Back at the cottage, Taeyeon awoke to the sudden sound of light rain falling against the wooden roof. Her eyes slowly flew open as she made sense of what had just happened and how she ended back up in the cottage. The wounds on her body had stopped bleeding and were diligently patched with clean white cloth. As she looked around she suddenly felt a tight sensation around her body and her hands, shocked that someone had tied her around a wooden beam in the house. Her eyes narrowed irately as the knots were tighter than any knot she had ever encountered. Whilst she was squirming around, she heard a sudden creak from the door and footsteps that sounded heavy entering the house.

Her eyes roamed towards the door that entered the obnoxious creepy bastard, Sehun. She watched him enter with an apple in one hand and a careless expression plastered on his face before he sat down at his desk right across from her, unraveling a scroll on the table. It seemed that he was deliberately ignoring her as it was almost impossible not to notice her existence in such as small room.

Meanwhile, Sehun’s eyes were fixed on the wooden scroll as he took another bite out of his apple and munched it subtly.

She cursed under her breath, but flinched at the sudden sound of a scroll Sehun slammed on the table with his eyes still sharp and fixed on the table, away from her. He unrolled another scroll and began to read as if Taeyeon’s existence was just some meager wind. She crinkled her nose as her eyes fell towards her captive hands behind the pole. She blew the thin strands of hair in her face and heaved a silent sigh. Just as Sehun took another bite from his apple, a sudden gust of wind blew from the window and in came a familiar white bird. It was the owl from before. Taeyeon’s eyes narrowed as she watched the bird fly into the room, swerved around before landing back on a bird stool right beside Sehun. The bird hooed a little as it tried to adjust itself on the iron pole beneath it, while Sehun continued to read as if he hadn’t noticed the owl’s prescence.

In the meantime Taeyeon gazed at the snowy owl with extreme focus. Its coat of feathers was the color of sheer white snow with some splatters of grey located at the tips of the wing. Its eyes were the shade of honey gold as its beak was tinted yellow with some dark spots surrounding it. She stared at the animal with awe as the owl did the same, twitching its head slightly with eyes still locked on Taeyeon as if she were its prey.

“…Didn’t anyone tell you it’s rude to stare” Sehun finally spoke, with eyes still locked on his wooden scripts.

Taeyeon furrowed her brows as she looked at Sehun whose nonchalant expression remained as cold as a statue. When he suddenly looked up at her, Taeyeon felt a chill in her spine as the cold eyes gazed down at her from a distance.

 Sehun set his apple down, slowly rose from his polished wooden chair and walked over to the owl. He patted its head softly before slowly making his way over to Taeyeon who was stealthily moving backwards to the pole, and fidgeting her hands to free herself. He bent down to her level and smirked at her bewildered expression.

“Now that I look closely, you’re rather pretty for a wild rabbit,” he remarked, staring at her features as Taeyeon clenched her fists tightly.

He smirked as he got back up and sauntered around, “It’s too bad, you wanted to die. What a waste…” he stated sharply as he swiftly unsheathed his sword aimed it at Taeyeon, who was completely flustered and vulnerable at that time.

She gulped while the blade was centimeters away from as beads of desperate sweat rolled down her temples.

“How about some assistance…?” Sehun inquired with a stern tone. He was completely emotionless as he brandished the sharp metal object in his hand. His eyes sparked of an intent to kill that even Taeyeon could not escape its wrath.

Taeyeon grew silent as she felt her body trembled instantly as if this was a survival game and she was in a near death situation, which she was.  Her eyes widened as the blade was slowly closing in, that she was craning her neck to avoid it.

She shut her eyes tightly as her heart raced rapidly against her ribcage, “…Please…help me…” she whispered faintly with a quivering tone, “…Please”

*I need to live…for my father’s sake…for my mother’s sake…I must live!*

 Sehun eyes softened as he heard a faint plea coming from the desperate girl. He looked at her softly before cracking a slight grin to the ground and walked over back to his desk, leaning his back against the table side while crossing his arms over his chest. He cocked his head over to her and the sudden flap of large broad wings was heard.

Taeyeon flinched as she felt sharp claws land on her head and opened her eyes to discover the snowy owl above her head. Her eyes turned to Sehun who was secretly smirking under his nonchalant expression as his eyes looked at her with amusement.

“Rest assured… I don’t kill women…” he said to her after clearing his throat from resisting to laugh.

“But let me inform you that several of Woo’s pecks can be seriously damaging and even scar you for life, which is a huge no no for girls at your age,” he warned.

“Now, where was I getting before…?” he said tilting his chin slightly up, “Oh, right. If you promise to not be suicidal and tell me your motives, I will consider freeing you upon my will,” he said with his obnoxious smile.

Taeyeon clicked her tongue and she glared at the man before her with livid eyes. “Wrong answer,” he said followed by a painful peck from the snowy owl to Taeyeon, which seemed like some kind of signal to punish her.

Taeyeon winced as she flinched from the sharp pain exerted on her from the owl’s sharp beak. Sehun smiled as he watched her anger ignite from the Woo.

He inhaled softly and nodded his head, “Let me ask you again. What is it that you want that you are risking your entire life to get,” he asked in a calm manner.

Taeyeon huffed at the arrogant owl that was strictly on guard duty, doing everything his master wanted him to do. She knew that she needed to act wisely or who knows what other tricks he might pull.

She bit her bottom lips forcefully, as she glared up at Sehun, cheekily smirking at her.
 “ Lim…killed my father...” she answered dejectedly.

Sehun narrowed his eyes as he looked at her despondent expression. “So this morning, your goal was to avenge your father, hmmm?” he muttered softly.

He looked at her and nodded his head slightly as he digested the information she gave him. He pulled himself off the table and sauntered back and forth across the room with his hands behind his back whilst heaving a long sigh.

“So you already knew you would die if you confronted Lim and decided to do so anyways…” he muttered.

 “Not to mention, you were almost breakfast for a pack of wolves and your skills are below exceptional that a tiny person such as yourself wouldn’t even leave a dent on him.... basically, what you did was none other than pure suicide,” he pointed out, throwing a glare at her.

Taeyeon looked down to the ground, “…Even if it cost my life, I will avenge him,” she declared looking up at Sehun with sharp eyes.

The owl pecked her head as soon as Sehun titled his head in her direction. He smirked when it suddenly came to him.

 “If you were that eager to die, how about we make a deal…” he said, turning around to face Taey