Kyle Blake was seized by an overwhelming urge to momentarily turn away from the reality before him.
“What the hell is all this…?”
After a brief conversation with Belial and Sen, he had returned straight to his study, only to be met with an utterly chaotic scene.
Scattered documents littered the desk and floor. An overturned inkwell had left dark stains on a handkerchief. Small, numerous paw prints marked not just the desk and papers but even the cushions.
And at the very heart of this disaster, his bonded beast stared up at him with wide, twinkling blue eyes.
“Cashew Nut.”
His low voice resonated in the silence. The tiny hamster flinched visibly.
Kyle strode toward the desk with firm steps, and Cashew Nut instinctively took a step back. Another black paw print was left on the document beneath him. The little creature shifted its body slightly, smearing the ink further.
“Hey.”
The beast averted its gaze, glancing sideways as if trying to escape his scrutiny. The whites of its eyes were faintly visible at the edges—a telltale sign of guilt. It was clear that Cashew Nut knew he’d been caught red-handed, and now he was sneaking glances at Kyle to gauge his reaction.
An awkward silence settled between them.
Kyle reached out a hand, and Cashew Nut eyed his fingers with a conflicted expression—undecided on whether to dodge, bite, or kick them away.
With careful hands, Kyle lifted his companion. Up close, he could see black ink stains smudged all over Cashew Nut’s soft belly, sides, tiny front paws, and even his face.
“Hah… honestly…”
Cashew Nut squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself—accepting his fate as if silently saying, Go ahead and scold me. I deserve it for wrecking your study.
Kyle’s expression grew solemn. His face drew nearer and nearer, taking on an air of almost reverent seriousness…
Smooch.
—Squeak?! (What the—?!)
Smooch. Smooch.
“You’re unbearably cute…”
The blue light in the hamster’s eyes slowly faded, but Kyle, oblivious to his companion’s mental shutdown, continued his passionate display of affection.
“Really, your cuteness knows no bounds. It’s enough to make my heart ache.”
“…What should I do with these documents? I have no idea when I’ll get replacements, so I should preserve these paw prints. Yes. I should frame them. I’ll ask a mage to cast a preservation spell on them…”
—Squeak… (Hopeless otaku…)
“Yeah. I like you too.”
Kyle’s relentless barrage of kisses continued until the furious hamster finally shrieked and started throwing tiny punches at him.
***
“What the hell… no warning at all…?”
I had turned back into a person.
Before going to sleep, I had instinctively checked my miracle level—it had been around 50%. But now, at dawn, it was fully restored.
‘Pulled an all-nighter, huh.’
Yeah, he must’ve worked through the night.
Not that I felt sorry for him. Back when I was a developer, I had my fair share of overtime. Ever heard of the Lighthouse of Pangyo?
Anyway, it worked out for the best. The system’s connection had been unstable, so I thought recovery would take longer. But since I was back before the grand banquet, this timing was actually perfect.
‘I still have no idea why the hell I suddenly turned into a hamster, though.’
Not that asking the system would make it any clearer. It restored itself, so whatever.
I called out to the system a few times in my head, but there was no response. I didn’t even get to say hi—was the connection severed? Even though we’d already parted once, I felt strangely disappointed.
“…Ugh, it’s cold.”
The northern winter was as brutal as ever. The grand duke’s bedroom spared no expense on firewood and oil, but on a night like this, when the snowstorm raged outside, even that had its limits.
I glanced down at the familiar-looking, thin shirt I was wearing, then casually tossed away the handkerchief that had been covering me and slid under the blanket.
Without hesitation, my body instinctively sought out the warmest place under the covers—Kyle’s embrace.
“……”
The entire time I wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed close, he remained motionless, eyes shut tight. His slow, even breaths and peaceful expression felt somehow irritating.
Poke.
I pressed my index finger against his lower lip.
“Excuse me.”
No way he was actually asleep. Our dear grand duke is a notoriously light sleeper.
“I, uh, turned back into a person, you know.”
This was the same guy who had shamelessly smothered me in kisses when I was a hamster. And now he was playing it cool?
I had expected him to wake up and immediately kiss me, so when he didn’t, I found myself feeling oddly sulky. I tugged at his lip in mild protest.
Finally, the ever-nonchalant grand duke cracked open his eyes.
“Mmm.”
Still stretching his lips, I grumbled, “Aren’t you happy to see me? You were sleeping so soundly, I almost fell for it.”
“Of course I’m happy.”
His words came out slightly muffled since I still hadn’t let go of his lip.
His eyes curved gently, his reddish irises reflecting the sight of his sulky lover. And yet, rather than feeling uneasy, he looked completely at ease—no, he actually seemed a little pleased.
“That’s a relief. I wanted to attend the grand banquet with you.”
“Oh, sure you did…”
I replied flatly and pressed my forehead against his. The cool tip of my nose brushed lightly against his.
