Baby Squirrel Is Goo Chapter 44

Carl stared at the tiny hands holding out the bundle of nuts like a bouquet of flowers, his lips pressing tightly together.

If he didn’t, sothing inside him felt like it might overflow.

"This tiny thing…"

His younger sibling, fragile since birth. So small that even now, she barely reached half his size.

A creature that could never survive alone in the North—one he had to protect.

"And yet, with those tiny hands, she's offering food… for ."

Like a proper squirrel, she was holding out an ugly little acorn.

For a mont, Carl felt a ripple in his chest, like a stone had been thrown into a still lake.

"…Thanks."

Carefully, he accepted the nuts from the small squirrel paws that insisted he take them.

Flash.

At that, the squirrel’s face imdiately brightened. Her soft, white cheeks stood out, making him oddly tempted to poke them.

"Chyu."

"Hm."

"Chyuuu?"

"Yeah."

"Chyu! Chyuuut!"

Answering her little chirps absentmindedly, Carl was suddenly brought back to reality when sothing small bopped against his fingers.

"Mm?"

Two round, beady black eyes—like those of a little warbler—were glaring at him with as much intensity as they could muster.

"Chyu! Chyut!"

"Ah."

Tapping her tiny paws on his fingers and scolding him, it wasn’t hard to guess what she ant.

Feeling her tiny pecks against his hand, Carl finally realized that he had been absentmindedly squeezing and rolling her soft cheeks.

"No wonder they felt so nice."

As he reluctantly let go, he noticed her previously soft cheeks puffing up in clear dissatisfaction.

"Did it hurt?"

She shook her head.

For a mont, Carl wondered if he had unknowingly used too much force, but her response denied it.

Still, she avoided his gaze—clearly still sulking.

"I won’t do it again."

"…"

Even with his swift promise, those skeptical eyes remained locked onto him.

"Hmm."

It was strange.

Soone daring to give him a look like that.

If it were anyone else, he wouldn’t have spared them a second glance—he’d have cut them down without hesitation.

"This is amusing."

"Chyu?"

For so reason, though, it didn’t bother him at all coming from her.

"Right… it was the sa back then."

Maybe it had been like this from the start.

Even when she was startled by the sight of blood—if it were anyone else, he wouldn’t have cared in the slightest.

"So why did it matter when it was her?"

He had seen countless enemies screaming in agony as their limbs were severed, but it never stirred anything in him.

But if he imagined—just for a second—that this tiny creature, barely half his size, could be hurt like that…

Crunch.

The re thought sent a wave of inexplicable discomfort through him.

His grip had unknowingly tightened, and the once-solid nut in his hand crumbled into fine dust.

"?!?"

Beatty’s eyes widened in horror as she looked up at him.

Carl thought to himself.

"Why is she different?"

She was unlike anyone else.

From the beginning, this tiny sibling of his had been filled with things that were completely new to him.

Even now, this very mont—

"Are you worried about ?"

"Chyu-chut!"

‘What are you talking about?!’

Since when did squirrels ever gather nuts out of concern for a growling lion?

If anything, they’d be worried about being eaten!

Of course, whether or not Carl was having a quiet revelation about this—

"I worked so hard to gather those!"

—from Beatty’s perspective, she was absolutely furious watching her carefully picked nuts turn to dust before her eyes.

"Chyu! Chyuu-chyuuut!"

"Don’t waste food!"

Tang, tang!

Raising her tail fiercely in warning, she stomped her tiny front paws against the ground.

Scritch scritch.

Then, with a sorrowful expression, she carefully tried to scrape together the powdered remains of the nut.

"Chyu… chyu-chyuu… chuu."

"That was a good one, too… What a an kitty!"

Grumbling, she mumbled complaints under her breath.

"Hmm."

Of course, all Carl heard was an endless string of chyu chyu chyu sounds.

"Even the way she complains sounds like her."

At her age, he had already been letting out earth-shaking roars—at least, that’s what he rembered.

Watching her, Carl couldn’t help but find his squirrel sister fascinating.

"Is she seriously gathering it back up to give it to

again?"

Then—

Pfft.

He let out a short laugh.

Even if the nut had been whole, it wouldn’t have been nearly enough to satisfy him.

Yet, there she was, scurrying around like a tiny wind-up toy, desperately gathering the crumbs as if they were treasure.

She was so preoccupied that she didn’t even notice when so of the powdered remains landed on her fluffy tail.

Covered in nut dust, she looked around, completely oblivious.

Seeing this, Carl couldn’t hold it in anymore.

Chuckling.

"Chyu…?"

Hearing his laugh, Beatty tilted her round black eyes up at him.

Tapping his fingertip against her tiny black nose, Carl thought sothing he had never imagined himself saying before.

"Adorable."

As his mouth naturally curled into a smile, a voice softer than even he had ever heard escaped him.

"Beatty."

For once, he used her actual na instead of calling her Tailfur.

Startled, Beatty turned her head toward him.

"Tell

anyti."

For the first ti, she saw his ever-dangerous eyes curl into sothing undeniably beautiful.

"Whatever you want—"

"I'll cut it all down for you."

"Chyu???"

But in stark contrast to his rare, gentle smile—his words were downright terrifying.

As she let out a surprised squeak, his large hand gently stroked her tiny jaw.

Looking up at her strangely affectionate, yet absolutely bloodthirsty brother, Beatty thought—

"I… never asked for anything like that…?"

At this mont, she had no idea.

She had just placed a sword in his hands.

***

The sun had yet to fully set over the duchy’s garden.

"By the way, is your stomach feeling better now?"

"Ah."

Beatty, who had been absentmindedly watching the garden trees, nodded while pressing her stomach.

The chocolate her brother had given her by the lake—

It wasn’t just any chocolate.

"So it wasn’t just a snack… it was a high-calorie ergency ration?"

Apparently, it was a special type of combat food, so nutrient-dense that even an ordinary soldier stranded alone could survive for three days on it.

Unlike Beatty, who could satisfy her hunger with a handful of nuts, Carl—whose lion-sized body required far more sustenance—needed sothing substantial, like an entire roasted beast, just to feel full.

"No wonder I still feel stuffed..."

Even as the evening approached, Beatty still hadn’t fully digested it.

Not that it mattered, since she wouldn’t have been able to eat dinner anyway.

"There was a guest, right?"

Because of the sudden visitor, the evening banquet had been postponed.

"Prepare to welco them."

"Yes, my lord."

"And you…"

Her father, who had been issuing instructions effortlessly, suddenly paused when he saw Beatty standing there.

"I’ll stay quietly in my room."

"…Good."

"Yes! That was the right thing to say."

Thinking back on the mont, Beatty nodded in approval at her own decision.

"He was probably considering whether it would be troubleso for

to be seen there."

She had noticed how her father had hesitated, as if deliberating sothing, when he looked at her.

Though she no longer believed her aunt’s words that she was "the unwanted child