I Became A Squirrel Seeking For The Villain

“I should send a letter to my sister Mariel,” 

 

I said as I left the orphanage, taking a pen from the knight.

 

“I’ll write about taking a child to the academy as a sponsored student and include detailed information about the embezzlement at the orphanage.”

 

Although Mariel was overly kind, she wasn’t foolish. Once she learned about this incident, she would be more cautious and do her best to prevent similar cases from happening in the future.

 

‘It’s best not to overstep. After all, Mariel is the heir, and I’m just the lucky adopted daughter.’

 

I’d do a little behind-the-scenes work, and she’d do the finishing touches.

 

‘Then again… is she even a proper heir?’

 

I sighed, looking up at the sky. 

 

According to the original story, Mariel would eventually marry the Crown Prince, the male lead.

 

Once she became a member of the royal family, she could no longer officially inherit the Medes household.

 

In fact, by the time of her marriage to the Crown Prince, Meriel, due to Yohan’s schemes and the surrounding circumstances, had already lost the ability to rely on Medest’s influence.

 

With no elders left, the Medes family had collapsed, unable to maintain its position as a grand noble family.

 

‘But this time, it’ll be different.’

 

With Yohan out of being a villain thanks to me, the Medes family could thrive.

 

Still, with the future having changed, I couldn’t be sure if Mariel would end up with the Crown Prince. 

 

Relationships without significant challenges could fall apart over the smallest things.

 

‘What’s important is for the Medes family to stand strong. That’s where Mariel will find her true happiness.’

 

‘Rather than being a woman saved by the Crown Prince’s love, as in the original story’s conclusion, wouldn’t it be better for her to be a well-rounded noblewoman who had everything?’

 

“Anyway, I should add that I might arrive slightly later than expected, but not too late.”

 

I smiled and picked up the pen.

 

“After all, it’s almost her birthday.”

 

Mariel’s birthday was approaching.

 

Sienna was sick, so we wouldn’t be able to have a big party, but I still wanted to personally celebrate the day with her.

 

‘Wait a minute…’

 

As I was writing the letter absentmindedly, a thought suddenly made me furrow my brows.

 

‘If it’s Mariel’s birthday…’

 

In the original story, there was a brief mention of a crucial fact.

 

‘Count Jayden will also be there, won’t he?’

 

Count Jayden, Mariel’s maternal uncle, was her only remaining advisor. However, he was notoriously prickly.

 

He always found Mariel’s overly soft-hearted nature frustrating and was likely dissatisfied with her decision to adopt me as her sister.

 

‘Still, he’s sharp and capable, a solid support for Mariel…’

 

But that wasn’t the most pressing concern.

 

‘He’s a character who dies later on.’

 

He was poisoned around the same time Sienna passed away.

 

“Lady Yurika?”

 

Runart tilted his head slightly, noticing my anxious expression.

 

“Are you worried about something?”

 

His calm blue eyes reflected genuine concern as they gazed at me. I smiled softly and shook my head.

 

“Oh, it’s just… I was thinking about my mother’s illness.”

 

“I see.”

 

Runart let out a small sigh, his voice filled with determination.

 

“I’ll study as hard as I can, lady. I’ll make sure to help your mother smile brightly again.”

 

“Yes, Runart. I know you can do it.”

 

Runart looked a bit uncertain, as though doubting how I could trust someone like him, but I spoke with conviction.

 

“I just have a feeling you will.”

 

Runart’s gentle features lit up with a bright smile. His kind demeanor only seemed even more warm-hearted.

 

“By the way, Runart, there’s something I wanted to ask.”

 

I blinked, changing the topic.

 

“Do you know much about poisons? I was wondering if my mother’s illness could possibly be poison-related…”

 

“Poison is hard to find except in temples. Even if you’re a doctor, it’s hard to have a poison that can kill a person at once. But if you poison them for a long time is another story, though…”

 

“Is that so?”

 

I asked in a worried tone, listening closely to Runart’s gentle explanation.

 

“If it’s a long time… how do you poison them?”

 * * *A Few Days Later 

It had been a while since the Medes’ house received a guest.

 

A luxurious carriage, easily recognizable even from afar, came to a stop at the mansion. Mariel, waiting near the front gate, broke into a bright smile and ran forward.

 

“Uncle!”

