IBMB :12

CHAPTER :12

“There has been an attempt to poison His Grace, Duke Kreutz! Lock down the castle so not even a single rat can escape!”

“Yes, sir!”

As expected, the entire Black Dragon Castle was thrown into an uproar.

They knew the culprit was a kitchen maid, but there was no telling how many accomplices she had.

‘It wouldn’t be a bad idea to clean house while we’re at it.’

Gerard and the guard captain seemed to share the same sentiment, as they closed off the entire castle and decided to interrogate every single servant in person.

In contrast to the noisy castle, Koenig’s bedroom was as silent as a grave.

“It is a mana nerve agent.”

Gerard spoke, picking up the soup bowl that had overturned on the floor.

Even though he held it wrapped in a handkerchief, his fingertips trembled intermittently, perhaps due to the potency of the agent.

“A mana nerve agent?”

“It is a toxic substance that breaks down the mana neural structure, preventing it from functioning normally.”

When Koenig tilted his head, prompting him to explain further, Gerard continued.

“It is a substance banned for all purposes except research due to its extreme hazards. In normal cases, even a minuscule amount is known as an elixir that expands the limits of one’s mana. The problem is…”

His voice trailed off, but everyone in the bedroom, including myself, easily understood the unspoken words.

‘It’s Koenig.’

Gerard was likely trying to explain the effect the drug would have on his lord.

‘Most likely… a rampage.’

In an instant, a horrific scene flashed through my mind.

It was a vision of half of the Black Dragon Castle being pulverized, including myself, who was standing right next to him.

And for good reason, as the Kreutz family possessed the most vast amount of mana among all the beastfolk.

Among them, Koenig was known to possess a near-infinite amount of mana, rivaling even the first leader of the Black Dragons.

For someone holding onto a precarious balance, a single drop of that drug would have been more than enough to act as a trigger.

‘I thought at most it would be some kind of poisonous mushroom that doesn’t react to silver…’

This is far more malicious.

I looked up at Koenig with feigned trembling eyes.

What could he be thinking right now, having his life threatened in the place that should be his safest sanctuary?

“So it’s not something a mere individual could acquire.”

Leaning back on the sofa, Koenig kept his eyes closed.

Judging by the occasional furrow of his brow, he was likely filtering through the many suspects in his mind to find the true mastermind.

His face was expressionless, as if this were a routine occurrence.

Yet, a deep self-derision seeped from his voice.

This must have been part of the destiny laid out for him the moment he was born a ‘Black Dragon.’

Wealth, honor, and even absolute power.

Since he possessed everything, he would have to live—and continue to live—his entire life in constant anxiety.

The atmosphere in the bedroom sank even heavier.

The one who broke this frozen silence was, surprisingly, the physician.

After clearing his throat a few times, he removed the ice pack he had placed on my back and began to speak.

“Ahem. Fortunately, aside from a slight burn on the skin, there is nothing wrong. Since she doesn’t possess a single speck of mana to begin with, she wasn’t affected by the mana nerve agent at all. Well, it’s only natural since she’s not a beastfolk. Haha.”

The physician, who was meticulously applying burn ointment, let out a hearty laugh.

It was likely his attempt to lighten the mood, but as the saying goes, a stone thrown in jest can kill a frog.

And that unlucky frog was me.

A beastfolk without a single speck of mana.

When Muriel Aymond is right here, staring wide-eyed!

‘…You malicious old man.’

Not only did he shave off my painstakingly groomed silky fur, leaving a bald spot, but he also poked right at my sore spot.

It was just as I was glaring at him with slit eyes.

“How she realized the soup was poisoned… She is truly clever, and we are so grateful. It is no exaggeration to say that our little squirrel saved the Duke.”

Excuse me?

The conversation took a completely unexpected turn.

He, who was said to have served as the royal physician of the Kreutz family for generations, was expressing his sincere gratitude to me.

Soon after, a firm yet gentle touch rested on my back, and my body floated up into the air.

“Is that so?”

Even without looking at his face, I knew who these hands belonged to.

It must be Koenig.

There was no one else who would lift me up so carelessly by the scruff of my neck.

Thanks to that, Koenig and I ended up facing each other.

Koenig, who had been on edge this whole time, curled his lips up in a highly satisfied smile.

“You saved my life.”

He then gestured to his lieutenant with his eyes, and a soft sigh of, “Whew,” soon followed.

“I’ll admit it. Although there are still some suspicious things about you, at least for today, the Little Thief saved the Duke.”

Gerard said, placing particular emphasis on the words “for today.”

