The Villainous Lord's Obsession

4.

It was a wild gamble that I needed to test if it would work. After all, it still made no sense that I was inside a book I had just finished reading a night ago. So, if really this was Karden, then he must be scared of cockroaches.

Despite being the most feared soldier and the whole kingdom, he was always scared of cockroaches. And so, I threw the prey, waiting for the predator to take it in.

"So, what is it?" I asked sweetly, the triumph grin on my lips not disappearing one bit. "Are you ready to listen to me and strike a deal with me, or would you rather force me to tell your lieutenant? And perhaps, your soldiers as well." I shrugged as I pulled on the thread too hard just to ignite a reaction from him.

Yet, the brute didn't as much as bat an eye, nor flinch. Instead, he kept his cold eyes on me as I cut off the thread and inched back a little. Perhaps, he thought I had given in too much.

"Cat got your tongue?" I raised my brow, shivering at the cold gust of wind that suddenly blew. I was still wearing my flimsy sleeveless nightgown, while his blood-drenched tunic had been replaced by another his Lieutenant had given him.

His mouth turned into a hard scowl as he pushed from the tree, groaning a bit. I stood still in my position, refusing to move even an inch. I want to see where he's going to take this. What he plans to do after I had told him just one, one out of his three weaknesses.

He halted before me, or to put in precisely, hover above me with his broad shoulders and grim face. Lines appeared on his forehead as he furrowed them, still keeping his green eyes on me.

"I am going to ask you this one last time. I suggest you ponder on the answer you give to me or else, I am going to make you regret trying to play with me." He gave prominence to each word as he spoke in a whisper. 

I scrunched my face up and jabbed my index finger on his chest. "You are in no position to threaten me. The moment you try that again, I promise you I'm gonna scream and tell the soldiers here that, their so-called war hero, is scared of cockroaches."

"And who would believe such a blatant lie from a stranger?" He held my finger in a tight fist and scoffed. "You think any of those men would believe you just because you said so?"

"Would you like me to try?" I said with as much conviction as I could muster. "I could try and see if they'll believe me or not." I shrugged, trying to free my finger from his hold. It didn't work.

"Do not test my forbearance, young Lady. If you do know me as you claim you do, then you know very well that I have no regard for a life like yours. In a blink of an eye, I could easily snap your neck and leave your remains to the jungle." He paused, pulling me flush against his chest. "You should also know that one of the things I hate, is a pretty woman."

"You do not care about the life of the likes of me, except for the life of the father you desperately want to please and get approval from, isn't that right?" Another gamble. A very sensitive gamble at that.

He yanked my hair so hard that I thought he'd be ripping it off my skull at any moment and brought my face directly to his. "You are not allowed to talk about my father like that!" Then he let go of me and I staggered back.

I gulped, batting my brown eyes as I stared at him. This was Karden. And although it seemed quite impossible, I was inside a book. 

I was in Balwynward.

The talk about his father was the last means of identification I needed, and his reaction confirmed what I wanted to know.

The realization hit me square hard on the face, and in a moment, I was sitting on the hard ground. My chest heaved as I took in large gulps of breath to steady my thudding heartbeat. I stared far ahead, although my gaze was fixed only on the legs of Karden, who still stood before me while I sat on the ground.

My head was spinning with different possibilities of how I had gotten here, how it was possible for something like this to happen from the beginning. It made no sense. And I couldn't think of any reason why I should be here.

One moment I was slipping to the floor of my bathroom, and next, I wake up to find myself in a book I had just finished reading?

I clasped the pendant on my neck, remembering that I had seen Karden with it back at the cave when I woke up and found myself there. And it dawned on me that our pendants were identical. As though, they were half of each other.

But the book never mentioned Karden having a pendant. How was it possible that we both have halves of the same pendant?

The faint shuffling before me brought me back to my senses. I lifted my eyes and locked them with Karden's green orbs. Now that I look closely, taking in his beard and sideburns as well, with his sharp jaw and the little cut mark I had missed on the side of his right eye, I realized that I had let my denial of the fact that I was here cloud my senses.

