The Northern Grand Duke’s Hamster

“This reconnaissance mission will cover a greater distance than usual. Recently, some unknown beasts have appeared, so we must be even more cautious.”

“Yes! Understood!”

The knights responded in unison, their voices so loud that even I, lounging in the sawdust and basking under the lamp’s warm glow, could hear them.

I picked at my ear and rolled over toward the door.

‘Reconnaissance, huh? Has it already been that long?’

It had been roughly a month since the last time I went with them. Given that, it made sense for another scouting mission to be due.

—Squeak squeak. Squeak. (But why didn’t anyone tell me they were going?)

Rubbing my stomach, now full from devouring almonds, macadamias, and the strawberries Kyle had brought, I sat up straight. I felt slightly—just slightly—heavier than before, making it a bit harder to breathe.

Still, I couldn’t let them go alone. It was too risky. If something were to go wrong, it was better for it to happen in front of me. That way, I could at least do something about it.

I scurried to a corner of my enclosure and was just about to activate Reload when—

“Wait.”

Kyle opened the door and entered the study.

I quickly withdrew my hand from the system window and slid back to the center of my hamster house.

“Cashew Nut.”

Kyle called my name with a gentle voice. Acting nonchalant, I lazily sprawled onto my side, gesturing as if to say, Oh, you’re here?

Without hesitation, he picked me up and showered me with kisses.

—Squeak… (Of course…)

This bastard wouldn’t be Kyle Blake if he didn’t pull some ridiculous stunt before leaving.

With an enlightened expression, I endured his excessive affection and waved him off when he bid farewell. Just go already. Hurry up.

Kyle lingered by the door, glancing back at me twice before finally leaving the study. The moment he was gone, I activated Reload, scrambling to pull on my clothes.

Seriously, at this point, shouldn’t there be a function to automatically dress me? This is so damn inefficient!

[(´。＿。｀)]

…It’s not your fault. I know that. I’m just venting.

After soothing the sulking system, I quickly strode down the hallway. Greeting passing servants carrying laundry piles and brooms, I made my way toward the castle gates.

As I pushed open the tightly shut doors, a blinding light flooded in, so bright it stung my eyes. Feeling the cool air wrap around me, I stepped outside.

Alright, Kyle. Take me with you. Witness the perfection of my impeccable timing.

“Your Highness! …Huh?”

I blinked, staring dumbfounded at the empty space in front of the castle.

They were gone.

Nothing. No one.

This was the main entrance, right? This was where they should have gathered and set off toward the mountains.

Frantically, I searched the area, scanning the flower beds, bushes, and even the pillars—but there weren’t even footprints left behind.

“Where the hell did they go?!”

Just as I was yelling at the sky in frustration, a passing servant flinched and hesitantly spoke up.

“P-Prince Kyle… left through the back gate.”

“…What?”

“He said someone reckless might try to follow him…”

I stared at the servant, dumbfounded. He awkwardly avoided my gaze, then quickly bowed his head and scurried away.

So, in other words…

“They deliberately avoided me?”

I stood there in disbelief, then slowly turned back inside, thinking hard. There were no beast researchers residing in the castle, so why would they exclude me from the reconnaissance mission?

Actually, I didn’t need to think about it for long. The answer was obvious.

It was because I had fallen off that cliff.

Kyle had promised to protect me, yet he had to watch as I slipped away right before his eyes. Of course, it must have been a shock. He must have spent countless nights worrying—What if it happens again? What if I can’t catch them this time?

Even so, you idiot.

“If you want to protect someone, you should keep them close.”

As I trudged through the halls, an inexplicable sense of loneliness crept in. Had I gotten too used to being with Kyle?

After wandering aimlessly for a while, I ended up in the kitchen, where I managed to score two freshly made sandwiches. I also helped myself to the scones and cookies they offered as dessert, washing everything down with tea before finally returning to my room.

Deactivating Reload, I flopped onto my back and stared blankly at the dim ceiling of the study.

—Squeak. (Sigh…)

There was no time to dwell on emotions. I had spent all that time thinking about Kyle while roaming the castle, but now my body felt even heavier than before.

‘…Wait. Why do I feel so sluggish?’

Groaning, I tried to roll over. But my body refused to budge, and it wasn’t until I pressed my paws against the floor that I managed to sit up.

—Squeak squeak. (…Did I gain a lot of weight?)

I couldn’t deny it anymore. At this rate, I was bound to become an overweight hamster, doomed to eat nothing but lettuce and chicory.

A sudden sense of crisis hit me as I sluggishly trudged toward my exercise wheel. I had sworn never to touch this monstrosity again, but…

Fine. Time to go on a diet.

I’d make sure Kyle was absolutely stunned when he got back.

***

A typical reconnaissance mission takes four to five days. Since they were traveling farther this time, it would likely take about a week. And today marked the seventh day.

In the meantime, I had kept myself busy, both as a human and as a hamster.

