I Became the Master of the Villain - Chapter 24

There were several people I suspected of being behind the assassination attempt.

The first thing that came to mind among them was Uncle James.

When I, my father’s only flesh and blood, is gone, Uncle James will be the likely successor to the title.

That alone was enough to motivate my ambitious uncle to assassinate me.

Besides, I sided with the workers in the textile mill strike.

My vindictive uncle might have decided to hurt me.

A few more relatives came to mind to succeed the title, but it was only suspicion.

“I have doubts, but I have no proof. If Sir Hans wakes up, I can ask him about the assassins, but…….”

I blurred out the end of my sentence. In the end, it meant that there were no leads for now.

“First, let’s gather the evidence while waiting for Lord Hans to wake up.”

“Yes.”

I nodded at my father’s words.

I don’t know who was after me, but I’ll find the culprit and make him pay.

That’s the best I could do to honor those who sacrificed…….

“By the way, Olivia. Would you like to see this?”

My father took a letter out of his pocket.

“While you were asleep, a man came from the Imperial Palace.”

When I opened the envelope my father gave me and took out the letter, I was the first to identify the sender.

Aaron Tobias, the Head of the Imperial Wizards.

I slowly read the letter.

“…….”

It requested that Kian visit the magical power monitoring station at the Imperial Palace as soon as possible.

When I put down the letter, done reading, my father said:

“When Kian regained his mana, Imperial Knights were sent to identify him.”

The guards I saw before I had passed out. Did they report it to the Emperor?

Then I understood what happened.

If you are born a magician in the Empire, you must visit the Imperial Palace to measure your mana.

In other words, it is similar to a birth registration that applies only to wizards.

Knowing that Kian became a wizard, the Emperor sent a man according to the custom.

If Kian didn’t know he was a sorcerer of the prophecy 20 years ago, it was reasonable.

“Have you been to the Imperial Palace?”

When I asked, Kian replied with a slight nod.

“I couldn’t make my own decision without my master’s permission.”

Even though he awoke as a wizard and he still called me master.

Now that he had enormous power and could protect himself, there was no reason for me to be his master.

I thought I should let Kian know.

But before that.

‘I think we need to deal with this problem first.’

The letter from the Imperial family even mentioned my name.

The imperial wizard must have addressed me because Kian was still my slave.

Then my father opened his mouth.

“Olivia, what are you going to do?”

“Well….”

My father’s eyes were on Kian. You’re probably going to ask if I’m going to keep Kian as a slave.

Of course, I’m going to liberate Kian. He wouldn’t want to continue being a slave.

But will you understand my decision to liberate Kian?

When I couldn’t answer quickly, my father smiled kindly and said.

“Do whatever you want, don’t worry about me.”

Was my father originally like this? He used to be more strict.

I think you’ve changed a lot since I almost died.

“Thank you, Father.”

“What, you don’t need my permission.”

My father stood up with the help of the butler.

“I think I’ve been holding you up too long. Get some rest.”

After my father and the butler left, I breathed a sigh of relief.

It was fortunate that there were events that went as the original, but other times it didn’t.

In the original work, Kian confronted the Emperor as soon as his powers awoke.

The Emperor did not know that Kian was the sorcerer of the prophecy.

It was because Kian tore the Balthazar Grand Duke, who tried to stuff him, to death.

“The Grand Duke was the Emperor’s brother.’

The Emperor tried to avenge his brother by killing Kian, but it didn’t go his way.

Even if they mobilized the army and sent powerful men, they could not kill Kian.

I was thinking about the original work for a while when Kian called me.

“Master, may I bring you some food to eat?”

After being asleep for a long time, I woke up and felt hungry. So Kian’s suggestion was very thoughtful. I smiled and said,

“Thank you. Please.”

Kian’s figure disappeared in an instant.

After a while, a Kian appeared with a tray of food.

There was a delicious smell stimulating the appetite from the warm soup.

“Magic is so convenient.”

“I think so, too.”

Kian, who answered with a smile, put the soup down in front of me.

“It’s hot, so eat slowly, Master.”

“Yes.”

I was going to take a bite of the soup and said to Kian.

