Tame or Be Captured (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 012
“Yes….”
Asha shrank even further into her shoulders.
“…You must’ve really been set on getting hunted down. It would’ve been stranger if you hadn’t been caught. Just being good at riding wouldn’t have been nearly enough to escape that guy. You yourself know better than anyone how skilled the Emperor’s personal knights are.”
Asha nodded.
The thorn protecting the Emperor—the Cactus Knights.
Not only were they fiercely loyal, but once they set their sights on a target, they never let go.
They were just like cacti—armed head to toe with thorns, capable of surviving even under the scorching sun without water for days.
“…Alright. I’ll teach you how to ride.”
At Jackal’s words, Asha lifted her head eagerly.
“Really?”
“It’s still better than being unable to ride during a crisis. Besides, as I said earlier, we can’t accept a hunter who can’t even ride a horse.”
Jackal spoke coldly, yet immediately began laying out a concrete plan.
“There’s a horse perfect for beginners—I’ll have you practice on him first. I’ll personally instruct you.”
“Thank you!”
Asha replied with a bright smile.
As soon as breakfast ended, Asha arrived early at the open field used for training and waited for Jackal.
Soon, he appeared in the distance, leading a pure white horse.
At the sight of the horse—so white it nearly blended into the snowy ground—Asha’s eyes widened as she murmured softly,
“So pretty….”
For a moment, the horse’s white face flushed pink.
When Jackal gave him a warning glance, the horse squeezed his eyes shut and tried hard to look indifferent.
Asha, delighted, hurried over and gently stroked the horse’s muzzle—the horse instantly froze stiff.
Asha let out a soft chuckle and said,
“These horses here seem unusually shy—just like people.”
At those words, Jackal shot the horse a sidelong glare behind Asha’s back.
Receiving that look, the horse flinched and quickly pretended to be occupied with something else.
In truth, the white horse was Sosa.
Sosa, like Jackal, belonged to the Kelpie Clan—capable of transforming into a horse.
His large eyes shimmered with resentment and humiliation.
It was humiliating enough to stand bare before Asha, let alone with a bit clamped firmly in his mouth.
Yet Jackal coldly ignored that pleading gaze and said,
“Horses usually show wariness toward strangers at first. It’s surprising you’re not scared at all, considering you’ve never ridden before. What if you get kicked by the hind legs?”
Only then did Asha realize her rudeness and whispered gently to the horse,
“Sorry. I was a bit sudden, wasn’t I? I was just so happy. I really love horses, you see.”
At her soft voice, Sosa perked up his ears.
Jackal, too, felt as if her words were meant for him and cleared his throat loudly before saying,
“You shouldn’t start by touching the muzzle—it might startle him. Begin at the neck and slowly move your hand upward toward the face.”
Asha carefully followed his instructions, moving her hand gently from the neck.
Inside, Sosa thought bitterly, ‘Chief, why are you doing this to me…?’ and looked pleadingly at Jackal—but Jackal kept ignoring him and continued,
“This horse is gentle and fond of people, so he’ll be easy to handle.”
“I see. What a good boy.”
Asha smiled and finally stroked the muzzle once more.
This time, the horse accepted her touch comfortably, and Asha truly beamed with joy.
Sosa sighed inwardly and resolved to fully commit to his horse performance—but then Jackal’s next instruction made his eyes widen in shock.
“If you want to get close to a horse, brush him often. Horses really love being brushed.”
Somehow, Jackal’s look turned deeply meaningful, making Sosa gulp nervously.
But since this was essential knowledge for properly handling a horse, he couldn’t protest.
Asha, brimming with excitement, picked up the brush and began stroking his coat in the direction of the hair.
Sosa was mortified that she was touching his bare body—but even more ashamed that he actually found the sensation refreshing.
His eyes closed as he unconsciously trembled—prompting Jackal to suddenly smack his muzzle sharply with his palm.
