IBTBD 09

Chapter 09

“Now, it’s time to prove your worth.”

After rubbing me like I was some sort of hand-warmer, Kenig set me down next to his pillow.

Lying on his side, he gazed down at me with half-lidded eyes—it almost looked like he was about to go to sleep.

‘What does this lizard mean by “worth” anyway?’

I rolled the walnut in my head as hard as I could, but no clear answer came out.

Still, for the sake of my comfortable life in this mad Black Dragon Castle, and for the sake of that expectant face staring at me…

I had to show something.

“Chuu?”

But what on earth was I supposed to do?

I tilted my head, and he let out a sigh over me.

“Like in the mountains. Put me to sleep.”

What kind of nonsense is that?

I stared at Kenig with wide, incredulous eyes.

And that’s when I noticed the heavy dark circles shadowing his handsome face.

He must not have slept for a long time—his under-eyes were pitch black.

And yet, paradoxically, that only perfected his decadent allure.

‘No wonder…’

“His Lordship is a very light sleeper, so be careful.”

Gerard had earnestly warned me before leaving the bedchamber.

It seemed Kenig’s insomnia wasn’t just a one- or two-day issue.

Well, the more a man has to protect, the more weariness piles up.

“Chut.”

Mhm, I understood his plight all too well.

As a wealthy man back in Bear Mountain, I had my own share of burdens.

I’d identified the client’s need, and I knew the root of the problem.

‘The problem is… I have no ability to make anyone fall asleep.’

Meanwhile, Kenig’s eyes kept boring into me, the expectation slowly dying in them.

If it became clear I was useless, I’d probably end up dead too.

‘I have to do something!’

Resolving myself, I bounced toward his side.

Took a deep breath.

“Chut, chut.”

Rock-a-bye, rock-a-bye, little dragon.

I started singing a lullaby.

I even wriggled my tied-up hands in my pouch and gave his shoulder a pat.

“…Ha. No need for interrogation, I suppose.”

It was monotone, but sharper than the blade of a guillotine.

I felt his cold gaze slice over my head, but I ignored it desperately and sang harder.

‘Is this a war march, or a lullaby?’

Even I couldn’t tell anymore.

How long did I keep at it?

My arm was going numb when I finally snuck a glance at Kenig.

And to my shock—

“Chuu…?”

His eyelids were drooping.

Not only that, his chest was rising and falling steadily, and faint breaths of sleep escaped him.

‘They say the heaviest thing in the world is an eyelid.’

Even that Kenig couldn’t resist drowsiness.

I let out a quiet sigh of relief and relaxed. My shoulders ached from singing so hard.

And his face, framed by pale moonlight…

Yeah. Absolutely breathtaking.

‘Success!’

But wait—how did this even work?

Why did he suddenly fall asleep?

I was happy, but also a little puzzled.

Still, the important thing was that I had proven my usefulness.

Outside, the sky was already edging into dawn.

For the first time, I felt a bit of peace in this nerve-wracking Black Dragon Castle.

But unfortunately, I couldn’t fall asleep easily myself.

Not just because I worried about when this heartless lizard might wake up again—

“Kr…eutz…”

But because of the suspicious presence I felt outside the door.

The guards who had been stationed there were gone, and an unfamiliar aura had taken their place.

“Deserves to die… Kreutz… Kill him, must kill…”

It was raw hatred, aimed not at Kenig alone but the entire Kreutz family.

They’d come exactly at the time of the guard shift. That meant only one thing: an insider.

‘Was I too naive?’

I thought this was the perfect place to hide from the Empire’s grasp…

But maybe Black Dragon Castle wasn’t that safe after all.

Then again, this was no ordinary noble’s estate—it was the Kreutz family’s stronghold, the one said to have drowned half the continent in blood.

It would be stranger if there weren’t assassins hiding here with daggers in their hearts.

‘Should I wake Kenig right now?’

I curled up inside my pouch, agonizing.

But how? I was confined, and if I made a noise I’d only alert the assassin.

While I debated, the hateful muttering outside never ceased.

At least it didn’t seem like they’d barge in immediately.

