Why was it that worry and woe seemed to follow her all her life? The fear that she might possess some critical flaw in addition to the dozens she already had made her feel utterly hopeless.
Don’t think too much. As Ludis said, it just wasn’t the right time.
Maxi clung to that hope.
It had always been a habit of hers to imagine the darkestfuture. She always assumed that hardship was imminent. But was her life not slowly getting better?
She now had the perfect husband who was more than she deserved. She had friends and confidants. She had a safe, warm home. Her speech impediment was improving, albeit slowly, and she had even learned to use magic.
Maxi desperately chased away the fear that was beginning to coil within her like smoke. If God were merciful, he would bless her with a healthy heir someday.
—
Riftan was soaked fromthe rain when he returned. His robe clung to him, perfectly revealing the contours of his armor, and his boots were caked in mud. Maxi rose from the bed and draped a towel over his head. His cheeks were as cold as ice.
“Were you…out in the r-rain all this time?”
“I had to prevent landslides from burying the construction site. I couldn’t let two months of effort come to naught.”
Not wanting to soil the rug, Riftan pushed the door closed with his back. After peeling off his shoes and sopping robe, he tossed them into a basket.
“D-Do you think…it will be a flood?” Maxi asked, a little surprised.
“I don’t think it will be that bad, but it is problematic since the ground has already been weakened because of the monsters. The summer monsoons are also due in two or three months’ time, so it would be better for us to make the necessary preparations in advance.”
Riftan threw off his armor and the remainder of his wet clothes. Maxi led him to the fireplace and handed him atowel that was large enough for him. While he warmed his frozen body in front of the fire, the servants brought a tub full of hot water into their chambers. As usual, Riftan began to coax Maxi to bathe with him. Maxi stood as stiff as a rock for a moment before informing him with an embarrassed look that she was currently in an unclean state.
He gave her a puzzled look. “If you are unclean, it’s all the more reason for you to bathe with me.”
Maxi was slightly taken aback. How could a man who was so smart say something so foolish?
She had only bled four times since she had come to Anatol. The first was when Riftan had been away, and the rest when he had been too busy to spend time with her. There had never been a need for her to explain such a mortifying thing to him before now.
Looking embarrassed, Maxi stammered, “It’s that t-time….”
“What time?”
Maxi gazed up at him, close to tears. Her husband, whom she considered the best man in the world, stared back at her blankly. He did not have the faintest idea what she was referring to. How could she explain this without losing her dignity?
“What I mean is…I am c-currently in a state…th-that makes me unable to have relations with you…f-for about a week.”
“What in the devil are you talking about?” Riftan asked, scowling. “Stop being so cryptic and speak plainly. Are you rejecting me?”
Maxi could only gape at him. It seemed like he would not understand unless she explained it to him as directly aspossible. Her eyes stung with unshed tears. “I am saying…th-that I am bleeding!”
The color drained from his face, and he began inspecting her frantically. “You’re bleeding? Where? How did it happen? Show me. We have to get it treated right now!”
Terrified that he might actually check the place she was bleeding, Maxi tried to pull away from him, but Riftan was apparently more frightened than she was. She barely managed to stop him from ripping off her dress in his attempt to find the source of her supposed injury.
“Y-You misunderstood! I am not hurt! I swear to you, I am not!”
“You said you were bleeding!”
Heavens. He truly did not know anything about the curse that women had to endure on a regular basis. She was unsure whether to laugh or scream. Deciding to calm him down first, she spoke as evenly as she could.
“All women…bleed r-regularly…once they are of m-marriageable age. It is…perfectly normal. M-My nurse told me that it is p-proof…that we are old enough to conceive.”
“Are you certain? Are you sure you are not sick or hurt?”
