Baby Squirrel Is Good at Everything

"The responsible should be held accountable."

The cold voice hinted at the future of those listed on the roster.

"Ah, and..."

As the Duke thought of someone, he changed his tone and issued another command.

"Make sure to bring a thank-you gift for the meal that Miss Beatty personally delivered by this morning."

***

The next morning.

"Ugh..."

Still half-asleep, Beatty rubbed her eyes and squinted at the blurry sight before her.

"...Huh?"

She thought maybe she hadn’t fully woken up yet.

With that thought, she rubbed her sleepy eyes again, stretched with a big yawn, and blinked several times to clear her mind.

"..."

Something felt off. Why was the scenery in front of her exactly the same as before?

Wasn’t that just a dream that passed by in a haze?

Confused, Beatty stared at the dramatically changed scenery in her room and opened her mouth in shock.

"What... is this?!"

The room was filled with flowers.

Golden-yellow Adonis flowers, as bright as the sun, covered the floor to the point where the ground was barely visible.

It was as if spring had been stolen from the god of the seasons, and the scent of spring filled the room.

"My goodness..."

It felt like she had been transported from her sleep straight into a flower field.

"Where did they get so many Adonis flowers?"

Beatty, puzzled by the sheer number of flowers, tilted her head.

In contrast to the capital, where flowers could be easily obtained thanks to its mild climate, the northern lands—where the ground was more often covered in ice than dirt—required an immense amount of money to get even a single flower.

She couldn’t imagine how much it had cost to fill a room large enough to house a whole family with flowers.

If she knew the actual price the Duke had paid, Beatty would probably faint.

"Huh?"

In the center of the flower-covered room, a huge figure caught her eye.

"...An... doll?"

It was a giant doll, easily three times the size of a person.

The squirrel-shaped doll, cutely clutching acorns in its hands, had fur the same shade as Beatty’s hair—messy and falling from sleep—making it look as though it were copying her.

Rustle.

Carefully stepping out of her bed, Beatty made sure not to step on the flowers covering the floor as she tiptoed toward the giant squirrel doll.

With each cautious step, she moved forward, her tiny steps mimicking the movements of a dolphin swimming through waves.

After a while, she finally reached the giant squirrel doll.

Soft.

When Beatty placed her hand on the doll’s leg, it sank deeply, giving the sensation of touching a cloud.

"Wow."

Beatty couldn’t help but gasp in awe.

And it wasn’t just because of the fluffy, comforting sensation of the doll.

"Is this... real gold?"

Her eyes widened as she stared at the giant acorn the squirrel doll was holding.

It was a massive golden acorn, gleaming brightly!

Honestly, it was hard not to be mesmerized by the sparkling gold acorn, even more so than the plush softness of the doll.

‘...Maybe I could sneak that out later?’

Just that acorn would be enough to start a business. Forget working at a merchant’s house, she could start her own!

Her mouth slightly agape, Beatty couldn’t take her eyes off the squirrel doll—well, the gold acorn—to the point where it seemed like she might drool.

The maids, watching her, giggled quietly.

"Good morning, Miss."

The maids, beaming with smiles and eyes filled with amusement, greeted Beatty as they noticed how her attention was entirely fixated on the doll.

"Um, what’s all this?"

"These are the gifts from the Duke."

‘From Father?’

The maids’ faces glowed with fondness as they looked at the happy father-daughter relationship.

"You brought him some snacks last night, didn’t you?" one of the maids added.

"Ah!"

Beatty’s eyes widened as she suddenly realized.

"Of course! This must be a gift from Father for the snacks I brought last night."

‘A gift for such a lovely daughter who made sure her father didn’t tire himself out... Of course, he would want to give her something in return.’

‘These gifts are a bit much for just a daughter, though.’

The maids, agreeing among themselves, smiled as they thought about Beatty’s endearing relationship with the Duke.

But Beatty had a different interpretation of the Duke’s gift.

‘Ah, this is related to the Tuberosum dishes.’

At the time, when she had presented the proposal, she had been disappointed by the Duke’s swift rejection.

‘...He must be acknowledging the value of the recipe now!’@@novelbin@@

With a clear understanding of the situation, Beatty’s face brightened as she connected the dots.

