When she asked back in a shrill voice, he twisted his lips cynically.
“Look, I’ve said it over and over again, but you’re my wife. Even though it was three years ago, we shared our bodies. What are you being so picky about now?”
Maxi flushed red from head to toe. Sensing her frightened expression, his face turned grim in an instant.
“Damn it, it’s not like I raped you. I just changed your clothes! If you didn’t want me touching you, you shouldn’t have passed out.”
She shrugged her shoulders. He spat out venomous words, saying that a frail noble lady like her couldn’t help it, that she fainted over nothing and was troublesome. Maxi reddened her eyes and muttered in a crawling voice.
“I-I’m… sorry.”
At that, he clamped his mouth shut and went out the door again. Maxi drooped her head in dejection. Not even a full day had passed since their reunion, and she had already angered him several times. Was it really okay to follow him like this?
Maxi bit her lip anxiously. He was treating her as his wife now, but there was no guarantee that wouldn’t change. No, it was only a matter of time before it did. He already disliked her enough, and once he realized she was utterly useless, he would surely take an even harsher attitude toward her.
Riftan was a knight whose name resounded across the entire continent. From now on, he would be invited to social gatherings and banquets by numerous nobles and royals. Maxi knew well that she wasn’t the kind of wife he could proudly show off at such places. It wouldn’t be long before he realized that too and began to abuse her. Wouldn’t it be better to return home and beg for her father’s mercy before that happened?
Maxi recalled his figure standing tall with sword in hand. He had cleaved a monster three times his size in two with a single stroke. Just imagining what would happen if he swung his whip made her shudder in horror.
‘But…. he hasn’t hit me even once so far.’
At the sudden thought, she furrowed her brows. Even though he was extremely angry because of her, he hadn’t raised a hand. Perhaps he wasn’t as cruel as her father. She tried not to hold too much hope on that thought. They had only just reunited. She couldn’t predict even one step ahead what her situation would be like going forward.
Lost in deep thought, she heard a clattering sound. Riftan was entering the room with a tray holding steaming bread and soup.
“It’s vegetable soup and barley bread. Eat and sleep. We’ll stay at this inn tonight and leave at dawn tomorrow.”
He said as he set the tray down on the shelf beside the bed. Maxi blinked her eyes. He had stormed out in anger, but now he returned with food as if nothing had happened…. He was truly unpredictable.
“What are you spacing out for? Eat before it gets cold.”
He personally handed her the bowl of soup and a wooden spoon.
“T-thank you. I-I’ll eat well….”
Maxi stirred the soup, blew on it, and took a spoonful into her mouth. It was a bit hot, but not enough to burn her tongue. She took a few more spoonful. She wasn’t very hungry, but pushing down several spoonful of the savory soup full of chunks settled her stinging stomach a bit. Maxi stirred the soup diligently and glanced at the man. He had pulled a chair beside the bed and was tending to his sword. Without his armor, sitting with his long legs spread casually, he looked two or three years younger than his actual age.
“…Aren’t you going to eat? Why are you staring so intently?”
Did he have eyes in the back of his head? Caught peeking, she flushed her cheeks in embarrassment.
“W-well, just… um, that, but…”
She hesitated, stirring the thin broth with her spoon, and opened her mouth. He glanced back at her.
“I, I don’t have… cl-clothes to ch-change into…”
“It’s late now, so just sleep. I’ll buy you new ones tomorrow.”
“M-my clothes…”
“I asked the inn’s maid to wash them.”
He said calmly, reflecting his face on the blade of his sword. After hesitating for a long while, she opened her mouth again.
“Th-then… at least… the un-underwear, c-could you give it b-back…”
At that moment, unbelievably, the man’s face noticeably reddened. He roughly rubbed around his mouth with his palm, then replied nonchalantly.
“I tore that and threw it away.”
“W-what…?”
“I said I tore it while taking it off and threw it away.”
Shrinking her shoulders at his curt, irritated shout, she couldn’t help but ask back.
“Wh-why did you… t-take off even the un-underwear in the f-first place…?”
At her question, he seemed a bit flustered. The man, rolling his eyes here and there while fumbling, glared at her clutching the sheet like a shield, then suddenly bellowed.
“What was I supposed to do! You were blue in the face and couldn’t even breathe… That dreadful underwear was tightly constricting your chest, so I was just trying to loosen the laces. But the k-knot wouldn’t come undone, so I pulled on it… Damn it, I didn’t even know it was connected top and bottom!”
