MTLNOVEL 21
During the festival, I had practiced a few times, and now it was easy to transform into a human without Kyle noticing. Besides, since that day, except for the time I spent meeting Sen, I had been with him constantly, so there was no real risk of getting caught.
“A beast scholar?”
“Yes. I don’t know everything, but I’ve picked up a few things here and there….”
“I see.”
I drank the tea he had prepared and ate the scone he had also set out. Then, I casually lied.
Sorry, but it’s better to say this now for the future.
If Kyle ever had to travel to another region, this would give me a reason to accompany him. And if things went well, I might even secure a spot in a beast subjugation expedition. According to Heart of Winter, beast scholars regularly joined those missions.
“More importantly, is it really okay for you to be here with me instead of working?”
“Where are you trying to go now?”
“No, that’s not it…”
It’s not me going somewhere, dumbass. I’m asking if you are okay. Looks like disappearing a few times has made our dear Grand Duke a bit paranoid.
I trailed off and turned my head, only for his hand to reach out and turn my face back toward him.
“It’s proper etiquette to look at the person you’re speaking to.”
“I’m a commoner. I don’t know noble etiquette.”
“Then you should start learning now.”
“Why would I?”
Then, in an infuriatingly quiet voice, he said,
“Aren’t you my partner?”
A slip of the tongue is a lifetime sentence.
I was at a complete loss for words, staring at him in utter despair.
How many times is this now?
Even an overused soup stock wouldn’t be as stretched thin as Kyle’s damn ‘partner’ talk. Whenever I tried to dodge a question or step away, he never failed to bring up the fact that I was his partner.
What the hell? A guy who didn’t have a single lover until death is suddenly obsessed with the concept of a partner? Did you really not date anyone, or was it that you couldn’t? Is that why you’re like this?
My tongue burned to shoot back a retort, but I held it in with effort. Seeing my expression, Kyle let out a soft chuckle.
It was an oddly relaxed smile, one that made me unconsciously ease the glare I was directing at him.
“I feel at ease when I’m with you.”
“…….”
“I know it might sound strange. But that’s just how it is.”
Saying it with a smile like that leaves me with no comeback.
Is he doing this on purpose?
I scowled at him in irritation, but Kyle, still smiling, extended the plate of scones toward me.
“If you’re a beast scholar, you could take a look at my beast sometime. Let me know when you’re free.”
I was just about to pop a scone into my mouth when his unexpected words froze me in place.
…Wait. Did I hear that right?
Did he just ask me to check on myself?
I absentmindedly scratched my ear with my free hand and dumbly repeated,
“…What?”
“I said, take a look at my beast. The one in my study.”
So I did hear it right.
I looked back and forth between the scone in my hand and Kyle, my appetite vanishing completely. The glossy dessert looked delicious, but if I ate anything now, I’d probably choke on it.
Kyle, however, continued speaking in a voice tinged with concern.
“Lately, it hasn’t had much of an appetite. It’s refusing food and barely moving. It used to be so lively…”
Stop romanticizing the past. It was always lying around except for when it ran on the wheel. Do you not understand the joy of a sedentary lifestyle? This is why overly diligent people are a pain.
“I think it’s because the mana stone in its heart is forming late. So I’ve been regularly infusing it with mana.”
“…Mana?”
Excuse me? Who gave you permission for that?
“It’s a process that inevitably puts strain on the body, so I thought it might be best for you to take a look at it as well.”
“What….”
What the hell… What the hell…!
I had no good way to refuse. Clamping my mouth shut, I anxiously summoned the system.
Hey! Hey, hey! Get out here!
[……(*￣０￣)ノ]
Why do you look like you just woke up?
Staring at the blue system window that popped up in front of me, I clenched my fist.
Hurry up and pull up that thing! The nut store or whatever it’s called!
[…….]
[…….]
[☆: .｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:☆]
[!Nut Store!]
After a brief loading time, a sparkling emoji appeared. I clicked my tongue at the name displayed below it, like a shop sign. Was this what you were exhausting yourself over?
Ignoring the small text that said “Renewal Open,” I quickly scanned the store.
[Mini Mini Brazil Nut Madeleine | Miracle Gauge Consumption: 2% | Shrinks your body for 30 minutes. Smaller than a hamster!]
[Out-of-Breath Almond Financier | Miracle Gauge Consumption: 3% | Increases running speed.]
Give me something useful, damn it. What good is an item that makes me smaller than a hamster? I can just transform back into one anyway.
I skipped past the first page and moved to the second.
“Beast scholar… a beast scholar, huh…”
Kyle seemed deep in thought before exhaling a breath of relief. I pushed the system window aside and leaned forward to look up at his face.
“What are you thinking about so seriously?”
“I was just thinking that this is a relief.”
“Why?”
“Blake Territory has always been short on beast scholars. The domain hasn’t been established for long, and last year’s wyvern nest expedition turned into a disaster, so we suffered heavy losses.”
His expectant gaze landed on me.
No, really, I just said it because I needed a convenient excuse. Cut it out with that ‘I adore you’ expression. Stop thinking about how to keep me here.
I slowly raised my hand—to block his gaze. But of course, my meager effort lasted all of three seconds before Kyle grabbed my wrist and pulled it down.
