The first day of the Northern festival dawned.
It was noisy all over the place. I woke up early in the morning and sat up on the sawdust with uneven hair.
I'd love to sleep more, but I had a lot of work to do. First of all, it was necessary to increase the miracle value to further increase the duration time of "Summon."
I'm at a loss on how to fill up the remaining percent, but at least I know I can't fill them in this house filled with damn mealworms and crickets.
Yeah, let's go out.
It is also good to go out and grasp the atmosphere of the castle, and check what happens in < Heart of Winter > at this time. And if possible, I may change some of the events and slightly raise the miracle value.
I only have 30 minutes a day, I really need to use it well…
[ Should I use "Summon" now? (｡❛ᴗ❛｡) ]
'No!'
Not now, I don't have any clothes!
Ugh, but there's no better time to go out than now. It has only been 10 minutes since Kyle went to survey the castle for the festival. It would take an hour to complete one roundtrip.
If only there's other clothes available, except for the clothes the magicians picked up…
'Ah! That's right!'
Just then, a wonderful thought came to mind.
The space where Sen found me and chatted along with the other maids. It was the place where they do laundry. In other words, I can get the clothes that servants wore.
Let's just get one of out the pile. Even if it's a bit uncomfortable to know that someone has already worn it, it's way better than being naked.
You never know, I might be able to wear a sleek, and well-washed butler's uniform… Don't you think it'll look good on me?
I had a pleasant imagination in my own way before using "Summon" in the corner of the room.
[ Good luck! (ෆ`꒳´ෆ) ]
*
However, there was another problem that I've never anticipated.
"I've really lived…"
Originally, life was something you were supposed to know when you've actually lived once, but if you were going with this kind of development, you should at least give me a preview.
I sat with my legs spread out on the stone steps in the corner and put my elbows on my knees. And with an infinitely gloomy look on my face, I stared at the maid's uniform in amazement.
"….."
I should have expected, all the people gathered then were maids. There was no such thing as the butler's uniformed I imagined earlier. Shirts, vests, pants, and shoes are nowhere to be found.
The best I could find was an ankle-length black skirt and an ornamental white apron, and for now, it was the only clothes I could choose.
I screamed silently ruffling my hair with my hands, how can I walk around like this! What do you mean I have to wear maid clothes, I'm a man!
"What's the difference between this and running around naked!"
[ Do you want me to turn off "Summon"? ]
No, don't! That's not what I meant. On second thought, this is not that bad. It's warm and I can move freely, it's even a bit nice… Damn it.
"It's hard to make ends meet."
With this outfit, it's best not to be caught by maids. No, it's best not to be seen by anyone. Hey system, do you have any transparency skills? I'm going crazy here.
Even though I hated it, I had to move anyways. I only have half an hour a day, I need to make the most out of it. I shook myself and went downstairs.
"It would be nice if we could hold the banquet sooner."
"What kind of clothes will do you think His Highness will wear this time?"
"Do you think there'll be more people than last year?"
I tactfully intermingled with servants here and there and heard stories of this and that.
The Northern festival is held only once a year, and it lasts for a week starting from the day when the night is the longest that year. It was no exaggeration to say that it was the grandest even held at the Blake's estate.
The usually dull and cold Blake Castle was now animated and people kept bringing in food from the storage. You can see that the merchants also brought a full carriage. 'Indeed, a festival is a festival.'
The last memory of a festival I remember in my old life was drinking makgeolli at the university festival and suffering from a massive hangover the next day.
At that time, key information suddenly fell into my ears.
"I hope this year goes by without any problems…"
"That's what I'm saying, why am I so nervous? Last year, aristocrats who were in favor of the prince came and bothered me, but this time apparently, the prince himself will attend the banquet."
"Is the rumor really true?"
"Is the prince really coming personally here in the North?"
I crept up behind them with my ears perked up. Of course, I didn't forget to use the broom I got to pretend to sweep across the floor and move.
