Chapter 94 - DAGGER

Achis is also a man with a prurient mind, he just chooses not to satiate himself on that immoral act. Yet, this woman piques his thirst. With just a single phrase, how interesting was that…

"Sure." Redirecting his eyes to hers, he nods casually like had not thought about her sensually.

"Second, let me stay here until I learn swordsmanship from you." She added, lifting her middle finger to make a peace sign, indicating a counting of two.

"Swordsmanship?" Achis was startled, from being flustered to amusement by this fatuous condition.

"Yes."

Can a woman even hold a sword? How could she sway it? With that slender delicate wrist of hers. He was terrified of the idea that her bones would break trying to utilize the weapon.

"Bai, you can't just learn swordsmanship on a whim." He refuted dryly. "You are a lady." He put forth his main concern with a long face.

Yanarym pressed her lips to a thin line. Hearing his rhetoric, she repudiated! What's wrong with a woman studying sword techniques? Oh, she forgot. This was the epoch where feminism hadn't been addressed. She's in the patriarchal period. Worst age of being a woman.

A woman is a tool, not a person. Could only be seen and cannot be heard. You're blind even if you see fine. You're deaf even if you hear clearly. You're mute even if you talk splendidly. But guess what? She will not tolerate this man or any men treating her like one. She might act, or pretend as one, but in the end, she will make sure that it was worthy. She's not something to belittle, if some other woman prefers to be that way, she does not. She's Yanarym for Pete's sake.

"I know I am a lady but being a woman can't become an excuse to be weak." She said pragmatically, Achis was stunned by her statement.

Weren't women determined to be feeble and etiolated? They have emasculated frail bodies, they couldn't withstand a single battle. They could be injured, and the worst dies upon entering the field of brawling.

It's not an excuse but a fact. Women were supposed to stay at the house to do the chores, men should do the job from the outside.

All they had to do was serve their husband and children and be protected. Those were the basic duties that they should fulfill. That was their purpose because that was what a woman should do. How come she concluded that it was an excuse? When it was completely not.

Yanarym distinguished the condemning gaze of Achis. She had seen this before, it was her father's disappointed expression when she failed her license examination in her past life. Along with the piercing gape he criticized her because she was born as a woman. And was told that women were brainless, inutile, and should stay at home and not waste money on going to college.

She knew it very well, she had lived her entire first life living with that kind of father. No matter how hard she tries, no matter how many achievements she brings home with her, no matter how much she sacrifices she'll never be enough because she was born as a female.

But she's not ashamed, she will not once deny her gender. Why should she? Because some men have no acknowledgment that they don't recognize women's worth and value. It's funny, they have been living a lie their whole life if they were still not enlightened about how great a woman could be.

"Men are supposed to protect women, Bai. Because you, women, are fragile and we are strong."

"I was not protected by the man who ravaged me, Datu Achis." Yanarym made a grim assertion emphasizing his title which comes off as irreverence.

"I was not forced because I am a woman. I was attacked and taken captive because I was not strong enough to fight back." She added cogently.

"You said that, but you can't be strong just because you want to. Bai, women's strength is par from men's."

"That's because you develop your muscles faster. But women could do what men can do too."

"No, Bai. Women are weak, they are emotional and delicate."

"You know what, if we start to argue regarding this matter, we will never finish our conversation. I don't need your judgment, I can't insist my beliefs on you and you can't do that on me too. Just tell me if you will or will not teach me." Yanarym started with a stern expression of firm conviction.

Achis was stupefied with her resolution. Her glib tongue together with her restive and abstruse temperament. She's making him dumbfounded, how can a mere young lady of some house be so audacious to a Datu?

She's even setting the tides on their discussion. Why is she the one who has the say in here? Why can't he contradict?

" You will use my resources and take my time. What will I get in return?"

"Once I have learned enough from you, I will go home. Then, I will tell my baba to give you whatever you want."

"Whatever I want?"

"Yes."

"Does your baba have something I don't?"

"...I don't know. We'll find out if you agree. So, what do you say?"

"I feel that you are tricking me."

"How can I? At first sight, you are generous and wise. I can't trick you. You are not stupid. I am a mere woman, you see. How can a benevolent ruler like you be fooled by me?" She smiles sweetly along with her twinkling mischievous eyes.

"You are plausible, for that, I agree. However, you have to learn how to wield this first." Achis took his small knife that was placed on his waist. Extending his arms he handed it over to her. A dagger? Real life dagger?

Yanarym examines the little knife that was given to her.. It had a gold handle that perfectly fits her hand.