Most fairytales end with a wedding and a happily-ever-after--but this is no fairytale. The updated and official translation of The gorgeous first edition hardcover of The day that Lady Maximilian has been dreading is here: After an arduous journey to Livadon, she must stay behind at a monastery while her husband, the renowned Sir Riftan, rides off to war with the Remdragon Knights. Consumed by worry for their loved ones, Maxi and the other noblewomen in the monastery keep themselves busy by tending to villagers in need at the local shelter. But Maxi’s patience quickly runs thin as she fears the worst. Desperate to see Riftan, she escapes the monastery and makes her way to the battlefield. Little does she know that the horrors of war and swarms of terrifying monsters are not the only dangers awaiting her. As she confronts her painful past, the tumultuous present, and an uncertain future, Maxi faces the greatest obstacles of her life--and the gravest threats to her relationship with Riftan thus far. This volume collects chapters 134–193 of the original webnovel by Suji Kim.

Autorentext

Suji Kim is the New York Times bestselling author of Under the Oak Tree. Her novel won the Romance Webnovel Award from South Korean ebook platform RIDI, and its webcomic adaptation has earned global acclaim. Suji Kim’s other published works include Twilight Poem and There Is a Mouse in My House.

Klappentext

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Most fairytales end with a wedding and a happily-ever-after—but this is no fairytale. The updated and official translation of Under the Oak Tree, the #1 webnovel on MANTA, continues in this third volume.

The gorgeous first edition hardcover of Under the Oak Tree: Volume 3 (The Novel) will feature designed sprayed page edges, full-color patterned endpapers, foil stamping on the cover, and a ribbon bookmark!

The day that Lady Maximilian has been dreading is here: After an arduous journey to Livadon, she must stay behind at a monastery while her husband, the renowned Sir Riftan, rides off to war with the Remdragon Knights. Consumed by worry for their loved ones, Maxi and the other noblewomen in the monastery keep themselves busy by tending to villagers in need at the local shelter.

But Maxi’s patience quickly runs thin as she fears the worst. Desperate to see Riftan, she escapes the monastery and makes her way to the battlefield. Little does she know that the horrors of war and swarms of terrifying monsters are not the only dangers awaiting her. As she confronts her painful past, the tumultuous present, and an uncertain future, Maxi faces the greatest obstacles of her life—and the gravest threats to her relationship with Riftan thus far.

This volume collects chapters 134–193 of the original webnovel by Suji Kim.

Zusammenfassung
Most fairytales end with a wedding and a happily-ever-after—but this is no fairytale. The updated and official translation of Under the Oak Tree, the #1 webnovel on MANTA, continues in this third volume.

The gorgeous first edition hardcover of Under the Oak Tree: Volume 3 (The Novel) will feature designed sprayed page edges, full-color patterned endpapers, foil stamping on the cover, and a ribbon bookmark!

The day that Lady Maximilian has been dreading is here: After an arduous journey to Livadon, she must stay behind at a monastery while her husband, the renowned Sir Riftan, rides off to war with the Remdragon Knights. Consumed by worry for their loved ones, Maxi and the other noblewomen in the monastery keep themselves busy by tending to villagers in need at the local shelter.

But Maxi’s patience quickly runs thin as she fears the worst. Desperate to see Riftan, she escapes the monastery and makes her way to the battlefield. Little does she know that the horrors of war and swarms of terrifying monsters are not the only dangers awaiting her. As she confronts her painful past, the tumultuous present, and an uncertain future, Maxi faces the greatest obstacles of her life—and the gravest threats to her relationship with Riftan thus far.

This volume collects chapters 134–193 of the original webnovel by Suji Kim.

Leseprobe
Chapter Twenty

Maxi awoke to the harsh cries of seabirds the next morning. She sluggishly sat up. Through the porthole, she saw birds circling over the shimmering surface of the water.

She was vacantly watching them when Riftan rose beside her and enveloped her in his arms. Maxi blushed as she felt his warm lips on her bare shoulder. She leaned into him, wishing they could stay like this forever.

He kissed her cheek and murmured in her ear, his voice still laced with sleep, “What has caught your interest so?”

“I-I was looking at the birds. We have not . . . s-seen any so far,” she said as Riftan rubbed his nose against her neck.

“Birds are only found near land. It would be rare to see them out in the middle of the ocean.” He sighed as he looked out to sea, his eyes dark. “Right on time. We must be getting close to shore. We should start preparing to disembark.”

He slowly peeled himself away, and Maxi had to employ all of her self-control to stop herself from clinging to him.

They performed their morning ablutions with fresh water brought to them by a deckhand. As usual, Riftan nimbly donned his armor without any assistance and strode out of the cabin.

After braiding her hair over her shoulder, Maxi followed him onto the deck. True to his words, the land on the horizon was gradually growing closer.

“All of you, get below deck and start rowing!”

At the first mate’s orders, the sailors rushed down the stairs and took up the oars. After they navigated the ship along the rocky coast for some time, the wide, triangular estuary where the glistening emerald water of the Chrysanth River met the western sea finally emerged.

The sailors tightened the sails and yanked at the oars to propel the ship upriver. Now in their full armor, the knights went to the stables to check on their mounts and secure their saddlebags. Ulyseon and Garrow had already taken Maxi’s belongings and tied them to Rem’s saddle for her.

Gripped by intense trepidation, Maxi gazed at the few cottages and boats visible near the riverside. In contrast with the anxiety simmering in her heart, the passing scenery was pleasantly tranquil. Waterbirds plunged into the wide river and shot up into the sky, their quarry clutched in their beaks. Large ships loaded with goods glided along the edges of the river. The number of vessels increased as they moved farther upriver, and soon a large dock lined with ships came into view.

Placing a hand on the railing, Riftan said, “That is Levan, the capital of Livadon.”

Maxi stared in amazement. Directly ahead was a large port flanked by dozens of massive ships. Evenly spaced white buildings rose like stairs behind the port.

For a kingdom situated directly beside Wedon, Livadon had an exotic air. The buildings had either square or round roofs, as if rejecting the conical ones typical of Roem architecture, and the ramparts and walls were startlingly white.

“And over there is the monastery you will be staying in,” Riftan added, pointing to a large temple situated halfway up a mountain.

Shading her eyes from the sun, Maxi looked up at the stark building surrounded by white pillars. It was visibly different from the dreary and cloistered monasteries she had known so far.

Her eyes widened. “It looks . . . m-more like an ancient t-temple than a monastery.”

Riftan nodded. “You are right. Livadon is a kingdom that has preserved most of its architecture and way of life even after the rise and fall of the Roem Empir…