I Became A Squirrel Seeking For The Villain [EN]: Chapter 57

“If it’s a surprise gift…”

Meriel, intrigued, asked, and Roymond replied with a grin.

“The problem right now is that everyone is talking about Yurika being adopted and a fake. At times like this, we need to show that the Medest family cherishes Yurika.”

“Aha?”

“If they haven’t fully grasped that fact because there hasn’t been much social interaction, how about showing it off to people in a flamboyant way this time?”

“I like it!”

Meriel shouted at once, as if she loved Roymond’s idea.

“That would be great! I’ll make it clear to everyone that attacks on Yurika are unacceptable as attacks on Medest!”

Jayden also clenched his fist next to her, agreeing.

“That’s right, Your Highness! Thank you for your good advice.”

“But how do we let them know?”

“Don’t worry, Meriel. These things…”

Jayden smiled and spoke like a merchant leading a trading company.

“…can be solved by throwing money at them. If you put in a little sincerity, you can get a huge effect.”

“Yes! Then let’s start right after the banquet!”

“Good! Operation starts tonight!”

Roymond thought to himself, ‘So, so fast?’ but he couldn’t show it.

Because Meriel and Jayden were too enthusiastic.

Instead, he carefully offered his opinion.

“Come to think of it, Medest’s ancestor was a beast-man [a person with animal-like features or abilities]. What if we give Yurika something with that symbolism? To make her feel a sense of belonging to the Medest family. I recall earlier that she even has a fondness for leather products.”

“Ah.”

Meriel rolled her eyes and tilted her head.

“Well… I don’t know much more than that. There aren’t any books related to it in the family…”

Even so, her eyes sparkled as if she was interested.

“But I know that Yurika is subtly interested in the Medest family!”

Roymond was excited at the thought of being able to help Meriel, so he quickly replied.

“Hmm, I’ve only seen related books in passing… For example, how about a squirrel?”

Anyway, he wanted to help in any way he could since Meriel was showing enthusiasm.

A squirrel—just thinking about it, doesn’t it seem cute?

Meriel even really liked small animals. She couldn’t take her eyes off even a single bird flying by.

Roymond gave his opinion, thinking that Meriel would really like it.

However, at the word ‘squirrel,’ Meriel’s expression instantly hardened.

“…Squirrel? Why… would you think that…”

“Huh?”

“Ah, no… I was just wondering why a squirrel of all things…”

Roymond was startled to see the smile disappear from Meriel’s face and quickly made excuses.

“Did you perhaps dislike squirrels? I just… I once saw a squirrel illustration drawn in the section of a book I glimpsed while following His Majesty the Emperor…”

“Yes?”

Meriel’s eyes widened even more at Roymond’s words.

“There was such a book? Why don’t I know anything about it when it’s our family’s book?”

“Well, that’s…”

Roymond sighed as if he was in trouble when Meriel made a serious expression.

“It’s a book that cannot be taken out of His Majesty the Emperor’s personal library…”

Roymond, as the Crown Prince, could not go there alone either.

This was because the personal library was full of books that could reveal the weaknesses of the nobles.

Therefore, any sane member of the imperial family should not let the nobles know that such a space or book exists.

“What’s the title of that book, Your Highness?”

Of course, Roymond was blinded by love and was not in his right mind.

Roymond, the lovestruck royal, answered without showing any hesitation.

“I don’t know exactly because I only glimpsed it once when I was very young. The title is .”

Meriel was not the type to think and act with elaborate plans.

However, unless she was a fool, she could sense that this matter was quite important.

The family’s curse that even Medest didn’t know about, squirrels, and Yurika.

“Lady Meriel has a lot of magical power. So I… absorbed it steadily. Enough to be humanized.”

“I have magical power? I can’t use any magic.”

“I don’t know the details. But you just had a lot of magical power. I knew it the day you came to the Duke Hyrard’s residence for dinner.”

Clues that she hadn’t been curious about until now were all jumbled up.

Her heart fluttered with unimaginable hope.

For some reason, she felt like she could get closer to the truth she didn’t know if she put her head together with Yurika and talked.

“Squirrel or whatever, let’s prepare an event for Yurika first.”

And Jayden, who couldn’t contribute to this topic, said resolutely.

“Starting tonight, so that Yurika can wake up in a good mood tomorrow morning.”

* * *

I opened my eyes to the sound of birds chirping. It was morning.

“Uh…”

“You’re awake, Yurika.”

It wasn’t my bed. As I got up with a puffy face, Siena smiled brightly and hugged me.

“Did you have a good dream?”

Only then did the memories flood back.

After returning from the banquet yesterday, I went into Siena’s room and fell asleep with her.

Johann escorted me and Siena to the front of the room, then politely greeted us and returned.

He seemed to think that it wasn’t his place to be there.

I only had things to be grateful and embarrassed about to Johann yesterday.

And despite it not being very late, I fell asleep early because there were too many things going on.

I even whined to Siena that I wanted to sleep with my mom today.

“I was so happy, Yurika.”

Siena smiled and stroked my hair.

“I feel like… you’ve finally accepted me as your mom.”

“Yes?”

“I felt a strange distance until now. I was anxious that you… might leave me again someday.”

“What are you…”

“I couldn’t protect you… so I thought that was why, but I didn’t feel that way yesterday.”

Suddenly, my heart constricted once more.

I had always liked Siena, but inside, I was thinking, ‘She’s not my real mom.’

It wasn’t because I missed my real mom, but because I didn’t think Siena really loved me.

I thought it was something she wanted to say to the real Yurika, not me, so I tried to remain calm.

Thinking about it, even the time I had unconsciously distanced myself felt like a waste.

Siena hugged me tightly once and then pulled the bell cord.

“Aren’t you hungry? It’s very late. It’s time to eat lunch.”

“Ah… I overslept!”

Come to think of it, I hadn’t been sleeping well lately because I was making various plans until the banquet.

Looking at the bright light coming in through the window, it seemed like it was already midday.

“Are my sister and uncle back? I want to see them!”

Come to think of it, I had to meet Meriel and Jayden soon.

As I got up, wondering how to explain these things, I suddenly heard a commotion outside.

Unlike usual, the maids were moving busily and loudly. The hurried footsteps were louder than usual.

“What is it? How grand are they trying to prepare your lunch…”

“Um… I’ll be back in a moment. I think I need to change my clothes first.”

I couldn’t eat in my pajamas, so I got up to find out what was going on.

After leaving Siena’s room, I peeked out from the spiral staircase on the way to my room at the central entrance.

And I couldn’t help but be surprised by the sight that unfolded before my eyes.

“Um… hello.”

A guest had just entered the central entrance, which was directly connected to the entrance of the mansion.

As far as I knew, there were no guests scheduled to visit this morning.

But what was even more surprising was the guest’s appearance.

“Is this the Medest Duchy?”

A woman with the same light brown hair and pink eyes as me was standing there in shabby clothes.

And she smiled brightly at Meriel, who was standing right in front of her, and said.

“I heard you have a lost daughter…”

I chuckled inwardly.

There was a word that immediately came to mind.

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

Libena had clearly said that on the balcony of the banquet hall.

I was wondering what that ‘short-term method’ was….

Did she leave the banquet hall early yesterday and plan this?

The maids who had gathered around me were surprised and widened their eyes.

‘What to do.’

I clicked my tongue and smiled inwardly.

‘Since I already know all the truth.’