The Northern Grand Duke’s Hamster

As soon as I arrived in town, I stopped by a merchant guild to properly package my belongings and money before sending them near the Imperial Capital.

I wanted to pay extra to have one of the guild workers personally deliver them to me, but if I happened to run into Kyle in the process, it would be too much of a hassle. So, I chose the next best option.

[The Castanets Merchant Guild handles the transportation of goods between locations. Please retrieve your items at your designated location!]

Thanks to the system’s guidance, I wouldn’t lose the money Kyle had taken the trouble to prepare for me. Just by looking at it, I could tell it wasn’t a small amount. It would be a waste to carelessly lose something earned with such difficulty.

‘By the way, I didn’t know merchant guilds handled this kind of service too.’

It was practically a delivery service.

As I kept myself busy running around, the time limit for “Reload” was about to end. Being here once again made me realize just how valuable time really was.

—Click.

At that moment, the time for the replica hamster ran out as well. I watched another Cashew Nut disappear like melting snow, and exhaustion washed over me. Without even realizing it, I collapsed into sleep.

How much time had passed after that?

When I opened my eyes, I was inside a rattling carriage. It was dark around me, so I assumed a black cloth had been draped over the space…

—Sluurp. (Ugh.)

Motion sickness.

As I pressed my hand against the wall and gagged, what I thought was a black cloth suddenly moved. It turned out Kyle had been sitting inside the carriage, holding the hamster house in his arms.

“Are you alright, Cashew Nut?”

—Squeeeak… (Do I look alright…?)

“You get motion sickness too? You seemed fine when that guy was holding you. Well, in any case, you’re really just like Shu.”

What could I say? The one inside was the same person, after all.

Kyle reached a hand into the hamster house.

No matter how I looked at it, this was better than staying inside a hard container. Without hesitation, I climbed onto his palm.

His hand was covered in calluses, but since he cupped me gently with both hands, it was warm and comfortable.

‘This is much better.’

I curled up into a ball and closed my eyes.

The busy Grand Duke couldn’t possibly hold a hamster the entire way to the Imperial Capital, so I needed to get as much rest as I could while I was in his palm.

Clatter, clatter.

The carriage rocked as we traveled from the North to the South, from winter into spring.

***

By the time we reached the Imperial Capital, I had miraculously accumulated nearly 30% of my Miracle Value.

—Squeak. (Is this really okay?)

“Don’t worry too much, Cashew Nut. If those bastards value their lives, they won’t resort to banditry again.”

—Squeak. (I suppose.)

Here’s what happened.

On our way to the Imperial Capital, we passed through several villages, but one in particular had an unsettling atmosphere.

After sending out soldiers to investigate, we discovered that bandits had been frequently raiding the village, causing havoc and stealing goods.

Unfortunately, the village was a small, impoverished settlement between territories, and no one had the resources to help them. To make matters worse, as the villagers ran out of things worth stealing, the bandits became even more violent.

Given the situation, it was only natural that the villagers had grown wary of outsiders.

They didn’t have enough food to share, and if they sought help from strangers, the bandits would find an excuse to make things even worse.

Then Kyle, upon learning about the situation, resolved everything in an instant—directly and decisively.

With his fists.

“This is the fastest route to the Imperial Capital. If Shu were to come down this way and run into trouble, I wouldn’t be able to stand it.”

—Squeak. (I’m right here, you know.)

Literally. Kyle took down the entire bandit gang that had been terrorizing the village—just with his fists.

The bandits, beaten to the brink of death, surrendered all the stolen goods and fled to the mountains.

When Kyle threatened to show no mercy if they ever returned, they grovelled and cowered pitifully.

Unfortunately, I had been inside the hamster house, so I only heard about it later.

Well, at least he didn’t kill them. Honestly, those guys had committed not just theft but also murder. Would anyone have blamed him if he had killed them?

“They seem to think I helped them.”

—Squeak. (They’re free to believe whatever they want.)

