At first, the people in the castle were wary of me, but now they are delighted to know that I am not only harmless but also diligently tidying up around Hadel.

Above all, they were so afraid of Hadel that no maid had been assigned to clean his room, but I am doing that now.

[It’s pitiful that Ferret is cleaning with those small hands and tail.] [We should improve Ferret’s working conditions.]

Despite their grandiose words, the cleaning tools they made for me were very similar to cute doll play props. It was evident from the ribbon on the apron and the pink broom.

‘Everyone knows it’s cute.’

I was satisfied too, as it was more convenient than doing it with bare hands.

Not bothering to wear the apron, I grabbed the broom and diligently swept around the room. Since it was a room used by only Hadel and me, there wasn’t much garbage. Mostly bread crumbs and cookie pieces that I dropped.

‘At this point, it’s as if I’m employed as a maid here. Is Hadel still only thinking of catching me to make a leather scarf?’

I tried to ignore the fact that I was cleaning up after myself. I smiled contentedly at the cleaned room.

‘Phew, a rewarding morning. I think breakfast will taste even better after moving diligently.’

As soon as I thought that, the door opened and Hadel, drenched in sweat, entered.

“You’re up early.”

“Kyu!”

I greeted Hadel. I also informed him that I had neatly gathered the garbage here.

“Kyu kyu! Kyu kyu kyu kyu.”

“Emergency rations?”

“Kyu-ung!”

It’s garbage! The crumbs I dropped and gathered.

‘Do you know how terrible things can happen if you don’t throw this away? Big bugs will gather.’

Do you know how scary bugs are?

As I argued with Hadel while kyuing, Hadel chuckled and pressed my head firmly with his palm.

“I’m joking. Good job.”

“Kyu-ung.”

Hadel’s palm, holding a sword, smelled of iron. I shrugged my shoulders.

Hadel has been smiling more than before. I used to be startled whenever I saw Hadel’s smiling face, but recently, I could see it quite often.

‘This is also thanks to me.’

What an excellent pet I am. Cleaning the room and making the owner smile.

As I was being cocky, Hadel smiled once more. Then he strode into the bathroom.

The sound of water spraying from the shower came from inside the bathroom. In the meantime, I worked hard, grunting and pushing Hadel’s sweat-smelling shirt and pants to the front of the door.

‘Phew, I even gathered the laundry. I did more work than usual today.’

I feel like I’m becoming a more and more amazing ferret every day.

As I was feeling proud of myself for being able to do one more thing each day, I heard a familiar footstep.

I wagged my tail like a puppy and brightened my eyes.

‘Food!’

I quickly went to where the door opened and stood on my front paws, and the door really opened, and a silver cart came in.

“Good morning, Your Highness.”

Yes, good morning, butler. What delicious food did you bring today?

Now that I’m used to this situation, I scurried onto the cart and sniffed the plates with my nose, but the butler blocked my nose with his palm.

“You’re like an ill-mannered beast. Can’t you wait a bit?”

“Kyu!”

I’m not trying to eat first either. I’m just trying to smell the food in advance to see what it is!

‘Oh? But there’s something other than food on the cart today.’

I circled around the wooden object placed on one side of the cart, away from the food plates the butler blocked. Just then, Hadel, who had finished his bath, came out drying his hair with a towel and asked,

“What’s that?”

I, who had inadvertently turned my head that way, blushed and quickly hid behind the wooden object.

‘No coming out with just a towel on! If you’re human, wear proper clothes!’

It was because Hadel had walked out without wearing clothes, covering only his lower body with a towel.

“Kyu kyu kyu.”

The butler, who had been looking down at me strangely as I was being shy, bowed his head.

“I will help you change your clothes.”

“I don’t need it.”

“If you don’t put on clothes quickly, this ferret might go poof and explode.”

What are you talking about?

Because the butler said that for no reason, even Hadel’s gaze turned to me. Unable to reveal my face and protest, I only made a groaning sound.

‘I think these people are having fun teasing me.’

If you were given such a remark, you should at least put on some clothes, but Hadel approached the cart, dripping water. Then, pointing his chin at the wooden object I was leaning against, he asked,

“But what’s that thing Kyu Kyu is hiding behind?”

“It’s a ferret bed made by the stable keeper. I brought it because I thought you’d like it.”

“Kyu?”

What did you say? My bed?

‘Yay, my bed!’

