The Northern Grand Duke’s Hamster

I climbed onto Sen’s palm and looked around.

Kyle was searching with fire in his eyes, so she would head straight to the study. I hadn’t properly memorized the paths in my haste to escape, so I needed to familiarize myself with them now.

That way, tomorrow, I could use ‘Reload’ from the exact same spot, change into the clothes I had hidden beforehand, and head in the opposite direction of the study.

The key was to stay within a ten-meter radius. Of course, I’d need more clothes. Damn, it was fucking cold. No wonder they called this place the North.

“Sen, where are you going?”

A maid carrying a laundry basket called out to Sen. It seemed the place where I had been hiding was where the servants did their washing.

“I found it!”

Sen proudly lifted me up slightly, then carefully cupped me in both hands as if afraid of dropping me. Hey, don’t cover my view. I can’t see.

“It doesn’t seem too wary of people. It’s really gentle. On the way here, it was looking around as if trying to learn the paths. It was pretty cute.”

Hearing that, the maids gathered around, exclaiming how envious they were, how adorable I must be, and how they wanted one too, making a fuss.

I deliberately buried my nose into Sen’s palm like a frightened hamster and pretended not to notice.

‘…Did I make it too obvious that I was looking around?’

If they started thinking I was some sentient rodent, that would be a pain.

“Can’t I take it with me too?”

A maid who seemed close to Sen approached, eyes sparkling as she looked at me.

The hell? Trying to steal my thunder? Not happening. Shoo. This was Serena’s glory to bask in.

—Chiiik! (Get lost!)

I tensed my body and kicked at Sen’s hands, letting out a series of sharp squeaks. The maid visibly flinched in surprise.

“Huh? Oh my, what’s wrong? It was so calm just a moment ago…”

—Chik! Chikchik! (You fool! You want to share this glory?! Go and take credit for it yourself!)

You were meant to become Serena, the greatest woman in the Empire! Sure, I may have gnawed away at that fate a little… But still, go and earn some points with Kyle yourself!

Just then, a low voice echoed behind us.

“Cashew Nut.”

“Y-Your Grace…!”

Fucking ghost-like bastard. He found me so damn fast.

Kyle’s crimson eyes locked onto me. As he furrowed his brows slightly, his already intimidating expression became even more intense. If looks could be weapons, this guy would be undefeated.

Hey, smile. You found me safe and sound, no scratches. Don’t freeze up the atmosphere like that. Can’t you see the maids trembling in fear?

While the other maids turned pale and backed away, Sen was the only one who didn’t flinch. She slowly turned to face Kyle.

“Your Grace, I have found the beast, as you ordered.”

Kyle extended his hand but hesitated when he saw me sitting calmly in Sen’s palm, glaring at him.

“…It seems to like you quite a bit.”

“Well…”

“Come to my study as you are.”

Sen looked down at me briefly before brushing her thumb gently across my back. Then, she nodded. The other maids, sensing the shift in atmosphere, quietly returned to their tasks.

Upon reaching the study, Kyle tried to put me back in the hamster cage.

Naturally, I clung to Sen as tightly as I could, resisting with all my might. You said we’d sleep together tonight! You can’t just give me freedom and snatch it away like this, you petty bastard!

Unfortunately, Kyle seemed to misinterpret my desperate struggle.

“You really like her.”

“It seems so.”

Sen chuckled softly, looking a bit embarrassed yet pleased. Then, without hesitation, she firmly placed me back inside the cage.

“But you still need to go in. You mustn’t wander outside carelessly. His Grace worries about you.”

Come on, I was just taking a little stroll. I was going to come back on my own in thirty minutes anyway.

“I will reward you.”

Kyle closed the top door of the hamster cage as he spoke. Sen merely looked at him in silence, prompting him to continue in his usual blunt tone.

“I expected it to be difficult to find. When the mages said they couldn’t sense any magic, I had a hunch. But thanks to you, I was able to locate Cashew Nut.”

“…”

“Name your reward. As Grand Duke Blake, I will grant you whatever you desire.”

Sen’s gaze flickered toward me, where I was lounging against the exercise wheel. Her eyes held a mix of emotions, both longing and resignation.

So it was possible to look both desperate and determined at the same time. Her green eyes darkened for a moment before steadying themselves once again.

“It’s fine,” Sen answered firmly.

“What I desire is not something Your Grace can grant me. So, I will achieve it on my own. Just… remember that I did my best. And if I ever face injustice in this castle, please take my side, Your Grace.”

“Interesting.”

Kyle leaned back against the sofa, speaking leisurely.

“A wish within my own domain that I cannot grant?”

Don’t get competitive over a maid’s wish. I muttered to myself as I dipped my dirtied front paws into the water bowl to wash them.

‘By the way, what is Sen’s wish?’

