Chapter 6: Bewitched

[Roux].

I have no idea how long I have screamed into the night. My throat hurts and my voice is hoarse. The last thing I remember was crying out in frustration with my futile attempts to get myself free from the binds and cursing Aenon’s name in vain.

Damn him.

The next morning I woke up with the warm sunlight striking into my face. My eyes flutter, temporarily blinded by the light. Instinctively, I went to raise my hand to shield my gaze from the unyielding gaze of the sun, but my movements were restrained.

Panic sets in momentarily as I recall everything.

Aenon.

Aenon happens.

What on earth was he thinking? Why was he so angry when I asked him to help me go back to Bleaksburn?

Letting my vision adjust to the light, I assess my situation, surveying my surroundings. As much as I would wish I am back in my own town, on my own bed, with Lotte softly snoring on my side. The harsh reality slammed so hard into me that it was only a day when my own people prosecuted me to death, and I happened to be woken up inside of this isolated cabin in the middle of nowhere with a savage man that I thought was kind enough to lend me help.

Oh Adite’s mercy, I was wrong.

I tried twisting my wrists, hoping to loosen the ties around them. But the heavy footfalls made me freeze my place as it ascended closer to the room. The drapery moves to the side and Aenon materializes from the heavy, thick fabric.

He was holding a wooden tray, with fruits and a reheated rabbit stew from last night, steaming inside the bowl.

His emerald gaze lingered on my body sprawled on the bed, making me suddenly conscious of my current situation. My skirt was extremely short from where he had it ripped, exposing the side of legs up to my upper thigh. While my bosoms threaten to spill out from my bodice with my arms being pulled up above my head.

“See something you like?” I shot out harshly, ignoring the giddy feeling of being touched with his heated gaze.

Aenon sighs loudly and sets the tray on the bed next to me. I continued to glare at him, yet he did not say anything—as usual.

“So, what now? You’re back to being mute again?”

He just ignored me and took the spoon from the bowl, blowing the steaming content. Which only made me angrier. How can he be so nonchalant about this?

“Aenon, cut the crap! We both know you can speak.” I gritted, tugging hard on the bind, in vain hope that it would come loose.

Still unbothered by my outburst, he leaned forward, gently feeding me with the stew.

Yet, I only glare at the spoon, then to him. Chin tilted high mulishly. “You can’t keep me here forever.”

His gaze sparks with a challenge, and I immediately regret those words, thinking that he might, indeed, keep me here forever.

No. He’s a lunatic if he thinks of that.

But what if he would?

Just the thought of it is unbearable.

I can’t.

I couldn’t.

“Please…” I begged, having the thought of never going to see my sister again and that she will never know that I am certainly alive, bringing a clawing through my chest. “I have a family back there. My sister…”

Aenon’s face softened. His shoulders dropped, but then his brows furrowed with obstinacy. Pushing back the spoon to my lips.

“Eat.”

My gaze narrowed at him.

Can’t he not understand?

I could feel my nose flaring with annoyance and obstinacy. “No.”

“Eat, Roux.” He coaxed, and hearing my name coming from his mount woke something inside that I could point my finger at.

Yet, I ignored those feelings and contented with him. “Make me.”

Aenon put down the spoon and stood up from where he had crouched on the floor, rubbing his forehead, as though contemplating what to do with me.

That’s it.

If he’s not going to let me go, I’m going to give him a lot of headaches, and if I'm making myself hungry, pushing him to decide that he’s better off without me. Then, I will have to starve myself to death.

Feeling a little triumphant with my scheme. I turn away my head from him, huffing grumpily as I do so.

However, my victory was transient. The next moment, the edge of the bed dipped so low, groaning at the sudden weight added on the cotton mattress. Confused as to what he’s into now, a hand suddenly appeared through my line of vision, grabbing my jaw, and forcibly tilting my head back to him.

I was about to protest, however a spoonful of rabbit meat was shoved into my gaping mouth. I tried to spit it out, but he had his palm clamped over my lips, refusing me to let the food waste.

I wanted to scream at him, to curse him to death. To reach his achingly beautiful face and gauge his eyes out. But I can’t. Not without choking with the food he’d forced me to chew and die first.

That leaves me no choice but to shoot him a sharp look, and if looks could kill, maggots could have been feasting him right now. Begrudgingly, I chew the rest of the meat. Seems like he had carefully chosen the boneless and tender ones, allowing me to swallow it down easily.

Just then a sudden idea takes root inside my mind when Aenon’s hand on my mouth slackens a bit.

They said, don’t bite that hand that feeds you. But in my situation, I highly deemed that it is only the necessary thing to do when he’s literally forcing the food down my throat.

Without giving it much thought, I bit his palm as hard as I could. Feeling my teeth sink into his thick flesh and threatening to break the surface layer of his skin.

However, much to my disappointment, the bite force did not elicit some pain in him that I had anticipated. Instead, Aenon only lifted one brow, giving me a quizzical look, questioning if this is the worst that I can do.

Damn him!

If he wants to know how stubborn I get to be, then I’ll be more than happy to demonstrate that to him.

He tries to tug his hand free from my mouth, but I bite down even harder to the point that even the gums on my teeth and my own jaw hurt.

Aenon shakes his head, his other hand reaching to the side of my face, his thumb pressing a little bit of pressure to ease the force on my jaw.

His demeanor is dangerously calm, and I can’t read anything on his features aside from the slight dip on his brow that is barely noticeable.

“Let go now, my little red. Before you break those pretty teeth of yours.

Just like that, like a forbidden spell cast on me by some witch, my mouth unclasped from his hand in an instant.

Somehow bewitched by the deep timbre of his voice.

Adite’s mercy! That’s a full sentence rather than his usual one or two words.

My gaze darted to where I bit him. Teeth marks dent deep on his palm and into the back of his hand. That must have caused him real pain.

But if he did feel it, Aenon doesn’t show it.

“Now, eat.”