It sounds like something out of a dream, but it happened.
I'd become a hamster.
My shiny golden fur didn't lose its luster even in the dark, complemented by four delicate pink whiskers that twitched with every cheek movement. As the black cloth covering the cage occasionally fluttered, letting in slivers of light, my blue eyes gleamed through the bars…
…Wait a second. Iron bars?
Iron bars?!
—Squeak! (Why?!)
That's right.
I wasn't just a hamster; I was a hamster trapped in a cage and being carried away.
Rattle, rattle, rattle.
The iron cage that held me shook violently. Each jostle sent my tiny body tumbling, repeatedly bouncing off the sides.
Who is driving like this? Drive safely!
Thump.
My body slammed into a corner. My little rump tingled from the impact.
I could hear the horses snorting. The ride was utterly reckless. If it had been any worse, I'd have been meeting the King of the Underworld.
Where am I going? Why did I become a hamster? And why are we riding a horse instead of a car, bus, or train?
It was unfair. Truly unfair. It was so obviously absurd that it barely needed explaining, but I wasn't a hamster; I was a human.
Yes! A human!
Bae Su-hyun. Twenty-seven years old this year, a tenacious individual who had navigated life's thorny paths without ever giving up. My life had been a relentless cycle of work—day, night, dawn, and morning—yet I never doubted that my hard work would someday be rewarded.
And after years of effort, the day finally came when the sun would shine. The game I had poured my heart into developing had become a massive hit.
…Am I dead?
Yes. I was dead.
The initial embarrassment faded, and my last memories began to trickle back. After receiving the first profit settlement from a game that had just become a commercial success, I couldn't control my pounding heart and raced home…
Rattle.
At that moment, the cage shook as if it would bounce off the ground. I rolled all the way to the other end and slammed myself headfirst. My eyes gleamed blue.
Are you kidding me?
I was so upset that I kicked the cage with my small foot, and then I heard a voice not far away.
"I'm sorry."
A strange, low, yet friendly voice.
"Just be patient."
But I think I've heard that phrase somewhere.
'I'm sorry. Just be patient. I'll take you to my new home right away.'
Ah, I remembered.
At the crosswalk in front of my house, so close I could almost touch it, I bumped into a small child hurrying along, clutching a hamster cage. I was pushed into the driveway, and a car slammed into my leaning body.
At that time, I instinctively knew I was going to die. The sudden approach of death dominated my five senses, and my consciousness drifted away…
Gleam.
My eyes gleamed blue.
No, wait… Blue?
[Hello, World!]
Suddenly, a blue system window filled my vision, stunning me.
It was a very familiar phrase. The most basic sentence anyone who had done a little programming would know. When you turn on any program, you type this phrase first.
Several windows appeared one after another on the system window that had suddenly materialized.
[Connection verified, verifying data.] [Quest Placement.] [Calculating miracle numbers.] [Only some materials are available.] [Synchronization is not complete, please wait!] […Sync 0% complete.]
What are you talking about? Data? Quest? …Sync?
As one ridiculous situation followed another, I was so overwhelmed that I didn't even know what to be surprised by first.
While I was dazed with shock, the horse that had been rattling all this time finally stopped. The owner of the voice seemed to have dismounted, carrying the iron cage. The noisy movement ceased, but my insides were still throbbing.
As I shivered in the cold wind blowing from somewhere, another voice approached and asked,
"Your Grace, are you sure you won't throw it away?"
…Your Grace?
When he dismounted, he was now being addressed as "Your Grace." What "Your Grace" in 21st-century Korea? "Your Grace" was a title used by old men in historical dramas I watched as a child.
Soon, the low voice continued.
"It's just a cub separated from its litter. Isn't it pitiful?"
"Pitiful, Your Grace? It's a demon beast. When they grow up, they will ensnare their prey…"
I squinted, scanning my tiny body.
Me? Seduce with this body? Does that even make sense?
First of all, this isn't a demon; it's an ordinary hamster.
It sounded like nonsense, but in this bizarre situation, it almost seemed plausible.
The man with the low voice cut off the other person's words coldly.
"He's still a cub."
"So it's a demon beast, Your Grace."
"Yes. He's just a stray."
"It's important that it's a cub of a demon beast!"
Shouldn't he stop being a cub? Hearing 'stray' felt a bit like a personal insult…
As I muttered quietly to myself, the man's voice filled with anger.
"Are you upset with my decision?"
It was a simple question, but the terrifying force mixed with each syllable pointed to only one correct answer.
The other person replied, trembling like an aspen tree.
"Oh, no. Not at all. I was merely unfamiliar with this unprecedented situation. How could I have any doubts about Your Grace's actions?"
