Little Pink Starfish

The two of them remained silent, the ticking of the clock the only sound filling the small shop.

Then, suddenly—

BANG!

The door was thrown open with great force, and a man burst inside.

“Aunt Lucy! I heard that the Third Prince was spotted on this street—”

The young man who had just entered froze mid-sentence as his eyes locked onto Asher, who was sitting inside.

His mouth dropped open in shock.

Then, like a fish gasping for air, his lips moved wordlessly before his whole body started trembling.

“A-Ah…! Lord Asher…!”

“Oh, for goodness’ sake, Dolor! What are you shouting about? There’s no way a prince would come to a back alley shop like this! Stop making a fuss.”

A woman—Lucy—poked her head out from the back and laughed cheerfully.

But Dolor, still shaking, pointed a trembling finger at Asher and shouted again.

“It’s Lord Asher!! Why is he here!? It’s really him!!”

Normally, during the birthday festival, members of the royal family were always accompanied by guards, but it was also the only day they were allowed to freely inspect the city.

This made the festival a rare opportunity for citizens to see royalty up close, though approaching them directly was considered improper.

Many people secretly observed from the shadows, desperate for even a glimpse of the royals they rarely saw.

Asher hadn’t noticed, but while Theodore had been leading him to the shop earlier, he had deliberately taken an indirect route, shaking off those who had been watching them from a distance.

Dolor must have been one of them.

“Wait… but Lewis’…”

Looking confused, Lucy glanced at Theodore, then back at Asher.

And then—her eyes widened in realization.

“Eh!? Lord Asher!? Oh my—! I-I served such a poor excuse of a meal to you—!”

In a panic, Lucy reached out to clear the dishes in front of Asher, but he quickly stopped her with a smile.

“No, it was delicious.”

“But—! I had no idea it was you—! Please forgive my rudeness!”

“Not at all. You served me such a wonderful tea… But it looks like staying here any longer will cause trouble.”

Thanks to Dolor’s loud outburst, a small crowd had started gathering outside the shop.

They were likely the same people who had been searching for Asher.

“The cake… Could you wrap it up for me? I’d like to take it back to the castle and eat it there. After all, you baked it for my birthday festival.”

“T-The castle!? This shabby cake!?”

“Please.”

Blushing furiously, Lucy hurriedly wrapped up the cake and handed it to Asher.

As much as he wanted to stay longer, he wasn’t sure he could endure Theodore’s silence any further.

He couldn’t read him—couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

After thanking Lucy, Asher and Theodore left the shop and headed back toward the carriage.

---

“Ah!! Asher-niisama!!”

As soon as they arrived, Noah spotted Asher and ran toward him at full speed.

Ward followed closely behind him.

“Noah… Did you wait for me? What about Hugo-niisama—”

“I don’t care about Hugo-niisama!”

Noah pouted and hugged Asher’s waist tightly.

Ward, looking exhausted, approached them with a weary sigh.

“Man… What a day.”

“Huh?”

“Noah-sama threw a tantrum, refusing to leave with Prince Hugo…”

“I wasn’t throwing a tantrum! Ward, you idiot! I just said I was going to wait for Asher-niisama!”

Ward looked utterly drained, while Noah clung to Asher with determination.

Smiling wryly, Asher gently patted Noah’s head.

“You waited for me, huh? Thank you.”

Noah’s cheeks flushed pink, and he smiled up at Asher.

Ward, on the other hand, scowled in frustration—it must have been quite the ordeal.

“Alright, let’s head back together.”

“Yeah!”

As they climbed into the carriage, Noah suddenly noticed the package in Asher’s hands.

“Oh! Cake!”

His eyes sparkled with excitement.

Asher chuckled softly, deciding he would secretly share it with Noah during the ride.

Just before the carriage door closed, his eyes met Theodore’s.

But unsure of what expression to make, Asher instinctively looked away.

He hadn’t apologized expecting forgiveness.

And yet—

The realization that Theodore had not forgiven him filled him with an unexpected sadness.

And that, more than anything, made Asher despise himself.

“Asher-niisama, is something wrong?”

“…No, it’s nothing.”

As the carriage swayed along the road, the cheerful mood he had felt before heading into the city had completely disappeared.

…What a disastrous birthday festival.

He let out a small, bitter laugh.

Feeling guilty for making Noah wait, Asher closed his eyes and pretended to sleep.

Noah, without a word, simply sat beside him.

And for the entire ride back to the castle, he held Asher’s hand.

---

After returning to the castle, Queen Angela immediately caught hold of Asher and refused to let him go.

He wasn’t allowed a single moment alone.

Since it was his birthday, skipping the royal dinner felt inappropriate, but more than anything, Asher didn’t want to see King Augustin or Hugo.

So he feigned illness and excused himself.

Finally alone in his room, he took a deep breath.

But before he could relax, a knock sounded at his door.

Queen Angela? No… She should still be at dinner.

“…Your Highness, may I enter?”

The voice belonged to Theodore.

Panicked, Asher took a deep breath to steady himself before responding.

“…Come in.”

The door opened slowly, and Theodore stepped inside.

Asher had no idea why he was here.

“…What is it?”

Theodore looked as if he was about to say something, then hesitated and closed his mouth.

…Is this about earlier?

The silence stretched between them, filling Asher with unease.

“If it’s about what I said earlier… Did it offend you—”

“It didn’t.”

Theodore cut him off firmly.

But his face was conflicted, as if even he wasn’t sure of his own emotions.

“It didn’t… But I…”

Theodore struggled to find the right words.

His brow furrowed, and he looked troubled, as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t.

Asher didn’t understand why Theodore seemed so pained.

Seeing him like this was agonizing.

“It’s okay, Theodore. Like I told Lilian… I didn’t apologize because I wanted forgiveness. I apologized because I wanted to… for my own sake.”

Forcing a smile, Asher looked at Theodore.

Theodore’s lips pressed into a thin line, as if he was holding something back.

“…Thank you for today.”

Even though he hated him, Theodore had always protected him.

Even during the beastman attack, he had risked his life.

And today, when Asher had been at his lowest, Theodore had taken him somewhere safe.

“…Theodore?”

Slowly, Theodore stepped closer.

His expression remained conflicted.

“…Your Highness…”

Gently, Theodore cupped Asher’s cheek.

────He’s going to kiss me.

Asher realized it immediately.

He could have stepped back.

But he didn’t.

Their lips met softly, lingering for only a moment before parting.

Then, Theodore kissed him again, deeper this time.

Unlike before, it wasn’t forceful.

It was warm.

Asher flinched slightly as the kiss deepened, but Theodore pulled him into an embrace.

“…Mmh…!”

When they finally parted, a faint sound echoed in the quiet room.

Asher’s face turned bright red.

Theodore looked at him with the same intense gaze he had when he had licked the blood from his fingers.

A gaze filled with longing.

His heart pounded.

Theodore slowly let go, placing something in Asher’s hand before whispering softly in his ear.

Then, he left.

Asher collapsed onto the floor, staring at the door.

His fingers trembled as he looked at what Theodore had given him.

A single, deep blue flower—just like his own eyes.

And in his mind, Theodore’s whispered words repeated over and over.

“…Happy adulthood, Your Highness.”

---

Pinky says: What did I say fellas? Give ’em a plant to look at and they’ll be fine.