Capítulo 118: Apologize
"You're a man full of surprises, aren't you, Rafael?" Maxis leaned forward, eyes glinting with curiosity.
"What do you want?" Despite their assurances of safety, Rafael remained on edge, cautious.
Maxis chuckled softly. "Do you remember what happened to you?"
Rafael stayed silent, unwilling to engage. Yet Maxis pressed on. "I'm sure you do. In fact, everyone in this city knows about you."
Rafael's brows furrowed, but Maxis seemed pleased by the reaction.
"Oh, yes," Maxis continued with a smile, "there's not a single soul inside these walls that doesn't know about the highly dangerous devil follower on the loose."
Here we go again. Rafael rolled his eyes, Criminal, traitor, heretic—it's the same old script.
"I must admit," Maxis confessed, "at first, I didn't believe half of what they said about you. But when my right hand confirmed it, I almost fell over."
He grinned, eyes sparkling with morbid fascination. "Six! Not three or four, but six soldiers, all defeated by one man. You even killed one with just a single punch..."
"What?!" A chill ran down Rafael's spine, his stomach dropping. Another life taken—again. He didn't want to believe it.
"You're lying," Rafael said, though deep down, doubt gnawed at him. He recalled the desperation in his escape, every punch and kick delivered with all his might.
"You can deny it, but it's the truth," Maxis said, unbothered. "The church even made an announcement. They said you killed one man and critically injured three others. Now, because of that, and because they believe you're a demon sent by a fallen angel to spread chaos, both the church and Count Edwin have put a bounty on your head."
The sudden sound of a door creaking open made Rafael jump, instantly on guard.
"Relax," Maxis said calmly. "It's just the servants clearing the table."
Two young women entered, silently collecting the dishes before leaving. Even after they were gone, Rafael remained tense, eyes darting toward every movement in the room.
"So, what do you want?" Rafael asked again, his voice edged with frustration. "If you wanted the bounty, you wouldn't wait for me to wake up."
Maxis smiled knowingly. "You're sharp. Like I said before, I'm not your enemy. And as you can see," he gestured to the opulent surroundings, "I don't need the money."
Rafael exchanged a glance with Ella. She gave him a small nod of reassurance, though her own expression remained guarded. Slowly, Rafael sat back down, though his body stayed rigid, like a coiled spring ready to snap.
"Is he telling the truth?" Rafael whispered to Ella.
"Yes," she confirmed. "I met Sir Maxis yesterday afternoon. He explained everything."
"You're a lucky man, Mr. Rafael," Maxis interjected with a smile. "Such a charming and bright lady as your wife."
"Cut the crap," Rafael snapped. "What do you want?"
Maxis leaned forward, studying Rafael intently. "I'm interested in you."
Rafael raised an eyebrow, unsure of where this was going.
"The first time you caught my attention," Maxis continued, "was when you somehow managed to secure a private room for yourself. That's uncommon, believe me. Then, you started asking for different types of rocks and powders. I didn't understand what you were doing, but curiosity got the better of me. And then you made that small object that always points north."
"A compass?" Rafael muttered under his breath.
"Exactly!" Maxis said, his eyes lighting up. "And later, something that could float, too! When I heard about that, I almost rushed over to see it myself, but by then, you'd been arrested."
"So, you want my inventions. Is that it?" Rafael asked, crossing his arms.
"Yes, but it's more than that." Maxis's tone shifted, becoming serious. "Tell me, what's more valuable—the sword or the blacksmith who made it?"
"The blacksmith," Rafael answered, seeing where this was headed.
"Precisely!" Maxis grinned. "I'm not just interested in your inventions. I'm interested in you. I propose a partnership. I'll protect you, and in return, you'll continue creating these remarkable tools. I'll pay you for your ideas, but once I do, the invention is mine. You won't be able to share it or recreate it elsewhere."
He paused before adding, "For example, I'm willing to pay two gold coins for that compass of yours. What do you say?"
Rafael hesitated, weighing the offer. "So, if I agree, I have to forget I ever made the compass?"
