I Became the Master of the Villain

Beneath the Imperial Palace lies a secret chamber accessible only to the Emperor of the Empire.
Emperor Sigmund III stood before a massive door.

When he placed his hand on the orb embedded in the center of the door, the orb glowed.
Rumble—
The ground shook as if from a mild earthquake.

Moments later, a blinding light pierced through his vision.
The space that opened up was an enormous hall bathed entirely in white.
The towering altar at its center resembled something from a temple.

The emperor stepped before the altar, his white robes trailing behind him. Lifting both arms upward, he spoke.
“I offer this sacrifice—please accept it.”
And then, as if a god had truly answered, a white light poured down upon him.

It appeared divine, like a messenger of the gods.
But in truth, it was the complete opposite.
Beneath the very place where the emperor stood, a vision of hell was unfolding.

In the prison level below, humans were locked away.
The emperor had just offered their souls to a demon in exchange for power.
The archdemon he had made a contract with devoured their souls.

With a single word, he had erased the lives of hundreds. Yet the emperor felt no guilt.
In return, he had been promised the Empire’s prosperity.
The Empire’s glory would continue, and no ominous prophecy would ever come to pass.

But lately, a presence had begun to disturb that belief.
A mage awakened alongside the pillar of light.
That man’s existence felt like a thorn under the emperor’s skin.
It should have been a matter of celebration—a top-class mage appearing from within the Empire.

But unlike ordinary mages, he had only gained mana after reaching adulthood.
A mutant, an aberration—of course it would leave him uneasy.
The emperor concluded he needed to take time to learn more about this man.

After leaving the underground hall of the palace, the emperor returned to the audience chamber. There, the head chamberlain bowed and reported.
“Your Majesty, Sir Aron requests an audience.”
The emperor seated himself on the luxurious golden throne and said,

“Let him in.”
The chamberlain retreated, walking backward.
Soon after, a tall man swept in with his cape fluttering behind him and knelt before the emperor.

“Aron of the Imperial Magic Division pays respects to His Majesty, the august sun of the Empire.”
After bowing, Aron raised his head, and the emperor asked,
“What became of that mage?”

Though he hadn’t named him, Aron understood who the emperor meant.
“If you are referring to Mage Kian, he has stated his intent to join the Imperial Magic Division.”
The emperor tapped the lion carving on the armrest with his finger.

Joining the Imperial Magic Division meant swearing loyalty to the Empire and the royal family.
“If he’s chosen to work for the Empire, he deserves a noble title.”
The emperor looked down at Aron and asked,

“When would be a good time for the ennoblement ceremony?”
“The sooner the better, I believe. And, as it happens, there’s a perfect opportunity to test his abilities.”
“You mean the wyvern extermination at Mount Raindorf.”

Every year around this time, the wyverns that live on Mount Raindorf descend to human settlements and devour people—to nourish themselves before laying eggs.
“Yes, Your Majesty. After the title ceremony, how about sending Kian to deal with the wyverns?”
“I’ll leave that matter in your hands.”

“I shall carry out your will with utmost devotion.”
After Aron left the room, the emperor rose from his seat.
A top-class mage who had appeared without warning.

Would he bring prosperity to the Empire, or—
That was still unknown.
It would be best to keep him close and watch.

So long as the divine blessing remained, the Empire would never fall.
But should that man ever pose a threat to the Empire’s survival, he would be annihilated.
With this power gained by breaking the taboo.

***
I was standing in front of a variety of dresses, lost in thought.
Kian’s title ceremony was scheduled for this afternoon at the imperial palace.

I had changed in and out of dresses dozens of times.
“Which one looks best?”
“I think it was the twelfth dress, miss.”

“No way. The thirty-third one looked the best on you, I’m telling you.”
The maids offered their opinions one after another.
The most votes went to a white chiffon gown studded with pink gemstones that sparkled like stars in the Milky Way.

“All right. Then I’ll go with this one.”
After finally settling on a dress, it was time for hair and makeup.
Sitting silently before the mirror as the maids worked their magic, I recalled a conversation I’d had with Kian a few days ago.

—Is it true you’ve decided where to go?
—Yes. I’ve decided to become an Imperial Mage.
That had been a completely unexpected answer.

I was honestly shocked when I first heard it.
Considering how the original plot unfolded, it would’ve been better if Kian stayed far away from the imperial family, but a lot had changed because of me.
For one, he hadn’t even awakened his powers by blackening.

