Ashtoria could barely contain herself. Every taunt, every vile obscenity spat by those bastards made her blood boil. She almost unleashed it all right then. Tearing their bodies apart into scraps of flesh, staining the road crimson with their blood.
But something suddenly stopped her.
A small, fragile embrace clutched at her arm.
Melly.
The little girl clung tightly, her face pale, her body trembling. Ashtoria glanced at her, then drew a slow breath. She still wanted to stay with them a while longer… so she had to restrain herself.
Instead, she turned her fury toward the one who appeared to be the leader of the group.
At first, the burly man had been laughing along with his men, savoring every filthy word that was hurled. But suddenly he felt something. As if a crushing weight pressed down on him. A coldness crawled along his spine, raising the hairs on his neck. His chest tightened, breath shallow, and with great effort, he turned his head.
That gaze.
Ashtoria's red eyes locked onto his. Cold. Unyielding. Wordless, yet enough to send his heartbeat into a frantic, uneven rhythm.
His body trembled.
Meanwhile, his men were still jeering and laughing, some even mocking their boss casually. "What's wrong, boss? Feeling an urge?"
Their laughter was cut short when the boss suddenly roared, "Silence!"
The air froze. Confusion rippled through the group, their eyes darting between each other. A single question burned in all their minds. Why is the boss acting like this?
With a low, rasping voice, the large man lowered his head. "I… I apologize. I didn't know who you were."
Riven, seated on the driver's bench, snapped his head around, narrowing his eyes. He could hardly believe what he had just heard.
The man then turned to his subordinates, his eyes blazing with fury. "All of you! Bow! Apologize to her now! Or I'll kill you myself!"
Some hesitated, but one look at their boss's face told them he wasn't bluffing. They realized instantly that this was no joke. One by one, they dropped to their knees, lowering their heads, some stammering apologies, their voices shaking in terror.
Moments later, the boss growled, "We're leaving."
Without another word, they scrambled back to their wagons. Wheels creaked, horses neighed, and within seconds, the group vanished into the dust, fleeing as fast as they could.
Silence fell over the road once more.
Riven still held the reins, but his hands had gone stiff. Melly, who had been clinging to Ashtoria, stared blankly, speechless.
Both of them had witnessed it. The way a cornered situation had flipped entirely, undone by nothing more than a single look from Ashtoria.
Riven swallowed hard, unconsciously. He had just seen something beyond his understanding. With only her gaze, Ashtoria had reduced that massive, confident man into a trembling kitten.
Beside him, Melly slowly loosened her grip on Ashtoria's arm. Her face was still pale, but her eyes held a strange calm.
Riven stole a wary glance at Ashtoria. He had no idea what she had actually done. But whatever it was, it made him realize, he had truly underestimated her. This woman was far more dangerous, far stronger, than he could ever imagine.
Their wagon creaked forward again. The horses snorted softly, the dusty road once again eerily quiet. None of them spoke. Five long minutes passed under that pressing silence.
Until at last, Ashtoria's voice cut through. "I want to get down for a moment."
Riven, still on the driver's bench, turned his head at once. "Get down? For what?" he asked, unable to mask his confusion.
Ashtoria glanced at him briefly, her eyes calm. She answered simply, "I want to go into the forest. Just keep going. I'll catch up later."
Riven frowned deeper. "The forest? For wha—"
Before he could finish, Melly leaned forward from the back, nudging her brother's stomach with her elbow. Riven hissed, grimacing, then turned toward her. The girl lowered her head and whispered, so softly only her brother could hear.
"Brother… why are you so dense? Obviously, she just needs to… you know… relieve herself."
Riven froze, his mouth half open. Oh. Suddenly it all made sense.
He cleared his throat awkwardly, then gave Ashtoria a stiff nod. "Alright. Fine."
Ashtoria said nothing more. She stepped down gracefully from the wagon, her ragged clothes swaying softly with her movements. Without a backward glance, she walked into the shadows of the trees. Within seconds, her figure was swallowed by the forest.
Silence returned. Riven stared at the empty road ahead and exhaled slowly. The tension still lingered in the air, even though the scavenger group was long gone.
He took another breath, then glanced at his sister. "Maybe I should… get down too. I think a little leaked out back there, when I faced them." He forced a crooked grin, trying for humor.
Melly immediately glared at him, annoyed. "Pervert brother! Just admit it, you just want to peek at her!"
Riven nearly choked, coughing and laughing at once. "Hah?! Mel, seriously, what kind of nonsense are you imagining?!"
But Melly only crossed her arms and pouted. "Hmph. Don't lie. Your face says it all."
.
.
.
Meanwhile, far behind, inside the fleeing bandits' wagon, the air was suffocating. No one dared raise their voice. Only the creak of wheels and the horses' labored breaths filled the space.
The burly leader sat hunched, his large hands still trembling faintly. Cold sweat streamed down his temples. He tried to mask his fear, but his body betrayed him. Each time he closed his eyes, the vision of that woman's crimson gaze returned to haunt him.
Finally, a gaunt man seated beside him could bear the silence no longer. In a hesitant voice, he asked, "B-Boss… what exactly did you see in that woman? Why… why are you like this?"
The big man lifted his head slowly. His wide eyes still shimmered with leftover fear. He exhaled heavily before muttering, each word dragged out like a burden. "That woman… could kill us all… with ease."
The skinny man froze. His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, struggling against the sudden dryness in his mouth.
"I heard… rumors that the Mad Queen disappeared." His voice trembled faintly, as though afraid to say the name too loud. "And suddenly, the royal soldiers began searching. They say… they're looking for a woman with red hair and crimson eyes. Whoever gives information on her whereabouts will be rewarded with a thousand gold coins." He paused, staring at his boss. "Don't tell me…"
The burly man closed his eyes briefly, then gave a slow nod.
The thin man's breath hitched. His heart pounded violently, as if ready to burst. He whispered even softer, his eyes widening. "But… wasn't the Mad Queen said to be hideous? They say… her face was covered in scars and sores, that's why she always wore that terrifying mask. But the woman we saw…" He grit his teeth lightly, lowering his head. "She was… beautiful."
The big man opened his eyes again, staring blankly ahead. "I don't know. Maybe the rumors were wrong. Or…" His voice grew heavier. "Or perhaps… that woman is not the Mad Queen at all."
Another man in the wagon, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up. His voice quivered with unease, but also with greed at the thought of opportunity. "Then… should we report this? If she really is the Mad Queen, we could be rich beyond measure, just by passing along the information."
Silence clamped down inside the wagon.
The big man slowly turned his head, fixing the skinny one with a sharp glare. His eyes no longer held fear, but cold threat.
"Did I ever say… that you were clever?"