The Obsessive Villainess Vol. 2

5. Shall I tame you, love?

Chapter 5: Shall I tame you, love?

Two days later, Alair left the estate. I didn't know it then, but he'd said he would be returning soon. Believing that he'd gone for good, I left the house once again with Akira and Avea. Once we got to Azja, we were surrounded by children. I furrowed my brows, realizing there were somehow more kids than before. They gathered around us, happy to see us.

"It's because of the fruit desserts," Akira gave me a distressed look, raising her eyebrows helplessly. Since this was supposed to be a short walk, and planned so suddenly, we hadn't come with enough gifts or any sweets that the children would like. I turned towards Avea with a pleading glance but before I could even utter a word, she sighed.

"I'll be back with preparations. Akira, take care of Lady Eleonora."

Immediately, a grin broke on our faces and we thanked her.

"We barely got to eat food like that of the other day, you see," Akira told me as we sat on her Grandmama's porch. "It was new and exciting for the kiddos."

"Aren't there any candy stalls?" I asked her and she shook her head.

"Not in this part of Ilaria, Lady Eleonora. Here we don't earn enough for all that stuff. It's why on the other side, a little farther, the crime is always so high. The ones who don't get enough, they steal. The kids here don't get many things that make them happy either. It's why they stick to Old Woman Muriel and her ice-cream, even though she's a cranky old hag most of the time."

I frowned, hearing about this. I was part of the poorer crowd back in my past life but now I was one of the rich ones. I knew how it felt like to not be able to afford coffee, make-up or the trending clothes. I always just had to make do.

...Was there anything I could do for them now?

As I tried to think about it, a voice came from inside.

"Akira, if you're just sitting on your butt there, come help me, you lazy glutton!"

It was Akira's grandmama and Akira looked horrified.

"Who's a lazy glutton?! And I'm not just sitting on my ass, I'm guarding my lady! It's kinda my whole job, you know?" Akira grumbled angrily but stood up anyway.

"The only guarding she needs is protection from you! Tell her to go take a walk or something, there's only kids around here."

"Grandmama!" Akira looked horrified. Meanwhile, I let out a giggle. She was right, I was getting bored just sitting around. I was wondering about a walk. I pushed Akira away and told her I'll be wandering around close by.

"Not many people come around here, my lady, so you can rest assured. I'll join you soon after I find out what grandmama wants."

It was noisy by the children, so I took deeper into the woods. I wasn't being foolish though, I didn't go all that far and kept my eye out for the ways. It was the trees and the way the rays of sunlight created this confetti of light on the ground, and the roots that made even walking feel like an adventure, where you had to make sure of your every step so you wouldn't trip. It was fun. It was very pretty, actually. Then, amongst the scenery of browns and greens, I saw a brighter colour.

"What..." The sound of surprise left my lips in a mumble. There, in front of me, was a little creature caught in a magic trap. It was a fox-like animal, but I recognized the symbol on the fur by its ear. It was a creature rare, but often mentioned in the book.

"What are you..." I took a step closer to see it better. When it didn't move at all, I began to slowly walk towards it. It was a mana trap, a type that had been banned a long time ago. It didn't work on humans, and effectively caught magical creatures. It was made for beasts, but this one was obviously one of the older, more faulty versions, as this fox wasn't a beast...