Footsteps echoed down the damp stone corridor as two guards stopped in front of the cell. Keys clinked. Chains rattled. The iron door groaned open.
The guards froze.
Inside the cell, sprawled carelessly on the cold stone floor, Ethan was sleeping.
Not dozing. Not pretending.
Sleeping.
One arm was flung over his head, his cheek pressed against the ground, mouth slightly open as he snored loudly, rhythmically, as if he were lying on a warm bed back home instead of a dark dungeon that reeked of mold, piss, and despair.
"…" "…?"
The two guards stared.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
How could someone sleep like that?
Today was his execution day.
He was supposed to be begging. Crying. Pissing himself. Not snoring like a pig after a full meal.
"…He's insane," one guard finally muttered.
The other guard scoffed and stepped forward. "Oi."
He lifted his boot and kicked Ethan's side without warning.
"Hey. Wake up. It's time to die."
The guard grinned maliciously, clearly expecting screams or panic.
Ethan's eyes opened.
Slowly.
Calmly.
He blinked once, pupils adjusting to the dim light, then looked straight at the guard's face with dead, unbothered eyes.
No fear. No confusion. Not even annoyance.
That calm expression instantly pissed the guard off.
"Tch."
He kicked him again, harder this time, ribs cracking painfully against the stone. "Don't look at me like that."
Chains clanked as he unlocked Ethan's restraints. With the help of the other guard, they hauled him up roughly, dragging him out of the cell. Ethan didn't resist at all. Instead, he let his entire body go limp, putting all his weight on them.
His knees scraped brutally against the floor.
"Fuck...!" one guard cursed as they staggered. "Why is he so damn heavy?!"
"What have they been feeding this bastard? Stones?" the other snapped.
Ethan didn't answer. He just let his head loll forward, breathing steadily, eyes half-lidded like he was bored out of his mind.
As they passed the other cells, movement stirred.
Prisoners crawled toward the bars like vultures sensing a corpse.
"Look at him."
"Isn't that the fox whore from the palace?" "Hah! So even trash like him ends up here."
Laughter echoed.
Some spat through the bars, the phlegm splattering against Ethan's clothes. Others jeered loudly.
"Hey fox! Spread your legs one last time!" "Didn't you like being fucked by nobles? How does death feel now?"
"Good riddance! Filthy seducer!"
Their eyes were bright with malice, satisfaction dripping from every word. Watching someone fall lower than them was entertainment. It reminded them they weren't the worst ones alive.
Xixi fluttered frantically around Ethan's head, its long ears bouncing. "Host! Host! Don't listen to them! I know you can do it! Remember—even if you die, you'll revive! Lift your spirits!"
Ethan's lips twitched.
He resisted the overwhelming urge to grab the rabbit and punt it into the nearest wall.
They turned a corner.
Leaning casually against a cell stood the boar beastman guard from yesterday. Thick neck. Greasy grin.
Their eyes met.
The boar's lips curled slowly as he raised two fingers and dragged them across his own throat in a slow slicing motion.
His eyes sparkled with amusement.
Oh.
Ethan memorized his face.
If I survive, he thought coldly, you're the first one I kill.
They climbed the steps out of the dungeon.
Light flooded his vision.
Noise hit him like a wave.
The moment they emerged, Ethan realized something was very, very wrong.
The execution grounds were packed.
People filled every inch,balconies, rooftops, stone steps, streets beyond the square. Beastmen of every species crowded together, laughing, chatting, pointing excitedly.
Ethan stared.
Where the fuck did all these people come from?
Was his death really that special?
A cheer erupted the moment he was dragged into view.
"So that's him!"
"Disgusting!"
"Praise His Majesty for cleansing the palace!"
"A filthy fox finally getting what he deserves!"
Ethan blinked.
…Was Su Yan that bad?
Rotten tomatoes flew.
One smashed against his shoulder, bursting into foul-smelling mush. Eggs followed, splattering across his hair, his face, dripping down his neck.
"Slut!"
"Whore!"
"Spy!"
"Die already, you little piece of shit!"
Someone hurled a stone. It clipped his cheek.
By the time they reached the gallows, Ethan was soaked. Egg yolk clung to his lashes. Tomatoes crushed into his clothes. The stench was nauseating.
A bucket of something warm suddenly splashed.
"AH!"
One of the guards screamed as piss drenched his back.
"WHAT THE FUCK...!"
Ethan couldn't help it.
He snorted.
Then laughed under his breath.
The guards gagged violently.
"I hate this job," one muttered, shoving Ethan forward.
"Me too," the other groaned. "Why the hell are they throwing shit at us too? This is sick."
They roughly threw Ethan onto the stage.
At the center stood the executioner.
A towering bear beastman with thick arms and massive shoulders. Bear ears twitched atop his head. In his hands was an absurdly huge axe, its blade gleaming coldly in the sun.
He grinned when he saw Ethan.
"So you're the fox."
Ethan stared at the axe.
That thing could split me in half.
"If I don't play this right," he thought calmly, "I'm actually fucked."
"Scared, little foxie?" the executioner chuckled. "Don't worry. I'll be gentle."
He grabbed Ethan by the ears and forced his head down onto the execution block—a thick wooden structure with grooves worn dark from old blood. His hands were shoved through restraints.
The wood was sticky.
Old.
Ethan swallowed.
"It's a pleasant morning, isn't it?" he said suddenly, voice light. "Just listen to the crowd. Such enthusiasm. It's like music."
The executioner froze mid-swing.
"…What?"
"You're about to die," the man said slowly. "Aren't you scared?"
Ethan sighed blissfully. "I've had worse mornings."
The executioner looked at the raging crowd, then back at Ethan.
"…You're missing a few screws, aren't you?"
A booming voice echoed.
"His Majesty the Wolf Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress have arrived!"
The crowd fell instantly silent.
Everyone dropped to their knees.
Ethan strained his neck and looked up.
Escorted onto a high platform was a man clad in black imperial robes.
Wolf ears sharp. Eyes cold. His presence alone crushed the air.
Bai Zhenwei.
He flicked his sleeve as he sat, posture lazy yet dominating, like a king surveying prey. Power rolled off him in suffocating waves.
Xixi gasped. "Oh my goodness! He's hotter than the last male lead!"
It zipped in frantic circles. "I'm going to have a nosebleed!"
Beside him sat the Empress.
Petite. Fragile-looking. Bunny ears drooping softly. Her eyes were gentle, almost painfully innocent.
Her name echoed in Ethan's mind.
Lin Yue.
A wolf and a bunny.
How the fuck does that even work?
DING.
Bai Zhenwei's Favorability: -999
Ethan's eyes widened.
"…The fuck?!"
Bai Zhenwei stood.
"I declare Su Yan guilty of treason against the throne," he said coldly. "For conspiring with enemy forces and poisoning the court's harmony."
His gaze flicked down.
"May the execution commence."
Cheers erupted.
The executioner lifted his axe.
The blade descended.
Closer.
Closer—
And Ethan smiled.