I Became A Squirrel Seeking For The Villain [EN]: Chapter 78

At my words, Johann tilted his head and asked.

“…Efficient?”

“Yeah.”

The temple was vast, and Libena and Patr were quite cautious individuals.

Even if I could search as a squirrel, they probably wouldn’t leave evidence in an easily discoverable place.

Just barging into the temple without a plan and rummaging around wouldn’t easily lead me to find Father.

That’s why I didn’t even meet the person who came from the Medest Estate and sent them back.

Even Jayden rushed to the Hylard Estate again without any contact, only conveying through the butler that ‘the emotional wounds are a bit too big, so I’ll be with Johann for a while.’

‘Sorry, Uncle.’

Of course, there was a reason for delivering the message verbally rather than in writing.

‘But that’s how rumors can spread throughout the capital.’

My whereabouts were of great interest to the people of the capital right now.

Not because I was incredibly popular, but simply because I was a good topic for gossip.

The story of a fake being chased out by the real one, but even that real one turned out to be fake.

In fact, people didn’t know I was the real Yurica, so they were curious about what would happen between the Medest Estate and me in the future.

And right now, it was important for rumors to spread that I had distanced myself from the Medest family.

Of course, I sent a separate letter because I was worried Jayden would be too disappointed.

[I have a plan, so please wait for 3 days. Please tell Mother and Sister as well.]

And for those 3 days, I continued to stay at the Hylard Estate.

Three days.

So, I was planning to search the temple and then return to the Medest Estate.

At my answer, Johann paused for a moment, then narrowed his eyes and said.

“You’re trying to use Libena Seves.”

As expected of Johann… he was quite perceptive.

Or perhaps he himself was skilled in this kind of scheme.

Recalling the original story, it wasn’t a surprising fact.

I smiled and replied.

“Yeah. Because she’s still excellent bait that hasn’t been caught.”

Even though the temple was practically surrounded and the high priests and Patr were taken into custody, there was someone who was freely roaming around.

That was Libena Seves.

It was because she had left the temple and completely laundered her identity before this incident.

Patr was detained and couldn’t do anything right now. So, it was obvious that Libena would move to conceal the evidence.

From what I overheard at the banquet, Libena must have been in charge of an important task.

But it wouldn’t be easy because the Hylard knights were stationed there now.

And the more difficult it was, the more definite the traces she would leave.

“I have to use everything I can. Squeeze them dry until the very end.”

At my words, Johann laughed softly for a long time. Then, as if amused, he said.

“Yurica, when you say that, you sound like a villain.”

…I don’t want to hear that from you, who almost became a real villain.

“If you get caught once, you’re in big trouble. Let’s stay on the same side.”

Hmm, did I just get acknowledged by a villain?

* * *

“I’m sorry, Young Lady.”

In front of the secluded palace where Theodore was detained, a visitor came.

“Since His Highness the Prince has been ordered to stay confined, there are orders to refrain from visits from ordinary people…”

“Ordinary people?”

It was Libena Seves, with her red hair tied up.

“Do I look like just an ordinary person?”

With the high-ranking officials of the temple, including the high priest, all arrested and Theodore even detained, only Libena was free.

“As you know, I am His Highness the Prince’s fiancée.”

Libena looked at the soldier guarding the gate and said with a haughty face.

“That means I certainly have the right to see His Highness.”

And with a quickness that was unimaginable from that haughty expression, she handed a gold coin to the soldier.

“If the higher-ups say anything, say I caused a commotion.”

Libena continued, handing another gold coin to the hesitating soldier.

“Say I seemed to have come to discuss breaking off the engagement, so I seemed very urgent.”

And when the third gold coin filled his palm, the soldier no longer hesitated.

“Then you must come out quickly after the discussion is over.”

“Of course.”

Libena nodded, her green eyes gleaming.

“What long conversation would I want to have with a wicked magician who deceived me and acted independently?”

It wasn’t just to deceive the gatekeeper but a voice filled with genuine sincerity.

