The Fluffy Baby Fox Only Bites the Crazy Villain - Chapter 9
Karden drank the remaining wine and stood up. Maildra draped a thick cloak over his shoulders.
“Are you retiring to your chambers?”
“I’ll stop by the western villa first.”
Karden’s voice was dry, but Maildra’s expression wavered for a moment as if surprised.
However, befitting his long experience as the Grand Duke’s aide, he quickly composed himself and bowed his head.
“I’ll prepare the horses.”
The western villa was located in a secluded area within the castle grounds.
In the deep night when everyone was asleep, the northern castle was shrouded in darkness. Only the lights from guard posts and torches scattered along the castle walls illuminated the area.
Two horses galloped quickly over the stone path, breaking the silence of the quiet night.
Karden leaped off his horse in one swift motion as they stopped in front of an elegant red brick mansion. Maildra took hold of his horse’s reins.
“I’ll wait here.”
Karden strode purposefully towards the villa’s entrance checkpoint.
Three soldiers were guarding the front with tense faces.
Even though there was little chance of anyone daring to attack the northern castle, known as an impregnable fortress, the soldiers were on high alert as if facing an enemy.
“Open the door.”
At the Grand Duke’s command, the soldiers immediately saluted and opened the thick iron door.
Typically, mansion entrance doors were ornate or engraved with family crests to show off the family’s prestige.
However, the western villa’s entrance door was reinforced with sturdy wood and iron plates, resembling a small castle gate designed to repel enemies.
The garden surrounding the villa was desolate, with only a few withered trees and moss-covered statues. Karden strode across the garden without hesitation and stopped at the mansion’s entrance hall.
Knights armed with spears were guarding the entrance hall as well. As the knights saluted, Karden nodded with a tired expression.
As he entered the dark interior of the mansion, a butler was waiting for him with a lamp.
“Make sure no one comes near the room.”
“As you command.”
Karden took the lamp himself and headed towards a room at the end of the corridor.
Portraits of great knights from the Helleide family’s history hung on both sides of the corridor.
The Helleide family, possessing powerful magic, had produced Sword Masters for generations and fought monsters on the frontier’s front lines.
Beyond the dim lamplight, the figures in the portraits seemed to stare intently at Karden, their last descendant.
Karden raised the corner of his mouth in a bitter sneer.
“Still the same. This filthy feeling when passing through here.”
Walking down the corridor with portraits of great ancestors always felt unpleasant, as if the ghosts’ curses were clinging persistently.
Karden’s footsteps stopped in front of an old iron door at the end of the corridor.
The iron door was engraved with magic circles, and the handle was tightly wrapped with chains.
He took out a rusty key from his pocket and unlocked the padlock. The thick chains fell to the floor.
As he grasped the doorknob, a tingling current flowed as if activating the magic circle, but Karden paid no mind.
This level of barrier magic had no effect on him with his powerful magic.
The heavy iron door opened slowly with an unpleasant sound. Karden stared into the deep darkness beyond the door and muttered lowly.
“The curse of ghosts… It still continues even now.”
The dim light from the lamp pushed back the darkness in the room.
In the center of the lavishly decorated room was a massive bed. A middle-aged man with disheveled hair sat blankly on the bed.
He wore an expensive tunic shirt and trousers, but they were torn and tattered in places.
The man had the appearance of a dignified and strong knight, with a clear sword scar on his wrinkled forehead, indicating traces of valiant battles.
The man stared blankly into the darkness, not moving at all.
Thick chains and shackles were attached to his wrists and ankles. Red magic circles glowed on the surface of the shackles.
Sensing a presence, the middle-aged man suddenly turned his head.
Red eyes shone brightly through his disheveled hair.
They were the eyes of a beast, hungry for blood and filled with killing intent.
“Grrrr……”
***
The next morning, I slowly opened my eyes to the bright sunlight. Right in front of my nose was…
“Kaang!”
Karden was sleeping right in front of me. What? Why is the Grand Duke in front of me?
Wait, does that mean this room was Karden’s?
Although I was possessing a baby fox, my mind was that of an adult. This was the first time in my life sleeping in bed alone with a man!
I tried to run away, but I couldn’t move my body. Karden’s large hand was wrapped around my body, making it impossible to budge.
