Elliot had been staring at her with a vacant expression. He now looked utterly dumbfounded as he muttered, “Now that you mention it…I see you are wearing a cleric’s habit.”
Maxi blushed and tried to smooth her tattered clothes. “I-I have been…treating the wounded w-with the other female clerics.”
“You have been staying with the female clerics all this time?” he echoed, giving her the same stunned look as Ulyseon. Then, as if finally grasping the situation, he grew pale. “You came to this dangerous place without a single guard?”
Maxi flinched. “The basilica’s soldiers…protected us on our way here.”
Elliot’s frown only grew deeper. “My lady! How could you be so reckless? Have you considered what could have happened if there’d been an accident?” He suddenly clutched his forehead and let out a groan. “If you came with the support unit, then you must have been at Serbin Castle when I was there. Have you known since then that she was here, Mage Ruth?”
Ruth pursed his lips and looked away. His silence was answer enough.
Elliot glowered at him and barked, “Are you out of your mind?! Why did you not inform me of this right away?”
There was a short, tense silence. “Let’s say I wished to handle this problem as quietly as possible,” Ruth said flatly.
Elliot was momentarily speechless at the sorcerer’s apathetic response. His face grew red as he shook off his disbelief and began to berate Ruth. “Are you saying that you’ve been neglecting her ladyship because you couldn’t be bothered? Sir Riftan will never forgive you if he learns of this!”
“Sir Elliot! P-Please, stop,” Maxi cut in. “I was the one…wh-who asked Ruth not to tell anyone. You mustn’t b-blame him.”
Elliot’s expression immediately softened when he saw Maxi’s face drained of all color. He cleared his throat. “I apologize for raising my voice, my lady, but we cannot simply let this slide—”
“I truly am s-sorry for worrying you, but…I really am getting along just fine,” Maxi insisted. “I-I do not want there to be any trouble…because of me.”
Seeing her imploring gaze, Elliot lowered his head in resignation.
Ruth, who had been watching their exchange like a silent spectator, scratched the back of his head. “What do you intend to do, my lady? Now that Sir Riftan has found out, you will no longer be able to stay with the female clerics.”
Maxi pressed her lips together. Ruth was right. Riftan would never allow her to remain with the other women. Even so, she could not leave Idsilla all alone when the girl had unwittingly come to rely on her so much. Not knowing what to do, Maxi was anxiously rubbing her forehead when her stomach emitted a low growl.
A hot flush lit up her ears. She furtively glanced up to see if anyone had heard and saw the knights, all of whom had keen senses, looking at her with wide eyes.
She mumbled an excuse. “I-I have yet to have dinner….”
“I will get you something to eat at once!” Ulyseon declared.
He ran out of the tent while Elliot swiftly pulled out a chair from the table and motioned for her to sit.
“You must be tired from tending to the injured men all day, my lady. You should rest. Is there anything else we can get you?”
“I-I would like…to wash,” Maxi said tentatively.
Elliot immediately ordered a basin of water to be brought to the tent. The next thing Maxi knew, clean towels, a bar of soap, and a large basin full of cold water were being laid out before her.
It had been quite some time since she had experienced such conscientious service, and she found the sudden attention rather disconcerting. Still, the basin brimming with clean water was too tempting to resist.
When the knights stepped out of the tent to stand guard outside, Maxi ducked behind a partition to undress. It was her first bath in a week, and nothing could hold her back from it. She threw nervous glances at the entrance before she began to wipe herself down with a soaked towel.
Though she was as sparing as possible with the water, the basin was half empty by the time she rinsed her face and body. The remaining water was for her hair, but it was not enough to thoroughly rinse all the soap from her thick curls. Although it bothered her slightly, she felt better now that she at least smelled clean.
After rolling her dirty garments into a ball and placing them aside, she found a tunic—likely Riftan’s—and put it on. The tunic would have fallen just above the knees on him. On her, it reached down to her calves. She tied a belt around her waist and tentatively poked her head out of the tent flap.
“I-I am done.”
Elliot had been waiting for her outside the tent. “Your food is ready, my lady. Please let me know if you require more.”
He handed her a tray full of roasted meat, hot stew, bread, and wine. Maxi’s eyes grew wide at the most sumptuous meal she had seen in a long time.
“This is m-more than enough,” she said gratefully. “Um…do you know where Riftan is?”
