The Northern Grand Duke’s Hamster

Spring has passed.

People accepted the death of Belial Serena Meinhardt. As easily and simply as if it were nothing, despite his overwhelming presence.

It even felt as if his existence had been erased from the world, and I had to make a great effort to think of him less.

Lorenz Serena Meinhardt became emperor. His actions were astonishing. It was as if he had transformed into a completely different person from the coward he was once perceived to be.

Through an unprecedented reign of terror, he solidified his position, calling forth a river of blood. Behind Lorenz stood Duke Klein’s family, and there were only a handful of people with justifiable reasons to oppose him.

Would things have been different if Belial were here?

Perhaps this wouldn’t have happened. Belial was arrogant, but he had the temperament to show mercy to those under his control.

Everyone thought so.

But no one dared to say it aloud.

However, Lorenz kept the promise he made during the hunt. He did not pressure the North in any way. Of course, the nobles, exhausted from their power struggles, were reluctant to engage in negotiations with the North, but Kyle never gave up.

Kyle lived each day as if it were ten.

He met with Baron Castanets of the northeastern region to establish trade and took care of the lands that had fallen into disarray in his absence. He prepared for the approaching harsh winter and strengthened defenses against the potential invasion of demonic beasts.

It wasn’t an easy task. But the future of the North was at stake. Kyle carried out every one of these duties without a single complaint.

“No matter how much I do, it never ends.”

Even as he said that, he never showed the slightest sign of resentment. Even with an exhausted expression that screamed he was on the verge of collapse, he still smiled.

A man like that was the reason this barren North had become a place where people could actually live.

And in reality, he accomplished much.

He transformed what was once an incomplete, individual-based trade system into one managed at the territory level, ensuring that the people could live within a stable social framework.

A territory that survived an era of unprecedented terror. A land that suffered through the longest winters yet never once crumbled. A fortress in the North that, after relentless effort, was beginning to thrive.

The people of the Meinhardt Empire forgot the barren past of this land and envied the precarious peace that the people of the cold North had seized.

Thus, people were largely divided into two groups.

Those who admired Kyle Blake.

And those who resented him.

In such a volatile situation, where it wouldn’t have been surprising for something to explode at any moment, all I did during spring was…

Cook.

After all, isn’t everything we do just to survive?

“Master Beast Scholar, where are you going?”

My head snapped back. If I turned my whole body, I’d end up spilling everything I was holding, so my answer was naturally half-hearted.

“Making a delivery.”

“To His Grace the Grand Duke? He should be in his office.”

“Huh? That’s strange. Earlier, he was in the underground training hall sparring with the knights.”

“Eh? But he was just consulting with the tailor about his new armor…”

“Ah! So where is he exactly?!”

Is he in his office or the training hall? Or maybe the drawing room? Outside the castle? The warehouse?

Kyle had a habit of vanishing in the blink of an eye, only to suddenly reappear somewhere else. Even if he had ten bodies, I doubted he could move around any faster.

“Shu.”

And I was still a bit of an outsider in this land.

Some knew me as a beast scholar, others as a strange foreigner, or a suspicious figure who was always with the Grand Duke. Everyone was curious about my identity, yet no one knew the answer.

Still, they let it slide. Thinking about it now, it didn’t make any sense, but they overlooked it simply because they knew I was working hard for the North and for Kyle.

Perhaps that’s why this place could even embrace those with nowhere else to go.

Of course, the ‘Guardian of the North’ effect I received from clearing a hidden quest probably played a role, but Kyle’s trust in me was likely the bigger reason.

So once, I asked Kyle why he never doubted me.

At that time, he gave a surprisingly simple answer.

“There are a lot of people like that in the North. People who couldn’t fit in at the Imperial City and were cast out. Or those who lost everything and drifted here. Even I was like that. So I didn’t bother prying too much. Of course, you were a bit more suspicious and unusual, but still.”

He smiled as he said that.

And in that moment, I had felt a little embarrassed—though that was something I would keep to myself.

In any case, today, just like any other day, I was doing my best to make sure my fate-bound companion didn’t go hungry. Carrying a slightly cooled dish, I strode down the long corridor.

Tap, tap, tap. Tap…

Tap, tap.

Amidst the rhythmic sound of my footsteps, another noise mixed in. Heavier than mine, slightly more spaced out.

I let out a deep sigh, almost like a groan.

“Do I really have to play hide-and-seek at my age? And you’re so damn good at hiding too. I swear I’ve circled the entire castle. I was about to just leave it in the study and be done with it.”

