Chapter 31

Chapter 31: Chapter 31

"You!" Falcon’s face flushed a deep, embarrassed red. Hawk’s face changed as well as he stepped in front of his son, shielding him from my eyes. Then, he turned his gaze to Lysander, his eyes glowing like he had seen something to insult me with.

"Look at you, Ingrid. Falling lower and lower every single day," Hawk mocked, shaking his head with disgust. "Rejected by my son, so you resort to dragging around a cursed beastman like Lysander? How pathetic. Are you gathering garbage together now?"

Ingrid paused, her anger momentarily stopped by confusion. ’Cursed beastman? Lysander?’

She glanced back at Lysander. He stood completely calm, his posture perfect, his purple eyes unbothered. Right, these idiots had no idea that Lysander had been cured. It’s all his fault for wearing that veil that covered all the beauty he had on his face. But it’s not a problem, something like this normally leads to a dramatic entrance that would wow everyone once they saw just how beautiful he is.

It’s just a matter of time.

Ingrid let out a loud, dramatic sigh, turning on her heel. "You know what? I don’t have the mental capacity to converse with crazy people today. Lysander, let’s go. The air around here suddenly smells like stale bird poop."

"Stop right there!" Falcon roared.

Before Ingrid could take a step, Falcon’s hand shot out, grabbing her wrist in a tight grip. He dragged her back toward him, his sharp talons digging painfully into her skin.

"You don’t get to walk away from me, you fat leech!" Falcon spat, leaning down so his face was inches from hers. "Let me tell you something, Ingrid. It’s just because your parents gave you to me that I’m trying to save them some face. If you get on your knees right now, kiss my shoes and apologize for what you did before, I might be willing to compromise and take you back. But if not, I’ll make sure that your life in the tribe is a living hell. No one will help you and you’ll starve to death! This is your last chance, Ingrid, don’t waste it."

"Last chance? Are you really that desperate for this fat pig to beg you? What? Just because no other females in the tribe are willing to suck your little shrimpy dick you want me to beg and come back to you? Let me tell you, bird brain, not a chance!" Beside Ingrid, Lysander let out a snicker that really sounded more like a hiss but anyway, it had an effect.

Hawk’s face turned extremely red and the feathers on his wings shook slightly.

"How dare you talk to me like that?!" Falcon stomped forward, his talons pointing at me.

"If you want me to say more, then I absolutely can. But since I’m here for business, I’ll try to ignore you. So please take your impotent and shrivelled dick somewhere else and stop bothering me. I’m not interested in you so please let me go, I have important things to do." Ingrid waved her free hand dismissively, tilting her head away from Falcon’s direction.

"You bitch. How dare you talk to me like that? If it wasn’t for me, you would have been dead! Is this how you repay me?"

Ingrid sneered, "Repay you? Falcon, all these weeks I’ve been at your beck and call. I did everything you wanted me to do, I embarrassed myself for you, you bullied me, you halved my rations while taking the rest as your own. You didn’t do anything for me so what gave you the guts to tell me that if it hadn’t been for you, I would have been dead? You little fucker, do you want another beating?!"

"You fat bitch!" Falcon looked like he finally had enough of my words and lunged towards me, his talons outstretched.

But before he could graze Ingrid, a pale hand shot out to stop him, holding his wrists so tightly that they drew blood. Lysander moved so fast that Ingrid barely saw him move. One moment, Falcon was right in front of her, in another moment, he was flying through the market and crashing into an empty stall.

"Touch her again," Lysander said, his voice dangerously calm, "and I will make sure you regret having hands."

Falcon scrambled upright, his face burning with humiliation. He looked at Lysander with wide eyes, as though he had only just remembered that the man standing in front of him was not someone he could bully. His wings spread slightly, and the feathers along his arms lifted as he prepared to move again.

Before he could take a single step, Lysander’s purple eyes narrowed, and the pressure coming from him made Falcon stop. "Do not test me, bird." Lysander added.

Hawk immediately stepped forward, his expression hardening as he looked between Lysander and his son. "Falcon, stay back," he ordered, although his own voice carried more caution than anger. He clearly wanted to protect his son, but even he seemed unwilling to challenge Lysander after what he had just witnessed.

After what seemed like an hour but was merely a few minutes, Hawk smiled and crossed his arms. He had thought of something.

"Attention everyone! I have a little announcement to make!" Hawk’s voice thundered across the plaza. "Anyone who does business with this woman will become an enemy of my guild. Buy a single item from them, and my guild will personally ensure your trading license is revoked and your stalls are burned!"

In her head, Lorna gasped out loud. ’ Host! This is bad! Hawk is a high-ranking warrior in the central market’s guard force! He has immense influence here! A lot of small merchants rely on his protection! Nobody is going to dare cross him for your sake!’

’Oh yeah?’ Ingrid smirked internally, her eyes flashing, ’Nothing on this earth, or in this fantasy world, is going to stand between me and my gold coins. Watch me.’

Ingrid burst out into a loud, mocking laugh that echoed loudly over Hawk’s dramatic speech. "Pahahahaha! Oh, listen to the big bad bird making threats!" Ingrid cackled, wiping a fake tear from her eye. "Since when did you become the King of the Market, Hawk? It’s not up to a brainless brute like you to decide who buys my goods and who doesn’t!" 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Hawk sneered down at her, chuckling maliciously. "And what exactly do you think you’re selling, Ingrid? Hmm? A bunch of stupid, worthless trash trinkets?! You never knew how to do anything and would spend time making those worthless things. I’ll advise you to take your things back and throw them into the trash or else, you might just get laughed at again."

After his words, a sudden, sharp memory flashed through Ingrid’s mind, a memory belonging to the original Ingrid. Years ago, the original Ingrid had spent months painstakingly collecting sea shells, polished stones, and woven threads. Despite being fat and mocked by everyone, she loved crafting delicate, beautiful bracelets and little art pieces. She had gathered the courage to come to the market to sell them, hoping to earn her own living. But Falcon and Hawk had found her. They had laughed in her face, smashed every single hand-crafted bracelet into dust under their boots, destroyed her stall, and locked her in a dark shed for two days as ’punishment’ for embarrassing the tribe. Ever since that day, the Original Ingrid had shut herself in her room, terrified to ever step foot in the market again.