---------------
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
---------------

Episode 3
I sniffled and opened my ‌‌mouth to speak, but producing human language in ‌‌‌‌animal form proved far more difficult than anticipated. My vocal anatomy was simply ‌‍‌incompatible with human speech.
Still, after marshaling every ounce of effort as a marten, I managed to construct something resembling a ‌‌sentence.
"Dekku gajoo, dekku gajoo!"
After muttering the same sounds repeatedly, I finally collapsed in exhaustion.
Whoever I encountered, I would need to cry out with all my strength to survive. I had to escape this place.
"Me, person talk, first time. Pretty look please (I'm speaking human language for the first time. Please be ‌‌‌kind to me)."
It was at that precise moment.
Creeeeak.
As if responding to my words, the bookshelf across from me rotated ‌‌entirely, revealing a secret passage that materialized from nowhere.
A suspicious passage if ever there was one—the ‌‌‌‌kind that spies absolutely must never witness. ‌
'...What?'
And moments later, a breathtakingly decadent beautiful man emerged from within.
Jet-black hair. Dark teal eyes where deep green overwhelmed ‌the lighter blue. Long, sharp eyes and a nose as refined as a blade.
And... from the moment he took his first step, an oppressive alpha pheromone radiated outward.
Whatever he'd been doing, he stood there in a disheveled suit, exuding ‌‌such raw sexuality—as if he'd written "I am the villain of this story" across his very being—that even a child's tears would cease.
'He's from the Saber-tooth Tiger Clan!'
The ‌‌‌combination of black hair and dark teal eyes was a hallmark of the Saber-tooth Tiger Clan. In other words, he was one of the masters of this Estate.
"Oh."
So startled I ‌‌‌couldn't even prostrate myself, I found myself frozen—and the beautiful man's eyes widened with amusement.
"How troublesome. I didn't expect anyone ‌to be here."
Wow, ‌‌‌that kills me. That ‌‌cavernous baritone.
The sheer overwhelming presence—as if black aura were pouring from his very back!
...I nearly fell under his spell, but the moment he extended his hand, I snapped back to ‌‌reality and shrieked.
"I'm, I'm an innocent ‌‌‌‌‌young girl! Don't kill me!"
Honestly, it's hardly fair for you to emerge on your own and then hold me responsible for discovering your secret! Besides, I've been here days longer than you!
Though he hadn't even accused me yet, I found myself ranting frantically.
Of course, only in my mind, because I was terrified.
I'm a marten who values her life.
"Ha."
Trembling with tension, glaring at him, the beautiful man let out a short laugh. It was a peculiar sound—somehow reassuring yet amused simultaneously.
'Why does he look at me that way when we've just met?' ‌‌‌‌
But before I could examine him further, he swept his hair back and posed a low question.
"Didn't you just ask me to spare your life?"
His heavy voice pressed against my ears like stone. I rolled my eyes and offered my response.
"Y-yes, that's right...!"
The beautiful man calmly closed the secret passage ‌‌‌door again and stepped ‌‌‌closer to me.
His face seemed to read "should I or shouldn't I," so I hesitated and retreated two steps—but it was all for nothing in this confined space.
'W-what do I do?'
Am I really going to die here as a marten?
'Should I try to act cute?'
At that moment, I became certain he was the villain of this novel. Because if there were two villains who looked like that, the protagonists wouldn't even get a chance to stretch before the story fell apart. They'd be sliced in half mid-yawn!
Desperately racking my small ‌‌‌brain, I calmly brought my tiny front paws up to cover my eyes.
This was the best I could manage.
"Badger can't... can't remember. ‌‌Don't remember, sir."
But ‌‌the handsome man chuckled and tilted his head slightly.
"Yet ‌‌‌‌I watched you stare blankly at me for ‌‌‌several seconds, so your eyesight seems perfectly fine."
"...!"
Damn it, he had a point I ‌‌couldn't refute!
My strategy of playing dumb had failed miserably.
What do I do now? How can ‌‌I survive this?
'Think. Think. I'm just a badger, but there has to be a way out.'
But before I could finish my thoughts, the villain knelt down to meet my gaze.
His voice was deceptively sweet for a villain, but his eyes were those of a predator—cold and piercing blue. The chill in his gaze was so terrifying that my mind went completely blank.
"But why is a little one like you in a place like this?"
"!"
"Poor thing... it ‌‌‌seems you've been hired ‌as a Chimney cleaner. I distinctly ordered that no children be employed, yet this is happening anyway. Isn't that right?"
Don't panic, me!
Just say yes.
Tell him I didn't want to be here, that the maids said to only come ‌out when ‌‌‌cleaning the Chimney because I was in the way!
