The Northern Grand Duke’s Hamster

“Wait a moment.”

I interrupted the serious atmosphere between the two.

“So, to sum it up, Prince Lorenz has joined hands with the mages of the Lawless Zone. And among them, if they’re from the ‘Tower of Frost,’ then they must be the ones who have long been at odds with Your Highness Kyle.”

“That’s correct.”

“So if Prince Lorenz wins this political struggle, he might support the mages and put pressure on the North, right?”

“That’s exactly what would happen, knowing my brother’s nature.”

As Belial responded, Kyle added in a cautious voice.

“This hunt might be our last chance to capture them alive. They’ve hardly ever moved directly until now.”

“Well, that may be the case.”

I answered hesitantly.

“Then, if Prince Belial becomes emperor, will anything change?”

Just because fate had shifted didn’t mean the relationship between the two had completely improved. That was only natural. Belial had always looked down on Kyle’s origins and frequently pressured the North.

There was no need to look far; he had personally come all the way to the northern territories under the pretense of finding fault during the Northern Festival. If I hadn’t stopped the chandelier incident, would Belial have truly been curious about its origin? With his personality?

Even if he became emperor, it was hard to imagine that he would suddenly start considering Kyle’s interests. Rather, it would be fortunate if he didn’t set his next target on him.

“Can Your Highness Belial swear that you will not enforce any policies to suppress the North?”

Belial stared at me intently. His sharp gaze seemed to ask if I was doubting him, but I neither flinched nor backed down.

It wasn’t that my trust in him wavered—I had never trusted him from the start. I never placed absolute faith in anyone. Because I knew just how excessive and dangerous an emotion that was.

“In a way, that’s a natural point to raise. Very well. I swear.”

“…….”

“I swear upon my name that I will not implement any northern suppression policies. I can’t even joke about having good feelings toward Kyle, but I’m not shameless enough to disregard reason.”

Kyle looked at me, slightly surprised. It seemed he hadn’t fully thought it through due to his anger.

That won’t do. You must demand what’s necessary and take everything you can get.

“Let’s put it in writing.”

A contract is what remains. Of course, that’s how it should be.

Belial, looking displeased, asked if swearing on his name wasn’t enough. But I answered firmly. No, it’s not enough.

What use are names and honor? Sometimes, what truly drives people isn’t a conviction that could vanish depending on the situation. It’s the fear of consequences. That alone keeps people in check.

“My demands are…”

Eventually, with a sullen expression, Belial pulled out a parchment scroll and began writing.

[Terms of the Contract]

-“Kyle Jane Meinhardt’s participation in the ‘Hunt.'”

-“Information shall be provided for the purpose of subduing beasts and monsters. Additionally, no political secrets shall be disclosed to external parties.”

-“Within the limits of preserving his own life, Kyle shall make every effort to protect Belial Serena Meinhardt.”

The terms were concise. There weren’t many, but each one was significant.

“This should suffice.”

“I agree.”

Kyle spoke calmly as he picked up a quill. Then, he wrote his own conditions in a single stroke.

-“After the coronation of Belial Serena Meinhardt, no northern suppression policies shall be enforced. The northern Blake Territory shall be respected, and Kyle Blake shall be treated with due honor as a Grand Duke.”

-“Mages captured during the ‘Hunt’ shall be handed over to Blake Territory for disposition.”

-“All information related to the ‘Tower of Frost’ and the ‘Lawless Zone Mage Corps’ shall be actively shared.”

Kyle’s elegant handwriting came to a sudden halt.

“Shu.”

Huh? Why is he suddenly calling me?

“Yes?”

“Is there anything you want?”

Kyle gazed at me steadily.

…He knew that I would follow him. Whether he lived or died in this political conflict was uncertain, so as a companion sharing his fate, I naturally intended to go with him.

“Since you are my companion in fate, I would like to include what you desire as a condition.”

His voice was gentle, but there was a firm resolve behind it. Yet the way his eyes met mine was warm.

His gaze, as if telling me to say whatever I wished, made my heart itch for some reason. I was happy—Kyle saw me as someone truly important, someone necessary.

A surge of emotion welled up in my chest.

How long had it been since someone had sincerely asked me what I wanted, telling me to do as I pleased?

“I do have something I want.”

I took a short breath and quickly spoke.

“I’m going too.”

It would be a lie to say I wasn’t afraid, but I felt like I could handle it. After all, I had the system, and if things went south, I could use items or deactivate ‘Reload’ to escape.

“I heard you’re still not accustomed to horseback riding. Same goes for archery.”

How many modern people would be proficient in riding and archery? Just imagining myself on a horse still made my stomach churn.

“Even so, I’m going.”

Kyle looked a little displeased, but he didn’t try to dissuade me. He had asked knowing full well that I would follow him anyway.

“And?”

“If your life is in danger, I will retreat immediately. Do not hold me accountable for that. My help will only extend as far as it does not jeopardize Your Highness’s safety.”

Belial nodded without resistance.

“Alright. Anything else?”

“Mm…”

I hesitated for a moment before answering.

