I Became A Squirrel Seeking For The Villain [EN]: Chapter 44

The anticipation for the Imperial Palace Victory Banquet grew daily.

It was the first official social event after the long war. All the prominent nobles expressed their excitement and intention to attend.

And before the banquet date approached, various noble families held small tea parties or garden parties.

These gatherings were mainly for close noble families who had maintained some level of interaction to share information.

“Yurika, are you really not going? I understand myself, but you…….”

“Yes, I’m not going. We weren’t close in the first place.”

Naturally, many invitations arrived at the Medest duchy as well.

Mariel used the excuse of not feeling well to decline every invitation.

This was entirely because of her partner.

If it was rumored in advance that she was the Crown Prince’s partner, all sorts of questions would inevitably arise.

She was afraid that it might be revealed that they had feelings for each other even before the war.

It would be different after the banquet, but if such rumors spread before the Victory Banquet, it would not be good. So, Roymond and Mariel agreed to keep a low profile until the banquet.

And I also did not respond to any invitations.

I had lived without many friends, so there were no gatherings I absolutely had to attend.

“But it would be nice to make some friends this time…….”

Mariel looked at me with pity, but I just smiled.

“It’s okay. Johan is my friend.”

“……His eyes looked too beast-like to be called a friend.”

“Have you forgotten? I’m actually the beast, sister.”

“Ah…… That’s right.”

Mariel exchanged a few more trivial words with me before returning to her room.

And after being left alone in the room, I finally took out the pile of letters from the drawer.

I knew Mariel’s heart.

She wanted to see me, as the dignified Duchess of Medest, communicating with others.

I knew she was doing it all for me.

‘But in this state, I don’t think I’ll hear anything good even if I go.’

And it wasn’t that I didn’t have informants, just that I didn’t have friends.

For the past five years, I had been quietly holed up in the Medest mansion, but I had been secretly doing many things.

It had been quite a while since I started trading with several information guilds and handling information.

‘Originally, I started this to help the Medest family, but it’s shining again like this in the end.’

The power of information played a significant role in saving the Medest family this much.

While no one was interested in social circles information because of the war, I had selected reliable information guilds and traded with them for quite a long time.

‘Knowing the original story in advance, I was quite helpful to them too.’

In conclusion, they had built trust and a sense of partnership with me by exchanging information for a long time.

As a result, I was still able to receive quite accurate and up-to-date information.

[Someone is spreading malicious rumors about the Duchess.]

Several information guilds reported similar information.

[Rumors such as a lavish adopted daughter who doesn’t know her place, and a cunning woman who has won over the innocent Mariel Medest. There is no one actively defending her, so such gossip is spreading like wildfire.]

[Rumors that you have become partners with Duke Johan Hাইল라드 are also spreading by word of mouth. The reaction is not good.]

I had been just quietly staying still, as before. But it seemed definitely strange that these rumors were suddenly circulating.

And if they couldn’t sense this strangeness, they wouldn’t be excellent information guilds.

[After tracing the source of those rumors…….]

[After investigating the people behind spreading the rumors…….]

[After finding out who sponsored the gatherings where such rumors were rampant…….]

The information guilds added other services as well.

‘As expected, it’s worth feeding them money and helping each other all this time.’

I bit my lower lip as I looked at the name of the person behind it, which the information guilds commonly pointed out.

[Miss Libena Sevs.]

The initial suspicion upon seeing that unfamiliar name was quite accurate.

Libena Sevs was targeting me anyway.

‘At this point, I’m pretty sure she’s someone from the temple…….’

I could roughly guess why she was trying to undermine my reputation in advance.

‘Well, for now…… I’ll let her run wild as much as she wants.’

There was nothing I could do even if I stepped forward now. Libena herself was moving secretly.

‘It would be good if she tripped over her own schemes.’

Of course, it wasn’t like I was just going to sit still and take it forever.

‘I’ve already set up a rough plan.’

With a calm face, I unfolded the next letter.

It was a letter from the Hisri Guild, the closest information guild to me among those I had been interacting with.

[I heard that you will be attending the banquet with Duke Johan Hাইল라드. Be sure to be careful even if he acts very kindly.]

The Hisri Information Guild Leader was good in many ways, but the problem was that he kept seeing me as the child he first met.

[Magicians are not beings that can be handled within normal boundaries. If you are thinking of using them, you must approach them very carefully.]

Because I acted calculatively in various matters, he seemed to think that I would use Johan as well.

I sighed softly and picked up a pen. Anyway, I was grateful for his concern.

[Thank you for the warning. But Johan Hাইল라드 is quite a gentleman, and I want to have a fair trade with him rather than using him.]

It wasn’t just a roundabout excuse, Johan had been kind to me all along. And he acted really docile.

He listened to everything I said with a kind face, and he didn’t ask deeply.

‘Our Johan knows how to repay kindness.’

Of course, that didn’t mean I was going to unilaterally use Johan.

I might be in a bad situation now and receiving help, but I was going to do my best to help him once I survived.

Whatever it was.

* * *

“This is a letter from Duchess Yurika Medest.”

The Hisri Information Guild Leader, who received Yurika’s letter, carefully read the contents and then sighed deeply.

“What does she say? How should we respond?”

At his subordinate’s question, the Hisri Information Guild Leader shrugged and replied.

“She just says to stay still. To let those rumors spread as they are.”

“Huh, really…….”

The subordinate, who knew that the rumors about Yurika Medest were quite malicious, sighed deeply.

“Still, well…… The Duchess will have other plans.”

“That’s right.”

It had already been five years since they had traded with Yurika Medest, who was once a small girl, and the information guilds knew that she was quite clever and insightful.

They had gained quite a bit of profit from the unexpected information Yurika had provided.

“We’re not too worried because of what she’s shown us so far.”

The Hisri Information Guild Leader replied calmly, but his expression was not very good.

“But why do you look so uneasy?”

“What bothers me is not this trivial gossip or rumors, but Duke Johan Hাইল라드.”

“Yes? That war hero?”

“Yes, that magician.”

Emphasizing the word ‘magician,’ the Hisri Information Guild Leader frowned.

“Magicians are basically very vicious and cunning……. And they will use any means to achieve their goals. Just think of them as crazy people.”

At the explicit expression, the subordinate’s mouth dropped open. The Information Guild Leader continued.

“……Gentlemanly? Magicians are people who can never be gentlemanly. Gentlemanly, the word ‘villain’ would be more fitting.”

The subordinate tried to refute, but swallowed hard, thinking of the terrifying impression of Johan Hাইল라드 he had seen from afar.

He was terribly handsome, but he had a somehow eerie aura.

“Gentlemanly…… That’s even more unsettling. If a magician is acting so docile, that’s…….”

“That’s?”

“Whether Duchess Yurika intended it or not, it’s probably because he only said what that magician wanted to hear.”

“Oh, come on…….”

Even with the subordinate’s unsure words, the Hisri Information Guild Leader’s expression did not brighten.

“The only reassuring fact is that magicians are obsessed with истинность [truth]…… Duchess Yurika is neither a divine beast nor a truth potion, so she won’t be the target of that endless obsession. That’s the only fortunate thing.”

He sighed and added worriedly.

“……I hope nothing goes wrong at the banquet.”

* * *

A few days later, the Victory Banquet was finally held.

The nobles, who had been waiting for such a large event for a long time, gathered in groups of three or five and were enjoying the splendid event from early on.

Before the banquet officially began, the servant rang the bell to announce the entrance.

“His Highness Prince Theodore Roelai is entering!”

“Miss Libena Sevs is entering!”