Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Oh!

I snapped back to reality.

I followed silently behind him, keeping a distance of about three paces.

Ever since I was kidnapped, I had been in a daze. The exhaustion of the journey, the hunger, the cold, and the constant state of anxiety had made my already frail body even weaker. My head spun as I walked.

My steps were unsteady, and it felt as if I were treading on cotton.

The man, however, walked with a brisk, powerful stride.

What started as a gap of a few paces soon turned into several meters as he pulled ahead of me.

The paths here were winding and narrow, and the earthen houses all looked identical.

Terrified of losing him, I ignored my exhaustion and gritted my teeth, struggling to keep up.

As it turned out, I had overestimated my stamina.

While trying to navigate an incline, my legs gave out. My foot slipped, and I tumbled down.

Tears welled in my eyes, but I didn’t have time to cry. My only thought was to get back up immediately.

I prayed fervently that he hadn’t gone too far.

I knew all too well that if I lost him, I would be left at the mercy of anyone who found me.

In this predicament, I was like someone drowning in the deep sea, and he was a wooden plank. He wasn’t a rescue ship, but he was enough to provide a temporary sense of safety in this predatory place.

I had to lean on his strength to survive.

So, without even pausing to wipe my tears, I scrambled to my feet.

However, in my panicked haste, I misstepped again. Just as my strength failed and I was about to fall once more, a pair of large, powerful hands caught me firmly.

I looked up and met his gaze.

The manners ingrained in my bones made me reflexively whisper, “Thank you.”

He didn’t answer. He withdrew his hands, though a faint, unnatural flush crept up the tips of his ears.

Afraid he would find me a nuisance, I quickly said once I found my footing, “I’m okay now. Let’s go, Big Brother.”

I gave him a sweet smile.

He glanced at me, his eyes darting away the moment our gazes met.

Then, he suddenly began to pull off his outer tunic.

My heart skipped a beat, and my scalp went numb.

Surely he wouldn’t…

Now? Out here?

Startled and terrified, I stumbled backward.

He furrowed his brows and looked at me.

He already looked intimidating enough when he wasn’t smiling; now, with his dark gaze fixed on me, my heart trembled, and I froze, not daring to move an inch.

He yanked me toward him. I was so nervous that a cold sweat broke out across my skin.

I closed my eyes, my lips trembling.

But the expected movement didn’t come.

Suddenly, I felt a weight settle on my shoulders.

I opened my eyes hesitantly, only to realize he had draped his outer tunic over me.

I let out a long breath of relief.

Having done this, he looked away, no longer acknowledging me.

His tunic was long and oversized, just right to wrap around me and cover my body, which had been exposed in nothing but my undergarments.

I clutched his clothes tightly and followed him closely.

This time, he walked a bit slower.

He was no longer in a rush; he even seemed to be intentionally slowing his pace.

Occasionally, he would stop and wait for me.

It was a fairly long walk, and he remained silent the entire time.

When we reached a certain point, he paused.

Thinking we had arrived, I looked up, only to see a shallow stream ahead of us.

Just as I was trying to figure out which stones to step on to cross, I felt my body lift. The world spun, and I was suddenly hoisted onto his shoulder.

“Ah!”

I gasped, caught completely off guard.

The man frowned slightly. Without a word of explanation, he began to wade through the stream with long strides.

My heart hammered against my ribs.

Once we crossed the stream, I expected him to put me down.

But he didn’t let go. He continued to carry me on his shoulder.

My face flushed crimson, and I stammered, “I… I can walk on my own.”

He ignored me.

Just as I resigned myself to being carried, I heard his deep, low voice.

“We’re almost there.”