Baby Squirrel Is Good at Everything

Beatty blinked in confusion and repeated the words.

“Moving the main stronghold would be difficult, but…”

The ducal estate, built against the mountain range, had been designed with hidden underground passages and secret mechanisms extending deep into the mountains.

Considering the numerous devices spread across the estate, relocating the main stronghold was nearly impossible.

‘But if my little one truly desires it…’

It would be an incredibly difficult feat, but if his daughter truly wished for it, perhaps it was worth considering.

If the ancestors who had guarded the north for centuries could hear his thoughts, they would surely clutch their necks and collapse in shock.

While the Duke was contemplating such absurd thoughts, Beatty, alarmed by the strange direction of the conversation, quickly spoke up.

“That’s not necessary!”

What was she supposed to do with the ducal estate relocated to the capital?!

No, she had come all the way here specifically to escape that place.

‘The capital is a no-go!’

She never wanted to be trapped there again.

The childhood friend who had betrayed and killed her, the aunt who had sided with him—

Everything tying Beatty to her tragic past was in the capital.

“Just letting me stay at the ducal estate is much more cost-eff—”

Wouldn’t it be much cheaper?

That thought naturally surfaced in her mind, but saying it aloud in front of the Duke felt too crude.

So, she quickly altered her words.

“…beneficial in battle, don’t you think?”

“Battle?”

Hmm. It was a clumsy improvisation, but it worked.

This was the quick thinking that made a good merchant!

“Yes. The northern region frequently engages in conflicts with other nations, doesn’t it?”

She conveniently omitted the fact that the Aslan Duchy instigated just as many battles as it defended against.

“I may not be able to fight directly, but I can contribute in other ways!”

“……”

Huff!

Beatty puffed out her tiny chest confidently, her determination unwavering.

The Duke, looking at his daughter, felt his heart swell with emotion once again.

‘My little one.’

She was physically weaker than even ordinary humans, let alone beastkin, yet she clenched her tiny fists—smaller than a ball of her own tail fur—and boldly declared her intent to aid the family in battle.

With such a frail body, she had every reason to despair. But instead, she stood tall, never letting it show, proudly asserting the warrior’s blood in her veins.

“……Duke?”

And, she was simply adorable.

“?!”

Beatty flinched in surprise when a large hand gently patted her head.

It only lasted a moment before it was withdrawn, but the warmth lingered on her hair.

“……”

Warm.

That was her first impression of her father’s touch.

Feeling strangely affected, Beatty instinctively reached up to the spot, as if chasing the remnants of that warmth.

‘Adorable.’

Seeing his little one tilt her head and pat her own hair with both hands, the Duke couldn’t help but smile.

Almost reflexively, he reached out again but stopped himself.

‘I must be careful.’

Like a squirrel shaking off dust after a wash, Beatty raised both hands to shield her head as if rejecting further contact.

It seemed she didn’t like being touched.

‘Smart girl.’

With such an adorable face, if she allowed just anyone to pat her head, how many people would pester her?

Though he was saddened to be included in the “anyone” category, preventing others from getting too close to her was a worthwhile sacrifice.

As Beatty’s tiny head swayed with each tilt, the Duke had to resist the urge to ruffle her hair. He clenched his hands behind his back to restrain himself.

‘Yes. Being cautious is a good trait.’

Suppressing his desire to scoop her up and hold her in his arms, the Duke instead distracted himself by signing off on another batch of gifts to send to his daughter.

***

The Next Day

“……What is this?”

Beatty woke up to find herself surrounded by an assortment of items—child-sized armor, harnesses, training weapons, and even real swords for battle.

“Oh my! The Duke has sent you another gift, Young Miss!”

“These weapons are even dwarf-crafted! Just look at how much His Grace cherishes you!”

“?”

‘That can’t be right.’

Beatty was baffled, but she brushed it off as a one-time event resulting from their conversation yesterday.

