MTLNOVEL 22
“I still don’t know what to do.”
Sen let out a deep sigh.
“His Highness Belial is kinder than I thought. If I go to the Imperial Capital with him, he said he’d take care of things so I wouldn’t feel out of place.”
I stopped mid-bite into my sandwich and scoffed.
‘Take care of things, my ass.’
Does she not realize that meddling like that would only make her stand out even more? Like a prince has the time to look after a mere maid? Unless they were getting married or something.
“What’s there to worry about? If it’s Prince Kyle, I think he’d genuinely want you to do well.”
Even though my response was somewhat indifferent, Sen clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at me in admiration.
Avoiding her gaze, I took a firm bite of my fried ham and cheese sandwich.
“I made up my mind to go, but… I’m afraid I won’t be able to accomplish what I want.”
As I licked the breadcrumbs off my fingers, I glanced at her. Her goal was revenge. Why wouldn’t she be able to go through with it? Because she lacked power?
But from the look on her face, it wasn’t just the thorny path ahead that troubled her. It seemed like she was feeling a more fundamental sense of uncertainty…
Between my laziness and curiosity, the latter won out. I decided to humor her.
“Why wouldn’t you be able to? You’re smart and capable. Struggling because you lack power is only temporary. From what I know of you, you’d find a way to succeed no matter where you are.”
Yeah. I hadn’t known her for long, but I could tell at least that much.
Sen was the kind of person who, when told, ‘This is your limit,’ would break past that boundary just to prove them wrong.
I could sense her determination—her resolve to live, to ensure that no one could trample on her worth.
That was why, even when I put down this story after skimming through it once Kyle was dead, I didn’t feel uneasy about leaving it behind.
Even if no one was watching, Sen would do everything within her power. Instead of wasting time looking back in regret, she would push forward, step by step, until she finally grasped what she desired.
If The Heart of Winter had been a fairy tale, it would have been nice. And they all lived happily ever after. Everyone deserves a happy ending, don’t they? You, me, and even Kyle.
At that moment, a scene from the original story surfaced in my mind.
[“Your Highness Belial, is this fate? That someone who so closely resembles the late emperor and someone like me, who takes after my mother, would be so cruelly entangled like this… Tell me, is this fate? Coincidence? Or… ill fate?”]
At first, I didn’t understand why this particular line was being highlighted.
Why was I suddenly being shown something Sen had said to Belial?
But I knew one thing for certain—the system never displayed anything without reason. Even the smallest detail had meaning. No matter how trivial, there had to be a reason behind it.
[(´▽`ʃ♡ƪ)]
No, not the emoji. That thing was usually useless.
[(´。＿。｀)]
I swiped the emoji away and carefully reread the sentence the system had just shown me.
‘Fate, coincidence, ill fate…’
Human relationships can’t be neatly categorized like that. That must be why Belial never gave an answer. If that wasn’t the important part, then…
Ah. Sen takes after her mother.
“Sen.”
I kept my voice as calm as possible.
“You said you wanted to avenge your mother?”
“Yeah. She was originally from a baron’s family, though they eventually fell from grace. She was even a candidate for the title of ‘Serena.’ But… you know how it is. In noble conflicts, the real instigator is never clear. Maybe they all knew but turned a blind eye for the sake of power…”
Ah. Now I understand.
My voice carried certainty as I spoke.
“Then go.”
“Huh?”
“If you go, you’ll find out. Who your enemies are. Who wants to erase you. Watch carefully and don’t miss anything.”
Sen’s enemies would recognize her without fail. Because she looked exactly like her mother.
They would see her and try to erase her existence from the Imperial Capital—just like they did to her mother.
And judging from what Sen had said, one of those enemies was likely Belial’s mother, the former Serena and empress.
“Would that really be enough?”
“Yeah. And…”
If she was going to confront Belial’s mother, then she absolutely needed to go with Belial.
The perfect first step toward revenge was to return something they thought they had completely crushed—to stand before them after countless seasons and make them experience that shock firsthand.
“Hold onto Belial.”
No matter what that emotion turned out to be, it didn’t matter.
Belial Serena Meinhardt. He would be the key to Serena.
Sen seemed to be deep in thought, processing my words. I hadn’t given a particularly detailed explanation, but at the very least, I had conveyed my conviction.
And soon, she seemed to decide to trust me.
Despite how suspicious I must have seemed, she nodded without hesitation. A rather bold response.
“Alright. I’ll do that.”
“You hate the cold, so this works out well for you.”
Then I suppose I wouldn’t be seeing Sen for a while.
The next time we met, she might have already become ‘Serena.’ Whether it was by the flow of the original story… or by her own will.
I instinctively realized—it was time for me to step out of Sen’s life. I had changed her fate enough.
“Take care. Don’t get sick.”
“Shu.”
Sen gazed at me quietly.