Sosa let out a startled whinny—“Keeeng!”
Asha looked startled and asked,
“Did I do something wrong?”
“No. The horse misbehaved.”
“What did the horse do wrong?”
“There are things like that.”
Jackal’s gaze was so sharp that Asha dared not ask further.
He shot Sosa a fierce glare that clearly said, ‘If you feel anything, you’re dead’—leaving Sosa groaning helplessly.
Next, Jackal briefly taught Asha how to hold the reins and steer the horse in her desired direction, then helped her mount.
He grasped her waist and lifted her swiftly onto the saddle—making Asha blush slightly from embarrassment.
Truthfully, aside from the Emperor, this was the first time she’d had physical contact with another man.
When Karaf had touched her, it felt like being pricked by invisible thorns—but Jackal gave her a strange, ticklish yet secure sensation.
“At first, the height of the saddle might feel a bit challenging, but once you get used to it, you’ll be able to mount in one go without anyone’s help.”
Jackal outwardly remained composed, but inside, his heart pounded—he, too, was experiencing skinship with someone of the opposite sex for the first time.
Honestly, her slender waist and feathery-light body felt utterly unlike any man he’d ever known—it was as if she belonged to a different species entirely.
Shaking himself back to reality, he cleared his throat and said,
“Balance is the most important thing in riding. Keep your body straight from shoulders to heels, and use your hips—not your thighs—to maintain balance.”
Asha nodded and followed his instructions.
But Sosa, hearing those words, suddenly became hyper-aware of Asha’s hips—and his face flushed bright red again.
Jackal caught a glimpse of it and immediately smacked the horse’s muzzle once more with his palm.
The horse whinnied in pain—“Heeeng!”
Asha asked, startled,
“What’s wrong? Did the horse misbehave again?”
“Yeah. He may be gentle, but he’s a shameless one.”
“A shameless horse…?”
Asha blinked uncertainly but slowly withdrew the hand she’d been using to stroke the horse.
Sosa stared longingly at her retreating hand, his big eyes brimming with resentment.
Hearing his own past words thrown back at him, Sosa lowered his eyes in resignation.
…That meant he’d been wrong.
Only then did Jackal wear a satisfied, almost villainous smile—and with a clicking sound and a sharp ‘slap’ on Sosa’s rump, sent the horse forward.
Sosa’s eyes widened in shock, and instinctively, like any proper horse, began trotting forward with quick, light steps.
Asha rode the horse in a slow circle around the field.
Though the height was genuinely terrifying, the fresh air up high made her feel wonderfully refreshed and exhilarated.
Watching Asha ride far off with a childlike, beaming smile, Jackal suddenly imagined her riding on his own back.
If she ever wanted to ride a horse, he felt he’d gladly offer his back to her anytime.
In his tribe, it was tradition that a married man’s back was reserved exclusively for his wife.
Realizing his thoughts had gone that far, Jackal quickly shook his head to dispel the idea.
Meanwhile, Asha had already returned to him, carefully dismounted with his support, and said,
“Thank you for today’s lesson. It was so fun and helpful.”
“I’m glad.”
Asha didn’t forget to thank the horse as well.
“Thank you. You’re such a pretty horse.”
As she gently brushed the horse’s coat, Jackal, watching intently, suddenly asked,
“Who’s prettier?”
“Huh?”
Both Asha and Sosa looked at him in surprise.
But Jackal, unabashedly serious, pressed on,
“Between my steed and that pale, lifeless-looking horse—who do you prefer?”
At being described so dismissively, Sosa’s eyes dimmed.
Jackal stared back expressionlessly, as if saying, ‘So what?’
Asha smiled faintly and replied,
“Obviously your steed, Chief. He’s very special to me. Of course, this one is also angelically beautiful with his pure white coat—but a lustrous bluish-gray coat like yours is truly rare in a horse.”
