I Became A Squirrel Seeking For The Villain Chapter 62

It had been a long time since I had visited the Duke of Hyrad’s estate.

 

‘Has it been five years?’

 

I glanced around, lost in nostalgia.

 

Come to think of it, I had spent most of my time here as a squirrel.

 

Compared to when I stayed here before, not much seemed to have changed

 

Of course, the biggest thing that changed was who owned the house.

 

“What are you planning to do about Ella and Tezen?”

 

I blurted out as I remembered Tezen who used to walk around the garden, grumbling.

 

“I honestly think you….Oh, never mind.”

 

“What about me?”

 

When I trailed off, Yohan squinted his eyes playfully and replied gently.

 

“Honestly, did you think I was going to kill those humans, Yurika?”

 

“Ah, um….”

 

‘Oh my gosh, he figured out what I was thinking really quickly.’

 

In the original story, as soon as Yohan returns, he brutally executes Ella, Tezen, and the rest of the servants in front of many people.

 

He was practically blinded by rage and lost all reason for his cruel revenge.

 

But the Yohan in front of me didn’t kill anyone — he only kicked the servants out like beggars.

 

And it was reported that Ella and Tezen were simply locked up in the underground prison.

 

‘Of course, people are even calling that unfilial.’

 

No one really believed Yohan even when he claimed he had been abused.

 

That’s because Ella never did anything obviously wrong in public.

 

Most people just assumed Yohan made up crimes to punish them in secret.

 

After all, his stepmother and stepbrother, who lived in the capital, were enough of a threat to his position in Hyrad just by existing.

 

‘Who would believe that the temple even tried to use poison on him? The temple would deny it, obviously.’

 

So Yohan kept things quiet and handled them without much fuss.

 

Sure, people gossiped behind his back, but no one openly criticized him.

 

There wasn’t really anyone willing to take Ella and Tezen’s side against Yohan, anyway.

 

“Actually, that’s true. I know exactly how they treated you.”

 

I rolled my eyes and nodded.

 

Just as I was about to add that I didn’t expect him to be so soft-hearted, Yohan smiled — and said something chilling.

 

“Shouldn’t they suffer in pain for at least fifteen years?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“It’s too easy to die in an instant.”

 

‘Well, I mean, you’re not wrong… but saying that with such a sweet smile?’

 

“Hmm…”

 

“I don’t know how many times I thought I would rather die back then.”

 

“Oh….”

 

“I’ll let them experience the same. And then, I’ll decide after fifteen years.”

 

Yohan grew up to be a very cruel person.

 

I stared at him and then raised my thumb.

 

“Good job, Yohan.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“You’ve held it together and are calmly carrying out your revenge. I respect that.”

 

In some ways, it was a far more elegant and quiet revenge than the one in the original story.

 

I even applauded and praised him.

 

Yohan added with a pleased expression on his face at my compliment.

 

“Of course, their bodies will be in quite a bit of pain. I’m making sure the environment causes that.”

 

‘I see…. Since he was locked up with a sick body, they must also be locked up with a sick body.’

 

This is a very cruel revenge.

 

I smiled awkwardly and asked cautiously.

 

“So, does it not hurt like it did back then? Now that you have a calming potion.”

 

“Well. As long as I take the potion regularly, my magical power will calm down.”

 

Yohan answered vaguely and gently tapped the arm I had linked with his, grinning.

 

“It’s calming down even now.”

 

“Ah…..”

 

“It’s not the same as when you were in your divine beast form, but still, it’s calming down even if just faintly.”

 

“Really? That’s amazing. I didn’t think I could calm you even as a human.”

 

That must be why Theodore realized my true identity the moment we touched.

 

Come to think of it, I did read something similar in an old book about divine beasts.

 

Even when transformed into a human, they could calm wizards through physical contact.

 

However, it was written that for a truly effective calming effect, much deeper physical contact was necessary.

 

‘So, I don’t think something as simple as linking arms or holding hands will have much of a calming effect.’

 

When I looked at him with a curious expression, Yohan kindly explained.

 

“Actually, it’s really weak. Almost ineffective.”

 

After all, the divine beast was a beast specialized in calming.

 

No one outside the temple knew how it worked exactly.

 

There was no way a divine beast lightly placing a paw and two humans holding hands could be the same thing.