“One day, if you ever need help, I’ll be there for you.”
Caught off guard, I found myself nodding. “Yeah.”
It felt strange. It had been so long since someone had told me they would help me that the words sounded almost foreign, like a language I couldn’t understand. Ever since my uncle ran off with the insurance money, I hadn’t trusted anyone.
“Fine. Just don’t back out when the time comes.”
I smiled at her.
And I prayed—may a happy ending find you, whether by fate or by miracle.
[Sen’s probability of identifying the correct target for revenge has increased!]
[Threats to Kyle Blake’s life have decreased.]
[Current Miracle Value: 23.0%]
If saving someone’s life could be enough to make everything right, that would truly be a miraculous world.
***
Being a hamster really is the easy life. No worries about food, plenty of time to myself—at least when Kyle isn’t around.
Now that I had earned some Miracle Points… Well, not much was available since they were permanently decreasing, but I should at least check what’s there. You never know when something might come in handy.
Something like that Long-Lasting Acorn Cookie from before—an unexpected game-changer in the right situation.
Alright, let’s see…
Show me everything you’ve got.
[(⊙ˍ⊙);;;]
What? Never seen a nut bandit before?
Hand it over. No, everything. I’m out here doing good deeds, you know. Let’s make this easy for both of us.
***
‘Right, they said something about a renewal update, didn’t they?’
There was a second page now. I hadn’t seen it before. Kyle wasn’t back yet, so I had time to take a look.
[☆: .｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:☆]
[!Nut Store!]
Yeah, yeah, good job.
[Click-Clack Pistachio Shells | Costs 2% Miracle Value | A one-time-use master key. Unlocks any lock!]
[Seamless Almond Tart | Costs 5% Miracle Value | Transforms you into someone else for one hour.]
Wow.
Expensive, but useful. The time limit was a bit of a drawback, but I was already a genius hamster—no, human—who could fully utilize even the shortest Reload.
As I tried to flip through more pages, a new system window popped up.
[NOW LOADING……]
‘…You didn’t finish making it yet?’
Well, game development isn’t easy. Take your time.
I was skimming through the interface when I noticed a new heart-shaped button in the corner.
‘What’s this? Another shop?’
[Love-Love Corner~❤]
…Ah.
If only I could punch the system once before I maxed out my Miracle Points. Holding back my frustration, I clicked on the Love-Love Corner or whatever it was.
[Fluffy Hamster Yarn! | ❤×1]
[Tiny and Precious Knitting Needle Set | ❤×1]
[Make It Yourself! 79 Hamster Outfit Patterns | ❤×2]
[Loneliness Cure Replica Hamster (Duration: 30 minutes) | ❤×100]
This time, the currency wasn’t Miracle Points.
‘Hearts? What are these?’
[Current Balance | ❤×312]
[Items purchased from the ‘Love-Love Corner’ are recognized as ‘items’! Customizable to your needs!]
Why do I have so many!? I never collected these!
‘Wait… don’t tell me…’
***
Life…
I stared at Kyle, my expression like a moldy tangerine rotting in the corner. Meanwhile, he was utterly delighted, gripping the strings of a swing he had set up.
“You’re quite good at this, Cashew Nut.”
His face was beaming with satisfaction.
I sat on a tiny wooden swing, the seat perfectly molded to fit my hamster butt, holding onto two strings as I swayed back and forth, completely limp.
Kyle had brought me a swing.
Who the hell bought this? Sen? Sen, was this you? I helped you, and you repay me like this?
[||ㄱ―||]
I know. I know exactly what my face looks like right now. You know it, I know it—he’s the only one who doesn’t.
Kyle, unaware, continued to push the swing, making enthusiastic comments.
“That’s right. Stretch your legs a bit more. Are you gripping the ropes now? You must like it after all.”
—Creak. (Stop. Now.)
“Sen said you’d enjoy it. You were such an energetic little thing, running on your wheel all day long.”
—Creak… (Bullshit…)
Sn. Tzuk… Jntz…
It wasn’t like this was going to make me lose weight or magically generate a mana core in my heart, but Kyle seemed overjoyed just seeing me sit obediently in the swing. The soft smile on his face was nothing short of genuine happiness.
“A magician, a veterinarian, and even a beast scholar. Do you even realize how much effort I’m putting into taking care of you?”
I let out a long sigh and wiggled my butt slightly. The swing creaked and started moving a bit faster.
Kyle’s face lit up in excitement, and he let go of the ropes.
Taking it as my cue, I gripped the support beam and pushed myself up, rocking my body in exaggerated, dramatic motions.
The wooden swing swung wildly with a cheerful creak-creak sound. As I even wiggled my hips in rhythm, Kyle clapped his hands in awe, deeply moved.
Sigh… Entertaining this guy is exhausting.
[Current Balance | ❤×320]
…Fine. As long as you’re happy.