Chapter 117 - Chapter 117

After the serious atmosphere had passed, about a day later, Kyle had regained enough composure to make quite a satirical joke.

"May I ask you a question about the story you read?"

I still sat on his lap, resting my head on his broad shoulder. His tone, somehow even cheerful, made me tear up for a moment.

"Are you already that okay?"

"Is there any reason why it shouldn't be okay? It's just, among so many characters, I merely wondered why you would have chosen me."

When he also asked who the main character was, I hugged Kyle's waist and buried my head in his arms. Somehow, I felt sorry for telling him the contents of the novel in front of him. Kyle kissed me all over my face as if to soothe me. I couldn't stand the tickling, and when I raised my head, he lightly cupped my lips and dropped a soft kiss.

"I'm asking why you fell in love with me, Shu."

I couldn't help but answer when he put it that way. 'He knows everything.'

I quietly got off his lap and lay down. Kyle chuckled, lay down next to me, and pulled my waist from behind, not forgetting to thoroughly cover me with the blanket.

"Belial and Sen were the main characters. Now that my fate has changed a lot, it might sound a bit strange, but Sen is originally Serena. And His Highness, you were depicted as liking Sen, which causes misunderstandings."

"Nonsense," Kyle replied, as if genuinely flustered. "How could I mistakenly think that I like Sen when you are here? If their eyes were truly open, they wouldn't be able to talk such nonsense."

"That... As Your Highness knows, I am not human, but possessed by a hamster. To be precise, a northern vole. So, I guess it's a bit..."

Silence fell for a short moment, then I glanced back at him. Oh, no, don't look back. It was a truly sympathetic gaze.

"How did you become a demon beast that wasn't even human...? You must have gone through a lot of trouble."

"I'm glad you recognize my hard work, even now. At first, I could only stay human for about thirty minutes. At that time, it truly felt like death..."

Even now, although temporarily, I could spend sixteen hours a day as a human. This was a great development. I turned around and leaned against him.

"Anyway, it's not His Highness Belial, who was the male protagonist, nor Sen, who was the female protagonist. You're curious why I chose Your Highness, who died halfway through, right?"

"Yes."

"Well... Because you looked lonely?"

Kyle closed his mouth as if deep in thought. I slowly continued, my eyes closed.

"I know it's a desperate romance novel, but I couldn't connect with it strangely. I couldn't get immersed in it. The only thing I could relate to was the loneliness surrounding Your Highness."

Perhaps I read '' hoping for Kyle's happiness. Of course, the story completed by the author didn't go my way, and Kyle died a tragic death as someone had intended. I hated that. It was sad. I didn't want Kyle to die alone, and I was grateful that I could change his fate by entering this world.

"That's what I thought. If anyone had stayed by His Highness's side until the very end, I wondered if it would have changed his life."

"And that's you," Kyle laughed softly. He looked genuinely happy. He started kissing all over my face again. It was proof of his joy.

'He did this even when I was a hamster!' It's like a ghost!

I pushed his face away to stop him, but Kyle didn't care. He kissed my palm as well. Every time I heard a soft thud, my heart tingled with a sense of good fortune.

"Do you remember? You once asked me why I was helping you."

"Did I do that?" I deliberately pretended not to know and turned my head.

Kyle immediately noticed that I remembered and laughed softly. "Yes. I told you then, 'He looked lonely.'"

There was a strange similarity in our reasons. In the end, by understanding the other person's loneliness, one can understand their own. It was amazing that that feeling had disappeared just by being together. I felt it.

"Anyway, that's just a thing of the past," I cut him off. "Do you think I will leave Your Highness to die? Absolutely not. The North being ruined is no good."

'Overthrow Knox. Overthrow the Wizards.'

As my muttering voice began to fade, Kyle gently patted my back. It was a comforting gesture.

"Yes. I understand, so let's sleep like this today."

"I was going to read the report... The information His Highness has obtained by searching the tower is a lot."

"As long as I don't even put my feet on the report, it will be quietly on that desk tomorrow morning, so don't worry, sleep."

My skills in raising myself are now quite good. Seeing that I didn't feel like resisting, it seemed that I had become very accustomed to him. Yes, let's do it tomorrow. I hugged him as much as I could and shook my head. I didn't feel overwhelmed, but fell asleep enjoying Kyle's warmth.

The next day. After breakfast, I parted ways with Kyle and headed to the laboratory, where Knox calmly greeted me.

"It seems that you have resolved it well with the Grand Duke. The atmosphere was friendly, right?"

