Baby Squirrel Is Good at Everything-Chapter 63

The Duke personally led the interrogation, extracting every detail about Beatty’s life in the capital residence.

And what he learned ignited his fury.

Without any leniency for family ties or noble status, Pirina was imprisoned in the lowest dungeon, her limbs bound, even before the blood of the other criminals in that cell had fully dried.

Meanwhile, the Aslan retainers rode out at full speed, heading straight for the capital to drag back the servants who had mistreated Beatty under the protection of the Viscount.

The moment those people arrived in the North, they would come face to face with the wrath of Duke Aslan—the same terror that had struck fear into the hearts of his enemies on the battlefield.

However, despite his boiling rage, when he faced his daughter, all of that fury twisted into guilt and remorse.

"My child."

Beatty, still unaccustomed to the affectionate title, blinked bashfully.

"I should never have left you with the Viscount’s family."

The Duke’s voice carried unmistakable regret.

Regret.

It was an unfamiliar emotion for him—one he had never tolerated.

As a rightful heir of the Aslan House, he had never allowed himself to make decisions that would lead to regret.

Any obstacle in his path had always been crushed before it could become a problem.

And yet, this—this, he could not undo.

He had placed trust in a flimsy blood connection, thinking that his wife’s sister would care for their child.

That had been his mistake.

"That wretched woman dared...."

Crack.

His teeth ground together, the sound sharp in the quiet room.

For Beatty’s sake, he forced himself to suppress his bloodlust before continuing.

"If I had known she had dared to treat you—my daughter—that way."

Forget the war.

No battlefield, no conflict should have kept him away. He should have gone to her immediately.

Seeing the dangerous glint in her father’s eyes, as though he might cut Pirina down this very second, Beatty quickly spoke.

"Um, I... I didn’t think it was that serious...."

Hadn’t she managed to get through it without breaking down into tears every day?

I don’t want to seem like a child who whines over nothing.

She hesitated, not wanting to make a big deal out of it, but the Duke, watching her carefully, spoke in a calm, steady voice.

"Did you truly think it was nothing?"

His golden eyes bore into her, unwavering and steady—like the sun, ever-present and inescapable.

Faced with that gaze, Beatty hesitated.

Then, honestly, she admitted,

"...My body was fine."

But she couldn’t say the same for her heart.

And that was what mattered most to the Duke.

"If there was even one thing that made you feel otherwise..."

For every ounce of sorrow she had endured, he wanted to extract tenfold the suffering from those responsible.

The killing intent in his body surged again.

"I will make them pay."

She was a treasure—so precious that even holding her felt like a privilege.

And yet, those who had no right to lay a hand on her had dared to hurt her.

The Duke’s fury burned.

Unconsciously, his bloodlust seeped into the air.

Ah!

Realizing it too late, he quickly suppressed his energy and looked at his daughter’s face.

Thankfully, she didn’t seem affected—perhaps because she had just woken up. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, but there was nothing else visibly wrong.

So that really was Father’s anger just now...?

Despite her small size, Beatty was still a beastkin, sensitive to energy fluctuations.

She could tell exactly what that murderous aura had been.

Because I was mistreated...

And, more importantly—

It was for me!

Understanding the truth behind that wave of terrifying energy, Beatty’s cheeks burned bright red.

Beaming as though she had just discovered the sun gleaming on a snow-covered mountain, she exclaimed,

"So Father doesn’t hate me!"

The words came out not as a question, but as a realization.

Like a flower lifting its face toward the sky, she smiled—radiantly, brilliantly.

For a moment, the Duke was completely distracted by that dazzling sight.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Then, belatedly, he registered what she had actually said.

"What?"

That should be obvious.

No—wait.

If she was saying such a thing now, it meant that, up until this very moment—

She actually believed I hated her?

The Duke’s jaw clenched.

He had been right not to let them off too easily.

Because those people had filled his daughter’s mind with such twisted thoughts.

His expression hardened with fury.

They’ll beg {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} me to kill them before the end.