‘This must be a tangible investment, a down payment for the value he places on the Tuberosum recipe!’

With that thought in mind, Beatty clenched her small fist.

"Alright. Then I...!"

She marched through the sea of flowers and headed for the desk where there was paper and a pen.

Sitting on the small chair that suited her petite size, Beatty picked up the quill and began to write with determination, each stroke deliberate.

‘Hmm, is she planning to write a thank-you letter to the Duke?’

‘How cute.’

However, what Beatty was writing was far different from the maids’ sweet, soft imaginations.

[Utilization Recipe for Tuberosum
Written by: Beatty Aslan
Section 1: To ensure the recognition of the plant's edible value, begin with traditional dishes familiar to the kingdom's citizens...]

Under the mistaken belief that she had taken her first step into a deal with her father, Beatty eagerly continued to write down other recipes.

‘First, a stew... and then other dishes...’

Beatty worked diligently, organizing her suggestions for the recipe.

***

In the Duke’s office.

Beatty, who had worked on her proposal all morning, aimed to visit during the afternoon tea time, when most people would be relaxed—she’d read it in one of her favorite books.

"Here."

Beatty was the first to present the proposal.

The Duke, who had just received the stack of papers Beatty handed over, looked slightly surprised but also somewhat excited as he glanced down at them.

‘A letter?’

Since Beatty had seen the gift he sent in the morning, he assumed it would be a thank-you card.

Even if it was just a “Thank you, Daddy” note, the Duke would have been happy enough—more so than any royal honors.

But...

"…?"

What the Duke found in the paper wasn’t what he expected.

Instead of a simple thank-you note, Beatty handed him a report about the "Tuberosum something-or-other."

The Duke, filled with anticipation, was left in shock, unable to hide his surprise at the unexpected paperwork.

While he stood there, stunned by the surprise documents, Beatty suddenly remembered that she hadn’t properly thanked him for the "down payment" in the morning.

"Thank you for the gift you sent this morning."

Her eyes sparkled as she brightly expressed her gratitude.

"Right."

The Duke’s lips twitched slightly.

Though Beatty’s response wasn’t exactly what he had expected, seeing her eyes light up like that seemed to put his mind at ease.

‘Though it wasn’t the reward I hoped for...’

Of course, the golden acorn was incredibly tempting, but what Beatty wanted was permission to stay safely in the Duke's residence.

‘It’s clear that my father doesn’t want me staying here for long.’

Since the moment he had first seen her, the Duke had consistently said, "This isn’t a place for you."

At any given moment, she could be thrown out.

‘But at least I can try to get permission to stay here for a short time!’

Even if she couldn’t stay for long, she didn’t want to be sent away immediately.

‘One month? Maybe that’s too short... but one year might be too long.’

Just as Beatty was about to speak up again, the Duke interrupted.

"Is there anything else you want?"

The Duke, looking down at Beatty, asked the question with a tilt of his head.

‘Be careful how you answer.’

Seeing his golden eyes, Beatty took a deep breath before speaking.

"If my proposal is helpful to you, would you please allow me to stay here until my coming-of-age ceremony?"

"No, that won’t do."

The Duke interrupted her quickly, looking away to avoid eye contact, fearing he might give in if he saw her eyes directly.

Beatty, unaware of the Duke's inner struggle, quickly pressed on, sweat forming on her brow.

"Then just for one year—"

"No."

"...."

‘As expected of the Duke. He’s not easily swayed.’

Her method of proposing the maximum value and then negotiating for a fair one didn’t work at all.

It was like hitting a brick wall.

...Known as the impregnable barrier of the northern fortress, the Duke's reputation held true!

"Ugh."

Beatty, trying not to show her disappointment, quickly composed herself.

‘I’ll have to settle for one month...’

Her poker face didn’t work on the Duke.

As she was about to press for at least one month, the Duke hesitated, seeing her disappointed expression.

"If you want."

In an unexpected move, the Duke finally spoke, offering an alternative to try and calm her down.

"I’ll have a building similar to the estate built in the capital."

"...Huh?"

Beatty’s eyes widened in confusion.

No, she didn’t want a fortress-like residence!