Under the Oak Tree



Chapter 24: Chapter 24

Maxi climbed down from the bed with trembling legs and pulled on the undergarments and chemise prepared by the maidservants. But she could not find a dress. She rang the small bell next to the head of the bed. A few moments later, Ludis entered the room with fresh clothes.

“Would you like your hair braided and pinned up again, my lady?”

“J-Just b-braid it over my sh-shoulder.”

Ludis deftly twisted her hair into a braid and fastened it with a ribbon. Maxi put on a simple but comfortable dress and sat by the fireplace with a bowl of warm chicken soup and cornbread. When her hunger was sated, she sat by the window to watch the rain. In the afternoon, she summoned Rodrigo to continue the tour of the castle. With each step, the area between her thighs ached, and her tender nipples stung as they chafed against her clothes. Still, she did not want to idle around in bed all day.

I only just got to the castle…

It would not do to give the servants the impression that she was a slothful mistress. She returned to her room only after finishing the tour in the drawing room of the annex. Before retiring, she received a ledger of purchases from Rodrigo. However, she found it difficult to tell from the records on the yellowing parchment which items had been essential, and which had not.

The truth was that Maxi had no experience making any sort of purchase. The extent of her knowledge was that gold coins were called soldem and silver coins, liram. But the ledger listed names of currencies that she had never heard of. She began to sweat.

Denar, derham, dant…

She had heard in passing that these were currencies used in the Southern Continent, but she had not the slightest clue how much they were worth. Maxi leafed through the ledger. Purchased necessities included weapons, foodstuffs, clothing, oil, candles, and firewood. The numbers in the column next to the item names seemed to indicate the quantity purchased and total cost.

Maxi tried to estimate the value of each currency based on these figures, straining to remember her lessons from her governess. It had been too long, however, since she had done any arithmetic.

After a long struggle, Maxi gave up and closed the ledger. Downbeat, she flung herself onto the bed. It crossed her mind that it might be best to ask Rodrigo, but the thought was eclipsed by the echo of her father’s voice telling her that a master must always maintain his dignity in front of his servants.

The servants are bound to mock and deceive a foolish, incompetent master!

She winced, recalling the indifferent servants at the Croyso castle. They had never been openly disrespectful, but she had always sensed condescension in the way they spoke to her. Sooner or later, the servants at Calypse Castle would assume the same attitude.

She tried to comfort her withering heart.

Th-There’s still time…

***

The servants ushered Riftan and his knights to the sauna when they returned drenched late in the evening. After warming himself in the steam, Riftan ate a hearty meal with a generous volume of wine before withdrawing to the room to polish his sword and armor. Observing his nimble hands, Maxi asked whether such tasks did not usually fall to the servants. Riftan shrugged.

“I’ve been doing this since I was fourteen. And I don’t trust anyone to handle my companion here.”

He raised the sword to the light. The blade was entirely different from the ornamental sword that Duke Croyso wore on his belt at banquets. Broad and long, its tip was pointed like a spire, and the handle undecorated. It was simple and unsophisticated, yet it seemed far more majestic than the gold- and jewel-studded sword that belonged to the Duke. Maxi marveled at the sight.

“It m-must be a fine b-blade.”

“I won this in my first sword fighting competition. It’s one of the finest swords in all the Seven Kingdoms.”

Riftan spoke with undisguised pride. Maxi had never seen a sword fighting competition before, though Rosetta had attended several with their father as the beloved lady of many a competing knight. She had always returned in a sour mood, grumbling about how the raucous events were filthy and barbaric.

“W-Were you the ch-champion?”

“Of course.”

Maxi watched as Riftan sheathed his sword before blurting out, “Th-They say that the ch-champion receives a k-k-kiss from the h-highest-ranking l-lady…”

She trailed off and lowered her eyes, ashamed of letting slip words that should have been left unspoken. Riftan gave her a puzzled look, to which she could only respond with incoherent explanations.

“I once r-read a b-book about a kn-knight and a p-princess. When the kn-knight won the j-joust, the p-princess kissed him on the l-lips. I th-thought it was a w-wonderful s-scene…”

She was making a fool out of herself. Her father’s screams echoed in her ears: You never know when to keep your mouth shut!

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I’ve never been the romantic hero,” Riftan said, remaining composed. “I didn’t want a kiss from a woman I didn’t even know.”

“A l-lady’s k-kiss is the g-greatest h-honor a kn-knight can r-receive.”

