I Became A Squirrel Seeking For The Villain Chapter 78

Yohan tilted his head at my words and asked.

 

“Efficient?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

The temple was large, and Rivena and Patre were quite cautious people.

 

Even if I could search in the body of a squirrel, they probably wouldn’t have left evidence in an easy-to-find spot.

 

Barging into the temple without a plan and stirring things up wasn’t likely to help me find my father, either.

 

That’s why I sent back the person who came from the Medes Duchy without meeting them.

 

Even Jayden ran to the Duke of Hyrad again without contacting us, I only passed on a message through the butler:

 

“That my heart was deeply wounded, so I’ll be staying with Yohan for a while, I’m sorry, uncle.”

 

Of course, there was a reason I didn’t send a letter.

 

‘Only this way, the rumor can spread throughout the capital.’

 

My whereabouts are now of great interest to the people of the capital.

 

It’s not just because I was popular, it’s just because it’s a topic that people like to talk about.

 

The story is about a fake that was kicked out by the real thing, and even that real thing is fake.

 

In fact, people didn’t know that I was the real Yurika, so they were curious about what would happen to me and Duke Medes’s family in the future.

 

And now it was important that the rumors were going around that I was distanced from the Medes family.

 

Of course, I sent the letter separately for fear that Jayden would be too disappointed.

 

[I have a plan for everything. Just wait three days. Please tell my mother and sister the same thing.]

 

So for those three days, I stayed in the Duke of Hyrad’s house.

 

Three days.

 

So, after searching the temple, I planned to return to Duke Medes’s residence.

 

At my answer, Yohan made a thoughtful face, then narrowed his eyes and said,

 

“You’re planning to use Rivena Sevs, aren’t you?”

 

‘As expected, Yohan was quite quick-witted.’

 

‘Or perhaps he was simply good at these kinds of schemes himself.’

 

Considering the original story, it wasn’t even that surprising.

 

I smiled slyly and answered,

 

“Yeah. She’s a perfect bait that hasn’t been caught yet.”

 

Even though the temple was practically surrounded and the high priests and Patre had been arrested, one person was still freely roaming.

 

It’s Rivena Sevs.

 

Because she had completely cleaned up her identity and left the temple before this happened.

 

Now that Partre was detained and unable to act, it was clear Rivena would move to cover up the evidence.

 

From what I overheard at the banquet, it was clear that Rivena was in charge of a major task.

 

But it won’t be easy. The Hyrad Knights have surrounded the place.

 

And the harder it became, the more traces she would likely leave behind.

 

“We have to use everything we can. Squeeze her until there’s nothing left.”

 

At my words, Yohan let out a low chuckle for a while. Then, with amusement, he said,

 

“Yurika, when you say things like that, you really sound like a villain.”

 

‘I don’t want to hear that from you, who almost became a real villain.’

 

“If we make a mistake once, we’ll be in big trouble. Let’s stay on the same side.”

 

Hmm… did I just get acknowledged by a villain?

 

* * *

 

“I apologize, my lady.”

 

A visitor arrived in front of the secluded palace where Theodore was being held.

 

“Since His Highness is under disciplinary restriction, there are orders to avoid visits from civilians…”

 

“Civilian?”

 

It was Rivena Sevs, her red hair elegantly tied up.

 

“Do I just look like an ordinary person?”

 

With all the high-ranking officials of the temple, including the priests, arrested and even Theodore imprisoned, only Rivena was free.

 

“As you know, I am the prince’s fiancée.”

 

Rivena looked at the soldier guarding the door and spoke with a dignified face.

 

“I have the right to see him.”

 

And with a quick hand movement that could never have been imagined from that proud expression, she handed the soldier a gold coin.

 

“If your superiors ask, say I caused a scene.”

 

Rivena continued, placing another gold coin in the hesitant soldier’s hand.

 

“Say I seemed to be here to discuss a breakup. That it seemed urgent.”

 

And when the third gold coin filled his palm, the soldier hesitated no longer.

 

“Then, once the discussion is over, you should come out quickly.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Rivena nodded, her green eyes flashing.

 

“Who would want a long conversation with a wicked wizard who lied and acted alone?”

 

She wasn’t trying to fool the guard—her voice was laced with genuine, deeply buried emotion.

