BL: The Northern Grand Duke’s Hamster (Novel Translation)

Ten days passed in an instant. Although the mages tried a little, Shu's right arm did not improve much. Fortunately, the cold didn't spread beyond his shoulder, but it wasn't that Shu had blocked it with magic… Somehow, he felt more like Knox hadn't hoped for anything more than that. Still, it was worth living on.

Shu was more often in his hamster form than human, and even when he was human, Kyle took such good care of him that he didn't have to use his right arm at all. If he didn't try to force himself to move it, the dull feeling was now bearable.

"What about the meal, Your Highness?" Shu asked.

"I was just about to prepare it," Kyle replied.

How much time is it now? Shu thought. It was the time when Kyle would usually sneak into the kitchen, claiming that the other attendants couldn't manage everything, and then emerge with food. Shu opened his eyes and glanced over, and Kyle smiled awkwardly, then kissed him on the forehead.

"I waited for you to wake up. I'll also take care of some paperwork."

"If you can't speak," Shu murmured, half-joking.

And Kyle lived those ten days as if they were a hundred. Before the full onset of winter, trade goods with the Casternet territories were increased. They sold hunted beasts, mined resources, and crafts and armor made by northern artisans to gradually stock up on daily necessities. Not only that, but they also had to resolve the issues of refugees and exiles, which had been discussed since last time, and examine crops that could be temporarily grown in the unfrozen land. They salted and stored the caught beasts, released items from the warehouse, and distributed them to the poor.

"I don't know what will come. Make everyone nervous," Kyle had said.

On the other hand, they were thoroughly prepared for the unknown danger that would arrive ten days later. The northern troops, gathered around the Blake Knights, were fully prepared to defend their territory. Confronting the Demon Beasts and the Wizards of the Lawless Zone was their time-honored task. Everyone guarded the city wall with a determined mindset and trained diligently.

Normally, Shu would have found a way to squeeze into that gap, practicing archery and horseback riding somehow… Staying still now helps me, Shu mused. He was a calm hamster who knew his place. Just a moderate pat under Kyle's gaze was enough to help him.

Of course, it wasn't just about playing. Shu worked with Kyle on paperwork, prevented him from overdoing it more than necessary, and helped him with minor errands. Was it because everything around Kyle lasted longer than expected?

[Current miracle figure 76.8%]

The miraculous figures that had suddenly risen were enough to make Shu's heart feel relieved just by looking at them. First of all, it was far from the section where Kyle was scheduled to die in the original work. Belial hadn't died, and James had survived. Knox and Lorenz were still looking for opportunities, but they hadn't lost their focus and collapsed or become desperately isolated. In particular, when James returned alive from the exploration of the new mine, the figure had risen by about four percent. Just thinking about it made Shu smile.

I haven't even done a quest for the past few days. If this continues, I will fill it soon, Shu thought. Then, my death will finally be overturned, right? If I borrow the power of a miracle and return to the original world, I will forever say goodbye to this exhausting poverty. Not only will there be a normal life where there's no such thing as war or wizards, but I won't turn into a hamster! You can live as a human twenty-four hours a day—this is it!

…Of course, this is normal.

As Shu internally celebrated the good news, he suddenly found himself not as happy as he had thought about this fact that he had been waiting for a long time. Why do I feel sad and melancholy somewhere? When have I tried so hard to come back to life?

"What are you worried about with that little head?" Kyle asked, his voice soft.

Shu dropped his head slightly from his resting place on Kyle's shoulder. Before he knew it, Kyle's gaze was on his face, not on the complicated documents. Shu replied with a mixture of jokes and half-truths.

"How can I keep Your Highness happy for a long time? If you want to be happy."

I want you to be happy. Even though it was a novel he hadn't read until the end, Kyle's existence had remained in Shu's heart for a long time. He was glad that Kyle's loneliness felt like his own, but it was best that neither of them remained lonely.

"Aren't you already living longer than you think?" Kyle said in a relaxed tone. "I know it was possible because of you. I'm grateful, Shu."

"..."

"And because of you, I…" Kyle just stared at Shu without finishing his words. He frowned slightly, as if he was a little sorry.

