It seems I’ve been bewitched by Hadel!

‘No. If this continues, I might naturally get swept along and end up swooning again.’

Snapping back to my senses, I shook my head vigorously. Then I gestured to Hadel to put me back down on the bed. When Hadel frowned, I even yawned as if to prove my point.

“I’m so sleepy. I might fall asleep while bathing. Since it’s hard to quickly fish me out if I fall into the water like when I was a ferret, I’ll just go to sleep.”

Even as I spoke, I was aware that it didn’t make sense. And I can’t just go to sleep without washing at all because it’s bothersome. Since I don’t have the strength to lift a finger, it would be best if Hadel washed me after all.

‘But I can’t trust Hadel.’

Would it really end with just an innocent bath? I didn’t think so.

‘I’ll just wash myself even if it feels like I’m dying.’

Thinking this, I turned my head away sharply. At that moment, Hadel spoke as if scolding me.

“You’ve slept enough already. If you sleep more, you’ll be called a lazy ferret.”

Lazy.

It was such an unfair accusation. Without realizing it, I found myself protesting to Hadel.

“That’s not true! How is that enough? I couldn’t sleep well because Hadel kept touching me even after I dozed off.”

Tilting his head, Hadel pointed out the inconsistency in my words.

“If you were asleep, how do you know that?”

“Well…”

I pretended to be asleep because I thought I’d be tormented all night without getting any rest at this rate.

That’s right. I only pretended to be asleep. But Hadel kept messing with me afterwards, so in the end it turned out worse than not pretending at all.

Learning the full story, Hadel narrowed his eyes.

“Marian.”

Oh no. Having been inadvertently led into a confession, I quickly turned my head away, trying to avoid the unfavorable situation.

“Ah, I don’t know! I don’t know! I’m just going to sleep!”

Expecting him to press me further, Hadel instead chuckled. Then, picking me up in his arms and taking large strides, he said:

“Alright. You just sleep. I’ll take care of everything.”

“W-what do you mean?”

This is somehow unsettling. I hunched my shoulders.

Hadel had his usual calm expression. But is it my imagination that he looks somewhat mischievous?

“Since you slept so soundly even when I touched you, you shouldn’t mind being washed either.”

In the end, he was saying he’d wash me whether I slept or not, so I could do as I pleased. I loudly protested.

“T-that’s not the same thing at all!”

“It’s the same thing.”

I squirmed as if trying to escape.

“I-I want to turn back into a ferret.”

“It’s too late.”

The moment I heard his firm tone, I had a sinking feeling that I was doomed.

Only after being thoroughly tormented by Hadel even in the bathroom was I finally able to board the carriage heading to the capital.

‘I slept but it doesn’t feel like I slept, I rested but it doesn’t feel like I rested.’

I sat in the carriage with a face pale as if burned white. Even then, it was only after piling on lots of cushions because my waist hurt.

Nella Orsini, sitting across from me, wore a horrified expression.

“…You two seem much closer than I had heard beforehand.”

I was so tired that words didn’t sound like words, but came through broken up. Close? Is that the word to use in this situation?

“Well.”

All I wanted was to hug a warm hot water bottle and sleep deeply. Hearing my indifferent response, Nella’s face turned bright red as she argued:

“What do you mean ‘well’! It’s too late to act aloof now! What difference does it make?”

“…”

Whatever.

‘I’m not even curious what you heard in the capital.’

Though I didn’t ask, Nella, overcome with indignation, babbled on of her own accord.

“I had clearly heard that Prince Hadel had no interest in humans, and that he didn’t have any other woman he loved. But when I came to the Grand Duchy, there was an unexpected woman, and he seemed to be head over heels in love…”

Even though I tried not to pay attention, it was impossible not to when she was talking about me right next to me.

‘It seems she came down without hearing anything about Hadel having a lover.’

Thinking that, I felt a bit sorry for her. She had grown up hearing that she would be Hadel’s wife since long ago, but when she arrived, there was some woman sitting in the Grand Duchy.

‘At first I thought she was a mean woman, but it seems she has her own circumstances.’

I had thought Saedel had chosen well to make me suffer, but it seems I was mistaken. I put on a surprised expression and spoke to Nella.

“By the way, Lady Orsini, your image is very different from yesterday?”

Even Nella herself seemed to think she was different from when she first met me. She gave a hollow laugh.

“I guess it’s because I’ve decided to just let things be as they are now that it’s come to this.”

