A real lion sure is bigger than I imagined. One slash to my arm from those claws, and I’d be out of commission. His mane is regal, and his fangs are big and sharp—lions really are the kings of the beasts.
…Then again, I remember reading in a book long ago that the females do the hunting.
“How’s it feel being a househusband, waiting for the lady to bring home the daily bread?” I mock the lion.
I know he doesn’t understand me, but I sense his body lurch wilder than before.
—Now!
I thrust my short sword into his front legs with all my might. The lion crumples to the ground.
The arena falls silent. Then it erupts.
“The little brat did it!”
“Is this a dream?”
“I’ve never seen a little kid fight like that…”
I slowly approach the wheezing lion. He can run away, even on wounded legs…so why are his eyes filled with defeat? Is he really a wild animal?
“The drugs wore off,” whispers one of the arena workers by the iron bars.
……Drugs?
What are they talking about? Did they do something to this lion?
I gently press my hand against the lion’s fur. It is almost as if our eyes meet.
The sounds of the world suddenly cut out, as though time has stopped.
These are not the eyes of a wild animal… These are the eyes of a lion desperately begging for help. His memories flow into me through the hand that touches him.
Barely after his birth, his parents were killed, and he was brought here to work in the arena. He was drugged against his will and conditioned to be violent.
What the hell is this? This is beyond tragic…
This lion, who should be running free in the wild, was locked away in a tiny cage, tied up, and beaten by humans…
“What’re you waiting for, kid?! Finish the job!”
“Kill the beast!”
This is ridiculous.
You poor thing…humans made a plaything out of you. They beat you to tatters, and you still fight for them…yet not a single one praises you for it. Nobody has come to your rescue.
“Just kill it!”
“Can’t you see it?!”
Oh, shut u—…… Huh?
The arena grows silent. I look to where everyone’s focus is directed.
That’s a king for you… A single raised hand, and everyone in the arena shuts their mouth. Goes to show just how powerful Laval’s king is. He has full control over his people.
“So this is the king of Laval…,” I murmur.
I stare at the king, who stares challengingly back at me.
What should I do?
I look at the lion. The fight is over. There’s no point in killing him. So…
“Excuse me, Your Majesty!” I shout at the king. “I won’t kill this lion, and he won’t kill me, either. May we call it a draw?”
You could hear a pin drop in the arena.
One of the guards, his face drained of color, runs over to me, screaming, “What the hell are you saying?! How dare you speak to His Majesty like that, you little shit!”
“Know your place!”
“Agh, shut up, peanut gallery!” I snap at the crowd. “Let me tend to this lion’s wounds. I will tame him. If he dies, then I die, too.”
Why am I this invested in a lion? Beats me. A tamed lion will surely give me a power-up as a villainess, though. That’s right, what kind of baddie am I if I can’t tame a lion?
“You’re an amusing boy… Very well.”
Ooh, what a lovely voice the king ha— Wait! Did the king just talk to me?
I stare at the king. I can see the amused smile on his face.
Well, we are at a show, aren’t we? If the king is having a good time, that’s all that matters. We have worth.
The administrator stands at the barred entrance with the most incredible death glare on his face.
“Boy—what’s your name?” the king asks me.
“Lia.”
“Lia…I like you. Come to me.”
The spectators gasp in unison. I can even hear somebody say, “Your Majesty, I implore you to reconsider.”
……I did it. I earned my spot by the king’s side!
“Oh, right. Your Majesty! Can the lion come with me?”
“Of course.”
Oops, I almost thanked him politely. Don’t do that, Alicia. You’re a rude little boy right now. Don’t forget that.
With the clamoring arena behind us, the lion and I are taken inside a tiny, vacant hut. Apparently, we’re in a corner of the palace grounds.
You know, didn’t I get here way too fast? I assumed it would take me two—three months at least to get close to the king.
I glance at the lion. He flops onto the floor, clearly exhausted. I do basic first aid, wrapping his wounded legs with bandages.
“I’ll take your pain away now.”
Nobody else is in the hut, so what does it matter if I use a little magic?
I snap my fingers. A faint black aura wraps itself around the lion’s leg wounds. And as they heal, the lion’s fur is dyed black.
“What is…?”