“You must be tired. Go rest.”

“Let me make sure you eat.”

I said it was okay, but Kian stayed with me until I emptied a bowl of soup.

When I see Kian’s face looking at me with such a gentle look…….

It never occurred to me that he could have turned out to be genocidal.

Still, he’s the Kian I knew well.

I had no choice but to think so.

Olivia fell asleep again after finishing her meal.

Even though she regained consciousness, she shouldn’t overdo it.

You have to recover your energy fully.

Kian left her so she could rest comfortably.

He walked a long way from the main building and headed for the northern garden, where employees rarely visited.

Colorful flowers were blooming in the spring garden.

Kian walked in the quiet garden, not too fast nor too slow.

Every time he took a step, the flowers that had been blooming withered.

It’s so easy to take your life.

The same goes for human life.

He looked at the dilapidated garden and remembered the moment when he regained his magic.

It was not a force that flowed in from the outside.

Obviously, it was the power that resided inside of me.

The power I had since birth.

It was an enormous amount of mana that could not be diminished even if he used it.

He remembered the sensation he felt at the moment magic spread through his whole body.

The sense of breaking something that had trapped and held his powers inside.

Then he realized.

He couldn’t feel the mana until now because it was firmly sealed.

Who and why did they seal my magical powers?

If it was the result of someone’s hoax and I had to live as a slave for 20 years…….

I’ll find them and make them pay.

20 years of having to live as the lowest being.

That time is already irreversible.

So I’ll make you pay with your life.

To do so, there are many things to find out.

The first owner who bought me. I’ll find out which slave merchant sold me to him.

If you decide, you can just act.

Kian’s figure disappeared in an instant.

As if nothing had happened, flowers were blooming in the garden.

** *

The noise that was full during the day disappeared with the night, and only the sound of crying grasshoppers was heard.

A human shadow hangs over the room where the owner of the mansion and his wife are deeply asleep.

The guards, who are supposed to be on the lookout, have long forgotten their duties and wandered in their dreams.

Thanks to this, the intruder was silently staring down at the sleeping couple.

To be exact, his gaze is fixed on the man.

It was the owner of the mansion, Count Douglas.

As the blue light flashed from the intruder’s fingertips, the Count’s body suddenly separated from its comfortable bed.

The Count fell from his bed with a dull sound.

He raised his head in a hazy spirit, still unaware of the situation. Then, I found a strange shadow.

“W-who—?”

shouted the Count, horrified. The Countess should be surprised by the commotion, but she didn’t budge.

It was because of the sleeping magic that hung throughout the house. Even if her husband was killed in front of her, she would be asleep.

“Who else is there?”

Recognizing the presence of an intruder, the Count nervously glanced toward the door. But there was no answer from the guards beyond the gate.

Looking indifferently at the nervous Count, the man explained,

“It’s useless. Everyone is asleep.”

The Count hurriedly took out a dagger hidden under the bed and aimed at the man.

“Who are you? Whose orders are you acting on?”

Realizing that the room was too dark for the Count to see, the man gestured briefly.

All of the candlesticks were lit up, quickly brightening the room.

Surprised by the strange phenomenon, the Count gasped,

“W-wizard……!”

Toward the Count who fell and backed up, the man ordered.

“Look at it clearly. Who I am.”

The Count looked at the man’s face without even blinking his eyes.

The face brightened under the light was breathtakingly beautiful.

It’s been a long time, but he could recognize that face. He was convinced when he saw that unusual silver hair.

“Kian…!”

The Count’s eyes trembled as he put his long-forgotten name on his mouth.

Kian looked down at his old master with cool eyes.

“If you said you didn’t know, I would have made you remember…… the way you used to make me remember.”

“Well, that’s….”

The Count turned pale, remembering what he did to Kian.

“Relax. I’m not here to retaliate.”

Nevertheless, the Count could not be relieved at all. He said with his dagger clenched like a lifeline.

“Then why did you come here— to me?”

“I came here because I wanted to know something.”

“What the hell……?”

“Twenty years ago, you bought me from a slave merchant. Do you remember who that slaver was?”

***