Chapter 27 – Seized by a Dauntless Predator (2) On top of displaying a perplexing behavior, it was a lame excuse. “If that is the reason why you came here, I must say you are indeed dauntless.” “Indeed, I am. I even entered the enemy’s quarter. But you were courageous too, you know. You do daring things, and you seem accustomed to going out.” He made sure to slur the last words. “There are things that should be kept in private, you know.” Leah fidgeted with the hem of her cloak as she talked under her breath. “The welcome conference for the Kurkans will be tomorrow,” she blurted out. Sensing her unease, Ishakan’s eyes narrowed into the shape of a half moon. “I will let you go back before the sun rises. Until then, you should hang out with me.” Obliged and dragged by Ishakan, Leah headed to the downtown. At first, she walked reluctantly. Nonetheless, her pace slowly increased as she started loitering in the area. The eyes that only looked down the road now gleamingly roamed along the sights in the street. It was her first time to be outside without any objective in mind. It felt unfamiliar and awkward, wandering around for pleasure’s sake. Like a giddy child, Leah manically snooped around. She unconsciously followed the delicious smell of food, leading her to the street food vendor. As she approached the food stall, she stepped back, startled. Temptation in the form of glazed, skewered meatballs bombarded her senses. She didn’t expect this kind of attack tonight. Slowly, she willed herself to keep a distance, ignoring its tenacious appetizing smell. On the other hand, the king of Kurkans stood with his arms crossed. In contrast to forcefully dragging her with him to the town, he left her alone when they reached the town square, giving her the liberty to take in everything by herself, unrestricted. Patiently, he only observed her from afar, but he had not once tore his sharp gaze from her. Leah was deeply engrossed in her bustling environment when Ishakan thrusted something in front of her, making her freeze in her place. It was the skewered meatball she had been ogling at a while ago! It was minced pork squeezed into a ball and threaded into a skewer. While being grilled, the appetizing savory smell diffused into the air. The sauce was sprinkled on its top, making her salivate the more. “Eat this.” “Didn’t we agree that you will take whatever I give?” She drooled. It was because she had not eaten anything at all today. Her stomach grumbled at the sight. However, she remembered she had to wear a tight dress in front of Cerdina tomorrow morning. She wondered if she made a mistake in eating the dates. She wanted to refuse, but the temptation was intense. Even if she closed her eyes and turned her head to the side, she couldn’t resist it. Maybe only one bite... So, she carefully took the skewer to her mouth. As she bit the soft meat, the grilled golden surface tore apart, from which juices oozed. The moment she tasted it, she couldn’t stop herself from eating more. “Is Estia’s royal family poor? I think just selling one painting would be enough to feed you for months.” Ishakan muttered, but Leah did not hear any of his words. Instead, she gobbled on her food, focused. Soon, she came back to her sense, and was shocked at the savage deed she just committed. I finished the whole skewer! A sense of shame engulfed her. She couldn’t believe she didn’t exercise self-control—eating the whole skewer by herself! On top of that, she acted like a beggar that had been given alms. Ishakan grinned as she saw Leah bear such a devastated look on her face, while all the savory sauce was still smudged all over her mouth. “You don’t need to make a face that looks like the world has just fallen on you.” “But, I need to wear a dress tomorrow...” She nibbled her lower lip, agitated. Ishakan extended his hands, and his coarse fingertips rubbed her lips. “Don’t bite your lips. It will go to waste.” He wiped off the remaining sauce from her mouth and tasted it. The way he licked his tongue was so natural and...sensual that Leah was at lost on how to react. Realizing it too late, she shrieked with her innermost thoughts. She could not believe that Ishakan broke all the proper decorum she learned since birth. “Eating only one skewer wouldn’t affect your figure. You are so thin!” Ishakan took the emptied skewer from her and indifferently uttered a word. “It’s alright.” “....” His words stuck in her head. Leah clenched the hem of her sleeves as she said. “I need to know why you are doing this to me.” How could he say it’s not a big deal? It was against the order and rules that she had been abiding throughout her life. Fear. She felt wary of him—an intruder who intentionally trespassed the border. Leah had never been short of warning. At this moment, she was a hedgehog covered in spines, which warned the predator lurking near. “Are you sympathizing with me? Or you just need another one-night stand—” She was not able to finish her words because Ishakan burst into laughter. He laughed as if he heard a hilarious joke. “One-night stand? Are you anticipating that? I didn’t think... Ah, I was so naïve...” He is far from being naive, Leah scowled. The word does not suit him at all. Then, he added a shameless question. “One-night stand... Do you want another one?”