“Yes, ignorant,” Odelliana affirmed, her voice unwavering. “Barging into someone else’s home like this is not only ignorant but also…”
“It’s only natural for the master to enter the doghouse,” the man interrupted brashly. “Who are you to interfere? What’s your relationship with that brat that you’re poking your nose into our business?”
Their relationship?
It wasn’t like the priestly relationship of this era with Matthias yet. They were merely acquaintances of a day. There was no need to explain her relationship with Matthias to this man, but if she had to define it…
“Didn’t you hear what the kids were saying outside?” she countered, her voice tinged with a hint of frustration.
“Are you truly the bride brought by Matthias?” the man inquired, a skeptical edge to his tone.
“Otherwise, why would I be here?” Odelliana responded, a mixture of excuse and anger lacing her words.
In truth, her explanation served partly as a shield for her interference and partly as a spur-of-the-moment retort. Yet, now that she had uttered it, a wave of embarrassment washed over her. It felt like a mistake, a sudden realization dawning that she was inadvertently blocking the bright future of a young child. Even if her conscience didn’t twinge, the notion of turning a mere sixteen-year-old boy into a makeshift groom seemed ludicrous. Thankfully, Matthias was absent.
“If you understand, cease this commotion and depart,” she demanded, her voice firm.
Her words elicited a fierce scowl from the man. In a swift motion, his large, calloused hand seized Odelliana’s collar.
“Whether or not I know your relationship with that beggar, my business with you remains unfinished. Why should I leave?” he growled, his grip tightening.
“If words fail, do you intend to resort to violence? It’s no surprise from someone raised without guidance,” Odelliana retorted, her tone steely.
“You’re correct. A lack of guidance breeds ignorance,” the man admitted, a smirk playing on his lips. “But what brings a noble lady like yourself to play the beggar bride with nothing to offer?”
Odelliana faltered. Before she could respond, the man retrieved a piece of paper from his pocket and thrust it toward her.
“Listen, clueless miss,” the man sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. “Even if you’re naive, consider your family. Flyers offering a reward for your capture are circulated throughout Anatolia. It would bring shame upon them to have a disobedient woman like you roaming free.”
With a flourish, the man thrust a flyer into Odelliana’s hands. It bore her likeness and a description of her appearance, accompanied by a generous reward for her capture.
“Haha, Matthias, you sly fox. I knew it. Disguising you as a bride to claim the reward and hiding out in a place like this?” he chuckled, a cruel glint in his eye.
“I’ve never seen such a spectacle. The reward on your head is mine. So, it would be wise for you to cooperate quietly, miss,” the man continued, his tone laced with malice.
Dumbfounded by his audacity, Odelliana burst into laughter. “Do you truly believe I would let you take me?”
The man’s expression darkened, confusion flickering in his eyes. “What?”
“If you deliver me to the lord of Anatolia, the same lord who distributed those flyers, I’ll immediately request your execution,” she declared boldly.
“Kidnapping is a capital offense, isn’t it?” Odelliana spat in the man’s face, her defiance palpable.
As the transparent saliva obscured his vision, the man’s rage boiled over. “You crazy b*tch!”
With a roar of anger, he hurled Odelliana against the wall with brutal force. She flew helplessly, crashing through the flimsy structure and landing in a heap on the dirt floor. The hut, already frail, crumbled around her.
“That’s right. If you don’t want to get rough, you should have behaved yourself more appropriately, miss. Perhaps your upbringing has left you lacking the refinement expected of someone in your position,” the man sneered, his eyes glinting with madness.
Lost in his excitement, he hovered over Odelliana as she lay on the ground, her fingers grazing the fabric of her sleeve. With a twisted smile, she began to speak.
“Listen… whether you see yourself as a savior, a captor, or whatever role you imagine, whether you understand it or not… one thing is certain,” she paused, “none of those roles belong to you.”
“There’s someone else,” she continued, his voice growing hoarse, “to play that role!”
In a swift motion, Odelliana’s arm shot up, the sharp blade concealed within her sleeve piercing the man’s wrist that gripped her hair.
