I Became A Squirrel Seeking For The Villain [EN]: Chapter 74

Theodore definitely knows I was with Johan.

Could he even be guessing that Johan’s magic is allowing me to transform into a human?

He’s not planning to take me to some remote countryside to hide and live in secret, so what is he planning?

And why is he spouting lines like Tezen [a term often used by those who desire a Divine Beast]? The words those who desire the Divine Beast utter are all the same.

‘Wait a minute.’

A sudden thought struck me, and I was so shocked my mouth fell open.

Thinking of Tezen allowed me to make a rather reasonable deduction.

‘He’s taking me to the Imperial Palace!’

A chill ran down my spine.

If they take me to the Imperial Palace and imprint the Imperial Family’s seal on me, I won’t be able to leave.

Just like how they initially imprinted the Hyrard family’s seal on me.

Realistically, I should somehow contact Roymond and ask him to remove the seal, but is that even possible?

If a squirrel suddenly appeared and blocked the way, the guards would probably just sweep me away with a broom without even reporting it.

‘Besides, this crazy bastard looks like he’s going to lock me up.’

At least I had freedom in the Hyrard Duke’s residence, but with this level of obsession, this man will never let me out.

The Imperial Palace has even less chance of escape than the remote tower in the Hyrard Duke’s residence.

‘What should I do?’

Johan was the only one who knew I had disappeared from that spot.

Clearly, until I waved from the window, Johan’s eyes never left me.

So, Johan must have noticed that I was gone.

Did the Second Prince, whom no one paid attention to amidst the commotion, also notice that I suddenly disappeared?

‘But Johan can’t use magic on royalty.’

If I want to escape before arriving at the Imperial Palace, now is the only chance, but I can barely steady my shaking body, let alone escape.

Then, Theodore’s voice continued.

“If you don’t want to be trapped as a squirrel for the rest of your life.”

Of course, I don’t!

Suddenly, I thought of the remote tower where I had lived with Johan.

Even in that tower, I had faintly suspected, ‘Is Johan going to lock me up like Meriel?’

Even then, I thought, ‘How could I suspect Johan, a mage, of such a thing? I’m such trash.’

Seeing Theodore, I realized that mages are truly crazy.

As I struggled and expressed my dislike, he added ominously.

“Then how about marrying me?”

Seriously, are you getting married by yourself?

I was so dumbfounded that I almost lost my grip on the pocket flap I was barely holding onto with my front paws.

“Calming you down doesn’t necessarily have to be in squirrel form, does it?”

In the end, I lost my grip with my front paws.

What is this bastard saying right now?

“If you do well, you can even become the Empress of this empire. I’ll give you the highest position.”

Ah, so kidnapping me doesn’t mean he’s giving up on the throne.

“No one can give me as much satisfaction as you, so you don’t have to worry about me lusting after other women.”

Hey, what about my satisfaction?

As I struggled greatly to show my refusal, Theodore chuckled.

“Well, then you can live in my room as a squirrel until you change your mind.”

So, he was going to the Imperial Palace after all!

My vision blurred.

The Imperial Palace wasn’t that far from here.

If we ran at full speed, we could probably arrive quickly.

And once inside the Imperial Palace, even Johan couldn’t easily enter.

I might have to hope that Johan follows us.

Johan will definitely not leave Theodore alone.

In any case, Theodore was royalty, and Johan could be arrested for harming royalty.

Theodore’s ominous words continued.

“Wearing my mark.”

Seriously, he’s really going to imprint the seal!

The Hyrard’s seal, which was like a shackle, suddenly came to mind, and my breathing became rough. It was truly terrible.

I desperately hit his body with my front paws from inside the pocket.

It wouldn’t do much damage, but I wanted to vent my anger.

“This is quite a violent squirrel.”

Theodore chuckled and continued.

“Well, it’s okay. After all, the Divine Beast is blindly devoted to the mage.”

“Kyuuuung!”

Is this how you treat a blindly devoted being!

“You know,”

Theodore whispered in a pleasant voice.

“The feeling of being soothed by a mage is more blissful than anything else. It’s the only moment of pure sensation for people who are constantly suffering.”