Now that I had come to the realization, it fits perfectly. He was Karden. Because he looked the exact same way the author had described him.

"I see we are getting somewhere with this," he chuckled softly, tucking a lock of brown hair behind my ears. "It seems as though you've finally understood where we both stand. I suggest that you do not try to play any more games with me. Now, who in the world are you?"

I had no idea what to say because as it is, even I can't make sense of what was happening. How can I possibly start explaining the fact that I was from Washington? A place none of them even know. Or that, I was drawn into the book I had just finished reading?

Right, no one would. In fact, he'd think I was insane.

"Why are you hellbent on knowing?" I asked, turning my face away.

"You look at me when you talk to me," he turned my face towards him, a scowl on his face. The man liked to scowl a lot. "Answer my question!" He thundered.

I still had no idea what to say, so I simply stared on without saying anything.

"I asked you not to test my patience, young lady," he gritted, taking both of my hands in his.

"I promise you I'll scream about you being afraid of cockroaches if you as much as pull a strand of hair from me. Do not test my patience as well. I might be a woman, but I'm not the normal naive women you always bed. I am more than you can ever imagine. More than you can ever be."

It started as a simple stretch of his lips, then a bubble fit of laughter filled the entire forest, scaring the birds resting on the nearest trees as well.

When I shifted my gaze behind him, I saw Theodore and Castallan staring at him as though he had lost it. So were the remaining soldiers.

He shook his head, letting go of my hands and clutching his injured area as he bent a bit. It was then I noticed the pendant around his neck as well.

"You are one funny woman, Young Lady. However, that doesn't mean you're off the hook. I'll wait and see just what you have running up your sleeves, then decide if you deserve to live or die by my sword. Either way, you're my captive, and I'm going to show just how much those naive women, as you call them, like what I do to them. You aren't different from any of them."

"I am!" I snapped, and he smiled again.

It was quite unsettling seeing this side of him. The author never described him as someone who smiles or laughs a lot, no matter how amusing the situation was. He always kept a grim face. He was a master at that. So, now seeing him smile at the very little thing I say, didn't sit well with me.

"Look at me," he tipped my jaw to gaze into his eyes once more. "I am going to find out who you are soon enough. And until I do, I am going to keep my eyes on you. You ride with me, eat with me. Heck, even bathe with me. I want to see how far you are willing to take this."

I scoffed. Typical of Karden to always throw words around and act all as though he was the king when in truth, he was nothing but a soldier being used by his uncle.

"And what if I refuse? I demand that you go your way, and I go mine. After all, you wouldn't want me to expose your two other weaknesses, would you?"

"For starters, I never admitted to being scared of cockroaches, you bitch."

"Is that so?" I lifted my brows as I stared at him. "Do you want to try me?"

Instead of replying, he stood up and waved his hand towards the soldiers. Theodore came running.

"The tents are up, Captain."

"Take her into mine." He simply said, beginning to walk away.

"Wait, what?"

"I agreed to let you eat some of the meat. Plus, I suppose you need a change of dress." He eyed me carefully then resumed walking.

As he walked away, it dawned on me that, I had no identity here. I was merely a girl who found herself in a book. If that was possible, then giving myself a new identity wouldn't be too bad.

But how can I do that? I either choose one of the characters from Tristram's kingdom or choose one from Balwynward. Both options aren't exactly what would work for me.

So, I straightened up and called after him. "Karden," I made sure I appeared calm and collected. "I know you won't let this go easily. But would you believe me if I tell you this is a book I just finished reading a night ago?" I paused as he swung his head towards me, then continued. "Or, if I tell you that I am from a whole new world? And you all are fictional characters in a book?"

There was a blank look on his face and he stared at me. I didn't bother to check the look on Theodore's face because it would be the same. 

But what I was not expecting, was the loud booming sound of laughter that filled the air.

"She is a crazy one, Theo." He paused, coughing a bit before he continued. "Take her to my tent."

I figured that would be the case. This means I need to find an identity for myself soon enough.