I Became A Squirrel Seeking For The Villain

I widened my eyes as I listened to Mariel’s words. 

 

‘Oh.’

 

I’m not sure what conversation Mariel and Yohan had, but it seemed clear that the original story had completely gone off track.

 

‘So, he didn’t fall for Mariel at first sight after all.’

 

Originally, he was supposed to be an ambitious villain pursuing power, but he didn’t seem that way now.

 

For him, who had no political base at all, the marriage proposal with the Medes family was not a bad idea at all.

 

However, the fact that he had no intention of getting engaged to the Medes family at all meant he didn’t want to make any political moves.

 

Still, hearing Mariel call him a horrible person suggested that the original story wasn’t completely off the rails.

 

‘Well, ever since he came to the capital, there were rumors going around that he was very bad, arrogant, and presumptuous, but I only half believed them.’

 

‘If Mariel could evaluate him like that, it meant that he really had a bad personality.’

 

‘That’s fine. I can’t be too greedy. Even if things got twisted, at least I managed to get the engagement broken off.’

 

I had naively thought that because there was a squirrel willing to extend a hand to him when he was young, he wouldn’t turn out this way. But my arrogance had betrayed me.

 

‘Still, it didn’t matter. He had no reason to be involved with Medes anymore.’

 

Meanwhile, Yohan remained frozen as if he had seen a ghost.

 

‘He was more shocked than I expected…Well, I guess he never imagined I’d be living as a human here.’

 

“Wait…”

 

His voice came out hoarse as he barely managed to speak.

 

“Did you say Yurika? I’d like to talk to this person….”

 

‘Makes sense. He must have a lot to say.’

 

I had no reason to refuse, so I nodded.

 

“Runart, would you like to go first? I’ll go talk to Yohan.”

 

Runart frowned and shook his head.

 

“No. This potion never causes reactions like this….You seem strange right now. I want to stay by your side and observe you.”

 

“Oh, I think I’m fine now.”

 

Actually, I still felt a bit strange because my head kept spinning, but I had too much to discuss with Yohan, so I pushed Runart away slightly.

 

I needed to explain things to Yohan and make sure to shut his mouth when necessary.

 

No matter how much his personality had followed the original story, since he had broken off the engagement, he wouldn’t bother Mariel anymore.

 

There was no reason to be wary of Yohan now.

 

“Really, I’m fine. If you’re worried, why don’t you have tea with my sister? If anything seems off, I’ll call you right away.”

 

“Well… if that’s what you want….”

 

Runart sighed lightly, clearly unconvinced, but soon let me go.

 

“Okay, then….”

 

I smiled and said to Yohan.

 

“Shall we talk in my room?”

 

* * *

 

“So the war ends.”

 

In the basement of the temple, Rivena said calmly with her arms crossed.

 

Clicking her tongue, she sighed as if she found this unexpected turn of events quite unpleasant.

 

“As soon as a calming potion is developed.”

 

“I didn’t know that the eldest son of the Duke of Hyrad would be such a great wizard. I should have realized it when Ella was so wary.….”

 

The High Priest spoke in his usual calm voice, but his fingers tapped nervously on the table.

 

“It ended much faster than I thought.…Unexpected variables are always unpleasant.”

 

“Yohan Hyrad….I have a bad feeling about him.”

 

Rivena also pushed up her glasses and spoke coldly.

 

“Even the timing of the appearance of Yurika Medes, the adopted daughter of the Medes family, is suspicious too.”

 

After she requested the return of the divine beast, the corpse of a squirrel bitten by a hunting dog was returned from the Duke of Hyrad’s house.

 

Since it had the Hyrad family crest on its chest, she didn’t mind too much at first.

 

But not long after that, an incident occurred in Duke Medes’s house where the Duchess went completely insane and took in a girl who looked exactly like her missing daughter as her adopted daughter.

 

Rivena has been keeping an eye on that for a very long time.

 

“If Yohan Hyrad was such a great wizard, and he was in the same space as that divine beast….There are many things on my mind.”

 

“But he’s not someone we can touch easily anymore.”

 

The High Priest frowned as he responded.

 

“Yohan Hyrad is a war hero, and that girl is now Yurika Medes, the legitimate adopted daughter of the Medes family. Not to mention, Mariel, the head of the family, seems to be protecting her fiercely.”

