I Became A Squirrel Seeking For The Villain

Anticipation for the Victory Banquet in the imperial palace grew by the day. It was the first official social event since the long war. All the prominent nobles were excited and expressed their intention to attend. And before the banquet date approached, many noble families would hold small tea parties or garden parties. These gatherings were opportunities for close noble families to exchange information. “Yurika, are you really not going? I understand for myself, but you….” “No, I’m not going. We weren’t even close to begin with.” Naturally, many invitations were sent to the Medes family. Mariel declined all of them, using poor health as an excuse. The real reason, however, was her partner. If word got out that she was the crown prince’s partner, questions would start pouring in. Worst case, it might even expose the fact that their feelings for each other had existed before the war. It might have been different after the banquet, but it would have been bad if such rumors had been spreading before the victory banquet. That’s why Roymond and Mariel had agreed to stay hidden as much as possible until the banquet. I also declined all invitations. Since I lived without any friends, there weren’t any gatherings that I had to go to. “But this would be a good chance to make some friends….” Mariel looked at me with pity, but I just smiled. “It’s okay. Yohan is my friend now.” “His gaze is too beastly to be called a friend….” “You may have forgotten, but the actual beast is me, Sister.” “Ah….. That’s right.” After exchanging a few more lighthearted words, Mariel returned to her room. And then, left alone in the room, I took out the piled-up letters from the drawer and looked at them. It’s not that I didn’t know Mariel’s feelings. She wanted me to be a confident Lady of Medes, openly engaging with others. It was all for my sake. ‘But in this situation, I don’t think I’ll hear anything good even if I go.’ And I don’t have any friends, but it’s not like I don’t have any sources of information. Over the past five years, even though I had stayed quietly in the Medes estate, I had been doing a lot of things secretly. I had formed dealings with several intelligence guilds and had been handling information for quite some time. ‘I originally started this to help the Medes family, but it’s proving useful in unexpected ways.’ The power of information has been a significant factor in keeping the Medes family alive. While no one paid attention to social affairs during the war, I carefully selected reliable intelligence guilds and worked together for some time. ‘Because I knew the original story in advance, I helped them a lot.’ As a result, we built trust and a sense of partnership over time. As a result, I was able to receive fairly accurate and up-to-date information even now. [Someone is spreading malicious rumors about the Lady.] Several intelligence guilds reported similar information. [They called you an arrogant and self-centered adopted daughter and a cunning woman who had deceived the innocent Mariel Medes. With no one to refute it, this rumor spread quickly.] [Rumors are also spreading that you have become a partner with Duke Yohan Hyrad. The response is not good.] I had done nothing, yet these rumors suddenly emerged—it was suspicious. A good intelligence guild wouldn’t miss something suspicious like that. [We traced the origin of these rumors…] [We investigated those spreading them…] [We found out who sponsored gatherings where these rumors circulated.…] The intelligence guilds even provided additional services. ‘That’s why it’s worth the money and mutual support.’ I bit my lip as I read the name that multiple guilds pointed to. [Lady Rivena Sevs.] From the moment I first heard that unfamiliar name, I had my doubts. Now, it was clear—Rivena Sevs was targeting me. ‘This is enough to confirm that she’s likely connected to the temple.’ I had a rough idea of why she was trying to tarnish my reputation in advance. ‘Well… let her run wild for now.’ There was nothing I could do at the moment. Rivena herself was moving in secret. ‘It’s also good if she just falls into her own trap.’ Of course, I can’t just stay like this forever. ‘I’ve roughly made a plan.’ With a calm expression, I opened the next letter. It was from the Hisri Guild, the intelligence guild I was closest with. [I heard you will be attending the banquet with Yohan Hyrad. Be careful, no matter how kind he seems…] The head of Hisri Guild was good, but she still saw me as the child I had been when we first met. [Wizards are not people who can be dealt with in normal categories… If you plan to use him, you should approach him very carefully..] Because I had always acted with calculation, she assumed I intended to use Yohan. I took up my pen with a faint sigh. After all, I was grateful for her concern. [Thanks for the warning. But Yohan Hyrad is quite a gentleman. I would like to have a fair deal rather than using him.] It wasn’t just an excuse—Yohan had always been kind to me. No matter what I said, he listened with a gentle expression and never asked any deep questions. ‘Yohan is someone who remembers favors.’ Of course, that doesn’t mean I had any intention of using Yohan unilaterally. For now, I needed his help, but once I survived this, I planned to repay him in full. Whatever it is. * * * “This is a letter from Lady Yurika Medes.” The head of Hisri guild, who received Yurika’s letter, read its contents carefully and then sighed deeply. “What does it say? How should we respond?” In response to her subordinate’s question, she shrugged her shoulders and answered. “Just stay still. Let rumors like that spread.” “Huh…” The subordinate sighed, knowing full well how malicious the rumors about Yurika Medes were. “Well… if it’s Lady Yurika, she must have another plan.” “I guess so.” It had already been five years since they had first started dealing with Yurika Medes, who had once been just a small girl. The intelligence guilds had long recognized her sharp intellect and keen insight. “With the way she’s handled things so far, I’m not too worried.” The head of Hisri guild answered calmly, but her expression was not very good. “Then why do you look so uneasy?” “What bothers me is not such trivial gossip or rumors, but Duke Yohan Hyrad.” “What? That war hero?” “Yes, that wizard.” She frowned, emphasizing the word ‘wizard.’ “Wizards are basically very evil and cunning. They’ll do whatever it takes to achieve their goals. You might as well just call them crazy people.” Her blunt words left her subordinate speechless. The head of Hisri guild continued speaking. “Gentleman? Wizards could never be a gentleman. If anything, the word ‘villain’ suits them better.” The subordinate had been about to argue, but he swallowed nervously as he recalled the terrifying impression Yohan Hyrad had. Although he was so handsome, he had a somewhat sinister air about him. “A gentleman, huh… That’s what worries me. If a wizard acts gentle, then….” “Then what?” “Whether Lady Yurika intended it or not, she must have said exactly what that wizard wanted to hear.” “Hey, no way…” Despite her subordinate’s uncertain words, the expression on the face of the Hisri Guild leader did not brighten. “The only reassuring thing is that wizards are obsessed with sincerity. Lady Yurika is neither a divine being nor a calming potion, so she will not be the object of that endless obsession. That is truly fortunate.” She sighed and added, sounding worried. “I hope nothing bad happens during the banquet….” * * * A few days later, the victory banquet was finally held. The nobles who had been waiting for such a grand event for a long time were all gathered in groups of three or five and enjoying the splendid event from early on. Before the banquet officially began, a servant rang a bell to announce the arrivals “His Highness Prince Theodore Roellaine has arrived!” “Lady Rivena Sevs, daughter of Count Sevs, has arrived!” * * *