrifyingly gloomy atmosphere. His rigid eyes, his tense face, and his cold gaze… a ruthless, cold gentleman that made her fearful was gazing down at her. The stillness around her felt chilling.

Without saying a word, and without a hint of anger or concern, he gazed at her as she pushed the tangled hair away from her forehead. Then, he looked down at her hand and Max blushed when she realized he was looking at the coin he had given her.

A spark of anger ignited in Riftan’s black orbs. Max withdrew when she felt his pent-up emotions on the brink of implosion, but instead of yelling with anger, he simply snatched the coin out of her hand with a ghastly blank expression, then casually tossed it to the ground. The coin rattled and rolled into a corner of the barrack with a rattle. Riftan stared at it, then muttered in a hoarse voice.

Max paled as she looked at him. Riftan continued to look at the ground with an eerily calm face.

One corner of his mouth lifted slightly into a scornful look.

Riftan seemed unable to accept that the monster had met its death so easily, but he continued to speak in a blunt tone as if he was suppressing his seething emotions.

Riftan rubbed his mouth slightly, barely turned to look at her. His eyes were emotionless as if they were covered with a black veil.

He didn’t answer, but his silence was more than enough to be an answer. Max bit her lip anxiously then gathered all her courage and opened her mouth to speak again.

At his sudden fierce shout, Max winced, and her shoulders hunched. Riftan’s large body trembled, as if he could no longer control himself. His body shook violently, and he covered his face with his hand.

He spoke in a choked voice and staggered just like a strong wall on the brink of collapse. Seeing him like this, Max reached out to him and opened her mouth vaguely, but Riftan stepped back as if she had aimed a dagger at him. She looked up at his contorted face.

It would have been a hundred times better for him to be furious and unleash his anger at her than this. Max felt her heart break into pieces, and the eyes looking at her were so shattered and beaten as it closed slowly. Seeing his head fall so downcast and helpless, Max was left speechless.

***

Two days passed and reports came in about all the monsters being driven north. Immediately, the troops, including Whedon’s Royal Knights, prepared to return home. Some of the Holy Knights of Osyria and Royal Knights of Livadon were called to accompany the journey of those permanently disabled due to the extent of their injuries who were to be transported back to the capital. Furthermore, two high priests and several priestesses were to accompany them. The war was not over yet, and Max had to wonder if it would be okay for so many people to return home.

Princess Agnes explained as she laid her down on the prepared sheets in the large, luxurious carriage. Max looked into her azure-colored eyes with a worried expression. What was in her thoughts was that before the invasion happened, all of them believed that all of the monsters were being driven to the north and yet, suddenly, a huge army of monsters emerged out of nowhere and attacked Ethylene. Agnes cast a bitter laugh as if he read Max’s thoughts.

Max asked in a stunned voice and Agnes nodded.

An eerie chill broke out throughout her body. That only meant that all this time, thousands of monsters were right under their noses. They were blind, their situation could not be worse than being under a lamp where it was dark. Seeing Max in rumination, Princess Agnes also frowned and spoke sternly.

Her mouth twisted into a disdainful smile.

Note – : 💔 Riftan, why ☹ If I wake up from a coma and be spoken to like that, I’d rather just fall back into a coma ☹

: Poor baby doesn’t know how to handle all the pain and regret he’s feeling. I pity both of them, but their reconciliation moment will be so much more intense, I live for that T.T