“Protect Sen.”

“……”

“I mean, don’t let your sibling rivalry spill blood. Sen will be coming too, won’t he? At the engagement ceremony, if Your Highness hadn’t intervened, Sen might have been hurt. You can’t say you bear no responsibility for that.”

“……That’s true.”

“So this time, protect her properly.”

I couldn’t tell him to love Sen. That was between the two of them. Whether they joined forces for revenge, grew to genuinely care for each other, or ended up seeking each other’s destruction, that was their own matter.

I hadn’t read Heart of Winter to the end, so I didn’t know how they truly felt. Even if I did, I had no right to interfere.

Belial didn’t answer right away. He merely stared at Sen for a long moment before shifting his gaze to me. His eyes, filled with a complexity I couldn’t define, swept across the conference room.

At last, he let out a short sigh and spoke.

“I promise.”

The condition I had just proposed was not written in the contract. But somehow, I knew—Belial would keep his word.

It wasn’t something as clear-cut as logic or conviction. It was more like a foreboding sense of inevitability, like an instinctual feeling that this was how things would unfold.

The time limit for ‘Reload’ was nearly up. However, since Kyle and Belial still had things to discuss, I decided to leave first.

“I’ll walk you out, Shu.”

Sen stood up to follow me. After briefly hesitating, I nodded to Kyle and Belial before exiting the room with Sen.

Walking with someone was better than being alone anyway… and she looked like she had something to say.

Click—.

The door to the conference room shut behind us. The sound of our footsteps echoed through the empty corridor.

The castle’s atmosphere was still tense, and not even the usual servants passed by. It was as if the earlier commotion had never happened, leaving only the soft midday sunlight filtering through the thin glass windows, casting shimmering reflections.

We walked for a while.

Despite seeming like she had something to say, Sen remained silent, walking ahead with her head down, eyes fixed on the ground, as if lost in thought.

Eventually, I slowed my pace and spoke first.

“Are you okay?”

Sen turned to look at me.

“I’m fine.”

“…….”

“The fact that you didn’t want to help Prince Belial, the fact that you prioritized Prince Kyle’s safety—none of it is something I can blame you for, Shu.”

I answered almost defensively.

“Kyle’s safety is more important to me.”

“I would have said the same thing if I were you.”

Sen smiled. Her voice was as steady as always, as if everything was truly fine.

But I knew better. Maybe others wouldn’t notice, but I could tell. Because whenever someone asked if I was okay, I used to smile just like that and say the exact same thing.

“You don’t have to be okay all the time.”

“…….”

“I used to tell myself I had to be okay just to get through things. But looking back, I realize it didn’t actually make anything better. I wasn’t okay—I was just ignoring the pain until it festered. The world isn’t made up solely of things we can endure. That’s just unrealistic.”

Endurance alone isn’t enough. Sometimes, we need to acknowledge our wounds and apply medicine, even if it stings.

If we just cover them up because we don’t want to see them, we’ll end up layering new wounds over old ones that never truly healed.

If something isn’t okay, we should say so. Because some things simply can’t be okay, no matter what. Saying it won’t change the situation, but still…

I had spent so long not knowing that. I had been so focused on survival that I never truly took care of myself. I treated “I’m fine” like a painkiller, thinking that as long as I ate, slept, and kept moving, I was truly living.

How foolish I was…

And because of that, one day, I realized I was beyond repair.

Every rainy season, I would fall terribly ill. Sometimes, I sank into deep lethargy, going through the motions of life without knowing what was even wrong with me.

I wasn’t happy.

Maybe I had been in pain for so long that I had forgotten what joy felt like. Even when good things happened, I couldn’t fully allow myself to be happy.

That’s why, Sen… I don’t want you to go through the same thing.

You deserve happiness more than anyone. And more than anyone, you fight fiercely to attain it.

“…….”

Sen had been quietly listening. Finally, with an expression like she was about to cry, she spoke.

“……This was my choice.”

“I know.”

“I can never forgive Serena for driving my parents to their deaths.”

“Yeah.”

“If it takes using people to get my revenge, then so be it. That doesn’t bother me at all.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I’m not as kind or innocent as you think. If you knew the kind of thoughts I’ve had… Shu, you might never want to see me again.”

Sen stopped completely and buried her face in her hands.

“……At least, that’s what I thought.”

Her voice quivered slightly with the threat of tears. I waited patiently, giving her time to gather her words.

After a moment, in a small, whisper-like voice, she admitted—

“I’m worried about Prince Belial. I don’t want to send him away. I want to tell him not to go… I know it’s shameless, but I still wanted to ask you and Prince Kyle for help.”

Some truths, just by being spoken aloud, become lighter to bear.

When Sen finally lifted her head, she wasn’t crying. But she looked as if a heavy burden had been lifted off her shoulders.

I nodded slightly and spoke.

“Prince Belial has become important to you.”

“…….”

“Come to think of it, I never said this before.”

Congratulations on your engagement, Sen.

Sen bit her lip, then broke into a radiant smile.

Bathed in the golden spring sunlight, she truly looked like a bride of May.