I Became A Squirrel Seeking For The Villain Chapter 123

Yohan’s eyes widened.

 

I held Yohan’s hand tightly and said.

 

“Because my sister got engaged too.”

 

“But….”

 

“I know you want to break the Hyrad family curse and marry me normally. But you can do it after we’re engaged.”

 

Looking at Yohan’s stunned expression, I broke into a small, bashful smile.

 

“Why?”

 

I added playfully.

 

“I don’t mind if you’re a wizard. You know that.”

 

“…….”

 

“Even if the Hyrad bloodline of wizards continues, I don’t care. I decided all of that before I ever took your hand. So why act surprised now?”

 

Yohan remained silent for a while and then sighed softly.

 

“Yurika, sometimes you really catch me off guard.”

 

His voice dropped low.

 

“And every time you do, I end up loving you even more. I think I couldn’t possibly love you any deeper, and then I realize—ah, I can love you more after all.”

 

“Thank you,”

 

I laughed lightly.

 

“Please continue to love me a lot in the future.”

 

“I’m confident about that.”

 

“And be gentle with me.”

 

“That too.”

 

“And when we have our engagement ceremony, let’s get our rings together.”

 

“We’ll have to choose the most beautiful ones.”

 

“I’ll be looking forward to it. I like delicate, elegant designs. Let’s visit lots of famous ateliers together.”

 

I added with a grin.

 

“After today, we’ll have plenty of time, won’t we?”

 

Up until now, we’d been so busy dealing with one crisis after another that we’d barely had room to breathe.

 

If everything goes well today, all that’s left is to spend some time alone with Yohan.

 

“Thank you for always staying by my side because of my circumstances. Once everything’s over, let’s go on lots of dates.”

 

“You’ll have to keep that promise,”

 

Yohan murmured deeply.

 

“Because we’re going on a lot of them.”

 

While we were whispering and talking, Theodore came up to the stage.

 

What followed was a predictable story: Theodore had volunteered to join the army and guard the border, and in return, the ban would be lifted.

 

“I hope Theodore can have a good time interacting with the wizards of the border region.”

 

The emperor smiled proudly and said.

 

“A member of the imperial family personally defending the Empire—what a beautiful picture. After all, protecting peace is more valuable than obtaining it.”

 

At those words, my eyes narrowed on their own.

 

No—first, you have to obtain peace before you can protect it.

 

I felt really bad because he secretly wanted to praise Theodore more than Yohan, who brought peace.

 

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

 

Theodore answered softly.

 

“And if I should happen to prevent another war, please grant me a reward. I will not refuse a promised reward like Duke Yohan Hyrad.”

 

For a moment, Mariel and Roymond’s expressions hardened.

 

After all, it was true that Mariel had agreed to marry a war hero.

 

And looking at their faces, Theodore smiled kindly.

 

“Of course, Lady Mariel is destined to become Crown Princess, so I wouldn’t dare even mention such a thing. Ah—why don’t the two of you stand over here? It would be a good chance to inform our guests from afar of your engagement.”

 

He led Roymond and Mariel towards the center of the stage.

 

The emperor also seemed pleased with the attention the two received, and did not say anything, only showing a pleased expression.

 

“They make a fine pair, don’t they? Though that’s hardly surprising—Lady Mariel is exceptionally beautiful. It’s no wonder so many fulfilled their duty to the Empire in other ways. Everyone must have fought hard in the war to win her hand.”

 

Theodore joked again.

 

Mariel and Roymond looked deeply uncomfortable.

 

Then, Theodore looked straight at me and continued speaking.

 

“Of course, from my perspective, the second daughter of the Duke of Medes is enough.”

 

The atmosphere froze for a moment.

 

‘What… was he saying about me just now?’

 

‘Given what he’d said before, did that mean he was implying I’d be his reward?’

 

Even though it was a quiet room, the sculptures displayed around the walls rattled and shook.

 

Anyone could tell—it was Johann’s magical power that ran wild due to his emotional instability.

 

I squeezed Yohan’s hand tighter and was just about to speak up in protest when—

 

“Oh my, why does everyone look so shocked?”

 

Theodore’s smooth voice followed.

 

“I was just joking.”

