Chapter 4.
There was a knock, and Jane appeared.
“My lady. It’s Jane.”
In her hands was a plate of cookies made especially for Kali.
Kali, who had been moving around to practice controlling her body out of boredom, lifted her head. The moment she spotted the cookies in Jane’s hands, she bounced in place excitedly.
“Wow. Thank you so much.”
She rushed toward Jane, only to stumble and fall flat on her face. She still wasn’t used to this body.
Ugh. My original body was small enough, but now it’s even smaller—it demands such delicacy, doesn’t it?
She felt stifled by how uncooperative her body was. With a tiny clenched fist, she began thumping the bed in frustration.
The sight of Kali throwing a tantrum in her little body made Jane stifle a giggle. Kali quickly snapped her head up, lips jutting out in a pout.
“Don’t laugh.”
“Ah, my apologies. It’s just… you looked so adorable, I couldn’t help myself…”
“Geez…”
Finally managing to sit up, Kali saw Jane promptly set a small plate in front of her.
At first, everything had seemed too big—the food, the plates, the furniture, all of it. But, thanks to Jane’s requests, some of those things had gradually been adjusted.
Like the cookies and the plate.
The cook had started preparing food in a size suited for Kali. Likewise, plates were now in child-sized sets.
At least they’re not serving me acorns.
On the first day, they really had given her an acorn, and she’d nearly starved to death.
Just because her body was a squirrel didn’t mean her appetite was too.
She grabbed the cookie with both hands and bit into it with gusto—though the result was a mere ant-sized nibble.
“Oh, right. The mansion may get noisy for a while. Please understand.”
“Hm? Why? Is someone coming? Now that you mention it, everyone does seem busy.”
“There’s going to be a wedding in three weeks.”
“A wedding? Ah. Who’s getting married? Someone in the mansion?”
Jane smiled softly.
“It will be you, my lady.”
“…Ah.”
Of course. Kali nodded—before realizing what she’d just agreed to.
Her head snapped up, and she dropped the cookie at once.
A wedding? With who?
And then, she remembered something she had forgotten.
She was the cursed bride.
The Grand Duke had to marry the cursed bride, or he would die. To survive, he had no choice but to wed.
It was practically a forced marriage.
“Heh-heh… heh-heh-heh…”
Kali trembled, laughing like she’d lost her mind, before letting out a heavy sigh. Her squirrel ears and tail drooped dejectedly.
Jane knelt in front of Kali and gently stroked her back with a fingertip.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you sooner. The decision was only made yesterday…”
“N-no. No, it’s fine. Then you must be busy too, Jane?”
“Yes, but if you call for me, I’ll come right away.”
“Okaay… in a month then…”
With that, Jane left the room. Kali blinked a few times, then sighed again.
She flopped onto her stomach on the bed.
“Am I really getting married? Wow…”
Life was truly fantastic and spectacular.
Barely twenty years old, and she’d already been through so much.
Do I even have such a thing as luck?
Rolling over, she lay on her back, staring at the ceiling.
No parents, no long life to speak of. My parents divorced, then I got hit by a car. I came back to life, only to find myself in the body of a squirrel. A squirrel!
But she had no intention of wallowing endlessly in self-pity.
Suddenly sitting up, Kali looked toward the door. Right now, the best thing she could do was get used to her squirrel body.
“Yeah. Who knows when I’ll turn human again.”
What’s done was done.
She wasn’t living in the past, but in the present. What had already happened could be set aside—she’d focus only on reality.
Near the door, on a small table, stood a decorative plant in an elegant pot. If she climbed onto that, she could jump to the doorknob.
“Alright. Let’s try…”
First, she leapt from the bed. That went fine—until she botched the landing and rolled across the floor five times.
Like a bouncing ball, she only stopped when she smacked into the wall.
Oww! That hurts! I’m dying here!
Clutching her head, she curled up in pain before popping back up again. Still, not bad for a first attempt.
Scurrying over to the table, she began to climb. What, you think I can’t do this? Fueled by stubbornness, eyes blazing with determination, she eventually reached the top.
“Ha… victory! Human victory!”
Now came the greatest challenge.
She narrowed her eyes, estimating the distance. Swaying side to side, she picked the perfect spot.
“This angle, this distance… even the airflow. Perfect.”
