Under the Oak Tree

Chapter 355

Maxi gazed down at the glittering array of colorful gowns. All were of the finest quality normally worn by royalty.

“W-Where did you get these? From Sir Sejuleu? Please don’t tell me you accepted such an extravagant gift simply because he offered.”

“Goodness. Such fuss from the mistress of the most prosperous land in the south,” Sidina quipped while lifting a silk gown with a deep neckline.

“Sidina!” Maxi exclaimed. “What were you thinking?! Th-This is beyond courtesy! Hundreds of nobles are here right now. If word were to get out… that I accepted such a lavish gift from a foreign nobleman, it would cause a scandal!”

“Not to worry, as these are not from Sir Sejuleu,” Sidina replied distractedly, picking up another gown.

Maxi’s eyes widened. Who else would go out of their way to show her such kindness? Could they be from Riftan? She looked down at the heap of gowns on the bed, her eyes shining with hope. Sidina’s following words caught Maxi by surprise.

“They are from the King of Wedon.”

“Th-The king?” Maxi said, stupefied. “W-Why would the king do such a thing for me?”

“If you don’t know, how should I?” Sidina retorted, looking at Maxi as if puzzled by her question. “When I attended the banquet last night with Master Elena, I was approached by someone who claimed to be an attendant of your king. He told me that King Reuben wanted to bestow a gift upon you as an apology, and I merely agreed to deliver it. He must have been searching for someone to do so since you refuse to attend such functions.”

“A-An apology for what?” Maxi asked, still baffled.

Sidina shrugged. “He didn’t say, only that I should inform you King Reuben has long wanted to apologize to you.”

Anette stopped eyeing the heap of shimmering gowns with distaste to turn to Maxi. “What could he have possibly done to you to warrant such a lavish apology?”

Unable to think of an answer, Maxi looked bewildered. The history of her interactions with King Reuben was limited to their short conversation at the Earl of Loverne’s estate. She had seen him during the negotiations, but only from afar. Where was this sudden generosity coming from? Suspicion pricked at her as she cast her mind back.

Is His Majesty apologizing for bringing up my miscarriage to my father during the mediation three years ago?

“Does it really matter why?” Sidina said, yanking Maxi from her thoughts. “I’m glad. I didn’t have anything suitable for tonight. Come, come, what are you waiting for? Try them on! We’d better make haste, or we’ll be late.”

Maxi sighed deeply. “As I’ve told you countless times, I have no intention of attending-“

“Stop being so hardheaded!”

Sidina flung down the gown in her hand and shot Maxi an irritated look. Maxi stiffened as the girl raised her index finger and launched into a sermon-like tirade.

“I am sick of seeing you act like a gloomy slug that creeps out during the rains! Do you think endlessly sighing with that glum face is going to change anything? Or that locking yourself in your chamber to stare sadly out at sunsets will make it better?”

“W-What could you possibly know?” Maxi said, her face flushing crimson. “I-I am-”

“No! Let me finish. I have not said my piece.” Using the same technique she used to corner her opponents during a debate, Sidina continued, “I tell you this from all the knowledge I’ve acquired as the daughter of a notorious libertine and as president of Nornui’s Romance Society - you will gain nothing if you simply wait for the other person to make the first move. Do you know what you must do when no progress is made? You either give up or take action!”

“Amen,” Anette murmured piously.

Her face almost purple now, Maxi shouted, “D-Do you think I haven’t tried?! I have bent over backward to get Riftan to open up.”

“Blindly chasing him around is not the answer. You must use your feminine wiles! If pushing doesn’t work, you must pull.”

Snorting to show that she was not interested in hearing what Maxi had to say, Sidina began rummaging through the gowns again. Maxi stared at the girl in disbelief.

“W-What does attending the banquet have to do with… feminine wiles?”

“Think about it, Max! Throughout the campaign, your husband has only ever seen you sad or angry, wearing that drab mage robe. How could anyone reclaim a man’s heart looking like that?”

Sidina brought her finger close to Maxi’s face, who recoiled like a turtle retreating into its shell.

“We will need a different approach,” said Sidina, finger moving from side to side like a hypnotist. “Something special.”

Half-convinced by her friend’s zealous speech, Maxi swallowed her pride and said quietly, “W-What… would you have me do?”