They went into the banquet hall, loaded with goods, and soon began to decorate the place with flowers and moved the tables around the central dance hall.
"I know right, when this land was a wasteland, he didn't care, even when his subjects asked for his help."
"But since Lord Kyle came, things have improved remarkably. Didn't they say, the reason why the prince never came even thought there was a festival here every year, is because of the bad relationship between brothers? Isn't that the famous story?"
"They sent him to die, but he didn't. Tsk. Tsk."
"Apparently, His Highness Belial will also come, along with the previous Serena, who's on bad terms with Duke Kyle. Their age difference is also…"
the one on bad terms with Kyle is Belial and not the previous Serena, which is a different Serena from Sen
Oh yeah, this is the kind of gossip I want to hear.
'As expected, people who are preparing for the banquet, know the most.'
I should get closer to them, let's step around these servants who are contemplating what to do with the old chandelier, and try to hear more information…
"Woah! That scared me!"
Just in time, the worker who was complaining about the old and loose chandelier ring, turned around and our eyes met.
Wow, you have a really loud voice, thanks to you I was surprised and almost jumped.
"Wait a minute… I don't think I've seen you here before."
… Oh dear.
The skill "Summon" uses my original form and face. I don't know how the system brought my life's data into this world, because if I asked it would never shut up, but right now this person is seeing a face it has probably never seen before, a Korean's face.
In other words, it's a face that doesn't fit this world.
I turned around as naturally as possible and kept sweeping.
Just be natural…
"Hey you!"
It felt like my joints were squeaking whenever I moved.
Indeed, I have zero talent for acting. During the school festival, I always played the role of a tree or a stone. Of course, I didn't want to play that role but for some reason, everyone left it up to me.
The man who looked at me suspiciously, tried to reach for me. But just before he reached my shoulder, I started to move.
I don't care about acting or anything, I just know if I get caught here, it's the end.
"Hey system, how many minutes are left for the skill?"
[ "Summon" will end in 7 minutes. ]
There's less than 10 minutes left.
I can just run until the skill ends.
"Isn't that, that guy?"
It's just your imagination. It can't be you'll know it's me from looking at the shoulders and the height right?
"I'm going crazy."
I only had those clothes to wear. What was I supposed to do in that situation, technically I'm a victim too.
"Wasn't it a few days ago, a guy sneaked into the Lord's study and event took his shirt?"
"Ho, is he that.."
"There, that brown haired guy, just stand there and don't move!"
Ah, I can't hear you. I can't hear anything.
I started fast, almost as if I were running. The soles of my feet felt so cold and numb, but I couldn't help it, there were only socks in the laundry room and no shoes.
'I feel so uncomfortable, I'll wash my hands and feet as soon as I get there.'
This time, after washing my feet, I'll turn the bowl over instead of leaving the dirty water inside, or else they won't change it to new water.
I left the banquet hall, climbed a floor, and fled frantically to the left corridor, it's been a long time since I threw away the broom I held.
'I should've worked out.'
I overestimated the physical strength of an office worker. But at least, I wasn't as weak as before since I rode a wheel desperately to become human.
Thump.
"… Ah!"
I bumped into someone as soon as I turned around the corner of the hallway. You're lucky I'm letting you off the hook today.
"Sorry-"
Obviously I was walking quite quickly but this person didn't even move a bit when we collided, yet I bounced back like a ball.
"Are you okay?"
His voice, low and grave, a voice I'm quite familiar with.
… That's right, it's a voice I hear everyday.
'I'm doomed.'
[ Kyle Jane Minehardt. The Great Duke of Blake. ]
I know. I know. You don't have to tell me.
I turned around and looked at him.
It hasn't even been seven minutes yet and it was weird to end the skill right in front of him. You said I'd be lucky enough to become human? Are you sure it's luck or bad luck?!
[ (◐▽◐);;; ]
'Fuck it.'
I started running away from Kyle and he started chasing me.