“Exactly. Extremely rare—so rare you won’t find another like him anywhere. Even the Emperor probably doesn’t own one.”
Since Jackal agreed so readily, Asha furrowed her brow earnestly and added,
“That’s right! He’s also very smart and brave.”
“He certainly is brave. Despite being a horse, he knows no fear—once charged straight into enemy lines to rescue a fellow member.”
“Really?”
Asha gasped in genuine amazement.
Beside them, Sosa finally couldn’t bear it any longer—he turned abruptly and fled the spot.
Asha tilted her head slightly and asked,
“Where’s he going?”
“He’ll go home.”
“The stable?”
“Yeah. Our horses always know the way back home on their own.”
Jackal replied with feigned nonchalance.
“I see… How amazing.”
Watching Asha believe his words so earnestly, Jackal barely suppressed a twitch at the corner of his lips.
After a moment lost in thought, Asha suddenly tilted her head again and asked,
“But just now… didn’t he seem like he was crying?”
“Why would a horse cry?”
“You’re right… I guess not.”
Thinking she must’ve imagined it, Asha dismissed the thought—but in truth, large tears welled in Sosa’s eyes as he walked briskly away.
Humiliated and heartbroken, he sobbed softly—“Heehee”—with each step, tears plopping steadily onto the ground.
Jackal considered it a thoroughly satisfying riding lesson—completely unaware that his actions today would soon come back to haunt him….
As if suddenly jealous of Sosa, Jackal transformed into a horse himself that evening and strode proudly toward Asha.
He was certain she’d be delighted to see him—after all, he’d patiently waited only for her return from her outing.
But the moment he confidently kicked open the door, his eyes met Asha’s—who happened to be changing clothes.
“Oh.”
Asha was briefly startled, then quickly approached him with a happy smile.
Flustered, Jackal immediately turned his back, avoiding her gaze.
His pupils trembled violently.
Only then did Asha notice her state of undress and laughed,
“Oh—wait just a moment! I’ll change quickly.”
Seeing the horse still turned away, sweating profusely, Asha chuckled as she dressed,
“You really are just like a person….”
His behavior reminded her exactly of how Jackal had reacted the last time she’d undressed in front of him.
Clearly, horses truly did resemble their masters.
Once fully dressed, Asha crept up behind him and gently touched his neck.
Jackal jumped in surprise, whipping his head around to look back at her.
The motion sent his bluish-gray mane fluttering wildly.
Male lead fell into her trap — and shattered when she walked away
This is also on my reread list!
This one is a slow burn, but when it burns, it burns hard.
Definitely worth a read, y’all!
The story follows a thousand-year-old seductive spirit who, on a bet, sets out to charm the male lead—a once-promising but unfortunate cultivator.
But just when she succeeds in making him fall for her, she heartlessly leaves, driving him to madness.
Determined to find her at all costs, he captures her, keeping her by his side no matter what, even if she hates him.
I love this kind of trope—I enjoy watching the male lead suffer in agony.
The ending drags a bit with unnecessary filler, but that’s fine.
As long as I enjoy the beginning, I’m good.
Intro
As an enchantress, Su Heng possesses captivating eyes and charming beauty, easily manipulating the joys and sorrows of living beings at her fingertips.
But to enchant a god, making him taste the bitterness of love’s separation, long-lasting resentment, unattainable desires, and inability to let go…
Do you dare?
Su Heng assists a divine lord in his cultivation, aiming to make him experience all the sufferings of love, so that he can attain the Great Dao.
Only after being chased down from the heavens by the divine lord, confined and completely possessed by him, does she realize how successful she has been.
The once gentle and polite youth has transformed into someone she no longer recognizes.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
No way…did Karaf set up this situation with the assassin or kidnapping attempt to earn points?
Not practically, it is a form of torture. Jackel didn’t jump into the water on his own while tied to the boulder.
It seems backward that the Empress is invited to a Duchess’ tea party.