Under the Oak Tree Novel - Chapter 61

Chapter 61: Chapter 61

The knights had been busy drinking and talking boisterously just moments ago, but they now stared at Maxi in wide-eyed surprise. She cast her eyes down, her confidence dissipating. Had it been presumptuous of her to think that such a splendid dress suited her? Were the knights staring at what they perceived as the pathetic attempts of an ugly woman to primp herself? She turned beet red.

Ulyseon’s loud voice broke the silence.

“Heavens, my lady! You look magnificent.”

“I d-do?”

Maxi looked up self-consciously. Ulyseon nodded vigorously, his large purple eyes sparkling. He did not seem to be lying.

“You are the spitting image of the elves of old! White becomes you, my lady. You have always been lovely, but tonight, you are breathtaking!”

His extravagant praise made Maxi blush. But before she could thank him, he continued with even greater fervor.

“You had me spellbound for a moment there! Well, it’s only to be expected from the wife of the greatest knight in the realm. Even the proudest nymph would blush to see your beauty.”

Maxi’s blush crept down to her neck. Though she looked finer than usual, she knew that she was no peerless beauty. Suppressing the urge to clap her hands over Ulyseon’s mouth, she quickly took her seat. But the squire seemed oblivious to her discomfort. He took the seat next to her and continued animatedly.

“It’s a shame, my lady, that we’re the only ones who get to admire your beauty. If this were a royal ball, everyone would have been captivated by you! The royal capital would be fighting over themselves to swear their geas (a knight’s oath) to you!”

“Why, th-thank you…”

Maxi stared fixedly at her plate. She found the knights’ silence unbearable. Imagining that they were inwardly sneering at Ulyseon’s exaggerated praise, she trembled. Meanwhile, Ulyseon began to heap food onto her plate.

“Allow me to serve you. Is there anything that you fancy? All this food is delectable, but the smoked duck is exceptionally good today.”

Maxi was relieved by the change of subject. She glanced around the room.

“Th-Thank you. Do you h-happen to know w-where his lordship is?”

“Sir Riftan is still in the council room discussing recent monster migrations with a few of the knights.”

“M-Monster migrations?”

“Monsters in the west have suddenly started moving south,” said a voice behind her.

Maxi spun around in surprise. Sir Hebaron stood behind her, dressed in casual attire. He looked her over with an odd expression on his face before seating himself next to her.

“There are signs that trolls are migrating to Anatolium. The commander is discussing countermeasures with the sorcerer. It wasn’t clear when the discussions were going to end, so he told the rest of us to dine first.”

Maxi’s face fell. Hebaron filled his goblet with wine before continuing.

“That was why the goblin raid lasted longer than expected. We observed changes in the monsters’ habitats, so we combed through the northern mountains.”

“D-Do you mean t-to say that a p-pack of monsters is m-making their way t-to Anatol?”

“It would be more accurate to say that they are moving south. These are still assumptions, but according to the monster hunters we met in the mountains…”

Hebaron trailed off when he noticed Maxi’s face grow dark. He awkwardly scratched the back of his head before trying to reassure her.

“It seems I’ve said too much. You have nothing to fear, my lady. With the Remdragon Knights protecting Anatol, monsters won’t be able to invade.”

Maxi still felt uneasy. She recalled the gruesome sight of the wounded sentries and loggers in the aftermath of the werewolf attack. Such attacks would increase if more monsters came to Anatol. She slipped her hand inside the pocket of her robe and clasped the magic stone, her resolve to learn magic growing stronger. Though she may not become capable of rendering much help, she did not want to be useless.

Starting tomorrow, I’ll study even harder.

She was roused from her thoughts by Ulyseon, who was trying to lighten the mood.

“Don’t look so anxious, my lady. Have a taste of this instead. Roast boar is our cook’s specialty! The skin is crispy, but the meat inside is incredibly tender and juicy! Dip it in cameline sauce and take a big bite. I guarantee you won’t regret it.”

“I-It does look d-delicious.”

“The pigeon with nutmeg and fried cinnamon wafers are exceptional, too.”

Ulyseon filled her plate. Unable to ignore his urging, Maxi took a few small bites. The food truly was delicious. She forgot about her troubles momentarily and began to eat in earnest. Hebaron, who had been observing her as he drank, filled her goblet with wine.

“You must be thirsty, my lady.”

“Th-Thank you.”

Pleased by the rare show of kindness, Maxi gulped down the wine. Hebaron raised an eyebrow before filling her cup again, shifting in his seat.

“You must like your liquor, my lady. Here, allow me to pour you some more.”

Maxi rarely drank more than a goblet or two of wine with her meals, but she did not want to disappoint the knight, who was looking at her expectantly. Maxi clenched her eyes shut and emptied her goblet once more.

Her body grew warm and relaxed. It was not a bad feeling. Each time she drained her goblet, the knight filled it again, and her eyes soon began to shine from the pleasant feeling of inebriation. Amused by the sight, the other knights also began to offer her food and drink.

Maxi took slight offense, for the knights were trying to feed her as they would some fantastic creature, but she did not refuse them.

