As soon as I arrived in the village, I stopped at a merchant, and had him carefully package the goods and money, and had them sent to the nearby imperial palace.
I was tempted to put a bribe on it so that the top worker would come to me, but I knew I'd be too tired if I ran into Kyle, so I did the next best thing.
[The top of the castanets is responsible for moving items to each point. Find the item at the desired location!]
Thanks to the system's guidance, I didn't lose the money that Kyle had so generously given me. I don't want to waste his hard-earned money, even if I pretend it's not a penny or two.
‘By the way, this is what they do at the top.’
It’s just like a delivery service.
Afterwards, as I wandered around diligently, the ‘loading’ time came to an end. Now that I’m here, I’m reminded that time really is money.
The replica hamster I had left behind was running out of time. As I watched another Cashew Nut disappear like melting snow, fatigue washed over me like a flood, and I fainted and fell asleep.
How much time has passed since then?
When I opened my eyes, I was on a rickety carriage. Since the surroundings were dark, I thought they had covered it with a black cloth…
As I leaned against the wall and retched, what I thought was black cloth moved. It appeared that Kyle was hugging the hamster house while sitting in the carriage.
-Squeak…(Does it look like I’m ok?...)
“Do you get motion sickness too? You seemed fine when I was holding you. Anyway, this thing also resembles Shu.”
What can I do? It’s the same guy inside.
Kyle reached into the hamster house. I figured it was better than being inside the hard house, so I jumped into his palm.
Although his hand had a lot of calluses, it still felt warm and soft.
‘It’s definitely better.’
I curled up into a ball and closed my eyes.
The grand duke won’t be able to hold a hamster all the time until he arrives at the imperial palace, so he should get enough sleep now that it’s lying in his palm.
The carriage shook. Those were the days of moving from the north to the south, from winter to spring.
By the time I arrived at the Imperial Palace, to my surprise, I had a miracle value of nearly 30%.
-Squeak. (Is this really happening?)
“Don’t worry too much, Cashew Nut. They value their lives so they will never bandit again.”
The story goes like this.
On our way to the palace, we passed through several villages, but one village in particular had an ugly atmosphere.
When I questioned the soldiers, they said that recent incidents of bandits rampaging through the streets, engaging in mischief and extorting money and valuables have been happening frequently.
Unfortunately, it was a small village between two estates and was poor, so no one could help. To make matters worse, the bandits’ tyranny became more severe day by day as there was nothing left to steal.
As a result of this situation, the village people naturally became less welcoming to outsiders.
They didn’t have enough food to share with others, and they were tired of bandits trying to get help from outsiders.
And when Kyle learned the circumstances, he solved all the problems at once and clearly.
“This is the fastest way to the imperial palace, but shouldn’t Shu have to face trouble on the way down?”
Literally. Kyle took down a group of bandits who were swarming the village with a single fist…
The bandits, who had been beaten just enough not to die, gave Kyle all the wealth they had stolen and fled to the mountains.
I heard that it was very unpleasant to see it groveling after threatening that it would not be left alone when it came back to the village, but unfortunately, I was in a hamster house, so that was all I could hear.
Well, they didn't have to kill me anyway. Honestly, they were stealing and murdering, so what's the point in killing them?
“They thought I was helping them”
-Squeak. (Illusions are free.)
He seems worried even though he gave me so much money. Well, if I heard that there were people stealing money everywhere, I would be concerned.
Anyway, it was a good thing one way or another.
The townspeople are safer, Kyle has less to worry about, and I get a miracle value boost from something that didn't happen in the original book.
I didn’t know much about Kyle Jane Meinhardt, but it seems he was quite feared outside of the Blake estate.
I don't know what kind of trouble he got into when he was kicked out of the Imperial Palace and went north, but....... It's no wonder that the miracle numbers were so high, as fear turned to awe and word of mouth began to spread.
Moreover, the way he carefully prepared food for his hamster whenever he stopped by the inn seemed to have created a rumor that he was a warm and just person toward small animals and the poor.
“It’s warming up a lot, so get some air.”
Kyle threw the carriage window wide open. I snuggled up against the grate of the hamster house and sniffed.
The breeze, which had grown warmer as we traveled south, began to waft with the scent of flowers as we neared the Imperial Palace. Spring was said to arrive quickly in the Meinhardt Empire, and even in March, the flowers were already in full bloom.
An engagement during the blooming season, how nice.
Though it doesn't have much of a romantic feel to it, given the opposition.
Kyle suddenly asked sweetly. I kicked him hard on the lips as he tried to kiss me.
Of course I am, man. I haven’t been able to use ‘Summon’ for several days now, so I’m just being a hamster. If this goes on, I will forget that I was ever human.
"When I was holding him, he was so quiet the whole time, no whining......."
Whining? Don’t use such cute words. Do you know how old I am?
"Don't worry, he'll be back in a few days. Five days? No, he's a diligent guy, maybe four days."
Even if Kyle's guess is correct and he's as diligent as he pretends to be, it'll take him four days to catch....... This means that I have to live with this disgusting, 100% pure rat for three more days.
‘...... I’m sick of it, I’m sick of it’
As I was grumbling excitedly, the carriage slowly came to a stop. Finally, I arrived at the long-awaited destination.
I stuck my head out the window.
