I Became the Master of the Villain

I realized it the moment I saw the bluntly severed wrist.
My voice trembled as I named the attacker.

“The Red Hood Pirates…”
The man twisted his face into a grotesque grin.
“Well, I’m honored you remember me.”

He roughly grabbed my chin and forced it up.
“Ugh!”
I felt my entire body go rigid with tension.

What glimmered in the pirate’s bloodshot eyes was fury—and murderous intent.
“You’re the bitch who turned me into this wretched mess. And stole everything I had.”
Memories of the time when Kian had been abducted by pirates in Trillian came rushing back.

Sir Hans had severed the pirate’s wrist to retrieve the Blue Moon ring.
After that, our naval forces had bombarded the pirate ship, reducing it to splinters.
It sank in the middle of the sea, and the infamous Red Hood Pirates—known for their human trafficking—had all gone down with it.

So then how…?
As if he’d read my mind, the pirate spoke.
“Wondering how I survived?”

I stared at him without a word. He went on.
“I wonder that myself. Must’ve been a damn miracle. Every one of my men died that day.”
He kept talking.

“I used to wonder why I was the only one who survived in this pathetic state. But now I get it.”
“……”
“The moment you showed up in front of me of your own accord, I knew. I lived for this. To take revenge on you. What luck, huh?”
What a joke.

It wasn’t luck—it was misfortune that he’d crossed paths with me again.
Remaining silent, I glared at him, then snapped.
“If you were lucky enough to survive, shouldn’t you be treating that life of yours with a little more care?”

The pirate’s eyebrow twitched, clearly irritated by my words.
He tightened his grip on my chin and snarled.
“Feeling pretty bold, aren’t we? What makes you think you can talk big?”

“The silver-haired man you tried to sell into slavery—he’s probably looking for me ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ right now.”
By now, Kian must have noticed I was missing.
And if so, he’d stop at nothing to find me. I believed that without a doubt.

The pirate scoffed.
“And what power does that bastard supposedly have?”
“He’s not just some ordinary man anymore. He’s a mage.”

“Ha! The same brat who almost got sold as a slave became a mage overnight? Don’t make me laugh.”
Had this guy never seen Kian use magic?
He was definitely watching us from somewhere… yet somehow missed that part.

Unfortunate for him.
‘But… none of that matters now.’
What mattered was getting out of here alive.

I could only hope this pirate wasn’t dumb enough to make an enemy of a mage.
There’d be no point in begging someone like him for mercy.
I spoke like a warning.

“You’d better think twice before laying a hand on me. If I get hurt, he won’t let you live.”
At that, the pirate burst out laughing.
“Even if you’re right, a mage isn’t a god. All I have to do is kill you before he gets here. Easy.”

His refusal to negotiate made the fear I’d been suppressing bubble up again.
So this was his plan all along—to kill me.
The pirate spun the knife in his hand and muttered.

“Look forward to it. I’ll make sure you suffer just as I did—before you die.”
With that, he raised the knife and brought it close to my face.
The touch of cold metal against my cheek sent a chill down my spine.

I was frozen stiff with fear.
The flat side of the blade grazed along my cheek.
Then he angled the knife slightly.

A sharp sting spread across my face, and a drop of blood trickled down my cheek.
“Ugh…”
Terror shook my entire body. The pirate watched me tremble with glee in his eyes.

“What should I cut first? Your nose? Or maybe an ear?”
Cold sweat ran down my back. Every hair on my body stood on end.
“Yeah, your wrist seems like a good place to start.”

He muttered in a low, eerie tone.
The blade flashed.
I squeezed my eyes shut.

“Aaaaagh!”
A scream ripped from my throat.
Thrashing wildly, overcome by pain.

The kind of pain that comes when your body is torn apart—beyond anything imaginable. I cried like an animal, eyes rolled back.
Blood spurted from a wrist like a fountain.
But it wasn’t mine.

“Ah…”
My body trembled at the sight before me.
The pirate’s wrist was grotesquely twisted.

The broken bone had torn through flesh, revealing white marrow.
He writhed on the floor, screaming in agony.
The scream didn’t last long.

The knife he’d meant to use on me was now deeply embedded in his own chest.
His pupils dimmed as he lay in a pool of blood.
I froze, paralyzed by the shock of seeing a man die right in front of me.

