Maxi’s face was almost blue. After giving Ursuline a cold glare, Riftan grabbed a tunic hanging near the entrance and threw iton.
Turning back to Ursuline, he ordered, “Guard her. I need a minute.”
Maxi grabbed his arm as he went to leave without another word. “R-Riftan…please, don’t be angry. Listen to me. I was s-so worried about you…th-that I had to come. I just couldn’t…sit by and wait any—”
“We will talk later.”
He coldly pried her hands away, and Maxi stared up at him in shock. Riftan briefly regarded her with somber eyes before turning around.
“I’ll only end up saying something I’ll regret if I stay,” he muttered. “I’ll be back once I’ve cooled off, so wait for me.”
Riftan strode out. Maxi’s heart throbbed with devastation as she watched the flap of the tent flutter in the chilly evening wind. Tears of anguish trickled down her cheeks, and she hastily wiped them away with her sleeve.
Ursuline, who had been watching her in silence, awkwardly spoke. “I will have someone get Ruth and Elliot for you.” He summoned one of the soldiers standing outside and added, “I’m sure you will feel better with them here.”
The knight seemed unsure what to say after that. Maxi could not make sense of his expression as he quietly regarded her. It was as if he were looking at a stranger.
Though she sensed the slight shift in Ursuline’s manner, Maxi was too exhausted to feel baffled by it. She slumped inthe corner of the tent and could do nothing but stare blankly at the entrance.
There was no way to tell how long she sat staring into space. Eventually, she heard footsteps approaching before Ruth burst through the tent flap.
“Are you all right, my lady?” He sounded anxious when he saw her haggard face.
Worried that her cheeks were still streaked with tears, Maxi hastily wiped her face again. “I-I am all right.”
Ruth regarded her for a moment before heaving a sigh. “So you got caught in the end. I actually thought we’d have a few weeks before he found out…. I certainly didn’t think you would be discovered in less than ten days.”
“I ran into him…a-at the spring….”
When Maxi sullenly hung her head, Ruth shrugged in resignation. “Well, what’s done is done. It’s not like we weren’t expecting this at some point. Where is Sir Riftan?”
“H-He left…in a rage. He said he would return…once he has calmed down,” Maxi murmured despondently.
Ruth stared glumly at the tent entrance. “Then let’s hope he’ll be as calm as a sleeping infant when he returns.”
“It seems that you were already aware of her ladyship’s presence here,” Ursuline concluded after silently listening to their exchange.
Beads of sweat formed on Ruth’s forehead as he avoided the knight’s eyes.
Ursuline opened his mouth as if to berate the sorcerer, but he stopped and shook his head. “You’ll be facing the commander’s wrath soon,” he said coldly, “so I’ll spare you my admonishment.”
Maxi came to the mage’s defense. “R-Ruth was…forcedto keep it a secret b-because I implored him not to tell anyone.”
Ursuline’s icy expression did not change. “Even so, he should have prioritized your safety and informed the commander.”
“Had I thought it would be a problem, I would’ve done so,” Ruth interjected. “But her ladyship has been doing well on her own. I figured there was no need to turn it into a bigger problem than it was.”
“It is not your place to make such—”
Ursuline’s rebuke was cut short by Elliot Charon and Ulyseon Rovar bursting into the tent. Seeing the shock on their faces, Maxi flushed and tried to arrange her disheveled hair.
After gawking at her for a moment, Ulyseon’s face lit up with a wide smile as he rushed to her side. “My lady! You really are here! I didn’t believe it at first. Have you been well?”
The tension in Maxi’s shoulders eased at the relief that at least somebody was happy to see her. “I have been…well. How about you, Ulyseon? A-Are you well?”
“Haven’t injured even a pinkie, my lady. I’m not even allowed to fight on the battlefield!” Ulyseon exclaimed, clearly discontent. “While the others fight at the front, all I’ve been doing is transporting weapons, tending to the horses, and cleaning armor.” He looked her over with bright eyes. “In any case, you really had me shocked, my lady! How did you get here?”
“I-I came with the support unit,” Maxi replied.