Marrying Belial? The two of them were in love in the original story, after all. I wasn’t sure how things ended, but most novels followed the same formula—”And they lived happily ever after.”

But loving Belial from all the way up here in the North, far from the Imperial City, was impossible. Maybe her goal was to rise in status instead…?

At that moment, a system window quietly appeared.

[Revenge.]

‘Revenge?’

Sen’s wish was revenge?

[Serena’s one and only wish is revenge.]

It said “Serena,” not “Sen.”

The system was still calling her Serena, not Sen.

So, she was still going to become Serena after all? Even if her fate of possession had changed, this part remained the same.

A strange feeling washed over me. I blinked and looked up at Sen.

‘Just what happened to you?’

The book I read was no longer just lines of text. It had become someone’s vivid, real-life story. That realization felt incredibly surreal.

“By the way.”

Kyle called Sen’s name softly. Despite his intimidating presence, she turned to him calmly.

She really had nerves of steel.

“Your face looks familiar.”

I saw her shoulders tense up slightly.

She was shaken.

Her usually composed green eyes wavered, and her lower lip, pressed tightly together, turned momentarily white.

But she quickly recovered.

Turning her head slightly toward me, she shut her eyes tight, then opened them with a bright, relaxed smile.

She was so natural and confident that I almost wondered if I had imagined that flicker of emotion earlier.

“Well, I’m not one of Your Grace’s assigned maids.”

“But… have we met somewhere before?”

Your Grace, that line is outdated.

Sen smiled enigmatically and replied,

“I am Your Grace’s subject. And since I work in the castle, it’s only natural that my face looks familiar.”

“…Right. That makes sense.”

Kyle didn’t press the issue further.

Now that I thought about it, Winter’s Heart described Kyle as being rather obsessed with Serena.

But why?

There must have been a reason he fixated on a person rather than territory.

With everything going on, it was hard to recall the novel’s details.

Thankfully, the system usually helped fill in the gaps.

“What’s your name?”

“It’s Sen, Your Grace.”

“I see. Sen.”

Kyle seemed to ponder something, then turned to look at me.

No, don’t stare at me with such blatant affection.

Maintain your dignity as a Grand Duke.

Don’t suddenly open the cage and pull me out.

And don’t even think about kissing me.

“I’ll reduce your workload a little. Can you come by to check on Cashew Nut?”

Sen’s eyes widened at the unexpected request.

“…Cashew Nut? You mean the beast?”

“Yes. It seems to be quite fond of you. The only person it sees in the study all day is me, and I’ve been busy preparing for the festival. It must have felt lonely, which is probably why it tried to run away…”

Not a bad angle.

Actually, I welcomed this.

In the beginning of the original story, the narrative focused on Serena, Belial, and Kyle.

Belial was in the Imperial City, so I couldn’t do much about him, but if I got involved with Serena and Kyle, I could gather more Miracle points.

And since I had to spend most of my day as a hamster, having people come find me instead would save me a lot of effort.

Sen turned back toward me. I moved closer to her and placed my tiny paw against the cage wall, giving her a playful wink.

Hamster charm activated.

Fan service.

“…I’ll do it!”

Sen blurted out as if mesmerized.

“I-I mean, I’ve never raised a hamster before, but I’ve taken care of dogs…! I’ll study hard and learn how! So, please…!”

“It’s not a hamster. It’s a beast.”

And just like that, Sen became my second caretaker.

Get along, you two.

No weird obsessions or anything like that.

And most importantly—don’t kill each other.

Got it?

After Sen left, Kyle remained seated, staring at me inside the cage for a long time.

He looked like he was dying to take me out but held back.

‘Was losing me once that much of a shock?’

But really, it wasn’t my fault.

Imagine a perfectly fine hamster suddenly vanishing, only for a naked man to appear on the bed.

What the hell would that even look like?

And if someone happened to walk in at that moment?

The rumor mill would go wild.

“His Grace is into men.”

Poor Kyle—he wasn’t even married yet.

Of course, no one would actually be reckless enough to spread such gossip.

Still, as unfair as it was, I couldn’t exactly complain.

If I were in his shoes, I wouldn’t leave a hamster that could disappear at any moment unsupervised either.

…Maybe I should act meek for a while.

No, this was all because of that damn ‘Reload’ skill.

Couldn’t the system at least explain how it worked?

[(อิ_อี;;;)]

‘Well, tomorrow should go smoothly.’

I had hidden my clothes well.

I’d use ‘Reload’ there, then observe the castle’s atmosphere.

It was festival season, so no one would find it strange if an unfamiliar person was walking around.

‘…Before that, I need to find some pants and shoes.’

If I kept running around barefoot in this freezing weather, my toes would probably fall off.

As these thoughts swirled in my mind, I drifted off to sleep.

And by the next day—

I received the devastating news that my hidden clothes had been stolen.