Little Pink Starfish

Asher slowly lowered himself onto the chair as prompted, while Theodore remained standing behind him, unmoving.

“…Theodore?”

“Oh, come on! Lewis, why are you just standing there admiring your lover from behind!? Sit down already! I’ll go cut the cake!”

“…He’s not my lover. This person is—”

“Theodore! Wait—”

Just as Theodore was about to reveal Asher’s identity, Asher quickly stopped him.

“Don’t tell her… It’s fine like this… I don’t want her to treat me differently.”

“…But—”

“I’ve been keeping my guard up all day… If she doesn’t know, then I’d rather keep it that way.”

“…Understood.”

“Also, you should sit down too… Otherwise, she’ll find it strange.”

“…”

After a moment’s hesitation, Theodore wordlessly sat across from Asher.

The shop was small, but the carefully placed antique decorations gave it a cozy atmosphere.

The soft ticking of a clock echoed gently in the background, and the warm sunlight streaming through the window added to the shop’s peaceful ambiance.

“…This is a nice place.”

“I’m glad it pleases you.”

“Why… did you bring me here?”

Asher glanced at Theodore as if trying to read his intentions.

But Theodore averted his gaze.

“…If you had gone straight back to the carriage, you wouldn’t have returned to the castle immediately anyway.”

“Oh! That’s right—Noah! I completely—!”

“Brown went after him immediately. There’s no need to worry.”

Theodore’s composed response was meant to reassure him, but Asher still felt uneasy.

I’ve always thought of Ward as a carefree flirt, but if Theodore says he can handle it, maybe he’s more reliable than I expected… That’s kind of surprising.

Even so, he still didn’t understand why Theodore had brought him here.

“Still… I could’ve just waited in the carriage. And wouldn’t Noah end up waiting for me?”

“…”

“Maybe I should go back—”

“Alright! Sorry for the wait! Enjoy!”

With a cheerful clatter, a large pound cake was placed in front of Asher.

The woman, grinning ear to ear, turned to Theodore and teased,

“I never thought Lewis would bring his lover here! And such a beauty, too!”

“…He’s not my lover.”

“Yeah, yeah, no need to be shy! Since it’s a special occasion, I’ll treat you both today. And I’ll throw in some tea too!”

Asher instinctively wanted to stand up and protest, but refusing something offered out of kindness would be rude.

“Since I don’t want to interrupt your date, I’ll be in the back washing dishes!”

Humming happily, the woman glanced between the two of them before disappearing into the kitchen.

Asher let out a small chuckle at the misunderstanding and quietly took a sip of tea.

The tea had just the right balance of bitterness and sweetness.

“…It’s delicious.”

His expression softened, and without realizing it, a gentle smile formed on his lips.

When he glanced at Theodore, for a brief moment, he thought he saw him smiling too.

“…Is that so?”

But the moment passed so quickly that Asher wasn’t sure if he had imagined it. Theodore had already returned to his usual expressionless state, sipping his tea silently.

“About Prince Noah… Once Brown finds him, he’ll be taken back to Prince Hugo and will likely return to the castle without waiting for you.”

“Huh?”

Now that he thought about it, it made sense.

There was no way Prince Hugo would wait around for Asher—he would have gone straight back.

“Even if Prince Noah returns by carriage, I will take you back to the castle on my horse, so you needn’t worry.”

Asher placed his teacup down with a small clink and stared directly at Theodore.

Honestly, he didn’t want to go back to the carriage and face Hugo.

But he also couldn’t walk back to the castle alone.

If Theodore hadn’t been here, he wouldn’t have known what to do.

Why… is he doing so much for me?

After all, Theodore…

“I hate you.”

Asher suddenly recalled Theodore’s words from the night before, spoken with raw emotion.

────And then…

Before he knew it, Asher’s gaze drifted to Theodore’s lips.

His ears burned with heat.

…After a kiss, how are you supposed to act?

