The Fluffy Baby Fox Only Bites the Crazy Villain - Chapter 8
There was no time to grab the inkwell. The black ink spread instantly.
The white paper and books were stained with black ink, and it seeped deep into the luxurious wooden desk.
Oh, what should I do now?
I was dazed in the miserable situation, almost wanting to cover my eyes.
At that moment, my snow-white front paws were also stained pitch black with ink.
“Kaang!”
Startled, I pattered my feet on the desk.
Ah, the situation has become even more of a mess.
My black paw prints were dotted all over the desk and scattered documents.
“Shushu!”
Karden’s rough voice echoed.
Then, my body floated in the air. Karden had picked me up.
Maildra quickly stood the inkwell upright and cleared away the books and documents. Some documents were so blackened they had to be discarded.
Karden carried me and walked quickly towards the drawing room.
There was a water bowl for washing hands in the drawing room. He gently wiped the ink off my paws with a handkerchief dampened with water.
As I flinched, Karden silently dipped my paws in the bowl and washed them clean.
The black ink was removed, but the tips of my fur remained gray.
His expression was so impassive that I couldn’t tell if he was angry or not. I would have nothing to say even if Karden got angry and kicked me out.
I whimpered, feeling anxious and sorry.
How nice it would be if I could speak human language at times like this.
I looked up at Karden with an anxious expression. My perked-up ears drooped down on their own.
“Shh, it’s okay. I’m not angry.”
“Kying. (I’m sorry.)”
I thought he would get angry or scold me, but Karden comforted me in a gentle tone.
“It’s not your fault, Shushu. This happened because I didn’t close the inkwell lid properly.”
Suddenly, I wondered if I might have been trapped by preconceptions.
In the original story, Karden was the villain and appeared as the antagonist, so I naturally believed his personality would be violent and cruel.
But the current Karden was so kind that I almost felt like crying.
Karden called Betty, who was waiting outside the drawing room.
“Shushu seems very tired. Take her and put her to bed.”
“Yes, understood.”
Karden left me with Betty and turned back to his office. Only then did I notice that ink had spread on his snow-white sleeve cuffs.
Did it get stained while picking me up? I felt sorry again.
Betty took me out of the office and walked down the corridor to the room at the very end.
It was a large, spacious room, but it was desolate with only one king-size bed and a few pieces of furniture.
“Shushu, please wait a moment. I’ll prepare your bed.”
Betty lit the fireplace to warm the room, then brought a basket.
The basket handle had a blue ribbon attached, and a blanket was spread inside.
“This is now Shushu’s bed. Come and lie down.”
“Kyaang? (My bed?)”
I hopped in and snuggled into the basket. It was woven from reeds and was just the right size for my body.
The blanket was fluffy like a cloud, which I liked. I curled up into a ball and lay down.
It’s cozy and nice, like being in a mother’s embrace. I like it.
A purring sound came out of my mouth involuntarily.
“I’m glad you like it.”
I was grateful to Betty for preparing the basket and bed for me. I wanted to thank her, but it was frustrating that I couldn’t speak.
How nice it would be if I could convey my feelings.
Earlier, when I made a mistake, I wanted to tell Karden I was sorry.
Betty’s hand slowly stroked the fur on my back. Though it was the hand of a woman in her 20s, it was rough and had many small scars.
She must have worked hard as a maid. Her hands must never have a dry moment.
Feeling sympathetic, I unconsciously licked Betty’s hand with my tongue.
“Oh my, that tickles. Shushu.”
“Kung! (Oops!)”
An animal’s tongue couldn’t possibly be clean. If my saliva got into Betty’s hand wounds, it could get infected. What should I do?
But Betty looked at her hand and was amazed.
“This can’t be, the wounds have disappeared.”
“Kaang? (Really?)”
The wounds on Betty’s hand had vanished as if by magic.
Did they heal because I licked them? I couldn’t believe it. To think that I had healing powers.
“My goodness, Shushu, you’re amazing. Thank you for removing my wounds, Shushu.”
Betty gently stroked my fur with a warm smile.
“Shushu, it’s time to sleep now. You must be very tired today, right?”
“Keuung. (That’s right. It was a hectic day.)”
Transmigrating into a baby fox, caught by the villain, causing accidents. It was truly an exhausting day.
Betty turned off the lamp so I could sleep comfortably and left the room. I stared blankly at the soft glow of the bonfire.
