Anyone who dares to steal, kill them.
It felt strange. Aenwyn had thought, if Indigo were ten years older, she might have accepted him.
Now, he said he would keep her close and wait for her.
Maybe in a few years, she really would stay for him. Aenwyn thought so.
But who could say what would happen in the future?
"Indigo, let's set three rules," Aenwyn said. She wanted to test if they could get along properly.
"Okay, go ahead."
Aenwyn let go of him and said, "First, you can't restrict my freedom. Of course, you're allowed to chase after me."
No matter what, freedom was most important. She saw Indigo didn't object and continued.
"Second, I might not fall in love with you." The boy frowned, and her slender finger tapped his forehead as she added, "But I won't fall in love with anyone else either."
"Third, you must respect me. You can't ever force me to do anything."
She looked at Indigo with intention in her eyes.
Young men's desire can be intense, and she might not be able to handle it. She was 23 this year, still young, but compared to him, she was like an older sister.
She had just found out that this guy was only 16!!
He was tall and strong, who would've thought he was only 16? Do people in this world all mature this early?
They had already kissed before she realized he was underage.
Not to mention underage, she once had trouble with an 18-year-old boy and spent years running before she truly shook him off. She had thought he was young, but not this young.
Was this a crime? Aenwyn was frustrated.
Actually, from this perspective, Aenwyn was startled. In the Qianchu Continent, a man was considered grown at 14. The average lifespan was just over 40. At 16, he was not that young, and already old enough to marry.
Of course, nowadays most people didn't have wives. They saved up money to leave children at the baby-raising halls.
Aenwyn's three rules were simple yet not so simple. Compared to the other men in this world, these rules were nonsense.
Getting a woman but not possessing her, not locking her up at home, and even letting her go outside?
Impossible, unless someone had lost their mind.
But Indigo actually agreed. "All right." He agreed so easily that Aenwyn couldn't believe it.
"What, I agree and you look so shocked?" Indigo pinched her nose. He wasn't generous, just more calculating when it came to human nature.
"I'll follow your rules. But if you run again, they're all void." His expression said clearly: run again and I'll break your legs.
Whatever. As long as he agreed. But this little guy was surprisingly fierce.
"Fine, I'll carry you with me wherever I go from now on."
"Stamp it!" Aenwyn smiled, held up her thumb, and reached for his hand to seal the deal with a symbolic gesture.
His big hand wrapped around hers, thumbs pressing together. Aenwyn couldn't help but laugh. Being alone in a strange world, having someone like this holding on to her might not be such a bad thing after all.
Still, there were things to figure out. Aenwyn remembered the day she arrived, and that dazzling aurora.
"What's the name of the desert I came from?" she asked.
That simple moment helped Indigo relax. He pulled her over to a map in the study.
"We're currently in Danzhou of the Dongling Kingdom. Danzhou borders Cenzhou, and over here is Huzhou. All of them are in the western part of Dongling."
"This desert is called Keta'er. It's where you came from. It's right next to Danzhou. Our town, Citong, is the closest area to Keta'er. On the other side is the Xichuan Kingdom."
"Keta'er is huge. Most people who enter get lost."
Aenwyn looked at the simple map.
"How did you end up there at that time?" she pointed at the big desert.
"I was earning some silver," Indigo said. "Selling some goods."
Others thought he went to test his skills, but that wasn't true. He had been trading rare items between Dongling and Xichuan for a long time.
Aenwyn asked, "What kind of goods?"
She couldn't imagine him as a seller. But she was curious. A house that big and only him around?
"Whatever is valuable, I sell it," Indigo explained, seeing her curiosity. "For example, dye from Dongling is cheap here, but in Xichuan it's worth its weight in gold."
"That valuable? Don't others try to sell it too?"
"Heh, silly girl. The two kingdoms have been at war for over a decade, with no open trade. Normal goods have to go through heavy tariffs."
Crossing the desert to trade with another country sounded unthinkable.
"Aren't you afraid of getting lost in the desert?" It was supposed to be huge. How did he manage to go and come back in a few days?
Indigo patted her head. "I got a special map of the desert years ago. And I don't have to go myself."
"If you don't go, how do you earn money?" Aenwyn was annoyed by his condescending look.
"I have people," he said.
Hmph. You have people? What people? Acting like some big boss. Since she arrived, she'd only seen one kind, simple uncle.
Not right.
Speaking of people, Aenwyn remembered that when she was kidnapped, he did bring a lot of men with him, each one looking fierce and brutal.
It seemed this guy's identity was quite mysterious.
"I want to go see Keta again," Aenwyn said.
