Under The Oak Tree Manga [ 2026 Update ]

He rubbed the bridge of his nose, exhaustion pulling at his limbs. The day had been brutal. A patrol had been ambushed by monstrous orcs from the Dragon’s Grave Pass. Three men dead. He had spent the afternoon burying them, his hands blistered from the shovel. All he wanted was to collapse. But more than that, he wanted to touch her. Just a brush of his fingers against her cheek. Just to feel her warmth.

It was a chaste kiss. A wife's kiss. But it burned him down to his soul.

But "near" was a torturous distance.

Maxi was curled in the large armchair by the fire, a heavy tome on mythical flora open on her lap. She was not reading it. Her eyes were fixed on the dancing flames, her brow furrowed. She wore a simple woolen dress, a far cry from the silks of Croix Castle, but on her, it looked like a queen's regalia. When she heard his boots, she flinched—a tiny, almost imperceptible jerk—and her hands flew to smooth her hair.

Come here , he wanted to roar. Let me hold you. Let me forget the smell of blood and dirt. Let me pretend I am a man and not a monster. Under The Oak Tree Manga

"Riftan," she said, and this time, her voice did not stutter. It was a quiet, firm river. "I… I want you to t-touch me. I have always wanted it. I was just… I was just s-scared you would see how… how broken I truly am."

"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?" He rubbed the bridge of his nose, exhaustion

The first touch of her fingertips was like a spark to dry tinder. He closed his eyes, leaning into her palm. Her skin was soft, so impossibly soft. He felt the callouses on his own face, the roughness of a life of war, and for a moment, he wanted to pull away. But she didn't.