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The daughter of a duke, the stuttering Maximilian, married a knight of lowly status at her father’s coercion.

After their first night, her husband departed for an expedition without another word.

He comes back three years later, this time as a famous knight in the whole continent.

How would Maximilian face him on his return?

388 pages, ebook

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Suji Kim

31 books1,315 followers

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5 stars
1,639 (69%)
4 stars
499 (21%)
3 stars
171 (7%)
2 stars
33 (1%)
1 star
15 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews
Profile Image for ⎊Annie⎊.
232 reviews3 followers
April 14, 2022
I read this a little while ago and I cannot tell you how much it hurt my heart to read from Riftan’s perspective! Everything he went through and how small and unworthy he feels of Maxi.

He really, REALLY thinks her father was doting and spoiling with her, it only makes me want more for him to know how Maxi’s father treated her, and hell will break loose, as it fucking should!!!

I re read the webtoon after finishing his POV and many scenes hurt so much more, but damn my man yearned for his lady so much, yet he would not accept she be used as a prize or as a bargaining chip, we get to see which trap The Duke of Croix used to get them to marry as we see at the beginning of Maxi’s POV, and man IT HURT LIKE HELL.

We get to see (or rather, read) where he comes from, how he becomes the way he is, how he met Ruth, his men and how he won his fame, but I’ll be damned if it didn’t hurt to read him, a big, scary-looking, ruthless mercenary-turned-knight that never seemed to be interested in his looks, trying to look as dashing and handsome as possible in front of a mirror for one hour, for the lady he is in love with to end up believing she dislikes him. I HATE it here.

I need these books in printed form resting in my bookshelf so, so bad!
Profile Image for Iqra.
706 reviews6,189 followers
November 15, 2024
“If I were to die, I should like to return as your hair. To have no other purpose but to cascade down your back, and every time the wind blows, brush against your lips, your cheeks…”

If he doesn’t want to be reincarnated as my hair I don’t want him. If he’s not been loyal to me, not looked at or thought about anyone other than me since the age of eight I don’t want him.
Profile Image for Dashley.
966 reviews34 followers
May 22, 2024
*squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeal* This cover reminds me of The Kiss and we get to be inside Riftan's complex man brain!!!!!!

Okay now that that's done, Riftan's story is the 6th book in the series and should be read as such because it gives away vital information. The book begins with Riftan at a very young age while working and watching Maxi from afar. Under the Oak Tree is by far the most angstiest thing I have ever and will ever read and this book took it to new heights.

Riftan reminded me of The Witcher with the Bard aka Ruth always nagging at his heels. Ruth is heartwarming, annoying, and the cutest sadistic wizard I have ever come across. He latched on and demanded to be loved. Bravo Ruth, I give up.

There didn't seem to be much world-building but the character depth was masterfully done. Riftan is forward, restrained, suffocating, withdrawn, jealous, indifferent, caring, neglectful, and obsessed. He is contradictory to the point I want to pull my hair out. But his pov gave so much more depth to himself and the story that I finally began to understand the chaos.

Crazy enough, even though I knew Riftan and Max would be married, I anxiously awaited its arrival hoping it wasn't all just a dream. So in true fashion of an obsessed fan, I read until my eyes were heavy. This book was excruciating. Riftan has been through and seen so much, I just can't form words. He deserves to be happy for the rest of his days. I absolutely lived for the mere glances he gave Max. The story became very tedious but in time showed the depth of his love and I wouldn't take back one second of it.

If you're a crazy cartographer like myself there is a map in the webtoon....... why it isn't in the books is beyond me but maybe it will be fixed in time.

The ending side story of Gabel was hilarious. Herbaron has no shame in getting Maxi drunk. I was anxiously waiting for Riftan to walk in the door. He always seems to sense these things. And poor Maxi she is the cutest when inebriated spouting off all the things she loves about Riftan haha.

"Now, then!" Hebaron barked as if determined to rile his subordinate further. "Off we go to face the endearing Sir Riftan, whose hair is parted slightly on the right!"