Indigo was much taller than her. He looked down at the swirl on the top of her head. When Aenwyn thought he would not agree,
"Alright, I'll take you."
"Really?" She was overjoyed, her lashes fluttering, eyes shining bright.
"Mhm."
Aenwyn said she would go, and Indigo went to the stables to pick a horse. Aenwyn insisted on riding alone.
"You know how to ride?" he asked.
Aenwyn looked up at him. "Of course." She was very skilled at riding.
Indigo looked slightly regretful. He actually enjoyed riding with her in his arms. He couldn't help but remember the scenes from the spring palace paintings that happened on horseback.
Her bright and innocent gaze looked at him. He shook his head, feeling like he was becoming more and more like a beast.
At the stable, Indigo picked out a gentle brown mare for her. "This one. It has the best temper."
The brown horse was tall with bright eyes, a high head, and strong limbs.
A good horse! Aenwyn liked it a lot. Even though it was a mixed breed, that didn't matter to her.
"Come on, touch it first," Indigo said as he guided her hand over.
The horse let out a soft neigh. As her hand brushed over its coat, it quickly calmed down. It looked very gentle and well-behaved, like a sweet girl.
"Does it have a name?" Aenwyn asked.
Indigo stroked its mane and said, "Why don't you name it?"
Aenwyn looked at the horse. "Let's call her Alizeh?"
"With your surname?" Indigo was surprised. It was the first time he had seen someone give their horse a surname.
Even servants only got their master's surname if they were born in the household and served loyally for three generations.
"Is that not allowed?"
Aenwyn blinked innocently. All her pets at home had her surname.
Indigo's eyes darkened slightly as he looked at her. Then he turned his head and said, "Ahem, fine."
He turned and went to the next stable and led out another horse. This one was taller than the brown Alizeh, with a glossy black coat, clearly well taken care of.
It looked very familiar, like the one she had ridden when she first arrived.
Aenwyn stepped forward to touch it. But it neighed loudly, dodged her, and snorted.
"Lachlan, don't be rude," Indigo gently patted it.
Aenwyn reluctantly withdrew her hand.
The black horse neighed as if protesting. Then, when it saw Alizeh, it stepped lightly toward her and affectionately rubbed against her. The two horses nuzzled each other's necks lovingly.
"They're a pair," Aenwyn said.
"Mm, like us," Indigo smiled.
Flirting again. She always ignored these daily teases. If he found a chance, he would hug and kiss her.
The next day, they set off before dawn. Indigo unusually brought a few people with him, but Shun wasn't among them.
His people were disciplined, followed orders well, and didn't seem confused about having one extra person in the group.
Aenwyn wore a coarse blue male outfit. Learning from last time, she disguised herself completely from neck to fingers.
Since they were heading out, it was better to be careful.
After leaving the gates of Citong Town and traveling for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they reached a stretch of desert. It wasn't pure desert, more like harsh terrain with heavy wind and sand.
The deeper they went, the more sand there was. The wind got stronger and stronger, until it could completely disorient people. Eventually, even horses couldn't go any farther.
Luckily, Aenwyn hadn't fallen into the deepest part last time.
She squinted against the wind and sand, looking up at the sky above the desert.
Indigo handed her a triangle scarf. "Cover your face."
Aenwyn shook her head. She pulled out her windproof mask from her backpack. She had brought all her belongings on this trip.
If she could go back, even if the chance was slim, she wanted to try. She couldn't give up without seeing.
They traveled for over an hour. Considering Aenwyn's presence, Indigo decided to stop and set up camp early.
They camped under some thorny bushes without lighting any fire, eating only dry rations.
Aenwyn was chewing on dried meat. She had been eating minced meat in the mornings and dried meat at night these past days, and her appetite wasn't good.
Her chin looked sharper now, and with her big eyes, she looked pitiful. Today her skin was rough, her eyebrows thick, lips painted dark purple, and she dotted her face with fake moles. Her chest was tightly bound, and her slim waist wrapped up, making her look like a delicate young boy.
"Eat this," Indigo said when he saw her struggling. He handed her something green he had been peeling with a knife earlier.
Aenwyn reached out and took the long green object.
Is this lettuce? It looked exactly like lettuce.
The servants nearby looked at her with envy. That lettuce had come from the capital. Though not rare in Citong Town, it was very expensive. A single piece like that could buy a jar of fine wine.
"Eat it raw?" Aenwyn asked.
"Yeah, we didn't bring fruit. Eat this to hold you over," Indigo said, holding it up to her lips.
Aenwyn covered her mouth and backed away. "No, I don't want it. You eat it!"