IBMB :11

CHAPTER :11

*Clack, clack.* Only the steady sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway.

Still looking displeased, Gerard spoke up.

“My lord, do you truly intend to keep it by your side?”

“Keep what?”

“The ‘Thief Squirrel,’ my lord.”

It was ridiculous to use honorifics for a mere squirrel, but he couldn’t treat it poorly either.

After all, no matter what anyone said, the squirrel was a guest brought in directly by the Duke of Kreuz.

Gerard himself, along with the rest of the ducal household, was treating the squirrel as a proper guest rather than a criminal.

…Even if they had locked it in an iron cage.

*What on earth is he thinking?*

Gerard expressed his disapproval with a frown.

He had served Kaenig for over ten years, but lately, he couldn’t read his master’s mind at all.

Kaenig had become secretive, and his behavior had completely changed.

A paranoid man who didn’t even trust his long-serving staff had suddenly brought home a squirrel.

And a highly unusual one at that!

“It must be a spy sent by a hostile family,” Gerard said with emphasis.

At first, he naturally thought it was a beastman who had reverted to its animal form.

The way it understood speech perfectly, and how it acted more cunningly than most beastmen to deceive them…

It was truly impossible to believe it was just an animal.

Thus, they had tested it for beastman traits several times, but the results were always the same.

“Not a single speck of mana, which any beastman would possess, was detected.”

That was the physician’s consistent diagnosis.

Each time, his lord would simply say, “Is that so?” with an unreadable expression.

He definitely knew something about the squirrel.

“It must have been raised for a special purpose.”

“A special purpose?”

Kaenig stopped in his tracks.

“Think about it. Its fur is too soft—like a luxury carpet—to have lived in the wild, and its appearance… is extremely cute.”

Gerard spoke with a thoroughly serious face.

He added that its appearance showed absolutely no signs of weathering the harsh wilderness.

“Therefore, we must expel it from the castle as soon as possible.”

That was the reason he had brought up this long explanation.

But his lord seemed to have no intention of doing so.

“Even without that squirrel, we are already surrounded by spies. What difference does it make to add one the size of a chestnut?”

“That is…”

Pierced to the quick by the unexpected remark, Gerard shut his mouth.

He couldn’t even lie and say it wasn’t true.

Kaenig had inherited the title of Duke as soon as he came of age, and he was surrounded by people who wished for his downfall.

Only when the last Black Dragon protecting the Kreuz family disappeared would their wealth and power increase.

Thus, waiting for the assassins that came every night had become the final routine of Kaenig’s day.

It was no wonder he suffered from severe insomnia.

“Still, I must object. There is Lord Ferdinand, and the Imperial Family as well…”

“Enough.”

Kaenig silenced his adjutant with a simple wave of his hand.

They had reached his bedroom.

Just beyond this door, the problematic squirrel would be waiting.

It had been locked in a cage, so it was bound to be furious.

The moment he entered, it would glare at him with angry, slit-like eyes and start demanding answers.

Making all sorts of tiny, insignificant noises.

Before he knew it, the corners of Kaenig’s lips curled upward.

He hadn’t realized that the simple fact of someone waiting for him could make him feel so giddy.

Such a ridiculous thought had crossed his mind.

*Whenever I touch that squirrel, I feel strangely at peace.*

It had been that way in the forest, and in his bedroom last night as well.

And that comfort had led to a deep sleep.

Was it the suspicious squirrel’s ability, or was there another reason?

Kaenig wanted to find out.

Above all…

*It’s entertaining.*

Watching it chatter away with a terrified expression was quite a sight.

One look into its cherry-colored eyes made it easy to see right through whatever thoughts were running in its tiny head.

“Nothing out of the ordinary, my lord.”

He bypassed the bowing guards and walked through the heavily swinging doors.

And what greeted him was—

“…”

“W-what in the world…”

An empty cage.

Let alone the bountiful snacks he had left, the squirrel that should have been there was nowhere to be seen.

Instantly, the bedroom fell into chaos.

“Search every corner of the castle! It couldn’t have gone far!”

On behalf of Kaenig, who stood frozen with clenched teeth, Gerard quickly barked orders.

Worried he might catch the fallout, Gerard was also scanning the room.

