I Became A Squirrel Seeking For The Villain

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I placed my front paws on his forehead, absorbing his mana. 

 

It felt warm and tingly. It seemed like he had a fever.

 

“Kyun.”

 

Honestly, he was too pitiful. If you didn’t feel sorry for the young black-haired boy in this situation, you wouldn’t be human.

 

I sighed once again as I looked at the tray on the floor. All that remained were pieces of bread that had dried up and a cold soup.

 

The meager meal was undoubtedly due to the fact that he had run away today.

 

“Thanks…” Yohan whispered in a weak voice, brushing his fingers over my back. His long fingers gently stroked my fur.

 

Even though I had absorbed all the magical power I could today, I didn’t move my front paw because I felt sorry for him.

 

His forehead felt like a burning rock, and tomorrow he would probably be embarrassed in front of other people.

 

Everyone would talk about the eldest son of the Hyrad Dukedom, who was unable to fulfill his role due to his poor health.

 

Moreover, Hyrad was a place that prioritized succession based on ability rather than birthright. It was essentially advertising openly that “the eldest son of Hyrad is not in a position to inherit the title.”

 

In this situation, it was unclear whether Yohan would fall for Mariel at first sight—as it happens in the novel—but it was obvious that he would show a pitiful appearance in front of the female lead.

 

“Kyu kyun.”

 

And since Tezen will take me with him, I, too, will end up witnessing everything. 

 

Even if I wasn’t an obedient squirrel, to stay in this mansion, I had to at least act like a knowledgeable squirrel. So, tomorrow, I will have to quietly snuggle into Tezen’s embrace…

 

Nevertheless, the thought of seeing the listless face of Yohan made me sigh involuntarily. 

 

I wasn’t a reckless squirrel to the point of throwing acorns if things went wrong.

 

In the end, I would have to watch that scene develop. Just imagining it made my mood sink.

 

“You know, your name–”

 

At that moment, Yohan, lying down with his shoulders slouched, spoke with a slight smile.

 

“I’ve been thinking about it all day… How about Mary?”

 

‘Oh no, absolutely not.‘ I shook my head firmly. 

 

‘It’s like a shortened version of the female lead’s name…’

 

“…Then, how about Riel?”

 

‘Not good.’ I shook my head even more vigorously as if expressing absolute dislike. 

 

I sighed. I didn’t like names that sounded like fake female leads, especially when I couldn’t even possess the body of a normal human being.

 

‘Are you teasing me now?’

 

“Okay… I’ll think about it more.”

 

Yohan mumbled with a sulky expression. Well, having a poor sense of naming wasn’t a sin.

 

I raised my front paw as if to say, “Cheer up,” and lightly tapped his cheek. I didn’t need to be with him anymore. I had absorbed all the magical power I could today.

 

I couldn’t do anything about simple cold symptoms, but anyway, his expression had become much calmer than before.

 

“…Are you leaving?” Yohan asked casually as if he had sensed my thoughts. The purple eyes beneath his long eyelashes shimmered like jewels.

 

For a moment, I thought about my luxurious cushion in Tezen’s room, the abundance of acorns piled up, chestnuts, and sunflower seeds.

 

Tezen’s room was much more comfortable for resting, but…

 

“Because you didn’t like the names… Now you don’t want to be with me?” Yohan asked with a hint of tears in his beautiful eyes. 

 

I sighed and shook my head. Even with that expression, he honestly had a handsome face.

 

‘Well, since tomorrow is going to be even tougher… maybe I’ll stay by your side a bit longer.’

 

Thinking about witnessing Tezen publicly humiliating Yohan while in his arms made me bitter.

 

‘At least, I should offer some comfort in advance.’

 

In my own way of comforting him, I lay down on Yohan’s palm. A small, furry consolation.

 

‘Come on, feel my belly.’

 

Honestly, my belly, covered with white and soft fur, was very pleasant to touch. 

 

When someone’s hand touched it, not only the warmth but also the rhythmic beating of my heart could be felt.

 

Scratching a squirrel’s belly wasn’t something anyone could do, but feeling sorry for Yohan, I generously allowed it.

 

‘What are you waiting for? Go ahead and give it a touch. It’ll make you feel good, you know?’

 

After pointing to Yohan’s hand, I pretended to lightly stroke my own belly with my hand.

 

“Oh… okay.”

 

Yohan, with a momentarily surprised look, chuckled and gently brushed my belly with his fingers. He even traced slow circles with his thumb near the area of my beating heart.

 

“It’s warm and nice, little squirrel,” Yohan whispered, gently stroking my head with his cheek.

 

‘Well, of course, it would feel good. Whose belly is it anyway?’

 

I was so absorbed in the sensation of his strokes on my belly that I missed the next words he said.

 

“My squirrel.”

 

And because I still didn’t know how to read, I didn’t read a passage from the book about Shinsus that was by Yohan’s bedside.

 

[Wizards who bond with a Shinsu and have their mana under control thanks to them often develop strong possessiveness toward the divine creature.]

 

[In severe cases, a wizard may be overwhelmed by unbearable jealousy after seeing their Shinsu with other wizards.]