“I used to be a lowly mercenary, so that idiotic mentality is foreign to me. What honor is there in kissing women who would scowl if I so much as took a step in their direction?”

His words seemed sincere. Unsure of how she should react, Maxi flitted her eyes across the room. Riftan leaned his sword on the wall and lay down on the bed with his limbs splayed out. Seeing her body tense, Riftan rolled onto his side and smiled bitterly.

“I won’t disturb you tonight, so lie down and rest. You said you were sore.”

She nodded, a flush creeping down her neck. He pulled her arm to make her lie down next to him, then extinguished the bedside lamp with a lid. Darkness fell.

Listening to his steady heartbeat, she began to relax. Another day at Calypse Castle had gone by.

***

The rain lasted several days. During that time, Riftan inspected the village, the mines, and the farmlands. Meanwhile, Maxi was permitted to peruse the library at her leisure, and she spent much of her time there. She was surprised to find that the books were made of paper. The collections seemed to date back to the days of the Roemian knight who had once ruled Anatol.

She resisted the temptation to delve into Roemian poetry and literature. Instead, she spent the days struggling through arithmetic books. She did not have grand ambitions. Her goal was simply to study currency units and basic arithmetic. Still, no matter how hard she tried, she made no progress.

“My lady, the regional head of the merchant guild has arrived,” announced Rodrigo.

Maxi closed her books and emerged from the library. She followed Rodrigo into the drawing room, where she found a clean-cut man who looked to be in his mid-thirties. He stood up and bowed respectfully.

“An honor to make your acquaintance, Lady Calypse. I am Aderon Suner, at your service.”

Maxi forced a smile. With the rain abating, she had been informed that the merchant would visit that day, but seeing him in person petrified her. Feeling her mouth go dry, she spoke hesitantly.

“Thank you for c-coming despite this r-rain.”

“No, my lady. It is my regret that I could not visit sooner.”

Maxi sat down at the table, and the merchant smiled politely. He appeared to be a good-natured man. Her reunion with Riftan had brought many occasions on which she was expected to speak. With practice, she had learned to talk without being nervous to the point of breaking a cold sweat. Still, she felt anxious.

Sensing that Maxi was not going to initiate the discussion, the merchant spoke.

“I am told that you are planning to refurbish the castle. May I ask where you plan to start?”

Maxi fixed her gaze on the cup of tea that the maidservant had poured for her. She slowly opened her mouth.

“F-First, I’d l-like to r-replace the windows. The c-corridors and h-halls are too d-dark… m-many of the windows in the r-rooms are b-broken.”

“Replacing all of the windows in the castle will be quite costly, my lady. Are you thinking of using balt glass?”

Maxi thought of the gleaming windows at Croyso Castle. Were there different kinds of glass?

“The price varies enormously depending on the transparency of the glass. From the inexpensive balt glass to the crystal glass of the Southern Continent, I can provide anything you need. Would you like me to prepare some samples for my next visit?”

“Y-Yes… I-I’d like that.”

“Is there anything else I can offer, my lady?”

“C-Curtains for the w-windows and… A ch-chandelier for the b-banquet hall, as well as c-carpets and t-tapestries for the walls…”

The merchant’s face lit up at the prospect of a lucrative transaction. Maxi, on the other hand, felt her throat constrict. Riftan had said he would provide her with all the gold she needed, but was there truly no limit? She squirmed in her seat, uncertain of whether she was spending too lavishly. The merchant continued to issue a torrent of words.

“We would need some time to procure all the goods. I shall return at the earliest possible day with samples. May I see the rooms you wish to redecorate?”

Maxi looked to Rodrigo for approval and gave a nod. The merchant would know better than she which items were needed.

They exited the drawing room and headed to the largest banquet hall. Rodrigo tailed them with an old maidservant and two guards. Aderon briskly appraised the empty hall and proceeded to deliver a lengthy speech on what kinds of items were necessary and which he would recommend. Maxi tried her best to memorize his words.

“In my humble opinion, the stone floor should be replaced with marble. What do you say, my lady?”

“I think we sh-should f-focus on w-what we r-really need…”

“Imagine how splendid this hall would look with smooth marble floors and murals on whitewashed walls! If you wish, I shall send the best artisans among our guild’s ranks.”

She smiled awkwardly in response. “I-I’ll th-think about it.”

“This is the castle of the greatest knight in the continent! Its grandeur should match the prestige of its owner!”