Wait, I’ve been too overwhelmed to even think about it until now, but… Can I even ask him why he did it?

No, that would be weird, right? Wouldn’t it?

I don’t even know what’s normal anymore.

There’s been way too much going on today, and it’s all been too much to handle…

Ugh…

────Enough already!

“…Why do you hate me?”

The words slipped from Asher’s mouth before he could stop them.

Even he was surprised by his own question.

Theodore’s eyes widened slightly as he looked at Asher.

Silence hung between them.

Just as Theodore opened his mouth to speak—

“Wait! I’m sorry… That was wrong… I shouldn’t have asked.”

Before Theodore could answer, Asher quickly raised both hands in front of him, as if to block the response.

“…I told you once before, didn’t I? That I don’t remember my past…”

Asher spoke slowly, deliberately.

“It’s only natural if you don’t believe me. After all, it’s too convenient… I did so many terrible things to people, and yet I claim I don’t remember them…”

Lowering his gaze, he stared at his reflection in the tea.

“Earlier… Even though I was told I had hurt so many people, I couldn’t recognize most of their faces. But just because I don’t remember them doesn’t mean those things never happened.”

Clenching his eyes shut, Asher fell silent for a moment.

Ever since I woke up, all I’ve been doing is apologizing…

How many more times will I feel this way?

How many more times will I be crushed by this guilt?

“…I must have done something terrible to you too, Theodore. And yet, here I am, claiming I don’t remember… I’m sorry.”

Asher kept his head lowered, unable to gather the courage to see Theodore’s expression.

Theodore said nothing.

The silence stretched on.

And in that heavy quiet, Asher understood.

That’s his answer.

The silence stretched endlessly, heavy and suffocating.

Asher kept his head down, unwilling to face Theodore.

If he didn’t look, he wouldn’t have to see the contempt or anger on his face.

He had already accepted it.

There was no way Theodore could forgive him.

No matter how much he apologized, the past wouldn’t change.

Even if Asher himself didn’t remember, the people he had hurt would never forget.

And yet—

“…There is nothing for you to apologize for, Your Highness.”

At those unexpected words, Asher’s breath caught in his throat.

Slowly, cautiously, he lifted his head.

Theodore’s expression was unreadable.

His voice had been calm, steady—neither accusing nor forgiving.

“Nothing to… apologize for…?” Asher repeated hesitantly.

Theodore took a quiet sip of his tea before speaking again.

“Even if you were to apologize a thousand times, it would change nothing. The wounds of the past do not simply disappear.”

Asher felt his chest tighten.

“…I know that.”

“However,” Theodore continued, “there is also no meaning in resenting a man who no longer exists.”

Asher’s breath hitched.

His fingers curled around the teacup, gripping it tightly.

“…What do you mean?”

Theodore set his cup down with a soft clink, then met Asher’s gaze directly.

“The person I hated—Prince Asher of the past—is gone.”

The words rang in Asher’s ears, echoing through his mind.

He wasn’t sure how to react.

He should have felt relieved.

But instead, something deep inside him ached.

“…Then, what am I now?”

It was a question he hadn’t meant to voice aloud, but the words slipped out before he could stop them.

Theodore studied him for a long moment before answering.

“That is for you to decide.”

The response was simple, but it left Asher speechless.

A strange mix of emotions swirled inside him—guilt, confusion, fear… and something else he couldn’t quite name.

“…I see.”

He forced a small, bitter smile.

“I guess… I really am different now, huh?”

Theodore didn’t answer.

Instead, he simply reached for the teapot and silently refilled Asher’s cup.

The warm aroma of tea drifted between them, soothing yet fleeting.

Asher wrapped his hands around the cup, feeling its gentle heat.

Maybe…

Just maybe…

He could start over.

Even if the past would never be erased.

Even if the wounds remained.

For now, in this quiet little shop, Asher allowed himself to hope.