CH 5

When the view of the northern mountain range—a symbol of Aslan’s territory, caught her eyes, Beatty’s whole body trembled with emotion.

“Chuu—”

She let out a sigh of relief.

‘Thank goodness.’

Luckily for her, the stagecoach’s destination she was hiding in was to the North, the Aslan’s territory.

‘I’m worried about what will happen, but… I arrived somehow.’

Thanks to the stagecoach, she could reach the North by hitchhiking without the need to wander around anywhere else.

‘Although it was hard to find something to eat, but…’

Growl.

She could hear low rumbling noise from her flat stomach.

Throughout the last ride, Beatty endured without proper food.

In a city full of people, moving alone for an 8-year-old child was far more dangerous than for a squirrel.

As she continued to maintain her squirrel form in case of a possible kidnapping, it had been long since she tasted warm food.

‘I also don’t have money.’

It wasn’t easy to bring a lot of stuff, as she ran away in her squirrel form while avoiding people’s eyes.

‘Well, surely it would be much more dangerous if I brought money with me at this age.’

Rather, it was more likely that she would be exposed to crimes due to her naive appearance.

Until recently, she would occasionally pick up fruits from the nearby trees to fill up her tummy when the stagecoach made a stop.

‘It was helpful, pretending to be an ordinary squirrel.’

The passengers of the stagecoach, who had become accustomed to the little squirrel, offered seeds as snacks for her.

She was hungry since she could only eat fruits, but she didn’t think it was tough.

For Beatty, who had spent most of her life confined in the mansion before returning to the past, the changing scenery of the villages she passed by was fascinating.

‘The green fields were really pretty.’

The wind blew through the fur of the tiny squirrel, who was nodding her head reminiscing about the flower fields scenery she saw on the way here.

Whoosh.

Unlike the capital, where the temperature was constant during the four seasons, the northern wind was freezing even though it was still in the late summer.

“Ah-choo!”

The tiny squirrel sneezed and rubbed her nose then thought.

‘Ugh, I have to go in quickly.’

She raised her small head and looked up at the huge iron door.

‘Is this Aslan?’

Just like the prominent lion shapeshifter family, a majestic lion bust carved above the gate looked down at the visitor.

Beatty, who somehow felt nervous, gulped.

‘It’s my first time seeing the Duke’s living place.’

It felt strange to finally meet the family that had abandoned her, with her own eyes.

Beatty thought while sweeping down her tail’s fur to clear her troubled mood.

‘… However, this is the safest place.’

There weren’t many places that didn’t covet a shapeshifter’s signum.

Even an aristocrat who wasn’t a commoner would be able to raise his title by paying the royal family an amount comparable to the value of a signum. So, there were only a few places in the kingdom that were wealthy enough not to harm her for her signum.

One is the Duke of Aslan, the highest aristocrat who has no higher title to raise to. And the other one was the Royal Family, who differed from the aristocracy.

‘Anyway, it’s better than where that Ritter bastard is, right?’

There was not even a little bit of intention to ask for protection from the royal family where Ritter was. Beatty’s choice of place to go was already decided.

‘I know that I won’t be welcomed, but…’

Beatty, who gathered her breath, strengthened her determination by unknowingly stretching her tail.

‘It’s okay. When the Duke hears I have a secret of dealing with danger, he won’t be able to kick me immediat—’

Ah.

However, Beatty soon came to the realization when she saw her hand pressing down her fluffy tail.

‘Wait, will they be able to recognize me with this appearance?’

Come to think of it, it would be difficult for her to enter the castle right away, even after she persuaded them with information.

She knew that they would deliver the message if they recognized her as the Duke’s abandoned biological daughter, but if it was an unknown squirrel?

“Chuu…?”

‘Oh my, what should I do?’

It didn’t seem like they would let any passing squirrel meet the Duke.

No matter how young she was, she couldn’t shapeshift without clothes….

‘Even if I’m still 8 years old, being naked on the street is a little…’

Beatty who was in agony suddenly heard a murmur from above the gate.

“Huh? What’s that dot in front of the gate?”

“What are you talking about? Uhm? There is something there. Oy, somebody, bring me a telescope!”

“Wait! That appearance? No way!”

Beatty’s round ear pricked up in vigilance at the loud voice.

‘What, what’s happening? No way, did they see my signum? But there’s no way it happens. In this distance, even more, when it’s covered with my fur?’

Then in front of her who instinctively zigzagged with anxiety…

Goooong. 

…the heavy iron gate slowly lifted.

“!”

The surprised Beatty didn’t know what was going on, but she quickly turned around and ran away.

Dag. Dag.

Yet before she could go far, a loud noise from behind caught her steps.

“Young Miss!”

‘Hm?’

While Beatty halted because of the unexpected call, a knight jumped out through the open gate.

“Young Miss! You can’t go, Young Mi—no, Young Lady of Aslan!”

‘Is he calling me?’

Beatty’s eyes were wide open due to the unfamiliar title that popped out of the stranger’s mouth.