 

━━━━ ∙ʚ(✧)ɞ∙ ━━━━

 

The next morning, a maid came to Tezen’s room.

 

“Hello, Miss Shinsu. Since guests are coming today, I’ll prepare you.”

 

Because I didn’t like any of the people in the house, I, as a dignified squirrel, glared at the maid.

 

However, she was completely unaffected by my attitude and carefully carried me to the bathroom.

 

“Kyuun!” ‘What is this? What’s going on!’

 

The maid placed me in a small basin, ignoring my screams. Then she began to wash me meticulously in warm water with strong fragrances.

 

“Keeeww! Kyung!” ‘Darn it! I don’t like it, but it feels nice!’

 

The instincts of a squirrel, reluctant to be washed, clashed with the instincts of a human, who loved warm baths. 

 

‘Come to think of it, even after getting soaked in the rain yesterday, I had only shaken off my fur once and hadn’t taken a bath.’

 

Feeling a bit confused, I sighed and resigned myself to the wash. The maid chuckled as if finding my behavior amusing.

 

“Kyung?”

 

“I apologize, Miss Shinsu.”

 

The maid suppressed her laughter and dried my fur with a hand towel.

 

“I find this so trivial that pffft—it made me laugh. I apologize.”

 

“Keeeewn…”

 

I had maintained a rigorous and serious attitude since the maid entered, so being called trivial was insulting. 

 

Honestly, I had a cynical and realistic personality rather than a cute, adorable one.

 

There was a significant disconnect between my outward appearance and my personality.

 

Therefore, I couldn’t help but feel angry at being called trivial. 

 

However, looking at myself in the mirror… I was just a squirrel. So, I decided to forgive the maid. 

 

I was rational and objective, after all.

 

“Now, shall we choose a ribbon?”

 

The maid placed a box full of ribbons in front of me.

 

Serious about my choice, I clenched my paw and placed it on my chin. 

 

After contemplating for a moment, I chose a purple ribbon. 

 

It reminded me of Yohan’s serene and beautiful eyes.

 

“Such a dull color is not suitable for welcoming guests; let’s go with this one.”

 

‘Then why did you show me in the first place?’

 

Ignoring my opinion completely, the maid selected a pink ribbon and tied it around my neck. I expressed my displeasure by thumping one paw on the ground, but, of course, it was ignored.

 

“Keeeewn…”

 

“Oh, how adorable.”

 

Even though the ribbon around my neck was slightly bothersome, I decided to endure it because I genuinely looked cute in the mirror.

 

The maid combed my fur, lifted the hair falling on my forehead, and gave me sunflower seeds, expressing her gratitude for my cooperation.

 

Well, the maids in this house might not be to my liking, but the sunflower seeds were innocent.

 

As I was munching on sunflower seeds and filling my cheeks, the door creaked open, and Tezen entered.

 

“Oy, Slave.”

 

I looked at Tezen nonchalantly. 

 

He had well-groomed black hair, round red eyes, slightly chubby and healthy cheeks, and limbs that weren’t particularly handsome but clearly showed growth. He may not be considered handsome, but he was growing well.

 

Tezen flicked my forehead and teased me.

 

“You dressed up a bit, huh?”

 

“Kyung.” ‘And you dressed up a lot.’

 

With his neatly styled hair and expensive-looking attire, it was evident that he had gone all in. 

 

Well, today’s guests were important. Moreover, even though Mariel was only sixteen, she had already gained a reputation as a stunning beauty in the empire.

 

Tezen, too, would want to make a good impression on Mariel.

 

“Now, let’s go.”

 

Tezen picked me up with a cheerful smile.

 

‘And why… do I feel like I’ve become your most expensive accessory?’

 

From the commotion outside, it seemed like the guests had already arrived. 

 

Nestled in Tezen’s good-scented arms, I began to descend to the dining room.

 

‘If Tezen dressed up like this… I wonder how Yohan ended up.’

 

Perhaps Tezen’s lively steps were due to that reason. 

 

Ella would have made Yohan look even more miserable than usual to contrast with Tezen. 

 

The goal was to naturally bring Tezen to mind when people heard about “Hyrad’s heir.”

 

Given the prolonged war and the uncertainty of its end, Ella probably didn’t believe Duke Hyrad would return soon. 

 

Instead, she might prefer to keep the duke on the battlefield indefinitely. She might even hope for his quiet demise around the time the war concluded.

 

‘Insane. Truly insane.’

 

In the midst of my deep sigh, Tezen and I arrived at the dining room.

 

“Sorry for being late.” Tezen eloquently spoke as he stood before the guests.

 

“I apologize for being a bit late. I had a headache due to a mana outburst, so I took some time to receive comfort from my Shinsu.”

 

‘Wait, I’ve never comforted you. Are you lying because I can’t speak?’ 

 

I glared at Tezen, but then I suddenly realized that Yohan had already arrived.

 

‘Did he fall for the warm and kind female lead as in the original story?’

 

Well, it would be better for him not to be overly infatuated, since it’s a doomed love.

 

However, Yohan’s violet eyes were intensely focused on me.

 

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