As if she had been waiting for Maxi to ask, Sidina grabbed a gown from the pile and dangled it in front of her. “You need to doll yourself up and enter that room as the belle of the ball. And let’s not forget the charming man on your arm to drive Sir Riftan mad with jealousy!”

Maxi looked back and forth between Sidina’s expectant face and the dress she held up. “Would that not damage our relationship even further? We actually… h-had a rather heated row about me spending time with other men.”

“All the more reason to do it, then! Don’t you want Sir Riftan to lose his composure so that he will reveal his true feelings? Being as jealous as he is, I’m certain this plan will work.”

Sidina’s confidence managed to sway Maxi.

“A-All right,” Maxi said, taking the gown. “I shall attend the banquet.”

“Good. Now, no time to dally. We must find the perfect dress.”

Maxi walked behind the partition in the corner of the room and threw off her Mage Tower-issued dull gray robe and woolen tunic. One by one, she tried on the gowns Sidina offered to her. They all felt indecently tight, while the sleeves and hems trailed much too long.

Did the king’s attendant think all women were blessed with long, slender limbs? She looked down with mortification at her chest, which threatened to spill out of the tight bodice. She felt like an overstuffed sausage.

When she came out wearing the sixth option, Anette scratched her cheek, muttering, “They’re all a little small, aren’t they?”

Maxi flushed in embarrassment. Though every gown so far had felt tight, this particular one was especially so. Her breasts were on the verge of popping out of the low, square neckline, and the skirt hugged her backside.

Nervously lifting the hem, Maxi said despondently, “I-I don’t think I can go. None of them fit right. Perhaps another ti-“

Sidina, who had been openly gaping at her, exclaimed, “What are you saying? They suit you impeccably! This is the latest fashion, you know. I’ve seen countless women in more revealing outfits than this at the banquets.”

Maxi eyed the girl dubiously. “Y-You expect me to believe… th-that women are attending the banquets hosted by the basilica dressed like this?”

“It is the Council hosting the victory banquets, not the basilica. That is why they are being held in Roem’s old palace, far removed from the main building,” Sidina explained, her tone coaxing. “And, honestly, I don’t see anything wrong with this one. You look divine.”

As Maxi stared critically at her reflection, Sidina’s praise seemed to sink in. Suddenly, her appearance did not seem so appalling. Though the gown’s plunging neckline was rather immodest, Maxi had seen women in far more revealing attire.

After carefully inspecting herself in the mirror, she turned to face Anette. “What do you think? Do I… truly look presentable in this?”

“Well… it’s not terrible,” Anette muttered tactfully.

Sidina swiftly silenced her disapproval. “Not terrible?! Are you both blind?!”

Seizing a comb, she began sweeping it through Maxi’s hair, transforming her with practiced hands. Maxi watched in the mirror as she slowly morphed into a complete stranger.

Draped in a form-fitting gown of pearly silk, her luscious curls cascading down her back, she felt utterly unlike herself. While she had dressed up on previous occasions, she had never worn such a provocative ensemble. It made her distinctly uncomfortable. Nervously, she reached up to touch her exposed neck before turning to Sidina.

“Wh-Who will be my escort?”

“What about that knight? Ulyseon, was it?” Anette replied tepidly. “Is he not your most devoted admirer? I’m sure he’d happily wag his tail if you propose the idea.”

“He won’t do,” Sidina objected before Maxi could say anything, firmly shaking her head. “Ulyseon is more devoted to Sir Riftan than to Max. He would never intentionally provoke his superior’s jealousy.”

“I don’t know about that,” Anette said doubtfully. “He’s so dense about these things that he might do so without even realizing it.”

“U-Ulyseon would never behave inappropriately,” Maxi argued, grimacing. “And I have no intention of causing discord among the members of the order.”

“Well, that rules out all the Remdragon Knights, then,” Sidina noted cheerfully.

Maxi’s face darkened. Excluding the Remdragon Knights left them with no other viable options.

Should I consider one of the mages?

She hesitated, thinking of the Mage Tower’s male members - either pitifully scrawny or pot-bellied individuals. A sense of hopelessness washed over her, and she was beginning to grow despondent when Sidina made a most outrageous suggestion.

“What about Sir Kuahel? He’s the only person who can rival Sir Riftan in both looks and skill.”

