I Became A Squirrel Seeking For The Villain [EN]: Chapter 96

Became a Squirrel to Save the Villain 96

Leahn tapped his knee with his finger and continued.

“The Hyrard Duchy has produced many great wizards for generations, do you know what their characteristic is?”

“……How would I know? Not everyone called Hyrard is a skilled wizard in the first place…….”

“They were excessively obsessed with their wives.”

He shook his head as if the thought alone was terrible.

“You don’t have to go far, just think about what happened to the previous generation…….”

Very few people knew about the previous Hyrard Duke and Duchess.

In particular, Johan’s biological mother passed away at the hands of the previous Hyrard Duke shortly after giving birth to Johan.

That’s not to say that Johan’s biological mother did anything wrong, absolutely not.

She had merely asked the Hyrard Duke for a divorce at the time.

Divorce was rare in the Empire, but it was not illegal.

Johan’s biological mother had the right to demand a separation. No matter how much her husband loved her terribly.

However, unable to overcome his anger, the wizard Hyrard Duke went on a rampage.

In any case, he wasn’t normal.

Everyone whispered about the madness of the wizard, but if that were the case, wasn’t Johan an even greater wizard than his biological father?

“He’ll act nice. He’ll act docile. But that’s only when the Princess is by his side, according to his wishes.”

Coupled with the events of the previous generation, the more he imagined the combination of Yurika and Johan, the more ominous it felt.

He was the one who said it would be good to accompany Johan, but that made him feel even more uneasy.

“If he had never possessed her in the first place, it would be one thing, but how madly would that wizard rampage when something he once possessed leaves his grasp?”

“Uh…… Well…… I hope that kind of thing doesn’t happen.”

“But somehow, I have a feeling that it will definitely happen.”

“Come on. Who is Princess Yurika? She’s not someone who would make a hasty decision about emotions she can’t take responsibility for.”

“You can’t see far enough. Do you think I’m simply worried about Princess Yurika’s change of heart right now?”

Leahn clicked his tongue at his subordinate’s nonchalant reaction.

“Princess Yurika has enemies……. I’m worried about when those guys will put Princess Yurika in danger and separate her from the Hyrard Duke. It’ll be like the end of the world. We’ll have to worry about our own safety then too.”

“Hmm.”

However, Leahn’s subordinate still shrugged, as if he believed in Yurika.

“But is Princess Yurika someone who would be in danger? She’s so clever…….”

“Yeah. If it’s about her own affairs, that would never happen.”

Leahn narrowed his eyes and replied.

“But if it’s about family matters, I don’t know.”

“……Ah.”

“Princess Yurika cherishes her family so much.”

A moment of silence flowed.

* * *

“Uh, um, ah.”

Jayden was speechless at the sight before him.

“So, Sister.”

He swallowed hard, looking at the majestic tiger occupying the garden.

“That tiger…… is Brother-in-law?”

“Yes.”

Siena stroked the tiger’s head and said peacefully.

“For some reason, he’s a tiger now, but everyone clearly says he’s the Duke.”

Jayden sighed and rubbed his forehead.

And he had to try to hold back his tears.

Clearly, her condition had improved since Renat came, but her mind is wandering this much…….

“Everyone…… says that?”

“Yes. I was a bit taken aback at first, but as I kept spending time with him, I became convinced that he’s the Duke. Especially, I can feel that he’s very sorry every time he looks at me.”

Jayden looked at Siena and the tiger with a heavy heart.

He had been unavoidably away for a few days because of the merchant guild.

Once the temple’s renovation ceremony, which no ordinary person would be interested in, was over, Yurika said she would return.

With High Priest Partre’s suicide, everything was left hanging in the air.

Even Lizzie, who had been caught at the Medest Duchy’s residence, was only repeating the words, ‘The High Priest ordered me to do so.’

Everyone knew that Partre didn’t have a good relationship with Roymond.

So everyone just thought of Lizzie as a spy dispatched to the Medest Duchy’s residence to monitor the Crown Prince’s lover, Meriel.

The truth was not revealed, hidden behind the superficial reason.

Anyway, Jayden had heard such news and resolved the merchant guild’s affairs, and had just arrived at the Medest Duchy’s residence.

