MTLNOVEL 30
“Cashew Nut, hold still for a moment.”
So, it’s finally happening.
As I lay on the sawdust, basking under the glow of the lamp like I was sunbathing, my body was effortlessly lifted into Kyle’s rough hands.
He held me more carefully than usual and began measuring my arms, legs, and torso with what looked like a borrowed measuring tape.
—Click. (Ehuu.)
Sprawled out like a starfish, I watched Kyle engrossed in his task. He had bandages wrapped all over his hands and arms, yet the moment he got a day off, this was how he spent it.
Just take a break. Lie down and rest for once.
I buried myself into the yarn and lazily glanced at the book Kyle had spread open: Make It Yourself! 79 Hamster Outfits.
Nope. I shut my eyes tight.
The outfit Kyle had chosen to make was a pink cape embroidered with a giant strawberry on the back.
I turned my head away, desperately trying to ignore the situation.
I should never have given it to him. Or at the very least, I should have checked it before handing it over.
At the time, I was completely fooled by the viral marketing that read, [Soft and Fluffy! Hamster Yarn Clothes Can Be Stored in Your Inventory!] and bought it on impulse. That was a mistake.
[d=====(￣▽￣*)b]
What the hell are you so happy about?
I kicked at the system window in frustration. Seeing me picking a fight with empty air, Kyle paused for a moment before gently stroking my fur.
“Even if you’re bored, just be patient for a bit. I’ll be done soon.”
Then, he handed me an almond.
I let out a deep sigh and rolled onto my side, munching on the almond as I watched Kyle.
‘Well, it’s already come to this. What can I do now?’
According to the system, once I use Reload to return to human form, the clothes will automatically resize to fit me.
In any case, it’s better to have a cape to throw on than to be completely naked in an emergency.
The problem is, Kyle’s hands are absolute garbage when it comes to crafts.
‘…Is that even clothing? It looks like a rag.’
I stared grimly at the scouring pad he was making. It would probably work great for washing dishes. But as clothing? Not a chance.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door, followed by a knight’s voice from outside.
“I’m coming in.”
“No. Do not enter.”
Kyle’s hands slipped slightly as his voice rose in alarm. The massive door creaked open slightly before immediately slamming shut again.
“…Are you busy?”
“Unless someone is dying, do not—under any circumstances—enter the study.”
His voice was firm and unwavering.
‘Damn, what’s with the dramatic warning? You’re just knitting hamster clothes.’
Guess even you don’t want your subordinates to see you like this, huh? Right, you’ve got a reputation to uphold…
In any case, the knight outside straightened up and replied sharply, “Yes, sir!” before hurriedly retreating.
That should keep things quiet for a while.
With how sternly he said it, that poor knight is bound to spread the word throughout the castle. Everyone will know that entering the study right now is a death sentence.
Scratching my belly, I opened the system window. Kyle had already returned his focus to knitting.
[Current Affection Level | ❤×14]
His skills were absolute trash, but if it made him happy, then whatever.
‘Your happiness is my happiness, after all.’
As the ball of yarn shrank, his happiness gauge increased little by little.
Feeling relieved, I nestled deeper into the warm, cozy pile of yarn. The soothing warmth made my eyelids grow heavy.
And then, in my blurry vision, the system window flickered open.
[Kyle Jane Meinhardt. Estimated time until death: Approximately 50 days remaining.]
His lifespan, which had been around 15 days, had now stretched to over a month.
I stared blankly at the message before slowly closing my eyes.
There was still a long way to go, but at least this winter would pass.
At least, long enough for us to see spring together in this desolate northern land.
***
When I woke up, I was back inside my hamster house.
I absentmindedly rubbed my cheek, which had been squished flat, and yawned lazily.
Then, I quickly checked my body.
‘Phew…’
Thankfully—or perhaps unfortunately—I wasn’t wearing anything yet.
It had seemed nearly finished before I fell asleep, but I guess it wasn’t wearable after all.
Plopping onto my perfectly fitted hammock, I sighed in relief.
‘Now the real problem is my miracle gauge…’
Opening the system window, I checked my remaining miracle points.
[Current Miracle Gauge: 19.0%]
‘You really drained it dry, huh?’
I let out a deep sigh.
This much miracle energy would only let me use Reload for an hour at most. I needed at least two hours to move around comfortably… How the hell did I even manage when I only had 30 minutes? Guess it’s true what they say—frogs forget what it’s like to be a tadpole.
[=3 =3 =3]
I know. I know. Back then, all I did was run.
The first time, I wore Kyle’s shirt; the second time, a maid outfit. The shirt, at least, went unnoticed. But the maid outfit? The servants saw it. Kyle saw it. And thanks to one stupid mistake, I was labeled a perverted pet…
—……
The memory hit me so hard I found myself staring blankly at the ceiling.
Thinking back, maybe Kyle’s pathetic excuse for clothing wasn’t that bad. Sure, I had no idea where my arms were supposed to go. And yeah, if I put my head through the wrong hole, I might suffocate…
…No, it’s definitely not okay.
