(2) Living as the Villainess Queen

Chapter 186

Abu was so small, Eugene couldn’t get enough of his adorable form while she tickled him by his belly. It seems to her she’s the only one who bore fondness towards a Hwansu, since for the people here, Larks could never be the object of cuteness..

Abu was a well-known Hwansu that symbolizes the king. Hence, people would expect him to look huge and strong, but no one would see Abu now and feel the dignity of the king.

‘Kasser was the most respected person in the whole kingdom, and he would surely take offense if his own Hwansu looked far from intimidating.’

Eugene remembered his face when he first saw Abu in a smaller state. He was clearly displeased.

‘He didn’t say anything to me but.. Was he disappointed?’ At that time, Eugene didn’t think that Abu’s appearance would greatly affect Kasser’s mood. She thought everything was okay since she got his permission to go and play with Abu.

‘How inconsiderate of me.’ Eugene pondered, thinking how it was completely insensitive of her to just dismiss Kasser’s obvious distaste. And suddenly, a fleeting thought came to her, making her sigh in relief.

‘Was it because of that?’ A few days ago, Eugene threw a joke. She jested, “What if the little one changes its master?” Marianne was not amused though, taking Eugene’s words a little too serious. ‘Marianne seemed distraught about what would happen if the Hwansu did change its owner.

Marianne considered the king’s position, thinking that he might feel distressed should the Hwansu be taken away from him. However, that assumption seemed more like it was Marianne’s personal disposition rather than the king’s own, especially with Marianne’s devotion towards him.

Marianne feared that the exchange might lead to conflicted reactions between the queen and the king, so she repeated her advice once again, telling Eugene to rethink her actions and its consequences.

For several days, Marianne’s words resonated to Eugene, making the queen frustrated and disgruntled.

‘It’s true that I need to be careful.’ Eugene agreed. She didn’t believe that Kasser would think badly of her intentions, but it’s better to slow down and rethink things, before everything goes out of hand. Eugene knew that being a queen came with many responsibilities, and one of her duties is to make sure that she and the king maintain a cordial relationship. Added the fact that there are many people surrounding the royals giving advice, whose words might provoke the severity of the situation.

“Abu.” Eugene said as she removed her hand that was petting the leopard. “I’m going to tell you something important, so you need to sit down.”

Abu, who was lying on his back on the floor, picked up his ears when he heard Eugene’s words. He then shifted his body and sat obediently on his buttocks, giving Eugene his undivided attention. Eugene had to resist the urge to hug him upon seeing his attentive, round eyes staring up at her.

“Let us promise one thing. When you become small and be friendly with me, you have to make sure that no one sees it but us, okay? Well it’s okay in front of your master, too. Anyway, don’t be like this when there are other people present, got it?” Eugene said sternly.

Abu stared at her dumbfounded, as if he’s asking Eugene the reason why he needs to control himself, or he doesn’t understand at all. Eugene then came up with a more detailed explanation, “Abu. I want others to think that you are a big and strong Hwansu. But no one will take you seriously if they see me hugging you while you are in your smaller state, since people usually look down on small animals. Do you understand?”

Abu whimpered in understanding. He knew that the size of a Hwansu is important not only in the human world, but also in the world of Larks. Everyone had this concept inside their heads that the scale of a Hwansu is equivalent to the size of its strength.