“I fully intend to do so, my lady,” Ruth said breezily, turning toward the door. “I don’t anticipate being able to eat anything that would be considered food for a while, so I shall fill up my stomach before I leave. Well, then. Shall we head back?”
Maxi gathered her notes and stared at his retreating figure as she stepped out of the room. She felt sorry for him, but also burdened by the responsibility she would take on after he left. It was then that she realized just how much she had come to rely on this meddlesome sorcerer.
“I am truly g-grateful…for everything you’ve done for me, Ruth. It is because of your help…that I have been able to overcome so many—”
“Wait!” He spun around, glaring at her as if she had cursed him. “I would appreciate it if you would refrain from making such ominous remarks. It feels like you are bidding me a final farewell.”
“That…was not my—”
“Even so. It is unsettling, so please stop. Wishing me a safe journey is more than enough.”
Maxi pursed her lips. She was only trying to convey her sincere gratitude. Why was he being unnecessarily mean?
“A-All right. Then…p-please have a safe trip. Will that do?”
“Yes, my lady, it would. I also wish you well while I am away,” Ruth replied flatly. They were walking down the stairs when he suddenly stopped to look over his shoulder with amischievous glint in his eyes. “And I shall expect good news upon our return.”
“G-Good news?”
“That Riftan Calypse the Second is on the way, of course.”
Maxi turned beet red and Ruth burst into laughter. She glared at him before storming past him down the stairs.
Honestly, was it always this hard to have a proper farewell?
—
The banquet that eveningwas grander than any other. A roasted swan and smoked pig graced the center of the table, surrounded by dozens of dishes richly seasoned with cloves, nutmeg, cumin, and pepper.
The knights enjoyed the food and fine wine, exchanging jests and obscenities with each other as if they were only leaving for a night. None of them looked forlorn or showed any signs of worry, and as she watched them, Maxi wondered if she would also have to smile and bid Riftan farewell when he had to depart on a long journey someday. Just the thought of being separated from him made her feel as if her body would split in half.
She looked up at his face, enveloped in soft light, and realized once more how important he had become in her life. She did not think she could bear to spend half a year apart from him. How wonderful it would have been if he were an ordinary country lord rather than a knight, so she never would have to worry about such things.
Of course, if that were the case, their marriage would never have happened.
She sipped wine as she tried to calm her racing mind. Though she wanted to share her well wishes and encouragement with the knights who were leaving, she ended up lost for words because of her nerves.
The next day, the campaign procession departed before the crack of dawn. Rows of armed knights on massive warhorses trotted through the castle gates, their saddlebags bulging with supplies. Maxi climbed up to the ramparts and watched as they crossed the drawbridge. Sir Ursuline rode at the front, leading his horse down the dark path under the indigo sky. Ruth and Elliot rode close behind him. The steady sound of hooves thudding against the ground went on for a long time, and she waved her handkerchief into the cool dawn breeze until they were no longer visible.
Riftan stood behind the battlement and looked on with a rigid expression before he turned to face Maxi. “You should head back inside now. Something in the wind tells me it’s going to rain soon.”
“W-Will they be all right?” She anxiously turned her gaze back to the knights whose figures were now as small as ants.
“They will be. Rain will decrease the chances of running into monsters, so it might be for the best. But…I do hope it will cease by nightfall….” He furrowed his brow and stared up at the dark sky, an irritated sigh escaping his lips before he said, “The construction site is also a worry. I should head out before the downpour starts.”
Pulling her face toward him, he kissed her cold forehead and smiled softly. He had been doing that more often lately. When that boyish smile lingered on his face, he somehow became ten times more attractive than he already was.
“Your face is cold. Don’t wander around, go straight back to our bedchambers to rest,” he whispered to her, tracing the shell of her ear with his fingers.
Maxi blushed and grumbled, “I am…not a child.”
“Then behave.” Riftan playfully pinched her cheek and planted another kiss above her eyelid. His callused fingers and moist lips felt wonderful against her skin. She looked up at him with feverish eyes, longing for the kisses and gentle caresses to continue, but he stepped away, seemingly content with the light peck. He nudged her on the back in the direction of the castle.
Swallowing her disappointment, Maxi trudged back to her chambers.
—
True to Riftan’s prediction,the rain began to fall at noon.
