I Became A Squirrel Seeking For The Villain [EN]: Chapter 63

That definitely sounds like he has some *deep* skinship in mind.

I cleared my throat a few times, made a disgusted face, and said,

“You mean you’ll turn back into a squirrel later to calm me down?”

“Ah.”

Was I the only one embarrassed? Johann nodded calmly. I casually added,

“I’ll do it for you every day when we’re at the Hyrrad Duchy.”

It was truly amazing that Renart had developed a drug that allowed him to transform back into his divine form.

Instead of doing something rather awkward, as described vaguely in the books, like ‘engaging in deep skinship,’ all I have to do is put my little paw on him and absorb his magic.

“That brings back memories and sounds great. Let’s start tonight.”

I cut Johann off before he could say anything else, looked around once more, and changed the subject.

“Oh, you left that tower standing?”

The remote tower where Johann had been imprisoned was still there.

Surprised, I asked, and Johann frowned, tilting his head.

“Left it standing?”

“I thought you would have gotten rid of it a long time ago since it symbolizes your time of pain and hardship.”

The sinister aura that had been on his face disappeared, and he returned to his kind demeanor.

He smiled at my words and replied nonchalantly,

“Why would I get rid of it? It’s a precious space for me.”

“Huh?”

I frowned, wondering if his time of pain and hardship was that precious to him, and Johann whispered,

“It’s where I first met you.”

“Ah…….”

For a moment, I felt my ears burning up.

When a handsome man like Johann says things like that, I can’t help but feel a little fluttered….

And the atmosphere had been strange since a while ago. My neck was hot even though we hadn’t done anything significant.

As I hesitated, Johann continued,

“How could I get rid of the wall of that tower that you climbed with your little paws? It’s so precious to me.”

Um…….

“I intend to keep the window you knocked on with an acorn as a family heirloom for life.”

Uh…….

“I even found the blanket you were covered with on the day you first succeeded in humanizing and put it on display.”

Ah…….

“I still go up there once a day these days.”

Hmm…….

“Every time, I get so excited.”

“Ahahaha…….”

I laughed awkwardly and thought to myself.

Where did the eerie and decadent man from before go, leaving only a strange weirdo?

Our kind and gentle Johann… he definitely grew up with something lacking.

We took a walk around the duchy for quite a long time.

Come to think of it, it was the first time we had ever freely wandered around the Hyrrad Duchy together.

Just being able to laugh while talking about difficult past stories was actually a big deal.

When I vividly recalled the time when I threw acorns at Tezen in my squirrel form, Johann even sighed and chuckled softly.

“This is a problem.”

Johann said with a smile in his voice.

“You’ve done so much for me that I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”

“Aren’t I the one who feels sorry these days?”

I widened my eyes and retorted.

“Honestly, at first, I was shamelessly thinking of telling you to repay my kindness, but these days, I feel like I’m causing you too much trouble….”

“If you really feel sorry, only cause trouble for me.”

Johann tilted his head and whispered.

“That’s my condition for you to use me as much as you want.”

Was it really something that needed such a grand condition?

His somehow subdued voice was strangely thrilling.

Until now, I just felt like I was unilaterally asking Johann for help and doing my part.

But now that I’m here, I don’t have anything to do except kill time, so something feels different than before.

Being in his territory, the Hyrrad Duchy, I feel like I keep getting caught up in Johann’s pace….

And that’s when we had been spending quite a long time together.

“Excuse me, Duke.”

A rather gentlemanly-looking old man approached from afar with quick steps.

“Butler?”

Ah… a new butler.

I looked at Johann’s new butler with curious eyes, and the butler greeted me politely before speaking.

“I have something urgent to tell you.”

The short letter the butler handed over had the imperial seal on it.

‘Why the imperial family…? And something this short is usually a visit request…?’

But why would the imperial family send Johann such an urgent visit request?

Before I could ask anything, Johann’s expression hardened in an instant as he unfolded the letter.

* * *

The servants of the Hyrrad Duchy were watching Johann and Yurika from afar, their mouths agape in astonishment.