"Good. Then I will take care of it. Could it be that I am weaker than a beast smaller than my fist?"
Not just 'Your Grace,' but 'Grand Duke'?
"I have already sent someone to the territory and told them to prepare its new quarters. It would be ridiculous to keep it as a mere ornament."
"You could raise a normal mouse. Shall we ask them to procure one?"
"I don't like it. So don't say the same thing twice."
"…Yes."
You're stubborn.
The cage gave a faint screech each time he shifted his grip as he walked, and I heard the sound of armor clashing and heavy footsteps. I felt the air around me getting warmer little by little, as if we were climbing stairs.
It must be winter outside. It was summer when I died. Now I realize my situation is truly abnormal.
The man took me to a room and removed the cloth from the cage.
"Well, you've arrived."
I slumped into a corner, huddled myself, and desperately pretended to be asleep.
Somehow, I felt like I had to. I couldn't even speak properly, and even if I did, I felt like I would be decapitated right away.
…How did my life end up like this?
Give me back my profit settlement. My achievements. My golden future… it was unfolding so brightly!
"Tsk."
At that moment, the man clicked his tongue. He seemed to be sighing sincerely.
I feel sorry for this situation, but why are you clicking your tongue? Even if I could explain, it wouldn't change anything. But I couldn't clearly see his face. Pretend to sleep, pretend to sleep…
"Is there no humanity left?" he muttered.
…What kind of humanity?
"When I see these innocent and fluffy eyes, even though they are demons…"
Innocent… What? What about the tears in his eyes? Could he be talking about me?
"Yes. There's no such thing as compassion here. Have I been in the North too long? My heart's turned to ice. Tsk."
Suddenly, he unfastened the lock from the cage. Then, a large, somewhat clumsy hand reached into the cage and cupped me.
—Squeak! (Huh?!)
At that moment, I was so surprised that I forgot to pretend to be asleep, and I looked at him with my eyes wide open.
Simultaneously.
[Sync 50% complete.] [Kyle Jane Meinhardt, Duke of Blake.]
As I faced him, a flat system window floated beneath his face.
Just a moment.
…Where have I heard this name? Where did I hear that?
Oblivious to my racing thoughts, he lifted me up with his hands, full of scars and calluses. He rubbed his cheek against my soft fur. No, wait a minute. Hey.
"You've endured a lot, Cashew. You must have been bored the whole journey."
Bored? It was a time of shock and terror!
No, look out of the way. What is it that this handsome and slightly crazy man in front of me lifted me up… Hey man! Don't kiss me!
—Squeak! Poke! (Don't fall!)
"Yes, yes. I know everything in your heart."
You know what you know. You didn't understand anything!
He kissed me as if overcome with affection… a kiss…
—Squeak! Poke! Squeak! Squeak! (What the hell is this?!)
"I'm relieved because you're energetic."
—Squeak! (Turn it off!)
"Do you like me?"
Would I like it?!
…Just a second. This face.
I looked at his face for a moment, which shone with an unsettling intensity.
He was a beautiful man with fair but firm skin, sharp eyebrows, dark hair, red eyes, and a determined yet cold expression…
—Squeak…? (Grand Duke Blake?)
I remembered. The Grand Duke of the North, Kyle.
He was a supporting character in the novel
He even died in the middle of the novel, and I remembered that as soon as I saw his miserable end, I dropped the novel without a second thought.
The reason I remembered him, despite him being neither a male nor a female protagonist, was because he was the most difficult among the dozens of characters in the story. I recalled how many times he lamented his fate, as cold and unyielding as his own personality.
So…
Died, but possessed by a novel?
"Cashew?"
Cashew. That seemed to be my name, or rather, this hamster's name.
Kyle scanned me carefully. He seemed concerned if I was unwell. His gaze, which examined my whole body, was full of a kindness that made me deeply uncomfortable.
I'm going to snap. Seriously, I'm at my limit, stop staring! I jerked my head away and glared at him with as much disrespect as I could muster.
"That look…"
Yes, it's bloody, isn't it? You're scared to death, right? Creepy, right? Sounds like a dangerous beast, doesn't it?
[Cold-hearted and strict, neat and thorough to the point of innocence, cold and merciless.]
So, put me down, you utterly bizarre kissing fiend.
"It's so cute to look at you like that."
Are all that coldness and severity just frozen?! Let go! He's supposed to be neat! Thorough! Cold! They say there is no mercy!
—Squeak! (Let go!)
For a long time after that, I had to endure unrealistic flattery and horrible kisses in the hands of the Grand Duke.
Save me… no, save the hamster!