Baby Squirrel Is Good at Everything-Chapter 65

"He says things like that so casually... Is he really a flirt?"

Had Aether known what Beatty was thinking, he would have been mortified.

To him, he had simply spoken from the heart, but unfortunately, Beatty recalled her initial impression of him from their first meeting—one shaped by misunderstanding.

Though she was grateful to him, she had already settled on the idea that he wasn’t exactly a trustworthy person.

Unaware of this unfortunate perception, Aether continued to chat with a bright smile.

“By the way, isn’t it boring to be stuck in bed all the time?”

“Huh? Oh, not really.”

“Hmm. If you get bored, I can keep you company.”

As Aether flashed a playful smile, Carl shot him a glare filled with pure killing intent. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"Don’t even think about it."

"Come on, it was just a harmless offer."

Aether shook his head in exasperation at the silent but deadly warning from his friend.

Completely oblivious to their silent exchange, Beatty tilted her head in thought before suddenly exclaiming, as if she had nearly forgotten something.

“Oh! Prince Aether.”

“Hmm?”

“I really am grateful to you. I’d like to repay you somehow... um, is there anything I can do for you?”

Midway through speaking, she realized she didn’t really have anything grand enough to offer a prince, so she awkwardly added,

“It might not be possible right away, but I’ll make sure to repay you in the future.”

She clenched her fists with determination, looking so sincere and adorable that Aether had a sudden urge to ruffle her hair.

But before he could act on that impulse, he felt a prickling sensation on his skin and turned his head.

"If you dare ask for anything from Tailfur, you're dead."

“......”

Without a single word spoken, Carl’s murderous glare and the Duke’s silent yet oppressive presence made their message abundantly clear: Don’t even think about taking anything from her.

Ignoring the warning looks from both father and brother, Aether casually turned back to Beatty and spoke with a cheerful voice.

“Haha, really, there’s no need for that.”

“Still...”

“Well, if you insist.”

Brushing aside the lingering sense of impending doom, Aether winked and said,

“How about this? Instead of calling me Your Highness, why not call me Aether Oraboni?”

“Huh...”

Would that really count as repayment?

Though Beatty was confused, she still wanted to respect his request, so she obliged.

“Aether... Oraboni?”

The moment the words left her mouth, Aether’s face lit up with a radiant smile—only to be immediately yanked backward by Carl, who grabbed him by the collar.

“And who do you think you are, calling yourself Oraboni?”

“Hey, I was actually helpful this time, wasn’t I?”

Aether answered matter-of-factly, completely unfazed by Carl’s hostility.

“I ran around tirelessly for our little lady’s sake. Doesn’t that earn me the right to be considered an honorary little brother?”

Normally, Carl would have socked him right then and there for such nonsense.

However, the fact remained that the information Aether had provided had been invaluable.

"If not for this bastard, we wouldn’t have uncovered what happened to Tailfur so quickly."

Since Beatty was precious to him, any debts related to her were especially significant.

After a great deal of internal struggle, Carl decided—just this once—to let it slide, though he did so grudgingly.

Scowling, he slowly set down the sword hilt he had unknowingly gripped.

Meanwhile, Aether, still grinning, turned back to Beatty.

“So, what have you been up to these past few days?”

“Ah, well... I’ve been talking with Father and Oraboni.”

“Oh, I see. With your family, huh?”

Aether hummed thoughtfully before chuckling.

“Neither of them are exactly the fun type. You must have been bored.”

Beatty quickly ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) shook her head, trying to refute his words, but Aether only found her reaction amusing.

Just as he was about to say something else—

“Hey.”

Carl grabbed him by the back of the neck.

“It’s time for you to leave.”

“What?”

Aether turned around in disbelief.

“You said you just came to see her face.”

“Well, yeah, but that was just a greeting. I just got here—my tea hasn’t even cooled yet!”

Aether indirectly pointed out that they hadn’t even bothered to serve him tea in the first place.

Of course, Carl didn’t so much as acknowledge the jab. Instead, he snorted and firmly dismissed him.

“You’ve already seen enough.”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“I told you, it was just a figure of speech—”

“Get out.”

Before Aether could argue any further, Carl shoved him toward the door.

“I’ll be back, my lady! Next time, let’s practice speaking informally together!”

Leaving those parting words behind, Aether was ultimately exiled from the room.

Watching the absurd scene unfold, Beatty couldn’t help but think—

"Wait, can you really treat a prince like that?"

***

Thud.

The door shut completely, and Aether, who had allowed himself to be pushed out without resistance—so as not to quarrel in front of his Little Star’s eyes—grumbled under his breath.

“I haven’t seen her in days, and you wouldn’t even let me stay for a little while.”

