“Right, it couldn’t be courtship.”

Marian’s explanation was clear to Hadel. It wasn’t courtship, but a rescue act.

She herself said that although she was human in her past life, she’s now closer to being a ferret.

A ferret harboring romantic feelings and kissing a human? It was just artificial respiration to save him.

“The problem is with me, after all.”

Hadel washed his face with his hands. It was him who kept getting concerned even though the other party had no romantic feelings.

Yet, it wasn’t easy to cut off his interest abruptly. Now that he knew this cute and lovable ferret was actually a beautiful woman.

The white belly was rising and falling evenly. Marian’s sharp voice overlaid the sight of her sound asleep, unconcerned about Hadel.

“Marian, that’s my name!”

The ferret, which he named Kyu Kyu and for whom he just whimpered, had a beautiful name, Marian.

But Hadel couldn’t bring himself to call her by that name.

“If I start calling her by name, I won’t be able to hold back.”

He was already conscious of the tiny furball as a beautiful woman; calling her by that name would make his feelings flow like a river breaking its banks.

Even now, a fierce storm was raging in Hadel’s heart. He wanted to kiss that tiny mouth and turn her into a beautiful woman.

“Damn it…”

All Hadel could do was swallow a curse, which didn’t suit him.

Hadel is acting strange.

It wasn’t odd for Hadel to wake up earlier than her for his swordsmanship training, so waking up alone in bed was not unusual.

But Hadel coming in with the butler was strange. Usually, Hadel would enter the room first and start washing, and then the butler would follow.

‘And he looks oddly tired.’

After consoling her cries yesterday, Hadel and she had gone to bed early. If he had slept since then, there shouldn’t have been dark circles under his eyes.

‘But he looks like someone who stayed up all night. That shouldn’t be.’

If Hadel had been tossing and turning, unable to sleep, she would have definitely woken up.

‘So, why?’

She tilted her head, puzzled. Then the butler, still bearing a disapproving expression, greeted her.

“You’re up early today.”

He was right. Usually, she would lazily sleep in bed until she heard the cart or Hadel’s shower.

‘But since Hadel has been looking out for me, I need to earn my keep more diligently.’

After receiving help yesterday and being told she was no different from family, she decided to be a grateful ferret.

‘Otherwise, I would have been in the forest, pondering over which bug was bearable to eat, testing my patience and taste buds.’

She had forgotten it for a while due to her warm and well-fed recent life, but a ferret’s main diet was bugs.

So today, she got up early, put on an apron, and diligently swept Hadel’s room with a broom. It wasn’t hard since Hadel didn’t mess up his room much.

‘Phew, how’s that? The room’s clean, right?’

Proudly looking at the butler, he surprisingly praised her.

“…Wearing an apron seems somewhat cute.”

“Kyu.”

Right. Finally realizing my charm?

She nodded her head, pleased that the butler finally acknowledged her cuteness. Of course, he wouldn’t understand her words.

‘This is how we get familiar with each other.’

Hadel had told her she was like family, and she had no intention of leaving his side.

‘So, butler, get used to me too.’

As both she and the butler nodded their heads with their respective reasons, smiling contentedly.
The one who acted unexpectedly was none other than Hadel. Seeing me in an apron, Hadel hesitated and stopped in his tracks.

“Your Highness?”

The butler, puzzled by Hadel’s reluctance to enter his own room, called out to him with a tone of confusion.

However, Hadel’s gaze was fixed on me. I looked at myself, wondering if something was wrong. There was nothing.

‘It’s just the apron I usually wear, right?’

Why did he look as if he saw something he shouldn’t have?

Sensing the same strangeness, the butler, with a serious expression, asked Hadel.

“What’s wrong, Your Highness?”

“Just leave it for today. I’ll get ready and leave on my own,” Hadel replied, waving his hand and turning around abruptly. The butler, following him to the bathroom, inquired.

“Are you feeling unwell, Your Highness?”

“No, it’s nothing. Just go.”

At that moment, I didn’t think much of it.

‘Hadel’s an adult. Sometimes he might want to be alone. Even the butler can be annoying at times.’

But just then, as if reading my mind, Hadel pointed at me and said,

“Take that ferret out with you.”

‘Huh?’

The butler and I exchanged puzzled looks.

Following Hadel’s order, the butler carried me out. Standing in the corridor, he slowly asked,

“……Shall we have breakfast first?”

“Kyu.”

What’s the point of just standing here?

I nodded emphatically.

Back from the kitchen with a plate of bread, Hadel continued to act strangely. After showering and getting dressed, he sat down, deliberately turning away from me.