Stopping Kian’s decision now just because of a future that hadn’t even happened yet felt irrational.
And strangely, I was relieved that he hadn’t chosen to leave the Empire.
While I was ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ lost in thought, the maids finished my hair and makeup.

“Young lady, we’re all done.”
Their faces beamed with pride at their work.
I, too, was satisfied with their skills.

I changed into the dress I had selected earlier.
After adding the hairpiece and earrings, the styling was complete.
With every step I took, the dress’s full skirt shimmered with the sparkle of hundreds of gemstones.

The maids all chimed in with praise.
“You look absolutely stunning!”
“You’re dazzling!”

We’d spent money and effort—no way the result wouldn’t be spectacular.
After receiving their well wishes, I descended to the first-floor entrance.
Kian was waiting by the carriage.

As the man of the hour, he wore a formal outfit embroidered with gold thread along the collar and sleeves. It was dazzling and elegant.
“Kian!”
Kian’s eyes widened slightly when he saw me. I quickly approached him.

“You look amazing today.”
His pale cheeks flushed pink.
Was he embarrassed by the compliment?

Staring at me with that reddened face, Kian replied,
“You look beautiful as well, Olivia-nim.”
I smiled and thanked him.

Once we were both seated in the carriage, the coachman gave a strong whip of the reins.
The carriage passed through the gates of the imperial palace and stopped in front of the main hall.
We walked through a corridor lined with guards and reached the Great Hall where the ennoblement ceremony would take place.

The royal guard standing at the grand door painted in gold and crimson said,
“You must be Lady Olivia Ashford and Master Kian. Please, come in.”
At his signal, the guards on either side pulled the heavy door handles.

Clunk—
As the massive doors slowly opened, the brilliant light of chandeliers poured out.
The faint hum of conversation grew louder.

But the moment Kian and I stepped into the hall, the voices began to fade—like someone slowly lowering the volume.
And then came the piercing stares, like arrows of curiosity.
The nobles inside the hall all turned toward us and whispered amongst themselves.

“Oh my, that must be the man…”
“He really is just as beautiful as the rumors say.”
“And the lady next to him must be Lady Olivia.”

“I heard that man used to be her slave…”
“Shh, he’s about to become a noble.”
The attention could’ve been uncomfortable, yet Kian walked forward without hesitation.

Thanks to him, I was able to ignore the murmurs as well.
There was still time before the ceremony began, so a few nobles came to greet us.
Some of them used it as an opportunity to strike up a conversation with Kian.

Each time, Kian smiled politely and said,
“As you know, I’m not used to this kind of occasion. I hope you’ll understand if I can’t keep up the conversation.”
It was a polite way of saying please don’t talk to me.

“Ah, I see? Ha ha… I didn’t think of that.”
Baron Bard laughed awkwardly, trying to save face.
That made it the third person Kian had brushed off.

I watched the scene with a strained smile.
In the novel too, Kian had been known to dislike imperial nobles—maybe that was why.
I silently offered my sympathies to those pricked by the thorn of a beautiful rose.

Then came the fourth rejection.
“Tch. I suppose it’s in his nature. Still, one shouldn’t be so selective in choosing friends.”
The one who suddenly interrupted was Marquis Stenley.

He was the empress’s cousin, and famous for running his mouth, emboldened by her favor.
He often said the wrong thing and had a poor reputation in social circles.
Marquis Stenley sneered.

“Well? Aren’t you going to say something?”
But Kian said nothing, as if deeming him unworthy of a reply.
I also kept silent, not wanting to cause a scene before the ceremony. Instead, I looked at the marquis like I was wondering where the barking was coming from.

Being ignored by Kian and looked down on by me, the marquis’s face twisted.
He clicked his tongue.
Then, clearly intending for us to hear, he muttered,

“A slave really does resemble its master…”
I doubted my ears for a moment. What did that bastard just say?
Just as I opened my mouth to retort—

Flash—!
A burst of blue light flashed, and a piercing scream struck our ears like a dagger.
“Aaaaagh!”

Marquis Stenley clutched one ear and screamed in pain.
Everyone looked around in confusion, unsure of what had just happened.
And then—

Kian, with a voice so cold it could freeze the air, said to the marquis,
“Apologize for insulting Olivia-nim.”