And thus, the incident of Hadel’s mana rampage became as if it never happened.

The knights who had insisted on abandoning Hadel and fleeing all bowed their heads in unison.

“We apologize, Your Highness. Please punish us.”

‘That’s right. Punish them! Crush them completely!’

Cradled in Hadel’s arms, I tapped his hand with my front paws. But contrary to my cheering, Hadel’s voice was utterly calm.

“It was a natural choice. There’s no need to feel guilty.”

“Your Highness!”

At Hadel’s merciful judgment, the knights wept profusely. Seeing that, I pouted my lips.

‘No, why are you letting them off! They’re asking to be punished! Do as they say.’

Those guys, they abandoned you without even knowing if you would go on a rampage or not.

I knew that a mana rampage was dangerous, and that running away was the right response, but I couldn’t help my personal anger.

As I continued to squeak and throw punches in the air, Hadel gazed at me.

“Are you cold?”

Naturally, he couldn’t understand my words this time either.

‘Ugh!’

Thinking I was struggling because I was cold, Hadel pushed me inside his shirt. Suddenly confronted with Hadel’s abs without mental preparation, I blushed bright red and curled up.

‘I don’t know anything. Hadel did as he pleased. But morally, I’ll keep both eyes tightly closed.’

I was trembling out of embarrassment, but thinking I was cold, Hadel even covered me with his palm over the shirt. As a result, I came into even closer contact with his bare skin and let out a squeal.

‘Why is he getting even more affectionate?’

As I was feeling awkward, a sharp voice was heard from outside the shirt.

“Why are you being kind to the animal that fled first?”

“Squeak!”

That damn butler!

‘Who fled! I’m the one who healed Hadel!’

Oh my, I’m so frustrated that I can’t explain the truth as it is.

As I squeaked and felt miserable, Hadel stroked me.

“Don’t mind him.”

“Squeak.”

How can I not mind? He keeps making such unpleasant remarks.

‘I hate the butler. Make sure he smacks his forehead on the ground and apologizes when he finds out that I healed you.’

Of course, that would never happen. I had no intention of revealing to the butler, Hadel, or anyone else that I was human.

‘To think that I’d be grateful for being reborn as a weasel in this life.’

Perhaps thanks to the large amount of mana I poured into him, Hadel looked lighter than ever. That much mana was well contained within his body.

‘I found out by chance while trying to save Hadel. Just by being in contact, I can absorb mana, but by kissing, I can absorb incomparably more mana.’

And if I absorb a certain amount of mana, I can transform back into a human form. That’s probably because even though I became a weasel, my heart is still the heart of Princess Marian.

In other words, I usually have the appearance of a weasel, but when mana enters my heart, I can return to my original form.

‘But so what?’

Even though I absorbed quite a bit of Hadel’s mana, I could maintain my human form for less than half a day.

Then, to maintain it for a longer time, I would need to absorb even more mana.

‘I can’t do it.’

That means I’d have to kiss him how many times? I can’t do it. I can’t do it in my right mind!

‘This time it was a really urgent situation, and I was dragged into it unknowingly, but can I do it again next time?’

Unless there was another crisis of mana rampage for Hadel, I had absolutely no intention of doing it.

No sooner had the apology to Hadel ended than they brought a new task.

“Your Highness, I apologize for disturbing you when you haven’t fully recovered yet. But this document needs your approval…”

“It’s about Saedel’s visit.”

“Yes. He is expected to arrive soon.”

Hearing that voice, I pouted my lips.

‘I don’t care if it’s Saedel or Sandal.’

Come to think of it, wasn’t Hadel in danger because he was preparing for that guy’s visit?

‘It’s also strange that monsters suddenly appeared. They said monsters hadn’t appeared at all this year.’

Coincidentally, a horde of monsters appears when Hadel leaves the castle? Can we really consider that a coincidence?

‘It’s as if they were waiting for Hadel to come out. To harm him…’

I shook my head at the thought. The monsters I knew were beings incapable of intelligent activity. Waiting for someone and then attacking them. Honestly, it was close to my speculation.

I fidgeted inside Hadel’s arms until I found a comfortable position. Whether it was because my whole body was warm or because my heart had worked hard, I felt sleepy.

‘Still, I’m glad we can be together like before.’

With that thought, I fell fast asleep in Hadel’s embrace.

