The Northern Grand Duke’s Hamster

The fight between the two. Thanks to the change in the original flow, the Miracle value rose to 8%.

For just one act of fainting, this was quite the profitable trade. Though, by tomorrow afternoon, the veterinarian from the capital would be visiting Kyle’s study.

‘The beast is adorable, Your Highness…….’

It seemed that yesterday’s problem stemmed from the fact that the doctor, who knew nothing about beasts, had simply stood there and said only that.

But that was understandable. How would a physician who only treats humans know anything about rodents? It was surprising enough that this world even had veterinarians.

‘Did my falling act look too real?’

At this rate, even a single sneeze from me might throw Blake Castle into chaos. The future of the North looked bleak……

Kyle clearly didn’t want to leave my side, but given the timing, he had no choice but to inspect the castle. Managing a territory wasn’t an easy task, after all. Still, seeing how he clearly separated work from personal matters, he seemed to be a fairly competent lord.

In the end, he left his study late in the afternoon to check on the preparations for dinner. Since he had been rather admirable today, I let him off with just five kisses.

Thanks to that, I had some free time. As soon as I confirmed that he had moved far from the study, I swiftly activated Reload and turned back into a human.

[Good luck! (ෆ`꒳´ෆ)]

***

“So…… your name is ‘Shu’?”

I was screwed.

I was honestly tired of saying I was screwed, but I really was.

Throwing on a maid’s uniform in a hurry, I followed a somewhat familiar path and eventually found the laundry storage room, where I managed to dig up some civilian clothes that the knights wore.

The sizes didn’t fit, but I scored a decently neat shirt and pants—and, with some luck, even a pair of leather boots.

Feeling a bit triumphant, I thought today’s fortune wasn’t too bad. That is, until I ran into Sen in the hallway.

“Well…… yeah, more or less……”

When I replied indifferently, Sen frowned.

“What do you mean, ‘more or less’?”

What do you mean, what? It’s right there. Would you believe me if I said my human name was ‘Cashew Nut’?

I had no particular preference for another name, and I couldn’t just blurt out my real name, which didn’t fit this world at all.

So, in a hurry, I came up with ‘Shu’—literally just chopping off a syllable from ‘Cashew Nut.’ Not the most thoughtful name, but hey, it was personally given by the Grand Duke. He must’ve put a lot of thought into it.

And, of course, the sharp-eyed Sen quickly realized that the clothes I was wearing weren’t mine. The ridiculously oversized shirt and my suspiciously shifty behavior gave it away.

“Why did you steal clothes? Could it be…… you’re the rumored pet shapesh—”

“I am NOT!”

I mean, technically, I was. But still, no.

Pet pervert? Not just a pet, but a pervert? Absolutely not. When I snapped back, Sen muttered, “If you’re not, then fine, no need to yell.”

Fortunately, as sharp as she was, she was also flexible. Instead of immediately reporting me, she seemed to have decided to hear me out first.

Which meant I was in for the hardest improv session of my life, spinning a sob story on the spot. I stammered my way through, saying my family had been killed by beasts when I was young, my clothes were too old and tattered to wear anymore, and I didn’t even have a proper name, so I just made one up.

……Come to think of it, that wasn’t too far from the truth. My family had died in a car accident when I was young, and there had been times when I was too poor to afford even a single new outfit.

“It’s common for refugees to enter the territory or the castle during festival periods. His Highness even prepares extra rations during this time. Sometimes, orphans like you show up too.”

Sen looked at me with a complicated expression.

“I also lost my family and ended up in the North, so it doesn’t feel like someone else’s problem.”

It seemed she had started to pity me.

After saying that, Sen disappeared for a moment and soon returned with a set of clothes, handing them to me. They were simple but clean servant’s clothes, fitting me perfectly and making movement easier.

Thanks to that, I looked a lot more presentable. I obediently returned the stolen clothes to Sen.

“Shu, the castle is short on workers these days, so they’re hiring more errand runners. Why don’t you apply? You’d have a place to stay, and you wouldn’t have to steal clothes like this.”

“I didn’t steal! And I won’t anymore. I do have some shame, you know.”

Job hunting, seriously? Making a living was hard. Everything had been free when I was the Grand Duke’s hamster. Well, in exchange for selling my human rights.

I asked in a bored voice, “There’s an interview, right?”

“Of course. They can’t just hire anyone. And working in the castle is surprisingly popular.”

“Is that so? How many rounds?”

At my question, Sen blinked in confusion.

“Huh? Rounds?”

“Never mind……”

Right, this wasn’t a game company. They’d probably just check if I wasn’t on any wanted lists and hire me accordingly.

After that, I stuck close to Sen, memorizing the layout of Blake Castle in earnest. While my eyes memorized the paths, my ears picked up on rumors, and I carefully mapped out unused rooms and servant-only passageways in my head.

Thanks to that, I even found a good place to stash my clothes.

