The Villainous Lord's Obsession

5.

"Crazy b***h," I heard Karden grumble as we walked towards his tent. "Characters from a book? She must really be insane?"

I pretended as though I didn't hear him. I'd have acted the same way if someone tried to tell me I am merely a character from another book.

The tent turned out to be simple and terribly furnished. I shouldn't be complaining, however, I needed something to occupy my mind with, and sweeping my gaze around the tent while playing with the thoughts of how to get out of this mess seemed to be my best option.

There was a single camp mattress made from clothes and shawls, placed at the right end of the room. Then a chair, which I had no slight idea of where it came from and rugged somewhat like a rug on the floor.

Kinda decent for the situation we all found ourselves in.

"Is there anything you need, Captain?" Theo asked.

"Get the lady some clothes. Even if it's yours," Karden commanded without turning to look at Theo. "And bring in the food as well."

"Of course, Cap. But my clothes would be..." He eyed me carefully, possibly accessing my height and all before he continued, "... Too big for her small frame..."

"I'm not small, you s**t face!" I snapped, refusing to meet the glare I know Karden was sending at me. 

"What are you then? A hulk? Or a woman with the right curves at every end? You look like a stick you know, no curves nor edges anywhere." Karden taunted, taking slow steps towards where I stood beside Theo.

I returned my gaze to my body. Quite alright, I had no figure. I was plain, as plain as anything plain can be. Flat t**s, and an even flatter bum as well. Nothing to show off.

Plus, I was 5ft 4in (163). Being beside Theo made me look so small, but when I looked over Karden, I figured I'll look even worse. I'll probably look like a bottle standing beside a pole.

Okay, that is a little bit exaggerated, but that is how I'd definitely look beside him. However, instead of showing him how much his words hurt me, I straightened up even more, as though that would add me more height, tipped up my chin, crossed my hands against my chest, and said.

"And who gave you the rights to look at me that way? Is there a rule in this part of the world that stated a woman needs to have curves?" I covered the remaining distance between us and poked at his chest. "Tell me, Karden, are you a  p.ervert?"

"I suppose you could say..." Then his face suddenly scrunched up, while his jaw hardened. Underneath my long dark lashes, which was one of the attributes on my face that I like so much, I could see the blaze in his eyes as he stared down at me.

I think I might have let my mouth run too much for my liking.

"Did you just call me a p.ervert?" He snarled, yanking my hair so hard in his hand, making me wince a bit at the intensity. "Did you!" He yelled, yanking at my hair even harder.

"Cap..." Theo called. But Karden simply glared at him and waved his hand.

Theo left a few seconds later, while the pain from the hair yanking intensified.

"Listen," he lessened the hold just a bit, bent his head, and brought it directly to mine, his hot breath fanning my face. Not to exaggerate, but it was hot enough to perhaps, warm some cold water?

Okay, definitely exaggerating.

"This is the what, second? Third? Fourth time since you had pushed me to my limits. I had warned you, told you not to push me to my limits, but it seems you're not blessed with sounding ears. However, I want you to know something. I am everything. A blood-sucking, most terrible man out there who cares about nothing but power. And killing as well," a cold chill ran down my spine as he said those words. "Killing is my favorite hobby, and if you know me as much as you claimed you did, then you must've known that already."

I swallowed, tapping my right hand on his that was holding my hair, his other hand was on my jaw, painfully squeezed. My eyes were beginning to water, but I'll be damned if I let them fall in front of him.

"However, women and what they look like has never been an interest of mine. If killing a woman is not part of what I'll do, I won't spare her two glances. And you dare call me a p*****t?"

"Would you rather I call you a tyrant?" I managed to spill the words through my mouth.

"A proud one at that. But never a pervert." He breathed, then let go of my hair unexpectedly. The impact made me land on my butt painfully. I winced again, closing my eyes as the pain ran through my whole better.

'I'm gonna make you pay, you p*****t,' the thought ran through my mind. But it was true, Karden had never been described as one who jumps from one skirt to another, not that he doesn't have women that like him, or that he never sleeps with them. No, he does. But they were never his priority. You want to see sheer joy on Karden's face? Then find him amid war, as he uses his 'Sword of fury' as he calls it, to s***h through the bodies of innocent people and burn down their houses.