Shu also pouted, about to say something, then closed his mouth. To say that Kyle was happy because Shu was there meant that Kyle wished Shu would stay. And so did Shu. As he stayed with Kyle, laughing at non-existent jokes and doing trivial things together, Shu realized that what he had endured for a long time was terrible loneliness. They had learned happiness from each other, but ironically, they were destined to be separated. Perhaps the reason Shu wasn't so happy even though he had collected so many miracle numbers was because he didn't like parting with Kyle.

"..."

Everything in the world is not eternal. It wasn't just the fact that when he reached this miracle number, he would go back to his original world. Just as one couldn't escape death once born, every encounter was accompanied by a breakup.

"Let's not talk about that now." It was foolish to worry about a future that had not yet come. Even if Shu was anxious and fidgeted, it wouldn't change anything.

He quickly moved his head close to cover Kyle's mouth with his own. As their lips met, Kyle squinted to look down at Shu, then gently stroked his cheeks, chin, ears, and nape with one hand in response. At first, Kyle's hand had been somewhat stiff and clumsy, but now he was used to it, and it moved freely.

As Shu continued to kiss him, he playfully slapped the back of Kyle's hand as it stroked his side without hurting him. There's a mountain of things to do, do you have time for this, Your Royal Highness the Grand Duke?

"Hmm." Shu was out of breath, so he pushed Kyle's shoulders away. Of course, Kyle, who held on like a rock, did not yield. He just bit his lower lip with a frown as if he didn't like Shu's rejection.

It's suffocating, breathe! I don't want to be the protagonist of a ghost story about suffocating while kissing!

Eventually, Shu's struggle worsened. His eyes were spinning. It was one thing to feel good, and another to be out of breath. His face turned bright red, and as soon as their lips parted, he gasped and gasped. Normally, Kyle acted affectionately as if he was going to melt Shu and eat him, but once in a while, if he didn't like something, he would put Shu down like this.

"Shu."

"Yes, yes," Shu replied in a soothing tone that seemed to calm even a pouting child, and kissed Kyle loudly. "Why did you get so greedy, our Grand Duke?"

"That's you…"

It was when Kyle suddenly tried to defend himself, his hand tightening on Shu's shoulder. The sound of a horn blared from somewhere. A low, yet somewhat creepy and chilling sound. The intimate atmosphere that had gently enveloped them changed in an instant. Kyle's expression turned cold, and at the same time, someone knocked on the door with a rough hand.

"Your Highness!"

"..."

"It's an intruder! Someone is approaching the North Gate!"

The North Gate of Blake Estate was not a door anyone sought to visit. It would never open without the permission of the lord, Kyle Blake, and it was heavy, thick, and tightly locked like any other gate on all sides. There were people who 'came back' to the territory, but there were no people who 'stopped by' the North Gate. Since the last exploration of the new mine, no one had left the territory. Kyle had made sure that no one, including knights, miners, and hunters, would go out through the North Gate.

"Intruder? Who is it?" Kyle's voice froze fiercely.

But funnily, Kyle brought up the question, and Shu already knew the answer when he heard the question while standing firm beside him.

"It's not close enough to see his face exactly…" The attendant's voice was full of tension. "He's white."

"..."

"Clothes, hair, I mean… Everything was white, and it looked like a person made of snow was walking…"

The foreboding proved to be correct. It was Knox.

"..." Kyle smiled wryly. His red eyes burned with a clear expression of absurdity, hostility, anger, and hatred from past grudges. It was as if Knox had been standing right in front of him, and Kyle would have drawn his sword and cut him in half.

"When do you think he'll arrive?" Kyle asked.

"If you consider his slow pace, it is an hour. I think that's enough time to get to the gate, Your Highness."

"What else?" Kyle wondered. Knox might have brought people, or he might have brought a demonic beast. Depending on what he brought, the way Kyle dealt with him would be slightly different.

The attendant replied to Kyle's question with a low voice, heavy with pain. "That… I think he came alone."

Kyle ended up laughing, a harsh, humorless sound. "Hah! You're making fun of people!"

"What will you do, Your Highness?"

If Knox hadn't brought an army, it was right to first ask about his purpose. Most likely, he had come here because he was fleeing something. Kyle knew that if he merely locked the North Gate and held on, nothing would be solved. When he considered Knox's personality in that way, the fact was that if the result was bad, it would only get worse; it wouldn't get better.

"Guests," a gloomy voice rang out. "I need to get ready."

It was the first time in the history of Blake Estate that a guest entered through the North Gate.