The most productive thirty minutes since I had transmigrated.

“Can I go submit the documents to His Highness now? I scheduled the patrols since he plans to strengthen security after the festival.”

“Oh, that. He said he was heading to the study earlier, so he should be arriving just about now. You can take your time.”

Wait, what? His Highness is going to the study? Already?

I froze on the spot.

It hadn’t even been thirty minutes since my last crisis, and I was already in another one. At this rate, it would be faster to count the moments in my life when I wasn’t screwed.

“Shu, I’ve shown you around the East Tower, so now let’s go check out the decorations in the central banquet hall—huh? Where are you going? Shu!”

“Sorry! I just remembered something urgent! I’ll check out the banquet hall next time!”

The banquet hall wasn’t the problem right now. Blake Castle was three seconds away from going into full-blown panic!

I hurriedly shoved my clothes into an unused storage room and deactivated Reload. I needed to get back immediately and act like nothing had happened……

But just as my body was enveloped in white light, an unsettling feeling struck me. A deep, instinctive warning—deactivating this skill carelessly would be a very bad idea.

‘Hey, system. Can I specify a location inside the hamster house?’

[Yes, you can!]

‘Then… somewhere as inconspicuous as possible. You know that spot where I piled up extra bedding for a softer nap? Put me there. In the far corner of the first floor.’

As my vision returned from the bright whiteness, I saw a dense layer of light brown bedding surrounding me. Looked like I’d landed exactly where I wanted.

And then—someone grabbed me.

—Squeak! (What the—?!)

“Cashew Nut.”

The voice was several times lower than usual. Even when Kyle was dealing with Belial, he hadn’t sounded this cold.

His eyes swept over my entire body. My body instinctively shivered.

Wait, hold on. What’s with that look? Let’s talk this out, okay? I mean, sure, you won’t understand a word I say, but still.

‘……His eyes look kind of… unhinged.’

No, scratch that—completely unhinged.

“I thought you had disappeared.”

Well, technically, I did. Which wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t come back so fast!

I glanced at his hand gripping me. He was trying very hard not to clench it, but the veins on his wrist and the back of his hand were visibly strained.

There were bits of bedding stuck all over his fingers, proof that he had searched through the entire hamster house—probably even the floors—desperately trying to find me.

Thump, thump.

His heart was beating fast. The rapid rhythm vibrated through his palm, passing straight into me.

Relax. It’s just one little beast. Anyone would think you loved this tiny creature as if it were your own life.

“Cashew Nut. Please… don’t scare me like that again.”

A deep sigh escaped him.

Kyle looked at me with a conflicted gaze before gently stroking my head. His hand trembled for a brief moment, but his touch was nothing but tender as he smoothed down my fur.

“Do I look foolish, being so fixated on you? Maybe the people of the territory think the same as Belial. But from the moment I took you in, I was prepared to love you. If I decided to keep you by my side, then it is only natural that I cherish you with all my heart.”

He said something so moving with absolute ease.

I had been wriggling to escape his grasp, but my struggle came to a sudden halt.

‘Was he… actually worried?’

Well, yeah. Of course, he was. Just a few days ago, I had disappeared while he was in the bath. I had been wandering the castle in human form, but he had no way of knowing that. To him, it must’ve been like I had vanished into thin air.

Suddenly, I felt a bit guilty.

Not that I could just stop sneaking out. I’d have to adapt—maybe wait until he was asleep before slipping out. Yeah, that sounded like a plan.

Kyle pressed a brief kiss to my forehead before murmuring softly,

“I want to make you the happiest beast in the world.”

How admirable. Being a hamster was truly a blessing. A kind master made life so much easier.

“And if anyone dares to steal you from me, they won’t even have the luxury of being buried in one piece.”

……I take it back. He was completely unhinged. Don’t obsess over a hamster like this!

“Tomorrow afternoon, the veterinarian will be examining you, Cashew Nut. I can’t stop worrying after you fainted. You also seem too thin… I’ll give you plenty of special treats for breakfast. Sen brought some beef snacks.”

Wow. Beef. Maybe I could tolerate a little obsession.

Real beef… oh, wait. There’s no Korean Hanwoo beef here. Northern beef would have to do.

Still, calling me thin? I was eating until I was stuffed every morning, noon, and night. Just because I fit in his palm didn’t mean I was underweight.

Back in my original body, I was a big eater. I ate a lot, but I didn’t gain weight easily, so I never held back. That habit carried over, so I pretty much shoved anything edible into my mouth here, too.

‘Does my hamster body have the same metabolism as my human one?’

Who knew? It’s not like I’d ever been a hamster before. Anyone got stats on the average hamster weight?

“But you’re still cute, so it’s fine.”

Apparently, in Kyle’s world, I was the universal standard, the prime example, and the absolute truth.

‘……A hamster otaku.’

But honestly, I was kind of happy.

So, fine. Just for today, I’d consider him a kind owner.