I Reincarnated As The OP Villainess!? - Chapter 18

-Snow’s pov-

Mason looked at where the mark used to be in amazement.

With my enhanced hearing, I heard the guards starting to make a fuss.

“they’re coming. Let’s go!” I grab Mason’s hand and lead him into the forest.

“Um… Princess?” He called and I turned around.

“Yes?” I answered.

“Do you know your way around this forest?” I stop for a moment.

“It’s fine I can navigate easily up above the trees. I mean an imperial castle won’t be hard to spot.” I said as he laughed.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” He said as I also laughed a bit.

“Ah, what about your brother? What does he look like? What’s his name? Where did he disappear? How old was he when he disappeared? Maybe I can help you find him.” I ask faster than a machine gun.

“He has black hair with a red streak, red eyes, he disappeared around the outskirts of the land Flame Heart, I called him Cat, and he was only a year old when he disappeared.” He answered all my questions without missing a beat.

“Efficient,” I exclaimed in surprise.

“Of course,” He smiled.

“So, he was one year old? How many years ago was this?” I asked, taking mental notes.

“12 years now,” He answered.

“How old were you then?”

“5 years old”

‘So he’s 17? He’s 10 years older than me… Maybe I could still do that proposal’

I shake my head ‘This is no time to be thinking about that!’

“Here take this,” I removed my porcelain lily hairpin, and gave it to Mason.

His eyes go wide “I couldn’t possibly take that you’ve done enough for me, princess!”

“Haha, come on, just take it I’m a princess I have a lot more. I have a whole bouquet of these in my drawer, do you think one lily would make a difference?”

He looked a little surprised then smiled.

“I see so it’s like that, then I won’t refuse a gift from the princess,”

He took the hairpiece gently.

“I will always be in your debt, princess,” he knelt like a knight and kissed the back of my hand.

I blushed madly.

“You should go, I can hear the guards searching the area,” he got up and jumped on a nearby tree branch while turning around one more time.

“I swear on my name that I will repay my debt to you, princess,” he gave me a small salute, then he turned, and left.

I waved goodbye, and when he was out of sight, I thought about when I would meet him again.

“Did you forget about me already?” A rabbit popped up out of nowhere and scared me.

‘Can my poor heart really not take a break?’ I thought to myself.

“Y-yes, what did you want to ask from me?” I asked the rabbit stooping down so we would be on the same eye level.

“Nothing really, you already gave it to me.” He said standing on his hind legs.

“Hm? What did I give you?” I asked curiously.

“A life contract!” He said, clapping his paws excitedly.

“Wait, you signed a life contract? Familiars almost never sign a life contract!”

A life contract, a contract that signs away all their power to their contractor, linking the two souls together until the contractor dies then the familiar will also die.

Making a contract isn’t hard but there’s also a price for the contractor, if you choose to sign with a familiar you must also be a slave to your familiar, and follow their every need. If not the contract might break.

But it’s more dangerous signing a life contract because if this contract is broken there will be a big backlash for both the familiar and the contractor for breaking a lifelong promise.

The contractor will be drained of all power, and suffer unbelievable pain. Sometimes it makes other people go insane or brain dead. You’d be living like a zombie, you’re alive but dead.

The same happens to the familiars but instead of unbearable pain their memory gets wiped, and their powers are also drained, and they become normal animals.

“Why’d you sign a life contract with me? Familiars have never signed a life contract– or even showed themselves since, since–“

“The war between races…” The rabbit looked to the ground, ears down.

“Oh, I’m sorry I must’ve brought up something I shouldn’t have. Thank you for your help, but why me?”

‘I might die soon anyways’

“You’re special and you really needed my power, since your mana doesn’t match up with mine making a life contract was a must! Since I can’t use your mana, the only alternative was making the contract so that it would permit me to use your life force instead of your mana.” He explained.

“My life force? You mean you took away a part of my life?” He nodded.

“Basically, if you use my time magic, that’s what’s gonna happen. The only reason you’re not coughing out blood is because your other familiar healed you faster. “

“Wait, did you say I have another familiar?”

“Yes! I can’t believe that stupid fox beat me to you!” He harrumphed.