However, his attitude was remarkably polite, even striking a pose reserved only for showing respect to high nobility.

“On behalf of everyone who serves my lord, I, Gerard Viper, offer you my deepest gratitude. We will ensure you lack for nothing during your stay at the castle.”

For a brief moment, the name ‘Ferdinand’ was mentioned along with some worried murmurs, but that wasn’t particularly important right now.

What was important now was—

“Chyut, chyuchyut.”

—that I, the great Muriel, had gained another underling.

* * *

Several days had passed since the storm swept through the Black Dragon Castle.

To talk about the incident, it turned out that through the personal interrogations, they caught the kitchen maid and two other servants who had helped her.

The kitchen maid, apparently, was a displaced person who had lost her homeland due to the Kreutz family’s war of conquest.

Even though it happened a long time ago and wasn’t Koenig’s doing, it seemed her resentment toward the Kreutz family had never faded.

‘But a mere displaced person shouldn’t have been able to obtain such a drug.’

In the end, however, the mastermind behind them was never revealed.

“The Duke personally punished those involved in the conspiracy. Ashamedly, their charge was… ‘inflicting a burn.’”

Gerard, who was peeling sunflower seeds with delicate hands, shook his head as he spoke.

Charging them with “inflicting a burn” instead of attempted poisoning of the Duke.

Koenig Kreutz was truly an unpredictable beastfolk.

“We’ve ferreted out everyone involved this time, but still… I doubt the rats who infiltrated the Black Dragon Castle—”

“Chyut?”

“Ah, my apologies. Calling them ‘rats’… That was a careless remark that might offend you, Little Thief. At any rate, I don’t believe this is the end of the spies.”

‘That’s true.’

I nodded in agreement as I picked up a plump, ripe cherry.

It was no exaggeration to say that my life in the Black Dragon Castle had completely changed since the attempted poisoning.

I was freed from my cage and could now roam the bedroom at will.

Instead of being treated like a common animal, I was now treated as an honored guest—a hero who had saved the Duke.

Waking up late, eating meals fit for an emperor, and rolling around while snacking became my daily routine.

And today…

“It is an honor to serve you, Th-Thief—I mean, Lady Squirrel!”

I even got a personal maid dedicated solely to taking care of me.

Her name was Ria Viper.

With dark green hair brushing her shoulders and slender, upturned eyes, she was the spitting image of Gerard.

As one could guess from their appearance, they were twin siblings.

But… didn’t I just hear a strange form of address?

When I narrowed my eyes, Ria beat me to the punch and confessed.

“I’m so sorry! I’ve heard so much about you, Lady Squirrel, that it slipped out before I knew it!”

Kneeling as if she had committed high treason, she apologized by banging her forehead against the floor with loud thuds.

‘Is this the Black Dragon Castle style of apologizing…?’

Talk about extreme.

Calming my startled heart, I hopped down from the bed.

“Chyu, chyuchyut—”

It’s okay, it’s okay.

Anyone can make a mistake.

With grand generosity, I patted the back of Ria’s hand.

Then, I felt a hot breath right above my head.

“The warm, soft, moist palm of Lady Squirrel… Oh, I could die happy right now.”

Ria’s once-demure face flushed a brilliant crimson, looking as if it might explode.

If only that was all.

Her nostrils flared wildly, and heavy, ragged breaths puffed out of her nose and mouth.

To exaggerate a little, the gusts of wind from her nose were enough to make my fragile body sway.

‘W-What is wrong with her?’

It was Gerard who stepped in to block her from my bewildered sight.

“Ria, you’re startling the Little Thief.”

As if he was entirely used to this behavior, he chopped her on the back of the neck with the edge of his hand.

Thanks to that, Ria seemed to snap out of it slightly.

“Ugh, I’m sorry if I scared you.”

“Please understand, Little Thief. The beastfolk in this castle have absolutely no immunity to small and cute things.”

He explained that because the Black Dragon Castle was a place constantly fraught with danger, only large, strong beastfolk remained here.

Apparently, they rarely had the chance to lay eyes on a creature that was small, cute, and warm all at once.

Because of this, the competition for the position of my personal maid had been incredibly fierce.

“It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that every single female servant applied.”

“Fufu, it was a brutal battle.”

Ria merely let out a quiet giggle.

As if to prove the twins weren’t lying, several sobbing voices could be heard from outside the bedroom door.

“Sniff… I want to see her too! Lady Squirrel—!”

“Down with nepotism! Down with nepotism!”

“Th-Those terrifying Vipers…”

It was only a few days later that I realized the “battle” Ria spoke of was not an exaggeration in the slightest.