IBMV – 1

I was standing in the middle of the bloodbath. The slaughtered bodies fell to their feet, and a terrible scream struck their eardrums. 

In the banquet hall there were bloody, broken chandeliers sprayed with limbs and people running away screaming. 

My foot stuck something too soft and too high to be the floor. I looked down and stopped breathing. 

The disembodied head of the emperor. 

Cold-hot terror rising from my body. I raised my head vaguely.

A bloodstained throne. Horribly slaughtered knights. 

‘He’ was approaching, stepping on bodies that cracked with his weight. 

A lone white, silver-haired beautiful man stood in stark contrast to a world with deep red blood poured on it in. 

The freakishly beautiful man, unlike the surrounding chaos, was tranquil. Even though this horror was coming from him. 

You have to run away. 

‘Run.’ 

I couldn’t move. My body was immobilized; possessed. Before I registered it, he slowly reached out to me. He was smiling, dragging my dizy attention to the pleasant tip of his upturned lips.

I could only focus on the white, blood-soaked silver-haired man. His hand which finally came to me like Death’s sickle, clasped my neck,

“······”. 

“Hyuk… !”

“!” 

The carriage rattled loudly, as if it had been caught in a stone’s beak. 

The maid inquired anxiously when she saw me panting and standing up. 

“Lady, are you alright? Did you have any bad dreams?” 

“Oh, oh, ···.” 

It was a dream. 

I exhaled slowly, wiping the cold sweat from my forehead. 

“You look very pale. Should I tell him to turn the carriage around?” 

“No, it’s okay.”

I appreciate the maid’s sincere concern, but I can’t go back to the mansion. Tonight, there’s something I have to do. 

Four years ago. I possessed a character in the fantasy novel ‘The Wizard of Rebellion’. The Duchess’s only daughter, Olivia Ashford. That was my new identity. 

A 25-year-old struggling, depressed unemployed woman became an aristocrat overnight. 

The Duke of Ashford would be buried at the hands of the antihero of the novel, Kian, who abhorred imperial aristocracy. 

He was a genius of the magical arts, the like of which only appeared once in a hundred years. 

Unfortunately, Kian is enslaved for 20 years before he becomes a wizard.

His awakening as a wizard comes when he is on the verge of being stuffed alive by a nobleman who only chooses and collects beautiful slaves. 

Kian tears the aristocrat apart like a doll, the very thing he was almost turned into. 

Later, at a banquet held to celebrate the Emperor’s birthday, he exterminates the Emperor and all the nobles of the Empire. 

At this point you’d have guessed. Yeah, the dream I just had was a scene at the scene of the carnage. 

A nightmare that has been bothering me ever since I was possessed. 

This nightmare will become a real reality a year from now and it hit me. 

‘You must stop this from happening.’ 

I searched everywhere for Kian’s whereabouts with that persistent mantra. It was now the second year of my search and I was demoralized. It was trying to find a needle in a desert.

In the novel, the days when Kian was a slave only come from past recollections and even a few pages. 

Kian’s past was covered for over it’s 20 free episodes, but was deleted as soon as it was published. 

The reason? The story was a frustrating meandering tale of the antihero’s life. With the 20 episodes deleted from the author’s blog, there was no passion left to finish the story. 

I swallowed my regret. 

I’ve searched hundreds of slave markets throughout the empire, but never found Kian. Only one year is left. If I don’t find him within a year’s time and stop his villainess fate, I’ll die. 

“We will arrive soon.”

The horseman’s voice struck me. Shortly, the carriage stopped in front of the opera theater. 

Tonight, an auction is going to be held for only invited nobles. 

There is no limit to the types of items exhibited at the auction. In other words, they sell people. The targets included endangered species such as mermaids, Suin people, and slaves with rare and beautiful appearances. On the list of this auction houses were advertisements boasting of “silver slaves of beauty.” 

Since Kian is the most gorgeous man in the novel, it is possible that one of the slaves may be Kian. 

‘This time, please.’ 

I entered the theater in earnest prayer. 

The theater was full of people because the opening of the auction was near. As soon as I settled into an assigned box seat on the second floor, the auction commenced.

The first auction was the posthumous work of master painter Allen Cervi, who died in his youth. The price of the painting rapidly soared because of the renowned empire’s financiers in attendance. 

