The Fluffy Baby Fox Only Bites the Crazy Villain - Chapter 21
“T-that’s true, but… No, wait a minute!”
Ah, I almost got caught up in Karden’s words again.
I shook my head vigorously and brushed off his hand. Then, placing my hands on my hips, I shot him a challenging look.
“Something’s been bothering me – why do you keep calling me your companion?”
“Because you are my companion, aren’t you? What’s wrong with that?”
Seeing Karden respond so nonchalantly made my blood boil.
I should take this opportunity to properly define our relationship.
“That’s not right. Usually, people say ‘companion animal.’ And strictly speaking, I’m not even Your Grace’s companion animal. Officially, I’m Your Grace’s healer. There’s absolutely nothing personal between us.”
Despite my clear correction of his mistake, Karden wasn’t listening at all.
Suddenly, he ordered his subordinates to handle the cleanup and called for a carriage to be prepared.
“Why the carriage?”
“Let’s return to the Grand Duke’s residence. You still can’t ride a horse.”
“That’s true. It was easier to move around when I was a baby fox.”
Just then, two healers who had received urgent messages from headquarters arrived at the annex.
Karden entrusted his uncle Bert to the healers’ care and left the annex with me.
Outside the annex, a carriage was waiting.
I leaned back into the plush carriage seat. It was my first time riding in a carriage as a human rather than a fox, and I felt overwhelmed with emotion.
“Leave only some troops behind and return!”
I closed my eyes while listening to Captain Burke’s booming orders to his knights.
Having swallowed such powerful mana and become human, plus being in a constant state of tension, fatigue washed over me as I finally began to relax.
That’s when the carriage door suddenly swung open. The person who entered was Karden.
“Your Grace, why are you here?”
“I feel like taking the carriage right now too.”
The hastily prepared carriage wasn’t particularly spacious. For someone of Karden’s large build to sit, he would have to sit right next to me.
“Isn’t the carriage too cramped for you?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Karden squeezed in next to me all the way. I pressed myself against the carriage window while internally complaining.
As the carriage jolted into motion, my body swayed and I ended up falling into Karden’s embrace.
“Huh?”
Karden had removed his heavy armor and was wearing just a light tunic shirt and leather vest. Because of this, I could feel his broad and firm muscular chest directly.
Strange. When I was a baby fox, being held in Karden’s arms felt warm and nice, but now that I’m human, my face feels hot and my heart seems to be racing.
“E-excuse me!”
I hurriedly pulled my face away from his chest and sat pressed against the window as far as possible.
A soft “heh” sound of suppressed laughter reached my ears.
“Shushu, you don’t need to be so tense.”
“I-I’m not tense!”
I pouted and turned my head away sharply.
“Thank you. For treating my uncle. I’m truly grateful.”
I slowly turned my gaze back at Karden’s sincere thanks.
Meeting Karden’s serious blue eyes that were looking at me intently, I felt breathless. I lowered my head and clasped my hands tightly.
“I didn’t treat him. I just swallowed the mana.”
“No. If it weren’t for you, I would have committed an unforgivable sin.”
In the original story, Karden had personally executed his uncle Bert, whom he respected, trusted, and relied on.
The guilt and pain of killing his own blood relative had caused Karden’s mana outbursts to become more frequent.
It had become the decisive trauma that turned him, the North’s commander and kingdom’s guardian, into a villain.
“I’m really glad.”
I barely managed to speak while holding back tears that threatened to well up.
I was glad that he wouldn’t suffer anymore, that he could smile so peacefully like this.
His hand gently enveloped mine. The warm touch between humans was something I hadn’t felt in so long that I stared blankly at our overlapped hands.
“Shushu, you are House Helleide’s benefactor.”
Karden lifted my hand and pressed a firm kiss to the back of it.
His lips were so soft and hot that my heart trembled.
His intense blue eyes staring at me were too powerful.
“Remember this. When our family receives a favor, we engrave it in our souls and never forget. We will spend our entire lives doing our utmost to repay that debt.”
“…What?”
Why are you saying something about repaying a debt in such a challenging way?
My face burned hot.
