I Became A Squirrel Seeking For The Villain [EN]: Chapter 9

Becoming a Squirrel to Save the Villain – Episode 9

Becoming a Squirrel to Save the Villain 8

Johann was summoned to the dining hall looking a complete mess. His complexion was ashen, a testament to the fever that had plagued him all night. To add insult to injury, the laundry hadn’t arrived, forcing him to wear the clothes he’d sweated through the previous night.

The clothes themselves were luxurious uniforms befitting a noble, but their rumpled and soiled condition made them look quite unseemly.

“Oh, Johann, you don’t look well today either,” Ella remarked, fluttering her fan as she observed Johann’s pale face, feigning concern.

“Well… his condition has been deteriorating lately,” Duchess Medest added, exchanging an awkward glance with her daughter, Lady Meriel, who sat across from Johann.

The rumor of the Hyrard ducal family’s eldest son being a sickly invalid was widespread throughout the continent.

However, his current state was worse than they had anticipated.

“I apologize to our guests, but… if Johann is feeling too unwell, may I ask that he be excused to rest, even during the meal?” Ella inquired, directing her words to Duchess Medest with a show of sincere concern. The Duchess nodded in agreement, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Of course. I understand how tiring these official events can be, as I am also of delicate constitution.”

Duchess Medest offered Johann a gentle smile and spoke softly, “You are welcome to return to your room whenever you feel the need to rest. Please don’t concern yourself about us.”

“…Thank you,” Johann replied, bowing gracefully despite his pallid complexion before taking his seat.

His labored breathing echoed loudly in the momentarily hushed dining hall.

Ella smiled triumphantly, noting the awkward glances exchanged between the Medest mother and daughter.

She had deliberately instructed Tezen to arrive a little later.

It was a calculated move, ensuring that Tezen would appear far more impressive in comparison to Johann’s current state.

‘But those eyes… they’re truly unsettling,’ Ella thought, a slight frown creasing her brow as she looked at Johann’s cold expression.

As the eldest son from her husband’s previous marriage, it was only natural that Ella harbored resentment towards Johann.

However, beyond that primal reason, Ella felt a deep-seated discomfort and unease whenever she was in Johann’s presence.

It was as if something profoundly dark and unknowable resided within those eerie purple eyes.

It was as if there was an unbreakable core within him, impervious to any amount of confinement or hardship.

‘He manifested as a wizard when he was five years old.’

The moment five-year-old Johann first displayed his nascent magical abilities, Ella felt as though her world was crumbling around her.

She couldn’t allow Johann to inherit the title of Duke, so she swiftly resolved to conceal Johann’s talent from the world.

The Hyrard Duke remained unaware of Johann’s magical abilities. He had been away at war since Johann was two years old, even before Tezen’s birth.

In his letters, he only briefly mentioned that Johann was a little sick, but that the children were doing well.

She would often have a servant forge letters purportedly written by Johann and enclose them with her own correspondence.

After all, the Hyrard Duke was unfamiliar with Johann’s handwriting.

‘Our Tezen still has weak magical power…’

Fortunately, Ella and the family doctor were the only ones privy to the truth: that Johann was an incredibly powerful wizard.

The family doctor, who was entangled in an inappropriate relationship with Ella, attributed the pain caused by Johann’s magic to a chronic illness, following her instructions to the letter.

“Being an incredible wizard is actually a curse in this case. If you leave such tremendous magical power unattended, his body will gradually weaken on its own, because he can’t get relief at critical moments. If left unattended for a long time, all his organs will suffer internal damage, and of course, he won’t be able to use proper magic.”

Fortunately, the family doctor offered the opinion that Johann would weaken on his own if his magic remained unchecked.

That was very convenient for Ella.

If it weren’t for the damned law that required one person from each family to participate in the war, she would have eliminated him without a trace long ago…

However, there was no way of knowing when the Hyrard Duke might be killed in action.

Death was an indiscriminate force, not something that could be avoided by high-ranking nobles or powerful wizards.

In fact, Duke Medest was also a skilled warrior, but he had disappeared without a trace on the battlefield a few years prior.

“Are you really okay?” Meriel asked, her voice laced with concern as she watched Johann tremble and struggle to swallow even a sip of water.

“If you’re having a hard time, we’re really okay, so you can go in now.”

As expected of the Medest Duchess, often called the flower of the Empire, Meriel was strikingly beautiful, even at the young age of sixteen.

