4. You Are My Food

"Didn't you say you wanted to live?" Mister Cold muttered while stroking Amber's wrist with his thumb. Only then he was sure that the scar was real.

Receiving such a question, the woman was unmoved. With furrowed brows, she surveyed the situation.

"I still want to live," Amber said between rumbling breaths.

“Then why do you have a scar like this?” Mister Cold asked, twisting the woman's wrist. One of his eyebrows rose a little higher.

Seeing the faded trace of knife on her skin, Amber gasped. She didn't expect that the first person who managed to discover her secret was a cold, completely unknown man.

"That's none of your business," she replied, jerking her hand.

Unexpectedly, Mister Cold gripped even tighter. “Rather than dying in vain, wouldn't it be better if you surrendered yourself to me?”

Gritting her teeth, Amber sharpened her gaze. "I don't want to die yet," the woman said angrily. She suddenly forgot about her fear.

"Why? Haven't you ever wanted to kill yourself?"

"That is the past. Now I have a promise to keep," the woman answered swiftly.

Getting the unpredictable response, Mister Cold snorted lightly. "Isn’t promise made to be broken?"

"You are wrong. Promise is made to guide life. That's also what made me survive to this day,” Amber argued without thinking.

The man suddenly froze. With an even colder gaze, he asked, "Really? What promise do you have to keep?"

“If I say it, will you let me free?” Amber replied with the same expression.

In an instant, Mister Cold shifted positions. Quick as lightning, the woman pulled the blanket over her body and sat up.

"Say it!" the man said firmly.

"I've promised my friends to give their babies my own jewelry," Amber replied, half grumbling. She didn’t like to share information with strangers. "That's why I came all the way to this country to see Adam Smith."

Hearing that name, Mr. Cold suddenly clenched his jaw. "Why are you looking for that person?" he asked without looking Amber in the eye.

"Of course to learn from him. He's the best jewelry designer in the world. A caveman like you must not know.”

Ignoring the woman's muttering, Mister Cold said, “Stop chasing that man. He wouldn't want to teach a stupid girl like you."

"No, he would. My friend said that Adam Smith was a kind man. He’s friendly to everyone. Even though in the last two years, he has covered himself from the world, I'm sure he's still willing to help me,” Amber explained confidently. She already forgot that the man in front of her was a “cannibal”.

"Why are you so sure of a man you don't even know?" Mister Cold sneered while glancing with cold eyes.

“Because I love his shady green eyes. The first time I saw him in a magazine, I immediately fell in love. It's clear that Adam Smith is a kind and warm man, unlike you," Amber said in a low voice at the end of the sentence.

After rolling his eyes, Mister Cold got up from the floor. "How could women be so easy to fall in love?" A second later, he walked towards the kitchen. His intention to play with Amber's fear had vanished.

Seeing the man's response, Amber blinked in surprise. After shaking her head briefly, she followed.

"Thank you for letting me alive," the woman said stiffly.

Opening the cupboard, Mr. Cold said, "We're not done talking about it. Why did you thank me?"

"Didn't you agree to set me free if I answered your question?" Amber protested while occasionally glancing at the bottles in the cupboard in disgust.

After drinking the red liquid from one of the bottles, the man continued to speak. "I can't possibly give up my food for free."

"Are you expecting money?" Amber guessed, raising an eyebrow. She had just seen an opportunity. "That's not a problem at all. I have a lot of money. Whatever you ask for, I'll pay for it."

"I don't need your money," Mister Cold muttered as he sat down on a chair by the window.

“Then, what do you want? You couldn't have asked me to bring in another human, could you?”

Wrinkling an eyebrow, the man looked at the woman who was hunched over beside him. "Can you serve it to me?"

Covering her mouth with one hand, Amber stepped back. "Of course not. I can't sacrifice other people to save myself. I'm not a murderer."

"Then what can you offer me?" Mister Cold asked, lifting his chin.

"You really don't need money?" the woman asked, expecting a different answer.

However, the man still shook his head. "I don't need your money."

A second later, Amber sighed anxiously. "Then what should I give him?" the woman murmured while looking out the window.

"Why are you confused? Is money all you have?” Mister Cold quipped as he folded arms in front of his chest.

“Hey, do you think my life is all about money? I also have beauty and determination to be proud of. People admire me because of those two things.”

Suddenly, the man put on a crooked smile. Intention to play with Amber has re-emerged. "Then just give it to me."

"What? My beauty? How do I give that to you? Remember! You promised to let me live. That means, you can't peel my face off."

Squinting, Mister Cold looked at the blanket wrapped around the woman's body. "You know what? Even though I'm a cannibal, I'm still a man,” he said in an intimidating tone.

Receiving such an implied message, Amber's expression suddenly turned stiff. "You said you weren't interested in me," she spoke flatly. Her brain had detected the threat again.

"Yes indeed. But ..., in the middle of a forest like this, do I have much choice? Men are still men and women are still women. If you are not a woman, then you are my food.”

As tension ran through her veins, Amber swallowed hard. “But, aren't you impotent?”

Hearing that word again, Mr. Cold's breath suddenly roared. His emotions rekindled. Furious, the man rose from the chair and began to take off his coat. "Should I prove it to you?"

Surprised, the woman spontaneously stepped back. She did not expect that the Cannibal could be so angry. “Are you crazy? There's no way I'd want to be touched by a cannibal like you."

"Then you are my food!"

Mister Cold sounded ready to pounce. Feeling afraid, Amber immediately ran towards the exit. Unfortunately, just as she was about to reach the doorknob, the man grabbed her by the waist. A second later, the woman collapsed on the couch. As soon as she opened her eyes, Mr. Cold was already above.

“You have to choose. Your life or your body?”

While trying to escape, the woman shouted, "You have agreed to release me."

"Not without a fair compensation," the Cannibal said, catching both of Amber's hands.

Helpless, the woman grimaced in annoyance. "Wait a minute! Give me time to think," she pleaded. "There must be another way to pay."

“I have asked many times, but you didn’t offer a solution. I can't wait any longer. By now, you should know that I'm not impotent.” Mister Cold's sighs made the chills go down her spine. Amber really regretted bringing up the issue again.