Anyway, the gate to the Prince’s palace opened, and Libena stared at Theodore inside the palace with a blank face.

His clothes were disheveled, and empty potion bottles were scattered on the floor.

Well, he seemed to have used quite a bit of magic while fighting Johann, so he probably felt terrible.

‘Well, compared to Johann Hylard, who recklessly used magic, he’s just a small fry, but his expression is that of a great magician.’

Libena sneered inwardly as she looked at Theodore’s poor complexion.

Of course, she couldn’t say it out loud.

“You’ve come.”

Theodore irritably swept back his hair and sneered.

“You must be frustrated too, right? You’ve caused a big accident at the temple, so even if I act like this, you can’t let go of my hand.”

Libena’s insides were boiling.

It would be easier to use him if he were stupid, but he was even clever. Well, most magicians are like that.

Perhaps she should have expected this result from the beginning when she joined hands with a magician.

Ordinary magicians don’t know cooperation or trust.

They don’t care about means or methods for their own goals, and they have no empathy, so they don’t think anything of betrayal.

So, as soon as he found out about Yurica’s identity, he must have gone crazy and acted on his own.

Going to the Hylard Estate and provoking Johann and Yurica, and even using magic to kidnap Yurica during this improvement ceremony, were all actions that deviated from Libena’s calculations.

From the beginning, cooperation with Libena was meaningless to Theodore.

She was just someone he could easily throw away in front of something he coveted.

‘After all, she was just a sacred animal that I used to handle freely…’

And the more this happened, the more angry she became at Yurica.

To think that the little squirrel in her grasp would mess everything up like this.

But anyway, if Theodore helped with one thing, it was that he realized Yurica could turn back into a squirrel.

She didn’t know how that was possible, but he must have figured out the method.

‘Yurica is clearly my creation, so why do things I don’t know keep popping up?’

Libena frowned and sighed inwardly.

‘Usually, sacred animals don’t have a strong will to humanize, so how did she humanize… and how does she freely transform between a squirrel and a human?’

She wanted to drag her to her lab right away, but nothing was possible.

The temple where the lab was located was completely in chaos right now.

She even heard that Hylard’s knights were guarding it, even if she tried to sneak in.

‘If the lab is discovered, it’s over. Besides, the Duke of Medest is in the basement…’

In the end, the only place Libena could come was Theodore.

Even if he was detained, a member of the imperial family was still a member of the imperial family, so he was still in a position to use subordinates.

She really didn’t want to join hands with a magician, but they were still in a situation where they needed each other.

“Yes. I cannot let go of His Highness’s hand.”

Libena said bluntly.

“But His Highness won’t be able to let go of my hand either. If you still want that sacred animal.”

“Is there a way?”

Theodore’s blue eyes flashed. Even in the midst of all this, his face showed that he was conscious of the word ‘sacred animal.’

“The temple seems to be completely destroyed, and the idiot Crown Prince is about to sell his soul to Meriel, so it’s only a matter of time before the Medest family finds out everything.”

In reality, Libena had no hope in the current situation.

It wasn’t just anything, but she was caught on the spot trying to assassinate a member of the imperial family. It was best not to expect Patr to be released at all.

Libena and Patr had kept secrets for a long time by sharing everything only between themselves.

However, instead of being able to maintain security until the end, if one person collapsed, the other had no place to rely on.

Theodore was an unreliable colleague. She couldn’t rely on him even more in this difficult situation.

“Yes. At this rate, our future is set. Even if we lie low and survive now, there is no hope. If His Highness Crown Prince Roimund becomes emperor, he will surely tell the secret of the Medest family to Lady Meriel… and since Yurica is alive, she will have access to all the truth.”

“You know it well. Frankly, I don’t want to cooperate with you anymore, who has nothing now. If it weren’t for that sacred animal.”

“Do you remember what I told you at the banquet? That I was preparing a new experiment.”

Theodore frowned and stood up. Libena continued in a businesslike manner.

“We just need to succeed in that experiment. To turn back time. To erase this present.”