Heck, when he wants more fun, Karden can go to an extent of burning a house with its occupants locked in it.

He was that brutal. Merciless. 

"Cap," Theo called from outside, as though asking for permission to step in.

"Come in," Karden replied, walking towards the camp mattress.

Theo stepped in, holding two plates in his hand and some clothes tucked under his arm. He placed a plate before me, and the other in front of Karden. Then threw the clothes tucked under his arm to me as well.

"That was the only thing I could find that would probably fit your frame." Then he turned his attention back to Karden and bowed a bit.

"Do you need anything more, Cap?"

"No. Just make sure we have enough woods to last us through the night," Karden murmured, covering his face with his hand. "And get me some of the berries from this afternoon."

"Of course, Cap."

I simply sat still without moving until after Theo had left, then I turned my scantling gaze towards Karden and hissed. "This should be the last time you handle me as though I am one of your prisoners of war. I will not take it lightly to being mistreated!"

However, it was as though I was speaking to a statue. His gaze was pinned only on the plate before me before he sighed and stood up.

I quickly averted my gaze as soon as I saw him pull off his blood-stained tunic. It was not like that was the first time I was seeing him bare, but I do not wish to look at him in that state once more. Seeing his ripped muscles and the way they flex underneath his flesh was something I'd like to avoid.

It wasn't like it was the first time I had seen a man naked or half-naked, no. But it was the first time that I saw something in a man that actually got my interest. I avoided dating, because of my quiet life, it was better that way.

I mostly bury my nose in my academic books, or books where I can have wild crazy fantasies about the male leads.

Once, three years ago, which was the last time I had dated, I tried doing it with someone. But then, I was obsessed with a character from a book I read, Eragon. A mystical dragon. It became too much that I began comparing his built with the men in my life, particularly the one I was partially dating as of then.

On the night I took the courage to let him have his way with me, I couldn't. We just had to stop midway after he had ripped his clothes off and had just taken my blouse off as well. 

But as crazy as I was, I thought that that wasn't the way Eragon did it with Ari the first time they tried. He was gentle. Loving. Caring, and above all, understanding. Bruce was nothing of such. So, I ended up shoving him away and pulling my blouse back on. But he wasn't going to have it that way, so, when he tried to forcefully have his way with me, I kneed him in his groin and ran off.

That was the last time I heard from him. And the last time I dated anyone.

"Can you even hear me?" I heard the snap of fingers a little bit farther than me. It was then I realized that I had drifted away into my thoughts. And the man I was avoiding seeing naked, now stood in his full glory, with only his breeches on, while his chest remained bare.

Great.

"Huh?" I blinked, staring at him. "What do you want?"

He simply stared at me for a while before he turned his back to me, tightening the knot I made around his wound. The white cloth was already stained and would need another washing and dressing. But I was in no mood to help him anymore.

"Eat," he simply said, his attention still focused on the wound.

My attention shifted back to the plate, and I realized it was a wooden plate. Perhaps, they often carry it around whenever they travel. At least, that was what Tristram normally does.

The aroma of the roasted meat suddenly hit me now that I was staring at it, and I felt my stomach growl. Without wasting any time, I grabbed at one piece and threw it into my mouth.

The meat tasted weird, perhaps because I was never really a fan of meat. But because I was hungry, I ate the whole plate in a few without even noticing.

"A lady never eats that way." He commented, turning to face me now.

"Can you please just let me be?"

"Would you like that if I do? I thought you like talking too much?" He teased.

Oh, if only you knew, I thought miserably. I can spend a whole day without saying as many as five words. I had only Bunny to talk to on most occasions, and my books as well.

But I didn't get an opportunity to respond when Theo walked back in, with a plate of berries, some apples, and green grapes as well.

He tossed one of the apples at me before dropping a new set of white clothes on the mattress.

"In case you need to change the one already soaked in blood, Cap."

"Thank you, Theo. Have a goodnight's rest. We ride as early as possible because I need to arrive in Balwynward early."

"Yes, Captain."

"And do you plan to take me along as well?" I asked, chewing on the juicy apple and savoring its sourness.

"I need to find out who you are first," he shoved his plate towards me and ate his fruits. "You can have mine. Seems like you eat a lot for a small figure like yours."