A low voice responded with a chuckle.

“I wasn’t exactly hiding.”

“Then why is it that I couldn’t find you for over an hour?”

“I could say the same to you.”

I clicked my tongue and kept walking.

I didn’t need to turn around to know who was following me. There was no point in looking back. No matter how much we wandered separately, we always ended up finding each other and walking in the same direction.

“What did you make this time?”

“Seafood stew. With lots of tomatoes.”

When it came to summer stamina foods, people usually thought of meat, but in Blake, there was already more than enough of that to last a lifetime.

Some seafood had recently come in through the northern branch of the Castanets trading company, so I made a slow-cooked dish as a substitute for the usual summer nourishment.

The sound of footsteps behind me grew closer. I slowed my pace slightly. Perhaps realizing there was no need to rush, he matched his steps with mine.

“Is it good?”

“Who do you think made it? Of course, it is. Do you not trust me?”

How many years have I been cooking for myself? More importantly, he’s always eaten my food just fine. It’s as if he enjoys waiting for me to get riled up.

And sure enough, Kyle started chuckling, as if even this meaningless exchange was amusing. His long, dark shadow stretched gently over me.

“Shall we eat together?”

“It’s an awkward time. There’s maybe ten minutes left.”

“That’s a shame.”

“So next time, just sit tight and wait for me.”

If only we had something like a phone. I’ve gotten pretty used to life here, but in moments like this, I can’t help but miss modern technology.

“I’ll try.”

Yeah, right.

We were going to end up doing this all over again. Kyle was never the kind of person who could just sit around waiting for food to be brought to him, and I wasn’t the type to expect him to set aside his work and come to the dining hall.

But we would always meet in the end. We’d laugh over slightly cooled food and complain about where we’d been looking for each other.

Because even wandering through the castle like this, checking on the people of Blake and making sure everything was in order, was a precious part of our time together.

“My arms are going to fall off.”

I exaggerated my exhaustion, shrugging my shoulders.

“Take this, will you?”

“Alright.”

I came to a sudden stop. As if he had been waiting for it, a hand reached out from behind me.

One hand overlapped mine, supporting the tray, while the other wrapped firmly around my waist. He leaned in, resting his chin on my shoulder, and then, with effortless affection, pressed a soft kiss to my cheek.

His eyes crinkled as he smiled down at me. He looked genuinely happy.

“You worked hard.”

“There’s no need to act like it’s such a big deal. I’ll be back tomorrow, won’t I?”

“That makes it sound like you’re leaving. But we’ll be together anyway, won’t we?”

“…Hah.”

I tilted my head slightly and asked,

“Who said I’d stay with you?”

“Hmm.”

“……”

Of course, he’d pick up on the joke immediately. I didn’t want to give the wrong impression, but the way he spoke so confidently was irritating sometimes.

Even though I was pouting, Kyle just laughed. That same mischievous, boyish grin.

His smile reflected on the glossy surface of the dishes on the tray. But the reason they gleamed wasn’t just because they had been polished well.

To ignore the strange flutter in my chest, I grumbled.

“Just hold it properly, alright? I used precious ingredients for this. If you drop it, it’ll all be wasted.”

His scarred hands tightened around the tray. They were rougher than when I first met him. A new scar ran diagonally across the back of his hand.

But it didn’t look strange. It didn’t feel unpleasant.

If anything, it was proof of how desperately he had fought to survive. One of the many reasons why I liked him.

“I’ll go ahead and wait. Come to the study.”

“Can’t we stay together?”

“The study is just around that corner. You’ll be there in a minute.”

“A whole minute, huh?”

“Oh, come on.”

[`(>﹏<)′]

I absentmindedly dismissed the system window bouncing around excitedly.

“Alright, alright. I’ll crawl into your pocket, so let’s just hurry up and eat.”

Don’t go skipping meals. For a Korean, a proper meal is as important as life itself.

If I didn’t go this far, he’d just use his busy schedule as an excuse to skip meals. I understood that he had a lot on his plate, but overworking himself wasn’t doing his body any favors.

Kyle, as if he even found my nagging endearing, nodded without hesitation. And since he diligently ate everything I brought him, it felt rewarding in its own way.

[Reload will be lifted in 1 minute.]

The familiar white light surrounded me. And as per my handsome lover’s request, I tucked myself neatly into his pocket.

Kyle, now holding the tray with one hand, carefully patted the pocket with the other before resuming his walk. He didn’t forget to brush his fingertip gently over my forehead.

Blake’s summer was approaching.