MTLNOVEL 63
Reloading takes about four hours each time. And whenever I had the chance, I kept busy by devouring those acorn cookies.
Thanks to that, I’ve been spending more time in human form lately… Well, obviously, but still. On top of that, I had even witnessed a bloodbath—something I’d never expected in my life—so the memory was burned into my brain.
Which meant…
—Squeak, squeak, squeak. (Being a hamster feels weird!)
I vented my frustration by digging into the bedding.
I buried my round, fluffy head into the ground, and Kyle spoke with concern in his voice.
“Cashew Nut. No… should I call you Shu?”
He stared at me with a momentarily confused expression before reaching out his hand. Letting out a deep sigh, I climbed onto his palm, my body still covered in bedding scraps.
Seeing how obediently I responded, he must have momentarily forgotten that I was actually human. His eyes sparkled with overwhelming affection, just like when he looked at ‘Cashew Nut.’
As proof, little hearts were floating up around him with a ding-ding sound.
—Squeak! Squeak-squeak! (Hey! You know I’m human, so why are you looking at me like that?!)
[* (/ω＼) *]
At this point, I didn’t even bother arguing with the system.
Seriously, it’s like a drama addict. Every time Kyle and I start having a moment, it just has to butt in like this.
A moment.
A moment…
—……
The scene from earlier flashed through my mind.
That moment when his distinct, handsome face was so close I could almost feel his breath, when our lips nearly touched—too vividly, too clearly.
I clutched my head and started internally screaming for a completely different reason.
Ah! The way it got interrupted at such a weird moment just makes it even more awkward every time I remember it! I feel like I’m gonna die from the secondhand embarrassment!
‘Why was he looking at me like that…?’
His gaze had been full of unbearable affection, as if he was completely smitten. But at the same time, it was searching for something, like he was expecting something from me.
If Sen hadn’t come in, he probably would have kissed me. It would have been my first kiss, but… I didn’t feel repulsed or scared. I liked him, after all.
I hadn’t wanted to avoid his gaze, hadn’t wanted to push him away as he got closer—my body had frozen still. Instead, my heart had pounded, as if, deep down, I had been anticipating it.
It was a little embarrassing, sure, but considering how much my feelings had grown, it was an obvious outcome.
But…
‘At the end of the day, I’m still a hamster for twenty hours a day!’
Can a hamster even kiss? I’m literally an animal for half the day!
“Cashew Nut.”
—……
“Shu.”
Kyle gazed at me intently.
“What are you thinking about so hard?”
—Squeak. (Ehuu.)
I let out a tiny sigh and shook my head wildly.
Forget it, forget it.
It already didn’t happen, so what’s the point in dwelling on it? Besides, Kyle seemed completely unbothered, so thinking about it alone just made me feel silly.
More importantly, now wasn’t the time to be getting lost in pointless thoughts. There were only ten days left.
I shook off the bedding clinging to my arms and head and looked up at him. Kyle, in turn, pulled me into his arms and leaned against the bed with a deeply contented expression.
“It’s not as awkward as I thought. You’re small whether you’re human or not.”
—Squeak? Squeak-squeak? (What? Are you picking a fight?)
“And you look similar in both forms.”
—Squeeeak. (I think I could sue for this.)
“And you’re absolutely adorable.”
Kyle smiled softly.
I had been using his fingers as a punching bag, but at those last words, I abruptly froze in place.
That was so cheesy. I had never once in my life been called adorable before. I always thought it didn’t suit me, but… strangely, I kind of wanted to act a little more well-behaved now.
Slowly, I settled myself in Kyle’s palm and looked up at him.
“I can’t understand you, but you can understand me, right?”
—Squeak. (Yeah. Obviously.)
I nodded quickly.
“Thank you, and I’m sorry. For agreeing to Belial’s plan. And for putting you in danger because of it.”
—Squeak-squeak. (Look who’s talking.)
You’re the one who’s in real trouble here. You should be worrying about yourself, Your Highness. You can’t even bring the knights with you.
“Still, don’t worry. I will protect you with my life.”
—Squeak-squeak-squeak-squeak! (No, no, that’s not it! You can’t risk your life!)
“Alright, Shu. No need to be so moved.”
—Squeak-squeak! Squeak! (No! Hey, you idiot! That’s not what I meant!)
[(￣▽￣)*]
Are you enjoying this? Are you having fun?
Before my frustration could boil over, I scurried down Kyle’s arm and onto the bed. Then, with absolute confidence, I plopped myself down and curled up right in the middle of his pillow.
“So, you want to sleep there.”
Kyle spoke in a gentle tone as he lay down beside me.
He didn’t even use a pillow, just resting his head on his arm. Watching him like that, I hesitated before slowly creeping toward his hand. Then, with all my might, I tugged at it. His hand slid toward me bit by bit—not because he couldn’t resist, but because he simply didn’t see the need to.
