Maxi reached up to caress his smooth cheek. With his usual aura of sadness gone, it made her wish he could always be this at peace. She gazed up at him with quivering eyes, then tiptoed up to tenderly kiss his chin. Riftan responded with a low moan and pressed his lips to hers.
Meanwhile, the music slowed to a sorrowful melody, carried over by a faint breeze. The lyrics were of a tragic love story between a knight and a princess. Riftan peppered her with gentle pecks, and Maxi, not wanting to dance to such a melancholy song, led him toward the bed.
As she gently guided him down, Riftan raised his head, muttering softly, “We can’t. It will be painful for you.”
Incredulous, Maxi narrowed her eyes. “Th-That is not what I was trying to do. I simply… want us to kiss in bed.”
Riftan stared at her as though she had just suggested they bathe in fire. Maxi suppressed a sigh. Though she delighted in his fervent desire for her, she also found it burdensome that even the slightest intimacy could set him aflame.
“Haven’t we done enough of that? Tonight… I just want us to share kisses until we fall asleep.”
Riftan opened his mouth as if to speak, then abruptly closed it. He emitted a pained groan before positioning himself on the bed.
Maxi promptly snuggled next to him, resting her head on his sturdy arm. When she tilted her head to seek a kiss, he frowned but obediently lowered his head. She could feel his body heating up as he lay pressed against her, but she pretended not to notice as she savored the sweet kiss.
Outside the window, the sky had darkened to a deep shade of blue. A lively tune carried on the wind. Maxi’s fingers caressed the smooth muscles of his chest, placing kisses over his lips and cheeks like a bird pecking at a meal.
After a while, Riftan shifted uncomfortably and removed her hand. “You should sleep now.”
“Are you not going to sleep with me?
A worried look crossed Maxi’s face as she gazed up at his hardened features. While their passionate encounters had left her feeling lethargic during the day, Riftan seemed far from sated.
Concealing his desires behind a placid facade, he gently closed her eyes with his warm hand. “Don’t worry about me. Just go to sleep.”
It was not the answer she wanted to hear. She pushed his hand away, glaring disapprovingly at him. It struck her then that in all the time they had been in this chamber, she had never seen him truly at ease. Could it be that he found their coupling unsatisfying?
The thought of being incapable of satisfying him both physically and emotionally filled her with anxiety. Propping herself up, she gingerly placed her hand on his hot skin.
“How can I not worry?”
“Will you sing me to sleep, then?” Riftan retorted brusquely.
Maxi’s frown changed to a subtle smile as she slid on top of him. Riftan stiffened, flustered by her unexpected action. She ran her fingers down his tense abdomen, then gingerly undid the loosely fastened straps of his trousers.
Riftan wrenched her hands away. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“The reason you’re unable to sleep… is because you’re not satisfied, is it not?” Hiding her abashment, she willed herself to state calmly, “You… always pleasure me. I-I would like to… do the same for you.”
As still as a statue, Riftan stared at her as if she had sprouted an extra head. Why did he always react so strangely whenever she tried to lay a finger on him, yet he showed no qualms in doing all sorts of things to her?
“Th-There is something…” Maxi awkwardly added, “I-I have been wanting to try.”
She blushed when Riftan cocked an eyebrow. Clearly, the opportunity to attempt the act in the heat of the moment had passed. After a moment of hesitation, she began whispering in his ear. His bronze face grew increasingly red as her explanation went on.
He sat bolt upright, glaring at her. “Where did you learn such a thing?”
“I-I read it in a book,” she stammered. “I found it… p-purely by coincidence… w-while I was at the Tower… a-and I scrupulously read the explanation… because I wanted to… t-try it with you.” 25 Riftan’s flushed face now looked close to bursting. the source of n0velfullb0okcom Maxi had never seen him so flustered. Could it be that he had never experienced anything of the sort? All of a sudden, she felt determined to show him.
Like a ruffian leading the innocent astray, she whispered enticingly in his ear, “The book says… i-it is very… pleasurable.”
His throat bobbed. Moving her hands reassuringly over his forearms, Maxi lowered them back to his trousers. He already felt close to his limit.
With a pleased smile, she gently stroked the hard bulge beneath his trousers. That seemed to shock him to his senses, and he roughly yanked her hand away.
“You don’t have to do that. It is absolutely not—”
“But… don’t you always d-do something similar for me? I-I want to… do this for you, too.”
His tense abdomen contracted ever so slightly. After gently freeing her hand, Maxi nervously lowered his trousers. She gingerly clasped his large member in her hands, then placed the wet tip in her mouth.
Owing to their bath earlier, it did not taste as foul as she had expected. Reassured, she gently sucked on skin that smelled faintly of soap and the musk of their lovemaking. She heard him cursing and panting above her.
Maxi peeped up to gauge his reaction – he appeared to be partly in shock – then opened her mouth wider to swallow more of him.
She soon realized the act was not as easy as the book had made it sound. Though she was nowhere near taking him in fully, her jaw was close to falling off, and her mouth was filled to capacity. Nevertheless, he seemed to find even this feeble attempt satisfying.
Riftan tore at the sheets despite her clumsy technique, exclaiming croakily, “That’s enough. You’ve done en-”
Maxi licked the purple head of his shaft, rendering him speechless. She could feel his muscular thigh tense like a rock beneath her hand.