Spoilers

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Omg is that why he licks her tears? Because the puppy is the only thing that made her smile. AND we got to find out where the jewels came from *squeal*. They even made crowns for each other. A flower crown for Riftan and an iron crown for Maxi. How fitting.


Quotes:

He shouldn’t have gone there and made himself aware of how easily she could capture his feelings with a single glance. The girl was rooted deep within his core before he had the chance to fall in love with anyone else before he was able to defend his feelings with a hard shell. And yet, he feared that his only comfort and paradise would shatter.

The slight girl was crouched over, picking something off the ground. All the bitterness in Riftan’s heart seemed to evaporate like magic at the sight of her.

Being careful not to get too close, Riftan cautiously placed the pebble on the ground, then stalked away as though he had other matters to attend to. He glanced over his shoulder a moment later and saw the girl pick up the pebble before placing it in a colorful pouch. Suppressing the smile that tugged at his lips, Riftan returned to the castle gate.

His heart twinged as he realized that she longed to be held. He felt her loneliness so acutely that he almost mistook it for his own.

His mother seemed to hesitate before pulling the blanket over his shoulder. Tears sprang in his eyes at her cautious touch. As his eyelids grew heavy, he mused that being sick once in a while was not so bad.

In his opinion, the mage was closer to a siren. Just like the monster, he was pale, sluggish, and infuriatingly noisy.

She had infiltrated the innermost corners of his heart. Knowing how easily he could fall under her spell again, he should have done everything in his power to avoid her.

If he could, he would lay a reassuring hand on her small back and tell her that a speech impediment was nothing more than a minor flaw. He would gladly hand over sacks of gold just to hear her speak.

If I were to die, I should like to return as your hair. To have no other purpose but to cascade down your back, and every time the wind blows, brush against your lips, your cheeks…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Serap.
961 reviews81 followers
June 7, 2022
Çok güzeldi...riftan i tanımış altta yatan sebepleri öğrenmiş olduk...yazarımız dram dozunu kaçırmış ama neyse...
Keşke ana seriyi de Riftan in bakış açısıyla yazsaymiş.
Profile Image for Jordan.
413 reviews15 followers
February 28, 2023
"If I were to die, I should like to return as your hair. To have no other purpose but to cascade down your back, and every time the wind blows, brush against your lips, your cheeks..."

Just crying, crying all over the place! Riftan's backstory is just so heartbreaking and tough to read, no matter how many times I do it. Ending on another quote because I like pain:

"But, if fortune was on his side, he would at least be allowed to die her husband."

😭😭😭😭😭😭
Profile Image for Mai.
849 reviews82 followers
March 9, 2022
Riftan went through so much shit in his life and yet, he bears so much love for Maxi. 🥺 and that, for years!
I hope that Riftan learns about Maxi's abuse soon in the main story and that her father dies a painful death (I'm at chapter 150-ish by the time of this review)
2 reviews
February 10, 2023
Amazing

I loved this. Poor guy. I really want these two to actually communicate and get their misunderstandings out of the way. I want more from Riften's POV.
Profile Image for Andreia.
396 reviews11 followers
June 26, 2022
Riftan has my heart. It was so good to understand his past and his personality.
To know that his life was so messed up, like Maxi, and then his only crush, the only girl who he thought about became his wife (even though the reasons behind that arranged marriage were really fucked up) was so bittersweet.
The whole story could be encapsulated in that single word, bittersweet.
Despite this my opinion towards him and the novel changed for the better as it went along. It didn’t, however, alter my opinion in regards to the beginning of the novel.
Profile Image for Zaya selevany.
36 reviews
January 10, 2025
4.5
ريفيتان كتكوت و مسكين زعلت عليه بالرواية بالبداية مطلعينه كانه شرير و ruthless بس هو مهووس بماكسي🥹🥹..لسا مو مصدقة انو انا الslow reader خلصت ٣٨٨ بيوم💀💀💀💀
Profile Image for Rebee.
Author 2 books3 followers
May 17, 2022
If you've read Under the Oak Tree and wonder why Riftan does what he does especially with regard to Maxi then this is for you.