The painting was sold to a gentleman at 20 billion gallons. The red insignia went down and up, and a second bidding war was ignited. 

The cry of the price-calling participants filled the theater. There was a line of auctions that the rich coveted, but nothing interested me. 

An hour passed and I found myself waiting only for the silver-haired slave to come out. The auctioneer finally said what I had been waiting for. 

“This is a silver-haired young man with a heavenly appearance.” 

The insignia was lifted, and a young man appeared in the center of the stage. 

A youth with white, slim body was wrapped around a revealing costume. When the young man with his head down raised his face, there were loud and small exclamations everywhere in the audience. The auction house’s explanation followed. 

“There are flaws on it’s body because of an owner’s rough handling, but it’s beautiful appearance, slim body and white skin are attractive points that make up for it.” 

I almost screamed. I heard the opera glasses rattle as I brought them to my face and checked the young man’s face. My heart pounded insanely. My hands shook with emotion. I squinted into the lens, doubting myself. 

His hair, which seemed to have melted pure silver, reflected the light of the chandelier and shone beautifully. A flawless face with perfectly proportioned features. Eyes like frozen winter lakes.

It was clear sky blue and the skin was white and fine enough to remind you of snow fields. The face of Kian depicted in the novel was in front of my eyes. 

Four years after possession, I had finally found the main character! 

“100 million!” 

“150 million!” 

“200 million!” 

The cries of the people poured out. I made a hasty bid. 

“One billion!” 

The audience roared at the sudden jump. Did I sing too hard from the start? But it wasn’t the time to argue about this and that. If an man steals Kian, it will be a ruinous ending. The excited auctioneer’s voice rang out in the hall.

“It’s very hot from the start! So, here’s a billion gallons. Anyone else?” 

“1.5 billion!” 

I turned my eyes to where the voice came from. In the opposite box seat, the masked lady was smiling, covering her mouth with a fan. All the slaves standing by her side were men and all of them were prominent in appearance. 

Only then did the lady’s name come to mind. Mrs. Escilla. These days, she is often mentioned in the mouths of people. They let handsome, well-built slaves wait on them every night. It was obvious what that woman would buy Kean for and what she would do with him. 

“4 billion!” 

Mrs. Escilla retorted when I called for a price. 

“Five billion!”

“8 Billion!” 

“10 Billion!” 

Mrs. Ecila clung persistently. It seems she must have Kian. There is no woman who is not fascinated by Kian’s appearance, so I understand her reasons. But I have my reasons and I can never let that woman take Kean. 

I raised the price again. 

“25 billion!” came another tumultuous and excited cry from the host in the audience.

“It’s amazing. 25 billion gallons!” 

I took out my opera glasses and examined my rival. Deep anguish loomed colored her visage. After a few seconds of pondering, she opened her mouth. 

“50 Billion!”

50 billion gallons. Considering the estimated assets of her and her husband, she had a strong case. But you can’t beat me with that kind of money. A laugh pulled up my lips. Then, I opened my mouth. 

“100 billion.” 

The whole audience was in a great uproar when the auction price jumped 1,000 times the initial price. 

Shock burst forth. 

The Duchess of Ashford is a member of the House of Godfather family. The duchess’s assets are astronomical on an astronomical scale, generating profits in various businesses, including trade, finance and mining. Even at this time, the Ashford family’s wealth is ever increasing. 

About 100 billion gallons will soon be reimbursed. The wife’s hand with a fan was shaking. I smiled, lifting only one corner of my mouth. I’m afraid she didn’t recognize me. 

If she had known, she would have refrained from pestering. 

“100 billion gallons! Anyone else?” cried the excited auctioneer as he looked around the crowd. 

“100 billion. If there’s no more than that, I’ll call it three times and finish the auction.” 

During the auction house’s three asking prices, Mrs. Escilla kept her mouth shut. 

The three beats of the auction rod rang out in the theater. 

“This product was sold at 100 billion gallons to participant No. 36.” 

Before the auction assistant took Kian backstage, Kian and my eyes were immediately intertwined. I thought with him eye to eye.

I’ll make you happy for sure. From now on, I intend to take care of the main character with love and sincerity to stop the blacking route.