I Became the Master of the Villain

John, a servant of the ducal house, had been in a very bad mood lately. The slave named Kian, whom the young lady brought home a few days ago—he was unbearable to look at. More precisely, it was unbearable to see him being treated so preciously. Wasn’t a slave supposed to be something like livestock? Then shouldn’t he be cleaning smelly stables and sleeping on straw soiled with manure? Just like any ordinary slave would.
‘But that bastard...!’

Of course, John knew very well that not all slaves lived miserable lives. Slaves with exceptional abilities or beautiful appearances—such slaves were said to be exempt from hard labor and to receive special affection from their masters. Just like Kian. A few days ago, John had been horrified to see a pile of boxes stacked like a tower in the mansion's entrance hall.
“What the hell is all this?”
“The young lady bought these as gifts for Kian, apparently.”

“What did you say?”
John was at a loss for words. All of that was for that slave to use? Not for the young lady?
‘A lowly slave like him...!’

While he himself worked up a sweat all day, that slave was clinging to the young lady and living in luxury... And that wasn’t even the end of it. Kian slept in a room as spacious and luxurious as the one the young lady used, and ate only the finest food. That slave was living a more extravagant life than he was, all because of his pretty face. And that fact enraged John.
The more he thought about it, the more absurd it seemed. The idea that he was in a worse position than a slave was something that made him unspeakably angry. Of course, he didn’t take into account that the salary he received from the Ashford Duchy was far higher than that of any other household. In other words, John was being treated more than well. But like most people, he made the mistake of falling into endless misery by comparing himself to others.
“Damn it!”

John, filled with rage, kicked at the ground in frustration. A stone struck by his foot flew into the lake. The birds that had been peacefully resting there scattered in a flurry, startled into the sky. John wanted to somehow mess with the slave who didn’t know his place. He knew the young lady would surely scold him if she found out, but even so, he couldn’t bear to let out his anger without doing something to that slave.
‘I need to teach that disgusting slave a lesson.’
No matter how preciously he’s being treated, you’re still just a lowly slave. John decided he would make sure Kian didn’t forget that fact, even if it was just a “little” bit of education.

***
“A slave is an object in the shape of a human, a beast.”
That was something a renowned scholar of the Empire had once said. As long as one had to live as a slave, it was better to think of oneself as an object or livestock. Otherwise, only the heart would suffer.

That was why Kian couldn’t help but be confused when he heard Olivia’s words.
“You just need to eat well, rest well, and live peacefully in this house. That’s all I want from you.”
People paid high prices to purchase slaves because they had a purpose. To make use of them in some way. No one bought a slave to treat them as a complete human being.

Then why had she said something like that? And why hadn’t she made him do anything at all...?
As he was stuck pondering a question that he couldn’t find an answer to no matter how much he thought about it, there was suddenly a knock at the door.
‘My master?’
Kian stopped his thoughts and stood up. He opened the door to see who the visitor was. It wasn’t Olivia.

‘A face I’ve seen before...’
He remembered it as someone who worked for the ducal house, and if he recalled correctly, his name was John.
John spoke.

“The young lady said before that she’d show you around the mansion, right? I’m the one who’ll be doing that.”
It was true that Olivia had mentioned showing him around the mansion. Had she instructed John to do it in her place?
“What are you doing? Hurry up and follow me.”

John strode off ahead, and Kian didn’t have time to think it over. He had to quicken his pace so as not to lose sight of him.
After the dining room and kitchen, the place John led him to was the wine cellar beneath the mansion. The storage room was lined with large oak barrels. The pungent smell of fermenting grapes filled the air.
“This wine cellar’s been here for over a hundred years. It’s a very old part of the estate, so go ahead and take a look around. This isn’t a chance you get often.”

John offered magnanimously.
Kian couldn’t refuse, so he stepped into the storage room. The inside was much larger than it appeared from the outside. Rows upon rows of oak barrels, large and small, stretched endlessly.
He was about halfway through the cavernous cellar when suddenly there was a creaking sound. Kian turned around. The entrance door to the wine cellar was closing.

“...!”
Kian hurried back toward the entrance. But the large door slammed shut right in front of him, as if mocking him.
He grabbed the doorknob and pulled with all his might, but the door didn’t budge. He was trapped. John had locked him inside. But why?

Kian had barely spoken a word to John before. He had never done anything to earn his resentment... So naturally, the question came out.
“Why are you doing this to me?”
From beyond the door came John’s sneering voice.

“I just don’t like you.”
“What...?”
“I mean, I can’t stand the sight of a lowly slave like you living in luxury just because the young lady took a liking to your pretty face.”

The reply was so absurd that Kian was momentarily speechless.
“Sure, maybe the young lady’s fond of your looks now. But how long do you think that’ll last?”
“...”

“She’ll get bored soon enough. Then it’s only a matter of time before you’re thrown away.”
John’s malicious, one-sided scorn didn’t stop.
“No matter how kind the young lady is to you, you’re still just a lowly slave. Don’t forget that.”

John chuckled, clearly pleased with himself. He laughed out loud as if he had vented all his frustration. Then his footsteps began to fade from the wine cellar.
The storage room, meant for preserving wine, was quite ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) cold. Dressed only in thin indoor clothes, the chill felt even sharper.
“Is anyone there?”

Maybe someone would pass by. Kian knocked on the door, holding onto a sliver of hope. But no matter how many times he knocked and shouted, there was no answer.
How much time had passed? At first, it was bearable, but gradually his body began to shiver.
“Haa...”

