The Northern Grand Duke’s Hamster

Kyle Jane Meinhardt did not hide his displeasure.

“It’ll be fine. His Highness Belial’s chambers are close to the garden. I’ve also summoned a physician, so Shu will receive proper treatment.”

“…….”

“Are you that worried?”

It was rare for the Grand Duke to reveal his emotions so openly. Usually, his face was unreadable, making it difficult to discern his thoughts. Seeing him so unsettled now was unexpected.

Sitting beside him, Sen offered an awkward smile.

“His Highness Belial… Well, he’s not exactly known for his pleasant personality, but he’s someone who takes responsibility for his words.”

“Right.”

“So, now, will you tell me why you brought me here, Your Highness?”

At last, Kyle, who had been keeping his gaze half-lowered all this time, looked directly at Sen.

They were in the central garden, a place where nobles typically gathered for casual conversations. After Belial had taken Shu away, Kyle had been lost in thought before finally calling for Sen.

With her hands clasped neatly on her lap, she waited for Kyle to speak.

“Belial.”

Kyle’s voice was low.

“Do you love him?”

For a brief moment, their expressionless faces met in silence.

Sen neither denied nor affirmed it. She didn’t even ask why he was asking. Instead, she simply waited for Kyle to continue, as if unwilling to tell a lie but also unwilling to speak the truth, leaving him to interpret her silence however he wished.

“I let you go in the winter. And yet, now that it’s barely spring, I hear news of your engagement.”

“…….”

“It’s a short time to fall in love with someone.”

Sen responded with a slight smile.

“Political marriages between royalty and nobility are common, Your Highness. As you well know.”

“Yes, they are. But you reclaimed your lost name for this arranged marriage, didn’t you?”

The faint smile on Sen’s face vanished. She furrowed her brows and looked at Kyle.

“No, Your Highness. You have it backward. I entered an arranged marriage to reclaim my lost name.”

“For Baron Langde’s revenge?”

“……Yes. His Highness Belial agreed as well. We merely joined hands for our respective revenge. Is that so strange?”

Her voice was sharp, almost biting.

Realizing she had spoken irritably, Sen quickly added in a quieter tone,

“……I apologize, Your Highness.”

“So, you do not love Belial.”

“Neither does he love me.”

“……I see.”

Kyle observed Sen.

Her loosely braided brown curls were adorned with a gold hair ornament, and the satin dress she wore was so expensive that it could be exchanged for several years’ worth of food for a commoner.

Here in the imperial palace, she had only worn the finest garments and eaten the best food. Unlike before, she no longer had to endure arduous labor. No one dared to give her orders anymore.

Regardless of whether she had once been a servant, she was now the fiancée of a prince. Her circumstances were far better than they had been in the North.

And yet, Sen did not look happy.

Her once lively and expressive face had dulled, her mood perpetually shadowed. Even in conversation, she frequently glanced around nervously. At times, she let out quiet sighs or absentmindedly scratched the back of her hand with her neatly trimmed nails.

“I once met Baroness Langde.”

Kyle spoke in a casual tone, though his words carried weight.

Sen’s eyes widened.

“……You met my mother?”

“Yes. I was too young at the time to realize she was the Baroness of Langde. But now I understand why you seemed so familiar to me.”

Because she looked just like her mother. So much so that, even after all these years, seeing Sen had brought forth memories of the woman Kyle barely recalled.

A woman who, despite knowing nothing of court etiquette or imperial rules, had willingly shown him kindness and given him shelter from the rain.

A woman who, despite facing relentless scorn, had regarded Kyle Blake as her own child until the very end.

That woman—Sen’s mother—had been Baroness Langde.

Kyle spoke in an even tone.

“The Baroness seemed unhappy. She once said she hated the political marriage forced upon her. Her words about not wanting to marry the Emperor were spoken in passing, but they stayed with me for a long time. So I told her—whether she loved the Emperor or not, she would still be unhappy.”

“…….”

“My mother looked unhappy too.”

Kyle added calmly, “Serena’s position is one of misery.”

“I know.”

“No, you don’t. You’ve never seen that misery yourself.”

“I don’t care if I end up unhappy. As long as I can have my revenge.”

Sen clenched her teeth as she answered.