I didn't bother replying, instead, I ate the meat from his plate as well, noticed a jar of water beside him, and took a quick gulp before he could stop me.

I was finally back to my senses. Food and books are my forever companions.

Soon enough, he was done with his, and I watched as he stood up, stretched his body a bit, and turned back.

In that period, I had realized that not even creating a fake identity would help me here. So, I stood up, dusted my flimsy dress as the clothes Theo had given me fall to my feet.

"Truth is, I do not really know who I am or where I came from. I just woke up and found myself in the cav..." I fake coughed, seeing that I almost made things a lot more complicated than they were in the first place. "...in the forest and wandered around until I found you injured in the cave." 

I blinked once, then twice. Trying to think through what I had just spewed out. Will he believe me? Does it make enough sense for him to believe me and let go of this? And me as well, so I can find a way around this mess and get back home once and for all.

"You are trying to tell me," he pulled a new clean tunic from the small camp mattress where Theodore had placed it after we had stepped into the tent over his hair. "That you have no memories of your past, nor how you got here?" He began buttoning up the three buttons on the tunic, his eyes never leaving mine.

"That is true, Captain." I nodded, batting my eyes non-stop and hoping the trick works.

But then, he laughed. Just like he did back there and all the hopes I had for him trusting me vanished.

"And you truly expect me to believe that?" He raised his perfectly dark brows. The fire burning from the woods in the middle of the tent helped create a big shadow of him from behind. He looked even more menacing than he did a while ago outside. 

"Didn't you ask who I was?"

"And saying you have no memories of your past makes you think I'll believe you?" He was back to standing before me. "Tsk, if that is the case, how did you know I was afraid of cockroaches, not that I am, of course."

Shit! I had forgotten about that aspect. I had allowed my little mouth to run wild and now, I've complicated things even more.

Not like I can't get out of the mess though.

"I didn't. I simply said it because I was confused. F.uck! I do not even know what I'm saying." I fake groaned, placing my hand on my head.

"Hmmn," he sighed thoughtfully. "I suppose you hit your head somewhere?" He shrugged. "Was that where the nonsense of us being characters from a book came from?"

"I suppose." He thinks I am crazy because I said that, and maybe, just maybe, that might help me make him think I really did lose my memory.

"You have a weird way of speaking, which shows you aren't from around here. However, that is the least of my concern. How did you know I was trying to please my father?" His voice was clipped. Hard. And angry.

I gulped, sweeping my gaze around while twirling with the right words to use and get out of this mess.

"I... I...umm... Heard some people talking about it when..."

"Don't you dare lie to me!" He snarled, making me take a step back.

"Look, Karden," I dropped the pretense and kept my gaze on him. "As I said, I had no idea where I came from or how I got here. I also do not have an idea of how I got to know all those things about you. But I know one thing for sure, I do not wish to be here. And I'll appreciate it if you'd stop treating me like a  prisoner and let me go."

"Go where exactly when you can't even remember anything about you?" He taunted, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Here's what we are going to do because I still do not trust you. Not even a bit. And nothing about what you have just told me sounds true to me, but I'll take it as you were being truthful." Then for the second time that day, he tucked another lock of brown hair behind my ear and smiled.

"Let's make a small deal, Young Lady."

"A deal?" I crinkled my brows, not liking where this was going one bit.

"A deal. I keep you safe until you remember where you came from and how you got here, and you, on the other hand, cook and take care of my men."

"You mean, you're going to make me a servant?" I snapped, tapping my feet angrily.

"Isn't that a fair deal?" He raised one of his brows and shrugged.

"I'll be damned if I become a servant to a brutal murderer like you!" I yelled, glaring at him so hard that I thought my eyes would pop out.

"Would you rather warm my bed since you called me a p*****t just a while ago?"

My eyes widened at his words. But he doesn't seem to care. "Okay, let's do this. You choose from these three. One," He folded his index finger. "You serve me and my men. Two," folded his middle finger, "you become my bed warmer. And three..."

I didn't let him finish what he was saying, because I kneed him in his crotch, just like I did with Bruce three years ago.

However, unlike Bruce, Karden didn't even flinch, instead, he grabbed my arm tightly and groaned.

"You are going to regret doing that!"

Shit.