Pure white bricks line a street big enough for a carriage or two, and gardens full of spring flowers line the street.
There were lights and structures here and there, and they seemed to have been spread with gold, so they sparkled brightly in the sun.
‘It’s like a royal castle.’
It’s too flashy to be too flashy.
Of course, the most eye-catching of them all was the imperial palace, more opulent than any fairy-tale palace I had ever seen in my life.
Although the palace was not small, its majesty was truly unique as it was the palace of the imperial family.
‘It’s too far to see from here’
I quickly grabbed Kyle’s fingers with both hands and hung on. Don’t put it in the hamster house, put it in your palm and go. It might be a bit painful, but …… It’s frustrating!
“Okay, let’s go together.”
Kyle looked at me as if he was dying of cuteness and then gently held me in his hand.
Fortunately, there were a lot of people waiting outside , so instead of kissing or hugging me, he put me in the front pocket of his jacket with very careful hands.
I stuck my head out and looked around.
“Meeting Archduchess Blake”
Sen came out in person, leading the maids.
She was always neat and tidy, but in her flowing dress, she looked like a young lady of some noble family.
Her brown hair was tied up in a high ponytail, and when Sen lifted the hem of her skirt and bowed her head in acknowledgment, Kyle did the same.
“Thank you for your hospitality.”
“It’s been a long time, Your Highness.”
Kyle’s expression softened.
Sen replied with a small smile.
“How many people are there who don’t get along well in the imperial palace? It’s a place where everything is abundant.”
Sens' expression as she said that was so calm that it gave off a cool vibe rather than warm happiness.
Kyle shrugged his shoulders instead of answering, as if he understood. Is it because he had a bad time in the imperial palace and was kicked out into the cold?
“Well, it was more than I thought.”
Sen covered her mouth with an expression of regret and quickly apologized.
There was an awkward silence for a moment. Sen must have seen me while lightly rubbing the back of her neck with her fingertips, and she smiled slightly with an expression that I recognized.
“Did you also bring Cashew Nut?”
“I think I need to get a medical examination from the palace’s magicians.”
“Oh my, where does it hurt?”
“Then that’s a relief. What about Shu?”
She looked around. She must have expected me to accompany them, but when she saw that I wasn't among those unloading the carriage, she seemed a little disappointed.
“He decided to stop by his hometown. He will arrive in a few days. It would be nice if you could set up a room for him next to mine.”
"I've already done that. Cashew still needs a place to stay....... I'll have it ready by tomorrow, don't worry."
Afterwards, Sen headed into the castle with calm steps.
The skill of showing people around a room or asking the maids to do something was unusual. The maids didn’t seem to have any difficulty with Sen either.
‘You’ve adapted quickly.’
Well, she’s a smart girl, so that’s to be expected.
We parted ways with Sen and entered the room that had been prepared for us.
The lavish furnishings and panoramic view were quite the opposite of what I'm used to in the north. Maybe it was because I had become accustomed to the North, but it felt like I was in a foreign country.
Should I say it is more delicate and sophisticated? It's amazing. It's also somewhat strange that there is no snow outside the window.
“You must have had a hard time coming, so eat some of this first.”
Kyle set me down on a neatly folded handkerchief and rummaged through his bag. Sunflower seeds, roasted peanuts, pollack cubes, shredded duck meat… … . No, did you bring all this?
As I was eating this and that, a hand continued to stroke my forehead and spine. It’s burdensome, you guy.
Still, I was afraid to get used to it, but I didn't have the heart to refuse. His affection, expressed with his whole body, seemed to have become second nature.
When I looked up at him with a full stomach, he scooped me up and kissed me on the forehead about five times before setting me down in the center of the bed.
"You sleep here tonight. We'll have what you need tomorrow morning."
-Squeak. (It doesn’t matter to me because I’m a bed type.)
Should I ask for a hamster bed or something? He doesn't have to share a bed this big, and it's only about the size of his palm.......
Why do I have this bed to myself?
Kyle unsheathed his sword from his back and drew it close. There was a creak of armor, and then...... he was sitting on the bed with his back to me, still holding the sword.
He's going to sleep like that? Really?
He spoke quietly and closed his eyes.
I looked at him with a slightly confused gaze as he slept motionlessly.
Kyle doesn't trust anyone here. This is the place where his mother was tragically killed and he was driven out to the cold land as a child. Not only was his life threatened, but he must have overcome many dangers of death.
Because of those countless memories, he is no longer as weak as he was then, and even though no one can treat him carelessly, he cannot relax.
Because things engraved in one’s mind eat away at a person longer than one might think. Even if you think you've overcome everything, I know very well that memories are what come to mind without you knowing. So sick of it.
'… … I can't wait to come back.'
I wanted to be by his side, not as a Cashew, but as a Shu, so he wouldn't feel alone, at least not in this vast palace.
I stared at Kyle’s cold, hard, and lonely face for a long time and then closed my eyes. I prayed that time would pass a little faster.
Ahh sorry if translations are off or if the grammar is kind of funky. 。゚・ (>﹏<) ・゚。 This is my first time doing this and I currently have no proofreader and am translating late at night. Please dm me if there is anything that needs to be fixed. Hope you enjoyed the read! (.❛ ᴗ ❛.)