Ever wondered how Riftan met Ruth? Then this is the book for you.

Want to know how a half-blood bastard becomes the leader of the RemDragon Knights and the best knight in all the lands? Then this is the book for you.

It is a prequal and answers questions you never even knew to ask.
Profile Image for Tatiana Silva.
431 reviews21 followers
July 22, 2022
Historias cortas que ayudan a entender más a Riftan. Las dificultades que tiene para entender ciertos compartimientos, su pasado y como todo está conectado con Max.
También como conoció a Ruth y su ascensión social debido a sus habilidades.
Profile Image for Avidian.
144 reviews
October 5, 2022
The novel gives you more insight why he sometimes react/act the way he does, especially why he is so obsessed with Maxi. I definitely recommend reading riftans pov after season 1 first, then start with season 2.

***SPOILERSS***


I mean she unconsciously kept him alive through his teens, giving him hope but also alot of heartache. Seeing how his step father didn't wanna acknowledge his existence after, makes sense why he felt do alone and also why he called Maxi his only family.
I'm kinda sad we didn't got to read how he defeated the dragon, and him meeting Maxi again through his pov.

Last bit was funny af! 🤣
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Boo ✨.
35 reviews
July 25, 2022
Esse livro mostra de forma profunda os sentimentos do Riftan com relação ao mundo, ele não se passa ao mesmo tempo que os acontecimentos narrados por Maximilian, mas nos dá um vislumbre de como ele se sentiu durante toda a sua vida.

Aqui podemos ver porque Riftan é tão avesso a "nobreza", como sua vida foi marcada por sua posição social, sua cor, suas origens e seu credo (ou a falta dele). Como ele acabou criando uma "casca" para se proteger nesse mundo e foi se fechando cada vez mais.

Sua caminhada não foi fácil e doeu ver que seu único momento de paz, era uma lembrança de uma garotinha solitária que lhe parecia tão necessitada de afeto quanto ele. Nesse ponto ele pensou "será que ela é tão solitária quanto eu?"
A partir daí seu amor por Max cresceu, inicialmente um sentimento infantil até o momento em que ela se torna sua esposa.

Consegui entender porque muitas vezes ele não notava que Max estava muito ferida, porque ele também estava. Riftan estava acostumado a pensar que as pessoas o desprezavam e isso estava tão enraizado que ele não conseguia pensar que Max poderia o ver de outra forma.

Adoraria ver mais pelo ponto de vista dele, muitos momentos desejei saber o que se passava em sua cabeça e gostaria de ver sua mudança a medida que ele deixa Max entrar e percebe porque ela age como age.

P.s.: Torço para que Riftan tenha paz, construindo um futuro com Maxi e que ele seja menos teimoso e menos possessivo com a bichinha. Mas isso fica para a segunda temporada. Hehe
Profile Image for Prenses_gul.
36 reviews
January 7, 2024
Riftan'ın hikayesi kalbimi ne kadar kırsa, sevmeyi bilmediğini iyice anlasam ya da kendisine olan aşağılık duygularını derinden hissetsem de birinci kitabı okurken de bu tarz şeyler bekliyordum zaten. O yüzden, okurken kimsenin kalbimi kendinde tutamadığı sözlere tanıklık etsek dahi bu hikayede en çok yanan, Riftan'ın tüm içten kavrulmalarına rağmen Max. Riftan öyle böyle sesini çıkarıp onu dinleyebilecek bir mecra bulabiliyor çünkü. O yüzden hala kızgınlıklarımı baki tutuyorum ona karşı.
Ayrıca özellikle Max'ın bıcır bıcır, cesur küçüklüğünü görmek beni iyice mahvetti. Ruhunun ne derece ezildiği tekrar gözler önüne serildi.
Umuyorum ki ne birbirlerini ne de kendileri yakmadan gıdıklayan bir sıcaklıkla, sağlıklı bir şekilde birbirleri sevebilecekleri günler gelecek. Yazar hanımdan beklentilerim çok büyük.
Profile Image for Salma Alzubaidi.
25 reviews
August 17, 2025
It hit me when I read this. This man had severe depression his whole life, he had absolutely no reason to live, that's why he lived so recklessly, it was either death or more gold and both did not sound like a bad idea. More gold meant becoming someone who is capable of standing in front of the girl in the ONLY sweet memory he had in his lonely life, not because he ever dreamed of having her... my boy thought she despised him as her dad, but only the idea of being richer and stronger for her was what kept him going despite his terrible depression... I was never the same after understanding him
Profile Image for Adriana Valenzuela.
10 reviews
January 16, 2024
Sin duda, si quieres leer Debajo del roble, tienes que leer la historia de Riftan. Ahora comprendo los cambios que tiene en el libro principal y, por favor, que alguien le de una manta y comida caliente al Riftan niño. Me ha dado mucha lástima, pero también he disfrutado mucho cómo se iba haciendo un nombre poco a poco y cómo conoce a los que luego serían sus inseparables caballeros. Muy recomendado leer el libro si ya has leído Debajo del roble.
Profile Image for Zeynep Dilara.
885 reviews
May 26, 2022
üstadım tarkan dan ölürüm sana şarkısı benden sana gelsin riftan reis 💋 muhtemelen senden de maxi kıza gidecektir 🤡
119 reviews1 follower
February 16, 2023
Once again, this story has captivated me. In this POV we get to see the true story behind the man that is Riftan Calypse.

