“Put this here for now,” said Sidina, handing her coat to Maxi.
Accepting without complaint, Maxi placed the piece over her robe.
Even though the hallway was empty, being in her nightgown still made her self-conscious.
She rolled her coat up to her knees and started down the corridor, lit by the bluish light of dawn.
She couldn't help but feel intrigued as she walked down the stairs without finding anyone.
"Where are the servants?
I think I should ask one of them to explain my absence to Riftan when he wakes up...
so he won't be alarmed."
"The servant who let me sneak in should be waiting for us near the back door.
You can ask her to convey your message."
“D-Did you have to sneak?” Maxi asked, looking at Sidina confused.
“Isn’t this a place… where you can freely enter?”
"This was built as a clandestine meeting place for prominent kings and nobles from across the continent.
Only a handful of servants are allowed in.
To avoid scandal, you understand?" Sidina threw Maxi a mischievous smile over her shoulder.
“I'm told it's quite unusual for a married couple to spend so much time here.”
Maxi blushed, mortified at the idea that the servants might be commenting on them.
“The limited number of servants clearly didn't stop the news from spreading,” Maxi grumbled, frowning.
"You two are married“hardly a scandalous affair that requires secrecy.
No wonder you've become the target of gossip for the servants." Sidina suddenly stopped laughing, her tone becoming cautious.
“Although other nasty rumors have been circulating lately.”
“W-What are these rumors?”
“Rumor has it that Sir Riftan keeps you confined and prevents the servants from seeing you or even speaking to you,” Sidina explained, looking embarrassed.
Seeing the shock on Maxi's face, she quickly added, "Of course, only a few took the rumors seriously.
I tried asking the servants several times to convey a message to you, just in case, but I was rejected every time.
So I had to sneak away."
"S-Sorry.
I didn't realize you would be so worried.
But...
I was never confined against my will.
We...
we just..."
As she hurriedly defended her husband, Maxi couldn't help but remember how he actually stopped her from leaving the room.
She did not take the threat seriously, attributing it to a moment of weakness caused by an overwhelming passion.
Trying to sound convincing, she said firmly, “We just… needed some time alone.”
"I thought so, but Anette seemed genuinely concerned.
I guess Sir Riftan's past actions haven't impressed her much.
She doesn't look kindly on him." Noticing Maxi's worried expression, Sidina softened her brow and smiled.
“I’m sure she’ll feel at ease when she sees you.”
"Me too...
I would have hated to leave without a proper goodbye.
Thanks for coming to get me," Maxi said with a small sigh.
Smiling, Sidina pulled his arm.
"Let's go quickly.
They are traveling with a group of merchants heading east, so they can't wait long.
We need to hurry if you want to go back to your room to change first."
Maxi looked over his shoulder one last time before starting to run.
He was submerged.
At least, that's what it felt like until his fingers found the cold sheet at his side, waking him up.
For a moment, Riftan wondered if it had all been an incredibly long dream.
Blinking his eyes in a daze, he reached out to open the curtains, only to be greeted by the harsh sting of sunlight.
He felt disoriented.
In recent years, he had rarely managed to sleep more than three hours a night.
He never stayed for more than an hour at a time, so he could hardly believe he had slept peacefully all night.
He blinked at the clear sky before turning his head to survey the empty room.
A shock wave hit him.
His mind refused to accept that she was gone while he was fast asleep.
He jumped out of bed and quickly pulled up his slacks, then picked up his crumpled tunic from the floor and put it on.
As he slipped his feet into the boots he had carelessly discarded in the corner, he heard faint footsteps outside the room.Like a cannon, he launched himself towards the door and opened it, revealing a frightened servant.
“Where is my wife?” he demanded menacingly.
“M-Miss…” The servant backed away in fear, her voice shaking.
“You went out with a mage named Sidina.”
“You dared to let someone into our quarters?”
The color drained from the servant's face as her lips trembled.
“She insisted it was important…”
“What did she say?” he cut.
The servant shrank as if whipped, shrugging her shoulders.
He replied timidly, "T-The wizards are leaving for the Wizard's Tower...
so the lady left the castle with her.
She asked me to explain the situation to you before leaving."
Riftan stiffened as the servant continued to chatter.
However, his words seemed to fall on deaf ears.
As if he was floating among the clouds, only to be abruptly pushed to the ground.
After staring at the servant's blank face, Riftan turned away from her and walked down the hall.
His mind erased all thoughts, he left Roem's palace and cut through the spacious garden.
Soon, the basilica's university building came into view.
He passed the clergy on his way to his morning prayers and continued to the dormitory.
Although the students gave him curious glances as he passed by, Riftan remained oblivious to his surroundings.
Climbing the stairs, he headed directly to the rooms designated for the mages.
Knowing which room she had been assigned saved him from having to search for each one.
