Chapter 8. I Really Wanted to Try It
I’m thirsty. My whole body felt parched and brittle. Like dried grass left on cracked earth.
Water.
Delia felt a desperate thirst, as if she were crumbling like brittle weeds. It wouldn’t have been strange if she just turned to dust and disappeared.
I want to drink water.
As Delia struggled in her thirst, something unfamiliar brushed her lips. Something moist and firm gently grazed them. Instinctively, she turned her head toward it, but it was already gone.
Not enough. A bit more.
As if her desire had been heard, something once again touched her lips. Moisture seeped in. But it was nowhere near enough. A single drop of water on cracked, drought-stricken ground—gone without a trace. The thing that had been touching her lips was disappearing again.
Desperate, Delia unconsciously opened her mouth.
“This is a bit troublesome. She’s asleep, and I can’t exactly feed her water with a cup.”
A low, amused voice whispered into her ear. Even through her dizziness, she could sense it clearly.
It was an unfamiliar voice.
“Should I just feed you directly with my mouth?”
Her eyes flew open at the mischievous remark. Her vision was blurry, probably because she’d had her eyes closed for so long. But even so, the silver hair stood out clearly.
“Oh? You’re awake? Feeling any better now?”
Her previously limp body stiffened with tension. Every nerve was on edge. That made the sensation even clearer—the fingers still touching her lips.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Her cracked voice carried an unmistakable edge of suspicion. The man slowly withdrew his fingers from her lips.
“You looked thirsty, so I helped you. What a shame. If you’d stayed asleep a bit longer, I was going to feed you mouth to mouth.”
He pulled out a pure white handkerchief and wiped the water from his fingers.
Delia furrowed her brow and tried to focus her eyes.
A stranger.
Feeling a sense of danger, she spat out sharply,
“Who are you?”
The man blinked at her sudden aggression, then tilted his head and approached the bed, leaning in close. With steely gray eyes, he stared down at her.
“You don’t remember? You were captured. By me.”
Her hazy mind suddenly cleared. All her memories came rushing back, along with the man’s ash-gray gaze. She remembered getting caught in a trap set by the Imperial Army while trying to save Jer and the other prisoners. She’d been dragged in as a captive and had her bullet wound treated in a horribly painful way.
“Ah…”
Delia let out a deep sigh as she recalled her situation. The overwhelming dizziness made her close her eyes again.
This was a dire situation.
A princess of a nation, captured by the enemy during war.
She turned her head to escape the suffocating reality, but the man caught her chin and turned her face back toward him.
“Did you lose your memory from the shock?”
He forced her eyelids open. Delia, startled by how wide her eyes had been pulled open, rolled her gaze around. The man studied her pupils relentlessly, as if determined not to miss even a flicker of blue.
“In that case, I’ll have to send you back to your homeland right away.”
He spoke as if offering a great favor.
“Don’t worry. Even if you’re an enemy prisoner, I’ll take good care of you until you recover your memory.”
Because a prisoner without memories wasn’t useful.
Aaron smiled in satisfaction at his own “reasonable” solution.
But Delia, infuriated by his smug grin, shouted hoarsely,
“I remember everything. So take your hands off me.”
She tried to push his hand away, but a sharp pain radiated from her treated wound. On top of that, her wrists were bound—she couldn’t move as she wanted.
“What the hell is this? Why am I tied up?”
The man tilted his head as he looked at her.
“Are you sure you really remember?”
Delia swallowed hard.
He was much too close. His eyes were relentless, as if trying to see straight through her.
“I said I remember.”
She shuddered as she recalled those sharp gray eyes glowing in the dark.
The man looked at her trembling form and chuckled lightly.
“Then why ask? You were captured, so of course you’re a prisoner. It’s only natural to tie up a prisoner to keep them from escaping.”
His voice was lazy, but his words were chilling.
Delia was trapped in the heart of enemy territory, a prisoner in every sense.
This wasn’t the time to be lying down.
She tried to sit up, but her body was weak from lying still so long.
“Ah, you’re not ready yet.”
The man, sensing her effort, gently supported her back.
Her face brushed against his firm chest. She wanted to push him away, but didn’t have the strength.
Could she escape like this?
Delia, barely able to sit up with his help, tried to compose herself as she looked at him.
“Explain the situation.”
“Drink some water first.”
“Where are we? How much time has passed?”
“Aren’t you thirsty?”
“What about the other prisoners? Why am I the only one held here?”
“Want me to feed you?”
The conversation was going nowhere. Delia closed her mouth.
In the sudden silence, she became more aware of the man supporting her.
His eyes sparkled like a child who’d just found a new toy.
Eventually, she scowled and held out her bound hands.
“Give me water.”
She felt the cool sensation of a cup in her palms.
“That’s too bad. I really wanted to try it.”
