I Became A Squirrel Seeking For The Villain Chapter 56

“What? Does it hurt a lot?”

 

Mariel opened her eyes wide and immediately grabbed my hand.

 

“Shouldn’t we call the palace doctor? Where does it hurt? No, that’s not right. Let’s just go together now.”

 

Her pink eyes, the same color as mine, were full of worry.

 

Even though she didn’t know I was her real younger sister, Mariel always took great care of me.

 

Thinking about that made my heart feel strange again.

 

But I couldn’t say anything here. I hadn’t sorted out my own feelings yet.

 

“I’m just not feeling well. I’m not used to this kind of place.”

 

I smiled and let go of Mariel’s hand.

 

“You should enjoy yourself a little more. You’re the Crown Prince’s partner tonight, you can’t just leave early. I’ll just go back to the estate and ask Runart for some headache medicine or something.”

 

“Don’t worry, Lady.”

 

Yohan, who was standing next to me, chimed in.

 

“I’ll escort her back to the estate.”

 

Even though the temple might still be after me, with Yohan by my side, I didn’t need any more protection.

 

After all, Yohan was powerful enough to end a war on his own.

 

Mariel continued to look worried and hesitated a few more times, but when I firmly said I’d head back with Yohan, she couldn’t stop me.

 

Jayden, being overly dramatic as always, insisted on coming too, but I blocked his enthusiastic offer with, “Just in case someone asks about the faux leather, Uncle, you need to be there to answer them.”

 

Jayden followed my words without asking why I was wary of Rivena.

 

Just because I was his niece, he naturally trusted me.

 

‘Jayden… So Jayden really is my uncle.’

 

Ironically, the day I heard, “You’re precious even if you’re not Yurika,” was the day I realized I was Yurika.

 

And so, I left the banquet hall with Yohan.

 

He walked beside me politely and said calmly,

 

“Let’s talk once we’re in the carriage.”

 

He was clearly aware that too many ears were around us here.

 

Well, from his point of view, it made sense to be curious. After all, I had turned into a squirrel, cried, and then said nothing afterward.

 

As it turned out, I ended up in a situation where I had to tell my identity to Yohan first, rather than to my family.

 

“But Yurika,”

 

But as if there was a question he just couldn’t wait to ask, Yohan put his hand on my forehead and said,

 

“Are you really sick? It’s not serious, is it? Maybe–”

 

“No, really, I’m fine,” I answered with a grin.

 

“I just… I just want to go home. That’s all.”

 

And after getting into the carriage, I confessed everything to Yohan while going to the duke’s residence.

 

* * *

 

Yohan, who heard the whole truth, remained silent for a while.

 

Not because he had nothing to say — but because he had too much to say.

 

He wanted to immediately stir up the temple and make it disappear from the world, but according to Yurika, Duke Medes might be inside the temple.

 

“Hey, Yohan.”

 

Yurika asked with tearful eyes.

 

“Is there a way to get rid of everyone except my father…?”

 

Yohan shook his head miserably.

 

There was magic that could destroy everything except beasts.

 

But there was no magic that could spare one specific, unknown person while destroying everything else.

 

As if she expected that answer, Yurika smiled faintly and said,

 

“No, you’re right. We’ll need to keep some of them alive to get the information we need. I was just asking.”

 

For a moment, Yohan had to painfully ponder why magic could only have physically destructive powers.

 

He wanted to get rid of Theodore first, but wizards were bound by oath: they couldn’t use magic against royalty.

 

For the first time in a long while, Yohan felt powerless.

 

Meanwhile, Yurika was wiping away her tears and quietly grinding her teeth.

 

“I’m going to uncover the truth.”

 

With a resolute face, she pushed down her sorrow and spoke as calmly as she could.

 

“I will reveal every detail of what they did to the Medes family. I’ll find the evidence. I won’t let them get away with it.”

 

Even as tears welled up in her eyes, her voice fought to stay rational — as if clinging to reason was the only thing holding her together.

 

No wonder — it must’ve felt like her entire life had been stolen.

 

Yurika’s pink eyes turned to Yohan.

 

“I’ll have to take a risk again during the temple event.”

 

She wiped away the tears in her eyes.

 

“At that time, I’m going to bring my father back, and destroy the temple too.”

 

Yurika was not someone who made empty promises. She would probably achieve her goal somehow.

 

Just like how she’d managed to regain her human form.

 

“Yohan, I’m sorry… Please help me a bit more… I’m begging you.”

 

She clutched her hand and lowered her head, her voice trembling with emotion.

