The Harvest Mouse Exits the Fairytale Together with Cinderella

‘If I hadn’t run into him, I might have forgotten he even existed. But in this life too, he’s trying to hand Sera over to the prince for a reward?’
As if that wasn’t enough, that dust mop of a man had the audacity to covet Sera for himself?

This was a crime punishable by death. There was no other option.
Elodie made her decision.
“Let’s bury him.”

"Calm down, Elodie."
"Howlf, bury him!"
At her command, the wolf knight perked up his ears and immediately crouched down, positioning his hands as if ready to start digging a hole in the ground.

"Where should I bury him?" he asked.
"You calm down too," Sera interjected.
She swiftly scooped Elodie out of Howlf’s reach and hid her in her arms, throwing a wary glance at the knight.

A child had just ordered him to bury someone, and instead of stopping her, he had blindly obeyed?
"Ah, my apologies," Howlf said, straightening up and clearing his throat. "It was instinct."
Instinct? To bury people?

Realizing how it sounded, the wolf knight coughed awkwardly, straightened his posture, and clasped his hands behind his back.
"Anyway, burying him is not an option," Sera said firmly.
"Tch."

"……."
Elodie clicked her tongue in disappointment, while Howlf cast longing glances at a particularly soft patch of earth that looked perfect for digging.
"Thank you for helping me, Elodie," Sera said, her voice warm as she gently stroked Elodie’s cheek. "But you don’t have to look so sad. Nothing happened."

"But Elodie heard the young lord," Elodie pouted. "If we bury people without permission, the palace will send an investigation."
"That’s right. It would be a huge hassle."
Sera nudged Wellston’s unconscious body aside with the tip of her shoe, moving him out of Elodie’s sight.
“Ugh…”

A faint groan escaped from the heap on the ground, but no one paid attention.
‘For now, nothing has happened.’
But Sera had only been in Valkyrisen for a week.

A single week.
And already, someone like Wellston had shown up spouting nonsense?
“How did he even find her?”

Had rumors already started spreading?
Howlf provided the answer.
"Viscount Wellston came as a representative to negotiate a trade deal."

"A representative?" Elodie asked.
"Yes. Since only an envoy was sent, the contract negotiations must already be settled. He probably came to finalize the deal and sign the agreement. It’s also a chance for him to gain favor with his future liege, since he’ll inherit his family title someday."
Oh?

So the contract was already agreed upon, and all that was left was signing the papers?
If the deal fell through now, it would be quite the blow.
‘And knowing him, his thirst for power is insatiable.’

Hearing that, Elodie came up with a plan much better than just burying him in the ground.
"Fine… Let’s let him live."
She’d spare him.

At that, Sera chuckled and playfully ruffled her hair.
"What a good girl."
"Hehehe."

Elodie leaned into her touch, nudging her head against Sera’s hand, clearly asking for more.
After basking in the affection for a while, she finally hopped down from Sera’s arms.
Then, she immediately started rummaging through Wellston’s unconscious body.

"Elodie! That’s dirty! I moved him away so you wouldn’t look at him!"
"Baby, you mustn’t touch things that are lying around on the ground," Howlf added.
Ignoring their protests, Elodie’s eyes gleamed as she finally found what she was looking for.

As expected of Wellston from childhood.
‘He never fails to disappoint me.’
He was nothing if not consistent.

"This is…"
Howlf, who had been acting foolish the entire time, suddenly tensed up.
The moment he saw what Elodie was holding, his usually dull expression sharpened.

A chilling glint flickered in his gray eyes, barely restrained.
Elodie jabbed a finger at the unconscious Wellston and declared,
"Howlf, take this exactly as it is and bring it to Grandpa."

***
Viscount Wellston’s eyes snapped open.
“Gah!”

Drenched in cold sweat, he clutched his aching head.
What the hell just happened?
A sudden, blinding pain had shattered his vision, and then… nothing.