Upon reaching the chamber in the middle of the corridor, he forcefully opened the door, only to be faced with a tidy but empty space.
Devastated, Riftan took in the empty room at a glance before quickly turning on his heel and resuming his hurried pace.
In fact, he was verging on a run.
He only stopped abruptly when he saw a familiar face among the bustling crowd.
Grabbing the seemingly unresponsive young mage, Riftan pinned him against the wall.
The frightened wizard tried to catch his breath as fear spread across his face.
“W-What does that mean?” the wizard managed to stutter.
Although Riftan could not remember whether the man's name was Royd or Royald, he remembered him as a match for Ruth for being lazy.
Riftan glared down into the mage's eyes.
“Where is my wife?”
“Mud“”
The mage's words caught in his throat when he noticed the look in Riftan's eyes.
“Lady Calypse,” he corrected quickly, “left for the Gillian Canal about half an hour“”
Releasing the man's collar before he could finish, Riftan ran down the stairs.
He was so terrified that he didn't even think about getting a horse.
Without armor or even a coat, he quickly crossed the vast grounds of the basilica.
His heart was pounding, and a cold sweat broke out on his back.
He couldn't tell how long he ran.
All he knew was the irregularity of his breathing as he pushed his body to the limit.
The landscape around him blurred as he passed through the busy square.
The memory of his desperate pursuit of her three years ago came back to him, the anguish and deep sense of loss still palpable.
Riftan had to pause for a moment, his lungs threatening to explode from the strain.
As he struggled for air, beads of sweat ran down his forehead, collecting on his chin before falling to the floor.
After a fleeting glance at the blurred figures around him, he raised his head to survey the bustle of people.
A line of wagons loaded with goods formed a line nearby.
He pushed through the crowd, heading toward them.
Soon, a series of small boats moored along the narrow canal came into view.
In the crowd of people beside them, he searched for a familiar face, his heart shrinking in fear.
Scanning the faces of those boarding the boats with the intensity of a hawk, Riftan hurried toward baggage storage.
He grabbed the person in charge by the shoulder, his voice thick with urgency as he asked, "Did individuals looking like wizards pass through here today?
They would probably be in gray robes."
“Wizards?” asked the man, looking confused.
"Ah, you must be referring to the group that left with the merchants towards Gilford.
They left about fifteen minutes ago."Riftan's eyes filled with despair as he looked at the man's deeply tanned face.
He glanced back toward the canal.
The current wasn't particularly strong.
If they had left fifteen minutes ago, he could still catch up.
If I borrow a horse, I can catch up to them quickly.
Turning around, he started running towards the congested road.
A stable was in sight.
He was about to run towards it when his feet suddenly felt rooted to the ground.
He looked down, confusion washing over him.
Didn't he want to keep her safe from all harm?
Wasn't he exhausted from the constant concern for his well-being?
Throughout the war he had been haunted by a gut-wrenching fear.
When the final battle ended, he was so emotionally drained that he wanted to distance himself from her.
That was why, when Ursuline warned him that he might face a similar situation again, he decided to send her away.
So why was he so desperately trying to chase her now?
Shouldn't he be grateful that she chose to leave on her own?
“R-Riftan?”
At the sound of his voice, Riftan slowly turned his head.
Maximilian Calypse's surprised face came into his blurred field of vision.
After staring at him in surprise, she pushed through the crowd, determined to catch up to him.
"W-What are you doing here?
Didn't the servant deliver my message?"
Riftan looked at her face without blinking.
Suddenly, the walls around him collapsed.
“You were right,” he confessed, his words tense as if he was choking on a lump in his throat.
She froze.
“This whole time, I’ve been trying to protect myself.”
His voice was now hoarse.
She blinked unsteadily, and he could see her disheveled state reflected in her pale gray eyes.
After staring at the helpless face of the man who could no longer feign composure, Riftan closed his eyes tightly.
"I swore once to know all of you, regardless of the anguish it might bring.
But I never imagined it would be so painful."
Maximilian continued toward him, and Riftan gave a breathless sigh.
Everything inside him broke one by one with each step that brought her closer.
He had never felt so vulnerable.
"I didn't want to feel so much agony again.
That's why I“"
She ran to him suddenly and held his face in her hands.
Only then did he realize he was crying, just like her.
After observing her distressed expression, Riftan weakly hung his head.
“But I can’t anymore.”
“R-Riftan.”
His warm fingers eagerly caressed her face.
He placed his hand over hers, pressing her cheek against his palm.
“Never again… I want to be separated from you again.”
Maximilian, who had been opening and closing his mouth as if he wanted to say something, wrapped him in his arms.
He felt her sobs of sadness against his neck.
Riftan snapped out of his haze, instinctively pulling her into a tight hug.
Burying his hands in her soft curls, he said huskily, "I don't care what happens to me.
I want to be with you."