 

“We have no choice. We can’t just leave it alone when there are so many suspicions….”

 

Rivena took off her glasses and raised her eyebrows.

 

Now that she knew the divine beast had been with such a powerful wizard, she had no intention of letting that matter slide.

 

She, who spent most of her time in the temple’s underground laboratory without going out into the world, continued speaking with a captivating expression.

 

“I have to go out into the world to find out about that.”

 

* * * 

 

While Yurika was explaining what had happened, Yohan felt as if he was in a dream.

 

“…So, that’s how I was able to become human safely…”

 

Of course, he had always thought he would be the one to humanize her.

 

After all, someone with that level of magical power wasn’t easy to find.

 

Even the most skilled wizards had already been mobilized for the war.

So, Yohan had always assumed that Momo would remain a squirrel.

 

Yet, she had succeeded in becoming human with someone else’s help—and even became family with that person!

 

It made Yohan sad to think that Mariel had achieved everything he had ever dreamed of.

 

“Thanks to that, I can live in such a nice house as a family.…”

 

Yurika’s room was indeed spacious and luxurious.

The Medes family was as wealthy as the Hyrad family, so providing that level of accommodation wasn’t difficult.

 

Still, Yohan had wanted to give Yurika an even better room.

 

He had intended for them to live as a family in the Duke Hyrad’s house, just like before, relying on each other as they always had.

 

“Anyway, thank you so much for breaking off the engagement.”

 

Yohan, who had just thrown away his chance to live as a family with her, bit the inside of his cheek.

 

Because although he was a great wizard, he couldn’t do magic that could turn back time.

 

“I heard you swore you wouldn’t go back on your word. You’ve grown up so well.”

 

Yohan couldn’t help but nod his head at Yurika’s cheerful words.

 

Anyway, according to Mariel, Yurika is weak towards kind and gentle men.

 

Of course, rumors have already spread throughout the capital that he is an arrogant, reckless, and war hero.

 

Yohan suddenly missed his adjutant who had given him sincere advice.

 

Now that he thinks about it, there is one more thing he is curious about.

 

“Who is that man? Runart?”

 

“Oh.”

 

Yurika answered with a smile.

 

“He is our doctor and he’s my friend.”

 

“Friend….”

 

“Even though I never told him anything about my life before adoption, he doesn’t resent me and treats me really well. I’m grateful for that. My sister Mariel and I agreed to say I was adopted from an orphanage, but the truth is, I’ve never actually been to an orphanage.”

 

She fidgeted with her fingers before cautiously continuing.

 

“So, Yohan…”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Can you keep my origins a secret? I don’t want people to find out that I was originally a divine beast who turned human.”

 

Yohan realized that Yurika had arranged that private conversation just to ask him that.

 

“Seeing how the temple was searching for me, even using lies….it made me nervous.”

 

“The temple? I—”

 

Yohan was about to say, ‘I was going to destroy the temple soon,’ but he quickly stopped talking.

 

Yurika liked kind and gentle people, so Yohan felt like he should never say something like that.

 

She seemed to genuinely like Mariel, so Yohan had to match her preferences.

 

“Okay.”

 

So, Yohan curved his eyes into a smile.

 

Just like when he was locked in the tower and showed his pitiful appearance to the squirrel.

 

“Of course, I will grant your request. You were the only one who helped ease my suffering when I was young—”

 

But his determination to seduce her soon disappeared.

 

Because it was obvious that Yurika’s condition was getting worse.

 

From the moment he first saw her, she had been staggering. Something had seemed off.

 

Now that he thought about it, that doctor—Runart had mentioned something about a potion.

 

“…What’s wrong with your face? Are you sick?”

 

“I don’t know….Actually, I feel like my stomach is churning and my magic is running wild inside me. Is it because of the potion that affects magic? But this has never happened before….”

 

Yurika also seemed very confused.

 

“I can’t….I need to see Runart—”

 

And Yurika’s words could not continue any longer.

 

Yurika disappeared in an instant before Yohan’s eyes, leaving only her clothes falling down.

 

“Momo!”

 

It was when the surprised Yohan ran towards her.

 

“K-kyuung.…?”

 

A squirrel with a shocked expression poked its head out from under a soft silk one-piece dress.

 

* * *