Trapped in the Beastworld Breeder System (BL)-Chapter 29: An angered little cub

Chapter 29: An angered little cub
"And what is it that you decide?" Kenzie asked.
"It’s not like I’ve got any choice," Aries replied, his tone dry but edged with tension. "If I say no, you’re definitely going to discard me. Like, you’re definitely going to kill me, so I’m left with one answer. None other than yes. I don’t mind harming the one who harmed me, though it’s risky."
"Good."
Kenzie’s lips curved into a satisfied smile. He rose from his chair and clapped for a few seconds, the sound echoing softly through the room as he laughed—low at first, then louder, bordering on hysterical. When the laughter died down, he turned back to Aries and placed both hands firmly on his shoulders.
Staring down at him, he said, "I know you’re quite calculative and full of sense. That’s why I chose you. That’s why I expected yes."
’Cool,’ Aries thought bitterly. ’I just need to leave here under the guise of doing what you sent me to do, and never come back to you again. You didn’t think of that, did you? Or...’
The ’or’ lingered in his thoughts, a warning he refused to ignore. He would not fall into another beastman’s trap—not again. The memory of what the tiger king had made of him was still far too fresh.
’Stupid,’ he thought. That word, he wouldn’t call the wolf prince that outright, but calculative would suit him better than anything else.
Aries wasn’t hoping for too much. He only needed to secure the one thing he wanted.
Now that he had clearly pleased Kenzie, Aries lifted his head and asked the most pressing question, his voice deliberately steady. "So, when am I to do this? How am I going to get in touch with the second prince and end him as you’ve requested. Because, If you haven’t noticed, I’m eager."
Kenzie released his shoulders and returned to his chair, sitting down again, and this time directly facing Aries. The amusement drained from his face, replaced by something colder, more deliberate.
"The king, my father, will be having his birthday soon," he said. "That’s when you’ll act."
He continued, "Lucien should be around there, as he has always been every year which is really annoying or he might not though I guess he’ll be well by then."
’He’ll be well then,’ Aries repeated internally, his thoughts narrowing. ’That’s true... the tiger king inflicted an injury on him.’
"Is the injury that severe," Aries asked carefully, choosing his words with precision, "that he might actually not be well by then?"
He didn’t want Kenzie, this volatile, anger-fueled prince to think there was anything meaningful between him and Lucien.
But still, Kenzie paused at the question, studying Aries briefly before answering. "Well, what would I say? The tiger king tried—I’ll commend him for that, but not too much. Lucien’s skin is too thick, I’d say, so he only suffered some bone contamination which will be healed soon."
Kenzie stopped speaking, and Aries, momentarily caught off guard focused too intently on that detail. The shift didn’t escape Kenzie’s notice.
A slight smile tugged at his lips as he asked, "And why are you so eager to hear this?"
Aries immediately composed himself, recognizing how suspicious it could look. He couldn’t afford to appear concerned for someone he was meant to see as an enemy.
He coughed lightly, an attempt to dispel whatever suspicion Kenzie had if that would work, before answering, "Well, I wanted to know how injured he is so I can properly carry out my mission."
"Good," Kenzie said with a nod. "Anyway, nothing will happen until the birthday, so you can relax. My brother is stronger than that—he’ll be well before then. You’ll get your chance."
"This birthday you mentioned," Aries pressed on, "how soon is it? And how exactly is what I’m meant to do supposed to happen there?"
"The king’s birthday is in two days," Kenzie explained. "It’s one of the biggest yearly occasions, second only to the New Year festival. Every official and royal member will be present, so he’ll certainly be there unless dead.
He leaned back slightly, fingers tapping against the armrest as his plan unfolded. "Lucien will be there. I’ll find a way to get him drunk. You’ll already be in his room. When he shows up, you attack him stealthily. You’re frail. You should be able to easily bypass his guards and enter his chamber. And even if you’re caught, you won’t be linked to me."
"This sounds like a death trap, no matter how I see it," Aries said flatly.
