Under The Oak Tree Manga Review
"That's not what I asked." He turned his head to look at her. Firelight played across her delicate features. "Are you happy? Being my wife? Being the lady of this ruinous land?"
Now, three months into their marriage, the autumn wind was stripping the oak of its leaves, and Riftan found himself standing at his chamber window, watching the sunset bleed across the Anatolian plains. He could hear her in the adjoining library—the soft, rhythmic thump-thump of a book being closed and opened, closed and opened. A nervous habit. She was waiting for him to come to bed.
She stared at him, her large, doe-like eyes wide. Then, slowly, tremblingly, she raised a hand. Her fingers hovered over his scarred cheek. "Y-you are n-not a brute," she breathed. "You are… you are my h-husband." Under The Oak Tree Manga
"Maxi," he said, tracing the line of her jaw. "Tell me to stop. One word, and I will sleep on the floor for the rest of my life."
He walked to the fireplace and crouched down, pretending to stoke the flames. "Maxi," he began, his voice low. "Are you… are you happy here?" "That's not what I asked
Years later, the beast had conquered a dragon, earned a title, and returned to claim his dove. Their marriage was a decree from the King, a political bandage for the volatile Anatol region. But for Riftan, it was the fever dream of a lifetime.
"R-Riftan," she said, her voice a soft, scratchy whisper. "Y-you are l-late." Being my wife
Her hands clenched the book. He saw the battle within her—the stutter that choked her words, the fear that paralyzed her tongue. She wanted to say something. He could feel it. But the words died in her throat.