NOVEL WEB 15
‘Isn’t it because he doesn’t want to offend either of you?’
At those words, the people around them wore expressions of utter disbelief.
Of course, it was obvious why Belial had come to the North. As if it weren’t enough to send pro-imperial nobles to pester them, now he had come in person to nitpick.
Kyle’s biological mother, as revealed in Heart of Winter, was a commoner. She had not only failed to become an empress or even a concubine but had lived and died as a mere maid. To Belial, the rightful heir, Kyle’s very existence might have felt like an insult to his bloodline.
Well, to be fair, I wouldn’t like it either. Imagine your father suddenly showing up with a kid from outside and calling them your sibling. If not for polygamy, this would’ve been the kind of thing people got stoned for. But still, that’s not Kyle’s fault, is it?
Belial turned his head to look at Sen.
“Offend me?”
Sen, who was picking up a fallen bag of walnuts, answered calmly.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Belial then turned his gaze toward me, as if asking whether that was true.
I don’t know. I have no idea what he means either. This wasn’t part of the plan. But I just smiled. No way he’d get angry at a smiling face, right?
Fortunately, Sen continued speaking.
“There is a flower-giving event during the grand banquet that marks the final day of the Northern Festival.”
“Go on.”
“Simply put, attendees of the banquet present flowers to those they admire and respect. Naturally, the people of Blake offer their flowers to His Highness Kyle, the rightful lord of this land.”
‘Wait, there’s something like that?’
As if responding to my doubt, the system provided an explanation.
[Belial’s lips curled into a crooked smile. His gaze settled on a large straw basket beside Kyle. Inside, pristine white flowers were piled high. And yet, not a single bloom had been given to him. He knew this was inevitable. That was precisely why he wanted to erase the North completely—by any means necessary.]
‘Shit, this guy’s even more dangerous than I thought.’
Why the hell does he hate Kyle so much? The man’s just trying to live his life and manage his territory. This is why you can’t judge people by appearances alone. His personality is fucking rotten.
“This is similar to Northern traditions. Perhaps His Highness was merely concerned that you might take offense over the matter.”
Hearing that, it actually made some sense. It was certainly a better explanation than my half-baked excuse. I shot Sen a grateful look for bailing me out.
“Hm.”
A glimmer of interest flickered in Belial’s eyes. He ignored me and stepped toward Sen.
Even though the story had changed somewhat due to the change in possession, some things remained the same. They were bound to get involved, one way or another. But the way he looked at her was unsettling.
However, it wasn’t the gaze of a man falling in love at first sight. It burned intensely—but with a different kind of heat.
‘A competitive spirit?’
Yeah, that was it. It wasn’t affection; it was rivalry.
“What’s that in your hands?”
Belial gestured toward the hamster supplies and treats Sen was carrying.
There was a pastel-colored cushion, a plastic ball, wood shavings, and even a tiny swing. Looked like she was about to build a whole hamster amusement park.
“So, you’re the maid. I hear the Grand Duke has been letting you into his study quite often lately.”
“His Highness is raising a magical beast, and I help with minor tasks.”
Yeah, sure, you two keep talking. I’m gonna sit this one out.
In any case, that’s even more reason to avoid getting involved. Life’s precious. I need to take care of myself if I want to live to a hundred.
I began inching backward, trying to quietly slip away, but Belial suddenly called out to me.
“You there.”
“……”
Please don’t notice me. Just ignore me. The Reload skill’s cooldown is almost up anyway. I’ll be on my way, so have fun with your conversation.
I tried to pretend I hadn’t heard him and kept walking, but Belial grabbed me by the scruff of my neck. Forced to turn around, I plastered a stiff smile on my face.
Fine, smile. Just smile. Fucking aristocracy. If this guy weren’t a prince, he’d be dead by now.
“Was that really the reason?”
Why ask when he’d already heard the explanation?
It wasn’t like I could deny it outright. Trying not to sound too indifferent, I replied,
“Well… yeah. I’m not the best with words, so I was struggling to explain, but Sen handled it well. It’s pretty close.”
Belial gave me a look as if I were some fascinating specimen. He treated magical beasts as insignificant, but when it came to people, he seemed rather generous… Or maybe he just saw me as an amusing toy.
“In that case, you can give me a flower. That way, there won’t be a problem.”
What kind of insane logic is that? How the hell am I supposed to attend the banquet? I don’t even have an invitation!
Even if I tried sneaking in as a servant, the event was so competitive that even nobles vied for a chance to participate. There was no way a lowly attendant like me could just waltz in.
As I stood there, dumbfounded, Belial casually pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to me.
“Here.”
It was an invitation to the grand banquet. And on the back, his name was boldly written.
He was likely classified as a VIP, meaning Kyle must have personally written and given it to him.
‘Ah…’
Looking at the invitation that was practically shoved into my hands, a dull headache set in.
To be honest, it was a good opportunity. If Belial insisted on attending the banquet despite all the scheming, the best way to prevent any incidents would be for me to follow him and intervene directly.