She soon lost count of how many goblets she had drunk. Her vision blurred, and she felt as if she was floating on air. Hiccupping, she clutched her goblet with both hands and began to sway. She couldn’t be sure why, but she had been struck by the urge to swing her body from side to side.

Her actions must have troubled the knights, for one of them held Hebaron back from pouring her more.

“I think her ladyship has had enough, Sir Hebaron.”

“I-I’m… a-a-all right.”

With her tongue being less cooperative than usual, her words came out as a slur. Though she would normally have clamped her mouth shut in embarrassment, she now felt no shame. Intoxicated by this sudden sense of boldness, She emptied her goblet and held it out to Hebaron.

“I-I would l-like some m-more.”

“Happy to oblige. You know how to hold your liquor.”

Maxi noted with pleasure that Hebaron’s tone had grown amicable, much the way he might speak to a fellow knight. She drained the liquor with even greater enthusiasm. Though her swaying had caused her wine to spill onto her sleeves, she found herself giggling. One of the knights burst into laughter.

“Who knew her ladyship could be so charming? I thought she was just a cheerless, self-absorbed young noblewoman!”

Maxi spun around to glare at the speaker.

“I-I am not s-self-absorbed! Though I c-can’t deny th-that I’m ch-cheerless…”

She gulped down the wine that Hebaron had poured her, then sighed deeply. Her euphoria had dissipated in an instant. She suddenly felt melancholic.

“B-But th-that’s because I-I’m not u-used to i-interacting with all th-these p-people. I-I’m not w-well-spoken… I d-don’t ever know what I sh-should say… A-And all of you are s-so intimidating, e-especially when you l-loom over me. Y-You can’t b-blame me for sh-shying away. I-In fact, you’re the r-reason I’ve been so ch-cheerless! I w-would a-appreciate it i-if you could all s-shrink a little.”

The knights stared at her dumbly. Hebaron broke into uproarious laughter.

“We’re not tall for no reason, my lady. Bulk is always an advantage in combat. I’m afraid your ladyship is the one who is too small. What were you doing while everyone else was growing?”

“Are you drunk, Sir Hebaron?”

Ignoring the question, the giant knight filled Maxi’s cup to the brim.

“It isn’t too late, my lady. If you start drinking and eating as much as I do, you might still get to grow as tall as a pine tree.”

“You r-really think I-I can still g-grow?”

Growing tall might also endow her with courage. Maxi looked up at Hebaron with hopeful eyes.

Hebaron smiled cheekily. “I’ve been drinking liquor since I was a lad of thirteen. That’s how I managed to grow this tall.”

“So that’s your secret, Sir Hebaron!”

Ulyseon finished stuffing his mouth with meat. Next, he filled his cup with ale and guzzled it down. The other knights buried their faces in their hands.

Maxi could not understand why the knights looked so unsettled. She tilted her head this way and that in a daze, wondering what had caused the sudden shift in atmosphere. She soon gave up and raised her goblet to her lips again. Just then, a large hand shot past her shoulder and snatched the cup from her hand.

Startled, she turned around. Riftan towered over her with a grim expression on his face. Narrowing his eyes, he took in her flushed, stupefied face for a moment before hissing through gritted teeth.

“What the devil are you doing?”

“I-I was t-trying to grow t-taller…” Maxi said with a hiccup, her voice shrinking.

Riftan ground his teeth and shifted his gaze to glower at the knights.

“Explain to me why you got my wife so drunk.”

“She seemed to hold her liquor well, so we got a little carried away…” Hebaron answered, scratching the back of his head.

Riftan face grew more forbidding. “So, your idea of entertainment is getting my wife drunk?”

Riftan slammed a goblet on the table. Silence fell over the hall. When he opened his mouth to speak again, his voice was menacingly soft.

“Eat well and rest up. You’ll need the energy for training tomorrow.”

The knights groaned in unison. Ignoring their grumbling, Riftan gathered Maxi up and strode out of the dining hall. Maxi wrapped her arms around his neck. She had been struggling to keep her eyes open and longed to make her way to bed.

Pretending that she had not heard Riftan sigh, she burrowed her face in his neck. She felt him flinch and stiffen, but her state of blissful inebriation made her quite indifferent to his reaction. She took in his distinct scent and impulsively kissed him on the neck, where she could feel his pulse. Riftan stood stiffly rooted to the spot.

“Maxi…”

Maxi thought she had heard the growl of a beast over her head. Smiling, she stroked his hair as though she were trying to pacify a disgruntled animal. Riftan began to briskly climb the stairs, Maxi bouncing lightly in his arms. She felt as if she was being rocked in a cradle. Placing her hands against his chest, she squirmed and closed her eyes.

“Maxi… You’re not sleeping, are you?”

They had reached the door to their bedchamber without Riftan breaking a sweat. He shook her, but she merely murmured in annoyance and curled herself up in his arms. He looked down at her fretfully.

“Just how much did you drink? And damn it, why are you dressed so…”

He lowered her onto the bed, then pushed up the skirt of her bunched-up dress. Disoriented, Maxi raised herself so he could undress her. As soon as Riftan pulled the dress over her head, she slumped onto the pillow and fell asleep. Riftan ground his teeth as he gazed down at her.

“You’d better be prepared tomorrow as well.”