 

When I looked at Yohan as if I was curious, he sighed softly as if he had no choice and continued speaking.

 

“I’ve barely been taking calming potions lately. That’s probably the only reason I can even feel it like this.”

 

“Why don’t you take the calming potion?”

 

I asked in surprise, but it didn’t take long for me to guess the reason.

 

Even earlier, when I asked about the calming potion, he had dodged the question.

 

Calming potions were also made by the temple.

 

And publicly, Yohan was firmly on my side.

 

The temple might have even guessed that something had happened between the two of us.

 

Yohan was a high-ranking noble and a war hero, someone with enough influence to protect me safely like this.

 

So unless the temple was full of fools, it was obvious they’d want to get rid of him too.

 

The easiest way would be to mix something else into the calming potion.

 

That’s why Yohan had been relying on calming potions he bought a long time ago.

 

‘In the end it’s because of me…’

 

As I struggled to speak out of guilt, Yohan slowly opened his mouth

 

“So……”

 

His violet eyes, filled with me, shimmered.

 

“The reason I’m so happy right now isn’t because of that weak calming effect.”

 

His soft words made my heart flutter and feel grateful, but that didn’t take away the guilt.

 

“Ah….Yohan.”

 

I blinked and sighed.

 

Even if Yohan said it like that, I didn’t want to just say, ‘Oh, I see.’

 

“Because of me…..”

 

“Why would it be because of you? I was planning to blow up the temple as soon as I came back from the war anyway.” Yohan said casually.

 

“I had no intention of relying on things like the calming potion the temple handed out like charity.”

 

His eyes narrowed with a gloomy aura.

 

“The temple tried to feed me terrible poison, you really don’t think I would rely on those humans to survive, right?”

 

That happened when I was leaving the Duke of Hyrad’s estate—it was quite a while ago.

 

‘Besides, it was actually the temple that granted Ella’s request, so it wasn’t intended to harm Yohan directly, but still…..’

 

“I never forget anything.”

 

When I stared at him, Yohan spoke in a tone that was somehow eerie but also gentle and tender.

 

“Of course, I won’t forget the things you’ve done for me either.”

 

He slowly ran his hand through mine.

 

His fingers gradually interlaced with mine.

 

“I still vividly remember the first feeling of that heavenly calm.”

 

A sweet, whispering voice gently fell on my ear.

 

“So… I kept thinking on the battlefield that I’d never let go of you for the rest of my life….”

 

As I flinched slightly, Yohan gripped my hand tightly, fully intertwining our fingers.

 

We simply held hands like at a banquet, but strangely, I felt like my nonexistent tail was sticking up.

 

“While I poured that damn calming potion down my throat without hesitation, the one the temple threw at me like a favor.”

 

The mention of a calming potion snapped me out of it.

 

Anyway, it was true that Yohan wasn’t taking calming potions anymore. That meant his condition couldn’t be good!

 

“But then you—”

 

“I’m all grown up now.”

 

He cut me off with a wide smile.

 

“It might hurt a bit, but it won’t be as painful as when I was a kid. And unlike when I was trapped in the tower, I can at least take normal painkillers now.”

 

‘But even for an adult, the pain was still pain.’

 

As I opened my mouth to say something, Yohan continued.

 

“Besides, on the day of the banquet, you also absorbed my magic power.”

 

He must be talking about when I turned into a squirrel and returned to human form, absorbing his magic power in the process.

 

But that was already a few days ago.

 

If he hadn’t taken any calming potions since then, his magical powers would have been quite messed up.

 

So I nodded resolutely and said,

 

“Then from now on, when we’re together, I’ll be the one to calm you down!”

 

At my words, Yohan looked at me with a strange expression.

 

Then he gave a small laugh and brushed his hand over his eyes, and for a moment the atmosphere shifted strangely.

 

He had always been kind and gentle to me.

 

And yet, for some reason, in that moment, his presence felt a little chilling.

 

“Really?”

 

He interlaced his fingers with mine more firmly, his voice mischievous but quite gentle.

 

“Can you handle it?”

 

A sudden heat flushed up the back of my neck.

 

Even the faint smile on his face felt unfamiliar

 

Maybe it was because we were at the Duke of Hyllard’s estate—his true domain.

 

‘Had I unknowingly walked right into a predator’s habitat…?’

 

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