The Northern Grand Duke’s Hamster

Kyle, who was holding my waist and studying my face, frowned and said,

“It’s impossible. It’s deep within the forest zone. It’s on a completely different level from where we went last time. No, even aside from that, I don’t want to take you somewhere dangerous.”

“A dangerous place?”

“Yes. You’re already doing enough. You’ve been helping a lot with my work, too. So, you don’t need to go on this expedition. Stay somewhere safe.”

His words left me feeling powerless. Was he telling me to wait in safety while calmly preparing to hear news of his death?

“You want to keep me in a safe place because you like me? Treasuring me like some precious object?”

I grabbed Kyle’s arm and asked sharply.

I knew I was being emotional. But this time, I had to go. If I let him leave like this, he would die as scheduled.

I understood.

To him, it must seem like nothing more than reckless stubbornness. I knew I needed to persuade him calmly, but it was difficult to keep my composure. My heart pounded unpleasantly in my chest.

“Is that so strange?”

Kyle asked as if he genuinely didn’t understand, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

I clamped my mouth shut for a moment before lowering my hand slightly, placing it atop his. Taking a deep breath, I did my best to steady my trembling voice.

“Of course it’s strange. We’ve even gone hunting together.”

“Exactly. Which is why I feel this way even more.”

Kyle spoke as if he regretted his past decision.

“I saw with my own eyes just how much danger you were in back there. It was a terrible experience. I don’t ever want to drive you into such peril again. I like you, so of course, I want to protect you.”

“That’s not protection.”

“…….”

“That just means Your Highness is taking responsibility for not only your own fate but mine as well.”

I couldn’t hide the frustration in my voice. My expression twisted with the weight of it.

“You spoke of a community, but if you take on everything alone, what does that mean? How am I any different from the countless burdens and duties Your Highness already carries?”

You can’t call that a community. At the very least, I don’t want to just be carried along, relying on his abilities to survive.

I spoke with firm resolve.

“If proof is needed, then I will prove myself.”

Perhaps our conversation had gotten a little loud, as the knights who had finished their training started murmuring and approaching the stairs.

Kyle quickly lowered his voice and whispered, “Let’s talk somewhere else.”

“No, answer me here.”

“Shu.”

“If you think I can’t protect myself, then you can leave me behind.”

“…….”

“Give me a chance to prove myself.”

He was right. Throwing myself into danger beyond my capabilities would be foolish. In the worst-case scenario, I wouldn’t be the only one to die—he could die trying to protect me.

That’s why I trained relentlessly. Just as I wanted to assist him with his work, I wanted to be able to protect him as well.

Of course, I might still fall short of Kyle’s expectations. But compared to who I was three months ago, I had grown incomparably stronger.

“Your Highness.”

Perhaps he saw the earnestness in my voice, because Kyle finally gave in and answered. Then, with a slightly sullen expression, he took my hand.

“……Fine. I’ll seriously consider it. So…….”

I didn’t resist any further. There was no reason to. We climbed the stairs and headed toward the bedroom.

With a creak, the door hinges groaned as the door closed behind us. Sitting on the bed, he pulled me onto his lap, lifted his head to meet my gaze, and whispered,

“This time, you’re not going to back down, are you?”

“No.”

“…….”

“Are you upset with me?”

His expression screamed yes, but in the end, he shook his head. I let out a faint smile and placed my hands on his shoulders.

“As you said, trying to take responsibility for everything about me is just your selfishness. It doesn’t make sense for me to only move according to your will.”

“…….”

“But, as you said, proof is necessary.”

“Don’t worry. If there’s one thing I’m known for, it’s my persistence.”

“That’s exactly why I’m worried.”

With a sigh, he gave me a disgruntled look. I burst into laughter and gently caressed his cheek.

“I understand that I must seem very weak from Your Highness’s perspective. But if I sit back and do nothing just because I’m weak, nothing will ever change.”

“……You’re right.”

“So trust me. If you can’t trust your partner, who else would you trust?”

Kyle let out a low chuckle at my teasing words and pulled me even closer by the waist. Caught off guard, I was drawn into his embrace, watching as he rested his head against my chest and closed his eyes. Gently, I wrapped my arms around him.

There were still about thirty minutes left until Reload. So, at the very least, I could allow my fated companion a brief moment of rest after a long day of relentless work.

[d=====(￣///￣*)b]

Of course, even in such a moment, I didn’t forget to push away the system notification that had appeared so thoughtlessly.