We get to see the truth behind all the animosity between him and the Duke. See where he grew up and why he became the man he is. It makes me want to reread the first 5 stories(which I will do) bc it will be a new experience after this POV.

I wish we could get physical copies. And I wish the author would charge more for the ebooks. I'd gladly pay triple if it meant the story continues to get translated.
Profile Image for Stef.
8 reviews
February 17, 2023
Understanding Riftan's POV

Finally know what went through this mysterious man's head was a refresher after reading the other 5 books in the series where you only know what Maxi is thinking. I wonder if reading this side story before starting on book 1 would have given me a different experience.
Profile Image for Kris Al.
27 reviews1 follower
June 24, 2022
It heart wrenching. The author really takes her time to give riftan these little nuances that made him the not-so-perfect character. Just a main character that can be build up and grow. He really has had a hard life.
Profile Image for -ˏˋ D ˊˎ-.
2,414 reviews2 followers
October 18, 2022
“If I were to be reincarnated, I want to become your hair.
If only I could sway against your back, touch your cheeks from time to time when the wind blows, perhaps even your lips, then I would be…”
-Riftan Calypse, from Under the Oak Tree (Riftan’s POV) by Suji Kim
1 review
March 3, 2023
Another awesome read from Suji Kim...

Can't wait for more. Hopefully more quickly this time? I don't often read romances (Yick!) but for some reason this one has gotten under my skin.
Profile Image for Abi.
155 reviews
April 17, 2023
Oof, my heart hurts for Riftan. He didn't have the best life growing up. This book gave a lot of insight to the previous books and basically on why Riftan is the way he is. It was nice reading how he met Ruth and the Remdragon Knights.
Profile Image for Sarah &#x1f9f8; Rose.
205 reviews
February 17, 2025
“If I were to die, I should like to return as your hair.
To have no other purpose but to cascade down your back, and every time the wind blows, brush against your lips, your cheeks...”

Riftan Calypse there will never be a man like you
Profile Image for Ishani.
2 reviews
February 8, 2023
Obsessed with this series!

LOVE this side story and this series! I can’t wait until it’s a physical book and I’m hoping SJK decides to write more in Riftan’s pov!
Profile Image for Karim Peralta.
96 reviews
October 5, 2024
En este libro tenemos el punto de visto de Riftan Calypse desde su infancia, hasta que se caso con Maximiliam Croix.

Vemos en esta historia todas las penas que el personaje sufrió desde niño siendo demasiado pobre, trabajando desde muy pequeño para ayudar en casa, y como desde muy joven siempre tuvo un físico espectacular y una salud envidiable, enfermandose muy poco, también leemos el despreció que le tienen por ser el hijo de un padre extranjero y teniendo los rasgos de este.

