Chapter 383 - 144

383 Chapter 144

No matter how much Maxi wanted to deny it, the Duke of Croyso was her father. It was a truth the whole world was aware of. And now, by openly mocking her husband, her father had shown just how little he thought of his eldest daughter.

Intense shame roiled through her. It was not her father's utter disregard that upset her — it was the fact that this disregard had caused Riftan to suffer such blatant discourtesy. If he had not married her, Riftan and the Remdragon Knights would never have been subjected to such treatment. Though Riftan had assured her she had nothing to apologize for, Maxi was still racked with guilt.

Elliot, who had been riding silently next to her, suddenly spoke with a look of concern.

"You look tired, my lady."

Maxi managed to force a smile on her lips. "I-It is manageable."

"We will reach the banks of the Lauden River soon and likely camp there for the night. Try to bear it until then," Elliot said encouragingly.

Maxi's face fell when she realized the knight was glad to be camping out. Fury against her father surged inside her once again for making the men prefer to sleep in open fields over the safety of walled townships.

Not wanting to burden the already tired knights with her feelings, Maxi put on a bright front. "I will not trouble you by falling off my horse, Sir Elliot... so you needn't look at me with such anxious eyes."

Reassured by her good-humored response, a small smile tugged at the knight's lips.

Soon, a frozen river emerged on the other side of the field. Riftan stopped the march and ordered the knights to set up camp. They watered the horses at the river and methodically set up the tents along level ground. Maxi watched them for a while before dismounting. She tethered Rem to a stake before going to help the army's cooks with the dinner preparations. While a mage's primary responsibilities lay in tending to the wounded and aiding the knights, there were plenty of other tasks to be done.

Wiping beads of sweat from her forehead, Maxi boiled carrots and cabbages in a large cauldron, sliced rock-hard bread into lumps, then distributed them to the soldiers with bowls of soup. Next, she went to check on the herb supply. She was just starting on more emergency remedies when a hand clamped onto her shoulder.

"Are you still working?"

Maxi turned to find Ruth looking down at her with an exasperated expression. He heaved a sigh when he saw how chafed her hands were from the cold.

"Sir Riftan has been looking for you for a while. I'll take over here, so please retire for today."

"L-Let me finish this batch."

"I need you to get up right now, my lady," Ruth replied sternly, crossing his arms. "I know you haven't had anything to eat yet. You really must stop overtaxing yourself. Please don't forget that there are people worried about you." Th.ê most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m

"The supplies will arrive on time," Riftan replied with conviction. "And even if I have to send an army to gather them, the Knights of Phil Aaron will not be chosen for the task. I would rather entrust a cat with a fish."

The hostility between the two men seemed to emanate out of the tent. Worried that Breston might launch himself at Riftan, Maxi kept her guard up. However, when the northerner spoke again, it was with the calmness of someone who had been expecting the answer.

"Your arrogance truly astonishes me, Calypse. The Knights of Phil Aaron are also fighting for the peace and prosperity of the Roviden Continent. I do not see why we must endure such slight."

Riftan made no response. After a while, Maxi heard a heavy sigh.

"Very well. Let us go with your plan. But whatever happens, it will be on your head."

Maxi did not hear Breston's answer. There were footsteps, and Breston burst from the tent. Maxi impulsively backed away. Not wanting to appear scared, she leveled a haughty glare at him.

As if amused by her hostility, the northerner's twinkling eyes lingered on her before he ambled off like a prowling tiger. She watched the man go, then turned to the tent's entrance.

Riftan had his head tilted back and was massaging between his eyes. Her heart sank like a lead weight at seeing him so weary. Not only was her husband burdened with the grave responsibility of stopping the dragon's revival, but he also had to keep an eye on an enemy within his own army. As if that were not enough, her father was another weight on his troubles.

It frustrated her greatly that there was nothing she could do for him. The self-esteem she had painstakingly built during the past few years seemed to crumble all at once. After watching Riftan with despondent eyes, she turned and walked away.

Riftan gazed at his wife with concern. She had grown increasingly quiet since entering the Duchy of Croyso. Her expression was frequently dark, even demoralized. No doubt, being there brought back painful memories for her.

Gripping his reins, Riftan clenched his jaw. Whenever he was reminded of the deep emotional scars the duke had inflicted on Maximilian, he was overcome with uncontrollable rage. It was all he could do not to turn his horse around and race toward Croyso Castle to hack the man to pieces.

Riftan tore his eyes away from her, desperately trying to quell his burning rage. He would get his chance to make the man pay. Right now, his priority was to stamp out these tiresome monsters.

He had just spurred his horse when he saw Hebaron, who had been riding ahead, galloping toward them.

"Commander! A pigeon brings a message from Princess Agnes."

Riftan snatched the crumpled roll of parchment from his aide's hand and opened it.

Riding beside them, Ursuline asked impatiently, "What does it say? Has something happened to the unit that went northeast?"

"It's good news," Riftan said, handing the note to Ursuline. "The coalition has succeeded in liberating the southern castles of Arex."

Ursuline's face brightened. "That was sooner than we expected."