Crossing her arms as she answered, she looked rather relieved. I nodded.

“You thought well. Life tends to flow more smoothly when you think that way.”

“Is that something you should be saying?”

Well, I suppose it’s not something I can’t say. It’s not my fault that she can’t become Hadel’s bride. Even if it wasn’t me, Hadel wouldn’t have liked a forcibly arranged fiancée.

‘Ah, but Prince Saedel is still unpleasant all the same.’

How could he decide his elder brother’s marriage like this? Thinking about it again, his method of making me suffer was excellent. I was truly upset.

Nella began telling her story even though I hadn’t asked.

“My family is fallen nobility. The only notable thing was that I, the eldest daughter, was a null mana holder. But even that was meaningless because the amount was small. Then one day, the royal family sought out null mana holders.”

I knew the story after that. They told her that only she could bear Prince Hadel’s child. So she insisted that she must become Hadel’s wife.

‘She even thought Hadel wouldn’t chase her away if she said that.’

Didn’t she shout that as she was being dragged out? I’m a null!

I finally understood the meaning of Hadel’s words when he once said he didn’t want children.

Nella added with a bitter smile:

“I dreamed for just a brief moment. The massive support they said they’d give if I married Prince Hadel became meaningless since I can’t marry him now. Rather, they might even punish me, saying it’s my fault.”

So the reason she was prepared to even freeze to death was because of that massive support. I shook my head.

“My, how unfortunate.”

At my response, Nella flared up again.

“I told you, that’s not something you should say! Are you going to give up your position as Grand Duchess because you feel sorry for me?”

“That’s not for me to decide. It’s Hadel’s heart.”

“…That answer is even more hateful.”

I chuckled. I wasn’t trying to provoke her.

“Don’t worry too much. I’ll talk to them to make sure nothing like that happens.”

“Hmph.”

Nella crossed her arms and turned her head away sharply, as if she didn’t believe me at all. I closed my eyes and mulled over the words I couldn’t bring myself to say to her.

‘There’s no need to ask for forgiveness for Nella.’

Since I’ve opened my eyes again, there’s no need for a second flame attribute holder. There’s no need for a living safe to store my heart.

‘But that’s as far as it goes. The experiment was only half successful. I’m a ferret and…’

A terrible thought occurred to me. Now that I’ve opened my eyes, would they try to transplant Hadel’s heart into me? Such a thing must not happen, but it’s not possible either. How could a ferret handle a human heart?

‘Given that they’re willing to experiment to this extent, they might try recklessly. We must assume they’ve already lost their reason.’

It’s my job to stop Espen from doing such things. I bit my lip and resolved myself.

‘I have to keep my eyes wide open and protect Hadel to prevent such things from happening.’

Even with such determination, what was unsettling remained unsettling. After fidgeting for a while, I finally couldn’t stand it anymore and opened the carriage window.

“Marian? What’s wrong?”

As if guarding the carriage, Hadel was riding his horse right beside it. Usually the leader would be at the very front.

‘I knew it.’

In the end, our hearts are the same. I felt both joy and sorrow at this fact. However, without showing these feelings, I smiled brightly and said:

“I want some fresh air. I want to ride a horse.”

“Is the carriage uncomfortable?”

At this rate, he might move Nella to a baggage cart or a horse. I shook my head.

“No, I really just want some fresh air.”

Hearing my answer, Hadel hesitated a bit before raising his hand to stop the group. Then, patting the saddle, he replied:

“Then let’s ride my horse together.”

I got out of the carriage and climbed onto the horse. Honestly, I was confident in my horse riding skills so I didn’t think much of it, but there was an unexpected difficulty.

“Ugh.”

Proper posture is important in horse riding. Some people even learn horse riding specifically to straighten their backs.

But today, I had been lying slanted with cushions in the carriage because it was hard to even sit. For someone like me, horse riding was poison.

‘Ah, this is yet another unfamiliar pain.’

My waist stung. It was the same whether I sat sideways or upright.

‘Anyway, it’s not me holding the reins but Hadel.’

Trying to sit in the most comfortable position, I squirmed around and eventually settled behind Hadel.

But the real challenge began after the horse started moving.

‘Argh! It hurts.’

The shaking of a horse and carriage were on different levels. But since I was the one who couldn’t overcome my anxiety and made everyone stop, I couldn’t show it.

As I just clung to Hadel’s waist and whimpered, Hadel sighed.

“This is why I wanted to stop you.”