“… A stupid fox?”

‘Ahem, excuse me, I guess he forgot that I am a fox’

“Oh, I didn’t mean to offend you,” He said embarrassed.

“You sly fox! I still haven’t paid you back since that day! You’re racking up your debt fast you little runt.” His small paw went through my chest like a ghost and pulled out a white nine-tailed fox.

“O-ow!!! Let go of my ear, stupid rabbit!!!”

“Oh, I know you! You must be that furry thing that appeared in the middle of my performance.”

“Ahaha, yes that’s me,” The white fox said sheepishly.

“I didn’t make a contract with you though?” I said confused.

“You tricked her into making a contract didn’t you?” He pulled harder on the poor fox’s ear.

“Didn’t you?” When the fox was already crying chibi tears he confessed.

“Fine! Yes, I took advantage of the moment, but you know very well that a contract can only be formed if both parties are willing!”

The small rabbit threw the fox aside and harrumphed again.

“Ouch! After all these years when we finally meet again the first thing you do is accuse me of tricking someone and bully me,” the fox said pitifully.

I sweatdrop while the rabbit got a tick mark.

“It’s not accusing if you actually did it, bone head,” Said the rabbit fixing the cuffs on his sleeve.

“Doesn’t matter now, since we share a master now so let’s try, and get along now okay?~” Said the fox.

The little rabbit got even angrier.

“That’s it.” The small rabbit lunged at the white fox and tried to strangle the fox but I caught him just in time.

“I thought that the myth that rabbit beasts and fox beasts don’t get along was just that, a myth but looks like I was wrong…” I tried to calm down the rabbit but that was in vain. Every time he stopped struggling the fox annoyed him again, the fox was now laying on its side elegantly still teasing the rabbit.

“Yes, Bonnie~ isn’t that just a myth?~” He taunted.

“Bonnie? Is that your name?” I asked him as he shifted his attention to me.

“Yes, that is correct, I am Bonnie White, that’s what my first master named me,” he said, fixing his tux again now ignoring the fox.

“Oh, oh, and my name is Silver! Silver Allendis. I have a nice name right?~”

‘For some reason, it feels like I’ve heard those names before’

“So~ you signed a life contract with me and Bonnie?”Just then Bonnie turned red with obvious frustration.

“Now you’re just doing this on purpose. You’re even worse than Alistair.” Said Bonnie with a cold look on his face.

“Don’t compare me to that black house cat!” Snapped Silver.

‘So I guess the myths are true. Rabbits don’t like foxes, foxes don’t like lions, lions don’t like dragons, and dragons don’t like rabbits… They didn’t include the phoenix since the phoenix is a very likable creature.’

“How did you even get her to sign a life contract unknowingly?” Sighed Bonnie.

“It was by blood.” After hearing that Bonnie jump-kicked Silver into a nearby tree.

“Crazy bastard.” Said Bonnie.

“Hey! I wasn’t the one who made the rules! ‘only if both parties are willing’ is what everybody agreed upon, and you know very well that  I can’t alter that.” Responded Silver.

“How did I end up agreeing to something I wasn’t aware of?” I asked confused.

“… When you got hit by that arrow your fate should have been sealed, I couldn’t help you directly since I wasn’t your familiar. You should’ve died by blood loss. But one of your spirits noticed me and asked for the contract. Even if the spirit only possessed half of your soul, your blood was enough to seal the deal. I’m the reason you’re still alive, understand?” The fox came up to me and looked me in the eyes.

I nod my head, “Thank you, Silver, for saving my life.” Silver raised his head up proudly.

“Fine. Since you saved the chosen one and I actually got to hit you we’re even… For now.” Said Bonnie crossing his arms.

“What do you mean the chosen one?” They both looked at me, Bonnie and Silver seemed to be fine now.

“Well if you know about warriors then–,” he was cut off by the shouting of knights then both Bonnie and Silver disappeared. That’s when I knew they were really close.

I jumped up to a nearby tree branch and decided to fly away really fast.

I reached the castle and flew into my window straight into my bed.

‘I feel so sleepy I’ll ask them again tomorrow…’

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°and cut!°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°