Shaking my head to banish the thought, I focused on the real issue.
—Click! (My miracle gauge!)
That was the problem!
[＼（〇_ｏ）／]
Ignoring the system’s shocked emoji, I hopped off the hammock and wandered around my hamster house, deep in thought.
Was a “miracle” really just about saving someone from death?
I had been so fixated on extending Kyle’s lifespan that I hadn’t noticed—but when I helped strengthen his bond with Sen, my miracle gauge had increased a little.
In other words, as long as I nudged the future toward a better outcome, it counted as a miracle.
Makes sense. If all events from life to death are “destiny,” then leading a better life also means altering fate.
I flopped onto the stuffed toy Kyle had placed in my house.
[(:з)∠)]
No matter how much I thought about it, I wasn’t coming up with a solid answer.
In times like these, there was only one magic phrase to rely on: Tomorrow’s problems are for tomorrow’s me to deal with.
Even if I didn’t have a solution right now, struggling through life usually led to something. The ones who failed to find a way simply crumbled—just like the people of this land.
In Heart of Winter, Blake Territory slowly declined after Kyle’s death.
Without a leader, the untamed monsters in the region moved south, terrifying the already shaken people into fleeing. Supplies ran dry, and soon, the land became an uninhabitable wasteland.
I remembered a passage I skimmed from the latter part of the novel—what was it again? Ah, right…
[A ruined fortress haunted by frost wraiths. The people called the frozen castle by that name.]
Yes. The Ruined Castle of Frost Wraiths.
Lifting my head, I scanned the neatly maintained windows and the faint but comforting warmth of the interior.
Everywhere I looked, I could feel the care of those who cherished this castle.
Now that I thought about it, Sen and the maids who worked with her genuinely seemed to enjoy being here.
Kyle wasn’t a harsh ruler, and for some reason, the maids and knights all treated each other like a real family—perhaps even closer than blood relatives.
That’s why I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
If I failed to save Kyle… what would happen to these people?
“Sigh…”
Scratching the back of my head, I wandered down the hallway.
Maybe I’d grown attached after spending so much time here, but I hoped the people of Blake Territory would learn to survive winter without relying solely on Kyle.
Even if their leader fell, they shouldn’t crumble.
Of course, I had no intention of letting Kyle die. I would save him no matter what.
“Oh, man. That took way too long.”
“Hunting flying beasts is always a pain.”
While lost in thought, I nearly bumped into a group of soldiers carrying a bird-like creature.
“Oh! Beast Scholar! Are you feeling alright?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah! I’m completely fine.”
“I heard you made it back safely… Wow, I still can’t believe you survived that fall off the cliff.”
I blinked at them in confusion.
Covered in dust, they were hard to recognize at first—but looking closer, I realized they were the rookie knights who had gone on reconnaissance with me before.
“Where are you coming from?” I asked.
“We went hunting for beasts. They weren’t dangerous ones, but they’re considered quite a delicacy in town…”
One of the knights held up the creature for me to see.
White feathers, a plump body.
‘Hmm.’
So basically… it was a duck.
No matter how I looked at it, it was just a very well-fed duck.
Wait. Duck?
“Hold on, hold on. What are you planning to do with that?”
“Huh? Well… we were thinking of roasting or frying it?”
Roasting? Frying? Not boiling it into a hot, nourishing soup?
Now that I thought about it, Northern cuisine was almost entirely grilled or fried.
It tasted good, but overall, it was way too greasy.
Considering how cold Blake Territory was year-round, wouldn’t soup be a much better option? Did they just not have the right recipes?
“Give it to me. I’ll cook it for you.”
“…Huh?”
Dragging the two bewildered knights with me, I headed straight to the kitchen.
After getting permission from the maids, I rolled up my sleeves.
Seven years of living alone—I could cook baeksuk (Korean-style boiled chicken, or in this case, duck) with my eyes closed.
Grabbing a knife, I swiftly chopped off the duck’s head and prepped it for boiling.
For the record, I learned this skill while working part-time.
That shitty boss never even paid minimum wage, but at least I picked up some useful tricks.
Especially how to report wage theft to the labor office.
“Should we throw these away…?”
As I stuffed the duck’s belly with rice, a knight pointed at the pile of feathers he had set aside.
“Throw away these precious duck feathers? Are you Northerners immune to the cold or something? You should use them to make clothes!”
Everyone knows down jackets are the best.
I carefully gathered the feathers into a basket and went to the maids, gesturing wildly to explain.
If they quilted enough of these together, the clothes would be much warmer.
As expected of the experienced maids of Blake Castle, they immediately caught on.
Finding the idea interesting, they quickly gathered in groups, eagerly starting to sew.
Honestly, all the hardships of my past life were turning out to be pretty useful.
Watching them with satisfaction, I was about to relax—
“The water’s boiling! The beast is about to jump out!” a knight shouted.
Panicked, I rushed back into the kitchen.
For some reason, everything felt lively and bustling, like it was a holiday.
The warm, tingling sensation in my chest was strange and unfamiliar.