The Northern Grand Duke’s Hamster

“Looks like the clothes are bigger than I expected.”

The waist, in particular, was loose. Even after tightening the belt as much as possible, it still felt strangely uncomfortable. The sleeves were long enough to completely cover the backs of my hands.

It seemed at least two sizes larger than what I normally wore. But as long as it didn’t slip off, it was fine. I just needed to make it to my room somehow, and then I could deactivate Reload.

“My apologies. I instructed them to bring something as close to your size as possible, but I didn’t realize you were even thinner than I estimated.”

I shook my head. How could someone match a person’s size by mere estimation? Especially when I usually had to wear clothes one or two sizes smaller in the waist to get the right fit.

“It’s fine. This is comfortable enough to wear. Since my wounds are covered with gauze, looser clothing is actually more comfortable than something tight.”

It wasn’t tailored clothing, after all, so it was odd that my usual outfits had fit so well—wait. Now that I thought about it, why did they fit so well? All the clothes I had worn until now had been ones Kyle brought me…

“The Grand Duke seems quite attentive in looking after you. Is he usually so kind to his subordinates?”

Belial asked mockingly.

I narrowed my eyes and answered pointedly.

“Well, at least he doesn’t dump hot tea on people.”

“You knew what you were getting into when you intervened.”

“That’s true.”

I lowered myself onto the seat across from him and spoke.

“Seems like we both have things we want to ask. How about we take turns asking and answering honestly?”

“Why should I entertain something as trivial as a fair exchange of questions with you? I’m a prince, and you’re merely a servant.”

“A servant? I’m a beast scholar. Wouldn’t a fair exchange be a good deal? As long as you scratch where I itch, I’ll answer anything you want.”

I added with a playful grin.

“Maybe you don’t realize this, Your Highness, but opportunities like this don’t come often. If I suddenly change my mind, get up, and leave, you’ll end up being nothing more than the guy who gave me a set of clothes.”

Belial leaned back against the sofa and smirked arrogantly.

“What if I tie you down?”

“Well, then you’d be openly clashing with Grand Duke Blake, who’s willing to play dead for the safety of his territory’s people. Do you really want that?”

That wouldn’t be a wise move for Belial in his current position.

As the second prince, his claim to the throne was ambiguous. The Klein Ducal House was pressuring him, Sen’s lineage was uncertain, and if he added a direct confrontation with the North to the mix, he’d be completely isolated.

Belial clicked his tongue in irritation.

“You’re annoyingly clever.”

“Cleverness is useful.”

“Fine. Let’s do this ‘fair exchange’ of yours.”

The smile disappeared from Belial’s face, leaving no trace of warmth.

When he usually smiled, he looked like a prince straight out of a fairy tale. But like this, he seemed more like a sculpture carved from ice.

“But I’ll ask first.”

“Go ahead. It’s not like it’s a big deal.”

It’s all the same in the end. You’re the prince, and I’m just a humble beast—scholar.

A brief silence followed. Belial scrutinized me with a suspicious gaze as if organizing his thoughts before finally asking his first question.

“When we met in the North, you told me not to attend the grand banquet. You even went so far as to rush toward me, despite not knowing me at all. Why?”

I answered without hesitation.

“I thought the chandelier was going to fall. It seemed dangerous. I warned people to fix it, but everyone was too busy with other preparations to listen.”

“If the chandelier had fallen, I wouldn’t have been the only one hurt. But you specifically singled me out to stop me. That means…”

I cut him off with a shake of my head.

“If you want to ask another question, you’ll have to answer mine first.”

Belial pursed his lips in dissatisfaction, but he didn’t break his promise.

“Fine. What do you want to know?”

“You were ambushed on your way back to the capital from the North. As a result, you were injured in your right arm.”

“Hah, you certainly know a lot. How exactly do you manage to dig up such information? Only a select few know about this.”

“Well… I’ll be generous and answer that one too. I just have my ways.”

Daytime words are heard by hamsters, and nighttime words are also heard by hamsters. Why? Because this hamster knows everything.

“Anyway, did you find out who was behind it?”

Belial let out a cold laugh.

“You’re full of secrets. Asking questions when you already know the answers.”

“I just want confirmation.”

“Yes. It was people hired by the Klein Ducal House.”

“They were given orders to kill you?”

He raised a corner of his lips in a crooked smirk and replied.

“Answer my question first. Why did you specifically stop me from attending the banquet?”

I had planned to answer honestly as much as possible… but this time, I had no choice but to be a little evasive.

After a brief moment of consideration, I replied, “I saw it.”

“You saw it? What do you mean?”

“I saw it in a dream.”

A dream or a book—either way, it originated from my imagination, so I might as well lump them together and be done with it.

“Don’t look at me like I’m some kind of con artist. This is exactly why I didn’t want to say anything… Anyway, sometimes I have prophetic dreams. And after a few instances of seeing something in my dreams only for it to actually happen in real life, I started paying attention.”

“So, you saw a dream where I was struck down by a falling chandelier…?”