And he came to the garden to see Siena first, and met her stroking a house-sized tiger.

But after talking to her, Siena was even more insane in the meantime!

He was wondering whether to humor her or not, when Meriel ran in.

“Uncle! You’re here!”

“……This tiger is.”

“Ah, Yurika brought him.”

The honorific ‘brought’ was a bit awkward, but Jayden immediately looked behind Meriel and asked.

“Then where is Yurika?”

“She’s out to see someone for a while. Ah, now that I think about it, you must have missed each other for a long time since your paths crossed.”

Meriel smiled kindly and replied.

“But she’ll be back soon. It’s not a very far distance.”

“Is it okay? There was an assassination attempt last time…….”

“Don’t worry. Duke Johan Hyrard went with her too.”

“I really don’t like getting involved with that crazy wizard all the time.”

And as soon as the words ‘Johan Hyrard’ came out, the tiger, who had been sitting peacefully next to Siena, growled and bared its teeth.

Meriel sighed and gently stroked the tiger’s back.

“Oh, Father keeps acting like this whenever Duke Johan Hyrard’s name comes up.”

Jayden’s mouth dropped open.

Did…… Did Meriel just call that tiger ‘Father’?

And he approached Meriel and whispered quietly.

“……Did you decide to humor Sister’s madness? Like with Yurika? Did Renat tell you to? Is it more helpful to do so?”

“Pardon?”

Meriel tilted her head and burst out laughing.

Jayden, who was staring blankly at her, frowned and asked again.

“You’re not going to tell me that this tiger is actually Brother-in-law, are you?”

“Ah. That’s not it.”

Meriel replied kindly in a serious tone.

“To be precise, it’s highly likely that he’s our father.”

Jayden now looked at Meriel as if she were crazy too.

“Uncle was right.”

Meriel continued to speak to Jayden nonchalantly.

“He must really hate us sisters having men. There are other names he hates besides Johan Hyrard.”

Then, she playfully made eye contact with the tiger and said clearly.

“His Highness Crown Prince Roymond.”

And with that one word, the tiger bared its teeth and raged at the air.

Siena added, ‘It’s noisy,’ but the tiger did not stop its anger.

“See?”

Meriel giggled and pointed to Jayden.

“Father, this is our uncle. He was close to you when you were human.”

The tiger stopped roaring at those words. And he glanced at Jayden and even offered his front paw.

Jayden was now on the verge of tears, questioning his own sanity.

It was then.

“There, Princess!”

The butler of the Medest Duchy’s residence rushed over.

“The Hyrard Duchy’s carriage has arrived.”

“Oh? Really? Has Yurika arrived?”

Meriel smiled brightly, looking delighted.

Jayden also wore a welcoming expression, hoping to escape this bizarre situation.

No, with his current state of mind, he would be happy just to meet normal people here, not people who treat this tiger like the Duke of Medest.

“W, well…… First of all, this is Duke Hyrard’s letter.”

Meriel accepted Johan’s letter handed over by the butler.

The content was simple. After bringing the carriage into the mansion, secretly greet the guest inside and keep the security while escorting them.

In some ways, it was similar to the contents of the letter suddenly received from the temple.

“Hmm……. It seems like unexpected people are going to come out of the Hyrard Duchy’s carriage this time too. First, bring the carriage here.”

And so the carriage arrived at the garden.

Jayden could only stand there blankly with a dazed face, wondering what was going on.

Only after stopping the carriage in the garden, the coachman, who was coming to the Medest Duchy’s garden for the second time, opened the door with a somewhat resigned face.

“W, where is this?”

As the carriage door opened, two collapsing old men crawled out of the carriage in disheveled states.

Meriel looked at the faces of the old men and was startled.

Wasn’t that the Olteba viscount and his son, whom she had visited a few days ago, and whom Yurika had recently taken Johan with her to meet!

“No, why the Medest Duchy instead of the Hyrard Duchy…….”

It was when Paul, the younger-looking of the two, protested with a bewildered expression as he looked at Meriel’s face.

“How can this be!”

Trevor, 94 years old, who barely got out of the carriage from the inside, shouted as he looked at the tiger.

“Aren’t you the Duke of Medest!”