 

“Please. I’ll find a way to repay you, no matter what…”

 

Before, she acted out of fear — desperate just to survive.

 

But now, every word was soaked with vengeance.

 

“Yurika.”

 

Yohan looked at her and spoke in a soft voice.

 

“I’ll do my best to help you. Seriously.”

 

In fact, Yohan had been trying to seduce Yurika somehow during the banquet.

 

To create some romantic tension, to be seen as a man. He had practiced that several times.

 

But now didn’t seem like the time for that. Yurika had lost her entire life.

 

To Yurika, who was trembling with vengeance and anger, the very act of saying, “Actually, I like you,” felt like a deception.

 

Because it was such a shocking truth even to him.

 

“I’ve always…”

 

Yohan comforted her with all sincerity.

 

“……been on your side.”

 

He only hoped to be part of her plans — to protect her from danger.

 

Or at least make her path a little less painful.

 

That’s when they arrived at the Duke of Medes’s house.

 

Sienna, who was sitting quietly on a chair in front of the garden, wearing a shawl, stood up with a smile on her face.

 

“Yurika!”

 

“Mother….?

 

Yurika’s eyes widened as she stepped out of the carriage and saw her.

 

“Why are you here?”

 

“I was just… waiting for you.”

 

Yohan took a step back and looked at the mother and daughter who were now holding hands.

 

They had returned much earlier than expected, so how long had she been waiting for Eurika?

 

“Did you enjoy the banquet, my daughter?”

 

Sienna asked, gently caressing Yurika’s cheek.

 

“Actually, I keep thinking about the day I lost you…. I couldn’t just wait quietly in my room.”

 

“If you had sent someone, I would have come a little earlier.…”

 

Before she knew it, tears were welling up in Yurika’s eyes again.

 

“But it’s your first banquet,” Sienna answered with a smile.

 

“My worries are mine to bear, but I just want my daughter to have beautiful memories with that wonderful young man.”

 

Yurika hugged Sienna tightly.

 

“Mother…..”

 

It was the first time in her life that Yurika had ever acted like that.

 

She added, sobbing.

 

“I really missed you…..”

 

“You came back not even two hours after going to the banquet.”

 

Sienna smiled and patted Yurika on the back.

 

“Thank you, Mother.…”

 

Yurika eventually started to sob.

 

“Thank you for waiting….”

 

“I told you, I didn’t even wait two hours.”

 

Night had fallen deeply. Yohan stood there quietly, watching them for a long while.

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile, Mariel, who remained at the banquet hall, expressed her concerns to Jayden.

 

“Don’t you think Yurika is a little strange?”

 

In the banquet hall where Theodore and Yohhan had left, the Crown Prince’s partner, Mariel, was attracting attention from many people.

 

Because of that, she couldn’t openly follow after Yurika and could only sigh helplessly.

 

“Well, it would be hard for her to feel okay…”

 

“Hmm….”

 

“People are spreading strange rumors behind her back.”

 

Mariel couldn’t understand why Yurika had left the banquet hall so suddenly.

 

Mariel could only guess that Yurika had left because she was upset by the malicious rumors.

 

Jayden was no different—he was restless despite the grand banquet.

 

“That’s what I mean. I think we were wrong.”

 

Jayden answered with a frown.

 

“Even if Yurika was okay, I shouldn’t have let such rumors spread.….”

 

And then Roymond, who had been listening to their conversation from the side, gently intervened.

 

“If you’re so worried about Lady Yurika….”

 

Crown Prince Roymond has been close to Mariel for a long time.

 

He knew better than anyone how much Mariel cherished Yurika like a real sister.

 

He had even vaguely sensed that Yurika had been trying to connect him and Mariel.

 

By imperial law, the Crown Prince did not participate in the war.

 

That was because the royal family had a defensive ability that even wizards could not attack, and there was a founding myth that the capital would be safe as long as the direct royal bloodline remained there.

 

In other words, it meant that the crown prince could not become a war hero.

 

He couldn’t describe how anxious he had been when Yohan Hyrad brought the war to an end.

 

He had Mariel in mind and secretly hoped that the war hero would be a woman who had everything.

 

But Yohan Hyrad was a young nobleman without a solid base in the capital. There was absolutely no reason to reject Mariel.

 

In that situation, it was Yurika who had said, “I’ll take care of Yohan,” and actively stepped up so that Mariel wouldn’t be forced into a marriage she didn’t want.

 

Roymond wasn’t the type to look down on someone just because they were a commoner, so he could only feel grateful to Yurika.

 

“How about giving her a surprise gift?”

 

* * *