‘Has the little one’s curiosity been satisfied?’
It was a message from Nox. He must have known I was eavesdropping. Well, I had noticed when he interfered with the system, so it made sense.
Then why did he let me be? The static had disappeared midway, allowing me to hear the others’ voices—because he permitted it.
Was he saying this much information was fine to share?
“…Shu.”
Coming back to my senses, I realized I was practically burying myself in Kyle’s arms. My body was still trembling like I had been drenched in ice water, and his gaze was also unsteady.
“Is it over?”
I stared blankly at Kyle. He furrowed his brows, scrutinizing my complexion.
“You shouldn’t use that power again.”
“…I’m, ahem, I’m fine.”
After all, he only knew that I had been terrified, not what I had seen. Just from the clue that I had crossed over from another world to escape death, it wouldn’t be easy for him to deduce exactly what I had witnessed.
At least, that’s what I thought—until Kyle clenched his teeth and pulled me tightly into his embrace.
“Are you lying because you think I wouldn’t know what you saw?”
My body stiffened. I had always known he was extraordinary in many ways, but this time, I was genuinely surprised.
“Shu.”
His voice was slightly hoarse. He looked as if he were forcing down a rising emotion, struggling to suppress it.
“I spent ten years in this frozen land. I danced with death daily. One day, the knight who followed me died. The next, I killed a beast. I’ve watched people starve, fall ill, and succumb to the cold…”
“…”
He swallowed his anguish and continued.
“I know what kind of eyes the dying have. I know how life on the brink of death thrashes for survival. I’ve seen it over and over. I’ve lived it. It was my reality—I couldn’t not know.”
Ah, I see.
Just by looking, he could tell.
Kyle Jane Meinhardt… and Kyle Blake had both lived that kind of life.
Somehow, I understood. And at the same time, it left a bitter taste.
Unwilling to meet his gaze, I buried my face against his chest. Kyle let out a deep sigh and gently stroked my back with his large hand.
“…I’ll find a way to minimize the side effects.”
“Even though this isn’t for your sake, you’re still willing to go this far?”
I mumbled as if making excuses.
“It’s for the safety of the territory. And I did hear quite a lot—seems like it could be useful. Nox also helped midway, though I don’t know why.”
“No.”
Kyle whispered the word as he pressed his lips to the crown of my head. His tone was soft, yet the resolve behind it was absolute.
“Unless we can be absolutely certain the side effects are completely gone, you are not using it again.”
“…”
“I let my guard down because you never seemed particularly burdened by thoughts of death. You never showed fear or hesitation. That was my mistake. Anyone who has nearly died can never truly be free from that memory.”
“…”
“Yes, I learned a great deal about the Tower Lords. That was thanks to you. I’m not refusing to acknowledge that. As always, you’ve made an incredible contribution to this land.”
Kyle cupped my chin gently, as if he were handling something fragile.
On impulse, I pressed a brief kiss to his lips.
I just wanted to soothe him, even if only a little.
With a low, pained groan, he suddenly lifted me into his arms and settled me onto his lap.
“Still no, Shu. I have no intention of placing everything on your shoulders. Especially if it means forcing you to relive your most terrifying memories.”
“…Even if it means saving many lives?”
“This is our world.”
It sounded like he was drawing a line, making it clear that this wasn’t my burden to bear. My heart sank with a heavy thud.
Sensing my reaction, Kyle quickly reassured me, pressing a kiss to my cheek.
“It’s a world you’ve chosen, yes. But it’s also the land we’ve built with our own hands. You are a gift to us, but we will never just sit back and wait for your sacrifices. It only has meaning if we do it ourselves.”
“…”
“What am I supposed to do with you, Shu?”
Kyle let out a sigh and rested his forehead against the nape of my neck.
“I don’t know. Every time I look at you, I feel lost. Sometimes, you seem like a miracle. Other times, like a flickering candle that could go out at any moment. So I don’t know whether I should protect you, trust and wait for you, grieve for you… or fear for you.”
Every word he exhaled carried raw, unfiltered emotion—his sincerity striking even deeper for how unpolished it was.
The trembling in my body hadn’t completely subsided, but the anguish had mostly passed.
More than anything, he had been here with me when I needed him.
I wrapped my arms tightly around him and answered,
“Just hold me, Your Highness.”
I wasn’t asking for anything grand.
Yes, saving Kyle increased the miracle points, and I had worked hard for that… but—
“This is enough for me.”
Even if that weren’t the case, I would have come to love this place anyway.
Because I loved Kyle. I would have done my best regardless.
Because I enjoyed being here.
I wasn’t lonely. Even if my body struggled at times, my heart was always warm.
There were even moments when I foolishly wished I had been born and raised in this world.
So I had no regrets. No matter how severe the side effects, I had already steeled myself for them.
“Shu.”
Kyle pulled me closer, whispering like a confession.
