Under the Oak Tree - Chapter 253

Chapter 253

Max licked her parched lips, it felt like she was pushed to a corner. The thought of leaving Riftan’s side made her stomach twist. As she hesitated and couldn’t give an answer easily, Ruth, who was deep in thought, began to speak.

The princess tried to persuade her with an impatient attitude. Max didn’t know what to do and lowered her eyes. She said she would do anything for Riftan, and yet she couldn’t give an answer as to what she was willing to do. While she continued to hesitate, Ruth glared furiously at the princess.

The princess whose eyebrows were furrowed in displeasure, nodded in disgust with a long sigh.

The princess rose from her seat along with Simon. Max couldn’t say a word until the princess left the room. She felt like she was balancing on one wooden leg. Uslin, looking at her pale face in fear, suddenly opened his mouth.

Max was surprised and her eyes widened, but he continued seriously.

She asked in perplexion.

Uslin nodded slowly.

Max sighed and looked anxiously at the faces of Ruth, Elliott, and the knights who were silently guarding the door. They had a calm face, as if it was a fact that everyone already knew: it was clear that Riftan had spoken to them beforehand. She could not bear the shock of it and sank into the chair.

Uslin added hastily.

When she murmured vaguely, the man closed his mouth as if he didn’t know what to say. A heavy atmosphere surrounded them. At that moment, Ruth spoke seriously, grasping her shoulders with both hands.

Max looked at him in the face with hazy vision, then nodded. Uslin quickly supported her and led her out of the waiting room. She followed him and walked down the dark corridor, struggling to clear her complex mind. The stories she had heard from the bard lingered in her head. Ancient wizards who built an island in the middle of the sea to escape the heretic hunters, in the center of which stood a huge tower… When the story of the legend came to her head, an unfamiliar fear flooded her. When she got back to her room, she couldn’t sleep a second and tossed and turned all night.

***

Riftan didn’t return to the room until the sun had risen from the horizon. Max turned her back, pretending to be asleep and squeezed her eyes shut. She heard sounds like he was taking off his clothes, then his heavy body slumped into the spot next to her. She let out a shaky breath. Riftan’s thick forearms embraced her waist tightly. The warmth of his body she felt radiating against her back made her eyes water. She blinked in the dark. Just because he married her, he was dragged into a situation where he could lose everything. Wasn’t he resentful of her, even though it was her father who was making him go through such torment? If he had divorced and married the princess when he returned from the expedition… he would never have ended up in this situation.

‘I’m such a fool. What even am I worth…?’ Her heart felt like it was rupturing and she closed her eyes tightly. ‘If I go to the World Tower, I will not be able to sleep in his arms for the following years. It has been so difficult being away from him for just a few months, will I be able to bear it for four years?’

Suddenly, Riftan’s deep voice echoed in her ear. As if realizing she hadn’t fallen asleep, he turned her body around, hugged her tightly to his chest, and pressed his cheeks against the top of her head. Max sank deeper into his arms, she wanted to run away with him and stay in his arms like that.

‘Can’t I just do as he planned? Leave his title, Anatol, the Knights, and everything else. Just the two of us far away from all this.’

She swallowed a desperate cry that was painfully scratching her throat. She wouldn’t forgive herself if she gave in to such temptation. She couldn’t always cling to him like a child who was afraid of being separated from her parents, it was her own fault and weakness that brought them to that situation. This was the result of her not placing his trust in him, constantly being suspicious and insecure, to the point that they got that deep in the problem. If she did nothing now and closed her eyes pretending not to know anything, she would end up forever despising and blaming herself.

The next morning, Max went to the annex where the princess was staying, escorted by knights, just before Riftan would go to the meeting room. Ruth insisted that she should think about it a bit more, but she was afraid that if she didn’t act at that moment, her resolve would crumble. Max closed her eyes tightly and knocked on the princess’s door. Agnes looked a bit surprised when she saw her standing in the doorway.

The princess led her into the room and asked carefully. Max nodded as she sat down in a velvet-covered chair.

Contrary to what she expected, Agnes’s pale face had a slightly complicated expression.

Max nodded slowly. The princess narrowed her eyes, as if trying to assess her determination and looked at her with a helpless smile.

She looked at her with a puzzled face. She would have to be separated from her husband for four years. How was that going to be beneficial to her?

The princess smiled bitterly when Max glared at her with angry eyes.

The princess frowned as if she was annoyed.

As she raised her chin arrogantly, she looked into Max’s shocked eyes and added softly.

Max’s eyes stiffened at the impetuous words. The princess sighed in response to her awkward reaction.

Cynical energy rose above Agnes’s jewel blue eyes.

Her powerful voice resounded loudly in her heart. If she didn’t feel such heartbreaking pain for what was going to happen, she would have been excited. How many times had she longed to be such a talented and confident wizard such as the princess? However, she felt so miserable to rejoice about it. Her head was blank, as if she had been hit with a mace. It felt like something was splitting her in half.

Max shook her head weakly.

The princess nodded meekly.

They specified some more details and got up from their seats. As she walked out of the door to head to the meeting room, Uslin and Elliot were waiting by the door, looking at her with worry. Max flashed them a determined smile and headed to the main building along with the princess. The third meeting of mediation would be held in the same place as yesterday. They all stood in front of the large arched door to gauge the situation inside for a moment. The Duke’s sharp, loud voice could be heard through the door.

It was a despicable threat. Max’s face was seething with anger at the insulting words towards her husband. The princess looked at the ceiling as if to gather all her patience, then she announced herself with dignity and approached the attendant who was on duty at the door.

The young attendant carefully opened the door and stepped inside. After a while, he came back to open it wide and stepped aside to invite them inside. Max carefully entered the conference room with the princess and Simon. Riftan, who was sitting in the front of the table looking annoyed, looked at her, and his eyes widened. She was close to the princess, avoiding his questioning gaze. Princess Agnes walked slowly in front of the king and bowed politely in accordance with palace etiquette.

King Ruben’s sullen words distorted the Duke of Croix’s face. The king yawned naturally and spoke slowly.

She paused for a moment and looked alternately at the rigid faces of Riftan and the Duke of Croix. King Ruben raised a thick eyebrow and touched his chin with his hand.

The princess straightened her posture and shot an icy look at the Duke of Croix.

The princess’s voice echoed loudly throughout the room. The Duke’s expression was livid with anger and he rose from his seat and screamed.

Simon spoke on behalf of the princess. Then, both the Duke of Croix and Riftan made a confused expression, as if they were listening to a calf speaking. Regardless of their reaction, the wizard continued to speak calmly to the king.

The duke slammed his fists on the table with full anger and looked at Max and the princess as if he wanted to murder them.

Note – : Don’t come for me but I honestly think Max is too dependent on Riftan and being in Nornui will help her build herself too. BUT YES IT WILL BE SAD AF.

: Completely agree ^