Little Pink Starfish

After leaving the restaurant, Theodore and Asher walked silently down the road.

Asher was worried about Noah, who had run off, but he lacked the energy to focus on anything else. All he could do was follow Theodore’s lead.

“…P-please, wait…!”

A short while later, Fold came running after them.

Slightly out of breath, he stopped in front of Asher and bowed his head deeply.

“…I sincerely apologize.”

“…Fold…san?”

Asher had no idea why Fold had chased after them or why he was apologizing.

When Fold lifted his head, his gaze was serious as he looked directly at Asher.

“Lilian… acted improperly. It was never our intention to corner you like that.”

His expression was troubled as he continued.

“Everyone in that room simply wanted to confirm whether you had truly changed. That was all. Prince Hugo asked them to provoke you on purpose.”

“On purpose… to make me angry…?”

“Yes. That’s why I told you that story about the noble, hoping to trigger an emotional reaction. However, the story itself was not a lie. It was a real incident that happened to us beastmen—a tragedy that occurred not too long ago. Your actions now resemble that noble’s so closely that many believed you were merely wearing a mask, hiding some ulterior motive.”

“But I—”

Asher was about to object when Fold suddenly chuckled.

“I know… We fox beastmen are particularly sensitive to deception. I could tell that you weren’t lying.”

Fold closed his eyes for a moment, then gave Asher a soft smile.

“Besides… I actually have a reason to be grateful to you.”

Asher was taken aback by those unexpected words.

He stared at Fold in confusion, unable to understand his meaning.

Slowly, Fold opened his eyes again.

“Don’t misunderstand. What you did to Lilian is unforgivable. No matter how much you apologize… But if you hadn’t punished her, I never would have met her.”

Fold’s tail swayed slightly as his sharp gaze locked onto Asher.

“I hate you for hurting Lilian more than anything… but at the same time, I can’t help but be grateful. It’s complicated.”

With those words, Fold lowered his head deeply once again.

“…I apologise. My words were terribly rude.”

“Why… Why would you thank me?”

At Asher’s question, Fold slowly lifted his head and answered.

“Because she is my one and only mate.”

“…Mate…?”

“Yes. I suppose humans don’t know much about this, but… We beastmen have the ability to sense the one person we are destined to love for the rest of our lives. That one, irreplaceable person… And for me, that is Lilian.”

“You can… tell who you will love forever?”

“Yes.”

“…But she’s human.”

Theodore cut in abruptly, as if testing Fold.

But Fold didn’t seem bothered in the slightest. He simply nodded.

“Yes, no matter how you look at it.”

“Does she know?”

“…No. Humans can’t sense the scent of their fated mate. But that’s fine. As long as I can be by her side, that’s enough for me.”

“…”

Hearing that, Theodore fell silent, then turned away as if to signal the conversation was over.

Fold returned his gaze to Asher and continued.

“After being expelled from the castle, Lilian was abandoned by her fiancé… even her parents turned their backs on her. She had nowhere left to go. That was when I found her.”

Asher recalled Lilian’s tearful, furious expression.

And his chest ached terribly.

“Lilian’s disrespect toward you was inexcusable… But…”

“I understand. And as I said earlier, none of you are in the wrong. I won’t do anything to her.”

At Asher’s words, Fold let out a relieved sigh and bowed once more.

He had probably come all this way out of concern for Lilian.

Even after Asher and Theodore left, Fold remained in place, bowing deeply until they disappeared from sight.

As they walked, people passing by smiled and greeted Asher, and though his own smile was stiff, he still returned the gestures.

The distance to the carriage felt unbearably long.

Even after leaving the restaurant, even after breathing in the fresh air, the weight in his chest refused to lift.

His mind was spiraling into darker thoughts.

I knew this would happen… I always knew… that people would hate me…

Yes, I knew from the start. That’s why I decided to change. That’s why I told myself to keep trying…

But facing that hatred directly, hearing it spoken aloud, had wounded him more deeply than he had expected.

He had no right to feel hurt, and yet he couldn’t suppress the pain.

A vague sense of despair loomed over him.

──── I’m so tired of this.

He couldn’t run away.

No one was going to save him.

---

“We beastmen have the ability to sense the one person we are destined to love for the rest of our lives… that one, irreplaceable person.”

Fold’s words echoed in his mind.