Her wavy blonde hair and lovely pink eyes were reminiscent of her mother, the Medest Duchess.

With her fair skin, harmonious features, and kind and gentle demeanor, she was already causing quite a stir in the Empire’s social circles.

‘Is he ashamed because he’s a man, after all…’ Ella mused, subtly observing Johann. However, Johann didn’t even spare Meriel a glance.

He didn’t seem particularly impressed, even though she was a pretty and kind young lady.

However, he seemed pleased to hear the offer to return inside, and he slowly set down his glass.

“Then, I’m sorry, but I don’t feel well, so I’ll be leaving now…”

Just then, Tezen, dressed to the nines, entered through the door. Ella’s eyes sparkled with delight.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” he announced.

His voice was energetic, a stark contrast to Johann’s, and his gait was full of vigor.

Moreover, he was holding a squirrel divine beast [a magical creature bonded to a wizard] with a pink ribbon tied around it.

“I had a bit of a headache because of my magic. I was a little late because I was getting soothed by my divine beast.”

This line had been prearranged between Tezen and Ella. Of course, being a little late was also part of the plan.

Even ordinary people with some magical ability wouldn’t require a divine beast.

Therefore, the conversation would naturally gravitate towards Tezen and his cute divine beast, subtly highlighting his superiority over Johann.

Ella was planning to secretly poison Johann after the war.

To prevent rumors from circulating that she had killed him out of fear of losing the heir position, she planned to continue to publicly portray Tezen as an exceptional wizard.

Everyone knew that the magic wielded by young wizards was inherently unstable, so no one would dare ask Tezen to demonstrate his abilities directly.

In the event that the Hyrard Duke returned and someone dared to suggest, ‘Actually, the Madam abused Young Master Johann,’ she made sure never to physically harm Johann.

Tezen was two years younger than Johann, so his mischievous actions could be excused as ‘naughty pranks of that age.’

‘Actually, it would be nice if he just died and came back after the war…’ Ella thought.

But the future was uncertain, and Ella had to proceed with the utmost caution from her perspective.

Therefore, showcasing Tezen’s superiority during a meal with a prestigious noble family like the Medests was a sound strategy.

It was something she had impulsively planned to appease Tezen, who had been sulking because he couldn’t torment Johann yesterday, but the more she considered it, the more brilliant the decision seemed.

“A divine beast? Oh my!”

As expected, Meriel’s gaze, which had been filled with concern for Johann, immediately shifted to the squirrel.

The squirrel was adorned with a large pink ribbon and blinked its eyes in an endearing manner.

“I’ve never seen a divine beast before! Aren’t there only a few in the Empire? I heard they’re very hard to find.”

Meriel elegantly rephrased the words ‘incredibly expensive’ as ‘very hard to find’ and made a genuinely admiring expression.

Duchess Medest also looked at the squirrel with interest and added, “To possess enough magic to require a divine beast… Young Master Tezen seems to resemble the Hyrard Duke. The Hyrard Duke was always considering purchasing a divine beast.”

The Hyrard Duke didn’t necessarily need a divine beast, but he was still a fairly strong wizard, so there was some plausibility to the statement.

Meriel couldn’t tear her eyes away from the squirrel and asked, “How do you get soothed? I heard that it involves contact. Oh my, if I had known I was going to see a divine beast today, I would have studied it.”

Tezen gently stroked the head of the squirrel wearing the ribbon and replied, “Wouldn’t it be different for each divine beast? My squirrel puts its paw on my forehead. Then, after a while, the pain really subsides and I feel better.”

At that moment, Johann’s glass shattered in front of him with a clatter.

Only then did the people in the room realize that Johann, who had even bid them farewell to return to the tower, was still sitting there.

“Johann, you must be careful,” Ella scolded in a stern voice, having achieved all her objectives.

“I guess it can’t be helped, you’re not in a state to greet guests, so it would be best for you to go back. Thankfully, all the guests have been understanding.”

In truth, Johann hadn’t intentionally broken the glass.

The magic that he couldn’t control was randomly released as his emotions began to fluctuate. After all, the magic of young wizards was inherently unstable.

While a maid rushed over to clean up the broken glass, Johann spoke with a clear expression.

“No.”

His purple eyes were fixed on the squirrel in Tezen’s arms.

His voice, which had been so listless, was now clear and resolute, as if he had never been ill at all.

“I’ve changed my mind. I will continue to have dinner here.”