Chapter 250

Chapter 250

Despite the distance, Max could clearly see her father’s jaw stubbornly stiffening, it was an expression he used to make to suppress his temper when his anger peaked. The Duke of Croix glared at Riftan with hostility, directing his eyes towards him as if he wanted to kill him. He was holding the cane in his hand so tightly that it seemed as if his veins would burst.

“His Majesty does not have to make this matter problematic... I have said that many times. I did make that clear, to remind you. “

Max noticed her father’s speech indeed became slightly slurred, but not enough to sound ridiculous. His sense of authority, arrogance, and pride were etched deep in his bones to the point that he appeared overbearing even in front of the king. However, the Duke of Croix himself appeared aware and humiliated of the slurred speech that was the aftermath of the incident. Every time he spoke a word, anger flared in his eyes, he glared at Riftan with such hatred that it made everyone in the hall discreetly nervous, but Riftan’s anger and hostility were no less than the duke’s. The king swept an annoyed look at the two people who were at the verge of attacking each other right then and there, he then clicked his tongue and turned to Count Robern.

“After we rest for a couple of hours, we should start these talks immediately. Before my beloved subjects stick knives into each other’s chests, I must take the necessary measures.”

“I will accompany you, Your Majesty.”

“No, I want the count to watch over them in my place so they don’t end up tearing each other apart.”

Count Robern smiled bitterly and instructed the nearby butler to take the distinguished guests to their rooms. When the king led the princess and the attendants like a sole general, climbing the stairs covered in the shadow of gloomy gray, the people who were kneeling in respect all stood up at once. Max watched in confusion as the Duke of Croix hurried to retreat behind the knights. When she saw her father’s malevolent expression, an abominable premonition came over her that nothing would change her father’s mind.

Riftan looked at the duke with deep contempt, then turned his head as if he couldn’t stand the sight of him. “Maxi, come this way.”

Together they walked towards the annex. When her husband’s large, trustworthy body completely blocked her father’s hateful gaze, Max managed to release the breath she had been holding. Riftan led her to an empty room and began to convince her again.

“As I already told you several times, you don’t have to enter the conference room. This is not a formal trial. It is just a meeting that King Ruben made to mediate between the Duke of Croix and myself.”

Max shook her head firmly. “No matter what you say... this time I will not step a-aside. My father will sue Riftan for invading Croix Castle... and attacking him. When the fact is that Riftan... all he did was to save me.”

“I always wanted to beat him to death!” Riftan snapped harshly and Max released a weary sigh.

“Riftan... t-thinks that attacking my father is a reasonable retaliation. If-if you exclude me from the story, could you continue to claim that your actions were fair?”

Riftan gave her an expression like he was cornered. Max took his stiff hands and gave him a sincere smile.Diiscover new stories at novelhall.com

“I... I’m not the kind of l-lady you thought I am. Now Riftan knows it too. That I had a difficult childhood... I also survived a j-journey through the middle of the continent. I have been through... a horrible w-war. Testifying to this point wouldn’t hurt me.”

Perhaps those were words that were preferable not to say because Riftan’s face turned grim and a sharp pain could be seen in his eyes. He seemed determined to speak until they heard a firm knock on the door.

“Commander, His Majesty would like to speak with you for a moment before starting the meeting.”

It was Uslin Rikaido’s voice. Riftan looked at Max in anguish and reluctantly left.

“Don’t let anyone get close.”

Riftan, standing in front of the door, gave this stern order to the knights who were there and crossed the hall quickly. Max sat in front of the fireplace and waited impatiently for the meeting to begin. A second felt like a minute and a minute like an hour. A long time passed, she began to bite her nails and her mouth felt dry until she heard a knock on the door again.

“M’lady, the meeting has begun.”

“W-wait a moment.”

Max stood in front of the mirror and looked at herself. There were several fine hairs sticking out of her carefully braided hair, but she managed to look elegant. She carefully put her cloak over her shoulder and left the room.

His gaze was so fierce that the duke’s body stiffened and his face paled. He stirred like he was seeing his worst nightmare, turned his head, and appealed to the king.

“My daughter had lost a child and was left completely alone in Drakium Castle. What do you think I thought when I saw her like that?! I was just trying to protect my daughter from the palace rumors and her husband’s cold treatment.”