The way Fold had spoken about Lilian—his voice filled with warmth, the depth of his feelings so clear—had been undeniable.

“…A mate…”

Asher murmured the words unconsciously, so softly that they were drowned out by the noise of the city.

“…How happy must it be, to have someone who will love you forever?”

Just one person.

If there had been just one person who had loved him…

How much would that have saved him?

Even in his past life, not a single person had loved him.

All he could do was imagine what it might feel like.

I shouldn’t be thinking like this…

…I shouldn’t be jealous of Lilian.

“…Excuse me, Your Highness.

Suddenly, Theodore grabbed Asher’s arm and started walking in the opposite direction of the carriage.

“Eh!? Theodore!?”

“Follow me.”

Theodore strode forward with unwavering determination, leaving Asher bewildered.

He had no idea where they were headed.

Theodore’s long strides forced Asher to nearly break into a run just to keep up.

Finally, Theodore came to an abrupt stop.

Not expecting it, Asher crashed straight into his back.

“Uwah!”

“…”

“I-I’m sorry—”

“It’s fine.”

“Uh… Where are we?”

Asher had been too preoccupied with keeping up to pay attention to their surroundings.

Looking around now, he realized they had left the main streets and wandered into a quiet back alley with few people.

While he was still taking in the unfamiliar surroundings, Theodore stepped forward and opened the door to a small shop.

Without hesitation, he entered, leaving Asher no choice but to hurriedly follow.

“Welcome—oh my! If it isn’t Lewis!”

A plump woman behind the counter greeted them with a broad smile.

It seemed she was familiar with Theodore.

“It’s been a while! …Wait, huh!?”

Her eyes landed on Asher, and her expression changed to shock.

She placed the plate she had been holding down on the table with a loud clatter and marched toward them.

Grabbing both of Asher’s hands, she shook them vigorously.

“My, my! Lewis, you never told me you had such a handsome companion! And just look at those fine clothes—oh dear, Lewis, did you strike gold!?”

“…That’s not it.”

“A-ah… um…”

“Today’s the Third Prince’s birthday festival, so the main streets must be packed! But to think you’d bring such a well-dressed young man to an old lady’s tiny shop instead—oh, right! I baked a special festival cake today! I was so busy with that, I missed the prince’s speech, which I had been looking forward to—”

The woman kept talking without pause, barely giving them a chance to respond.

With a quiet sigh, Theodore turned to Asher, pulled out a chair, and gestured toward it.

Asher blinked in confusion.

“Please, have a seat.”

He still didn’t understand why he had been brought here.

But somehow…

This quiet little place, away from prying eyes, felt like exactly what he needed.

Asher hesitated for a moment before slowly sitting down.

The warm, homely atmosphere of the shop felt comforting in a way he hadn’t expected.

The woman, still beaming, clapped her hands together.

“Alright, I’ll get you something right away! Just sit tight!”

She bustled toward the kitchen, leaving Asher and Theodore alone at the table.

Now that they were seated, the silence between them felt heavier.

Theodore remained as composed as ever, his expression unreadable.

Asher glanced down at his hands resting on his lap.

Even though the tension from earlier had somewhat eased, his mind was still in turmoil.

The events of the day replayed over and over in his head—Noah’s tears, Hugo’s rage, Lilian’s accusations, Fold’s complicated words.

His heart ached with the weight of it all.

Theodore, who had been watching Asher carefully, finally spoke.

“…You should eat something.”

“Huh?”

“You haven’t eaten since this morning, have you?”

Now that Theodore mentioned it, Asher realised he hadn’t.

With everything that had happened, he had completely forgotten about food.

Before he could say anything, the woman returned, placing a warm plate of stew and freshly baked bread in front of him.

“Here you go! Eat up while it’s hot!”

Asher stared at the food for a moment, then slowly picked up a spoon.

The rich aroma of the stew filled his senses, and when he took a bite, the warmth spread through his body.

It was simple, hearty, and comforting.

A quiet sigh escaped him.

Theodore said nothing, simply watching as Asher ate.

For the first time that day, Asher felt the tension in his body begin to loosen.

Maybe… just for this moment, he could rest.

Maybe, for now, he could set aside the pain and exhaustion.

And so, in the quiet little shop hidden in a back alley, Asher took another bite, allowing himself to feel—if only for a moment—just a little bit of peace.