Of course, his sulky expression had no effect on Carl whatsoever.

“Why do you keep treating me like a threat?”

“Do you really not know?”

Carl finally responded as if Aether’s cluelessness was truly baffling.

“Think back to the absolute disaster that happened in the barracks because of you.”

Aether frowned, genuinely confused, until realization dawned.

Ah. That.

The infamous love polygon scandal that had, quite absurdly, resulted in casualties between allies on the battlefield.

The rumors had spread far and wide—proof that even amidst war, romance could bloom in the most ridiculous ways.

And at the very center of those tangled relationships had been none other than Aether.

With Carl glaring at him as if he were some despicable scoundrel, Aether looked thoroughly aggrieved.

“That was not my fault! I didn’t do anything! Even if those rumors were true, it’s not like I have any impure intentions toward the Little Lady.”

“Oh? You don’t?”

“Of course not! She’s four years younger than me—what could I possibly—ugh. No. I just see her as a little sister, just like you do.”

Aether, slightly flustered, spoke with a rare seriousness.

“Let me have a cute little sibling, too.”

“Get lost.”

“Oh, come on. You’re being too selfish, keeping all the cuteness to yourself.”

For the first time, Carl actually looked at Aether with a bit of interest. Then, with a sharp gaze, he issued a warning.

“Don’t change your words later.”

“What? Oh, you mean calling her a little sister?”

“Yes. If that ever changes—”

Flicker.

A sinister aura of pure killing intent brushed past Aether’s skin like a cold blade.

“Whoa, whoa. What do you take me for?”

Aether raised both hands in surrender, emphasizing that he was nothing more than a loyal older brother figure.

“Obviously. I just cherish her as a younger sister. Otherwise, I would never—”

And so, Aether made a promise.

A promise that he would come to regret in the future.

No one can predict the future, after all.

Unfortunately for Aether—or perhaps predictably—he had no idea what awaited him.

Having forced him to swear that he would never see Aslan’s Little Lady as anything other than a younger sister, Carl then casually asked,

“What was that about informal speech practice?”

“Oh, that.”

Tapping his chin, Aether spoke in a slightly subdued tone.

“Well, the Little Lady using formal speech is cute and all... but it’s not exactly a pleasant memory for her, is it?”

“Hm.”

Carl acknowledged the logic and gave a small nod.

“You’re right. That’s fine.”

“So you agree it’s a good idea? Once she gets better, I was planning to help her practice speaking informally—”

“Yeah, no need. I’ll be the one helping her, so you’re not necessary.”

“What?! I was the one who thought of it, and you’re just taking over?”

“She’s my sister.”

Snorting, Carl turned on his heel and strode back into the room.

Aether, still grinning, waved him off as the door shut with a thud.

And the moment it closed, his smile vanished like a lie.

"A servant who gets angry if she doesn’t use formal speech..."

After hearing about it from his Little Star, Aether had briefly stepped out earlier to give a certain order.

"I hope they handled it properly."

He had commanded his people to track down that insignificant servant who dared to taint his Little Star’s light—and to cut out their useless tongue.

For a fleeting moment, his golden eyes gleamed with something sharp and dangerous.

"They say my mother’s homeland had a special kind of artisan for such matters... but this kingdom doesn’t seem to have any."

Recalling the Eastern Continent’s skin-peelers—infamous for keeping criminals barely alive while carving into their flesh—Aether tilted his head slightly, as if calculating the distance to where his next guest would be dragged in chains.

***

Inside the room after Aether left.

“Well, then.”

Sitting beside Beatty, the Duke suddenly spoke as if he had been waiting for this moment.

“My child. You must be bored lying in bed. If there’s anything you want, name it.”

“Huh?”

Perhaps Aether’s earlier remark about being stuck with two boring beastkin had bothered him.

Faced with the unexpected offer, Beatty blinked in confusion.

"Just like that?"

Even if she were to ask for something...

Ever since arriving at the duchy, she had never felt lacking in anything.

“Shall I bring you more dolls?”

“No, I already have plenty.”

“Then how about a dressmaker?”

“There’s already a whole wardrobe full of dresses.”

“Ah, but you didn’t choose those yourself. It would be good to replace them with ones that suit your taste.”

Wait, so the dozens of dresses in there... just get rid of them?

The sheer extravagance of it made Beatty shake her head vigorously in protest.

Seeing her refuse everything, the Duke’s expression turned serious.

“As expected...”

“?”

His tone suggested he had predicted this outcome.

“Of course. At your age, you must want a proper sword.”

“...Excuse me?”

Beatty’s mind went blank at the completely unexpected suggestion.