“Yes. And when I checked the chandelier, just in case, I saw that the joints were actually loose. There was no way to fix it in time, so I just wanted to make sure you wouldn’t be there.”

“You had no obligation to save me.”

“Well, yeah. But if you got hurt in my territory, it’d be a problem for the Grand Duke. And I don’t want that.”

Belial stroked his chin, deep in thought, before suddenly letting out a laugh.

“How touching. Is this loyalty? Or perhaps… affection?”

“…A-Affection?! What nonsense!”

I was momentarily at a loss for words and grumbled under my breath.

“It’s your turn to answer now, Your Highness.”

“Fine. Those bastards were waiting for me. But when I personally drew my sword and fought back, they were visibly shaken. As if… they had expected me to be seriously injured.”

“…Which means…”

Someone might have deliberately sabotaged the chandelier.

Now that I thought about it, why did they insist on using such an old chandelier? Was it perhaps a gift from somewhere…?

I lifted my gaze to the ceiling. The chandelier, shaped like a fully bloomed rose, was the same as the one I had seen at the grand banquet in the North.

“Hey.”

Belial spoke, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“Did you see it in a dream this time too? That I would spill tea on that woman?”

Using the dream excuse too often wasn’t a great idea. I dodged the question instead.

I had promised to be honest, but well, what could I do? Consider it a harmless white lie.

“I could tell by your body language.”

I quickly followed up with my own question.

“Your Highness, are rose-shaped chandeliers common?”

“No. In the entire Meinhardt Empire, only one craftsman has the skill to make them. And he works for the Klein Ducal House.”

“So, that means chandeliers of this design can only be supplied through the Klein Duchy?”

Belial was about to point out how I was bombarding him with questions, but noticing the cold edge in my voice, he simply answered.

“…Yes. The rose is the emblem of the Klein Ducal House. This chandelier is twice as heavy and has a shorter lifespan than others. But it shines brighter and is more extravagant than any other.”

“So the chandelier in the North was provided by the Klein Duchy.”

Which meant they used it despite knowing it was old.

Since it was a gift from the imperial family, they probably put it up for the grand banquet to avoid giving anyone an excuse to nitpick.

If Belial’s explanation was correct, they must have normally replaced it with something else or just kept it stored away. Repairing it would cost extra, and knowing Kyle, he probably dismissed it as a useless luxury.

“…Are you saying someone tried to kill me using that chandelier?”

“At the very least, we need to investigate when it was sent to the North and who delivered it.”

“Your words could easily be interpreted as an attempt to slander the Klein Ducal House.”

“So, are you going to report me?”

I tilted my head and smirked.

“Even after getting your arm injured like that?”

“…”

Belial growled.

“What do you want, beast scholar?”

A good question.

I grinned.

“Stop bothering Kyle Blake, in any way. Don’t pressure him, don’t humiliate him.”

“And what do I gain from that?”

“At the very least, peace of mind knowing the North won’t become your enemy. Who knows? If I have another strange prophetic dream, I might step in again. I’ve already saved you once and even prevented another disaster.”

“…”

“If Your Highness had gone ahead and poured that tea, imagine the rumors that would be spreading about you right now.”

There was no way to be permanently friendly with Belial’s faction.

But at the very least, it was better if two parties with pressing issues didn’t waste energy on pointless conflicts.

Belial, who was already in a position where he had to oppose the Klein Ducal House, would find this arrangement beneficial enough.

His eyes narrowed in amusement.

“How interesting. It’s a waste to leave you as just a beast scholar.”

“Just leave me as a beast scholar. I’m really nothing special.”

Yeah. Just a mere creature that spends twenty hours a day as a hamster. If you’re not prepared to take care of a hamster, don’t even think about keeping me.

“Have you considered staying in the capital? I’ll offer you twice what you get in the North.”

“Even if you offered twenty times, I wouldn’t take it.”

Belial widened his eyes as if genuinely surprised.

“Why? Do you actually like Kyle or something?”

Why does he keep twisting this into some kind of scandal?

At this rate, it was never going to end, so I just snapped.

“Yes! I like him! Satisfied?! I love the Grand Duke so much that I’d be willing to take a chandelier to the back for him, alright?!”

“Haha… Ahahaha! Puhaha, hahahaha!”

“…What’s so funny?”

I glared at him, but Belial just threw his head back and laughed even harder.

“Alright, alright. I’ll go along with your request. The more I see you, the more amusing you become.”

“What the hell…”

I had changed my clothes and gathered information—there was nothing left for me here.

[‘Belial Serena Meinhardt’ now considers Blake a temporary ally!]

That should be enough for now.

“I’m leaving.”

Belial, still chuckling, lazily waved his hand as if dismissing me.

I muttered under my breath and left the room.

Kyle was probably worried, so I should go check in on him. Just show my face once, then slip away. Besides, my Reload time was almost up anyway…

But as soon as I stepped into the guest palace, I saw someone unexpected.

Not Kyle.

It was Sen.

Why was Sen here?

“…What the hell, Sen?”

“Shu!”

Sen rushed toward me, his expression urgent.

“Cashew Nut is gone!”