I Became A Squirrel Seeking For The Villain [EN]: Chapter 54

Became a Squirrel to Save the Villain 54

Father is alive, you say…….

Everyone in the Duke’s residence misses him, even Uncle Jayden, who would always say, ‘You really resemble my brother-in-law,’ whenever he saw me…… my father…….

Just like me before the possession, before my consciousness returned…… completely unaware…….

“We’re distorting Yurika Medest’s time once again.”

And they, without any remorse, were only thinking of using me again.

“To let her live quietly as a sacred beast, as she was meant to be. Of course, the research will take quite some time.”

Theodore paused for a moment.

He seemed to be calculating something in his mind.

Whether to trust Libena and continue working with her, or to start taking an independent path.

“Hmm.”

After a moment, Theodore opened his mouth.

“Alright. Since you’ve been honest, let’s continue working together. After all, you need me to stop Roymond, who’s trying to crush the temple, right?”

“Thank you.”

To be honest, Johan, who could blow up the temple in an instant, is a more significant threat than Roymond, who is politically trying to suppress the temple…….

But now, I couldn’t ask Johan to destroy the temple.

Because Duke Medest, my father, would be inside.

‘No, maybe he’s not in the temple. He might be in a third space.’

Seeing how Libena is coming out into the world so casually, there might be a base somewhere other than the temple.

To get all that information, I couldn’t just blow up the temple or kill those people carelessly.

Besides, Libena’s specialty is research…… she must be a key figure.

‘The upcoming celebration at the temple is the opportunity. I can get inside, and since there will be many outsiders, it will be easier to distract everyone.’

As I was thinking about the next operation, Theodore continued.

“But if things go your way, give me that sacred beast.”

What?

Who is asking for whom, from whom?

“I wanted it from the beginning.”

Ha, really…….

Even though I’m in the body of a squirrel, it was an absurd thing to hear.

This guy is even worse than Tezen.

At least Tezen didn’t know I was originally human…… or rather, he was young.

“Yes…… I will do so.”

“I also want to deal with that Johan Hylard. He always looks like he’s coveting what’s mine.”

This was truly a mess. Who is calling whom their own?

Theodore clicked his tongue and suddenly asked.

“But what’s the relationship between Yurika Medest and Johan Hylard? If what you say is true, it’s very suspicious. After all, it’s a sacred beast and a wizard relationship.”

“Well…….”

Libena sighed and replied.

“I don’t know exactly, but I think it helped Yurika Medest’s humanization. I don’t know the details, though.”

That was half true.

Well, Libena knew I went to the Hylard estate, so she could make that inference.

“……Is that so?”

There was clear displeasure in Theodore’s voice.

“So…… Johan Hylard managed to calm Yurika Medest enough for her to eventually humanize, is that it?”

Well, that was also half true.

I was able to humanize for a short time thanks to Johan.

“That’s quite unpleasant.”

……Why are you?

Libena, as well as I, was puzzled and asked in a questioning voice.

“Why?”

“Don’t wizards usually have some possessiveness towards sacred beasts?”

That was something I had read about in books later.

Wizards instinctively feel possessive of the sacred beasts that calm them.

So, I vaguely thought that Johan’s blind devotion to me might be due to that influence.

Since I was even his benefactor, I thought it was natural for him to be at my beck and call.

However, I didn’t take his kindness for granted.

This was a matter of life and death on my end, so I was desperate, but I planned to repay his kindness in some way after everything was over.

“So, I can’t help but dislike Johan Hylard being by her side.”

“I heard it was only once, though.”

“Still, that one time was quite perfect. If I had known the temple would release such calming drugs and stop distributing sacred beasts, I would never have missed it. In that sense…….”

Theodore added irritably.

“Johan Hylard is very annoying. I think he hates me anyway.”

“Well, I see.”

Libena replied insincerely. Frankly, it was disgusting to hear who was talking about possessiveness to whom.

“Then don’t let it go. I also find that human guarding Yurika Medest very annoying. Moreover, I’m very concerned that he even requested a celebration at the temple.”

Libena must have felt that Theodore was a bit of an eyesore, as she continued in a stiff voice.

“Now that we are sure that Yurika Medest is real, we will move more actively. We will also try various short-term methods.”

“Good luck.”

How much more actively, what short-term solutions are they going to come up with? As I perked up my ears, Theodore grumbled.

“Then let’s get out of here. We need to monitor Yurika Medest and Johan Hylard too.”

“Yes.”

After that, Theodore and Libena finished their conversation. Only after they left the balcony did I scurry back the way I came and start running to Johan.

* * *

Johan was anxiously leaning against the balcony, waiting for me. I ran as fast as I could and stood on the railing in front of him.

“Momo!”

Johan shouted in a welcoming voice when he found me.

But Momo…….

As I put my two front paws on my waist and looked at him with a sulky gaze, he mumbled as if embarrassed.

“Sorry…… I just imagined you with that name for a long time.”

I didn’t like the name Momo from the beginning.

No, in fact, I didn’t like any name, whether it was Blackie or anything else.

Looking back, I wondered if I instinctively knew I was Yurika. I used Yurika’s name, which I thought was someone else’s, without any resistance.

As I was lost in sentiment, Johan smiled quietly and gently touched my cheek with his long index finger.

“I was so surprised when you first turned into a squirrel that I didn’t realize it…….”

“Kyung?”

“Seeing you like this really brings back old memories.”

His voice was soft.

“Actually, I was thinking about that the whole time while waiting for you.”

“Kyooo?”

As I tilted my head, he slowly continued.

“In the Duke’s castle, I waited for you like this every night. I was worried about what would happen if something happened and you never came.”

Come to think of it, Johan was just waiting for me, a squirrel, again this time.

Coincidentally, it was a dark night like those times when we met secretly, and the banquet hall was quite high, so the scenery was similar.

“Even though I was worried the whole time…… I couldn’t help but smile when I saw your face.”

Johan smiled and whispered.

“I still haven’t changed.”

In fact, contrary to Johan’s words, everything was similar to that time, but Johan alone was very different from the little boy of that time.

The frail boy who couldn’t help his weak body and looked pitiful was now standing firmly with a neat face and fancy clothes.

But that look in his eyes, that he had been waiting for me so desperately, seemed really…… the same as back then.

“You wouldn’t know how much comfort you were to me back then.”

Johan slowly lowered himself to meet my eyes.

“Yurika.”

As I looked at him without humanizing, Johan quietly continued.

“You…… letting those terrible rumors about you spread…….”

“Kyung?”

“……Of course, it was part of your plan, but it was also for Meriel Medest, right?”

Oh.

I blinked in surprise.

‘He noticed that?’

That was something I didn’t want to tell anyone. Not even Meriel.

“The more malicious your rumors are…… the more it can divert people’s attention from the scandal of Lady Meriel Medest.”

“Kyung…….”

“Am I right?”

Johan’s guess was correct.

In fact, Meriel was supposed to marry a war hero.

But if she suddenly attended the victory banquet as the Crown Prince’s partner, strange rumors could spread by those who were jealous.

That she had been seducing the Crown Prince in the capital while being exempt from military service.

‘Actually, that’s true. It’s true that they fell for each other.’

But if I, the adopted daughter of Medest, acted arrogantly, people’s attention would inevitably be focused on me.

So, I deliberately appeared at the banquet in more splendid attire than Meriel today.

Even if there were people who gossiped about Meriel, there could be a counter-opinion that ‘But she seems to be pushed back by that adopted daughter, so there’s no way she would have acted so calculatingly.’

Then, Johan asked quietly.

“Is Meriel Medest that precious to you, Yurika?”