Letting out a sigh filled with resignation, Kian curled his body up tightly in an attempt to preserve even a little warmth.
***
“I must’ve misheard you, right? That’s it, isn’t it?”

The Crown Prince asked again. He clearly hoped that the rumor about me buying Kian wasn’t true. But that was only his wish.
Until now, I hadn’t actively pushed the Crown Prince away. I didn’t know how he might react if I openly rejected him. But I couldn’t put it off any longer. Only if I gave a clear refusal would he finally stop bothering me.
“No. You heard correctly.”

At my firm reply, a faint crack appeared on the Crown Prince’s face, which until then had been as stiff as a wax doll. He said:
“That slave named Kian… I heard he was used as a bed slave before you bought him. Did you bring him in even knowing that?”
What, he even investigated Kian’s background? So he had looked into it, and now he was pretending to be clueless just to test me. I barely managed to keep a pleasant expression as I said:

“It doesn’t matter what Kian did before. And I didn’t buy him to use him as a bed slave.”
“Then why did you buy a slave you’ve never even used before?”
Because I need to stop the protagonist from blackening and extend my lifespan. If I told him that, the Crown Prince would think I was insane, so I dodged it with something vague.

“Because he’s someone worth that much.”
The Crown Prince let out a disbelieving laugh. He said:
“Olivia, if it were me, I could raise you to the second-highest position in the Empire. That’s not such a bad offer for you, is it?”

It was clear he believed I would naturally accept the position of Crown Princess. A status that could one day lead to becoming Empress—how many people wouldn’t covet that? But he’d made a crucial mistake: he’d chosen the wrong person.
“Your Highness, I mean no disrespect…”
I set my teacup down with a clink and said:

“But I think you’re misunderstanding something.”
“…Misunderstanding?”
“Yes. I’m sorry, but I have no intention of becoming the Crown Princess.”

At those direct words, the Crown Prince’s expression hardened. In a voice that sounded genuinely curious, he asked:
“Why not?”
“Because I’m already perfectly satisfied with where I am now.”

With a look of reluctant understanding, he said:
“Ah… Inheriting the ducal house is certainly nothing to scoff at. But if you become Empress, you’d have power far beyond that of a duke.”
He was telling me to reconsider. But there was no need to think twice.

“My answer won’t change.”
“…”
The Crown Prince’s eyes narrowed. He stared straight at me, as if he could read my hidden intentions that way. As an uncomfortable silence began to fall, the Crown Prince finally spoke:

“You’re satisfied with your current position… Is that really the only reason?”
“Yes.”
“It’s not because there’s another man you’ve taken a liking to?”

I had a rough idea who he was implying. He probably looked into Kian for that very reason. But still, that wasn’t it.
“That’s not the case.”
“I see…”

His tone still sounded unconvinced. A few more words passed between us, but since we couldn’t find common ground, the conversation didn’t go anywhere.
In the end, the Crown Prince seemed to give up trying to persuade me. Shaking his head, he said:
“I thought you were someone I could trust to stand by my side…”

He said it with an expression and tone full of regret.
“Looks like I was wrong.”
You’re the one who misunderstood everything on your own. If he weren’t the Crown Prince, I would’ve snapped right back at him.

“I’m disappointed in you, Olivia.”
The Crown Prince stared coldly at me for a while, then stood up. He said to his knights:
“Let’s go. Any more of this would just be a waste of time.”

I muttered in my head that I agreed completely. When I told him to take care on his way, he didn’t even respond and turned his back on me sharply.
I stood in the mansion’s front hall, quietly watching the Crown Prince’s carriage depart. Now that I had clearly rejected him, he probably wouldn’t come looking for me again.
What’s Kian doing right now?

The moment the Crown Prince left, thoughts of Kian naturally filled my mind. Just then, Becky the maid happened to be passing through the hall, so I called her over.
“Would you go get Kian? We’re having dinner together, so bring him to the dining room.”
It was just a simple errand, but Becky looked nervous and fidgety as she replied:

“Well… We’ve been looking for him, but we can’t find Kian, my lady.”
“What?”
The unexpected answer made my heart sink. Calm down. Maybe Kian just left his room alone and got lost in the mansion.

“When was the last time someone saw Kian?”
“About three or four hours ago—I saw him with John.”
Becky suddenly let out a small “ah,” as if something came to mind.

“Come to think of it, Philip and Jessie said the same thing. They said John told Kian he’d show him around the mansion…”
“John?”
Why would John show Kian around the mansion? I never gave such an order.

I immediately summoned John and questioned him.
“Why did you do something I never told you to? Where is Kian right now?”
“Well…”

John mumbled and tried to avoid answering. My frustration grew, and I raised my voice.
“Spit it out before something bad happens!”
“T-the truth is…”

When I pushed him hard, John got scared and confessed everything.
What he said was shocking. He did it because he couldn’t stand the sight of Kian? Because he was jealous of how Kian was being treated like an honored guest?
I was so dumbfounded I couldn’t even speak properly. What are you going to do if Kian blackens…?

And yet, John, still unaware of the gravity of what he had done, kept trying to justify himself.
“My lady, I…”
“No excuses!”

I completely forgot I was supposed to maintain the dignity of a noble lady and cut him off sharply. Then I grabbed John by the collar and said:
“Tell me where Kian is. Right now.”