I replied dryly, "I suffered a little thanks to a certain ghost. I'll pay you back with interest later, so be prepared." I sat down on a test bench that now felt familiar. "I'm getting tired of this secret game. Let's be honest. Aren't you using research as an excuse to buy time and prepare to attack the North?"

Knox crossed his arms and leaned against the shelf at an angle. "I think I need to use today's question to get the answer, kid."

"You're saving yourself so desperately. Yes, I'll write. Write. I was going to ask anyway."

He narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Correct." He added as if sincere, "I don't really like waiting, but war needs a cause."

'It's Lorenz's fault.'

It seemed that they were planning to attack the North on a large scale and absorb the territory. He had even promised not to attack the North, but what kind of trick would he use to reverse that statement? I didn't understand. Even if the soldiers were like that, if wizards and mutant demons were added, things would go wrong. To do so, after all...

'I have to intercept the Heart of Winter.'

Even if it was just to create a rift between Lorenz and Knox, raising the interference rate was necessary to obtain the Heart of Winter. Kyle agreed to help with the experiment related to the Heart of Winter. While I was tied to Knox's lab...

"Stop thinking about other things." Knox tapped my nose with his index finger. When I gave him an irritated look, he smiled naturally and sinisterly. "Wake up, I'm thinking of the Grand Duke."

"It's natural that he's my lover. Leaving the handsome and affectionate Grand Duke, I suddenly thought of him. You can't do it, can you?"

"Maybe."

"What? I'll ask you the next question." I asked, looking at him with cold eyes. "It's 'the Heart of Winter'. Is it kept in this tower?"

His eyes sharpened a little. He seemed to want to understand my intentions. I replied quietly, as if he thought I wouldn't answer obediently. "Yes."

I pondered for a moment and then asked the third question in a cautious tone. "The power in the Heart of Winter is similar in principle to the nucleus of the mutant species that you released into the hunting grounds?"

"It's made up of more sophisticated and complex magic, but the essence is the same."

It was good. I quickly sent a message to Kyle through the Love Letter.

[Deal in the tower.] [If you can find it, please look it up.] [Drag the time.]

Kyle's answer came back after a while.

[Yes.] [I'm going to go downstairs as much as possible.]

I had put myself to sleep all night and practiced a little, but now I didn't even make a typo and it was quite plausible. I wanted to reply more, but Knox would find out for no reason and then pursue or eavesdrop. I quickly raised my head and looked at him calmly.

"Ask me a question."

Knox asked the question right away without hesitation. "Is Kyle Jane Meinhardt a fantasy protagonist?"

"It's not a fantasy, it's a novel. And the answer is no."

He shrugged his shoulders in surprise. "You chose a supporting role, not a leading role. It's unique."

"Is the main character the only important person? If I feel a human attraction, that person is the master to me. It's a public figure."

"Then the second question. Was I one of the main people you know?"

"I don't know what you were expecting, but unfortunately not. Your name was never explicitly mentioned. I guess your title came out." I deliberately put my grumpy words into my reply as if you were nothing. Of course, Knox seemed to be nothing.

"Third question. Kid, do you know how this story ends?"

"..."

I didn't want to ask him because I was curious about the story of the original novel. What was his game? I glared at him silently, and he smiled slightly, baring his teeth.

"From the answer."

"No. I ended up reading it halfway through. After His Highness died, I lost interest in the story."

"I see. By attaching yourself a little more to the life of someone who was originally destined to die, an 'enemy,' collect the shame, and return to the world where you originally lived. Choosing an opponent. It was a smart choice."

The way he spoke was strangely offensive. I asked, tilting my head stiffly. "Does that mean I used His Highness Kyle to return to my original world?"

"Isn't it?"

"Is that right? What do you know about people's hearts?" I asked sarcastically, and I waved my hand excitedly. "Oh, that's it. Let's take pity on you who don't know the beauty of love."

The system was also excited. [I feel sorry for you who don't know the beauty of love! ヾ( ̄▽ ̄)]

Kyle had to search the lower floors of the tower, so I'd have to take the time to do it. With that in mind, I took a leisurely look around the laboratory.

'If it wasn't such a dangerous experiment, would you say that you would cooperate obediently?'

But before I could actually say that, Knox was smiling. "Unfortunately, I have some business today. After sharing one secret with each other, we'll move."

I felt anxious. Goosebumps rose on my spine.

"The Emperor found out that Belial Serena Meinhardt is alive. And I intend to use that fact to subdue the North."