He still seemed worried, even after stuffing my pockets with money. Well, I suppose anyone would be concerned if thieves were crawling around everywhere.

Either way, it was a good outcome for everyone.

The villagers were safe, Kyle had one less thing to worry about, and I—thanks to this unexpected event, which wasn’t even in the original story—gained more Miracle Value.

I hadn’t realized it before, but Kyle Jane Meinhardt was quite the figure of fear outside Blake’s territory.

I didn’t know what kind of trouble he had caused when he was exiled from the Imperial Capital and sent to the North, but after this incident, fear turned into awe, and rumors about him began to spread.

Considering that, it was no surprise my Miracle Value had shot up.

Moreover, every time we stopped at an inn, Kyle meticulously gathered hamster food. Because of this, a new rumor began circulating—that he was a warm and righteous man who cared deeply for small animals and the poor.

“The weather has warmed up quite a bit. Get some fresh air.”

Kyle swung the carriage window wide open. Pressing myself against the bars of the hamster house, I sniffed at the air.

As we traveled further south, the wind grew warmer. By the time we neared the Imperial Capital, it carried the scent of blooming flowers. I had heard that spring arrived quickly in the Meinhardt Empire, and sure enough, even though it was only March, the flowers were already in full bloom.

An engagement in the season of blossoms—how fitting.

Though, given my partner, there wasn’t much romantic about it.

“Are you bored?”

Kyle suddenly asked in a gentle tone. I immediately delivered a firm kick to the lips of the bastard who looked like he was about to kiss me.

Of course, I was bored! I hadn’t been able to use “Reload” for days now, and I was stuck living as a hamster. At this rate, I’d end up forgetting I was ever human!

“You were quiet the whole time when that guy was holding you, but now you’re whining…”

Whining? Don’t go attaching such cutesy words to me. Do you even know how old I am?

“Don’t worry too much. He should be here in a few days. Five days? No, he’s a diligent one—maybe four.”

Even if I played along with Kyle’s optimistic estimate and assumed three days… that still meant I had to endure this damned, 100% pure rodent life for three more days.

‘…I’m so sick of this.’

Just as I was in the middle of grumbling to myself, the carriage gradually came to a stop. We had finally arrived at our long-awaited destination.

Stretching my neck, I peered outside.

A wide road, spacious enough for multiple carriages to pass through with ease, was lined with pristine white bricks. Alongside it, gardens filled with blooming spring flowers stretched out beautifully.

There were street lamps and decorative structures here and there, glimmering obnoxiously in the sunlight—probably covered in gold leaf.

‘As expected of the Imperial Capital.’

Extravagant. Absurdly extravagant.

But among all the dazzling sights, the most eye-catching was the Imperial Palace itself. It was so grand and luxurious that it put any fairy-tale castle I had ever seen to shame.

The Blake estate was by no means small, yet the sheer majesty of the Imperial Palace was on another level.

‘It’s too far to properly take in the view from here.’

I wanted out.

Grabbing onto Kyle’s fingers with both hands, I clung to them tightly. Don’t put me back in the hamster house. Carry me in your palm instead. My dignity might take a hit, but… I was suffocating in there!

“Alright. Let’s go together.”

Kyle, looking utterly smitten, gently cupped me in his hands.

Fortunately, since there were many people waiting outside, he refrained from kissing or hugging me. Instead, he carefully placed me into the front pocket of his coat.

With only my head poking out, I surveyed my surroundings.

“Welcome, Grand Duke Blake.”

Sen was standing at the entrance, leading a group of maids.

She had always given off a neat and composed impression, but dressed in an elegantly simple gown, she truly looked like a noble lady.

Her brown hair was pulled up in a high bun, and as she lifted the hem of her skirt and bowed, Kyle responded with a slight nod.

“Thank you for the warm welcome.”

“It’s been a while, Your Highness.”

“Indeed.”

Kyle’s expression softened noticeably.

“Have you been well?”

Sen smiled faintly and replied,

“Is there anyone in the Imperial Capital who isn’t doing well? Everything here is abundant.”