“Remember this. You are alive. And I will never let you die again.”
“…Yes.”
“As long as you want me by your side, I will stay. And I will protect you.”
What could be more reassuring than that?
I held onto him just as tightly.
“I understand.”
***
At dawn the next morning, I woke up in the middle of a fortress of blankets Kyle had built around me.
‘I’m starting to feel less like a hamster now.’
Maybe because I slept so well?
Even though the sun had only just begun to rise, my eyes were already wide open.
I pressed down on the towering layers of blankets and sat up.
—Yaaawn.
Stretching my arms and legs, I let out a huge yawn, smacking my lips before blinking at the system screen.
[Good morning! ヽ(￣▽￣)ノミ]
The system wiggled triumphantly before popping up the Love Love Corner.
Oh? A new product? Someone’s been busy.
NEW! [Messenger of Love♡ | ❤x1004]
…But what the hell is up with that price?
They’re just blatantly robbing people now. No shame at all.
I shot a glare into empty space, and as if scrambling to justify itself, the system quickly pulled up another small window.
[Current Balance | ❤ x 1999]
Wait, didn’t I buy earmuffs last time?
Why hasn’t my balance gone down?
[Current Balance | ❤ x 2005]
[Current Balance | ❤ x 2015]
[Current Balance | ❤ x 2022]
—…?
The number was rising in real time.
I slowly turned to look at Kyle, an uneasy expression on my face.
Still wrapped in a blanket, he was lying down, fast asleep. A faint, peaceful smile lingered on his slightly relaxed face.
What the hell?
Why is my heart balance increasing… while he’s sleeping?
‘…Is he dreaming about being a hamster or something?’
Yeah. Better not pry into someone else’s subconscious.
Some things are best left unknown.
Shaking off the thought, I hurriedly bought the new item—Messenger of Love.
[Messenger of Love♡]
Ugh! Do they really have to keep the heart symbol in the name? So cringeworthy.
The name was ridiculous, but the item itself was actually pretty useful. It provided a direct communication link with Kyle, no matter how far apart we were, and functioned as a passive skill, meaning it was permanently active.
Considering that, 1004 hearts was actually a bargain.
[(￣︶￣)]
The system flashed a smug expression at me.
Yeah, I bet you’re feeling real good after swiping over a thousand hearts in one go.
Luckily, hearts accumulated pretty quickly. Otherwise, I might’ve grabbed this thing by the metaphorical collar and shaken it down for a refund.
I flicked the system screen aside and immediately opened the messenger.
When I connected to Kyle, a keyboard-like interface appeared in my mind. As I typed, the words were magically transmitted as a text message.
The only issue?
Kyle was a medieval-era man whose only experience with communication involved writing letters.
‘Let’s wake him up first.’
I toddled over to him. He was still lying there, eyes closed.
Weird. He’s a light sleeper—normally, even the slightest movement from me would have him holding me and patting my back.
I nibbled lightly on the tip of his finger.
—Nip. (Wake up, you blockhead.)
“…”
—Nibble, nibble. (I said, wake up. Get up already.)
Still no response?
Fine.
I stuffed his pinky finger into my mouth and started chewing on it properly.
This time, I felt his fingers twitch slightly.
And then—
“…Pfft.”
—…?
“Haha… Ahaha. That tickles. Alright, alright, I’m up. I was wondering what you were doing just sitting there all spaced out, so I waited. Didn’t expect you to wake me like this.”
Kyle opened his eyes.
Despite having just woken up, his gaze was sharp, completely free of drowsiness.
So he had actually woken up around the same time as me but had been pretending to sleep.
…Had he been waiting for me to wake him up?
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you like this. So cute.”
—Nip. (Shut up.)
What do you mean, “it’s been a while”?
I bet he’s been staring at me like this every time I sleep and the “Reload” effect wears off.
The moment I let go of his finger, he immediately scooped me up and started peppering me with kisses.
Ah. It’s been a while, huh?
This hamster-obsessed freak and his nonsense.
Expression blank, I let him do whatever he wanted.
Yeah, yeah. Kiss all you want. Have at it.
Anyway… before explaining how to use this messenger, I first needed to figure out how to even explain what it was to him.
—Bzzt. (Your Highness.)
“Do you have something to say?”
I looked up at him.
—Bzzt, bzzt. (Have you ever heard of the Messenger of Love?)
“Yes. I love you too.”
…He didn’t understand.
Not that I expected him to.
There was still some time before “Reload” would activate again.
Ugh, why did I wake up so early?
With a deep sigh, I sprawled across his palm.
There were only a few minutes left until six.
I’d explain later. Once I was human again.
—Nip. (I’ll tell you later.)
Kyle, still grinning, responded with something completely unrelated.
“You’re especially cute today.”
—Nibble.
Idiot.
…But considering that I wasn’t totally hating this, maybe I was the one who was beyond saving.
