I Became the Master of the Villain

It was on a warm, sunlit afternoon when the painter Nicholas, who had declared himself a guest of the ducal mansion, came to see me.
I opened the mysterious envelope Nicholas handed me.
After reading its contents, I frowned slightly.

"What is this supposed to be?"
"Just as it looks—an invitation."
"No, I mean... why did Kian receive this kind of invitation?"

It was a party invitation sent by Sir Arthur, a novelist and a count.
The letter stated that Kian was invited to a party being held five days later.
It was an event known for gathering the Empire’s most renowned artists.

Being invited to such a gathering was considered an enormous honor for any up-and-coming artist.
And yet, Kian was suddenly invited to such a place...
It was blatantly obvious this had something to do with Nicholas.

When I shot him a glare demanding an explanation, he stroked his sharp jawline and said,
"Kian is my muse. He was invited in the capacity of a special guest."
According to him, muses are practically like partners to artists, so they’re granted special entry privileges or something like that.

Then Nicholas offered, without hesitation,
"Since we’re at it, why don’t you accompany him as well, Lady Ashford?"
"I’m neither an artist nor anyone’s muse, though?"

Nicholas replied magnanimously, as if offering a great favor.
"Don’t worry. Surely I can get someone of your caliber through the door."
"...How incredibly touching. Thank you, ‘legendary genius painter’ Nicholas."
Feigning ignorance of my sarcasm, Nicholas bowed gracefully like a gentleman and said,

"My, being addressed like that by you leaves me truly speechless, my lady."
He was so damn annoying I felt an overwhelming urge to throw him out.
Just then, the chime of the grandfather clock announced three o'clock, and that impulse stayed at the level of a passing thought.

Because at this hour, I always had tea with Kian as part of my daily routine.
"...So, that’s how it happened."
I explained the situation to Kian as I sipped my tea.

"If you don’t want to go, we can just skip it. It sounds like it’s going to be a pain anyway."
As I grumbled, Kian smiled and said,
"I just thought it would be rude not to respond to the invitation."

"So, you do want to go?"
"I would, if possible... but I’m worried I might bring down the prestige of the gathering."
"You don’t need to worry about that. You’re more than worthy of attending. If you weren’t, Sir Arthur wouldn’t have invited you in the first place."

"Is that so?"
Hoping to give Kian the courage to go, I added a few more words.
"I’ll go with you. And…"

If anything ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) happens, like always, I’ll protect you.
It was a line that required a ridiculous amount of courage to say, but for Kian’s sake, I could die from embarrassment and be fine with it.
Seeing my face turn red from saying something so cringeworthy, Kian let out a soft laugh and said,

"With you saying that, my lady, I feel much more at ease."
***
Late in the evening. Kian and I, and Nicholas as a tagalong, passed through the gates of the capital in a carriage.

The party was being held at an estate on the outskirts of the capital, about an hour's ride away.
The carriage rolled smoothly along a well-paved road.
We passed through grasslands full of wildflowers and vineyards, then turned onto a quiet forest path.

Before long, a brightly lit mansion came into view.
Carriages lined the front of the mansion, and a servant checked our invitations before guiding us inside.
Just as the three of us stepped into the entrance of the ballroom, a loud voice boomed.

"Oh! Our special guests have finally arrived!"
It was a middle-aged man with a cheerful impression—Sir Arthur, the host of the party.
After exchanging a brief greeting with Nicholas, with whom he was already acquainted, Sir Arthur turned toward Kian and me.

"It’s an honor to have you, Lady Olivia. And…"
His gaze shifted slowly to Kian.
"Nicholas’s muse, young master Kian."

As Kian’s name was announced, murmurs rippled through the ballroom.
"Is that the Kian I’ve heard about? He really is as handsome as they say."
"No wonder Nicholas is completely taken with him."

Partly thanks to Nicholas’s fame, but more so because of Kian’s stunning appearance, people stared in admiration and curiosity.
"Master Kian, tell me—how did you manage to knock some sense into Nicholas?"
"I’d like to hear that too."

People holding champagne flutes began to gather around Kian one by one.
Though clearly unfamiliar with the sudden attention, Kian responded sincerely to each question.
Fortunately, the conversation flowed easily.