At first, I thought the northern castle was a den of evil, but all the servants are kind and gentle.
Even Karden, the villain, doesn’t seem to be as bad as I thought.
I quickly shook my head from side to side.
No! Don’t let your guard down! If I’m careless, I might end up becoming his treatment.
I need to escape from here and find a way to become human again. Quickly…
The crackling sound of the bonfire spread like a lullaby.
I tried to keep my eyes wide open to stay awake, but in the end, I succumbed to the clutches of sleep.
***
After returning to the room and confirming that baby fox Shushu was asleep, Betty quietly left the room.
The Grand Duke’s residence was as quiet as a mouse. It was past midnight, and the servants were asleep in their quarters.
Betty arrived at a brisk pace in front of the Grand Duke’s office.
A soldier guarding the office stretched out his hand to stop Betty.
“Stop. The Grand Duke is currently undergoing treatment. Have you forgotten the rule that you shouldn’t come here?”
“I know. But I’ve come to report to the Grand Duke about Shushu.”
Betty spoke, trying to remain calm. As the soldier opened the office door, she cautiously stepped inside.
There was an absolute rule that the servants of the Helleide Grand Duke’s residence had to follow.
Do not go near the Grand Duke’s office after midnight. After midnight, the Grand Duke would call a healer for magic stabilization treatment.
If the treatment failed, the Grand Duke would go berserk, destroying nearby furniture or attacking people.
A few years ago, there was an incident where a new servant who went to the office encountered the Grand Duke in a berserk state and was attacked to the brink of death.
Betty’s hands trembled with fear and tension, but she endured and entered the office.
There was a secret room in the office, which was the Grand Duke’s treatment room.
It was said that there was a magic circle with a soundproofing effect, so the sounds from inside couldn’t be heard from outside.
As Betty was about to open the door, the treatment room door opened, and a haggard-faced man came out supported by soldiers.
The man was powerless as if his life force had been drained.
“…!”
Betty trembled with fear. That man was the healer. Following him, Grand Duke Karden came out of the treatment room with his aide Maildra.
The Grand Duke was wearing a black robe and his entire body was drenched in sweat. His red eyes shone brightly through his wet black hair.
It was like the eyes of a beast satisfied after devouring its prey.
Through the slightly open robe, his bronze chest muscles were clearly visible. On the Grand Duke’s chest was a red magic circle that looked as if it had been carved with a knife.
Maildra discovered Betty trembling in the corner and became furiously angry.
“Betty, why are you here? Have you forgotten the rules?”
“I-I came because there was something urgent to report about Shushu.”
Grand Duke Karden sat down in an armchair and spoke in a languid voice.
“What is it? Speak.”
Betty got goosebumps at the Grand Duke’s appearance, completely different from during the day. She began to speak with a trembling voice.
“It seems Shushu has healing powers. When she licked the wounds on my hand with her tongue, the scars disappeared without a trace.”
Karden’s expression changed to serious in an instant upon hearing Betty’s words. Maildra couldn’t hide his surprise either.
“Keep absolute silence about today’s events. The fact that the fox has healing powers must not be known outside.”
Karden’s gaze was chillingly cold. It was completely different from the gentle look he had given Shushu during the day.
Betty trembled with fear and bitterly regretted coming to report.
She had reported with joy, thinking that the usually cold and strict Grand Duke seemed to care for the baby fox.
She believed he would love the baby fox even more.
Betty bowed her head, holding back tears that were about to burst out.
“I-I will keep it in mind.”
Betty fled from the office.
After confirming that the maid had left, Maildra handed Karden a glass of wine.
“The baby fox’s abilities are more impressive than we thought. Not only can she calm magic power, but she also has healing abilities. What do you plan to do with Shushu?”
Karden slowly savored the red wine, then spoke.
“She’s more useful than I thought. I’ll keep an eye on her for a while.”
Maildra nodded with a dark expression, then made a suggestion.
“Your Grace, since Shushu has healing powers, how about keeping her by your side while you sleep? It might be effective in calming your magic power.”
Karden’s gaze moved to the tea table. On it was a crumpled piece of paper with clear baby fox paw prints.
It was a trace left by Shushu when she spilled ink earlier in the day.
“If magic control works, I’ll have to keep her by my side at all times. I should give her that much treatment.”
The corners of Karden’s mouth lifted slightly as he looked at the baby fox paw prints.