Now that I hear it, it really looks like a bed. I climbed onto the bed with a big smile.

‘Yes, the people in the castle are starting to recognize my existence now. This is the proof of that.’

But why is there only wood? Shouldn’t a bed be fluffy and soft?

As soon as I opened my eyes in a triangular shape, the butler took out a mattress that fit the bed perfectly. I lay on it, very satisfied.

Hadel, who had been watching me blankly, asked with a slight frown,

“Does Kyu Kyu need something like a bed?”

“Pardon? But sharing a bed with Your Highness would be an excessive honor for a lowly creature like a ferret.”

“Kyu Kyu!”

Angered by the wording of excessive honor, I tapped the floor with my front paws and shouted.

‘You jerk! I was also a princess? An honor! My very existence was once an honor!’

Everyone recognizes my value, but only this butler doesn’t know my worth.

I deliberately lay straight on the bed and tapped my tail to provoke the butler. At that moment, Hadel asked me this time,

“Do you also like sleeping in your own bed?”

“Kyu? Kyu.”

There’s nothing bad about it.

When I answered indifferently, Hadel furrowed his brows hard as if something about my answer displeased him.

“……”

And instead of wearing the clothes he was told to, he sat on the chair at the table.

‘Why does he look so displeased?’

As if his fever was rising again, a haze-like thing rose behind Hadel’s back. The butler, as if used to it, placed the plates on the table.

Not wanting to walk, I got on the plate as well.

The butler looked at me with great pity, but seeing Hadel’s foul mood, he didn’t scold me. As soon as I arrived on the table after flying on the plate, I clung to Hadel’s arm.

“Kyu.”

Hadel’s body trembled slightly. Hadel lightly shook his hand and replied,

“…Go away.”

“Kyu kyu.”

“I said go away.”

I clung to Hadel’s arm absent-mindedly.

‘I understand it all. You like it when I hug you like this.’

But he seems to be extra grumpy today.

‘Then I have a way.’

I climbed up Hadel’s arm and clung to his neck. Perhaps because the blood vessels are closer and thicker in the neck, it felt even warmer than clinging to his arm.

“Hmph.”

When I clung to his neck, Hadel finally stopped resisting and left me wrapped around his neck. I smiled, wrinkling the tip of my nose.

‘See? You like it too.’

And I like it too. Ah, it’s so warm.

My body, which had cooled down from running around and kyuing all morning, felt warm again.

As I was lounging in bliss like being in a hot spring, the butler looked at me with sharp eyes.

“It seems to be just about the right size to be worn as a scarf now.”

“Kyu!”

‘That damn butler, what nonsense is he saying now!’

What’s with this scarf talk in this pleasant atmosphere? No matter how delicious the food he brings, I can never like that butler.

Thinking that the scarf will keep coming to mind if I keep clinging to the neck, I quickly climbed down Hadel’s opposite arm. As I moved away, Hadel also obediently put his arms into the shirt the butler offered.

‘What’s for breakfast today? I don’t smell any vegetables.’

While Hadel was getting dressed, I circled around the lid. And Hadel, who finished dressing, opened the lid himself.

‘Wow! It’s a ham and cheese sandwich!’

I thought I didn’t smell any vegetables, and indeed, there were no vegetables at all in today’s breakfast menu.

‘I eat vegetables well too, but having no vegetables has its own taste.’

The cheese was also mozzarella cheese. Hadel looked down at me with a satisfied gaze as I bit into it and enjoyed the stretchy cheese. Then he asked the butler, who was looking at me with pitiful eyes,

“Was there anything unusual?”

The butler quickly came to his senses and answered Hadel politely,

“As scheduled, Prince Saedel will arrive next week.”

“I see.”

Listening to the conversation between the two with one ear, I tilted my head.

‘Saedel? Is that the name of Hadel’s younger brother?’

I recalled the family portrait of Hadel that I had secretly seen while coming and going to the castle.

‘It must be that prince who resembles Espen.’

Recalling the prince with chillingly bright silver hair, I swallowed the cheese. Isn’t 100 years too long to be wary of him just because he resembles Espen?

At the news of his younger brother’s visit, Hadel pressed his eyelids as if tired and said,

“I should go around the territory once more before Saedel arrives.”

“I have already put the carriage and knights on standby.”

Indeed, it would be a big problem if monsters appeared when a guest was coming.