Ignoring his disappointment, Delia drank.
Water soaked into her parched body and helped clear her mind.
She drank every drop, then quickly scanned the room.
This was no ordinary tent—it was luxurious. Definitely a high-ranking officer’s quarters. Which meant they were deep inside the enemy camp.
Even if she escaped him, she’d still have to get past the whole army.
Slowly, she handed the cup back.
“There. I drank the water. Now explain. Where are we?”
The man finally untied her and took the cup.
“This is the Stilheitz Imperial Army’s base.”
“Specifically?”
“About half a day northwest of the Alden Plateau.”
“So it’s the same location where the prisoners were tied up.”
The man chuckled as he set the cup on a table.
“That’s right. We haven’t moved since then.”
“Then what about the Imperial soldiers I saw? They were headed for the capital.”
“The main army left for the royal city.”
“Then what is this place?”
The man leaned back in his chair, propping his chin on one hand as he studied her.
“A trap. To catch you.”
“A trap?”
Delia blinked at him. The cold glint of his silver hair felt like it was cutting into her heart.
“A trap to catch the leader of the rebels daring to threaten the Empire.”
She bit her lip and met his ashen eyes.
“What about the other prisoners?”
“Bait. They served their purpose…”
Delia’s gaze sharpened.
“So you killed them?”
“I let them go. Chasing down small fry is a hassle.”
Because he’d caught something far more interesting.
The man’s eyes sparkled with amusement at Delia’s bristling hostility.
“What are you going to do with me, then? Tie me to a post again? Use me to lure something bigger?”
“No. I won’t tie you up outside.”
“Then?”
“I’ll feed you water, give you food, and treat your wounds until you’re fully healed.”
What is he scheming?
Delia fired back harshly, full of suspicion.
“What are you playing at? Just kill me already.”
“I could never. I went through so much effort to capture and heal you.”
“You bastard. I told you not to pull that kind of crap on a prisoner.”
“Whether I do or not is up to me—not you.”
Ignoring her protest, Aaron called to someone outside.
A subordinate named Dyke entered with military precision.
“Tell the medic that the prisoner is awake. And bring some soft food.”
“Yes, Commander.”
After giving his orders, Aaron turned back to Delia with a gentle smile.
“‘Prisoner-nim’? Seriously?”
“You’re a valuable prisoner, after all. I should show some respect.”
Delia narrowed her eyes at him.
He’d chased her down like a madman, laid a meticulous trap to catch her, then treated her wounds—and now he was mockingly calling her “prisoner-nim.”
She’d never thought an honorific could feel so insulting.
But Aaron remained calm and smiled, even under her hostile gaze.
“I answered you sincerely. Now it’s your turn. How old are you?”
Delia hesitated. Should she answer?
She didn’t know what he was up to, so even simple questions were difficult.
As she wavered, he asked again, unable to contain his curiosity.
“What do your parents do?”
Delia glared at him.
“Do you have someone you’re promised to?”
His questions were getting more and more ridiculous.
“What’s your religion?”
These were not the kind of questions exchanged between enemies in a war.
Delia couldn’t hold back any longer.
“What’s the point of all this? We’re not in any position to ask each other these things.”
Aaron casually ran a hand through his hair and replied,
“I need to estimate your ransom.”
“Ransom?”
“Depending on your parents’ status, the course of the war could change. It’s something I need to know.”
Delia glared at him, chilled.
That charming smile was dangerously seductive.
His silver-gray eyes gleamed sharply, devoid of any warmth.
“If you’re engaged, the ransom doubles. So I need to check that too.”
He reclined back in his chair, speaking calmly—but with an unmistakable threat.
“And if you’re a saint blessed by the gods, I’ll need to negotiate with the temple. So your religion matters too.”
Delia glared at him as he coolly assessed her “worth.”
His every movement was relaxed, and his expression playful.
But his words were barbed, and his actions calculated.
He was not someone to take lightly.
If he discovered she was a princess, he would try to exploit the entire kingdom.
Feeling suffocated by the looming danger, she pulled herself back.
“Prisoner-nim, you don’t have to be so scared.”
He moved toward her with a soft voice, almost soothing.
But Delia flinched at the quiet menace in his slow approach.
To hide her nervousness, she bit her lip harder.
“I’m not the kind of savage who would ravish a defenseless woman without permission.”
He gave her a refreshing smile and reached out his hand.
“I may look like this, but I’m a gentleman who was taught proper manners toward ladies. However…”
He gripped her chin with one hand. His thumb pressed against her lips.
Her lips, already bruised from being bitten, were slowly parted by his insistent pressure.
“A prisoner who doesn’t act like one… might face unexpected consequences.”
His fingers brushed along her lips, leaving her red mouth disheveled.
“So, what did you say your name was?”