But the moment I accepted this paper, I could already see a future filled with pure exhaustion.
“…Yes.”
Still, I took it. What else could I do? Orders were orders.
The duration of Reload was nearing its end, meaning it was time for me to go back. I bowed my head slightly and sighed non-stop the entire way as I went to hide my clothes.
‘I cannot run into Kyle at the banquet.’
But let’s be real—there was no way I wouldn’t run into him. Damn it, why did I have to make that stupid remark about being his partner?!
Life is seriously not easy.
***
The next afternoon, the moment I stepped outside after changing clothes, I ran into Sen.
“I’ve been looking everywhere for you! Where the hell have you been?! The guards said they haven’t seen you coming or going, you weren’t sneaking into the servants’ quarters to sleep, and even after searching every spare guest room, there was no sign of you!”
“Ah, well…”
I… slept in the Grand Duke’s bedroom.
Lately, since I hadn’t been running away, he started letting me sleep there.
The only issue was that my sleeping habits weren’t exactly… graceful. More than once, I’d woken up to find myself sprawled across Kyle’s face. Each time, he’d simply grab me by the scruff, place me back beside him, and wrap me up tightly in a handkerchief.
At first, being swaddled like an infant had been annoying as hell, but once I got used to it, it was surprisingly comfortable. And by the time I woke up again, I’d somehow ended up back in the hamster cage.
After watching Kyle leave, I played around with the hamster toys Sen had bought to keep up appearances before using Reload—and just like that, the afternoon had already arrived.
“…Something like that.”
Since I couldn’t come up with a good excuse, I decided to keep my mouth shut. Better to seem suspicious but harmless than to get caught in a ridiculous lie.
Sen narrowed her eyes, clearly not buying it, but soon sighed and moved on.
“I was looking for you since morning to give you this.”
She handed me a large box. It was heavier than expected.
“What’s this?”
“A tailcoat. His Highness Belial sent it. He doesn’t even know your name, so he gave it to me to pass along.”
“Hah…”
What a strange guy.
He doesn’t even know who I am, yet he went out of his way to prepare clothes for me? Then again, the fact that he invited a complete stranger to the banquet just to receive a single flower already proved he wasn’t normal.
“I got one too.”
Sen lifted her own box slightly and smiled.
“He asked me to come as well. This is the first time I’ll ever wear a dress. Honestly, I had another place in mind where I wanted to wear something like this, but…”
I pretended not to notice the way her expression darkened slightly.
“Anyway, Shu, thanks to you, I get to wear something beautiful. But why did you tell His Highness not to attend the banquet? Was it really just because of the flower thing?”
“Ah. No, it’s not that… I just have a bad feeling about it.”
Feeling a little embarrassed, I lightly nudged her.
“But whatever. We get to attend a banquet—not as servants, but as guests. That’s a win.”
“You’re right! I’ll definitely repay you for this.”
“If you’re gonna repay me, do it with food.”
Northern cuisine was amazing.
“Where does all the food you eat even go?”
“…Yeah, good question.”
Probably to my hamster belly.
Lately, Kyle had been spending more time squeezing my stomach than kissing me. No matter how many times I kicked him away, he always mistook it for playing and got even more excited. This guy would probably mistake me cursing him out for a goddamn serenade.
After chatting with Sen for a while longer, I stuffed myself with the bread she had brought me as thanks before we parted ways.
Northern food was truly top-tier.
The sandwich—a combination of thinly sliced magical beast meat, vegetables that had survived the harsh cliffside winds, and freshly baked bread straight from the oven—was better than anything from a high-end franchise.
Leaning back, patting my full stomach, I carefully hid my clothes and the box. A white light enveloped me as I returned to my original form, and suddenly, my entire body felt heavy.
‘Kyle’s gonna nag me again.’
I should at least move around a bit when I get back, so it looks like I’m doing something.
“…Cashew nut.”
—…
Oh, for fuck’s sake.
I realized immediately that I was stuck—tightly wedged inside the hamster slide.
How the hell did eating a couple of sandwiches make me gain this much weight? I only had two! Just two!
[乁(・o・)ㄏ]
Yeah, I know they were big, but still. …Fifteen centimeters, maybe?
Holding my breath, I squeezed through and tumbled down the slide, landing right in Kyle’s palm. He stared at me for a long time, his eyes filled with deep concern.
Hey, come on. It’s not like I have high cholesterol or anything.
“You won’t eat the food I give you, yet I have no idea where all this weight keeps coming from.”
Well, maybe if you brought me something delicious, Your Highness…
Even as he spoke, Kyle continued to prod at my belly. Stop using me for sensory play, damn it.
That night, Kyle let me sleep in his bedroom again.
And the next morning, the moment I woke up, he shoved a macadamia nut into my mouth.
Ptoo!
I spat it out immediately.
I had a banquet to attend tonight, damn it. I needed to save space for the good food.
Of course, Kyle had no way of knowing that. He just stared at me with an incredibly gloomy expression before sighing and placing me back into the hamster cage.