QT: Against My Will (Volume 2)

4.39 - Smitten Already? - Dangerous Angels

"..." A moment of hesitance flashed across Edan's eyes as she glanced toward Ru Quan. Tian Shi had imparted two rules: never disclose her true gender and never bend to this man's will.

Yet, she found herself complying with his orders. It was difficult not to obey. What if he snapped and took it out on her? She'd wait until she was stronger than him. Pilling up the branches, she set up the fire.

As she worked on erecting the tents, the crunch of footsteps caught her attention. Her eyes widened involuntarily as she looked around and caught sight of Ru Quan. "?!?" She swiftly averted her gaze, her cheeks flushed. She had grown accustomed to the guards back at the mansion, but none bore the striking good looks of the man before her.

Clad only in his lower garments, Ru Quan crouched by the campfire, water droplets tracing a glistening path down his hair and the sculpted ridges of his abdomen. With deft hands, he grabbed a fish from a net and skewered it with a spear.

A dash of seasoning later, he set the fish over the fire to cook while watching the person before him intensely. Particularly, at the girl inside the screen.

|"Isn't she interesting? She reminds me of Mia. Usually, she's like a feisty tigress, but in our presence, she becomes a little bunny. Very cute."|

Letting the food cook, Ru Quan marched towards the hesitant Edan like a cheetah. In a mere blink, he closed the distance between them, tripping Edan and rendering her immobile.

Seizing a length of rope meant for the tent, he skillfully bound her legs and secured her arms above her head. "Very cute indeed," he murmured, his eyes meeting hers with a blend of amusement and intensity that left her uncertain and disconcerted.

"Are you out of your mind?" Edan writhed beneath him, her eyes flashing with fury. "What do you think you're doing?"

"A lesson," Ru Quan said coolly, locking eyes with her. "You've dropped your guard."

'How could he tell?' Edan avoided his piercing gaze, feeling droplets of water on her face. She tried to come up with an idea of how to get out of this predicament, scared of being discovered, "Get off me."

Ignoring her plea, Ru Quan's breath ghosted near her ear. The aura of a born ruler radiated from him, setting off involuntary shivers down her spine, "As a leader, I can never rely on people that fear me, because there is always something they will fear more than me. What type of people can I rely on then?"

"..." Edan was too shocked to answer as she had never been this intimate with a man, "The... The ones, who gained your trust...no! The ones whose trust you gained."

|"The ones that will seek your guidance when they are afraid."|

"No, it's those who are fanatically loyal. Trust is a fragile thing; it can easily lead to betrayal," Ru Quan untied her bindings and moved away. "Dinner is served."

Resuming his place by the flickering campfire, Ru Quan's once-dominant presence seemed to retreat, followed by gloomy darkness. He had been haunted by this curse of inability to forget, anything. About Bing Shi's answer, it caught him off guard. It was how it all began, the story of a forgotten hero.

Edan looked up at the starry sky, her chest heaving up and down rapidly. Untying her legs, she stood up and grabbed her bow, "I'll find my own food."

"You're wasting your energy," he said, "Quit being a sissy and sit down."

Edan wheeled around to face him, eyes blazing—only for her stomach to betray her with a loud growl. "..." She snatched up the fish, her embarrassment temporarily forgotten, and began to eat as though it were her last meal.

Yawning, Bing Shi supported her chin with her palm, her little foot playing with her shoe in the air as she looked at her abandoned hero. He could move the masses, gather people to his side, earning their trust without any effort.

Ru Quan revealed a lot about his harem, but he skipped some aspects of his life. She didn't know much about his glory as an emperor or government official.

|"She is very smart, just give her more time."|

(Mr. Jelly): She's too naive for this.

|"You're just too experienced."|

He looked at her dazed smile with a stone-faced expression. As if he was specially trained to keep that dominant posture no matter his inner thoughts, intentionally appearing as someone superior even during his rest.

(Mr. Jelly): Smitten already?

|"Mm, very handsome. I feel like flirting with you."|

He inhaled a great amount of air, focusing on the moment. She filled up every corner of his mind, leaving no space to think about anyone else but her, making him forget just for a little bit.

(Mr. Jelly): Do you realize how much I want you?

|"No. Show me, maybe?"|

After a few moments, Bing Shi squeezed her thighs as she slid her hoodie over her red face while Ru Quan stood up hastily. Clearing his throat, he covered his mouth as he walked towards the river to cool off. His pants were much too tight for much too long. It was not like he never experienced love, so what the hell was that?!

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Later that same night...

Hasan gathered Tianshies to pass out Angel's orders.

Aine walked back into her room, where she catered to her patron, the secretary of state, "Aine apologizes for the sudden leave."

Showing a worried expression, she sat next to the man who was reading a poem she gifted him a while ago.

"What happened? Did your master do something to you?" The middle-aged man asked with worry. He was an important government official who had responsibility for the relationship between the governments of other countries.

He immediately grew to like this girl; they got along very well in an extraordinary, almost spiritual way. Sadly, buying her off Hasan was impossible. Even then, the law forbade free citizens from marrying mere slaves.

"No. Master ordered Aine to pass a piece of important information." She leaned over and whispered to his ear, "A pigeon with a message arrived. His Highness had gone missing. During this chaos, a revolt might happen."

Her eyes teared up as she hugged tightly to his sleeve, "Aine is afraid for lord's safety. The culprit could take this chance to get rid of the important figures in the kingdom."

"What did you say?!" He raised his voice, looking around in alert. They didn't concentrate too many slaves of the same origin in the same place, to limit the risk of revolt. But it didn't eliminate the risk of other countries taking advantage of the situation. "Take me to meet your master."