“How dare you tell such a blatant lie!” Elliott screamed as he stood up and glared at him.

Uslin and Elliot stood from their seats and glared at the duke with such hostility in their eyes that the knights by the king’s side felt the fierce momentum from the two and they quickly drew out their swords.

“For the safety of His Majesty, moderate your attitude!”

As they reluctantly sat back down, the king shifted his position and heaved a long sigh. His indifferent eyes then turned to Max who had stiffened.

“It seems to be that you are at the center of this conflict. What do you think of the arguments of both parties?”

“Your Majesty, my wife...!”

“I wasn’t asking you anything at the moment, I was asking your wife.” The king sternly stopped Riftan’s intervention.

Max tried to smile at Riften to comfort him when she saw him so stiff and began to stand up slowly. She felt her fingers tremble slightly at her father’s intense gaze. She grabbed the hem of her skirt to grasp out her nervousness and straightened her posture.

“My-my father...” She swallowed dry saliva and tried as hard as she could to refine her trembling voice. “He did not stop me from meeting my husband to protect me. My father... was just worried about whether I would be subject to a divorce and become an embarrassment to the family. And to tell you the truth, Your Majesty, I too believed for a while that a divorce was imminent. I had no confidence to see my husband... I feared that I would be c-criticized, and I foolishly followed my father. But upon reaching the duchy...”

Her voice cracked slightly. She took a little pause and looked at Riftan’s face. When she saw his pale, weary face, her chest ached. She just wanted to get him out of this place and embrace him tightly against her chest. Max licked her dry lips and desperately spoke the words out of her lips.

“I.. I... wanted to meet my husband to talk to him. But my father wouldn’t let me, so I tried to go against his will...” She hesitated for a moment, then exhaled laboriously. “My father locked me up and inflicted severe co-corporal punishment upon me. My husband... witnessing me being punished, was furious to see it.”

“How dare you...”

The duke was so tense that a vein protruded from rage. He opened his mouth wide, as if he were about to vomit profanity, then clenched his teeth as if swallowing a ball of fire. He had an expression of disbelief, he looked as if his slave rebelled against him, the master.

Max lowered her eyes to avoid that look full of anger. After a moment of silence, the king opened his mouth to speak again.

“I think I understand now how things happened.” The king sighed and burrowed his back into the leather-covered chair. “Duke, if what they just said is true, you too cannot escape responsibility. Maximilian Calypse belongs to Riftan Calypse. From the moment their marriage started, you lost all your rights over your daughter. Naturally, you have no right to confine or inflict any corporal punishment on her.”

“That girl, unfortunately, now takes the side of her husband and exaggerates banal things! Preventing her from seeing Calypse or the little corporal punishment was an act for the future of my daughter and the honor of my family!” The duke rebutted desperately. “When I saw my daughter alone in the palace, I really thought that Calypse would abandon her. Is it such a big mistake trying to do my best to prevent my daughter from being insulted like that and suffer?”

Max was completely overwhelmed by her father’s impudence. He had such a calm, insolent expression and it manipulated even her to believe his words. The duke lifted his chin proudly.

“In the process... I will not deny that my behavior was excessive. If I have to take responsibility, I am willing to give compensation. But I don’t care what His Majesty says, I have no intention of forgiving that person’s actions.”

He turned and looked directly into Riftan’s fiery eyes. Apparently, the hatred that welled up in his gut gave him the courage to look at Riftan and he continued.

“No matter where you see it, Riftan Calypse’s behavior was exaggerated. If it offended him that I didn’t let him see my daughter and that I placed her on probation to correct her vulgar habits... then he should have protested on the spot. But what did he do? He tried to kill me right there and there! And as if that has not been enough, he even threatened my land with a war. He could hardly be defined as a sane human being. His majesty must immediately withdraw his title of being the commander of the Remdragon Knights, revoke the Knighthood, and take control of his territory!”

Hearing the duke’s roar, Max held her forehead with her hand and staggered, Elliott quickly held her up, but his face was just as pale as hers. As if already prepared for this outcome, Riftan sat silently with an expressionless face.

Note – LF: I can’t describe the hatred I’m feeling right now >:(