"Well, it certainly is," Kenzie replied without hesitation. "But would you rather die now, or die later after asserting your revenge under my guidance?"
’He’s too cunning,’ Aries thought. ’To him, I’m just an angered little cub easy to manipulate, easy to push into doing his bidding while thinking it’s my own.’
’But he’s wrong.:
’I’m not little. And I’m certainly not a cub.’
’And he doesn’t need to know that.’
"I understand, and thank you very much for giving me this opportunity," Aries said carefully, his voice respectful, a guise for Kenzie, "I guess I just need to wait for the two days, then prepare myself to infiltrate his guarded room. Right?"
"Yes."
Kenzie nodded slowly, his expression unreadable at first. Then he added, almost casually, "But before then, we’ve got something else we both need to do."
"Which is?" Aries asked.
In response, a sheet of paper materialized before Kenzie, suspended in the air and glowing with a bluish light. The sudden radiance blinded Aries for a brief second, forcing him to squint and turn his face away. When he opened his eyes again, the paper was still there, pulsing faintly.
The moment Aries saw it, a sinking feeling settled in his chest. He already knew, deep down that whatever this was, it wouldn’t bode well for him. And that deja vu feeling only heightened it. Still, he asked, even though he had a strong idea of what it might be.
"And what is this paper?"
"It’s a contract," Kenzie replied calmly. "I can’t just let you go like that, can I? What if you decide to run away in the process and don’t even bother trying to kill my brother, or pretend you did?"
’And I knew it.’
Aries sighed inwardly, his shoulders stiffening. ’These beasts aren’t stupid at all. He’s just as calculative as the tiger king.’
’Plan spoiled.’
’Does this mean I actually have to try and kill Lucien, my proclaimed mate?’
[Perhaps.]
The System’s voice chimed in his mind, detached and irritatingly neutral. Aries simply sighed again. He wasn’t even the least bit interested in hearing it right now.
Kenzie gestured toward the glowing paper. "I’ve drafted the deal, so check it out and sign."
Aries’s brows lifted slightly as he studied the hovering contract. Slowly, he reached a hand toward it, but before his fingers could make contact, the paper vanished without warning.
His brows arched higher as he looked back at Kenzie, whose lips were pursed, his gaze sharp and probing.
"Anything wrong?" Aries asked, confusion lacing his voice.
Kenzie’s eyes widened with visible astonishment. "What are you?"
That question.
Aries had heard it countless times, from countless mouths. He knew exactly what had triggered it.
With a resigned sigh, he lifted his hands to his head. His soft, human ears had replaced the tiger ones, his bald head unmistakably human. No tail swayed behind him anymore; there was nothing there but his very human form.
After finishing his brief self-examination, Aries looked back at Kenzie and answered plainly, "Exactly what you think. I’m a human."
"A human?"
Instead of easing Kenzie’s confusion, the answer only deepened it. His brows knitted tighter, concern and curiosity mixing as he stared at Aries.
"Why would I even think that?" Kenzie asked slowly. "Human, you say. Tell me, how did you change from your tiger race to this? A disguise spell?"
’So they know about spells like this too,’ Aries noted silently.
"Yes," he replied simply.
"Humans..." Kenzie murmured, drifting into thought. His fingers rose to his chin as his gaze darkened—then, suddenly, his eyes lit up with something sharp and dangerous. "Look, this just keeps getting better."
"What?"
Aries leaned forward slightly, alert now. He needed to know whether this turn favored him, or doomed him.
"You aren’t attempting a lost cause," Kenzie continued, his voice gaining confidence. "You’re going to do something that will definitely succeed."
"What do you want?"
The bluntness of Aries’s question surprised even himself. He needed the hammer to hit the nail directly.
Kenzie didn’t hesitate.
"You’re going to ruin Lucien," he said coldly. "I want him alive while all of this happens. Him dying is too easy. Instead, you’ll implicate him."
Aries could only sigh.
The cunning smile spreading across Kenzie’s face told him everything he needed to know—this would lead to nothing good for him.
And even worse—
Nothing good at all for Lucien, his so-called mate.