‘Well, that’s something…’

But even just overhearing their venom made the hairs on my neck stand on end.

I had a bad feeling that life in Black Dragon Castle was not going to be easy.

“Chuuut—!”

When I jolted awake with a strange cry, it was already early morning.

When had I even fallen asleep? And the assassin?

Panicked, I scrambled up inside the pouch, only to lock eyes with Kenig, who was adjusting his clothes.

“You’ve got a nasty sleep habit.”

“Chut—.”

Whose fault do you think that is?!

I glared at him secretly.

The dark circles under his eyes had lightened a little.

Maybe that was why—I could almost imagine a halo behind him.

Hmph, whatever.

‘If I hadn’t stayed up on guard, you’d be a corpse already!’

Even after the murderous aura vanished and the guards returned, I hadn’t been able to sleep for ages.

“Why’s it looking at me like that? Are squirrels usually this fierce?”

“It seems the thief is particularly so, my lord.”

No sooner had Kenig asked than a voice answered from behind—it was Gerard, the Black Dragon Castle’s sly snake.

He squinted his narrow eyes at me, as though asking, ‘You didn’t cause any trouble overnight, did you?’

‘Ha.’

Honestly, this was ridiculous.

Shouldn’t they be searching for the assassin hiding in the castle instead of suspecting me?

That way I could at least rest easy here.

“Chuu—.”

I sighed heavily without realizing.

And then—suddenly, my body was lifted pouch and all. Kenig again.

After a few steps, he set me down on a sunlit table.

And on top of it was…

“Chuu—!”

Enough to turn me into a crazed squirrel.

A three-tier dessert tower, the kind I’d only ever seen during annual banquets back in my Marquis’ daughter days.

Except this one’s first tier was piled with nuts like pistachios and almonds, with fruits and vegetables stacked above.

“They say squirrels eat this sort of thing as their staple.”

‘Of course! We can’t ever get enough of it!’

Seeing Kenig’s doubtful expression, I decided to prove it with action.

The ribbon on my pouch came undone, and I bolted for the dessert tower.

I gnawed an almond in seconds, then leapt straight to the third tier.

Green grapes, apples, even cherries!

Fruits from the southern regions—rare treasures in Bear Mountain.

“Nom nom nom.”

Yes, this taste! This was it!

After three years without sweetness, it was like tasting heaven itself.

I even hummed as I ate, and when I bit into a cherry—my homeland’s specialty—tears welled in my eyes.

But in my food-crazed daze, I’d let my guard down.

And me, the one who once conquered Bear Mountain, fell for such a pathetic trap.

Creak, thud—!

‘W-what the heck?!’

When I looked up at the noise, I was surrounded by a cage of iron bars taller than a man.

“…Chut?!”

A cage?!

“Success, my lord!”

“Seems it’s not quite the brilliant squirrel I feared.”

I didn’t know why the lizard looked disappointed, but the fact was…

I’d been caught by the cherry trap.

“Chu, chut!”

Damn these reptilian bastards…!

I grabbed the bars and shook them furiously, but Kenig crouched to meet my eyes.

“Behave. Like I told you before, this place is dangerous. Even inside the castle, it’s not exactly safe.”

Did he know something?

But his next words shattered that hope.

“If one of the careless soldiers stepped on you, it’d be a disaster.”

‘Does that even make sense…?’

“Gerard and I have lots of work to attend to in the office. And just one last warning.”

Kenig smiled sweetly, slowly.

“If you’re not here when I return, that spot will be yours.”

I didn’t need to look to know where he was pointing—at the display case he’d warned me about before.

‘You ungrateful lizard!’

To lock up a perfectly healthy beastman in a cage and then threaten to stuff me if I escaped—smiling like that the whole time!

He was definitely missing a screw.

Once the irritating reptile duo left, I surprisingly had a peaceful time.

The cage even had a little shelter, tunnels, and a wheel prepared for me.

‘Tch, who’s going to use this? Do they really think I’m just a squirrel?’

Rattle-rattle-rattle.

I grumbled as I ran in the wheel anyway.

That’s when—

[Grrrgle.]

And the sound of someone swallowing drool followed.

[Slurp.]