***

The next day.

After Reload, I met him at the far corner of the training ground, where six targets were lined up in a long row.

Gripping a bow that had been worn ragged from excessive use, I focused all my attention. A cool breeze swept through, ruffling my hair, but my gaze remained locked on the target.

As soon as I released the bowstring, the arrow sliced through the air with a sharp whistle, embedding itself into the wooden board with a solid thud.

It hit. But not the center.

If that had been a beast instead of a target, it wouldn’t have been a lethal shot. That mistake could have cost me my life.

Taking a deep breath, I drew the bowstring taut once more, sharpening my concentration until my focus narrowed to a single point.

Tung. The next arrow flew, striking dead center.

One more shot. And another.

Out of eight arrows, seven landed in the center of the target. Compared to when I had first picked up a bow, this was a monumental improvement.

“Hoo…”

Just as I released my ninth arrow, Kyle, who had been watching, gave a brief instruction to a nearby mage. Immediately, the once-stationary targets began to move at irregular speeds.

“What?”

The arrow I had aimed at the center barely grazed the edge of the target. I stood there, momentarily dumbfounded, before turning to Kyle with an exasperated glare.

“That’s too much!”

“You think monsters will just stand still and wait while you draw your bow?”

“…….”

“But I’ll give you credit for trying. At least you managed to hit the moving target. Even if it wasn’t the center.”

That last remark felt unnecessarily smug. And I was certain it wasn’t just my imagination.

Gripping my tenth arrow, I pulled the bowstring back tighter than ever.

Eyes burning with determination, I focused solely on the target—until, without warning, it stopped moving. In fact, because it had halted mid-motion, the last target was now even closer than before.

‘At this distance, I could hit it with one eye closed.’

Smirking confidently, I realigned my aim at the target’s red center. Just as I was about to release the arrow—

“Wait, hold on a second!”

Kyle casually walked right up to the target.

Startled, I lost control of my fingers and let go of the arrow.

Ssswaeeek! The arrow whistled through the air, mingling with the frantic sound of me shouting Kyle’s name, creating a chaotic burst of noise.

At the same time, Kyle swiftly unsheathed his sword, deflecting the arrow with ease.

I immediately dropped my bow and rushed toward him, my voice rising in frustration.

“How could you walk toward the target when I was drawing my bow?! What if you got hurt?!”

“What if you have to shoot an enemy who’s holding an ally hostage?”

“…….”

“I’ll admit it—you’ve improved. You learn fast, and your archery has become impressively precise. With more time and training, you might even reach the level of the knight order’s archers.”

“…….”

“But, Shu. The place I’m taking you isn’t a neatly arranged training ground. Real combat is different.”

His words were firm, and his tone was as cold as steel.

This was Kyle Blake speaking—not just my partner, but the commander of the Blake Knights and the ruler of an entire territory. His advice was rational, undeniable.

Normally, I would have nodded in agreement. If I were just an outsider reading this story from a book, I would have accepted his judgment without question.

But this was my life.

Just as Belial, Sen, and Kyle had their own lives, so did I—both as Baek Soo-hyun and as Shu.

“Then, how long should I wait until I’m fully honed? How much longer? One year? Ten? Twenty? I refuse to stand by and watch people die just because I’m not strong enough to fight.”

“…….”

“If a moment comes—one like during the war—I will make my choice this time.”

Back then, I hadn’t chosen. I hadn’t been ready to take responsibility. Maybe I had even hidden behind the excuse that this was just a fictional world.

But not anymore.

This wasn’t just some temporary ordeal I had to endure before returning to my own life. I genuinely cared about the people here. I cared about Kyle. I wanted to stand beside them, to protect them with my own hands.

So I couldn’t back down.

Kyle stared at me for a long time. His gaze was piercing, as if trying to read every last bit of determination in my eyes. Then, he pressed his lips into a firm line.

I understood. This wasn’t what he wanted.

Just as I wished to be his strength, he wanted to protect me.

But that wasn’t all.

Kyle also wanted to respect my choices just as much as he wanted to shield me.

“Knights, listen up.”

His next words rang out as a firm declaration.

“In ten days, Shu will accompany us on the Northern Shin Gwangsan Expedition. Prepare the standard-issue supplies for the order’s archers and include him in joint training sessions. That is all.”

The training ground resounded with a unified response.

“We obey the Grand Duke’s command!”