 

“I’m already a man with a fiancée. Surely you didn’t think I meant that seriously? Ah—though I will admit, Lady Yurika Medes is quite beautiful.”

 

Since he insisted it was a joke, it was awkward to lodge a serious protest.

 

And then, all of a sudden, all eyes were on me, who had been standing still.

 

Theodore added playfully, as if he was watching.

 

“Look at everyone. Those of you who have come to the capital after a long time, can’t take your eyes off Lady Yurika?”

 

The only reason Yohan and I barely managed to restrain ourselves was that we didn’t want to interfere with my father.

 

Today, Father had clearly said he would handle everything himself.

 

But we couldn’t just step in and become a variable.

 

‘What on earth are you planning?’

 

Anyone could see that this was an attempt to provoke Yohan.

 

Theodore was a wizard, so he would surely know how vulnerable Yohan was in this situation.

 

“Now then—”

 

That was when it happened.

 

—Boom!

 

With a loud bang, the temple ground shook violently.

 

“Ah!”

 

“Did you feel that just now?”

 

“Was that an earthquake?!”

 

People started to murmur in surprise. Of course, we weren’t expecting this either.

 

Before I could even look around, there was another loud thud, and this time the floor shook violently.

 

“Kyaaah!”

 

“What do we do?!”

 

“Oh my!”

 

And before anyone could evacuate—The chandelier hanging from the ceiling came crashing down.

 

I almost jumped forward.

 

“Sister!”

 

Because the chandelier fell right above Mariel’s head.

 

Because she was the Crown Prince’s fiancée-to-be, Meriel hadn’t been standing with us when the ceremony began; she had been with Roymond instead.

 

The reason our family couldn’t run straight to Mariel was that the ground shook violently again.

 

My father was agile enough to move around without difficulty even in this chaos, but his feet were tied down because he had to support my mother.

 

“Sister!”

 

I shouted, trying to keep my balance on the shaking floor.

 

Everything before my eyes seemed to move in slow motion.

 

Meriel, who had been hit squarely by the chandelier, fell to the ground.

 

Blood flowed from her head, soaking her blonde hair.

 

I saw it all—the way Roymond, who had been standing beneath the chandelier but was only grazed by it, screamed and hugged Meriel into his arms.

 

As I was staggering and trying to run to Mariel, Yohan grabbed my arm.

 

“She’s not dead,” he said.

 

“How… how do you know?”

 

“Magic,” Yohan whispered urgently.

 

“Can’t you see the magic surging? That chandelier was aimed at Mariel from the start.”

 

Only then did my mind, which had momentarily frozen, start to work again.

 

“Ah—why don’t the two of you stand over here? It would be a good chance to inform our guests of your engagement.”

 

The person who had led them directly beneath the chandelier had been Theodore.

 

He wasn’t a wizard as skilled as Yohan and couldn’t control magic with the same precision.

 

Which meant he had deliberately placed Mariel and Roymond within range.

 

“But… why would he target Mariel…?”

 

Roymond quickly called the Knights Templar to transport Mariel away.

 

It looked like they were taking her straight to the imperial Doctor.

 

Since there was no way we could treat her faster or better than that, all I could do was watch as Meriel disappeared from sight in Roymond’s arms.

 

As soon as they disappeared through the entrance, all the nobles who had come to their senses began to follow them, saying they would all leave.

 

Of course, the ground was shaking so much that it seemed difficult for most people to even walk properly.

 

“No, but more importantly—what is this earthquake…?”

 

The chandelier could be dropped by Theodore’s magic. Well, any wizard with a certain level of skill could do that.

 

But an earthquake of this magnitude, one that caused the temple to continue to shake, was a different story.

 

Even now, the ground was shaking violently, and screams were echoing from all directions.

 

Moreover, the walls began to crumble as the wizards, having lost their composure, began to shoot spells here and there, and tried to escape.

 

“This isn’t magic.”

 

Yohan said calmly, lifting me into his arms and steadying himself.

 

The Emperor and Empress were trying to evacuate in a hurry when a pillar collapsed, startling them and making them take a step back.

 

Just minutes ago, this had been a situation no one could have imagined.

 

Everyone had been leisurely watching the ceremony.

 

Yohan continued, looking around with sharp eyes.

 

“I can’t feel any magic at all.”

 

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