But soon, a familiar voice called out, and I raised my head.
“Lady Olivia, are you all right?”
I stared at the man who’d appeared before me like magic.

“Kian…!”
Kian knelt on one knee in front of me.
He cut through the ropes binding my wrists and ankles.

He gently placed his hand on my cheek.
His voice, as if he himself had been hurt, trembled with anguish.
“You’re injured.”

A soft blue light glowed, and the wound on my cheek began to heal.
I reached out and wrapped my arms around Kian’s neck.
I hadn’t wanted to cry—but my eyes were burning.

I was scared. Truly terrified.
I thought the pirate would cut off my wrist, then stab me to death with that same knife.
I didn’t want to die.

Not before I could tell him how I felt.
I buried my face in Kian’s chest and whispered.
“I was so scared. I really thought I was going to die…”

“I would never let that happen. Even if I have to chase you to the ends of death—I will bring you back.”
If death itself tried to stop him, he would overcome it.
I already knew—he’d done it once before.

He pulled me tightly into his arms with those big, solid hands.
“I thought I would go mad. I was terrified I’d lost you. That I’d arrived too late.”
He held me tighter, as if never wanting to let go again.

Wrapped in his arms, I felt relief wash over me.
The tears I’d held back finally fell.
He gently brushed my cheek, wiping them away.

I looked up at him.
There was heat in Kian’s eyes.
They looked like flames—blue and burning.

I didn’t look away.
Our gazes locked. Our faces drew close, close enough to feel each other’s breath.
I felt it—what I wanted, and what he wanted, were the same.

Our lips touched softly.
There was no need for permission.
No one moved first—we simply consumed each other.

Kian skillfully entwined his tongue with mine.
The way he caressed the inside of my mouth sent a tingle through my entire body.
He stroked down my spine with aching longing. I shivered.

The kiss was so sweet, I forgot the horror I’d just been through.
Kian tilted his head, deepening the kiss over and over.
He entered hotly, deeply.

“Haah…”
I let out a breathless sigh. Our lips parted for a moment—only for him to catch my lower lip again.
Wet sounds of kissing and licking echoed softly.

“Olivia…”
It was the first time Kian had spoken my name aloud.
His voice was husky and languid. His fine brows knit slightly.

I knew—he was wholly focused on me.
And I was just as lost in him, barely able to breathe.
But even so—it was too sweet.

I didn’t want this moment to end.
***
I returned to the inn in Kian’s arms.

Exhausted from the ordeal, I collapsed onto the bed and passed out the moment he laid me down.
When I opened my eyes again, it was morning.
I sat up, pushing back the blanket.

As I tried to get out of bed, the world tilted.
‘How long did I sleep?’
I rubbed my heavy head, then glanced at my wrist without thinking.

There was no sign of the rope burn. My ankles were the same.
Kian must have healed them.
Suddenly, yesterday’s events came back to me.

As I remembered our kiss, heat flushed through me—though I didn’t have a fever.
I touched my lips with my fingertips.
‘Kian… he was really good at that…’

That much, I already knew.
What I hadn’t realized… was just how much Kian wanted me.
And how much I…

One of us should’ve said we needed to stop.
But neither of us did.
We’d kissed for a long, long time before finally returning to the inn.

‘Ah… how am I supposed to face Kian now?’
Yesterday had felt like a dream.
But today—it felt real.

Somehow, it was more embarrassing to face him now.
‘You’re the one who kissed him, so why are you blushing?’
The voice in my head scolded me.

Just then, there was a knock.
Followed by Kian’s voice.
“Lady Olivia, it’s Kian.”

Could I talk to him like nothing had happened? What if it got awkward?
Torn between hesitation and nerves, I opened the door.
Kian greeted me with his usual gentle smile.

“You’re awake.”
“Y-yeah.”
“How are you feeling?”

He sat down in the small chair next to the bed and placed a hand on my forehead.
That casual touch made my heart race.
Kian tilted his head slightly.

“You don’t have a fever, do you?”
I quickly shook my head.
“No, not at all. Really.”

Kian smiled in relief.
Then, silence fell between us.
Just as the air began to turn awkward, he finally spoke.

“There’s something I have to tell you.”
And the moment he said that—I had a feeling I knew what was coming next.