“Don’t tarry too long.”

Hebaron shrugged his brawny shoulders as he walked out. Riftan finished feeding Talon the apple before he went to wash his hands in a pail of water.

“You should return to the bedchamber.”

Riftan shook his hands dry and picked up the overgarment he had draped over the stall divider. Rem snorted, and Maxi stroked her neck as she anxiously searched Riftan’s face.

“D-Do you… think something happened?”

“The spies we sent to the duchy have returned. That’s it.”

After gauging Maxi’s dark expression, Riftan let out a low sigh and draped her cloak around her shoulders.

“It’s nothing, so stop worrying and get some rest. I want you to go straight to our chambers. No wandering off.”

He swept her messy bangs upward and kissed her forehead. Maxi forced a smile. They made their way back to the castle, where Riftan watched her go inside before heading to the training grounds.

Maxi returned to her room and vacantly stared out the window. The bare, dark branches of the trees made them look charred. They swayed in the breeze under the hazy gray sky. Faint rays of silver sunlight peeked through the clouds from time to time, but it was not enough to enliven the desolate, wind-swept garden.

With a sigh, Maxi pulled a chair close to the fireplace and sat down. Out of all the cats, Roy was the most attached to her. He immediately jumped onto her lap and began purring. His contentment lifted her spirits somewhat, and she felt her anxiety easing as she stroked his soft fur.

It was evening when Riftan finally returned to their chambers. Taking his cloak, Maxi looked up at him expectantly, waiting for him to tell her what they had discussed in the council room. Riftan said nothing and simply strode over to the fire. He removed his boots and began washing his hands in the warm water the servants had prepared.

He finally turned to look at her as she grabbed a towel for him.

“Have you eaten?”

‘VY-Yes, a while ago. And you? Should I… ask the servants to bring you some food?”

“No, I had a simple meal in the council room.”

Riftan washed his face and dried himself with the towel. While nervously studying his expression, Maxi ran out of patience.

“H-Have you discovered… what my father is plotting?”

A light crease formed on Riftan’s forehead. He seemed to debate silently for a moment before shaking his head.

“The only thing we’ve managed to find out is that your father is in frequent contact with his vassals.”

Maxi narrowed her eyes. The men would not have deliberated for so long if that was the sole piece of information they had received. She was certain that they must have discovered something serious for Hebaron to come searching for Riftan in such a hurry.

Maxi pressed her lips together with a dissatisfied expression. Sensing her suspicion, Riftan heaved a sigh.

“No matter what Croyso is up to, it’s for me to deal with. You don’t have to concern yourself with that man any longer.”

“H-How can I? He is… my father. And all of this is my fault…”

Riftan threw the towel onto the rack and growled, “A bastard who whips his own child is no father. ”

Maxi recoiled at the intensity of his disdain.

“What I meant… was that I am also responsible… f-for our current situation. I have the right to know… w-what is happen—”

“How many times have I said this? None of this is your fault,” Riftan said gruffly. “I beat the man, and now he’s throwing a fit. That’s it. This is between him and me.”

“I-I am… the reason you hit him!” Maxi yelled, riled by his stubbornness. “How can you… s-say that I have… nothing to do w-with this? I was there when it happened! If it weren’t for me, y-you wouldn’t have done such a thing… a-and my father would not be putting pressure on—”

“Fine.” Riftan strode over and angrily shot back, “Let’s say all of this is your fault. What do you intend to do then?”

Maxi’s face flushed. He was right, of course. There was nothing she could do. Not wanting to admit it, she replied through clenched teeth, “W-Who knows? There might be s-something I could,.,”

“There is nothing. And even if there was, I would never ask for your help.”

The color drained from Maxi’s face at his cold words. She stared at him in shock before backing away. She was about to race out of the room when Riftan caught her arm and picked her up. Maxi struggled against his embrace, slamming her fists on his shoulders. Without batting an eye, Riftan grabbed the back of her head and ravaged her lips.

Clenching her jaw, Maxi yanked at his hair to pry him off. He frowned and lightly bit her lip. When her lips parted from the stinging pain, his soft, hot tongue pushed into her mouth.

