Sniffling, I tried to open my mouth, but speaking human words in animal form was no easy task. The structure of my mouth was completely different from a human’s, after all.
Despite my efforts, all I could manage was a semblance of a sentence.
“Take me out, take me out!”
After repeating this several times, I flopped down in exhaustion. Whoever I might meet, I had to scream for my life and get out of here.
“I’m speaking human for the first time. Please understand.”
Just then...
Creeeak.
As if someone had heard me, the bookshelf opposite me suddenly rotated, revealing a secret passage. It looked suspicious, the kind of place a spy should never be caught seeing.
“What...?”
And then, a breathtakingly handsome man emerged from it.
Jet-black hair. Dark teal eyes, more green than blue. Sharp eyes and a nose that could cut glass.
And... from the moment he stepped out, he exuded an overwhelming alpha pheromone.
He looked like he had just come from some tumultuous activity, with his suit in disarray. It was as if he was announcing to the world, “I am the villain of this novel,” with a seductive presence that could even stop a child’s tears.
“A saber-toothed tiger!”
The combination of black hair and dark teal eyes was a trait of the saber-toothed tiger clan, meaning he was one of the masters of this mansion.
“Well, this is unexpected.”
Noticing me frozen in place, the handsome man smiled with his eyes.
“This is quite a predicament. Who would have thought someone would be here?”
Wow, that voice. A deep, cavernous tone.
He had an intimidating presence, as if a dark aura was emanating from behind him.
As he reached out, I snapped back to my senses and screamed.
“I’m an innocent girl! Don’t kill me!”
Honestly, blaming me for stumbling upon your secret passage after you appeared out of nowhere is a bit unfair, isn’t it? Besides, I’ve been here for days before you showed up!
Even though he hadn’t blamed me yet, I was already shouting in my mind out of fear.
Of course, I kept these thoughts to myself. I value my life, after all.
“Haha.”
As I trembled in fear, glaring at him, the man let out a short laugh. It was a strange laugh, as if he was both relieved and amused.
‘Why is he looking at me like that?’
Before I could scrutinize him further, he brushed his hair back and asked in a low voice.
“Didn’t you just ask to be spared?”
His heavy voice weighed down on me like a rock. I rolled my eyes nervously and quickly answered.
“Y-Yes, I did...!”
The man nonchalantly closed the secret passage and took a step closer to me. His face seemed to be debating whether to ‘slash or not to slash,’ so I backed away two steps, but I was still in the cage.
‘What should I do?’
Am I going to die like this?
‘Maybe I should try being cute?’
I was certain he was the villain of this novel. If there were two villains as striking as him, the protagonists wouldn’t stand a chance. They’d be killed off in a yawn!
Desperately thinking, I brought my tiny paw up to cover my eyes.
This was the best I could do.
“I didn’t see anything. I don’t remember anything.”
However, the man chuckled and tilted his head.
“You were staring at me blankly for a few seconds, so your vision seems fine.”
“...!”
Ugh, there’s nothing to argue with!
My strategy of feigning ignorance had failed miserably.
What now? How can I survive this?
‘Think, think. I’m just a weasel, but there has to be a way.’
Before I could finish my thoughts, the villain crouched down to meet my gaze.
His voice was sweet, but his eyes were predatory. His icy blue pupils were so terrifying that my mind went blank.
“Why is a baby in a place like this?”
“!”
“Poor thing... You were hired as a chimney sweep, weren’t you? Even though I strictly instructed not to hire children, this happened. Is that correct?”
Don’t be scared, me!
Just nod and say yes.
I wasn’t here by choice. The maids said I was a nuisance and told me to come out only when cleaning chimneys!
And... they didn’t give me food, blankets, or a fire...
“Sniff.”
Tears welled up, but I couldn’t speak. It wasn’t a matter of courage; the alpha pheromones he emitted instinctively suppressed me.
‘I feel like I’m going to throw up.’
The small storage room was filled with the dominant pheromones of a top-tier predator. Even though I was a predator, I was still a lower-tier one compared to a saber-toothed tiger. I couldn’t move a muscle under such strong pheromones.
“Hmm. I dislike those who can’t answer my questions due to weakness. Are you scared?”
Hiccup!
His words, sounding as if he was troubled, made me hiccup.
Answer quickly. He might not realize I’m a spy.
Just nod...
“I’m a spy...”
...Oops!
‘Damn it!’
What’s wrong with you, you stupid truthful mouth!
Terrified, I clutched my tail and trembled. I couldn’t even look at his face.
‘I’m going to die. I’m definitely going to die... Ack!’
Hiccup!
Shutting my eyes tightly, I hiccuped so hard I fell over.
Lying there, as if offering my belly, I decided to pray for a painless death.
‘I should have known I’d blurt out the truth.’
This is the result of living a lifetime being honest and righteous. Boohoo.
‘Please, let me be born at the top of the food chain in my next life...!’
So I can live recklessly with dominant pheromones like him!
“A spy, huh...”
He drawled.
But, he’s not killing me right away?
“Hiccup!”
Gasp!
Opening one eye slightly, I hiccuped violently again.
Frantically, I brought my paws up to cover my mouth.
“Hic, hic, hiccup!”
I wanted to cry. Nothing I did worked.
“What should I do? A little thing like you, a spy. It seems the Holy Empire’s days are numbered.”
Is he threatening me by saying I’m just a snack?
‘I know! I know I’m just a snack!’
With a flick of his fingers, he knocked off the top of our enclosure and picked me up by the scruff of my neck.
Having lost all fear due to the impending death, I glared at him and swiped my chubby paw at him.
Even if I die, I’ll get one hit in!
“Is this stereotypical behavior from being confined? Self-harm is not good, you know.”
What are you talking about? I was trying to hit you!
But it seemed my words didn’t reach him. He clicked his tongue and greeted me.
“What’s your name?”
“I don’t have one...”
This damn Holy Empire wasn’t kind enough to give spy children names.
At most, they’d label us as Number 17, Number 20, or something like that.
“If you don’t have a name, you don’t have a guardian either.”
My answer seemed to satisfy him as he mumbled to himself. During that time, I caught a glimpse of madness in his dark teal eyes, and I flinched.
‘I know who he is.’
At first, I was too shocked to remember, but now that I had calmed down, my heart was screaming the answer.
That low voice, that calm way of speaking, those dark teal eyes... There was only one person he could be.
“The Dark Sorcerer, Kiraxis...!”
Oh no! I’ve been caught by the number one villain in this novel! How unlucky is my reincarnation?
“Oh, do you know about me? That makes things quicker.”
But there was no escape, and Kiraxis immediately stuffed me into his jacket. So, I ended up inside his half-open shirt, tucked into his vest.
“Albinos are rare. I don’t mind the rarity. You even confessed the truth, so I’ll overlook the spy thing.”
“Re-Really...?”
Really? Are you that generous? I can’t believe it.
As I looked up with wide eyes, Kiraxis chuckled again. But his eyes didn’t laugh at all.
“But forgiving you so easily wouldn’t be right, so there must be conditions.”
He stopped walking and looked down at me, smiling.
“Oh, yes. I happen to need a daughter-in-law... If you become my daughter-in-law, I might spare you.”