Grasping at her hair, he pushed her head down. Then, seemingly shocked by his own actions, he hastily released her. Maxi withdrew and began to cough.
Even her wheezing seemed to torture him. He let out a suppressed moan, squeezing his eyes shut as though suffering from vertigo. Seeing him so at a loss for what to do filled Maxi with wicked glee. Realizing that she was also capable of inflicting the same taunting pleasure aroused her greatly.
All shame and awkwardness forgotten, she immersed herself in pleasuring him. Though she found it impossible to take him all the way to her throat like the book had described, gripping his member while sucking forcefully on its tip was enough to drive him from his senses.
Like a man being tortured, Riftan muttered imploringly, “Good God, that’s enough. I’m about to-
Knowing that he had reached his limit, Maxi fended off his attempts to push her away and drew him even deeper into her mouth. She heard his sharp intake of breath, and soon his body was writhing from climax.
Maxi scowled at the pungent taste that pervaded her mouth. Though she wanted to continue until he finished, she simply could not bring herself to swallow the fluid filling her mouth.
When she raised her head, coughing, a panting Riftan cussed under his breath and hastily grabbed the towel on the bedside table. He brought it to her lips and said gruffly, “Spit it out.”
After nervously shifting her eyes, Maxi compliantly spat the remaining fluid from her mouth. Riftan dumped the towel on the ground, then proffered a glass of wine. She obediently rinsed her mouth and lay next to him on the bed.
Riftan’s chest was still heaving, his eyes drowsy. Maxi relished the sight of him in this state. She could tell from his flushed face that he was thoroughly satisfied. She wound her arm around his brawny body, slack from lingering pleasure, and closed her eyes.
She must have fallen asleep at some point, for she awoke to something weighing on her chest.
The pale dawn light pouring in through the window was blinding.
Maxi frowned but quickly looked up when she saw the thick arm draped over her. Riftan had fallen asleep while embracing her.
After vacantly watching him, she quietly rose from the bed to close the curtains. His creased brow relaxed as soon as the bright light was extinguished.
Maxi returned to gazing at his slumbering form, a strange mixture of joy and pity washing over her. This was the man who used to wake at the slightest sound when he was with her, only allowing himself to doze lightly. Though he made every effort to hide it, she was certain he must be exhausted. She gazed at his serene face as though admiring a rare natural phenomenon.
A creak sounded as someone pulled on the door handle. Maxi whirled around as it cracked open, and a woman stuck her hooded head in, peering into the room.
Maxi’s face flushed. Since she had not had the chance to interact with any of the maidservants so far, she had no idea what to say. Still, she did not wish to disturb Riftan’s much-needed sleep. Maxi closed her half-open robe and crept up to the door.
Just as she was about to tell the maidservant to return later, she realized who it was.
“S-Sidina?” Maxi murmured, taking a step back.
Fortunately, Riftan did not wake. She slipped out of the room and gently shut the door behind her. Bringing a finger to her lips, she led Sidina down the empty corridor.
“W-What are you doing here?”
“What do you mean? Do you have any idea how worried I was?” Sidina sighed, looking at Maxi in disbelief. “I did hear that you were with Sir Riftan, but… Max, we haven’t seen you in a week. Did you not think we would worry? I was rather pleased on the first day when I thought my plan had worked, but after a while, I began to think I’d made a mistake. I was worried he was being cruel to you.”
Removing the coif she was wearing as a disguise, Sidina looked Maxi up and down with a wicked glint in her eyes. “I see now that my concern was hardly necessary!”
Maxi drew her robe around her as a deep blush colored her cheeks. “Q-Quite so. There is nothing to be worried about. Riftan would never do anything t-to me.”
“I was thinking three days or so, but a week? You can see how I was concerned. A week is a tad excessive.”
Growing beet red, Maxi shot daggers at the girl.
The mischievous smirk fell from Sidina’s lips as she added with mock solemnity, “In any case, I didn’t come here just to make sure you’re all right. Anette and Armin will be returning to the Tower soon. I came prepared to sully my eyes so you could say your goodbyes.”
“Th-They are leaving today?” Maxi asked, surprised.
Sidina shrugged as if this were hardly news. “Since it seems we won’t be getting any more of the spoils, the senior mages intend to share our findings with the Tower as soon as possible so we can organize an investigation into the dark mages.”
Lowering her voice, she added, “Word has it that the church has already started a hunt of their own. I heard rumors that high- ranking paladins covertly left Balbourne a few days into the negotiations.”
Maxi knitted her brow. Why was the church carrying out such a grave mission in secret? Her face clouded as she recalled the inklings of sedition throughout the talks. It could be that the pope wished to eliminate the dark mages as quietly as possible.
“We should hurry,” Sidina said urgently. “Everyone will be waiting.”
“B-But…”
Maxi threw a flustered glance across the room to where her husband was sleeping. She was worried their relationship might sour again if she left without a word. Nevertheless, she could hardly wake him from his much-needed rest simply to ask permission. After deliberating a moment, Maxi nodded. She would leave him a note saying she would be back soon.
“Just… allow me t-to change first.”