Maxi hated how easily she melted in his arms. He entwined her tongue with his own, sucking lightly. When he explored the roof of her mouth and the insides of her cheeks, a titillating shudder ran down from behind her ears. Her limbs went limp.

Her chest heaving, Maxi glowered at him. “Y-You can be… rather spiteful… at times.”

“Don’t say that,” he muttered gruffly, then kissed her cheek and wet eyes. “1 never rely on anyone, and I especially refuse to rely on you.”

His words stabbed at her heart like daggers. Maxi glared at him, her face etched with hurt. “Then… I-I also refuse to rely on you. I forbid you f-from taking any interest in my affairs!”

Riftan’s face turned steely at her threat. “Stop talking nonsense. You are my wife, and it’s my duty to protect you!”

“Are you saying… you are free to meddle in my affairs… w-while I am not?”

“That’s right.”

His immediate reply left Maxi speechless. Looking her dead in the eyes, Riftan spoke slowly and clearly.

“I will solve all your problems as well as my own. I won’t let you take anything upon yourself ever again.”

“Th-That’s—”

He stopped her rebuttal with another kiss. Maxi placed her hands on his shoulders to push him away, but when she finally came to her senses, she found herself frantically pulling him closer.

Her head spun every time his soft tongue entered and retreated from her mouth. An exhilarating heat rose from the pit of her stomach as he stroked her.

Fighting for air, Maxi clawed at his chest. When he pulled her bodice down and began nibbling her pale shoulder, a sharp sensation coursed from her nape down to her spine.

Maxi’s whole body shuddered. Riftan gently cupped her taut breast and, after teasing it for a bit, he lightly flicked the sensitive part with his finger. All of Maxi’s resistance melted away like butter in the height of summer.

His hold over her was frightening. Maxi twisted away in an attempt to free herself, but Riftan restrained her without much effort. He pulled her bodice further down and gently sucked the tip of her breast.

It felt as though her whole body would get sucked in. Maxi clutched his slick hair. The intense pleasure was almost unbelievable considering she was burning with anger.

After a period of futile struggle, she eventually slid her hands inside his tunic. She pushed her tongue into his mouth while fondling his sculpted chest, and his eyes seemed to ignite. He laid her on the bed and crushed her beneath him.

Before she knew it, she was completely undressed. Riftan peppered kisses across her naked body. His hair, dark as crows’ feathers, tickled her burning skin.

The intense desire was too much to bear. Maxi wrapped her legs around his waist, urging him. Riftan swore under his breath and immediately thrust into her. She writhed under him like a snake. The pungent aroma of bodily fluids and perspiration mingled in the tepid air.

He pushed deeper inside her as he relentlessly devoured her lips. She inhaled his exhales, as did he with hers.

He let out a moan, his lips quivering. His every action, including the light shudder that coursed through him, felt like Maxi’s own. The only thing burrowed somewhere she could not reach was his heart. She trembled and dug her nails into his forearms.

The sheets were a crumpled mess beneath them. Maxi’s disheveled hair clung to her sweat-slicked face. Still not satisfied despite having driven her to her limits, Riftan began to move in earnest. As she bounced up and down, Maxi’s whole body grew tense like a tightly-drawn bowstring.

It did not take long before he reached his release inside her. Once the roiling heat subsided, a strange sense of emptiness engulfed her heart. Maxi went slack on the bed, her body growing cold.

Unable to bear the silence, Riftan pulled her into his arms.

“Don’t blame yourself for any of this. That bastard was the one who hurt you, he is the one at fault. You’re the victim. I don’t regret beating him to a pulp, and I would’ve done it sooner had I known the truth. If I’d been luckier, I might have gotten to kill him.”

He caressed her damp limbs and rubbed his nose against her nape.

“So don’t blame yourself.”

Maxi tilted her head to look at him, her eyes misty. Listening to him stubbornly absolve her of any responsibility made her heart ache. He always tried to protect her from anything that could cause trouble.

This was a man who had no desire to share his burdens with her, no matter how small. Or rather, she was the one who constantly weighed him down with one heavy burden after another.