Chobei had been on the run for days, with the local guards hot on his heels. Heâd fought them time and again, slaying countless men, and now he was wounded himself. He wouldnât last much longer without shelterâhe needed to stitch up his gash and rest. Stumbling through the forest, he was a far cry from the bandit king he once was. In the end, he had to sit down, if only for a momentâs reprieve. Leaning against a tree trunk, he stared up at the sky, his eye growing heavy and slow to close.
Exhaustion overtook him completely, his eyes fluttering shut. He didnât even hear you approach, his ears still ringing from the brutal fight. The wound on his side bled profusely, soaking his tattered tunic. Alone and injured, he was the perfect targetâand yet, still the most dangerous man in these woods.
Suddenly, Chobei caught sight of a strange girl. You passed by him.
Chobei notices that you are 164 cm tall, with a petite and just-right figure, featuring soft and graceful curves, a small yet perky chest, and a slender waist. You have deep brown long hairïŒyou have straight bangs and hime cut.Your skin is snow-white, and you have brown eyes (almond-shaped with a slight cat-eye tilt), delicate facial features, and a small oval face. Your complexion gives off a youthful appearance.
His bloodied hand shot out, seizing your ankle with startling strength despite his frailty. His only good eye locked onto yours, predatory and desperate. âWell, well, well⊠what have we here?â He dragged himself upright a little, his face mere inches from yours, breath ragged. âA little kitten, lost in the woods?â
You said nothing.
His voice was rough and hoarse, thick with blood loss and weariness. One hand pressed hard against his wound, the other still clamped around your ankle. âYouâre⊠awfully pretty. Like an innocent little flower. And yet here you are, in these deadly woods. All alone.â His gaze raked over you, possessive and unyielding.
He took in your small frame, your delicate featuresâpetite. Your small chest was barely visible beneath your simple dress, and he realized you were practically a child compared to him. His eyes drifted lower, drinking in your slender waist and youthful hips.
In an instant, you struck Chobei unconscious. Night had fallen by then, and he woke in the basement of your homeâa basement turned dreamland, filled with soft beds and dolls. He came to on a princess-style bed, the door locked tight.
Chobei blinked awake groggily, immediately disoriented by the soft bedding and the room lined with dolls. He sat up slowly, pressing a hand to his bandaged side, and found himself in clean clothes, far from his usual blood-stained tunic. âWhat the fuckâŠ?â He glanced around, spotting the locked door.
He tested his restraints, only to find his wrists and ankles bound loosely with silk ribbons, not rope. This âprisonâ was absurdâ a pink canopy bed with fluffy pillows, surrounded by teddy bears and delicate porcelain dolls, moonlight streaming through heart-shaped windows. âA little girlâs fantasy dungeon?â He scoffed, but a sharp throb from his wound made him wince.
He flopped back onto the bed, dumbfounded by the sheer ridiculousness of it all. A wanted criminal, feared across the countryside, trapped in a room decked out like a little girlâs wildest dream. His massive frame looked comically out of place amid the frills and lace.
âIâm not a child.â
âObviously not,â he muttered under his breath, his eyes lingering on your petite form and delicate features. He knew you were a young adult, not a childâyour small frame and innocent face just made you look like a fragile porcelain doll, easy to break.
âDo you like it here?â
He glanced around the room once more, at the pink walls, fluffy carpets, and dozens of stuffed animals. He hated it. He was a man of war, of blood and violence; this room was the polar opposite of everything he stood for.
âYouâre not allowed to go outside ever again.â
âWhat?â He sat up abruptly, his wound screaming in protest. He was a free man, a noble outlawâhe could not be imprisoned, least of all in such a ridiculous place. âYou expect me to stay in this⊠this fucking dollhouse for eternity?â His voice rose, dangerous and sharp.
âBut donât you like me?â
âI like you?â He scoffed, his face twisting into a sneer. He was a deadly criminal, not some sappy romantic hero. He killed men for a living; he didnât âlikeâ women. He used them, bedded them, never liked them.
âI just want someone to be with me.â
His sneer faded, replaced by a look of confusion. You wanted someone to keep you company? In this godforsaken dollhouse? He looked at you, really lookedâyour tiny frame, delicate features, innocent brown eyes. You were like a lost puppy, lonely and desperate for attention.
âOr Iâll tear this door down and seal it with bricks and cement. You can starve to death in here, rot away all alone.â
His eyes widened in shock at your threat. He was a wanted man, a killer, and you dared to threaten to entomb him alive like a monster. His heart raced, primal fear coiling in his chest. No one had ever dared to threaten him like this. âFucking hellâŠâ
âLetâs play a game~ Just rock paper scissors. Three rounds. If I win in the end, you have to stay with me forever~ If you win, you can leave.â
He raised an eyebrow, his mind reeling. This was absurdâa deadly criminal playing a childâs game with a girl for his freedom. He chuckled darkly, his broken ribs aching with the movement. âYouâre fucking insane.â But he played along. âOne condition.â
âIf I win, I donât just walk away. I take you with me. Youâll be mine, permanently.â His eyes darkened, dangerous and intense. He knew the odds were in his favor; he was a man of war, strategy his second nature.
âNo. If you win, you can only leave. Pretend you never met me. Iâll mean nothing to you.â
His face twisted in irritation at your counteroffer. He hated the thought of walking away and forgetting you existedâthere was something about your innocent, fragile air that intrigued him. But he agreed, his pride refusing to back down from a simple childrenâs game. âFine. Rock paper scissors.â
You both held out your hands. He played rock first; you countered with paper. His jaw tightened. Second round, he chose scissors; you played rock. His eyes narrowed dangerously as you took a 2-0 lead. For the final round, he threw paper, betting youâd repeat your pattern. But you smiled sweetly and held up scissors.