Since when did I become a cosmetologist? I only wanted to purify the drugs from the lion’s body and return him to his true form! Oh dear, did my magic energy seep into the lion’s flesh?
Before I can say a word, the mighty black lion kneels quietly before me. His golden eyes flash with light.
H-how badass can you be?!
This is the perfect animal companion for a villainess. I stare at him, my eyes brimming with excitement.
“Do you have a name? Let’s see… I shall call you…Lai.”
I gently pet his fur. The lion slowly bows his head as though he understands me.
……Sooo this isn’t gonna be one of those “He was a human inside all along” things, is it?
Only in otome games, I suppose. This lion truly is intelligent. Could this be…a little gift from God to villainess me for all my hard work?
“Telling the king I wouldn’t let you die was nice and all…but I never imagined your fur would turn black.”
It seems like he can understand me, because his fur suddenly changes back to its ordinary golden color.
What a convenient ability you have… More importantly, you do seem to understand me.
“Which is your true form?”
The lion answers by turning back to black.
……I see.
So just by my sharing a little of my magic energy, the lion can change forms at will. My apologies, dark magic. You’re crazy useful after all!
I always dreamed of racing through the savannah on the back of a lion.
“It’s hard to believe you and I were fighting to the death only a little while ago.”
Now we’re sharing a snug cottage together.
Has any villainess in the history of this world ever become friends with a lion? Don’t you think I’m the only baddie out there who could tame a lion? And a black lion, at that. I’m sure to go down in history for this!
“Wait here.”
First thing in the morning, a guard enters the cottage and escorts me to the palace.
I don’t know exactly where I am, but it’s clear Laval’s palace is on a large plot of land.
It’s bigger than Durkis’s palace… I wonder how they could afford it.
I stand very still waiting before a large sturdy door.
“Why do I have to babysit that little brat?!”
Such a loud voice. I can hear it all the way on the other side of the thick door between us…which is proving useless for maintaining privacy.
I hear an uncomfortable guard reply, “His Majesty decreed it.”
“My dad’s a piece of shit! Way too flippant!”
“Why, Prince Victor! You saw the fight yesterday, didn’t you? The boy will prove useful!”
Oh my… You’re too kind.
If I may be so bold, I will certainly be a valuable force here. After all, I’m so badass that I got exiled from my own kingdom…though I have to give Duke most of the credit for that.
“He’ll be trouble.”
Oh my… I assumed this prince would be arrogant and stupid, but it appears I’m wrong.
“What do you mean, Your Highness?”
“Think about it. That brat is a skilled fighter—what was he doing in a gladiatorial arena?”
Why is this door even here?
I feel like I should let them know I’m hearing every word of their conversation…unless my hearing is particularly keen. I could hear what people were saying in the arena audience yesterday… Do I have especially good eyes and ears?
“What would you like to do, Your Highness?”
“I’m annoyed, but I can’t defy my father’s orders.”
“…May I let him in, then?”
“Yeah.”
The door clicks open before my eye not a moment later. With an upward yank of his chin, the guard gestures for me to come inside.
I stretch my back tall— Wait, I shouldn’t do that. I’m not a refined lady here. Muscle memory is a scary thing.
I lazily saunter into the room. The prince is…the short-haired one. Seeing him up close, I notice his features are ridiculously handsome.
Since I cast a transparency spell on my blindfold, I can see his face well… If anything, I’d be better off not seeing him in such high definition. His beauty is like poison.
While we’re at it, why do the hotties of this world all have superlong eyelashes?! Were they all giraffes in a past life?! You’re outshining all the girls here!
“Hey, brat,” the prince says with a sneer. He’s sitting in a chair, resting his legs on a big desk.
Full-on intimidation right out of the gate. Bring it on.
“Hey there, Princey,” I reply with a defiant snicker. I can’t show any weakness.
“Hey! Know your place, peasant!” the guard booms at me.
I’m really tired of that line…
“Don’t mouth off about class—it means less than one shit in the grand scheme of things.”
I notice the prince’s eyes change color. Apparently, I tickled his curiosity.
“Those’re some bold words, kid.”
“I’m doing you a favor by being here, you know. So what do you want?”
“……That blindfold. Tell me the truth—can’t you see?” His green eyes penetrate me.
Yeah, I figured we were going there. I’d ask the same question if I were in his place.