She inhaled sharply. Eyes closed tight, then open again. One, two…
“…Three!”
She launched herself. Even though she wasn’t a flying squirrel, she soared through the air just enough to catch the doorknob.
With her belly tensed, she pushed down on it. With a click, the door opened.
“Ha… haha! Success! I did it!”
But her joy lasted only a moment. Her strength gave out, and she slid right down. Splat—she lay sprawled on the floor like melting ice cream. After a while, she twitched and got back up.
“See? Human victory. Total human victory.”
With a proud face, she strutted out of the room.
It struck her then—this was her first time outside the bedroom. Ever since turning into a squirrel, she’d been holed up inside.
Feeling stifled, she tiptoed carefully, deciding to tour the mansion like a stroll.
As expected, everything seemed enormous in her squirrel body. Not that the mansion wasn’t already huge, but now it looked colossal.
“Come to think of it, the novel said the squirrel bride stayed locked up in a corner room on the fifth floor.”
Which meant she really was on the top floor.
So, she needed to head down. Spotting a staircase in the distance, Kali hopped toward it.
It felt like she had stepped into a giant’s home. Everything amazed her, and she was so busy gawking that she hardly noticed the bustle.
The mansion’s air buzzed with the energy of wedding preparations.
But really, what is there to even prepare?
Hop, hop, hop—she was making her way down the stairs when…
Wait…? Something’s off.
Instead of descending, her body suddenly floated upward.
What? What the heck?
Looking up, she saw a child with big, round eyes staring at her.
“A squirrel’s wandering around…?”
The child gently cupped her in his hand, turning her this way and that in fascination.
Kali glared at him and snapped, “Excuse you. Put me down.”
“Ahh! The squirrel talks!”
“What? Never seen a talking squirrel before? Huh?”
The boy, though startled, refused to let her go. If anything, he placed her on his palm and began petting her at will.
What is with this rude brat?
Still, his touch was careful, not cruel. He didn’t seem like the type to torment her out of curiosity.
“Me? I’m touring the mansion.”
“With that tiny body?”
“Don’t underestimate me. You’re tiny too.”
“I’m bigger than you, though.”
“You cheeky little brat.”
“Hehe, sorry. But you’re just too cute. I’ve never seen an animal this small. Smaller than cats or dogs.”
“…”
Kali fell silent, fixing him with a sharp glare. If he didn’t let her go soon, she really might bite him.
Perhaps understanding her look, the boy suddenly plopped her onto his head.
From her new, higher perch, Kali blinked in bewilderment.
“My lady, my name’s Levi. I work here.”
“You? A kid working here?”
“Yes. Oh, and if you want a tour of the mansion, leave it to me! They don’t give me much work yet since I’m still young…”
“Bored, huh?”
Levi’s head was warm and comfortable, with a conveniently flat top for her to sprawl on. Without realizing, her tail swished contentedly as she nestled down, gripping his reddish hair in her pink little hands.
“Yes. Honestly, I am. Hehe.”
“How old are you?”
“I turned seven this year.”
“I see… makes sense.”
“And what’s your name, my lady?”
“Me?”
Kali hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should reveal it. But then she chuckled. There was no real reason to hide it.
It still felt strange to say it herself, but she introduced the name of her squirrel form.
“Kali. Kali Herais. Just call me Kali.”
“Yes, Lady Kali.”
“And you—what do you usually do?”
Thanks to Levi, she was less bored, her head swiveling left and right with interest. Passing servants greeted Levi warmly, suggesting they treated him kindly.
“Actually, I’m still learning. I mostly run errands.”
“Huh… But you’re so young. How’d you end up here?”
As Levi led her floor by floor, explaining details, Kali quickly memorized the mansion’s layout.
“Me?”
Levi looked up. Startled, Kali smacked his shiny forehead with a paw.
“Eyes front, kid. If you drop me, I’ll die.”
“Violent little squirrel…”
“What was that?”
“N-nothing! I said you’re cute!”
She tugged his hair insistently, like working a joystick, to make him face forward again.
Levi giggled and went on.
“The Grand Duke himself picked me up.”
“…Wait, really?”
That was unexpected.
The Grand Duke—the man described in the novel as arrogant, reckless, and unpredictable.
Like the wind itself.
This was Leonhardt Spencer.