Her voice was composed—too composed. Rather than warmth, there was a subtle chill in her words.

Kyle, as if he understood, simply shrugged instead of responding. Perhaps it was because he himself had been exiled to the freezing North after failing to do well in the capital.

“Hmm. More than you’d think.”

Sen’s eyes widened slightly before she quickly covered her mouth, realizing her slip.

“I’m sorry.”

“You did nothing wrong.”

A brief silence followed. Sen lightly rubbed the back of her neck with her fingertips before noticing me. Then, finally, she smiled in the way I remembered.

“Cashew Nut came along as well?”

“It seemed necessary to have him examined by the Imperial magicians and mana scholars.”

“Oh my, is he unwell?”

“No, he’s fine.”

“That’s a relief. What about Shu?”

She glanced around. Naturally, she assumed I had come along, but when she saw that I wasn’t among the people unloading the carriage, she looked a little disappointed.

“He stopped by his hometown first. He should arrive in a few days. It would be best to prepare a room for him next to mine.”

“I already arranged that. We still need to set up a place for Cashew Nut, but it should be ready by tomorrow, so don’t worry.”

“Good. I’ll leave it to you.”

With that, Sen turned gracefully and began leading the way into the palace.

She handled everything—from showing us our rooms to instructing the maids—with impressive efficiency. The maids, for their part, didn’t seem intimidated by her at all.

‘She adapted quickly.’

Well, she was smart enough to pull it off.

After parting ways with Sen, we entered our assigned rooms.

The lavish furnishings and open view were a stark contrast to the North. Maybe I had gotten too used to the North, but it felt as if I had stepped into an entirely different world.

Everything was more refined and intricately designed. It was impressive, really. Even the sight of a snowless landscape outside the window felt strangely unfamiliar.

“You must be exhausted from the journey. Eat this first.”

Kyle gently set me down on a neatly folded handkerchief before rummaging through his bag.

Sunflower seeds, roasted peanuts, dried pollack cubes, shredded duck meat… Wait, did he seriously bring all this?

As I nibbled on various things, his fingers moved to stroke my forehead and back.

It was overwhelming, you bastard.

And yet, it was terrifying how easy it was to grow accustomed to it. I didn’t feel the urge to refuse anymore. Somehow, the affection he expressed so earnestly had started to feel natural.

After I had eaten my fill, I blankly stared up at him. Then, without warning, Kyle lifted me into the air and planted five kisses on my forehead before finally setting me down in the very center of the bed.

“Sleep here tonight. By morning, everything you need will be prepared.”

—Squeak. (I don’t mind, I’m a bed kind of hamster.)

Should I ask for a hamster-sized bed? There was no reason for me to use such a ridiculously large bed alone. Something about the size of a palm would be just right…

‘Wait a second.’

Why was I using this bed alone?

Clank.

Kyle unfastened the sword strapped to his back and held it close. The sound of his armor shifting followed, and then… he sat on the bed, sword in his arms, and leaned against the headboard.

Was he seriously going to sleep like that?

“Good night.”

He spoke quietly and closed his eyes.

—…

I stared at him in silence, feeling a complicated mix of emotions.

I understood.

Kyle didn’t trust anyone here. This was the place that had driven his mother to a miserable death and exiled him, a child, to the frozen North. It wasn’t just that his life had been targeted—he had likely come close to death countless times.

Even though he was no longer weak, even though no one could treat him lightly anymore, he still couldn’t bring himself to lower his guard.

Memories branded into the mind linger far longer than people realize. No matter how much one believes they’ve overcome them, they resurface without warning. I knew that all too well—tiredly, endlessly.

‘…I want to come back soon.’

Not as Cashew Nut. As Shu.

I wanted to be by his side, not as a tiny creature but as myself. To make sure that in this vast and hollow Imperial Palace, he never felt alone.

I watched Kyle’s cold, rigid, and lonely-looking face for a long time before finally closing my eyes.

Praying that time would pass just a little faster.