Maxi flushed red enough to steam from her head. Thinking that he must have seen all of her underwear made her mortified enough to want to die. That underwear had been forcibly put on her by the nursemaid, saying it was to capture her husband’s heart.
She had worn that dreadful thing because she couldn’t resist the pressure, but she never dreamed it would actually be shown to him. Overwhelmed by the impulse to jump out the window right then, she covered her face, and he let out a small sigh as he spoke.
“I’ll buy you new underwear tomorrow too, so don’t make that face. Or do you want to borrow mine?”
“N-no! It’s f-fine…”
She shook her head. She didn’t have the slightest intention of wearing someone else’s underwear, let alone his. But just wearing a loose men’s tunic made her feel needlessly anxious. She stirred the soup with her spoon and glanced at him. Then the man shot her an irritated look.
“How long are you going to keep stirring? Eat quickly. You haven’t even touched the bread.”
She hurriedly scooped a few more spoonful into her mouth. But she wasn’t much of an eater to begin with, and with her stomach queasy, her appetite had completely vanished. She couldn’t even think of touching the tough bread, ate a bit more soup, and set down the bowl.
“What’s this? You haven’t eaten half.”
“I’m n-not hungry…”
“Don’t be picky. You won’t dream of luxurious food until we arrive at the territory. Even if it doesn’t suit your taste, you have to force it down or your body won’t hold up.”
At his words, like scolding a spoiled child, Maxi flushed. He added irritably.
“Or do you plan to keep fainting and being a nuisance the whole trip?”
“I-I’ll eat…”
In the end, she forced down a few more spoonful. But her stomach churned, and she couldn’t eat any more. As soon as she set down the spoon, the man frowned. But fortunately, instead of pressing further, he sighed and took the tray with the bowl.
“I’ll get a headache trying to cater to a noble lady’s tastes from now on.”
He clicked his tongue and turned away. She shrugged her shoulders. She couldn’t adapt to his constantly fluctuating moods at all. He seemed to kindly prepare her meal, but then suddenly got angry again. Did her words and actions irritate him that much? He might be regretting bringing her along for no reason. No, to begin with, why me…
Negative and self-deprecating thoughts chained together. Unable to bear it anymore while watching his reactions, Maxi impulsively blurted out the question.
“Wh-why are you t-taking me w-with you?”
“What?”
The man, about to go out with the bowls, paused and turned back to her.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Y-you didn’t m-marry me because you w-wanted to… S-so why are you t-taking me… I d-don’t understand…”
His face noticeably stiffened. She swallowed dryly. She couldn’t tell if he was frowning because her stuttering annoyed him, or if her question simply displeased him. After hesitating, she added.
“T-to begin with… W-we’re n-not… Y-you and I d-don’t know each other e-enough to be c-called h-husband and w-wife… And… with you… you c-could easily… w-without taking s-someone like me…”
“Cut the crap!”
He suddenly bellowed. Striding back to the bedside, Riftan roughly set down the tray and glared at her fiercely.
“Just say it honestly! You don’t want to go with me!”
“Th-that’s not it…!”
“What do you mean not it! My castle may not be as big as Croixo Castle, but it’s plenty spacious for a tiny woman like you! Damn it, I have enough money. If you’re worried about not living as luxuriously as before, forget it!”
She shrank her neck like a turtle. Why did he think she was worried about living a shabbier life than at her father’s castle? She waved her hands frantically and replied.
“I-I’m not w-worried about th-that! I j-just… wonder why you’re t-taking me… I’m c-curious…”
“You are my wife. Our marriage is real, officially recognized by the church! Taking you to my home is the most natural thing. If anything, it was wrong for you to keep living at your father’s house after marriage.”
“B-but… if we d-divorce…”
“…What?”
He roughly grabbed her shoulders. Maxi paled like a mouse raised before a snake. The anger rising on his face choked her breath. This time, she might really get hit. Terrified, she squeezed her eyes shut.
But no matter how long she waited, the heavy impact didn’t come. Cautiously opening her eyes, she saw black pupils glaring at her fiercely from right in front of her nose, cold enough to be terrifying. The hand gripping her shoulder trembled faintly, as if barely suppressing his rage.
“Divorce? Are you saying you want to divorce me now?”
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