La vida de Riftan esta cargada de muchos momentos que marcaron su vida y en esta historia esta narrada, cada uno de ellos, desde que no era mas que un aprendiz de herrero hasta convertirse en un Caballero Remdragon, Señor de Anatol.



------‐-----------------Spoiler Alert------‐------------------



La historia me gusto mucho en lo personal porque tengo rato siguiendo el Manwha, entonces al estar leyendo como Riftan siempre estuvo enamorado desde que era un pequeño de Maxi, me dejo el corazón llenito de amor, también fue feo leer las penurias por las que atravesó, pero también las personas y amistades que logró forjar dentro de éstas, haciendo que su vida fuera mas llevadera, pero siempre llevando a Maxi en su corazón, y como de una u otra forma, su destino era estar juntos y al final terminan casándose.

Uno creería que es porque Riftan aprovecha la oportunidad de casarse con ella por alguna razón, y no por la razón que lo hace, y solo nos queda odiar aún mas al Duque de Croix, pero perdonarlo poquito por juntar a Maxi con Riftan.

Aquí también nos damos cuenta de lo que sucede en la primera noche juntos por parte de Riftan donde para el fue una de las mejores noches, diciendo que podría morir feliz después de poder tocar a Maximilian y convertirse en su esposo, pero que sabía perfectamente que ella recordaría ese día por razones totalmente diferentes, el era consiente pero por primera vez se dio el lujo de pensar en el mismo, porque no sabía si iba a volver, eso no justifica, que fuera tan brusco con Maxi y la lastimara, pero sabemos que lleva todo el manwha queriéndola con toda su alma y cuidándola (aunque aveces no de las mejores maneras por su falta de comunicación).

Sin duda alguna para mi Riftan es un personaje que me gusta demasiado y esta historia complementa muy bien la historia principal.

Aunque escuchando pequeños rumores en la red de lo que la autora le hizo a la novela, como que la terminó de manera muy precipitada y dándole un mal final porque le estaban robando su obra y no estaba generando, y creo que fue un error por el amor que muchos le tenemos a la obra, por el tiempo que ella ya ha invertido en ella, mínimo debió darles el final que la autora pensó y el que se merecían, o quizás pueda hacer en un futuro retomar la historia desde el punto de vista de Calypse y contarnos un mejor final donde todo este acabado y concluido.
Profile Image for ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ.
81 reviews
May 15, 2024
Riftan, my poor baby. 🥺

I don’t usually bother reading male POVs written by female authors because most of the materials I’ve read in the past lacked the credibility of how male minds actually work, but I’m glad to say I didn’t feel that way with this book.

This is a prequel leading to the events in book 1, spanning almost 13 years from when Riftan first knew about Maxi. Some events felt quite rushed but it’s understandable because the author had to compress a lot of events in those 13 yrs on a single book.

I understood more about Riftan because of this and I just wish I followed the reading order based on the release dates because I’m sure I wouldn’t have been too frustrated at him with how he acted on Season 2 had I read his POV first.

I know these characters are far from being perfect and they’re flawed and frustrating most of the time but maybe those are what have drawn me to them because they’re more than just fictional characters for me. I honestly understand their insecurities on a spiritual level.
Profile Image for Krysia.
94 reviews
November 29, 2025
I had wondered why Riftan, who obviously liked Maxi, would treat her so harshly all the time in UTOT. There were times when I was almost rooting for Maxi to stand up to him, or leave, or DO something, but then Riftan would soften for her and treat her the way she should be treated. And it’s not because he had two personalities. Riftan had a tough life, his WHOLE life. He never saw a healthy relationship modeled for him, he never learned proper social interactions and social cues. He was so beaten down by life that he never believed he was worth anything. Looking back on UTOT, my heart breaks for Riftan. He feels so much hatred for himself, and guilt for how Maxi came to be his wife. He assumes that her reactions are all about him. I hope one day Maxi tells him about her childhood so that Riftan and tear the Duke apart!
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