Under The Oak Tree: Manga

And outside, the wind rustled the oak's branches, as if the old tree itself was sighing in relief.

A sob escaped her, but it was a laugh, too—a wet, beautiful sound. And then, she did something that undid him completely. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his forehead.

"I… I am," she said, but the hesitation was a knife between his ribs. "The… the castle is w-warm. The servants are k-kind." Under The Oak Tree Manga

Her lips parted in shock. A tear spilled down her cheek. "B-but you… you sleep on the f-floor."

"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." And outside, the wind rustled the oak's branches,

"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 was the moment something inside him snapped. Not with anger, but with a desperate, hollow ache. He was failing. He was so terrified of breaking her that he was starving them both. He had built a cage of courtesy around her, and she was wilting inside it. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his forehead

"Because I am afraid," he confessed, the words tearing out of him like a dragon's roar. "I am afraid that if I touch you, you will shatter. I am afraid that the desire I feel will terrify you. I am a brute, Maxi. I have killed more things than I can count. And you… you are sunlight. I would rather freeze on the floor for a thousand nights than be the reason for a single one of your tears."