“Keuung. (It’s heavy. Move your hand.)”
Exhausted from struggling to escape his hand, I stuck out my tongue slightly and panted.
Giving up, I lay flat and looked at Karden’s face.
Karden was deeply asleep, either tired or just a heavy sleeper.
His face, peacefully asleep, looked much younger. He looked a bit cute, perhaps due to his defenseless state.
Usually, he looked scary with his expressionless face or furrowed brow.
Honestly, he was handsome. Under the sunlight, his face had perfect contours.
Straight, dark eyebrows and a high nose bridge. Even his lips looked soft.
Just then, Karden’s long eyelashes twitched. He slowly raised his upper body and lightly brushed up his bangs.
“It’s been a while since I slept so well. This is the first time I’ve felt so refreshed. Is it because you were here?”
“Kaang? (Are you saying I’m a sleeping pill?)”
His hand gently stroked my fur.
“Welcome to my castle, cotton ball.”
Karden’s welcome greeting was surprising. He really wants to keep me by his side.
But is it really okay to stay next to the villain? I was still confused, unable to find an answer.
“I should feed the cotton ball first.”
“Kaang? (Food?)”
I wanted to shout that food wasn’t important right now, that I was in the middle of serious contemplation about my life, but my stomach clock was honest.
Right. Let’s eat first and then think about how to live.
Just then, there was a careful knock on the bedroom door. The door opened, and Betty greeted politely.
“Good morning, Your Grace. I’ve come to fetch Shushu.”
“Alright.”
Betty still couldn’t make eye contact with Karden. Her hands were even trembling; Karden must be really scary.
Betty took me to a small room connected to the bedroom.
She brushed my tangled fur, gently wiped the sleep from my eyes with a damp cloth, and made my tail even fluffier.
But Betty’s expression looked dark and lethargic.
“Kaang? (What’s wrong? Did something happen?)”
When I tapped Betty’s hand with my front paw, she startled as if waking from sleep. Then she gently stroked my back.
“Shushu is really smart. It’s like you understand all my feelings. You’re truly a special fox.”
Betty clasped her hands together and bit her lower lip firmly.
“Because Shushu is a special fox… I hope His Grace will cherish you dearly.”
Her softly whispered voice carried an earnest wish.
Betty forced a smile and then, as if remembering something, picked me up.
“Oh my, look at me. The aide said to bring Shushu to the dining room. His Grace said he wants to dine together.”
He wants to eat with me? What is the villain planning?
Betty carried me and walked quickly towards the dining room on the first floor. From early morning, the Grand Duke’s residence seemed busy with servants cleaning and organizing.
Entering the dining room, a long 12-person dining table and a splendid chandelier caught my eye.
Karden was sitting leisurely at the head of the table, drinking coffee.
Dressed in a black uniform with gold trimmings and buttons, Karden looked quite handsome.
Betty placed me on the dining table and even laid out a small cushion for me. As I sat regally on the cushion, a servant brought a silver tray with food.
My breakfast consisted of lightly cooked chicken, bread pieces, and potatoes. They were cut into small, bite-sized pieces.
“Go ahead and eat, Shushu.”
Karden stared at me intently without touching his own plate.
Oh, could it be that he said he wanted to eat together just to watch me eat?
My guess was right. Karden’s food plate was far away from him. He had no intention of eating from the start.
I looked straight at Karden. And then I channeled a mother nagging her son who doesn’t eat breakfast.
“Kaaang, kreung kreung! (Eat your food! Breakfast is your strength and wealth!)”
I tapped Karden’s plate with my sticky paws and threw a tantrum. Karden shook his head as if admitting defeat.
“Sigh, how noisy. Alright. I’ll eat as you say.”
“Kaang! (You should have listened to me from the start!)”
I shouted triumphantly and started eating the delicious soup again.
The fox’s appetite was surprisingly good, and I cleaned out the soup plate in the blink of an eye.
Karden, who had been eating silently, got up from his seat and approached me.
“You have bread crumbs on your mouth.”
Karden gently wiped the bread crumbs and soup from my tiny mouth and fur tips with a napkin.
Ugh, how embarrassing. To still get food on my face.
Karden’s blue eyes gazed at me with a sharp light.
“Cotton ball, did you have healing powers?”
