He strode over to the hearth without bothering to remove his armor. Maxi watched as he skillfully started a blaze after only a few strikes of the flint. He stoked the flames with the bellows before returning to the bed to help her remove her shoes.
Maxi watched him with a strange sense of nervousness.She could see his anxious black eyes beneath his wind-tousled hair. The moment he opened his mouth to say something, a knock came at the door.
“Your bath, my lord.”
It was Ludis. When Riftan gave them permission to enter, the maidservants hauled a large tub of steaming water into the room. Maxi forced a smile at their familiar faces. Ludis smiled back, but her expression faded when she noticed Maxi’s pallor.
“My lady, are you hurt—”
“Put the bath next to the fire and get out,” Riftan barked before Ludis could finish her question.
The maidservants flinched and hastily dragged the tub over.
“I-I…will leave the towels and new clothes here,” Ludis squeaked, fixing her gaze on the floor. “Please call us if you need anything.”
After Ludis led the maidservants out of the room, Riftan removed his armor and set it on the stand. He then gingerly helped Maxi to her feet.
“Come, I’ll help you bathe.”
Maxi winced. “Y-You don’t—”
“I won’t do anything,” he said gruffly. “I’m just trying to take care of you.”
Maxi reluctantly nodded. Riftan removed her robe and pulled the loose tunic over her head.
Now clad only in a thin chemise, socks, and undergarments, Maxi covered her chest with her arms. The action was more out of embarrassment than shyness. She had lost a lot of weight in the past few weeks, and her stomach wassunken in with her ribs showing. Though she was certain Riftan had already seen it all, being exposed in such a bright room made her worry that he might find her unsightly.
Feeling the goosebumps on her waist, Riftan muttered in a hoarse voice, “Are you cold?”
Maxi quickly shook her head. “N-No.”
Riftan knelt and removed her socks one by one, tossing them on the floor. He then pulled the chemise over her head. The light from the fireplace softly outlined her frail body.
Maxi watched anxiously as Riftan brushed his fingers over her protruding ribs. As they passed down her scrawny back, his face suddenly twisted in anguish.
“I should have ripped that man to pieces,” he snarled, pressing his face to her stomach.
Maxi tentatively stroked his hair. His hand crept across her back in search of wounds that were no longer there. She could feel his breathing becoming ragged.
An unexplainable feeling took over her. How was it that she meant so much to him? She wanted to unpack his heart, but at the same time, she was terrified of what she might find. Though a part of her wanted to believe him, another part theorized that what he felt was in fact pity and that he had merely misconstrued his own feelings.
Was it truly possible for a person to receive unconditional love without having done anything to deserve it? How could a complete stranger feel such love for her when her own family did not? Even this man’s passion might one day melt away.
As always, whenever such doubts filled her, she was equally filled with self-reproach. It was possible that she hadpermanently lost the ability to trust another human. She might never be able to fully give her heart to anyone as long as she lived. Overwhelmed with guilt, she curled up and hugged Riftan’s head.
“W-We are home now…. E-Everything will be all right,” she whispered.
Riftan’s hulking frame shook pitifully. After holding Maxi for a long while, he finished undressing her and carried her to the tub. He gently lowered her into the warm water and bathed her like a devoted servant tending to a queen.
Although Maxi knew that Riftan must have been just as tired, she found herself unable to refuse his attentive care. The delicate way he handled her like fragile glass was a balm to her battered mind and body. Leaning her head against the tub, Maxi watched him caress her skin, the tendons showing stark on his bronze hands. She felt her blood warming and her tense muscles easing.
Riftan hugged her from behind and kissed her temple. “Sleep if you’re tired. I’ll get you dressed and tuck you in.” He did not seem to mind that the sleeves he had rolled up to his elbows were soaked.
Maxi gazed at his hair, damp from the steam, and at his flushed cheekbones before allowing her heavy eyelids to close. The wind rattling against the window and trickling bathwater created a strange symphony that echoed in her ears. Enveloped in a peaceful yet somber mood, Maxi drifted off to sleep.
—
Now back at Calypse Castle,Maxi’s health bouncedback. Riftan’s life mission seemed to be putting more flesh on her bones, and everyone in the castle appeared to have joined the effort.