“D-Don’t be absurd! Sir Kuahel is a clergyman!” Maxi exclaimed.

Sidina retorted, unfazed, “Plenty of clerics have secret lovers. There are even rumors that the current pope is the illegitimate child of his predecessor.”

Maxi was shocked by Sidina’s ability to utter such scandalous statements without flinching. It was difficult for her to fathom the extent of such immorality.

“S-Sir Kuahel is still out of the question!” Maxi insisted. “And besides, he would hold me in contempt if I were to ask him. He would never agree!”

“You have a point there,” Sidina conceded, pursing her lips in disappointment.

Maxi was already regretting agreeing to this plan.

“Then, we have but one choice.”

“Wh-Who would that be?”

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

Draping a cloak over Maxi’s shoulders, Sidina dragged her from the room. Maxi cast a pleading glance back at Anette, but her friend simply wished her luck before firmly shutting the door.

They marched forward, with Maxi feeling as though she were being swept away by a formidable tide. Sidina led them through the expansive garden, finally stopping in front of the lavish residence currently occupied by the Western nobles.

Maxi groaned as she looked up at the manor’s lantern-lit entrance. “Sidina, you can’t possibly be considering asking Sir-“

“Good evening, Lady Calypse.”

The familiar voice sounded from above. Maxi’s heart sank as she looked up. Sejuleu Aren descended the stairs, clad in a luxurious fur coat over a crimson doublet. After signaling his subordinates to continue ahead, he strode over to Maxi.

“May I inquire as to your purpose here, my lady? If you’re looking for Sir Riftan, he is staying-“

The knight abruptly halted. Maxi looked up at him, puzzled. His composure soon returned, accompanied by his customary gentle smile.

“You are always lovely, but tonight you are simply breathtaking.”

Maxi found herself slightly reassured by the knight’s flattery. She offered him a shy smile. “Th-Thank you, Sir Sejuleu. Y-You look… quite dashing tonight as well.”

“I am truly honored. I shall reward my tailor handsomely upon my return.”

Grinning, Sejuleu proudly shifted his velvet doublet. While his playfulness momentarily brought a smile to Maxi’s face, it quickly transformed into worry when she noticed that his gaze was fixed over her shoulder instead of on her. Was it her attire that had captured his attention?

In response to Maxi’s glare, Sidina stepped closer to the knight and exclaimed loudly, “Your tailor must be a man of extraordinary talent! You are always a sight to behold, sir, but today you have truly outdone yourself. Are you perhaps on your way to the banquet?”

“Indeed, I am. Off to enjoy a splendid night,” the knight replied, taking a step back.

Pretending not to notice, Sidina feigned delight. “Oh, what a wonderful coincidence! We were actually in search of a gallant gentleman to escort my friend here to the banquet.”

She nudged Maxi, whose shoulders were hunched in humiliation. 2 “It pains me to admit,” Sidina continued, “but Max must attend alone tonight since the other mages, myself included, are obliged to see to an urgent matter. Do you not think it a shame for a young woman to appear at such an event unaccompanied?”

By this point, Maxi’s face was bright red. They were practically begging a man who was not her husband to serve as her escort, a situation made all the more humiliating by the fact that he seemed visibly reluctant.

Maxi’s eyes were fixed on the hem of her dress when she heard a laugh followed by a sigh.

“You propose a dangerous quest.”

The burning in Maxi’s cheeks spread to the tips of her ears. Her reasons for the request had not escaped his notice. Thoroughly disgraced now, she abandoned what was left of her shame and lifted her gaze to meet his, her eyes shining.

“I-I implore you to be my escort, just this once. I would be eternally grateful if you do.”

After silently regarding the desperation on her face, Sejuleu looked up at the distant sky and breathed a sigh. His next words seeped from him almost like a groan.

“This cannot be some sort of prank, or…”

His discomfort was evident. Maxi’s shoulders slumped further as she braced herself for rejection.

When Sejuleu spoke again, his voice was light with its usual cheerfulness.

“Very well. Braving danger for a beautiful lady is, after all, the highest honor a knight can undertake.” He offered her his hand. “Shall we, my lady? I shall do my utmost to be the perfect escort this evening.”

Relief washed over Maxi as she placed her hand in his.