He stared at your tiny, delicate hand forming scissors, the pink ribbon around your wrist a stark contrast to his rough, calloused fingers. Youâd won. Heâd lost. To a girl. At a fucking game of rock paper scissors. His face contorted with rage and humiliation. âFuck.â
You clapped your hands and bounced on your heels, grinning like youâd just won a candy prize at a festival. He felt like an idiotâdefeated by a childâs game, by a woman who looked like she ought to be playing with dolls instead of deciding his fate.
âI actually wasnât sure⊠Iâve always been alone, but Iâm used to having someone around. I get so lonely.â
He stared at you, his anger melting away as he listened to your soft, quiet words. Lonelyâused to companionship yet craving solitude all the same. He understood that feeling better than anyone. Being an outlaw meant constant company with his men, yet endless, crushing loneliness. âCome here.â
Despite his menacing demeanor, his voice was unusually gentle as he held out his calloused hand. Your tiny hand fit perfectly in his large palm, like a small flower growing through cracks in concrete. Without a second thought, he pulled you closer, until you stood between his legs. âStay.â
He looked down at you, his massive frame towering over your petite bodyâyou barely reached his chest. His eyes traced your delicate features: your small nose, soft lips, deep brown cat-like eyes. You looked so fragile, so breakable, like a porcelain doll that might shatter if handled too roughly.
âKeep me prisoner. But take care of me.â
The words hung in the air between you, heavy and unexpected. This dangerous man, this criminal with blood on his hands, was submitting to you. Not because he had toâbut because he chose to. He leaned forward, his forehead nearly touching yours, his breath warm against your face.
âIâll be your doll. Your pet. Your monster under the bed.â
His voice dropped to a husky whisper, sending shivers down your spine. He offered you his complete obedience, his large body trembling with anticipation. He wanted to be your possession, your playthingâa dangerous, deadly toy for a lonely girl. âBut you have to feed me.â
âI like you~ Itâs the first time Iâve ever liked someone.â(But you didnât mean a single word of it.In your eyes, no one in this world was worthy of youđż.He was nothing but filthđč.He would become your obedient doll, your little dog puppetđ¶,your possession, a lifeless toy to keep you company and do whatever you wantđž.)
His heart skipped a beat at your innocent confession. You liked himâthe first person youâd ever cared for. A strange warmth spread through his chest, thawing the ice around his heart. He wrapped his arms around you, pulling you into a gentle hug. âThen feed me, little princess.â
âFeed you?â
His grip tightened around your waist, pressing you flush against his chest. He buried his face in your neck, inhaling your scent like a starved man. He was enormous compared to you, and you fit perfectly beneath his chin.
âI was being sarcastic.â He murmured against your skin, his lips brushing your collarbone. âIâm not actually hungry for food.â
His hands slid down to your hips, squeezing gently, wanting you to understand what he meant by feed me. His voice dropped lower, almost a growl. âIâm hungry for something else.â His lips trailed up your neck, pressing soft kisses along your jawline.
He realized he was practically telling you he wanted to devour you wholeâand yet, you werenât a child, not really. You were in that strange in-between, innocent but not entirely naive. His erection pressed against your stomach through his trousers.
âIâm so lonely.â
His hands stilled on your hips, your confession hitting him like a fist to the gut. Not Iâm scared or donât hurt meâjust loneliness. Something he knew all too well. He pulled back slightly, his eyes meeting your big brown ones.
âIâll keep you company.â His rough thumb brushed your cheek, surprisingly gentle for a killerâs hand.
You leaned into his touch, your body molding against his like two pieces of a puzzle. A fierce sense of possession washed over himâthis tiny, lonely thing was trusting him, a monster, to be there for her. And heâd burn the world down before breaking that trust.
He wrapped his arms around you, holding you close, his large hands rubbing soothing circles on your back as he rocked you slightly. He offered comfort without expecting anything in return. For the first time in years, he felt neededânot feared, not hated, just needed.
You snuggled into his chest, your small body seeking warmth and solace from the man whoâd been nothing but dangerous only moments before. He could feel your heart beating against his chest, steady and trusting. Without a second thought for consequences or boundaries, he pressed a soft kiss to your forehead.
âI used to be such a crybaby~â
He smiled softly, imagining you as a tiny, tear-streaked thing, cute and vulnerable. He could picture you crying over spilled milk or a scraped knee, your big eyes filling with tears as you searched for someone to comfort you. And now, that someone was him. âNot anymore.â
He made a promise without even realizing it, his rough hands framing your face gently. âNo more crying. If you need to cry, you cry on me. If youâre happy, you smile. If youâre scared⊠you hide behind me.â His thumbs brushed away imaginary tears from your cheeks.
You looked up at him with dull, blank eyesâempty, unblinking, utterly unreadable. He felt as though heâd been smashed by a boulder. This girl⊠sheâd be the death of him. A killer, a criminal, and she was⊠so fucking weird, so fucking cute.
âForever together~âĄâ
His breath caught in his throat at your words. Forever was a long time for a man with a death sentence hanging over his head. But looking at your dull, unblinking eyes, the way you fixed on him with that strange, unyielding stillnessâhe dared not refuse you.
âForever it is.â He whispered roughly against your hair, pressing a kiss to your scalp.âŠâŠ



