Yeah. What’s the point in being petty?
Kyle didn’t even understand what I was saying. Just use the damn pillow, you must be exhausted.
But just as his hand was about to reach me, he casually picked me up and placed me right back on the pillow.
“Sleep here.”
—Squeeeak. (What’s the point of a hamster sleeping there?)
“It seems like you’re saying, ‘What’s the point of a hamster sleeping there?’”
—Squeak… (You’re weirdly good at this…)
“If you sleep there, it makes me happy.”
—……
“You’re easier to see that way.”
Damn, he’s got a real talent for leaving me speechless.
I looked away from him, curling up into a round little ball. His gaze lingered on me from behind, but it didn’t feel oppressive in the slightest.
Instead, it wrapped around me softly, like a lullaby.
That night, sleep came to me especially quickly.
***
Alright, so…
“Hand over everything you’ve got.”
[(⊙o⊙)]
Why do you look so shocked? I’m talking about items, obviously. Good ones. I don’t mind spending a lot of miracle points, so give me some of the latest, most effective stuff.
What do you have? Something that makes me invisible? Teleportation? Maybe something that heals fatal wounds in an instant?
I’ve got 39.2% miracle points left anyway. As long as it doesn’t drop to the 20s, I can afford to be a little reckless.
Besides, it’s for his life.
[(ㅠ_ㅠ)=3=3=3]
You’re not saying no, so that means you can prepare something if you take the time, huh?
I pulled my bowstring back until it nearly touched my face. My fingers, tense from exertion, ached and swelled, but I ignored it.
Thwip.
The arrow barely made it near the target before falling to the ground, utterly powerless.
“…Again.”
Ignoring the sting in my fingers, I pulled out another arrow and drew back the string.
Thwip.
It missed the mark again, but at least it was better than before.
Again.
Again, and again.
At this point, my hands weren’t just aching—they were completely numb.
But that didn’t matter.
Pain like this was nothing compared to dying helplessly.
“What are you so focused on?”
“Ah!”
The sudden voice from behind startled me, and my hand slipped. My upper body twisted as I turned to look at him, causing the bowstring to graze my cheek.
A sharp, burning pain flared up.
Kyle quickly grabbed my wrist and my bow, making sure the arrow didn’t go flying in the wrong direction.
Twang. The string trembled for a moment before settling.
“When you draw a bow, focus only on the target.”
His hand brushed against my cheek.
The sting made me bite my lip and take a step back, and his face took on an unmistakable look of guilt.
“…Seriously, who just appears out of nowhere like that?”
“Apologies. I thought I was making enough noise.”
“……”
Clicking his tongue, he took out a handkerchief and dabbed at my wound. It wasn’t deep, but a little bit of blood stained the cloth.
“I should get some ointment.”
“It’s fine. This will be gone after a good night’s sleep.”
He clearly did not like that answer.
Kyle frowned and shook his head.
“And if it leaves a scar?”
“Then it leaves a scar. What’s the big deal?”
“……”
Without a word, he took my swollen hand in his and pressed his palm over it, as if he wished he could absorb the pain himself.
“It’s alright. I will protect you.”
“No thanks.”
I responded flatly.
“I don’t want to be a burden. I chose to be here, and I want to protect you too, Your Highness.”
“That doesn’t mean you have to push yourself.”
Kyle lowered his head, bringing our gazes perfectly level despite our height difference.
With worry clouding his eyes, he examined my injured hand and cheek.
“There’s a time to ease up, Shu. Right now, you’re pushing yourself too hard.”
“……”
“Do you really believe you have to take full responsibility for my fate? To change what you saw in your dreams?”
“…No.”
I reached up, cupping his face with both hands.
His skin was warm and smooth beneath my fingertips.
I traced over his features gently, then shook my head.
“I know that’s not true.”
Because, somewhere along the way, he had stopped being just a character in a novel.
“A tree that doesn’t bend will eventually break.”
At his words, I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Of all people, you’re saying that?”
The one who had once charged ahead relentlessly, unable to compromise, until he reached the very end of the line?
Still, he wasn’t wrong.
The tension coiling inside me finally started to loosen, if only a little.
I nodded slightly and began to lower my hands, but before I could pull away, Kyle caught them.
And gently, he brought them back to his cheek.
“Shu.”
His voice, low and soft, slipped into my ears like silk.
And suddenly, every part of me that was aware of him—the warmth of his skin, the depth of his gaze—ignited with a slow, burning heat.
“How much time is left?”
He wasn’t being intimidating, but my breath still caught in my throat.
Trembling, I looked up at him.
“Fifteen minutes…”
Then, he whispered to me.
“Give those minutes to me.”
His voice was respectful.
And more than anything—desperately earnest.