[Having learned from her earlier mistake, Mai's only response to him was to curtly nod her head. The gesture was big enough to notice, but with her expression and eyes turned downward, it would be easy for the man to assume she was merely nodding to herself over the progress of untying.]

Some of these are...sticky. Like bits of tree sap got in here. These two here--[She motioned to two knots that appeared tied together]--aren't even looped. They're just stuck. It'll make untying a little harder, but not impossible.