She would rather die than have Riftan look at her with those same eyes. The last thing she wanted was for her husband to find out that his precious wife was nothing more than a miserable insect.
Unable to bear the shameful thoughts any longer, Maxi raced out of her chambers. She felt she would lose her mind if she had to spend any more time alone.
—
Maxi needed something todo. Idleness was bringing back depressing memories of her life in Croyso Castle. She headed to the kitchen, as the only thing she could think to dowas pretend to supervise the servants as they prepared supper.
Suddenly, a deep voice called out to her. “My lady!”
Maxi turned around to find Sir Gabel Lachzion and Sir Remus Baldo striding into the great hall, their faces grim.
“Wh-What brings you to the castle at this hour? I-Is something wrong?”
“Forgive us for the interruption, my lady,” they said, weaving past the servants scrubbing the floor, “but someone has been injured. Could we ask for your assistance?”
Maxi’s eyes widened. Although she had frequently tended to the knights in the past, she had not done so since she depleted her mana during the wyvern attack. She surmised that the situation must be grave. Growing flustered, she asked, “Wh-What about Ruth?”
“The sorcerer is currently at the construction site. We do not wish to burden you, my lady, but we cannot afford to go down to the village to search for another healer.”
The knights were visibly anxious as they led Maxi to the door without waiting for her reply. She stumbled along behind them, struggling to keep up with their long strides.
“C-Could you…tell me who got hurt?”
“One of the knights who was sent as a scout to Livadon last winter. It appears they were attacked by werewolves in Anatolium, and he got himself poisoned, of all things….” Gabel clicked his tongue, then turned to Maxi with a worried expression. “Are you able to neutralize poison with magic, my lady?”
“I have studied the r-runes, but I have yet to try it….”
“Then you could use this opportunity to test it,” Gabel replied without a hint of hesitation before practicallysprinting down the stairs. Maxi had to gather her skirt at one side to avoid tripping after him.
“W-Would it…not be better to w-wait for Ruth to return?”
“If we delay and the poison spreads, the man will lose his right hand for good. It would mean the end of his life as a knight. It does not matter if you fail. Please, try.” Sir Remus’s tone was closer to coercion than a plea.
Maxi swallowed, a lump in her throat. She did not know whether to feel happy or troubled that the knights, who had been unwilling to have her heal even their superficial wounds at first, now relied on her in such a dire situation.
What if it was too serious for her to handle?
Agitated, Maxi kept wiping her clammy palms on her skirt as she followed the knights across the garden. They strode past the gate and rushed straight into the knights’ quarters.
“This way, my lady.”
Inside, thick curtains were drawn over the windows. Maxi froze as she stepped into the dark room.
Someone lit a candle, illuminating three or four cots lined up on the floor. The sparse infirmary had probably been prepared to treat minor injuries during training sessions. Against the wall was a shelf with pouches of herbs and unfamiliar medicine bottles, a faintly glowing brazier, and a boiling kettle. The eerie interior made Maxi hunch her shoulders as her eyes darted around.
A faint moan came from the other side of the room. Maxi turned toward it and saw a young knight lying on one of the cots.
She walked over to the man and frowned. “It is h-hard tosee his wound in the dark. C-Could you draw the curtains back?”
“Werewolf venom makes one extremely sensitive to light. The sun would be too harsh for him,” Gabel explained. “It would increase his pain. Here, allow me.”
Gabel lit the candle next to the cot. In the flickering light, Maxi could just make out the injured knight’s bare and tanned torso. She cautiously inspected the wound on his right forearm, and her shoulders sagged with relief when she saw that it was not as bad as she had feared. Although the bite was deep, his bones appeared to be intact. Still, he was badly poisoned.
Maxi placed her hand on the young man’s forehead to check his temperature and frowned when she felt his burning skin. “Have you tried…d-detoxicants?”
“He was given mandrago leaves right after he was bitten, but the beast that got him was a powerful monster. The detoxicant was ineffective,” said an unfamiliar voice. Maxi turned toward a young, haggard-looking knight carrying a pail of water into the infirmary.
Sir Remus hastily took the pail from him. “I told you to rest. Let the servants handle such tasks.”