The knight who came clambering in clamoring armor knelt on one knee.

“I can’t believe you’re alone with no entourage! Young Miss, someone like you should never walk around alon—hup!”

The knight, who voiced his opinion in a sorrowful tone, continued to talk like a rapid-fire gun. He soon covered his mouth with a look that he had made a mistake.

“Ahem, ahem. Th-that’s possible. Right. Ha ha.”

“?”

“Young Miss, I’m not an adult who would force Young Miss to do something. Please take a look at me. It’s a face that you would believe even if I say I’m a young boy, right?”

“….”

At the words of the knight who asked with a face that clearly had clearly gone through the vicissitudes of life, a baffling look was apparent on the little squirrel’s face.

Even so, the knight’s slightly embarrassed appearance slightly lowered her guard.

‘Huh?’

Beatty was carefully observing the knight.

‘What’s that paper?’

Her gaze was directed to the bundle of papers that was sticking out of his armor waist, looking out of place.

“Ah!”

The knight, who noticed her gaze, quickly stuffed back the paper into his pocket.

“Hm… I apologize for showing such an unkempt appearance in front of the Young Miss…”

Hm?

Pretending to be unaware of the squirrel’s stubborn gaze, the knight crouched as low as he could to keep the Little Squirrel Young Miss from getting intimidated.

Beatty opened her mouth as she looked at the knight’s face with a huge scar across his nose. He blinked his eyes in an attempt to look innocent.

“Chu chuu?”

‘How do you know me?’

It seems that he was still embarrassed by the sudden incident.

Beatty expressed her disbelief in squirrel language without thinking, then soon covered her mouth.

“I’m sorry. I can’t comprehend what Young Miss is trying to say…”

Of course, the knight who didn’t understand her words scratched his head with a regretful expression.

Whoosh.

With the sudden wind, the little squirrel lost her balance.

“This bad wind! To our Young Miss…!”

With a painful expression, he held onto his face.

“Young Miss, it’s dangerous to be outside like this! Can you enter first then instruct us again?”

The knight carefully reached out his hand to her.

“I’ll take you inside.”

A large hand approached Beatty.

Blink. Blink.

Her eyelashes fluttered.

‘Uhm…’

She’s still a little scared and anxious, but—

‘I have to go inside anyway. Fortunately, this person knows who I am…’

Beatty, who already made her decision, ‘I’m indebted to him,’ nodded her head then climbed up onto the palm of his hand.

“…!”

The knight quietly raised his other hand and covered his mouth.

‘Young Miss is on my hand!’

Beatty looked up and threw a probing look at the knight’s face who was deeply moved.

***

“The Young Miss? Did you say Young Miss was the one who came?”

“Gasp, it’s really the Young Miss!”

“OMG, she’s so small. I want to bite those feet once.”

As they entered the castle, Beatty was bewildered by the slowly growing crowd.

People looked at them with strangely flushed faces, saying that their cheeks were red due to the cold.

‘How in the world did these people know who I am?’

In Beatty’s eyes, who tilted her head.

Flutter.

A piece of flyer that somebody dropped was reflected.

[Looking for a Runaway Squirrel!

–  Characteristics

Appearance: Cuteness that will make you doubt your own eyes.

Voice: Unbelievably cute, once you hear it you’ll doubt your ears.

Costume: It’s so fluffy that you won’t be able to take your hands off it.

–  Reward { } Gold (Enter the amount you wish)

Guaranteed by the Duke of Great Aslan Family

–  In case of inflicting physical injury, mental violence, etc., the perpetrator will be hunted down to the end of the continent and have their blood dried up as retaliation.

Guaranteed by the Duke of Great Aslan Family]

‘Hm?’

Before she could properly see what was written in the flyer, someone picked it up and hid the paper behind their waist.

Beatty, who had no idea that her aunt in the capital mansion had put up an excuse for her escape, barely read the word ‘runaway’. She thought it had nothing to do with her, but she wondered why should that person hide the flyer like that.

“Move!”

That time, another person rushed out from the crowd.

“Oh, Butler?”

The woman who was addressed as butler had sleek white hair and was dressed in frilly attire. Even with such a hasty walk, the smooth outfit wasn’t disheveled.

The butler, who approached her with big steps, stopped right in front of Beatty’s nose.

“… Oh my.”

The butler, who looked down at Beatty the squirrel, hardened her countenance.

“Daughter of the Great Aslan Family.”

As if she couldn’t express her words, the butler didn’t continue to speak.

‘As expected, am I too dirty?’

Beatty unwrapped the piece of cloth she was wearing and hid it behind her.

Although it was out of necessity to wear the piece of cloth picked up on the street because of the harsh weather, she realized that she didn’t look good.

“How did our Duke’s Young Miss…”

A trembling voice was heard from above.

‘If not, is she trying to say something like, “as expected, it’s not a lion shapeshifter, but a squirrel shapeshifter”…?’

Beatty’s tail went down slightly.

That time.

The butler screamed in a choked voice.

“How can Young Miss’s cheeks become so skinny?!”