Isn’t that Yurika Medest, the adopted daughter, visiting the Hyrrad Duchy for the first time today?

How can she roam around the duchy so confidently, as if she knows all the geography?

The servants of the Hyrrad Duchy had been completely replaced after Johann’s return.

Therefore, no one knew about the old Johann.

They only knew that Johann was a very cold and aloof person, and that he always had a chilling expression, except when he climbed the remote tower every night.

Johann was quite rational and capable, making him an easy master to serve, but the pressure from his appearance was so intense that he always felt difficult to approach.

Even these days, when he was taking the calming medicine as little as possible, he always exuded a chilly aura.

He didn’t show it, but he must have been overflowing with great pain from the inside, so it was obvious that he would be in a bad mood even if he just stood still.

Some shallow maids would say things like, ‘Isn’t that cold yet aloof expression cool?’ or ‘Isn’t a handsome, muscular man who is always in pain and sensitive kind of charming?’

Of course, they only said those things behind his back, and they didn’t dare say anything other than the prescribed words in front of him.

That’s how oppressive the atmosphere Johann exuded was.

But what is that expression?

He’s smiling so seductively in front of that adopted daughter Yurika, who has a bad reputation in the capital.

“Didn’t they say that fake adopted daughter is a fox?”

“Who would look at that and think the Duke isn’t the fox?”

That face, deliberately doing his best to show off his beauty, was something the servants had never seen before.

In fact, the servants didn’t have much affection for Yurika.

That’s because the rumor that ‘Yurika has bewitched Johann, a naive cold beauty who just came to the capital,’ had spread in the capital.

But… this is… seeing it in person….

“The one who’s trying to seduce someone right now is the Duke….”

“Why do I feel like an innocent woman has walked into the habitat of a beast on her own….”

In reality, not many people had seen Yurika.

That’s because Yurika didn’t leave the Medest Duchy unless she had to, as she was concerned about her safety.

So the servants couldn’t help but be flustered when they saw Yurika, who was so different from the image they had imagined.

She looks too cute to be a *femme fatale* [an attractive and seductive woman, especially one who will ultimately bring disaster to a man who becomes involved with her]!

Besides, that natural and unadorned expression, that face that clearly looks sorry….

“If you’re sorry, you can stay longer.”

Johann was using that apology to make a fully decorated expression.

Besides, Yurika looked around as if she was familiar with the place, as if she had been to the Hyrrad Duchy before.

The servants, who didn’t know the history of the Hyrrad Duchy, could only guess that they must have had some kind of relationship in the past.

And while they were taking a walk, the servants who were watching from afar came to a conclusion.

It’s too early to judge, but Yurika doesn’t seem to be the villainess that the rumors say.

Rather….

“Wow, this swing is still here. Tezen used to swing me on it so often when he was first interested in me.”

“Ah. The swing with memories of Tezen.”

Johann answered cheerfully no matter what Yurika said.

However, as soon as Yurika turned around, the swing collapsed.

The destructive power was so great that it was obvious that Johann had used magic.

“Oh, this is the very bench where Tezen used to sit and brag about me whenever a guest came!”

“I see. I didn’t know.”

The bench quietly crumbled, avoiding Yurika’s gaze.

“Oh my, this is the hideous statue that Tezen giggled at, saying it looked like me!”

The rat-shaped statue that had been reading a book crumbled silently.

“This is the chestnut tree where Tezen had the maids pick chestnuts and throw them at me!”

As soon as Yurika turned onto another path, the chestnut tree slowly fell.

While Yurika continued her walk without a care, half of the duchy’s garden disappeared.

By that point, the servants had come to a conclusion.

‘If that strange Duke doesn’t end up with Yurika, hell will unfold.’

If Yurika disappears from this duchy, the duchy itself might disappear.

‘Whether she’s a *femme fatale* or a witch, we’ll do our best to help this combination! For our peace!’

And while that peaceful yet not-so-peaceful walk was continuing….

The butler found Johann with Theodore’s visit request.

It was a short message saying that he would come to the duchy right away.