And... and they don't give me food. They don't give me blankets. They don't even light a fire for me...
"Whimper."
Tears started to form. But my mouth wouldn't open. It wasn't a matter of courage—it ‌‌‌was his pheromones as an alpha that instinctively pinned me down.
'Ugh. I'm going to be sick.' ‌‌
The pheromones of a high-ranking predator filled the cramped Storage Room. A badger was a predator too, but I was far beneath even the claws of the Saber-tooth Tiger Clan. Against such overwhelming dominant pheromones, I couldn't move an inch.
"How unfortunate. I hate things too weak to answer my questions. Are you frightened?"
Hiccup!
At his words, I began hiccupping uncontrollably.
I had to answer, had to answer ‌‌quickly. Maybe he wouldn't find out I was a spy.
If I just nodded, that would be enough...
"Spy... I am..."
...Squeak! ‌‌‌‌
'I'm doomed!!!'
What was I thinking? This cursed truthful mouth!
Shocked beyond measure, I ‌‌clutched my tail and trembled violently. There was no time to gauge his expression.
'I'm going to die. I'm definitely going to... ack!'
Hiccup!
With my eyes squeezed shut, I tried to back away, but a violent hiccup shook my entire small body. My foot slipped, and I fell ‌‌flat on my back.
As I lay there in a position that seemed to invite him to strike, ‌‌I gave up on everything and simply prayed for a painless death.
'A mouth that spills the truth ‌‌even when I've swallowed all my reasons...'
This is all because ‌‌‌I've lived an honest and righteous life. Sob, sob.
'Please, in my next life, let me be reborn as a beast at the top of the food chain...!'
Living recklessly with such dominant pheromones!
"A spy...."
He drew out his words slowly.
But, aren't you ‌going to kill me right away?
"Hic!"
Gasp!
I cautiously cracked open one eye before hiccupping violently again.
I scrambled my front paws forward and quickly covered my mouth.
"Hic, hic, hic!"
It was utterly useless, though I felt like crying.
"What am I to do with this? A meatball-sized thing claiming to be a spy. The Holy Empire must be nearing its end." ‌‌‌
Is he seriously threatening me by saying I'm one bite-sized?
'I know! I know ‌I'm bite-sized!'
With a simple flick of his finger, he obliterated our ceiling and lifted me by the scruff of my neck.
Now that death was upon me and I'd lost all fear, I ‌‌‌glared at him with all my might and threw a ‌‌‌jab with my plump front paws.
This marten will land at least one hit before dying!
"Are you ‌‌‌displaying stereotypic behavior from being confined? Self-harm ‌‌‌‌‌is not good, you know."
What are you talking about? I was trying to hit you!
But my words seemed to reach him not at all. The decadent pretty boy who'd reined in his pheromones clicked his tongue lightly and ‌‌‌‌greeted me.
"What is your name?"
"Um, I don't have one...." ‌
That was right. This wicked Holy Empire wasn't considerate enough to give names to spies they sent ‌‌‌as young maids.
At best, they'd slap numbers on us like Agent 17 or Agent 20.
"If you have no name, then you have no guardian either."
Apparently satisfied with my answer, the pretty boy murmured something under his breath. In ‌‌‌that moment, ‌‌‌a glimmer of madness flickered in his teal eyes, and I flinched without meaning to.
'I know who this person is.'
At first, I was too terrified to remember immediately, but now that I'd calmed down somewhat, my heart was screaming it.
A low, quiet voice, measured speech, those teal eyes that seemed somehow twisted. Everything pointed to only one person.
"The ‌‌black mage, Kyrakus...!"
No! Of all people, I had to get caught by the number one persona non grata in this novel! Where does my possession misfortune end?
"Oh, you ‌‌‌know of ‌‌‌me? Then this conversation will move quickly."
But there was no escape, and Kyrakus immediately stuffed me between his jacket. In other words, he shoved me into his vest, draped over his half-open shirt.
"Albinos are rare. I don't dislike rare things. Since you've confessed the truth so obediently, I'll overlook the spy matter."
"Re, really...?"
Truly? You're a beast capable of such magnanimity? That can't be right.
I stared up at him with wide eyes in disbelief, and Kyrakus chuckled once more. But his eyes weren't smiling ‌‌at all, not even a little.
"However, that would be forgiving too easily, so there must be conditions." ‌‌‌‌
He stopped abruptly and looked down at me, his eyes widening.
"Ah, yes. I've been needing a daughter-in-law anyway... If you become my daughter-in-law, I might just let you live?"

---------------
Brought to you by Valir ‌Scans! To support ‌our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
---------------