SOTBW - 215

Didina found it odd that the maids, despite being aware of Luna’s presence, were behaving far too quietly. As the head housekeeper, she cherished and respected all the maids, but one unfortunate truth about them was their penchant for gossip—often to an excessive degree.

Their chatter usually revolved around the big and small events happening within the Romsoa Knights. Naturally, Didina had expected them to grill her about Luna staying in the far room of the maid’s quarters. Yet, much to her surprise, they seemed to have collectively agreed to keep a secret, focusing silently on their breakfast without so much as a whisper about Luna.

The sight of the maids quietly tearing into their bread felt strangely unfamiliar. They acted as if they weren’t even aware of Luna’s presence in the end room. Didina scanned them with a puzzled expression; the atmosphere was markedly different from usual.

But she couldn’t quite put her finger on what exactly felt off. Had something happened during the night? She wondered if the maids were deliberately avoiding the topic out of fear of Maximón.

As Didina fiddled with her knife and tore into a tough piece of bread, she decided to bring it up herself.

“Ladies, about the guest staying in the room at the end of the quarters.”

At her words, the maids feigned recognition.

“That woman? I heard she’s only staying briefly, right?”

“I haven’t really thought about it since we probably won’t run into her… Is there anything we should be careful about?”

The maids tilted their heads, genuinely seeming disinterested in Luna. Caught off guard by this unexpected reaction, Didina hesitated before forcing an awkward smile.

“No, no, there’s nothing you need to worry about. She’ll only be staying there for a few days, so if you happen to see her, just don’t feel too uncomfortable. Now, finish your meals.”

The maids, seemingly unbothered by Luna, began chatting animatedly about their tasks for the day. Didina felt relieved that they weren’t spreading rumors but couldn’t shake an uneasy feeling. It was as though someone had cast a spell to make them completely indifferent to Luna’s presence.

Frowning slightly, Didina turned her gaze toward the window as dawn approached. The knights would soon return from the field. The memory of Maximón’s suspicious attitude toward Luna made her heart uneasy.

Tapping her empty teacup with a fork, Didina addressed the maids.

“The sun will rise soon. Don’t forget to light the fires in the knights’ rooms. It’s going to be another cold and busy day. It won’t be easy, but let’s all do our best today.”

After finishing their meals, the maids changed into their work clothes. Some filled buckets with firewood and headed to the knights’ quarters, while others started their day by softening and folding the stiff, frozen laundry in the washroom.

Watching the maids diligently go about their tasks, Didina prepared the commander’s office for Maximón’s arrival. She stacked small twigs in the fireplace, lit a flame, and carefully arranged thick logs on top. She fixed the iron hook to heat water in the kettle.

In the past, organizing the desk had been part of Didina’s duties, but since Maximón began handling his work at the residence, she rarely touched the documents anymore. After cleaning the frost-streaked windows, she sorted through dozens of letters addressed to the Romsoa Knights’ captain. By the time the knights returned, the once chilly office would warm up enough for frost to form on the windowpanes.

As the knights began to arrive, creating a commotion outside, Didina stood in the hallway with a bucket of ash scraped from the fireplace.

Among the large, burly knights, one figure stood out. Once Maximón entered the residence, it was Didina’s job to remove the kettle from the hearth. Confirming his entrance into the main building, she approached the stairs.

Maximón passed her and entered the commander’s office. Didina followed silently, certain he would give instructions regarding Luna.

“Is Najane with her sister?”

“No, sir. She’s alone in the residence. She spent last night having dinner and talking late into the evening with her younger sister. Both must have been exhausted, so I didn’t wake them. Miss Luna is likely still resting in the maid’s quarters.”

“And the chimney issue?”

“Yes, sir. It hasn’t been maintained for a long time… It’s my fault. I’m sorry.”

“Good. Delay the chimney repairs for now.”

“Pardon?”

“Tell Najane the repairman is busy and it’ll take at least another week.”

“And what about Miss Luna…?”

“Have her stay in the maid’s quarters until the chimney is repaired. I need to observe her actions further.”

Though Didina couldn’t understand why Maximón was suspicious of Luna, one thing was clear: Najane’s trials were far from over. Didina worried about when this unease would end but didn’t question Maximón’s orders.

As she turned to leave the commander’s office with the bucket of ash, Maximón, who had been carelessly removing his armor, suddenly spoke.

“Housekeeper.”

Didina paused at the door and turned back to face him. Maximón stood with his back to her, staring intently at the frost-covered window.

“Are you married?”

“Yes, though I lost my husband at a young age,” Didina replied.

She found it strange that Maximón was asking such personal questions—it was completely unlike him. When he hired her as the housekeeper, he had only checked her credentials and never inquired about anything else or shown curiosity about her private life.