 

Thus, the door to the prince’s palace opened, and Rivena looked at Theodore with an unreadable face.

 

His clothes were disheveled, and an empty bottle of calming potion rolled on the floor.

 

‘Well, considering he had a rough fight with Yohan and used a lot of magic, he probably wasn’t well.’

 

‘Well, even so, compared to Yohan Hyrad who used magic indiscriminately, he’s small fry. But that brooding expression of his is top-tier wizard level.’

 

Rivena mocked him inwardly as she observed his pale complexion.

 

Of course, she couldn’t say it out loud.

 

“You’re here.”

 

Theodore frowned, running his hands through his hair nervously.

 

“You must be feeling frustrated too, right? You caused a huge accident at the temple, so you won’t be able to let go of my hand even if I act like this.”

 

Rivena was boiling inside.

 

‘If only he were stupid, at least I could use him. But he was even clever. Well, most wizards are like that.’

 

She should’ve expected this outcome from the moment she decided to ally with a wizard.

 

The wizard does not know cooperation and trust.

 

They’ll do anything to achieve their goals, without empathy, and see betrayal as nothing.

 

So of course, as soon as he found out Yurika’s true identity, he probably lost his mind and acted on his own.

 

Going to Duke Hyrad’s mansion to provoke Yohan and Yurika, and even using magic to try to kidnap Yurika during the victory celebration, all actions that went against Rivena’s calculations.

 

From the beginning, cooperation with Rivena had meant nothing to Theodore.

 

He was willing to toss her aside the moment something desirable appeared.

 

‘After all, she’s just a divine beast I once controlled at will…’

 

And the more things got out of control, the angrier she got at Yurika.

 

Who would have thought that a little squirrel in the palm of her hand could mess everything up like this?

 

But if Theodore had done one useful thing, it was discovering that Yurika could transform back into a squirrel.

 

Rivena didn’t know how it was possible, but clearly, Yurika had figured out a way.

 

‘Yurika is my creation—so why do things I don’t know about her keep popping up?’

 

Rivena frowned and sighed inwardly.

 

‘Divine beasts don’t usually have a strong will to take human form, so how did she do it… and how does she freely change between squirrel and human?’

 

‘I wanted to drag her to my lab right away, but there was nothing I could do.’

 

The temple where her lab was located had fallen into total chaos.

 

Even sneaking in was impossible with Hyrad’s knights guarding the place.

 

‘If the lab is discovered, it’s over. And besides, Duke Medes is in the underground…’

 

In the end, the only place Rivena could come to was Theodore.

 

Even if they are detained, the royal family is still the royal family, so they can still command their servants.

 

She really didn’t want to join hands with a wizard again, but they still needed each other

 

“Yes. I can’t let go of your hand, Your Highness.”

 

Rivena said bluntly.

 

“But you won’t be able to let go of mine either. Not if you still want the divine beast.”

 

“Is there a way?”

 

Theodore’s blue eyes gleamed. Despite everything, the words “divine beast” snapped him to attention.

 

“The temple’s already in ruins, and that idiot crown prince looks ready to sell his soul to Mariel. It’s only a matter of time before the Medes family finds out everything.”

 

In truth, Rivena had no hope left.

 

It was nothing more than an attempt to assassinate a member of the royal family, but he was caught in the act.

 

It would have been better if Patre had not been released at all.

 

Rivena and Patre had kept their secrets for so long by sharing everything only between the two of them.

 

However, it also means that if one falls, the other has no one to turn to.

 

Theodore was an untrustworthy ally. But in times like this, he was the last person she could rely on.

 

“Yes. If things stay as they are, our futures are set in stone. Even if we grovel now and survive, there’s no hope. Once Crown Prince Roymond becomes emperor, he’ll surely share the Medes family’s secrets with Lady Mariel …With Yurika alive, they will have access to all the truth.”

 

“You know very well. Honestly, I don’t want to cooperate with someone who has nothing, unless it’s for that divine beast.”

 

“Do you remember what I told you at the banquet? I was preparing a new experiment.”

 

Theodore frowned and sat up.

 

Rivena continued in a businesslike tone.

 

“If only that experiment could succeed. We could turn back time. We could erase this present.”

 

* * *