The Harvest Mouse Exits the Fairytale Together with Cinderella

"You’re alive, Young Master."

The old man had been a servant who barely escaped when the County of Abernity was invaded by a neighboring lord.
Not just any servant—he had been the one who had cared for the missing Young Lord Cassian as if he were his own child.
Perhaps out of guilt for being the only one to survive, the old man had spent the rest of his life wandering, begging on the streets.

“Are you sure they’re all dead? Everyone who worked in the castle?”
“I traveled across the entire kingdom searching for any trace of the House of Abernity, but it was nothing more than false hope.”
And yet, this old man was saying that I looked like that lost young lord?

“I must inform His Grace immediately. But will he even recognize you? They say Duke Valkyrisen lost his ability to recognize faces due to the aftereffects of the war.”
So the only person alive who actually knew this Cassian…
Was also someone who couldn’t recognize faces?

This—this was an opportunity.
A gift from the heavens.
Max had taken the half-mad old man under his care, nursing him devotedly while gathering as much information as he could.

“You eat corn just fine now. You used to hate it so much.”
Since the old man had served Cassian personally, he knew everything about him.
Every little detail.

Max memorized them all.
“How about now? Do I seem more like the old me?”
“Exactly… just like him.”

He had listened carefully to every description of Cassian, mimicked every gesture, and confirmed over and over again that his performance was flawless.
And then—five years passed.
When the old man finally succumbed to illness, Max buried him in the ground and set his long-awaited plan into motion.
"This will be as easy as stealing candy from a baby."

Five years.
He had always known that the infamous Duke Valkyrisen wouldn’t be easy to deceive.
That was why he had practiced being Cassian for so long—so long that even he had started to believe he was Cassian.

It was no wonder that the Valkyrisen servants, no matter how suspicious they were, had never been able to catch him slipping.
"But I can’t get careless now. I’ve put too much effort into this."
That enormous fortune. That golden land.

Even now, the County of Abernity was under the Duke’s temporary rule.
But in its prime? It had been one of the richest, most fertile territories in the entire kingdom.
Max was done living as a pathetic peasant, toiling away on someone else’s land.

"Slowly. I’m just a grateful nephew, happy to be accepted by his uncle. Slowly, take it slow…"
As he carefully thought through his next steps, a knock sounded at the door.
Already?

Of course. He must be overwhelmed with emotion, seeing his long-lost nephew alive.
Max licked his lips, quickly molding his expression into one of nervous excitement.
He opened the door with a shy smile.

"Uncle!"
"Thick-skinned fraud."
What?

A small, sharp voice cut through the air, striking him out of nowhere.
Max blinked, startled, and lowered his gaze.
Standing before him was a tiny child, arms full of massive books, glaring up at him with an unshakable confidence.

“Liar.”
“……”
“Hm. Hello. Who are you?”

“I’m here to take care of the fraud.”
“Haha, it seems you’re suspicious of me.”
Max let out a soft chuckle—the same kind of laugh the Count of Abernity was said to have had.

It was a mannerism he had heard about from the old servant.
“Well, that’s understandable. After all, a long-lost nephew suddenly appears—and he has amnesia? Even I’d find that suspicious.”
Max lowered his gaze, pretending to be troubled.

“It’s unfortunate, but there’s no way to prove it. Even if you don’t believe me, there’s nothing I can do.”
A child would fall for this.
They’d feel guilty for doubting him and quietly step aside.

That was what he had expected.
But Elodie wasn’t finished.
"There’s no way someone with your face could come from Valkyrisen."

This translation is the intellectual property of .
Elodie struggled under the weight of her enormous books as she flipped one open.
It was an album of the Valkyrisen family portraits.

She spread it wide, flipping through every page from beginning to end.
Their appearances varied, of course, but one thing was consistent.
Each and every one of them had striking, refined features.

"See?"
Max’s face stiffened.
“……”

"There is no one like you."
Even the most shameless fraud seemed momentarily at a loss for words.
“C-come now, don’t be so cruel. If you look closely, I do resemble my father.”

"Have you never looked in a mirror?"
“Now, child, isn’t your tone a bit harsh for someone who just showed up out of nowhere?”
Max let out a heavy sigh, feigning frustration as he ran his hands over his face.

"You must be too young to understand. Some people look like angels as children, but once they hit sixteen, their appearance changes drastically."
"Too drastically."
"You should be careful yourself. It’s more common than you think."

A composed, convincing excuse.
And a subtle curse slipped in for good measure.
But would it be enough to let him slip past this?

"That’s why I brought a potion that only allows the truth to be spoken."
Elodie pulled out a small vial from her robes and shook it.
A truth serum?

No, such a conveniently powerful potion couldn’t possibly exist.
It was probably some kind of drug with hallucinogenic properties.
How such a thing had ended up in the hands of a child was beyond him.

"I can’t drink that."
"Drink."
"Haah… This is ridiculous. Shouldn’t you be with a guardian instead of causing trouble like this?"

"Ahem. Here I am."
Max’s head snapped up in shock.
Since when had he been standing there?

Behind the door, Eisen stood with an expression that barely suppressed amusement.
"I was wondering why she told me to stay hidden. Turns out, she had something to say."
"I’m serious."

Elodie’s voice was unwavering.
She had questioned it from the start.
How could anyone be this confident in claiming to be Duke Valkyrisen’s nephew?

Anyone who took one look at Eisen, Edmund, Zeno, or Karon would immediately reconsider.
“U-uncle.”
Max stammered, momentarily thrown off by the unexpected presence of the old man.

But something felt… off.
His eyes drifted downward—to Eisen’s legs.
Hadn’t he always used a cane?

He was sure he had seen the Duke limping on his left leg.
But now, he held nothing in his hands.
And both legs…

Looked perfectly fine.
Max locked onto the sight, his mind racing.
Had he said something wrong?

No. No, I didn’t slip up.
He quickly steadied himself and resumed his act.
"What a relief. I was worried the child had gotten lost..."

"Cassian."
"Yes?"
Eisen smirked, tilting his head toward Max.

"Your guardian grants permission. Drink."
"…Excuse me?"
"This is your chance to earn my trust. Surely you can manage at least this much?"

Did he… know?
Eisen had seemed indifferent when they first met.
His face had been so devoid of emotion that it felt like he was purposefully suppressing his thoughts.

But now—
Now, he was smiling.
Leisurely.

Like a predator that had already trapped its prey.
Max felt his unease rise, despite Eisen’s seemingly composed demeanor.
"But no matter what, I can’t drink a drug."

"It’s not a drug. I personally guarantee that this is a safe, proper truth serum."
A truth serum?
It was hard enough to believe that such a thing existed in this world.

But a safe truth serum?
That was impossible.
"You seem doubtful. But this was made by the successor of the High Priest, so there’s no need for concern."

"I-it was?"
"Drink it and prove you’re my nephew. If you do, I will return the title and wealth that should rightfully be yours."
“……”

"Or perhaps… you’re afraid to tell the truth?"
Max hunched his shoulders, pretending to be deeply shaken, as sweat dripped down his back.
His mind spun furiously.

He couldn’t see a way out.
If it had been an actual drug, he could have refused outright.
But a safe truth serum, made by the highest divine authority?

And worse—Duke Valkyrisen himself had vouched for it.
To question that… would be blasphemy.