 

The carriage door opened, and a tall man stepped out, his expression one of displeasure.

 

With blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, the man in his mid-20s was none other than Count Jayden Aivert, Sienna’s younger brother.

 

“Welcome. Mother will be so happy to see you!”

 

Mariel greeted him with her bright smile, but Jayden’s cold blue eyes remained frosty.

 

Even the coachman, captivated by Mariel’s angelic face, couldn’t look away, but Jayden grumbled, unable to hide his displeasure.

 

“Why do you have to come running out here like that? Do you think I wouldn’t know my way inside by now? How many times have I visited this place?”

 

Despite his sharp words, Mariel simply giggled playfully.

 

“Hehe, but…”

 

Jayden didn’t react to her smile at all. Instead, he took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders with a gruff expression.

 

“How long have you been waiting out here? It’s chilly these days—do you have any sense at all? The sicker your mother gets, the healthier you need to be! Wear this!”

 

He buttoned up the coat collar meticulously before snapping at her.

 

“I heard you made another reckless decision this time. Adopting a random girl as your sister? Do you think the Medes name is some toy you can throw around carelessly?”

 

His sharp gaze bore into her as he raised his voice.

 

“If you keep acting like this, the Medest family will perish in your generation! You can’t even manage the household properly, and now you bring in a stranger as a family? Where’s your sense of responsibility?”

 

“Oh, Uncle, please…”

 

Mariel smiled sheepishly, taking his arm to guide him inside.

 

“At least yell at me once we’re inside. As you said, the weather is cold.”

 

Jayden let out a sigh and followed her inside, grumbling all the while.

 

“You could’ve at least worn gloves…”

 

Count Jayden Aivert wasn’t exactly a powerful grand noble influencing the capital, but he was the sole direct heir of the Aivert family, known for owning many mines in the West.

 

Although he had entered into an arranged marriage with a noblewoman two years ago, he had no children yet. His frequent travels for business meant he rarely spent time at his estate.

 

“Did you eat dinner yet? I asked the chef to prepare steak…”

 

“No need. I’ve lost my appetite lately, and I don’t feel like eating meat. More importantly, I heard you approved soldiers for the Mirinia region again?”

 

Jayden removed his gloves as he sat in the living room, his tone cold.

 

Mariel sat across from him, answering carefully,

 

“I had no choice. They said battles were breaking out right next to the Mirinia region…”

 

“You can’t just approve soldiers for border territories so easily. If you’re not careful, it’ll lead to trouble later. Your father would never have allowed it.”

 

Jayden had deeply respected the Duke of Medes, his brother-in-law, despite their significant age gap.

 

He vividly remembered how meticulously the duke had managed the territory.

 

Watching Mariel slowly drive the duchy into the ground was all the more frustrating because he knew she wasn’t a bad person.

 

The people around her were exploiting her kindness to gradually erode Medes’s wealth and honor.

 

Mariel, her eyes wide, replied gently.

 

“But how could I just sit in the capital comfortably while our people were worried about battles so close by? I couldn’t let them live in fear.”

 

Jayden sighed at her naive response, ready to explain why giving the soldiers recklessly for the border territories was dangerous.

 

But before he could speak, Mariel quickly added,

 

“That’s why I imposed conditions instead. I raised the tax rate slightly and replaced the cotton tax with wheat.”

 

Jayden’s eyes lit up for a moment at that.

 

The main issue with personal soldiers was their potential to amass independent power and align with rebellious factions in secret.

 

“The biggest problem is that once personal soldiers are allowed, it’s hard to scale them back. But if food becomes scarce, it’ll be difficult to maintain large numbers for long. If they really insist on expanding the size of the personal soldiers truly out of fear, they’ll naturally reduce their numbers once the battles subside.”

 

“You…”

 

“But if they had other intentions, they’d forcibly maintain their numbers, leading to famine. If that happens, the people will start leaving one by one. When such problems arise, I’ll hold them accountable immediately, so it’s a safeguard.”

 

After hearing Mariel’s sharp reasoning, Jayden stared at her intently.

 

After staring at her for a while, Jayden cautiously opened his mouth.

 

“Have you lost your mind?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Or… has someone else’s soul taken over your body?”

 

“What?”

 

“For a moment… I thought your father had returned.”

 * * *