Contrary to what Marian thought, Hadel remembered the situation more clearly than expected.

Of course, he didn’t remember the weasel turning into a human. He was semi-conscious at the time, and the kiss was an instinctive act.

But from the moment Marian became human, he had fragmented memories.

‘Her hair was pink.’

As if caught in a bloom of spring flowers, her vivid pink hair filled his vision.

And a slender waist that he could wrap around with one arm, soft and white skin.

Her round, surprised eyes were a light blue like the sky after rain.

‘Her gaze felt familiar as if I had seen it somewhere before.’

Hadel unconsciously stroked Kyukyu, who was nestled in his arms. Despite having the same eyes as the weasel, it was extremely sensible of him not to think of them as the same being.

Hadel covered his mouth with his other hand. It seemed as if the woman’s soft lips that had touched his own and her sweet scent still lingered at the edge of his memory.

‘Who could she be? The woman who stole a kiss while I was unconscious.’

His movements were so swift that he fled before the butler’s voice could be heard. Let alone asking her name, there wasn’t enough time to clearly capture even the outline of her face.

The only thing Hadel knew for certain was the sensation. The body he had held in his arms, and her lips.

“Your Highness? Do you have a fever again? Your face is extremely red.”

“…Not at all.”

Hadel cleared his throat and focused on the documents again.

After that, his face intermittently turned red and then subsided.

The lingering impression was expected to remain for quite a while.

A swift hawk circled in the air. As the knight blew a small whistle, the hawk swooped down fiercely, as if snatching prey, and perched on his armored forearm.

Attached to the hawk’s menacing, hook-like talons was a small piece of paper. It was a falcon trained to deliver letters.

The knight who unfolded it immediately approached the man resting at the center of the group, knelt down, and handed it over.

“A message just arrived from the North.”

A man with hair as white as clouds sat with his eyes fixed on the sky. It was a mysterious sight, as if time had stopped around him.

Without even looking at the knight, he spoke in a cold voice.

“Read it.”

“Yes, sir.”

The knight bowed his head and looked at the letter. There weren’t many words, so he could read it quickly.

“Battle with monsters concluded. All seven entities eliminated. It’s safe, so don’t worry and proceed as planned.”

It was about the battle where Hadel had almost lost control of his mana.

Having heard the entire contents of the letter, the man tilted his chin, turned his head forward, and lowered it.

His eyes, looking down at the ground, were a deep blue like the deep sea. Like rippling waves, his gaze flickered turbulently.

After chewing his lips for a while, the man asked in a small voice after a long time.

“…There was an attack by monsters, but he repelled them?”

Not just one, but seven monsters had launched a surprise attack. Hadel, who couldn’t ride a horse, was inside the carriage, so he must have been late to detect the monsters’ approach. It would have taken time to engage in combat as well.

Even so.

“Unscathed and fine.”

It was a fortunate thing, but when the man muttered, it somehow sounded meaningful. The subordinates exchanged glances with each other, not knowing why the man was so affected.

The man, who had been looking down at the ground with his head bowed for a while, put strength into his legs and stood up from his seat. Then he smiled brightly and said.

“It seems my elder brother is much stronger than expected. Isn’t it a joyous occasion for the kingdom to have such a strong Grand Duke protecting the North?”

“That’s right, Your Highness.”

“Indeed, it is.”

The knights belatedly agreed with the man’s words. The man, who nodded his head with a smile, spun his body around.

His face had frozen as cold as ice, as if he had never smiled.

‘It would have been better if he had become a cripple unable to use his limbs and been transported to the capital.’

Hadel had always been a thorn in the man’s side.

But by going to the far North instead of the capital, receiving the title of Grand Duke under the pretense of guarding the “Great Wall,” he became an even more irritating existence.

It was better when he could keep an eye on him up close.

‘With this distance, don’t various variables arise? Like a powerful flame.’

How could every single aspect of his existence be so annoying? Just thinking of his name made his teeth grind.

However, the man did not reveal his true feelings and showed a bright smile in front of his subordinates.

“I can’t wait to see my elder brother. We must hurry on our way.”

“Understood.”

“We will prepare to depart immediately.”

Following the man’s words, those who were resting started packing their belongings in perfect unison. Watching them, the man brushed his clean silver hair back.

His name was Saedel Taliessen.

He was the kingdom’s second prince and Hadel’s younger brother.