I didn’t know what to say and wanted to escape this situation, but of course, the carriage was too cramped to move at all.
What if Karden hears my heartbeat at this rate?
“I’d like an answer from my benefactor.”
“Huh? W-what answer?”
Karden suddenly grabbed my chin and turned it toward him.
With him holding my chin, there was no way to avoid his gaze now. My face must be bright red.
“May I start repaying the debt? From now on.”
“…!”
What are you planning to do!
I screamed internally.
Why has Karden, who used to smile warmly when I was a fox, turned into such a dangerous man?
My heart was beating too fast, and my breathing became rapid. A hot flush spread throughout my body.
“Ah…!”
Whoosh!
White smoke rose from my body, and in an instant, I shrank.
When I came to my senses, I was trapped in a pile of clothes.
I lifted my pointed snout up and wiggled out of the clothes pile, shaking my whole body’s fur.
“Kyaang!”
Ah, I turned back into a fox again!
My perked ears drooped in frustration and disappointment.
“You lasted longer this time. About an hour, I’d say.”
Karden said leisurely while taking out his pocket watch to check.
“I thought I could stay human longer…”
I was genuinely disappointed. I wanted to stay human longer, but this is all Karden’s fault.
It must be because he startled me with strange talk about repaying debts and threatening me.
“It’s better that you turned back into a fox.”
“Kyaang! What do you mean by that?”
As if adding fuel to the fire, Karden spoke calmly.
“I didn’t like the way my subordinates were looking at you when you were human.”
“Kyaang?”
I tilted my small head, not understanding what he meant at all.
“A goddess with beautiful eyes descended among those dark men – of course, they’d all be enchanted. I was enchanted first, though.”
“Kyaang! Don’t say such nonsense!”
When I jumped up in protest, Karden caught me in his arms as if he’d been waiting for it.
I tried to push him away with my round front paws, but it was already too late.
His embrace was warm and cozy, making me automatically let my guard down.
Haah, it’s frustrating but it really is comfortable.
“You worked hard today. You must be tired, so get some good rest.”
“Kyaang. Make me lots of delicious food when we get to the northern castle.”
“Of course. You can eat whatever you want. You’re cutest when you’re eating.”
“Nng. Are you telling me to become a pot-bellied fox? What if I’m chubby when I turn human?”
Looking at my plump pink belly, I felt worried.
I was honestly concerned because I’d just been eating well, resting well, and playing while being a fox. What if I get fat?
“Why worry about such things? I don’t mind. Whatever form you take.”
I was about to protest with a few words, but Karden gently scratched my nape with his long fingers.
Such devilish fingers. This makes me so comfortable that I’m getting sleepy…
I hugged my fluffy tail and fell into a deep sleep in Karden’s arms, listening to his steady heartbeat as a lullaby.
***
The next morning when I woke up in my basket, Karden was nowhere to be seen. His bed sheets were perfectly made without a single wrinkle.
Despite having maids to tidy the bedroom, Karden was so meticulous that he always made his bed perfectly himself.
From what I’d observed of his daily life so far, he seemed incredibly busy every day without a moment’s rest.
Personal training from dawn, knight training and meetings in the morning, meetings with elders and inspections in the late morning. Office work in the afternoon, wall patrols, and evening meetings with knight captains and paperwork.
I thought a villain’s life would be full of luxury, pleasure, and plots to dominate the world. But looking at Karden, he’s too busy to even have time to plot conspiracies or rebellion.
Tsk tsk, poor villain. If he became a fox like me, he could live without a care in the world.
“Lady Shushu, did you sleep well?”
Betty asked carefully, showing an apologetic expression.
“Ah, Betty, good morning. What’s wrong? Is breakfast here already?”
“Oh no, it’s time for your physical training.”
Betty watched my reaction with a troubled expression.
“Physical training? Suddenly?”
“Don’t you remember? His Grace ordered that because Lady Shushu’s physical strength is too weak, you need to do strength training every morning.”
This can’t be happening. Is this what it feels like to have the sky come crashing down?
I wanted to live comfortably as a cute baby fox, just eating, sleeping, and rolling around every day!
