I possessed a character in the R-rated grimdark romantasy novel ‘Master of the Cage’.

And my role?

As the ultimate evil mastermind’s idiotic wife–a woman fated to die at the hands of the male protagonist who kills her husband.

I couldn’t die like that.

Absolutely not.

My only chance was to stop the evil mastermind’s descent into villainy.

“This is for me?

Then what will you eat, my dear?

Should I buy you some chocolate instead?”

This bastard.

He really treats me like I’m a five-year-old.

Well, that works fine.

I’d play along, pretending to be the clueless idiot while secretly saving the mastermind’s family from certain doom.

Like ‘accidentally’ spilling poisoned drinks and crying.

Or pretending to trip and running into bushes where assassins are hiding.

Or spilling water where explosives are hidden.

Each time, people dismissed it with a shrug.

“Oh well, she’s just an idiot.

She didn’t know any better.”

Except for one person.

/////

Cerden smiled softly as he cupped my cheek.

Drawing close enough to kiss, he murmured in a low, lazy voice.

“Why don’t you drop the act already?”

“Uwaaah?

S-scary.

I hate you, big brother!”

I brought out my secret weapon—childish speech.

But Cerden wasn’t buying it.

“Quit the pretence.

Before I really get angry.”

His eyes flashed coldly.

I just wanted to survive.

But I ended up being mistaken as the real evil mastermind.