The Harvest Mouse Exits the Fairytale Together with Cinderella-Chapter 39

Count Bluewood was left utterly speechless by the sudden reversal of his fate. He stood frozen, his mind blank, until the shock belatedly turned into frantic desperation.

"Do you have any idea what that place is?! Absolutely not! My life's treasures—!"

"Stay still."

But he couldn't move a muscle. Edmund's blade was pressed against his throat, leaving him utterly helpless.

A boy who had been silently standing guard like a knight finally opened his mouth.

"If you keep being a nuisance, I'll have to treat you like the knights. I'm already being polite to you just because you're a count."

Edmund spoke as if merely refraining from knocking him out immediately was an act of great patience.

The count was furious, but with a razor-sharp blade pressed against his neck, he couldn't even muster a proper breath.

The outcome was inevitable.

***

The treasure vault of the Bluewood estate was sealed with impenetrable security. The door was massive and made of solid steel.

To enter, one had to turn the handle in a specific sequence, requiring considerable strength.

Even knowing the sequence, a harvest mouse beastfolk could never muster enough power to open it.

And beyond that, the vault was always under the watchful guard of knights.

Finally, I'm getting a look inside.

Nestled in Sera’s arms, Elodie quietly surveyed the vault's interior.

But as expected—

There was nothing particularly dazzling.

She immediately lost interest.

After all the excessive precautions taken to guard this place, she had expected something extraordinary.

Well, I suppose that makes sense.

For ten years, she had lived in the most opulent world this kingdom had to offer. How could this mediocre collection possibly satisfy her?

Her standards had become unnecessarily high.

With such thoughts, she idly observed Sera gathering her late mother’s belongings.

And then—

Oh?

Elodie’s gaze landed on something in the corner of the vault—a rather exquisite bracelet.

At its center, a round-cut crimson gemstone shimmered as if it held a flickering flame within.

It was an incredibly simple design. No elaborate engravings, no ostentatious insignias—just a plain but elegant bracelet.

Yet, its lack of embellishments only served to highlight the beauty of the gemstone.

Aside from Sera’s mother’s keepsakes, this seems to be the most valuable item here.

Even the fact that it was encased in a perfectly square glass display case spoke volumes.

It wasn't quite on the level of a Wiltshire family heirloom, but if placed in an auction, it would fetch an astronomical price.

But then—

"...!"

A sharp pain pierced through Elodie’s mind as if needles were stabbing into her skull.

A faint groan escaped her lips as her vision blurred.

"Elodie?"

She felt Sera clutch her tightly, shouting something.

But the ringing in her ears drowned out all sound.

Instead, flashes of fragmented memories surged through her mind—

"In celebration of Lady Ratson’s noble birth."

"I, Nyx Basilisk, swear eternal, unchanging loyalty."

Lowering his head in a respectful bow, a cascade of jet-black hair slipped over his shoulders.

The man placed a gloved hand over his chest, his tongue laced with insidious reverence.

A bracelet, fastened snugly around his wrist, gleamed with the same crimson gemstone at its center.

And when he raised his head—

Eyes the exact same shade of blood-red as the gem locked onto Elodie with chilling precision.

She knew instinctively.

This was a fragment of the memories she had lost.

The scene shifted abruptly.

Elodie was being carried, forcibly taken away in someone's arms.

No matter how she struggled, she couldn’t break free.

No matter how she reached out, she grasped only empty air.

Through the gap between the sleeve of the arm restraining her, she glimpsed it—the same bracelet, the crimson gemstone flickering in the dim light before vanishing once more.

"Aaaaaah—!! Mom! Dad—!!!"

A child’s voice screamed so loud it could shake the world.

It was her own.

"Oh dear, don’t cry, little one."

A gloved hand clamped tightly over her mouth.

The voice that followed carried an inexplicable tone of amusement.

"If you cry so bitterly now, what will you do for the rest of your life? You'll have nothing left but tears."

"Mmph!"

"If the gods are watching over you, then surely they will extend their hand to save you. After all, you are a Ratson, aren't you?"

It was blatant mockery.

"Haha, do you think divine punishment will strike me down?"

Elodie gasped, her breath ragged as she snapped back to the present.

Cold sweat dripped down her forehead.

"Elodie! Elodie, can you hear me?"

Sera was sobbing, clutching Elodie’s cold hands in her own, pressing them tightly as if to warm them.

Edmund had also appeared at some point, his face grim as he rummaged urgently inside his jacket.

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"I’ll use an artifact to return to Valkyrisen immediately."

"Please, do it."

"You may feel dizzy, but it will be much faster than taking the carriage—"

"No!"

Elodie abruptly raised her hand to stop him.

"Wait, j-just a moment."

She gritted her teeth, forcing her words to come out as clearly as possible despite her trembling.

"That... that bracelet... where did you get it?"

Perhaps sensing something ominous, both Sera and Edmund followed her gaze toward the bracelet.

It bore no family crest, no insignia—there was no way they could recognize it.

But Elodie knew.

She knew exactly who it had belonged to.

Nyx Basilisk.

That was the name he had introduced himself with.

The man who had abducted her and placed the curse upon her.

The one who, with overwhelming certainty, had cursed the entire Ratson family.

And his bracelet—

Had been found inside the Bluewood treasure vault?

Elodie had first awoken in this very estate, in the Bluewood household.

This couldn't be a coincidence.

Gritting her teeth, she demanded, "Did you trade with my abductor and receive that as payment?"

At her words, Edmund’s expression darkened instantly. He unsheathed his sword and aimed it at the trembling countess.

"Answer me."

Forced to her knees by the blade’s pressure, the countess stammered through her fear.

"T-That... That never happened! You know this, don’t you? We didn’t even know the young lady of the Ratson family was in this estate!"

"You can’t be certain of that."

Edmund’s voice was sharp, but Elodie knew.

That part, at least, was the truth.

The Bluewood family had truly been oblivious to the fact that a noble-born Ratson beastfolk had been living under their roof.

She had seen too much—both in her past and present life—to believe otherwise.

The way they had treated her all this time was proof enough.

The countess, sensing the need for self-preservation, hastily added, "That bracelet was given to us two years ago by a man wearing a mask. He said it was a gift."

"And you expect me to believe that?"

"I-I swear! He told me to make sure that all the rats in the estate were eradicated. And then... he just laughed and left."

If he had truly wanted all the rats gone, he would have waited to confirm their extermination before handing over the bracelet.

No, this was nothing more than mockery.

An insult to the very end.

Elodie inhaled deeply, then exhaled.

So that's how it is.

"If the gods are watching over you, they will extend their hand to save you." That’s what he had said.

I don’t know why seeing that bracelet restored part of my memory...

But the very person who had abducted her had left behind a crucial piece of evidence.

And, most importantly—

He had given her the one thing she needed most.

You let your guard down, and because of that... I’ve been saved.

She had returned with memories of the future.

Fifteen whole years.

More than enough time to complete my revenge.

So if divine punishment was meant to be delivered—

Then she would be the one to bring it down.