However, this was only the beginning of an ongoing barrage of gifts.

What started as waking up in a bed of flowers soon escalated.

Weapons, jewels, dresses, land deeds…

Every morning, Beatty opened her eyes to find herself buried under a mountain of extravagant presents.

‘To give me such expensive things…’

At first, she was bewildered, but soon, she realized what her father was trying to say through these gifts.

‘……This is a bribe to make me leave!’

The Duke had never explicitly permitted her to stay at the ducal estate.

Instead of granting her request, he sent lavish gifts that would silence any ordinary person.

A clear message: I acknowledge your contribution to solving the food shortage, but I cannot allow you to stay. Be satisfied with this instead.

There was no mistaking it.

“I can’t accept this.”

Clenching her lips tightly, Beatty stared at the pile of gifts.

Then, as if making a firm decision, she stood up and marched outside.

***

Thud!

A cart full of returned gifts came to a heavy stop.

It contained every single present that had been sent to Beatty over the past days.

“……”

The Duke, who had been observing the cart, turned his gaze toward Beatty.

“I’m returning them.”

“……They were given to you.”

His response was slower than usual.

Beatty tilted her head in curiosity.

“I appreciate the gifts, but I can’t accept them.”

“Why not?”

“They exceed what I asked for.”

“Exceed?”

Beatty nodded and declared firmly.

“I don’t want anything else. Just allow me to stay here for a month.”

A calculated gamble.

A single month was far too short to enact any real plan.

‘But if I ask for anything more, Father won’t agree.’

Even if she had to leave after a few weeks, securing that one foothold was crucial.

‘It’s fine. With my knowledge, I can make the next move within a month.’

A hidden ace up her sleeve.

Beatty was already preparing her next trade.

“……”

Meanwhile, the Duke found himself lost in thought as he gazed at his daughter.

‘She’s grown.’

He recalled the last time he had held her as a baby.

The last time he had personally embraced her was when she was three.

No matter how many portraits he had commissioned each year, they could never replace actually witnessing her growth.

Now, those round eyes were staring back at him.

‘It feels like just yesterday she was learning to walk.’

He still remembered the tiny child, barely reaching his elbow, stumbling toward him only to collapse into his arms.

Yet now, she was standing before him, strong enough to voice her own demands.

The realization of how much she had grown.

The regret of not having watched over her all this time.

And a surge of overwhelming emotion that overshadowed both.

‘Fine.’

In the end, the Duke could not suppress his longing any longer.

He retrieved a compromise he had buried deep.

‘Just for a little while.’

Winter had not arrived yet.

Surely, just until the warm days passed, he could be allowed to keep his daughter close.

‘I just need to be more careful.’

The Duke had just opened his mouth to agree when—

Beatty, misinterpreting his silence, hurriedly blurted out,

“You’re not saying no to even a month, are you?”

“……”

“Right? Father?”

“!”

In her desperation, she failed to realize that she had called him Father instead of Duke—a title she had only ever used in her thoughts.

The Duke’s eyes widened momentarily before curving into a satisfied smile.

Then, he spoke the words she had been waiting for.

“Very well.”

“Huh?”

“I will allow it.”

It took a moment for Beatty to process his words, but when she did, her eyes sparkled with joy.

The Duke watched intently, not missing a single moment as her black eyes shone like polished pebbles.

And with the last shred of his rationality, he added one condition.@@novelbin@@

“But only until winter arrives.”

Beatty, who had been ready to throw her hands up in celebration, quietly lowered them again.

***

A hard-fought negotiation.

‘I’m safe for now!’

She celebrated her small victory.

‘A seasonal lodging fee… quite expensive.’

Trading life-saving information for a mere autumn stay at the estate—what a scam.

But then again…

‘Maybe it really is worth that much.’

After all, a fully furnished residence in the ducal estate—complete with a study, playroom, dress room, and personal quarters—probably didn’t come cheap.