I Became The Villain’s Master - Chapter 2.7

What went wrong?

When and where did it go wrong?

Something changed when Merchen helped the laundry slave escape.

That day, the slaves complained about the hot climate and hard labor, throwing Father’s cherished clothes on the muddy ground before falling asleep, and the kind Father gave them precious ice to keep them cool while working.

The slaves who worked all day kneeling on the ice got frostbite on their calves.

When the ice melted, new ice was brought.

They were so moved they could cry, so at night, an ice bed was made for them to lie on, and they were tied down with ropes.

Perhaps feeling sorry for their skin peeling off from freezing to death, Merchen untied them and helped them escape.

It was puzzling.

Until then, Merchen’s compassion had been limited to family and her nanny Ann.

Merchen extremely disliked anyone intruding into the boundaries she had set.

Naturally, she never even glanced at slaves or servants whose names she didn’t know.

But why…

Moreover, the Merchen that Sugar knew doesn’t act in secret unnecessarily.

Because just a word to Father would solve everything.

If she asked to release them, he would; if she said to kill them, he would.

But instead of telling Father, Merchen snuck out in the middle of the night and cut the ropes herself with small scissors in her tiny hands.

It became even clearer after the silver-haired slave arrived.

That Merchen was no longer the Merchen from before.

“Why doesn’t she tell?”

Just one word to Father and Sugar and Cream would be scolded to tears and back down.

But Merchen didn’t do that.

She just struggled alone to protect a boy larger than herself.

Why did she change?

Why so suddenly? What triggered it?

Sugar stared at the silver hair gleaming brilliantly in the sunlight.

Delicate flower-like eyes and graceful gestures.

He had known from the start that this was no ordinary person.

The day he went to the imperial palace with Father, his pronunciation was similar to that of a little boy pretending to be dignified among young nobles his age, acting high and mighty as if he were a high-ranking aristocrat.

But whether he was ordinary or not, what did it matter?

Now he was nothing but a mere slave.

“Young miss! Look over there! A flower has bloomed on top of the cactus!”

The excited voice irritated his ears.

Merchen was smiling at the slave boy as if finding his wonder cute.

Ever since that boy arrived, Merchen’s gaze had always been fixed on him.

She looked at him as if seeing something fascinating, admiring, pitying, and even blaming herself.

It felt like his adorable youngest sister, whom he had kept hidden and didn’t want to show to anyone, had been snatched away in an instant.

The light sandy hair that used to naturally wrap around his hand when he reached out was now beyond his reach no matter how far he stretched.

A great sense of loss welled up, as if there was a gaping hole in his chest.

Fierce jealousy filled the tattered, hole-ridden space densely.

“If only that guy would disappear…”

Could they return to how things were before?

***

Ziiip.

Rustle.

Scratch scratch scratch.

Careful noises disturbed his sleep.

When I pricked up my ears, the sound stopped.

Then, the sound of footsteps was heard, gradually fading away.

Was it a dream?

While pondering for a moment in a half-asleep state, an ominous feeling made my eyes snap open.

“Squeak!”

The tent zipper was open, and the rope connecting Rory and me was cut off.

‘Rory!’

I jumped down from the bed and pushed the door.

It wouldn’t open, so I scratched at the door frantically with my delicate claws.

We increased the number of guard knights significantly, so why!

Could it be that the knights were taken out too?

What on earth happened?

As anxiety was burning me up inside, the door suddenly opened.

“Young miss. Why are you up so early instead of sleeping more?”

Sir Peanut!

The knights were fine.

Then why did they let Rory be taken away?

Rory definitely went out through this door.

A human might not have noticed, but thanks to my developed sense of smell as a fox shapeshifter, I could trace Rory’s scent.

“Young miss. Rory just went to the bathroom. Please go back to sleep.”

The bathroom is inside the room, what are you talking about?

I could see the knights averting their eyes slightly.

They’ve betrayed me.

For ten knights to disobey my orders… it must be the Count’s doing.

But why now, when the Count has been quiet all this time?

Sir Peanut reached out to me with a troubled expression.

I quickly escaped through the knights and ran towards the stairs.

The stairs, which were already high when I was human, now seemed like a towering cliff to my smaller fox form.

“Got you! Ah!”

One knight picked me up, but I bit his hand and leaped onto the stair railing.

As I slid down the railing like a slide, I saw the front door closing.

I could see Sugar standing in the wide hall with his arms crossed.

Bang!

Instead of the closed front door, I hid in the opposite direction and ran to the kitchen.

“Young miss!”

The knights shouted as they ran down the stairs.

“Merchen?”

Sugar raised his eyebrows and turned his head, then amidst the knights who were frantically searching for me, he stared directly at where I was.

He must have caught my scent.

This was bad.

I entered the kitchen pantry and hid behind a sack of flour.

The back door was locked, so I couldn’t get out.

“Little sister-. Where are you?”

My heart sank at the gentle voice.

My fur stood on end at the eerie feeling, like in a horror movie.

He was definitely asking while already knowing.

“Merchen-. Merchen-. Are you hiding here?”

Thud. Thud.

The footsteps drew closer.

I can’t be caught.

If I’m caught now, I’ll be locked up without knowing what’s happening to Rory.

Rory’s scent might be erased, and I might never find him, or in the worst case…

Squeak.

‘Squeak?’

I got goosebumps all over.

A huge rat!

There was a large rat behind me.

Squeak squeak!

The rat scurried into the wall.

A rat hole!

I pushed my head into the fairly large hole.

I barely managed to squeeze through and get outside.

“Merchen! Damn it!”

I could see Sugar’s face peering through the rat hole.

His hand suddenly reached out through the hole, trying to grab me.

I frantically fled, avoiding Sugar’s hand.

Bang! Bang!

The pantry’s back door shook violently as if someone was trying to break it down.

‘I need to get to the backyard!’