Kilian noticed the curious eyes of Elara, fixed on the two items in his hands.
He gave her a smile, a subtle, knowing one, without answering her question directly.
Instead, he walked towards her, the small pouch of coins already in his pocket with the bracelet in the other.
He then raised his arms, slowly, deliberately, placing his hands lightly behind her head, his fingers resting just above her ears.
Elara's breath hitched, her body stiffening instantly.
Her eyes, wide and searching, darted from his face to his arms, which seemed to almost lock behind her head, forming a strange, unsettling frame.
The unexpected intimacy, combined with his peculiar actions throughout the morning, sent a jolt of alarm through her.
"Young Master, what are you doing?"
She managed to ask, her voice a hushed, confused whisper, even as she instinctively tried to subtly pull away, a faint tremor running through her shoulders as she attempted to escape his unusual hold.
But Kilian, his gaze unwavering, noticed her slight movement, the tension in her small frame.
His smile remained, unwavering and oddly captivating, as he immediately said, his voice soft but firm,
"This is an order, Elara. Do not move an inch. Not even a twitch."
At the explicit command, Elara immediately froze.
The subtle squirming ceased, and her shoulders relaxed, though not from ease.
Instead, a profound resignation settled over her.
Her eyes squeezed shut, a silent acceptance of her fate washing over her as she waited, motionless, for whatever her young master intended.
Seeing this cute action from her, Kilian's smile softened, a genuine warmth flickering in his eyes as he held back a chuckle.
He moved quickly, his fingers deft and surprisingly gentle.
Mere seconds passed, though to Elara, with her eyes squeezed shut in apprehension, it felt like an eternity.
The sounds of the bustling marketplace faded into a distant hum, her entire world narrowed to the strange presence of her master.
Then, Kilian's hands receded. "You can open your eyes now," he said, his voice light and amused.
Elara slowly, hesitantly, fluttered her eyelids open.
Because she had been bowing her head slightly, her gaze immediately fell upon her own chest.
There, hanging from her neck, was the delicate silver necklace with the black onyx gemstone, now gleaming softly against her tunic.
It rested perfectly, as if it had always belonged there.
"Young Master!" Elara exclaimed.
Her voice laced with panic as her hands flew up to the unfamiliar necklace.
Her fingers fumbled with the clasp at the back of her neck, trying desperately to remove it, her brow furrowed in distress.
"What is this? Why did you-- I can't possibly wear this!"
Kilian, quicker than she anticipated, gently but firmly grabbed her hands, stopping her attempts to unfasten the pendant.
His grip was light, yet unyielding. His gaze met hers, calm against her rising panic. "Do you know what that gemstone is called, Elara?" he asked, his voice low and even, a curious glint in his eyes.
Elara, still caught in her panic, shook her head, her breath coming in short, quick gasps. "No, Young Master," she whispered, her eyes wide.
Kilian took a step closer, reducing the small space between them.
He reached out, his thumb and forefinger lightly brushing the smooth, cool surface of the black stone hanging at her neck.
His voice dropped, becoming a deep, resonant murmur that cut through the market noise.
"It's a black gemstone called onyx," he explained, his eyes never leaving hers.
"It's a reminder that you belong to me, Elara, Kilian Onyx Noxhaven's"
"At the same time, it's a warning to others, and even to myself, to never cause you harm."
"Whoever dares to will have to pay a heavy price. That's a promise."
Elara was unable to utter a single word. Her wide, unblinking eyes, the subtle tremor of her lower lip, and the slight flush creeping across her cheeks conveyed a maelstrom of emotions like shock, confusion, perhaps even a nascent, unidentifiable fear.
The vibrant marketplace, its sounds and smells, seemed to recede around her, leaving only the weight of the onyx pendant and the intensity of Kilian's gaze.
While Elara remained in this stunned daze, Kilian watched her, his smile unwavering.
"And that's one stone successfully hit by the bird, on to way to the other stone."
He mused internally, his thoughts cold and calculating beneath his warm expression.
"With this, I hoped that I was able to reduce her years of suffering that this idiot owner of this original body had done."
Ethan, was now starting to fix things.
He would keep doing these things until not only Elara but everyone else around him started to see him differently, better.
He needed to make sure his reputation got better, eventually becoming someone people could rely on and respect.
This careful planning didn't mean Ethan didn't care about Elara, not exactly.
But as a hardcore gamer at heart, suddenly thrown into this world that he thought was a game yesterday, without any warning, his main goal was to survive and take control.
To figure out this strange and possibly dangerous new reality, he badly needed allies, his own team, either if they can fight or not.
He needed people he could trust completely, who would never lie to him or betray him, maybe even willing to die for him.
Elara, being the person always closest to him, was a unique challenge.
If he was going to truly carry out his bigger plans, it would be tough if he constantly had to wonder if she'd report anything suspicious to his family.
So, before Kilian could really start his plans, he needed her to be loyal to him and to him alone.
If he couldn't make that happen, he'd have to make sure she disappears from his life forever.
A sudden, resounding clap echoed through the air, cutting through the market's ambient din and snapping both Kilian and Elara out of their intense moment.
The accessories vendor, who had been watching the entire scene unfold with undisguised fascination, was now clapping enthusiastically, a wide, awestruck grin on his face.
He seemed utterly amazed by this surprising, possessive side of the young master, a side he clearly hadn't anticipated.
Kilian turned his head slightly towards the vendor, a faint smirk playing on his lips, before his gaze returned to Elara.
"Elara," he asked, his voice returning to its usual casual tone.
"do you still have the packed food, and... the other thing I asked you to bring?"
Still deeply flushed, a reddish pink blush staining her cheeks, Elara slowly lifted her head.
Her eyes, clouded with lingering shock, met his for a brief, hesitant moment before she quickly dropped her gaze to the bustling ground.
"Y-yes, Young Master," she stammered, her voice barely a whisper.
Kilian's smile widened.
"Good," he said, his voice carrying a renewed sense of purpose.
"Let's go to the next location we need to go."
He gave the vendor a quick wave of farewell, and the vendor, still beaming, waved back.
His previous nervousness was nowhere to be seen, replaced entirely by a positive and perhaps even a view of admiration for the young master.
---
Kilian then started walking deeper into the bustling marketplace, Elara following a respectful pace behind him.
The crowds seemed to swallow them, the myriad of stalls creating a labyrinth of sights and sounds.
"Make sure you never leave my sight, Elara."
Kilian said, his voice cutting clearly through the market's hum, without turning back.
Elara, her cheeks still burning from the earlier exchange, managed a small nod.
"Yes, Young Master," she murmured, her voice a soft, almost imperceptible whisper.
Minutes passed by into what felt like a much longer stretch of time as they navigated the marketplace.
Elara, her initial shock slowly giving way to a more familiar sense of duty, began to wonder about their destination.
"Young Master," she ventured, her voice regaining a touch of its usual clarity.
"do you... do you know where we are going? Perhaps I could guide you."
Kilian paused for a second, seemingly weighing his words, before replying.
"We're not actually going somewhere specific, Elara. We're trying to find someone."
Just as the words left his lips, their attention was drawn to a commotion ahead.
Two small figures, children no older than ten, darted frantically through the dense crowd, their small bodies weaving between bewildered shoppers.
Behind them, a vendor, his face contorted in fury, shouted and gesticulated wildly, clearly enraged by something the children had done.
Kilian's eyes narrowed, a knowing glint appearing in their depths.
A slow, satisfied smile spread across his face.
"Well, Elara," he said, turning fully to her, "it looks like I found who I was looking for."
***
/I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If its alright, please drop a comment or a powerstone to help me keep making this world bigger!