“The Duke of Klein’s family wiped out the Baron of Langde’s house. They burned down the estate under a ridiculous pretense and killed my adoptive parents. That incident left me an orphan, forced to wander the streets—just because they wanted their only daughter to become the Empress, to become ‘Serena.'”

“…….”

“I know. My mother was actually happier because she never became Serena. That’s the only reason I even exist today. But that doesn’t erase the injustice of my family’s murder!”

Tears welled up in Sen’s eyes. She spoke in measured syllables, her voice resolute.

“I will make them pay. It’s a different path from the one you’ve chosen, Your Highness.”

“……I see.”

Kyle swallowed the words he had intended to say and simply nodded.

He had wanted to tell her that revenge wasn’t everything. That he had come to realize revenge didn’t bring happiness.

But that was his realization.

People live by different means, and their standards for happiness vary. Sometimes, even knowing happiness was unattainable, there were things that had to be done.

If this was the path Sen had chosen, then Kyle had no right to stop her.

“Your mother was a good person. She was the only one in this palace who treated me with kindness.”

“…….”

“No words could ever fully express how much that meant to me.”

“……I see.”

“I can’t stop you.”

Kyle hesitated before adding,

“……I just hope you find happiness, at the very least.”

Sen turned away, no longer looking at Kyle. As if holding back the tears threatening to spill, she forced herself to push down her emotions and managed a strained smile.

“I’ll try. So, I hope Your Highness finds happiness as well.”

“Sen.”

She abruptly stood up. By the time Kyle looked at her, she was already flashing a cheerful grin.

“Your Highness, do you have any plans for later?”

“I was going to step outside the palace for a bit. There’s something I’ve been looking into.”

“In that case, may I keep Cashew Nut company in the meantime?”

“Of course. Feel free. And if you have time afterward, could you check on Shu?”

“Are you worried he’s badly hurt?”

Instead of answering, Kyle offered a faint smile. Sen scrunched her nose with a small laugh.

“Your Highness, I have a question.”

“Go on.”

“Do you like Shu?”

***

Leaving Kyle behind, Sen walked toward his chambers, carrying a small pouch of treats he had given her for Cashew Nut.

The last time she had seen Cashew Nut, he had gotten quite chubby, so she had gifted him a little swing before leaving for the North. But when she recently saw him peeking out of Kyle’s pocket, he was noticeably thinner.

Had he been put on a diet?

If so, she would need to ration his treats carefully.

But would she really be able to stop herself once she saw him holding a walnut in those tiny paws, nibbling away so eagerly? Cashew Nut, like Shu, was a glutton. He would undoubtedly beg for more in the most adorable way possible.

With a light step, Sen entered Kyle’s room. She lit the lamps, then opened the hamster house that the maids had prepared for her.

Something felt… off.

“…Huh?”

The lock was secured tightly.

Cashew Nut had escaped from his house once before, so she had specifically asked for it to be reinforced to prevent that from happening again. She had even received a report detailing how carefully they had crafted it.

There was no way Cashew Nut could have gotten out on his own.

“Cashew Nut, where are you?”

It was impossible. And yet, the impossible was happening right before her eyes.

Sen reached inside and dug through the bedding. She checked the swing, the slide, and the little hideout. She even lifted the food bowl and the water dish.

But the hamster house was utterly silent.

Cashew Nut was gone.

Nowhere inside.

Sen dropped the treat pouch onto the table and hurriedly strode out into the hallway. She had to tell Kyle immediately. No—first, she needed to inform Belial. They had to shut all the doors and windows of the palace and summon a mage for a search…

“Magician!”

She spotted the imperial mage in the distance. He was the most skilled sorcerer in the capital, directly appointed by the royal family.

Raising one’s voice or moving quickly was forbidden within the palace, but at this moment, Sen didn’t care about any of that.

Gripping her dress, she rushed forward. Even if she were punished later, saving a life was far more urgent.

Maybe it was because she had grown attached to Cashew Nut during her time in the North. The thought of him being accidentally stepped on or hurt sent a shiver down her spine.

“What’s going on, Sen?”

A familiar voice called out from the opposite corridor. Sen instinctively turned toward it.

“Shu!”

A surge of relief and urgency hit her at once.

Now that she thought about it—Shu was a magic zoologist. He would surely know more about Cashew Nut than she did.

She came to an abrupt stop in front of him. Without even taking a moment to catch her breath, she shouted desperately,

“Cashew Nut is missing!”