“Squeak—”

A white ball of fur popped out from between the sofa cushions.

Then, it flicked its tail with an incredibly smug posture.

Though they didn’t know the exact meaning, its intention was crystal clear.

It was an outright mockery.

“I-I found it! You serial escapee!”

* * *

“Defiance, is it?”

“Without a doubt. It’s a blatant warning that a flimsy cage like this can’t hold it.”

Kaenig and Gerard said, looking down at me with stiff expressions.

To explain my current situation…

I was imprisoned.

Inside this damn pouch, which might as well be my second skin by now.

*Phew, that was a close shave.*

Upon hearing news of Kaenig from the kitchen ceiling, I ran so fast my feet practically caught fire.

If Seby, who knew the ceiling layout like the back of his hand, hadn’t guided me through a shortcut, I would have ended up stuffed and mounted.

“You are both the Duke’s guest and a subject under surveillance, Little Thief. Leaving your designated area is, strictly speaking, ‘escaping.'”

“In the Kreuz territory, the crime of escaping is punishable by execution.”

Were this master and servant always in such perfect sync?

I had a lot to say, but I decided to just sit and listen this time.

If the punishment was a nagging lecture instead of taxidermy or execution, I could easily listen for another hour.

Besides, there was something far more important right now.

*It should be arriving about now…*

No sooner had I glanced toward the door than a knock sounded from the other side.

Finally, the lunch that would turn the Black Dragon Castle upside down had arrived.

Unlike a formal meal in the dining room, a simplified spread of dishes was set out.

*There it is!*

My eyes locked onto the soup, appetizingly garnished with parsley.

It was undoubtedly the very soup I had seen in the kitchen.

*I can’t assume the other dishes are safe either.*

There was no telling how things might have changed after I left.

So, my conclusion was…

*Flip it.*

To flip the entire table.

I had already finished preparations behind the scenes—or rather, inside my pouch.

I was ready to spring out the moment I distracted Gerard, who was watching me like a hawk.

Right on cue, a servant lifted the silver dome, and Gerard’s gaze shifted toward it.

It was a test to check for poison before the Duke ate.

I watched silently, waiting for the result.

A few minutes passed.

*…Huh?*

I froze in disbelief.

Even after plenty of time had passed, the silver utensil did not change color.

“It is safe to eat, my lord.”

*Safe?*

That makes no sense.

Confused, I blinked rapidly.

I had personally witnessed that maid, Carrot, pouring a strange powder into the soup.

And that wasn’t all.

I had clearly heard her venting her resentment toward Kreuz.

But there was no time to hesitate.

Kaenig was already picking up his spoon to begin his meal.

This might be a rash judgment, and if I caused another scene, my punishment wouldn’t end with just being confined to a pouch, but—

“Wh-what…? The Thief has escaped again!”

I kicked off from the pouch and launched myself like an arrow.

Straight toward Kaenig Kreuz.

*Thud, clack!*

Gaining speed, I rammed into Kaenig’s arm just as he took a spoonful of soup. The spoon flew from his hand, soared through the air, and crashed onto the luxurious carpet…

It was an absolute mess.

*I did it…!*

My target, the soup, was now spilled upside down on the carpet.

A heavy silence filled the room.

Sneaking a glance, I saw Gerard’s face had turned as white as a sheet, and Kaenig…

He wore an expression I had never seen on him before.

Even without reading his emotions, his vivid anger was plain to see.

“You…”

As he reached out with a deeply distorted face, I flinched instinctively.

It was an old habit I couldn’t erase, no matter how hard I tried.

My father, the Marquis, was the type who believed that violence was a form of discipline.

Yet, Kaenig seemed more startled by my reaction.

It was only for a split second, but he paused, his brow furrowing.

“…If you have something to say, say it with words. You’re hurt.”

Kaenig pulled out a handkerchief and wiped my back.

I must have gotten covered in soup without realizing it.

No wonder it stung a bit.

“Squeak…”

*But I can’t speak.*

As I fidgeted with my paws dejectedly, Kaenig let out a heavy sigh.

“Summon the physician. Bring cold water and towels as well.”

Just as he ordered the servant…

Gerard, who was staring down at the soiled floor, spoke in an uncharacteristically low voice.

“My lord, we must summon the guards along with the physician.”