Hadel barely managed to not react to those words.

“…….”

It was a poker face made possible by Hadel, who usually put all his effort into controlling his emotions to restrain the flames.

Saedel turned away without noticing Hadel’s agitation at all.

“Then I’ll really be going now.”

The slippery smile was ominous. The butler sighed and asked Hadel.

“Shall I sprinkle some salt?”

“Don’t bother. What reason is there to do something that will give them a reason to find fault at the end?”

“But it feels unpleasant.”

Instead of answering, Hadel turned away sharply. The butler softly exclaimed, “As expected of His Highness the Grand Duke.”

However, contrary to outward appearances, his mind was already in complete turmoil. Hadel clenched his fist.

‘How does Saedel know that name?’

Marian.

The name Kyu Kyu had told him.

‘Does Kyu Kyu know something?’

But when Marian encountered Saedel, she acted as if she was seeing a complete stranger. If she knew something, she would have already reacted with something like “Why are you here?” at that time.

But Marian could also be hiding the truth from him. Hadel only knew two things about Marian.

That she used to be human, and that her name was Marian.

He didn’t even know why she had become a ferret.

“Sigh.”

His head was complicated. Knowing that facing the other person with such a mindset would lead to acting in a mess, Hadel took a deep breath in front of his room door and calmed his mind.

‘Right. I just need to ask. She’s not the type of woman who can deceive someone. She probably just didn’t answer because I didn’t ask.’

Although the time he had known Marian wasn’t long, it was enough time to know that she had an honest and kind personality. After calming his mind, Hadel carefully opened his room door.

Making his nervousness seem foolish, the white ferret was sprawled out on his bed. Her front paws, slightly floating in the air, trembled intermittently.

It was a nap.

‘She’s sleeping.’

Since Marian was asleep, his heart felt much lighter. Hadel quietly approached her side so as not to wake her. Then he bent his knees and leaned his upper body on the bed.

The ferret, seen up close, was even cuter and more lovable. As if she had bathed before falling asleep, her slightly damp fur smelled of fluffy soap.

“Kyu Kyu.”

Hadel called her. And when the ferret didn’t move at all, he carefully called her name.

“……Marian.”

The moment he pushed that name out of his tongue, he felt his entire mouth become sweet from the tip of his tongue.

How could even her name be so sweet?

‘With a face as pretty as candy, too.’

Like an ornament decorating a Christmas tree, she was all fluffy and pink. Her hair, her peach-like cheeks, even her elbows and knees, everything.

Hadel recalled her face that he had been staring at endlessly in the study yesterday. When he met Marian’s eyes, he pretended to read a book, but in reality, the letters didn’t register in his eyes.

‘Even her sleeping face was pretty.’

Rather, when her eyes were open, he couldn’t comfortably face her. Because his heart would pound.

So he carefully examined Marian’s sleeping face. Her thick eyebrows, her cheeks that seemed sprinkled with pearl powder, her round forehead. As if engraving it in his eyes.

But what was this? With Marian in front of his eyes, the face of her he saw yesterday wouldn’t come to mind, as if it were a lie. Hadel’s gaze naturally went to her lips.

‘Lips…….’

Although she was cute and lovable as a ferret, he still wanted to see her human face. If he kissed her with such a desire, would she scold him for being disrespectful, or would she laugh saying he was incorrigible?

‘I must be crazy.’

What was he thinking about someone who was asleep? Hadel bit his parched lips. It was because he felt himself to be despicable.

Nevertheless, he continued to look at Marian for a long time, leaning on the bed. Because he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Good morning, strong and healthy!

After sleeping to my heart’s content, I was able to get up more energetically than ever before.

It was all thanks to Hadel who had put me inside his shirt.

‘Ah, it’s warm.’

I used to not understand why adults carried hot water bottles like babies all winter long, but now I understood immediately. When the body is cold, the blood in the body also circulates slowly, and the mind doesn’t wake up. No wonder the arms and legs move sluggishly too.

‘Hadel, my warm water bottle-like fellow.’

When I think about how I shivered and cried my eyes out in the forest when Hadel wasn’t around, he was truly an angel. Feeling good, I clung tightly to Hadel’s chest. Sensing my stirring, Hadel patted me from outside the shirt.

“Are you awake?”

“Kyu.”

Thanks to you, I woke up very well.