“You were so into me when I was a beast.”
“Well, you were cute.”
Who the hell would believe that this composed grand duke was the same hamster-obsessed otaku who had been fawning over me just moments ago?
A soft touch landed on my lips—light and fleeting, barely there before it withdrew. But that was it. Before our breaths could even mingle, Kyle pulled back.
“See?”
“…What?”
“You’re clearly more into me as a beast. How did you even survive all this time without me?”
An awkward silence followed before Kyle let out a quiet chuckle. Then, pressing his forehead against mine again, he spoke in an unusually hesitant, low voice.
“…Because I don’t trust myself to stop at just a kiss.”
“Hah.”
A breathy laugh escaped me. At some point, his gaze on me had ignited with heat.
Was he seriously trying to seduce me the moment I turned back into a human? With that face? When the sun was literally rising? Did he really think I wouldn’t fall for it?
“Who said we should stop at just a kiss?”
Of course, I caved. There was no way anyone could resist that face.
Neither of us hesitated—we pulled each other close at the same time, pressing our lips together. His cool lips parted, and a warm, damp breath slipped between them.
Kyle tilted his head slightly, deepening the kiss. His tongue traced my teeth slowly before slipping inside. I inhaled sharply, squeezing my eyes shut.
Somehow, I had ended up on top of him, lying over his broad frame. At some point during our clumsy movements, he had effortlessly lifted me and settled me above him.
As his pointed tongue traced the rough roof of my mouth, his hands roamed lower, brushing along my waist. His large, firm palm smoothed over my back, fingertips grazing the dip between my shoulder blades—making me shudder.
When the long kiss finally ended, Kyle let out a soft laugh.
“If I hadn’t woken up, you’d have been really disappointed.”
“Disappointed, my ass…”
I grumbled as I tugged at the buttons of his shirt.
“That’s a bold thing to say for someone who just admitted he couldn’t stop at a kiss.”
“You’ve got a point. After all, I haven’t even had the chance to hold you properly in days.”
As if he hadn’t spent those very same days very productively. I shot him a glare but still lifted my torso slightly, making it easier for him to remove my clothes.
“Consider this me being generous.”
I pressed my palm against his bare chest and grinned.
“Today, I’ll let you do as much as you want.”
Because of our vast difference in stamina, I often had to make him hold back to avoid being utterly wrecked… but sometimes, I figured it was fine to let go.
“……”
Kyle gazed up at me intently. His eyes burned—hot enough to sear. The raw emotions in them were undeniable: affection, possessiveness, desire.
He didn’t ask if I was sure. He didn’t even pretend to hesitate.
He simply rose, kissed me, and laid me beneath him.
Though not a single thread of clothing remained between us, I didn’t feel the cold at all. His body heat covered me entirely, and instead, a strange warmth bloomed from within.
“Don’t regret this, Shu…”
Kyle bit down on my neck. A sharp sting spread across my thin skin, followed by the tingling warmth of his breath.
As his large hands roamed over my body, I lifted mine to his back and traced my fingers along its surface.
Beneath the firm muscles, I felt countless scars—marks left by blades, scrapes from the ground, punctures from fangs, deep claw marks.
Though long healed, each scar told a story. They made it painfully clear just how harsh and relentless the world he had endured must have been.
A sudden wave of tenderness swelled within me. As I smoothed my hand over his back, Kyle, who had been leaving kisses along my cheek and ear, let out a quiet chuckle.
“I’m fine now.”
His fingers trailed up my thigh, pressing into my skin as if playing piano keys. The movement felt almost… soothing.
“There was a time when I survived purely on instinct, only to be left with emptiness. I didn’t know why I kept going, or what I was supposed to live for. I had no honor I wished to protect, no people I cherished, no grand purpose or reward I longed for.”
I closed my eyes for a moment and pictured the Kyle of that time.
A man standing alone in an endless white expanse of snow.
Perhaps he had still been young then—too young to fully shed his boyhood—standing there, blood-soaked, letting the snowflakes fall over him as he quietly looked into the depths of his own life.
Life isn’t just about breathing and walking. But for someone like him, even just breathing had been a constant battle.
“But I’m okay now. Because I finally understand.”
Kyle wrapped his arms around me and murmured softly,
“If all of that was just so I could meet you, then I have nothing to regret.”
Our eyes met.
His gaze was unbearably warm and gentle, melting me from the inside out.
And in the reflection of his red eyes, my own face was distorted, on the verge of tears.
“Don’t cry.”
He kissed the tip of my nose.
To be honest, the mood was incredibly moving.
“…You’re going to be crying for the next few hours anyway. Can’t afford to waste your energy now.”
…And just like that, any sentimentality died on the spot.
In the end, I kicked him—hard.
Kyle, for whatever reason, just burst into laughter.
Lmfao 😂😂😂