Hiding Behind Her Superficiality by Kyla Olson

The man was stumped, and his heart skipped a beat when the benign young woman’s gaze at him turned hostile the next second. “What do you want?”

“Nothing, of course.”

Sure, that was what she said, but Elspeth still rotated her wrist while approaching the man.

“I’m warning you, you better not touch me. I’m—” the man cautioned in panic and nearly revealed his identity, but he quickly shut up, his face dark.

“You’re what?” Elspeth was rendered stupefied, and during the moment she zoned out, the man’s countenance shifted multitudes. “No, nothing. I’m no one. Alright, what do you propose?”

Lo and behold, Elspeth clasped his wrist the next second, and it was only now that he realized her grip on him half an hour ago was already considered loose. Now, not only could he feel a sense of restraint but even intimidation.

At that, he gulped, suddenly realizing this young lady wasn’t someone he could mess with.

“Do as I say. Be a good doctor and hand me the herbs I want.”

“Ptui! Dream on!” the man cussed.

“Right now, you’re in my hands, and there are only the two of us here.” Elspeth shrugged. It seemed that she wasn’t afraid at all. “What makes you think I will listen to you?”

The man sneered in response. “I’m warning you—there’s a trap in here…”

At that, Elspeth moved to his back and yanked the button out when she felt it by his feet. Then, she dangled it in front of him and asked him with feigned innocence and shock. “What trap? You don’t mean this thing, do you?”

The man’s smile disappeared instantly, replaced with disbelief. “How did you know that was it?!”

He had never told anyone—even his mentee—about the trap in here. So how was it possible for a young woman, who had just entered his dispensary in less than half an hour, to know about the trap he had set up?!

but Elspeth made nothing of his paranoia and only asked

that the man realized the young woman standing in front of him wasn’t only

like Schwartz, that

force himself to say no, so he ended up grumbling, “Can you let go of me first? I’ll try and find you whatever

about how he was feeling. She pulled a rope out

this myself. I’m quite familiar with it, you see.” Elspeth smiled at him with

she came back out with a bag—from who knew where she

the medicinal herbs to the man, she failed to hold back and guffawed when

hand, the man’s heart twinged painfully as though someone had lacerated it when he looked at all the herbs she had bagged up. Then again, he had lost to her, so he couldn’t

already got what you came

you’ll have to stay tied up for a

was no fool. He would certainly catch her if she released him now.

then waltzed out of the medicinal herb dispensary, leaving the

he rued

couple of minutes later, only to be

gestured with his eyes for the foreign

hurriedly released the man. “Why are you tied up, Doctor? I thought you were looking for me? The

disappointingly at the foreign man before saying, “We’ve

“What?”

she appears to be. She’s a skilled

bad she was Schwartz’s

unfortunate even

into anger after hearing the man’s words. “What do you say, then,

her. Second, I will beat you into a pulp