Maximón Elgort showing interest in someone else’s affairs felt as unnatural as freesias blooming in the middle of winter. Yet, Didina vaguely sensed that his question about marriage was somehow related to Najane.

“...How did your husband propose to you?”

Didina’s suspicions were confirmed. Though Maximón tried to mask his voice and expression to appear genuinely curious, she saw through him immediately. Realizing that he intended to propose to Najane, Didina decided to play along with a touch of theatricality.

“He just gave me a ring and asked if we could live together. I think I received a beautiful bouquet of flowers too, but it was so long ago that my memory is hazy.”

“A ring?”

His short follow-up question carried an undertone of doubt—was a ring truly necessary? Though Maximón loved Najane sincerely, he remained utterly ignorant of romantic gestures that made hearts flutter. Didina hesitated for a moment, unsure how to explain this to him.

“Well, giving a ring during a proposal is practically universal. It’s a tradition rooted in men gifting their lovers gemstones that match the color of their eyes. Of course, poor commoners might simply exchange vows at the church and start their lives together without any frills. But wealthier men typically propose with expensive diamond rings.”

“So proposing without a ring…?”

“If both the bride and groom are poor, then there’s no choice. But if the man has means and still doesn’t offer a ring, well, that’s rather concerning. If it were my daughter, I’d advise her to seriously reconsider marrying someone who proposed without one.”

At Didina’s earnest response, Maximón’s expression darkened noticeably. He had completely forgotten about being rejected by Najane before; now, all he could think about was having proposed without a ring.

Watching Maximón shift uncomfortably, Didina excused herself, citing her many tasks, and left the room. Alone, Maximón stood deep in thought, absently fiddling with his pinky finger. The thickness of Najane’s ring finger was roughly the same as his little finger.

Getting a ring made wasn’t difficult—the problem lay in acquiring an emerald. While he could request one from merchants traveling between cities, it would take too long. Visiting jewelers in Noctis Fortress was another option, but they rarely dealt in large, high-quality gems.

He couldn’t craft a proper engagement ring with something as small as a fingernail-sized stone. What he wanted was a large, exquisite, and valuable green gemstone set into the ring—a gift worthy of Najane.

As he stared into the flames of the fireplace, a memory surfaced: the time he had extracted a glowing green Serith eye from his own socket.

A Serith eye—a gem far more precious and rare than any emerald, and a piece of himself that he could give to Najane.

Maximón smiled brightly, as if struck by sudden realization. The very proof of his monstrosity, which he had denied his entire life, could become the most perfect gift for Najane.

Without hesitation, he prepared to pluck out his own eye. There was no reason to hesitate. As his sharpened nails pierced around the eyeball, a sickening tearing sound echoed.

Even Maximón, who was accustomed to pain, couldn’t help but grimace momentarily. Taking a deep breath, he bowed his head briefly before ripping the eye out with brute force. Blue blood instantly soaked the floor, pouring from where the eye had been.

Though he let out a faint sigh under the unimaginable agony, he forced his fingers open, fearing he might crush the eyeball unconsciously. On his blood-soaked palm rested the dark green eye that had once been embedded in his face, cradled carefully.

Straightening his bent posture, Maximón slowly moved his hand away from his empty eye socket. Opening his remaining eye, his vision adjusted seamlessly, as if nothing had changed. His body’s regenerative abilities had accelerated even further, but he was too preoccupied thinking about crafting the ring to notice.

Gritting his teeth against the lingering throbbing sensation, Maximón opened the cabinet where holy water was stored. Pouring the sacred liquid onto his palm, his skin began to blacken and burn as if scalded by boiling water. Ignoring the excruciating pain, he washed the eyeball in the holy water.

The structure of the eye dissolved rapidly, revealing a brilliantly polished Serith eye, gleaming like a masterfully crafted gem. Its color was a flawless dark green.

Walking to the window, he held the gem up to the sunlight. It was slightly larger than a thumbnail. After inspecting it closely for imperfections, Maximón swallowed a satisfied smile.

The brain-splitting pain had long faded from his mind. Imagining Najane’s delighted face upon receiving the gem made the previous agony seem trivial. In fact, now that he’d started, Maximón even entertained the idea of extracting more eyes to create earrings, necklaces, bracelets, anklets—anything and everything to gift her.

Just picturing Najane wearing an anklet made from these dark green jewels, lying in bed sound asleep, filled him with joy. These gems were as much a part of him as his own flesh.

Why hadn’t he thought of this sooner? A ring crafted from this jewel would mean Najane would always carry a piece of him with her wherever she went.

Maximón pressed his lips gently to the gem, which shimmered brilliantly even in the shadows. It was the most beautiful thing he could offer her.

Carefully wrapping the gem in a handkerchief, Maximón didn’t hesitate before reaching for his other eye.

Cold, blue droplets of blood faintly spattered against the windowpane.