Was I attacked?
A kidnapping? Did someone target me because of my connection with His Highness?
His bloated ego immediately concocted an elaborate scenario.

He had come to Valkyrisen, a neutral zone, where safety was paramount, where conflict of any kind was forbidden.
This was undoubtedly Valkyrisen’s failure. A grave oversight. Someone had to be held accountable—
“You’re awake?”

The voice was old, yet not weakened by age.
Startled, Wellston turned his head toward the source of the voice.
Duke Valkyrisen was perched on his desk, looking down at him with piercing eyes.

It was only then that Wellston realized—
He was still sprawled out on the floor.
Wha… What the hell?

He wasn’t sure what had happened, but at the very least, he wasn’t kidnapped.
Still, shouldn’t they have at least put him on a sofa if he had passed out?
Not even calling for a physician and just leaving him on the floor—was this how Valkyrisen treated guests? And not just any visitor, but someone here to finalize an important contract?

He was so overwhelmed by the sheer absurdity of the situation that he missed his chance to get angry.
“Y-Your Grace?” he stammered. “Why am I here? I was certain I was—”
“Yes, attempting to lewdly grope my esteemed guest.”

L-Lewdly?!
The crude wording left Wellston momentarily speechless.
Ignoring his stunned reaction, the duke continued.

“I believe we made it clear—Valkyrisen tolerates no conflict. The moment you set foot here, ignorance of that rule was no longer an excuse.”
Everyone who entered the territory had to sign an agreement acknowledging that any disruptions would result in appropriate punishment.
“Lewdly? That’s absurd.”

Terrified, Wellston scrambled for a defense.
“I simply wished to extend an invitation to a lady I had never met before. His Highness’s birthday banquet would be a wonderful opportunity for her—”
“To become the prince’s concubine? Or your wife?”

Well, obviously.
The girl was a commoner.
This was a chance she would never have again—to rise above her station and marry into a world she’d never belong to otherwise.

Shouldn’t she be grateful?
That was what Wellston believed. That was why he was so confused.
“Why would you force such a trial upon her?”

A t-trial?
“After hearing such words, all she would have left is the overwhelming urge to spill your blood.”
“…What?”

“That girl—despite her circumstances—grew up with a strong sense of morality. But thanks to you, she nearly became a murderer.”
What kind of insane accusation is this?
But the duke’s expression carried no malice.

He was dead serious.
As the words sank in, a wave of irritation washed over Wellston.
His expression hardened.

“I fail to understand why you’re twisting my words into such nonsense, Your Grace.”
“Nonsense?”
“Yes! I was the one who suffered a horrific attack in Valkyrisen! Someone ambushed me from behind! And instead of treating me or investigating the culprit, you’re interrogating me instead?”

The duke, who had been idly tapping his cane, lazily gestured behind him.
“It wasn’t an ambush. You were subdued.”
“…What?”

“And you call that a horrific attack? After being taken down by the fists of a five-year-old?”
Five-year-old?
Wellston followed the direction of the duke’s gesture.

At first, he saw nothing.
“…?”
Then, after a closer look, he spotted a pair of small ears peeking out from behind a mahogany desk.

The duke… hadn’t been alone in this room from the start.
“Thief!”
Elodie suddenly popped up from behind the desk, clambering onto it.

"Thief! You got completely robbed by a five-year-old!"
"W-What?! What nonsense are you spouting?!"
More importantly—was she saying that he had been bested by a child?

That was impossible.
Sure, he had grown up sheltered and had never been hit before, but there was no way a five-year-old had the strength to knock him unconscious.
“This child is a witness.”

“That’s right. I’m a witness.”
“She caught you stealing and took you down to bring you in.”
“That’s right. I saw it, so I hit you.”

The duke, who had previously seemed bored out of his mind, suddenly took an interest in the conversation.
With an air of satisfaction, he reached out and ruffled the head of the so-called witness who kept chiming in.