Setting his resolve, he looked straight at her and declared,

"Not even for a single moment."

The brightness in her wide, clear eyes, like that of a newborn foal, held his attention completely as he continued.

"From the moment I first saw you, not once have I ever not loved you."

"...!"

At his open, unreserved confession, Beatty’s face turned as red as a ripe apple.

L-l-l-love...?

She had never imagined hearing such sweet words directed at her.

Her vision spun.

Her father, so solemn that he would never say anything he didn’t mean, spoke again, voice firm and sure.

"My child, if there is anything you want to ask me, ask now."

"Something I want to ask?"

He was determined to correct any misunderstanding she had developed because of those contemptible people.

Whatever doubts she carried, he would clear them.

"Yes. Whatever it is, I will answer."

At first, surprised by the sudden offer, Beatty only blinked.

After a brief hesitation, she finally spoke.

"...Then."

That night, for the first time, the Aslan family sat together and had a long conversation.

"Are you... ashamed of me?"

To which the Duke responded,

"Why would I ever be ashamed of you?"

"Well... because I’m a useless, small-animal beastkin...."

Crack.

"Who."

The Duke’s teeth ground sharply.

"Who dared to say such garbage?"

Gritting his teeth, he assured her that it was they who had been wrong.

They had told her that she was unworthy, that she had to offer something in return to receive even basic kindness.

That a "useless niece" deserved the treatment she got.

"Forget those words. They aren’t even worth remembering."

For the first time, her father—the great Duke Aslan, the imposing head of the family—completely rejected that idea.

"You don’t have to prove anything."

His voice, steady and certain, was like a pillar to lean on.

"Because you are my daughter."

A firm, warm hand took her small, chilled fingers.

"..."

One by one, the thorns embedded deep in her heart were pulled free.

"My one and only daughter."

His gaze was so strong, so unwavering, that any remaining pieces of doubt were burned away.

"Beatty."

When he called her name, his voice was filled with affection.

"Everything I have—is yours."

His voice, rich with certainty, engraved itself into her mind.

Father...

Beatty blinked.

Her thick lashes fluttered as her dark eyes took in the towering figure of the Duke—her father—standing before her like an unshakable fortress.

And when she turned her head slightly—

She saw her brother, sitting by the window.

Though he scrunched up his face as though disgusted by their father’s affectionate words, he still remained by her side, unwilling to leave.

My family...

Beatty’s heart swelled with a warmth she had never felt before.

For the first time in her life, she understood what the word happiness truly meant.

A gentle, childlike smile spread across her face.

Seeing it, both the Duke and Carl softened.

***

After that night, on the surface, nothing seemed to change within the Aslan household.

But in one place—

The atmosphere around Beatty had completely transformed.

"Father..."

The Duke’s presence, uncharacteristically gentle, filled the air with warmth.

"...Isn’t this a bit much?"

Or rather—

The room was blazing hot.

Due to the Duke’s excessive protectiveness, the fireplace burned so intensely that the windows fogged over despite the crisp autumn wind outside.

Beatty, slightly sweating, sighed.

‘It’s not even summer...’

While Beatty shook her head, trying to cool herself down in the overwhelming heat,

The Duke reached out with careful precision, gently brushing her damp hair back.

Then, as though he were handling a piece of pristine silk, he took out a handkerchief and carefully dabbed her forehead.

“They say cold air isn’t good for a recovering body.”

His face remained expressionless, but his tone was calm and deliberate, as if explaining why he had raised the room’s temperature to such an extreme.

“Is it too stifling?”

“......”

His voice was serious, considerate.

Beatty hesitated.

It is a bit hot...

But she didn’t dislike that concerned look in his eyes.

So, instead of answering truthfully—

She shook her head.

Ignoring the trickle of sweat running down the back of her neck, she replied softly,

“I’m fine.”

At her words, the Duke’s lips curved just slightly.

“...I see.”

“......” 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

As he quietly watched her, his gaze warm yet unwavering,

Beatty suddenly felt a strange, ticklish sensation in her throat.