No one brought up any topics that might make him uncomfortable.
Most of the conversation was smooth and pleasant. But as the alcohol kicked in, some began asking cheeky questions.
"Young master Kian, you’re really quite beautiful! You must get confessed to all the time."

A painter, cheeks flushed from drinking, chuckled and said,
"Tell us—do you remember how many women have confessed their love to you?"
Caught off guard, Kian lowered his head awkwardly.

Seeing that, the painter teased,
"Haha, don’t tell me—it’s so many you’ve lost count?"
"It’s not that…"

What a shameless old man.
Listening nearby, I was about to step in and rescue Kian from the awkwardness.
But Nicholas beat me to it.

"Now, now. Let’s not tease this innocent young man. Instead, how about using your talents in honor of my beautiful muse, Kian?"
Everyone nodded in agreement. A composer whose name I recognized spoke up.
"Then I’ll go first."

He strode over to the piano and laid his hands on the keys. As his fingers caressed the ivory, a melancholy melody seeped through the air.
Though it was a spontaneous composition, it was flawless. Applause erupted. The composer gave a slight nod with a modest smile.
Next came an opera singer. She began singing the aria ‘A Beauty Never Before Seen’ from a popular opera. Her lovely voice filled the ballroom.

"Well? Didn’t I tell you Kian would be the star of the evening?"
Nicholas boasted proudly. I shot him a look and said,
"You just wanted to show off Kian to your friends, didn’t you?"

"Wow, sharp as ever, Lady Olivia."
Nicholas winked.
God, he was irritating. I couldn’t even punch him like I wanted to.

"Well, Kian doesn’t seem to dislike it, so all’s well, isn’t it?"
"All’s not well. Don’t expect me to come next time, no matter how much you beg."
"That’s too harsh! I only wanted to share Kian’s beauty with the world, for the good of mankind!"

I let Nicholas’s whining wash over me as I sipped my champagne.
The night deepened, and the party reached its peak.
Time flew by.

When I glanced up at the clock, it was already well past midnight.
I turned to Nicholas, who was guzzling drinks like there was no tomorrow.
"We’re heading out now. Aren’t you coming?"

"I’m staying to drink more. I plan to burn the night down."
He’s going to drown himself in alcohol at this rate...
Shaking my head, I left the ballroom with Kian.

Aside from Nicholas and a few others who intended to party till dawn, guests began trickling out one by one.
"Leaving already?"
"Kian, please come again next time."

With the voices of reluctant partiers behind us, Kian and I boarded our carriage.
I leaned back into the plush seat and mumbled,
"I’m so exhausted…"

"You’ve worked hard, my lady."
"You worked harder than I did."
"Still, it was my first time at such a gathering. I actually enjoyed it. Everyone treated me kindly, too."

Maybe meeting new people was fun for him?
I guess Nicholas wasn’t completely wrong, after all.
I did feel a tiny bit guilty for scolding him earlier—but only for a moment.

The carriage glided smoothly along the dark forest road.
Tired, we opted not to talk and just closed our eyes.
It would be nice if, when I opened them again, we were already back at the mansion...

Sleepiness weighed heavy on my eyelids.
Just as I was about to drift off—
A scream jolted me awake.

"Uaaaagh!"
Something slammed into the carriage roof violently, as if we were under bombardment.
The horses shrieked in pain and reared up. The carriage shook violently.

The next moment, the horses collapsed, and the carriage tipped sideways.
The impact sent the entire carriage crashing into something with brutal force.
Even with protective magic cast on the vehicle, the shockwave hit hard.

The carriage rocked violently, and Kian pulled me into his arms protectively.
His quiet voice came from above my head.
"My lady, are you safe?"

He had shielded me, so I was unhurt. But when I looked up, blood was trickling from Kian’s forehead.
"Kian, you're bleeding…!"
I hurriedly pulled a handkerchief from my handbag.

As I pressed it against his wound to stop the bleeding, the carriage door flew open.
One of the Ashford family’s knights, bleeding and barely standing, appeared.
His shout rang in my ears.

"Milady, it's an assassin attack…!"
It was the sound marking the end of peace.