‘What’s with him, really?’

But when I bit into the bread while sitting on the cart, I felt Hadel’s gaze on my side.

‘Huh?’

Turning my head upon feeling his stare, Hadel quickly looked away. After repeating this a few times, I became certain.

‘Hadel is acting weird.’

Was he eyeing my bread because he was hungry?

‘Impossible.’

Anyone else, maybe, but not Hadel. I scoffed at the absurdity.

So, he’s looking at me, not the bread.

‘This will give me indigestion.’

The food was all my favorites, naturally. But isn’t food supposed to be enjoyed in a relaxed state of mind?

‘Maybe I should just take the bread and eat in the study.’

As I pondered this, holding the bread, a sudden irritation surged.

‘Why should I even be worrying about this!’

Glancing at Hadel, the cause of my dilemma, I noticed something odd about him. Squinting, I realized what was different today.

‘He’s dressed unusually conservatively.’

Usually, his shirts were loose enough that a tug might reveal skin, but today he was buttoned up tightly.

Isn’t this situation too peculiar?

‘Is it just me? The timing is too perfect.’

Being sent out for a shower, excluded at mealtime, and even changing his usually casual attire to something more formal.

All signs pointed in one direction. I widened my eyes in realization.

‘Is he actually conscious of me!’

For a moment, I entertained the thought, but then I burst into laughter.

Impossible. How could that be? I’m just a fluffy ferret. Sure, I was human once, but a cute animal is still an animal.

‘He’s probably just being sensitive. It’s a tough situation, after all.’

The castle was full of Prince Sae Deul and his entourage, all eager to find fault with Hadel.

‘Let’s just eat the bread. Don’t mind it.’

He’ll get over it soon enough.
I buried my head back into the bread, nibbling away at the crust, when suddenly there was a knock on Hadel’s door. The butler, who had stepped out instead of Hadel, returned after speaking with a servant and said,

“Ah, indeed. We should bring His Highness’s meal here too.”

“What’s the matter?”

Hadel frowned. The butler wore a resigned smile.

“Prince Sae Deul has left the castle early this morning.”

“That’s good news.”

Even though Sae Deul tended to disrupt the atmosphere, Hadel was obliged to invite him to join breakfast as the host of the castle.

‘Wow! We’ll eat together today!’

I was glad when Hadel dined together. Eating alone felt lonely.

Preparing to eat with Hadel, I placed the bread I was holding back onto the plate. The butler, noticing my gesture, widened his eyes and remarked,

“This ferret now thinks it’s human. Maybe it’s better to give it a separate bowl?”

“Kyu!”

Do they think I’m a dog?

‘Instead of appreciating my desire to dine with my owner, such remarks!’

Irritated, I tapped the plate with my hind legs. Hadel muttered in a dazed tone,

“A bowl for food…”

Seizing the moment, the butler quickly reported his observations.

“Yes. And the chef says chocolates and caramels keep disappearing from the kitchen, suspecting this little one as the culprit.”

“Kyu, Kyu?”

Uh, is there any evidence?

‘I did sneak some… but a culprit, that’s too harsh. How much can I eat anyway?’

Though, I might have eaten quite a bit?

Hadel looked incredulous at the butler’s words.

“The ferret?”

“And so, the chef suggests putting a collar on the ferret.”

“A collar…”

Hadel repeated the word, seemingly in a daze. I could tolerate the suspicion, but the mention of a collar compelled me to protest loudly.

“KyuKyu!”

A collar! Isn’t that too much?

‘I’m not a dog! Not a cat either! Hadel said I’m like family! Who puts a collar on family!’