“Kyuuung!”

“Ah, do you know?”

When I cried out in dissatisfaction, Theodore chuckled and replied.

“Well, Johan Hyrard is so devoted to you, so you must know. Right?”

I stopped struggling for a moment.

Right now, Theodore was putting Johan and himself on the same level.

Suddenly, a sense of repulsion surged, but something made me pause.

‘After all… is there no difference?’

We first met as a mage and a Divine Beast, and my soothing ability made him comfortable.

When I kissed Johan last time, Johan looked like he was almost in heaven.

“It’s only natural for mages to competitively cling to a great Divine Beast.”

Even if they have amazing status as princes or war heroes, they are at a loss in front of my soothing ability.

Sensing that I was slightly taken aback, Theodore continued triumphantly.

“Do you think Johan Hyrard acts like your loyal dog for any other reason? To a mage, the Divine Beast is absolute. Even if we stay still, we are always in pain.”

Loyal dog… that word was enough to make me freeze slightly.

Because it was a word that touched on the doubts I had harbored about Johan.

The better he treated me, the more attractive he acted,

If Johan wanted to keep me by his side because he liked my soothing ability, it was only natural, but I didn’t know why it kept bothering me.

Something… felt disappointing.

No, beyond being disappointed, it was something I had been constantly afraid of.

The closer I got to him, the more I developed strange feelings, the more it bothered me.

What if I came to like him as a man, but he only liked me as a Divine Beast?

When my movements paused for a moment, Theodore even chuckled as if it were truly ridiculous.

“That guy wants to keep you by his side with intimacy… and since I failed at that, I just want to keep you by my side in a different way.”

The intimacy that Johan expresses to me is special.

But Theodore’s words that it could all be calculated strangely bothered me.

I was the one who initially approached him to use each other.

But at some point, I sincerely considered him a close friend, to the point where I cried in front of him at the banquet.

So, I hated the fact that Theodore and Johan, who wanted me, might be the same in essence.

“Kyuoong.”

“So, think about it. If you have to choose one of the guys who are fawning over you anyway, wouldn’t the next emperor be better?”

Seriously.

Anyone would think he’s already the Crown Prince.

I know very well that he hasn’t given up hope for the throne even though the High Priest was arrested right in front of him.

“The first person you soothed was me.”

He said in a voice filled with possessiveness.

“You messed around at the temple in the middle, but that means I was the mage who could have preempted you.”

That’s also terrible in its own way.

It was a forced imposition of unhealthy obsession and one-sided emotions that anyone could see.

“Well, Johan Hyrard might chase after us like crazy. It looks like he even used magic.”

There was one more fact that Theodore didn’t guess.

Johan wasn’t even taking soothing potions.

So, it would be much more painful than he expected.

In any case, Theodore was anticipating that Johan might chase after us, and he was planning to imprint the seal on me as soon as we arrived at the Imperial Palace.

Even if he was caught on the way, Johan couldn’t use magic on Theodore.

It was disadvantageous for Johan in many ways. Besides, there was even a difference in status!

‘Rather, don’t chase after me, Johan. I’m smart, so I can somehow take care of myself.’

That path looks very dark right now, but still.

“Kyuguoong.”

As if reading my worried mind, Theodore chuckled and said.

“It can’t be helped. When the Divine Beast soothes the mage, you should have been prepared for that much obsession.”

That was a bit of an unfair statement.

If that’s the case, Theodore’s obsession was more annoying to me than Johan’s obsession.

But I don’t even remember soothing Theodore! But why should I be prepared for kidnapping!

“Don’t worry.”

Theodore continued in a crazed voice.

“It’s okay as long as we arrive at the Imperial Palace.”

“Kyugyoong!”

That was exactly what I was worried about.

It was then.

Bang!

“Heeheeheeheeheeing!”

Suddenly, Theodore stopped talking and stood up on his front paws.

“Kyuoowoong!”

I also had to roll around in Theodore’s inner pocket.

Bang! Bang!

Explosions were heard one after another from all directions.

‘This is…’

Even though I couldn’t see it, I could tell. There weren’t many mages who could use magic with this much destructive power.

‘It’s Johan!’