“Helping out with domain affairs is tough. I’m a very busy person, you see.”
I preemptively shut him down before he could ask me for anything.
Even if my Reload skill duration had increased, it was still just two hours. Not enough time to do anything. And I couldn’t just lie about needing to go to the bathroom and run away.
“…I see.”
Kyle’s expression darkened slightly with disappointment.
Seeing his normally expressionless face shift through such emotions was so unfamiliar that it was almost overwhelming.
Why do you look so let down? I’m just a fake beast scholar whose knowledge comes from secondhand sources—or, well, from the original novel. The only beast I’ve ever seen in my life is a cashew nut.
…Wait. Does that even count as a beast?
I mean, I was swapped into a hamster.
Anyway, Kyle probably knew more about beasts than I did since he had firsthand experience dealing with them. But if he really insisted…
With an air of magnanimity, I casually added,
“I might have time to tag along on a beast subjugation or two.”
As soon as I said it, a thought suddenly came to mind.
The Northern Festival, held in the coldest and darkest part of winter. After that rowdy celebration, Blake Territory would begin preparing for a large-scale reconnaissance mission.
There were various reasons for this, but the primary goal was to reinforce discipline after the slight complacency that came from the festivities. Even if the North had become a more livable place, it was still a land swarming with beasts and cursed with long, harsh winters.
Another major reason was the training of newly knighted recruits. Around this time of year, knights who had just shed their apprentice status would participate in their first real battle after their knighting ceremony.
“The new knights’ ceremony…?”
Kyle answered slowly.
“It was held before the festival. There were quite a few recruits this year, so I remember it being a large event.”
“Haha. I was a little busy back then.”
Kyle shot me an openly suspicious look.
Fair enough. It wasn’t like I had any reason to be busy at the time. Just let it slide already. I ignored his gaze.
A knighting ceremony that was larger than usual.
A chandelier crashing down during the grand banquet.
And after that, a large-scale reconnaissance mission.
That’s it. This is when Kyle…
[During the reconnaissance, Grand Duke Blake is ambushed and sustains a severe wound on his right arm.]
The system provided details from the original novel.
I quietly asked: Will this injury affect his death later on?
After a brief silence, the system gave a concise response.
[Yes.]
The single glowing sentence, pale blue against the dark background, sent a chill down my spine.
His death suddenly felt very real.
Right. That’s how it was.
Kyle’s death was now about two weeks away.
In the original story, the chandelier incident put him at odds with Belial. He was then ambushed during reconnaissance. And later, in the imperial capital, Sen would drive a sword through his heart, killing him.
Just because I disrupted one event didn’t mean his death would be completely averted. Miracles weren’t so easily granted.
So now, what should I—
“Hey.”
“…….”
“Hey, Shu.”
“…….”
“Shu.”
Kyle cupped my cheek with his palm. The cool touch jolted me back to my senses.
“Ah.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, well…”
I inhaled sharply. My fingertips, which had gone cold, felt stiff.
“I’m fine.”
He didn’t seem fully convinced, but he let it slide for now.
“I was just lost in thought for a moment.”
Kyle frowned slightly.
“What were you thinking about to make your face so pale?”
I couldn’t answer honestly, so I shut my mouth tight.
Come to think of it, I always avoided his questions like this—either making up an excuse, lying outright, or just keeping silent even when I knew I looked suspicious.
But I had no choice. How could I possibly explain?
I casually changed the subject, steering the conversation toward the plan I had already decided on.
“Your Highness, may I join the upcoming large-scale reconnaissance mission?”
He responded immediately, as if it was no trouble at all.
“Sure. But… have you ever been outside the territory before?”
“No.”
“The North is far more dangerous than you imagine. The first thing a person learns in those snowfields is how weak they truly are.”
“…….”
Coming from no one else but Grand Duke Blake himself, the weight of those words felt entirely different.
I swallowed dryly. Then, looking straight into his eyes, I spoke.
“Then, Your Highness just has to protect me.”
Protect me, Kyle. Then I’ll protect you, too.
You won’t understand, but our survival isn’t separate from each other.
Kyle whispered lowly.
“Do you trust me?”
“Isn’t it natural for the people of this land to trust their ruler?”
“So,” he said with a mischievous smirk, “I’m asking if that applies to you as well.”
Sly bastard. Acting like he didn’t already know my answer.
I narrowed my eyes at him in mock annoyance.
“Of course.”
“Good. Then I’ll protect you. No matter what happens, you’ll be safe. But… do you know how to ride?”
“Ah.”
…Would you believe me if I said yes?
Other kids at least got to ride ponies on school trips to Jeju Island, but I was stuck at school doing overdue assignments.
Before I could even respond, he continued.
“Then again, your injuries probably haven’t fully healed, so riding on your own would be difficult.”
Thankfully, he didn’t say he’d leave me behind.
Wait, you’re not thinking of letting me ride in front of you, are you?
No, right?
You said there were more new knights than usual. A whole batch of recruits. A large-scale mission.
…Should I have kept my mouth shut?
Ignoring the shiver crawling down my spine, I forced my lips into a strained smile.
“…I am deeply moved by your consideration.”
When I get back, I swear I’m learning how to ride a horse.