MARKED BY THE HUNTER

09: MY EMOTION

While walking on the road. My head bumped into his back when I wasn’t paying attention.

It wasn’t because I was clumsy, that’s not how I wanted to see it. My mind just wasn’t in the right place. It was wandering somewhere far away, tangled in thoughts of where we were going next… and what would become of me after this strange rebirth, I still couldn’t fully understand.

Bryle turned around when I started rubbing my forehead.

Our eyes met as he rotated fully toward me.

“You’re spacing out again,” he said flatly.

“I’m just… hungry,” I answered quickly, using it as an excuse.

His gaze lingered on me for a moment, longer than I liked. Not angry. Just observant, like he could see through every weak explanation I tried to hide behind.

“From now on,” he said suddenly, “we stay together. Through everything. Good and bad. Can you promise me that?”

I blinked. The question felt heavier than it should have.

“Of course,” I said without thinking. Then, softer, almost too honest, I added, “I like you… so it’s fine.”

Silence followed immediately.

Bryle didn’t respond right away. He just stared at me, unmoving, as if trying to measure whether I meant it or if I had just let my thoughts slip out too easily.

Heat rushed to my face.

“I mean…” I quickly corrected myself, forcing a laugh that didn’t quite sound real. “I trust you. That’s all.”

Stupid! That was close. Too close. I hoped he wouldn’t take it seriously.

But his expression didn’t change.

“I have a condition,” he finally said.

My chest tightened a little.

“If you want my protection,” he continued, “then from now on, if anyone asks, We should tell them that you’re just my aide. Nothing more.”

My brows pulled together instantly.

“Are you underestimating me?” I snapped, frustration rising before I could stop it.

His eyes didn’t flinch.

“This isn’t about respect,” he said calmly. “It’s about safety. You understand what I mean.”

The way he said it quietly, absolutely made it hard to argue, even when I wanted to.

Still, I hated it.

“Fine,” I muttered, turning my face away, lips pressed into a tight line.

But inside, something sharper twisted. Why couldn’t it just be simple? a friend or.. a lover? what's wrong with that?

Why did he have to make it sound like I was something that needed to be hidden… instead of someone who could stand beside him?

And worst of all... why did a part of me still want to agree anyway?

When we finally arrived at his cousin’s house, a beautiful woman welcomed us at the door and told us to rest for a while while they prepared food. She also mentioned that her master had not arrived yet, which made me even more excited. I immediately wanted to go upstairs and finally rest.

Bryle let me go up first after I was given clean clothes by the kind woman who introduced herself as one of the housemaids. She also handed me small toiletries, soap and shampoo for my hair.

As I climbed the stairs, I thought I was already entering a simple hallway. But when I reached the top, I realized the place was far larger than I expected. It was even more spacious than the living room downstairs.

A long corridor stretched ahead, leading toward the biggest room at the very end. Along both sides were doors lined neatly in intervals, guest rooms, it seemed.

“So your cousin is really rich,” I said quietly, noticing Bryle following behind me.

“Our room is number 23,” he replied instead. “Make sure your body is clean before you lie on the bed.”

His words made something tighten in my chest. The way he said it sounded… cold. As if he was reminding me I was something unclean, something that needed to be fixed before I could even touch his space.

I bit back my reaction and didn’t answer. I just kept walking.

Maybe I had misjudged him earlier. Maybe he wasn’t just distant, maybe he truly looked at people like they were useful… or not.

I left him standing there without another word.

Near the end of the hallway, I finally saw it. Room 23.

A small wave of relief passed through me. At last, I could rest properly.

I stepped into the bathroom with an open flow of water. A warm steam slowly filled the space as I bathed, scrubbing every part of my body carefully, as if trying to wash away not just the dirt from the journey, but also the strange weight of his words had left me

After I finished bathing and made myself presentable, I stepped out of the bathroom.

That was when I heard it.

A low sound of moans.

At first, I froze, unsure if I had imagined it. But then it came again, pulling my attention toward it as if it had a strange weight of its own.

Curiosity took over before caution could stop me. The door next to Room 23 was slightly open.

The sound was coming from inside.

My heartbeat started to quicken from confusion. I couldn’t explain.

"Ahhh.Ahm.." another moans and follow by anothers.

Slowly, I stepped closer. Each movement felt louder than it should have, like the hallway itself was listening.

I stopped right in front of the door.

For a moment, I just stood there, hesitating. Something in me said to walk away. To leave it alone. To go back to room 23 and forget what I ever heard.

But I didn’t move.

Instead, I leaned in slightly and peeked through the small opening in the door.