Taming The Villainesses

“So, Theo, I heard you've lost Aira's favor? What the hell did you do to get jailed?”

Dolkong, dolkong-

Inside the carriage, the silent Elga suddenly asked.

It took about thirty minutes before she could no longer keep her mouth shut.

I thought Elga held it in well.

“What the hell did you do? Huh? Tell me!"

Elga was like a curious and chatty teen. I wondered if I could tell her the truth.

Ultimately, I just decided to give a roundabout answer.

“I spoke informally to Her Majesty. Due to the lack of respect for the Royal Family, I was imprisoned for half a day….”

The words ‘Come with me’ became a justification to put me in the dungeon. Of course, for Aira, it was just an excuse to keep me.

This was what she really meant.

‘Chill there for a while.'

After being released from prison, I had an unprecedented week-long vacation.

Of course, as always, Aira could still summon me anytime.

“I don’t know why, but Aira said that she doesn’t want to see you or even have you mentioned?”

This time, Aira seemed to be very angry.

It was my first time doing something like this.

First of all, considering that she didn't execute me, this was actually a positive outcome.

If it was the Witch Queen Aira in the novel, she would have crushed my head with telekinetic power like smashing a watermelon.

You could say that Aira was acclimatizing to the positive direction I had laid out – frankly, wasn’t she turning over a new leaf?

“What the hell happened? C’mon, let this big sister know. I won't tell anyone!”

By the way, Elga, who kept talking beside me, was getting annoying.

A dark expression appeared on my face as I said in a heavy voice.

“Do you really want to know? What Her Majesty and I talked about while alone at night?”

“.. Alone, at night…?”

Elga's mouth shut.

With a crumpled face, Elga stared out the window as she couldn't handle my gaze. Finally, she screamed with a frown as if she was angry.

"Fine. Fine! Actually, I'm not even that curious. Didn't you just speak to her informally? The situation just felt weird…”

She then turned her head away.

After that, Elga said nothing.

It was going to be quiet for a while…

“… So, just the two of you… What were you talking about…?”

…Didn't you just say you were not curious?

Between curiosity and the desire of not wanting to hear it, Elga seemed to have chosen curiosity in the end.

That was how everyone swallowed their regret.

It was like asking about your girlfriend's ex-boyfriend. They were things you hated to hear, but still wanted to listen to.

Of course, it wasn't really that serious, so I just told her what I could.

“I just said I was going to quit my job. After working as a court gardener for about a year, I wanted to leave. Then, there was only a little bit of an argument.”

“Is that so?”

Looking at the window's reflection, I could see Elga's expression, who was still staring out, slightly loosened upon hearing my story.

But she did not stop there. She kept on asking questions in a row, as if she was interrogating me.

“Quitting your work?! Why? Are you going to return to the Lioness Family?”

"No, I'm not. It's a bit difficult to explain. It has to do with policy.”

“Yeah, I suppose so. You are a great gardener… But, aren't you staying at our Lioness Family mansion this week?”

“It's only for two days.”

Two days.

During my vacation, I decided to spend two days in the Lioness Family mansion, the ‘Lion's Den'.

The reason for my stay there was to avoid the scorpion assassin who might target me while I was on vacation alone.

Also, there was someone I would like to meet.

It was the person I wanted to avoid the most. Compared to Aira, this would be more difficult and trickier to deal with.

But for my plan, I had no choice but to meet them.

“Hehe.”

“Did you just laugh?”

"No, not at all!”

Elga awkwardly coughed, but she didn't seem to notice that her expression was reflected on the window and could be seen from where I was sitting.

Seueuk.

The corners of Elga's lips curved like a scheming villainess.

What tricks were you plotting?

In fact, Elga was a villain in the novel. She was like an evil character from a previous generation.

Elga then said.

“Hmmm. Theo, you punk! You dare speak informally to Her Majesty the Queen? As the Royal Sword and the Lady of the Lioness Family, I have no choice but to punish you!”

“Haven’t I already served my due punishment in prison?”

"What kind of punishment was that? Aira is just too soft. As the Queen, she shouldn't be so lenient. If I were her, I'd at least hit you ten times with a whip!"

Aira was soft?

This was the first time I'd heard this.

Of course, Elga probably wasn’t being serious.

She was just using it as an excuse. The main point that Elga wanted to say was brought out at the end.

“Alright then, I’ll punish you. Close your eyes.”

“…..”

This again?

Nonetheless, I closed my eyes.

No matter what, I was alone inside the Lioness Family's Elga-exclusive carriage.

It would be better to just follow her whim rather than getting flicked for trying to rebel.

When I closed my eyes, I could feel a Human's warmth approaching me. There was also Elga's signature apple scent.

Soon, soft lips would overlap mine.

Feeling the elegant smell and breath coming closer, my blood unconditionally flowed down to my lower body. Was this what Pavlov's dogs felt?

Kwaak.

But it was someone's fingers that touched my face…

“Arghh!!!”

I opened my eyes and saw Elga twisting my nose. It hurted so much that tears came out!

“Wha, what are you doing!?”

“What do you mean? This is your punishment! What? Were you thinking of something else? What did you think, huh? And who told you to open your eyes?”

Perhaps because of her red dress, she seemed like the villain in the novel with her current expression.

“What did you think I, the eldest daughter of the Lioness Family, would do with a blasphemer like you? Huh? Yo, you bastard!”

“Ugh…”

“Hah! What were you thinking?”

Only when my nose felt like it was going to fall off did Elga let go. She burst out laughing and said, “You look like Rudolph!”

Evil bitch…

My nose was throbbing.

Come to think of it, the original Elga Von Lioness was such a girl.

A damn naughty girl who didn’t follow my thoughts.

I must have lost my touch after the long court life.

* * *

The Lion's Den was a villa-type mansion built by the Lioness Family in the center of Monarch City.

Of course, even if it was a villa-type mansion, it was as luxurious as the home of some high-ranking nobles.

Furthermore, one might even dare to say that the ‘Lion's Den', which was located in Borgia, the western part of the city controlled by the Lioness Family, was so grand and beautiful that it could even be compared to the central court.

These were places that showed how high the power of the Lioness Family was within the Angmar Kingdom.

“My Lady, you are back. I'll take care of your luggage. And, Gospel….”

The old and seasoned butler of the Lioness’s received my luggage.

He looked at me with mixed emotions, before smiling.

“Lord Gospel, we shall take your luggage and carry it to the guest room.”

That was great.

Someone who was once a slave to this family was being given this kind of treatment. It was amazing that there were people in this world who could put aside their personal feelings.

There was nothing to hide.

I had been a slave to the Lioness Family for about three months.

A slave who poured tea.

It was, so to speak, an exclusive luxury for the aristocrats.

In this world, having slaves were expensive and troublesome in the first place.

The experience at that time also helped me adapt myself to this world. I never thought I'd come back here in any shape or form.

After all, when I was freed, I left this place with a vow to never return.

“Ah, and Lord Gospel. The Master is looking for you.”

“…….”

• Edited by: Mochiusagi
• Quality checked by: faker