Stella tried in despair to free herself from his grip, but she couldn't; this person was much stronger than she was. The dim light of the carriage interior flickered slightly, casting moving shadows across the wooden walls, making the situation feel even more tense.
She screamed, "Hey, what are you doing? Let me go, or I will scream at the top of my lungs, then you will blame yourself."
The surrounding area outside the carriage was noisy with distant market sounds, but inside it felt isolated, amplifying her frustration.
He replied mockingly, "What? Hah! If anyone here is going to scream, it should be me. Now, tell me, what were you doing in my carriage? Did you steal something? Answer."
His tone carried a cold certainty, as if he had already decided her guilt.
Stella became more agitated after hearing his accusation, "Steal? You must be a fool. Who would even covet such petty things you have?"
The carriage jolted slightly as it stood still among other parked carriages, adding tension to her unstable balance of emotions.
He responded with the same coldness, "Really? So, you have other intentions besides stealing as well? Shame on you."
Stella became even more upset and decided to scream, but before she could, she lost her balance and fell to the ground. Dust rose slightly from the wooden floor as she hit it.
She cursed, "You bastard! What are you doing?"
"What did you say? You thief."
The air between them grew heavier, and for a moment even the surrounding sounds of the city outside seemed distant.
Stella grew even more provoked, thinking of leaving without a second thought. However, after what happened, she decided to teach him a lesson.
She turned to see who this arrogant was.
A young man looked to be in his twenties, tall and lean, with fair flawless skin and average features, displaying an air of pride. The faint light from the carriage entrance outlined his silhouette sharply.
His long brown hair fell smoothly to his shoulders, framing sharp eyes.
He wore well-coordinated clothes in rich colors, seemingly of good material, enhancing his aura of arrogance and haughtiness, as if he belonged to a higher place than the crowded streets outside.
"You're insisting on making sure you let me know that you're rude."
"Oh, look who's talking about rudeness, don't think that everyone is like you, idiot."
"Idiot?"
"Yes, idiot, if you weren't, you wouldn't have behaved like this with anyone. Without even asking, you attacked me and accused me…"
Before she could finish speaking, they were interrupted by a man rushing up to the young man, saying, "Mr. Adam, there is a problem!"
The sound of hurried footsteps echoed briefly across the wooden platform outside the carriage. The man was pale and visibly agitated. He approached the young man's ear and said something in a low voice.
After hearing that, he spoke indifferently, "Huh, I was surprised that she hadn't done it yet."
Stella was surprised by his reaction, "The news must be bad and he's still so indifferent?"
The two were talking to each other in a low voice, while Stella was still sitting on the floor, slowly regaining her breath.
"Good, the bastard is busy, I have to take the opportunity and leave now before the problem gets bigger. I'm indeed leaving now, but I know what he looks like very well, I'll make sure he regrets it later."
She quickly got up to move away, the wooden floor creaking slightly under her movement, but the same hand grabbed her from the same place.
"Where do you think you're going, you haven't answered me yet, what were you doing in the carriage? If you don't answer, I'm gonna throw you in jail for theft."
"I told you I didn't steal, I just was…"
She stopped talking after she almost told him.
"Listen, I'm going to give you one last chance. If you tell me what you have been doing other than stealing, I'll forgive you."
"I've been hiding."
"From what?"
"There were a bunch of people following me. I couldn't find anywhere else so I ended up in your carriage, and I apologize for that."
After hearing that, he let go of her collar, but without knocking her down this time. He gave her a closer look, as if evaluating every detail about her appearance and behavior.
Then he said, "You are not from here, are you?"
She thought a little before answering, "I am from the West."
Stella had already decided she would change the area where she came from after parting from the caravan, and she chose the West because of Helena.
Helena's father was from the West, and he looked like her. Unlike everyone else, Stella and Helena looked a little similar, especially in skin tone, so the West seemed like a plausible identity choice.
His features suddenly shifted from indifference to seriousness. After a moment of silence, he said, "Did you come here yesterday?"
This made Stella get provoked again. She replied, "It's none of your business. You've cleared up the misunderstanding now, so let me go."
She turned around to leave, trying to regain control of the situation, before he stopped her, saying, "I have a job for you."
"What nonsense again? I told you to leave me alone."
He smiled slightly and said, "You know, the story you told didn't convince me. I still doubt that you wanted to steal, and I also have a witness to it, so…"
Stella looked at him sharply. "What do you want?"
She is a smart person after all.
"Well done, you are smarter than I expected."
"Stop the nonsense and tell me what you want?"
"Can you work as a nanny?"