As a hamster, I ran tirelessly on my exercise wheel, tormenting my soft belly fat. As a human, I racked my brain to come up with ways to fill the gaps in Blake’s territory.

I decided that the quilted clothes I had made earlier should be distributed to the territory’s residents as well, so we started mass production. The knights who had remained in the castle spent their days busily hunting to gather materials.

Of course, I also helped with the sewing while teaching the kitchen staff various nutritious recipes. The best dish, by far, was the fish-type magic beast.

Conveniently, there was a perpetually frozen pond south of Blake Castle. We used it for ice fishing and hunting, catching every last one of those magic fish.

We all gathered around a bonfire and indulged in a frenzied feast.

The magic fish, evenly coated with spices and sauce and grilled to perfection, was more delicious than any seafood I had ever tasted.

As a result, the marketplace now had a stall selling grilled magic fish so delicious that two people could eat it and both drop dead in bliss. It was a win-win situation. Supposedly, if the magic fish population grew too large, they would start emerging from beneath the ice, so it all worked out.

Either way, I had been incredibly busy. Thanks to that, my Miracle percentage had risen to 24%. Considering Kyle wasn’t even around, this was a significant achievement.

Which meant—

‘It’s proof that the people here have accepted me.’

Of course, part of it was thanks to the ‘passive effect’ that increased favorability among Northerners.

As I walked through the castle halls, the servants greeted me warmly, and the knights sought me out with the beasts they had captured. When I stopped by the dining hall, I was gifted freshly baked bread and cookies. Just yesterday, the youngest servant in the castle personally made me a tart.

‘…It’s still a little awkward.’

But I didn’t dislike it.

Clearing my throat, I glanced at the clock. The ticking hands had just passed noon.

—Squeak squeak. Squeak squeak squeak. (Kyle, when is that bastard coming back? The weather’s good, so there’s no reason for him to be delayed.)

Muttering to myself, I was suddenly met with a sparkling system window in front of me.

[(❤´艸｀❤)]

No. Don’t look at me like a devoted wife waiting for her husband’s return. It’s not that kind of romantic relationship.

I kicked at the system window in protest, but it simply moved aside and reappeared on the opposite side, blinking teasingly.

‘Oh, so that’s how it is?’

Recalling that inhumane whack-a-mole game, I went all out kicking at the system window. I was so absorbed in my efforts that I completely failed to notice the sound of the study door opening.

“You even know how to dance, I see.”

A warm, amused voice spoke above my head.

I froze and looked up.

Kyle stood there, looking down at me, his appearance completely disheveled.

“I’m sorry for being away so long. I rushed back because I was worried, but perhaps I should have cleaned up first. My hands are too filthy to even pick you up.”

Kyle muttered, staring at his own hands, which were caked with dirt and dried blood. My eyes instinctively followed his gaze, and—

—Squeak-squeaaak!! (What the hell happened to your hands?!)

Pressing myself against the invisible barrier, I squeaked furiously at him.

Kyle, misinterpreting my outburst as a delighted greeting after our time apart, gazed at me with eyes brimming with honey before promptly saying he’d be back soon and leaving the study.

Clutching my chest in frustration, I immediately activated Reload.

Good thing I had saved it for today. No way in hell I was letting this slide. I had to check with my own eyes if he was hurt anywhere. That body of his—I cherished it too much to let any injuries slide.

***

“Guess this should do.”

After loitering in front of Kyle’s room for a moment, I knocked lightly.

“Come in.”

Pushing open the door, I found Kyle inside, wearing only a loosely draped robe while towel-drying his hair.

I quickly scanned him from head to toe.

Arms—no visible injuries. Legs—both intact. Chest—no scratches. Good. He was just filthy, nothing more.

Letting out a sigh of relief, I briskly walked up to him.

“You took quite a while this time.”

“We traveled farther to confirm the presence of an unusually strong magic beast.”

“And you didn’t even ask me to come along.”

“There’s no need for you to join every reconnaissance. Weren’t you busy?”

Crossing my arms, I looked up at him. His crimson eyes held a look that said that’s all there is to it, but he couldn’t fool me. No one knew him better than I did.

“…You weren’t afraid I’d die?”

“……”

Kyle looked at me in silence, which was as good as an admission.

Reaching out, I gently grasped the ends of the towel covering his hair and tugged. He could have resisted, but instead, he obediently lowered his head, closing the distance between us.

“Teach me archery tomorrow. I pick up skills pretty quickly, so I promise it’ll be worth your time.”

“……”

Kyle’s brows furrowed slightly before he exhaled a short sigh, his expression softening.

After a week apart, the arms I had longed for wrapped securely around my waist, and I leaned into his embrace without resistance.

His familiar scent filled my senses, and only then did I truly feel at ease.

Letting go of the towel, I wrapped my arms around his neck.

As he murmured his agreement to teach me and welcomed me back, I smiled in contentment.