Normally, the butler, who was as oblivious as a mouse’s speck of dust, surprisingly caught on to my protests today and furrowed his brow.

“His Highness is kind-hearted, so he treats you well, but you’re an animal, not a human.”

“Kyu!”

Oh, here we go again?

‘Who said I’m human? But a collar, that’s going too far!’

I waved my tiny fists in protest, and the butler chuckled and said,

“Oh really? Then you’re saying you’re not the one who’s been stealing chocolates and caramels?”

“Kyu…”

I have a conscience, even as a ferret, and couldn’t just feign innocence. I hurriedly checked myself over.

‘I hope there’s no chocolate stuck on me.’

If evidence surfaced now, I’d be cornered. Thankfully, my fur was still white and fluffy, without any chocolate-like stains.

‘Phew, that’s a relief.’

As I sighed in relief, the butler mocked me with a smirk,

“Look at that. Even the ferret knows it’s dirty.”

“Kyu!”

This human, really!

‘I could bite you! You know how sharp my teeth are?’

I’d only used them for tearing bread so far, but maybe it’s time to try them out for attacking.

As I thought this, clacking my teeth threateningly, the butler, startled by my posture, quickly grabbed me by the scruff. Then, he looked at me and said,

“Why are you blushing?”

Why am I blushing now?

Having started the day in such chaos, I was devoid of any energy. Feeling suddenly sorrowful, I cried and fell asleep on the bed.

Hadel, too, had his own outside engagements, so for a while, I was the only one in the room. When I woke up again, Hadel was still not back.

‘Ah, I’m scared to go out in case I bump into Prince Sae Deul.’

Staying in the room all day left me feeling stiff. I got up from the bed and scratched the blanket, remembering the day’s events.

‘Hadel is a fool. What was he thinking?’

My past life being a woman of Hadel’s age changes nothing. I’m Hadel’s pet ferret now.

‘No, it’s not Hadel’s fault. If the butler hadn’t started with that nonsense, Hadel wouldn’t have reacted.’

After blaming Hadel in my head, my heart softened a bit. Hadel’s character, which I had observed for months, was indeed trustworthy.

‘Alright. It’s okay to be awkward for a day or two. He’ll get over it.’

With my worries settled, I felt sleepy again.

I curled up in Hadel’s bed and fell asleep. When I woke up next, it was due to Hadel entering the room.

‘Ah, he must be back.’
When I lifted my head, it was dark outside the window. Already night. Startled, I blinked, and then the butler, following Hadel, took Hadel’s jacket and said,

“Just a moment. I’ll prepare the bathwater.”

But at the mention of a bath, Hadel stiffened and awkwardly said,

“I’ll handle it myself, you can leave.”

“A bath too?”

“Yes.”

Hadel didn’t stop there; he gestured towards me and said,

“Take that ferret out too.”

Why again!

I flared up but soon blushed and shrank back.

A bath!

A bath together.

‘That was embarrassing for me too.’

How much trouble I had to avoid looking at Hadel when he undressed. He, unaware of my feelings, would insist on lathering me with soap himself.

‘Right. Let’s separate our baths from now on. And honestly, I don’t think I need to bathe every day.’

I only need to bathe when I’m active outside, not when I’m just lounging in the castle.

I nodded in agreement with Hadel’s words. The butler, who usually opposed our joint baths, was puzzled by Hadel’s command,

“Aren’t you bathing together today?”

“We won’t bathe together anymore.”

“What?”

What kind of what. Just understand it as not bathing together.

I looked at the butler with disdain. As I expected him to react incredulously, as he had been all day, he instead met my gaze with wounded pride and scowled. I pouted my lips.

‘What? Are you upset because I seem to know more about Hadel?’

Hadel, waving us to leave quickly, said,

“And Kyu Kyu hasn’t eaten yet. Feed it dinner.”

“Yes, yes.”

The butler, who’d roll on the floor if Hadel commanded, reluctantly carried me out of Hadel’s room.

Standing dazedly in the corridor, the butler looked down at me and said,

“Did you tear apart a live grasshopper in front of His Highness?”

“Kyu!”

What does he take me for!

‘A live grasshopper? Just the thought is disgusting.’

It seems my fortunes have improved lately. Only now do I remember that insects are a ferret’s staple diet.

The butler, holding his chin, sighed and muttered,

“Unless it was that shocking, I can’t understand why he’s suddenly keeping his distance.”

Was Hadel acting that strangely?

Just then, from inside the room, the sound of running water for the bath could be heard. That naturally reminded me of the baths I shared with Hadel.

The butler, looking at me, was startled,

“Why are you blushing so much? Are you sick? Do ferrets even catch colds?”

“Kyu!”

What’s this about ferret colds?

I shook my head, trying to cool off my fur-covered body.

‘It’s all because of Hadel.’

I bit my lip. I was almost getting used to it. Bathing together, sleeping together.

‘But he’s making those actions seem embarrassing now.’

‘Ugh, this is driving me crazy. Do we have to keep feeling awkward?’

Annoyed, I scratched my head with my front paws. That’s when an unwelcome voice echoed through the corridor,

“That ferret.”

I looked up and turned pale.

“Let me see it.”

Prince Sae Deul, who had approached unnoticed, was extending his hand towards the butler.

Naturally, I resisted fiercely.

“Kyu! Kyu!”

Save me! You can’t hand me over, butler!

I already knew how terrifying he could be when he lost his cool, especially when he had forcefully injected ice mana into me, causing pain and fear I couldn’t forget.
‘He’s going to kill me. Turn me into a block of ice.’

How could I, who can’t even withstand the cold, endure ice mana? So, I desperately clung to the butler. With Hadel unable to come out, the butler was the only one I could cling to.

“Kyu Kyu, Kyu Kyu Kyu!”

Perhaps sensing my urgency, the butler faced Sae Deul with a hardened expression.

“This ferret is a pet specially cherished by His Highness the Archduke.”

But the butler was powerless.

“It’s an order, hand it over.”

“……Yes.”

When Sae Deul pulled rank, the butler could no longer resist and handed me over. As I was transferred to Sae Deul’s hands, I gestured a middle finger towards the butler.

‘The butler is no help at all!’

Always so grumpy, yet why does he become a meek lamb at times like this! It’s outrageous. Discrimination against ferrets or what?

Sae Deul, holding me, entered his room. There was one of his subordinates in the room, but Sae Deul didn’t seem to care and sat down at his desk.

Immediately upon sitting, he began examining me and murmured,

“Hmm, it seemed like it absorbed the flame mana.”

Alright, I’ll admit it. Sensing the aura of flame from me in that brief moment was indeed a sign of his keen sensitivity.

But being sensitive is one thing.

‘Look all you want. You won’t feel anything now, will you?’

Without the flame inside me, no matter how much he examines, he won’t find anything.

Thanks to Hadel’s unusual fuss today, keeping me at bay, I hadn’t absorbed any flame mana.

‘Hadel’s fussiness turned out to be helpful.’

Did he keep me away, anticipating this situation? Just when I started to think well of Hadel for a moment, I quickly grew angry and cried out Kyu Kyu.

‘No! If he had anticipated this, he wouldn’t have left me alone with the butler!’

Hurry up and tell Hadel about this situation, butler! And come to save me, Hadel!