Normally I would have just opened my eyes in bed, but seeing that he put me in his shirt, it was clearly Hadel’s office. Sure enough, although I couldn’t see because of the shirt, I could hear the coughing of people other than Hadel.

“If you’re awake, why don’t you eat?”

“Kyuu.”

Food is good too, but I preferred the warmth. As I leaned my whole body against Hadel, understanding my intention, Hadel patted my back again over the shirt.

“Alright, sleep more.”

Well. I’m grateful that he’s giving his chest so willingly, but.

“Kyuu?”

You made such a fuss about not showing me your bathing appearance, so why are you putting me in your shirt now?

Although it was a very small cry, it seemed to have reached Hadel’s ears. Hadel sighed and muttered.

“It seems meaningless to avoid it now.”

“Kyu?”

That answer was so vague that I couldn’t tell if it was meant for me or for himself. After tilting my head for a moment, I closed my eyes again with peace of mind.

‘Well, I’m warm and comfortable.’

As I was enjoying his body heat, the meeting that had paused briefly started again. It really was his office, and more serious conversations were going on than I had thought.

“We need to prepare for winter.”

“We have plenty of food, but we’re short on soldiers. This year, we needed many hands for the water management project.”

“It’s difficult to employ mercenaries…”

The monsters in this area are said to have ice attributes. If attacked by monsters, people can freeze to death.

So when winter comes and the weather gets colder, the monsters can exert powerful strength.

‘They’re preparing for that. But they’re short on soldiers.’

If they really are monsters with ice attributes, it won’t be easy to block them even if they train regular soldiers.

‘Hadel’s flame attribute is definitely needed here.’

Curious about the situation in the territory and the flow of the meeting, I climbed up and poked my face out near Hadel’s nape.

Looking down at the desk, I saw the documents I had wanted to see spread out. I quickly scanned the numbers.

‘The budget seems tight too.’

Although I was more of a physical type than a brain type, I had learned all the basic knowledge needed to rule a territory just in case. Even considering that the current prices are different from the time I lived in, the annual budget of the territory was very small.

‘I can understand sending his son to the north, but why didn’t they give him a generous budget? It’s like they’re pushing him out to suffer.’

There was only one reason why the central government was treating Hadel, the First Prince, so coldly. Because he has the flame attribute.

‘I need to look into more history books to see why the flame attribute is perceived so negatively.’

The books I’ve read so far didn’t really give a reason.

Anyway, the problem now is that the budget is too small. While Hadel was talking with his subordinates, I busily examined the budget details. Most of the budget relied on grants sent down from the central government.

‘But we can’t rely on grants for all of the territory’s budget forever. Other territories all operate on their own through taxes.’

Although the north has the peculiarity of being a difficult and avoided area for people to live in due to ice monsters, it needs to become independent from the central government someday.

If the north becomes financially independent, they’ll have to acknowledge Hadel’s abilities too.

‘Is there anything in the north that could be profitable?’

In the end, to raise taxes, overall income needs to increase.

‘Nothing comes to mind.’

I tilted my head. It was impossible to find a way to make money right away when I didn’t know what the specialties or famous places in the north were.

While I was puzzling over this, the meeting continued about preparing for the monsters.

“We need to check the city walls for any gaps where monsters could enter.”

“I see. Shall we inspect them tomorrow?”

“That works with the schedule.”

At those words, I perked up my ears. They’re going to inspect the city walls?

“Kyu kyu.”

“Hm?”

Hadel’s gaze turned to me. I pulled on Hadel’s shirt and stared at him intently with sparkling eyes.

‘I want to go too.’

After talking as a human, Hadel had become better at understanding my words. This time too, although I only made kyu kyu sounds, Hadel nodded and gave the answer I was hoping for.

“It will be cold.”

“Kyu kyu.”

If it’s cold, I can just cling to Hadel’s neck.

‘I need to look around to see what kind of work could be profitable in the north.’

I can’t know if I just stay inside the castle. Since I’ve decided to live by Hadel’s side, I should take the north more seriously.

Whether he sensed my determination or not, Hadel smiled gently and stroked my head.

“Alright.”

“Kyu.”

Hadel seems to have become somewhat affectionate.

Feeling embarrassed, I crawled back inside Hadel’s shirt. It was still warm, but I couldn’t sleep and my heart just kept pounding.