Cantiara - Profile

"His Holiness has agreed to see you immediately," he said, his dark eyes gazing down at Ruth. A crooked smile twisted his lips. "I must warn you, though, that he appeared greatly angered by your words. Don't expect him to tolerate your insolence as I do. You might find yourself facing the gallows for blasphemy."

Under the Oak Tree

Fantasy · Suji Kim

"Sludge, come join us for a game of dice if you're done over there."

Under the Oak Tree

Fantasy · Suji Kim

"Since all of your fortune… is with me, I-I want you to have all of mine."

Under the Oak Tree

Fantasy · Suji Kim

"The thing is… I received my compensation today from the Mage Tower for my efforts during the war."

Under the Oak Tree

Fantasy · Suji Kim

She hesitated, a blush coloring her cheeks. Riftan frowned. Though her shyness was utterly adorable, he disliked that she was keeping something from him.

Under the Oak Tree

Fantasy · Suji Kim

Riftan wrenched her hands away. "What do you think you're doing?"

Under the Oak Tree

Fantasy · Suji Kim

Though she had only said it as a diversion, a surge of anger overtook her. Dredging up the old memory, she admonished him with a glare.

Under the Oak Tree

Fantasy · Suji Kim

However, her joy at seeing him so disheveled was short-lived. Riftan slowly pulled out of her, and Maxi shuddered as lukewarm fluid trickled between her legs. Feeling embarrassed, she was about to lower the skirt bunched around her waist when he abruptly grabbed her, flipping her face down on the bed.

Under the Oak Tree

Fantasy · Suji Kim

After quietly watching her through narrowed eyes, Riftan lowered his head. "You will know it soon enough whether you want to or not," he muttered hoarsely.

Under the Oak Tree

Fantasy · Suji Kim

A rush of fear washed over her. After all her efforts to break down his defenses, now that he was on the brink of losing his self-control, she felt unsure. Could she handle the consequences of Riftan unleashing his pent-up emotions at once?

Under the Oak Tree

Fantasy · Suji Kim

"Tell me you're dressed like this for my sake," he said, his voice like velvet.

Under the Oak Tree

Fantasy · Suji Kim

"I-I merely—"

Under the Oak Tree

Fantasy · Suji Kim

He began to thrust faster. When the brimming ecstasy and frustration reached breaking point, Maxi clawed at his back. Her spine ached from the uneven cave floor, and she was practically folded over, but neither of those discomforts outweighed the searing in her lower abdomen. She began to sob, almost tantrum-like. At that moment, the swelling heat in her stomach erupted.

Under the Oak Tree

Fantasy · Suji Kim

"He was merely sharing his opinions."

Under the Oak Tree

Fantasy · Suji Kim

"What do you understand, exactly?" Riftan's patience seemed to be wearing thin. He unfolded his arms and stepped closer to Kuahel, snarling like a feral dog, "How would a monk know what it's like for a husband to watch his wife, whom he hasn't seen in three years, almost die in front of him twice?"

Under the Oak Tree

Fantasy · Suji Kim

Glumly, Riftan turned to the entrance of the grand banquet hall. The mere thought of enduring open fascination and scorn, overblown flattery, veiled hostility, and wheedling throughout the night was already making his head ache.

Under the Oak Tree

Fantasy · Suji Kim

Suppressing the defiance rearing inside her, Maxi said with feigned gentleness, "Perhaps… he was taking pity and being considerate… because my husband has been neglecting me."

Under the Oak Tree

Fantasy · Suji Kim

"That won't be necessary," she said with mock sternness. "We have the Temple Knights escorting us wherever we go… and we even had Sir Kuahel accompany us today."

Under the Oak Tree

Fantasy · Suji Kim

Maxi stiffened at his critical tone. With the enemy defeated and the city full of the coalition's knights, she had not thought her actions risky. Thinking about it now, she had to admit that leaving her guard to slip into the city may have been reckless.

Under the Oak Tree

Fantasy · Suji Kim

The days passed in suffocating tension. When the appointed date came and went without word from Riftan, the knights grew visibly anxious. The fear that something terrible had happened held Maxi in a vice grip. The monsters could have discovered them, or Miriam's fairies might have escaped during the mission. The awful possibilities had Maxi gnawing her nails and pacing anxiously in front of a tent.

Under the Oak Tree

Fantasy · Suji Kim