"Not forget, no," Maxis corrected. "Who knows? Maybe in the future, you'll create something even better based on that knowledge. But yes, you won't be able to sell it again."
He's buying the rights to it, Rafael thought, not just the object, but the whole concept.
"Ella," Rafael asked, "what do you think? Is two gold coins enough?"
Ella considered the question, then replied, "The expenses for our manor back in Calistoga were about that much for two months. I don't know how valuable the compass is, though."
Rafael pondered for a moment. "Can I talk to my wife alone?"
"Of course," Maxis gestured, and a servant appeared to lead them to a side room. Once alone, Rafael turned to Ella. "You met him yesterday. How? Is he someone you knew before?"
"No," Ella explained. "My mother introduced him to me through Prince Threo. She sent me to deliver a letter personally."
"A letter? What was it about?"
"I don't know," Ella admitted. "But after he read it, he became much friendlier."
What could Avice have written? Rafael wondered. It must have been something important for her to send Ella herself.
"Ella, how much is a gold coin worth?"
"Why are you asking?" She looked confused.
"Just answer, please."
"One gold coin is worth ten coins," she said simply.
Ten silver coins... that's a thousand coppers. Decent money, but should I sell him the compass? Rafael thought. If I refuse, what happens then?
His thoughts were interrupted by Ella's soft smile. "You're lucky, Rafael," she said.
"Why the smile?" Rafael asked, surprised.
"I'm just happy to see you again, knowing you're safe. I won't leave your side anymore," she said, her voice full of emotion.
Rafael smiled warmly, pulling her into a hug. "Let's head to the capital. We'll ask Sir Maxis for help."
I hope we can trust him, Rafael thought.
They returned to the dining hall, where Maxis was waiting.
"So, what do you say?" Maxis asked, leaning back in his chair.
"I won't sell the compass, but I'll trade you something else," Rafael said. "If you help me and Ella get to the capital safely, I'll tell you how to make paper and a machine that can print books."
Maxis's eyes widened with interest, but he tried to keep his tone casual. "Are you sure you don't want to sell the compass? What if I raise the offer to three gold coins?"
"I'm not interested in more money," Rafael replied.
Maxis sighed. "I'm afraid I can't help you reach the capital right now."
"Why?" Ella asked, frowning.
"The entire city is after you. Smuggling you out unnoticed is nearly impossible," Maxis explained. "Keeping you hidden here is already a challenge."
Damn it, we're trapped, Rafael thought.
Maxis gave him a stern look. "I'm going against the church and the Count by sheltering you. You should understand the risk I'm taking."
Rafael clenched his fists but eventually sighed. "Fine. I'll sell the compass. But you know the church has the first one I made, right?"
"Yes," Maxis acknowledged. "But that doesn't diminish its value. I'll have some ink and paper sent to your room for the instructions. Oh, and I believe these belong to you."
Maxis placed a pouch, a small copper ruler, and a copper protractor on the table.
Rafael blinked in surprise. "These? They're exactly what they look like—a ruler and a protractor. I designed them with precision and efficiency in mind."
Maxis seemed intrigued. "Interesting. I'll think more on this. But for now, we're on the same page."
As he stood to leave, Maxis added with a serious look, "One more thing—I expect you to apologize to my servant."
Rafael froze, realizing what Maxis meant. The girl he had attacked earlier entered, her neck still red and her gaze fixed on the floor.
What have I done? Guilt washed over Rafael as he approached her. "I'm truly sorry for what I did. I wasn't thinking clearly."
Seeing him approach, she stepped back in fear. The girl nodded to him, though she couldn't meet his eyes, before quietly leaving the room, clearly holding tears from falling.
"I didn't like what you did," Maxis warned, "but I'll let it go this time. Just don't forget to respect my staff."
"Understood," Rafael muttered, feeling the weight of his actions.
Maxis gave one last nod. "I'll leave you both to rest now. Remember to stay indoors. If you need anything, my servants will assist you."
"Wait, I have one last question. When my imprisonment happened? Was it yesterday?"
"Two days ago."
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