His heavy boots banged on the floor and sounded loudly as he approached me. It was like a horror movie. I kept running like before, yet he was just walking. The distance between us gradually got less and less.
"Hey."
I don't know what to do. I'm never running away from him again. When I looked back secretly, his shadow was hanging around my feet.
'….. Crazy'
He's not the Duke of the North for no reason.
Now I really started to give my all into running. The ankle-long skirt started to get in the way, so I held them up with my hands to move my legs easily.
Ah, shit, I don't even have shoes. What kind of situation is this!
"Stop."
'I don't think I will.'
I gasped and tried to breathe in as much air as possible and squeezed out the last drop of my strength to ran further away. When Kyle saw I didn't listen to his orders, he also started following me quickly.
Why are his steps so big? If you're tall, you do everything bigger is that it? How can you make me feel this miserable?
Step. Step. Step.
The sound of bare feet running like crazy and the sound of boots irregularly stepping on the floor. I felt all the emotions I was bottling rise up as I continued to run on the cold floor.
Hey! Stop following me! It's time to give up.
[ "Summon" will end in 1 minute. ]
I shouldn't disappear suddenly today, and it should bring me back to the hamster house once the time is up…
he's talking about the hamster form
Before I knew it, Kyle was right behind me, at this rate, he'll catch up even before a minute passes.
I ran all the way here with the thought of being able to escape, but now it seems like I can't help it. But it seems like I have no choice but to wait for the skill to end and recall back to the hamster house.
Running straight down the corridor, I turned towards the stairs and went down the steps.
"Uh…"
My body leaned forward greatly as I was about to fall when a large hard pulled my arm and causing me to sway back into the ground.
I turned around and saw the owner of the hand, I looked at Kyle with my eyes wide open. My heart was already falling down the stairs, yet my body was held in place with his hand.
"Who are you?"
I can't answer if you ask like that.
[ "Summon" will end in 10 seconds. ]
'It's almost time anyways.'
You're right system, there's no such thing as bad luck.
I laughed and held onto Kyle's arm but still not straightening my tilted body. I wasn't intent on making a good impression. So, I spoke in a sarcastic tone.
Who am I? Me?
"I'm your companion-"
note that companion used here can mean a lot of things, can be friend, associate, partner or even lover, Soohyun was going to say "I'm your companionship hamster" but it got cut off XD
Just then the 10 seconds was up and white light came out of my body. Kyle frowned at the blinding light that flashed before his eyes.
And the me that was covered in that light, became a hamster.
… Who was back in the hamster house.
―…….
I turned my head around and looked at the familiar sawdust and the transparent glass and the duke's study.
Hey, if you're gonna take me back! Take me back after I finished my words! How can you end it before I could say I was a companionship pet. A pet!
I jumped in anger and threw myself on the floor. Great, now not only am I a clothes thief, I'm now a pervert who dresses as a woman and confessed to the Grand Duke.
― Squeak! [ Ahhh! ]
I think it's better to keep living as a hamster. Right? Right. Should I just live like this? That thought easily vanished as I saw the bowl full of mealworms.
Kyle's POV
The flash slowly died down and Kyle opened his eyes. His view was still blurred, perhaps because it was directly hit by the light earlier, but fortunately there was no difficulty in identifying the object in his hands.
The problem was, there was only clothes and the man who had just been in his hands was gone.
A unique face, and thin brown hair that have never appeared in this land. And such light weight, that he was able to hold the man with one hand.
All that disappeared in an instant and all that was left was the maid uniform that he was wearing.
"… Is he a magician?"
But when he disappeared, he didn't seem to chant any incantations. Rather, the last words he said before he disappeared was that he was my 'companion'.
Above all, I definitely saw him for the first time today, yet I felt a strange sense of familiarity. Even though no one I know has no hobby of dressing as a woman.
Kyle raised his eyebrows and picked up the clothes properly. Even when he said he was my companion, why did I just stay still and keep holding his arm.
"I'll find you…"
Even if what you said was just nonsense, I want to find you again.