Little Pink Starfish

After finishing his breakfast and getting dressed, Asher received an unexpected visit from Marquis Clarke.

As always, their morning conversation was light, filled with polite exchanges. Asher smiled as he listened.

“…Yesterday, Your Highness delivered a splendid ceremonial address.”
“Oh… It was nothing. Just something expected of me.”
“…Even so, it was admirable. I heard that a beastman child even presented you with a flower.”

Marquis Clarke’s smile deepened. Asher returned it with his own.

“Yes.”

Despite rumors in the town that Asher despised beastmen, one of the children who had given him flowers had been a beastman.

He had noticed the murmurs—rather, he had sensed them through the way people reacted to him. Given his past attitude toward beastmen, it was hardly surprising.

That was why he had felt sympathy for the child.

How frightened they must have been.

Normally, children of both human and beastman descent would present flowers to the royal family without issue. But given the circumstances, Asher had assumed that no beastman children would be chosen to offer him flowers on his coming-of-age day.

“…Marquis Clarke?”
“Ah…?”

Marquis Clarke had been staring at him. At some point, his smile had faded.

“My apologies… There’s something I must tell you. Another issue has arisen in my territory. I must return at once and seek Your Highness’s permission to leave.”
“What?! Is everything all right?”
“It is not a matter Your Highness should trouble yourself over. However… it pains me to leave your side again. My deepest apologies.”
“Please, don’t apologize!”

Seeing Marquis Clarke bow his head so gravely unsettled Asher.

He had always seen the Marquis as a warm and cheerful figure, so this display of solemnity caught him off guard.

After offering his apologies several more times, the Marquis departed from Asher’s chambers.

Asher stood still for a moment. Since his accident, the Marquis had been one of the few who had supported him. The thought of his absence left an unexpected feeling of loneliness.

Lately, he had felt as if he had disappointed Marquis Clarke in some way.

After a moment of hesitation, he decided—he would go and see him off.

But the very instant he stepped out of his room—

He froze.

“Your Highness, are you heading out?”

Standing right before him was Theodore.

Asher’s mouth hung open in shock.

“W-why are you here?”
“…? As your personal guard, I was stationed outside your room.”

Theodore’s brow furrowed slightly at Asher’s strange question.

His heart lurched in his chest.

──I wasn’t ready for this. I wasn’t ready!

He tried to act natural, but it was impossible.

His gaze darted downward, unable to meet Theodore’s.

From where Theodore stood, he had a clear view inside the room.

His eyes landed on the blue flower, displayed carefully in a vase.

“…You took the time to place it in a vase.”
“Ah—”

Asher panicked.

He slammed the door shut.

──He saw it! I should have put it somewhere out of sight—!

“I-it’s just… a beautiful flower, so…”
“I see. I’m glad you liked it.”
“Y-yeah… thank you.”

He finally managed to say the words he hadn’t the night before. But his eyes remained downcast.

He didn’t know what kind of face to make.

──It’s different now.

Just being near Theodore made his heart race.

Just hearing his voice made his chest feel tight.

──But, but…!

“Good morning, Prince Asher! You look as stunning as ever— Huh? What’s wrong?”

Ward appeared, his usual flirtatious grin in place. But the moment he noticed the strange tension in the air, he tilted his head.

Before he could question it further, Asher grabbed Ward by the arm.

Without saying a word to Theodore, he turned on his heel and started walking.

“Hey—?! Prince Asher?!”
“Ward! Come with me—I want to see Marquis Clarke off.”
“What?! But your guard is—”
“Theodore, wait here! I’ll be right back!”
“…Your Highness?”
“Just wait! Ward, let’s go!”

He didn’t look back.

Theodore watched him until he disappeared from sight.

“Wait—!! Prince Asher?!”
“Just come on… Theodore isn’t following, is he?”
“Huh? No…”

Ward glanced back. No one was there.

Asher finally loosened his grip on Ward’s sleeve.

“What’s going on?”
“…”

Asher remained silent.

Ward sighed internally.

While he had been hoping to get a read on Asher’s mood, he hadn’t expected such an easy opportunity to arise.

After all, he hadn’t been there to witness what happened after Noah ran off.

“Did Theodore say something?”
“…No, that’s not it…”

Asher’s voice was subdued.

Then, as if making a decision, he turned to Ward with pleading eyes.

Ward’s heart skipped a beat.

“Hey, Ward… That thing we talked about before— is it still… ongoing?”
“That thing?”

Ward had no idea what Asher was referring to.

He fell into thought, but before he could piece it together—

“The romance… practice.”

Asher’s face reddened as he said it.

Ward blinked.

His mind went blank.

Asher, clearly embarrassed, fidgeted in place.

“Practice, or rather… I just don’t know what to do, so I thought maybe you could teach me…”
“Wait. Hold on a second. Your Highness— Don’t tell me… is there someone?”

The moment Ward saw Asher’s cheeks burn even redder, he was stunned.

He had completely let his guard down.

He had been so focused on Samuel that he hadn’t even considered the possibility of someone else approaching Asher.

And now— it might be too late.

“I don’t understand… I just… need to know what to do.”
“…Is it Lady Doriana? You danced with her, didn’t you?”
“N-no! It doesn’t matter who it is!”

Asher averted his gaze— and then he froze.

Across the corridor, he spotted Marquis Clarke.

And beside him—

Queen Angela.

“…Marquis Clarke? Wait, what?”

Without thinking, Asher and Ward both ducked behind a pillar.

Asher’s heart pounded.

His first instinct had been to avoid being seen.

“…Why are we hiding?”
“Um… I don’t know? It just felt like I should?”

The truth was— he wanted to avoid running into the Queen.

Ever since their last conversation, things between them had felt strained.

But as he peeked out, something felt… off.

──Why do they seem so close?

Asher wasn’t the only one who noticed.

“Does the Queen always speak so intimately with Marquis Clarke?”
“Huh? No, not when she’s with me…”

A strange unease settled in his chest.

A bad feeling.

After a while, the Queen left.

Marquis Clarke turned to walk in the opposite direction.

But Asher didn’t follow.

He remained frozen in place.

Ward, meanwhile, studied his reaction carefully.

His mind drifted to the prince who had summoned him earlier.

──How should I report this?

Ward let out a quiet sigh.

After parting ways with the Queen, Marquis Clarke walked away, his expression unreadable.

But Asher remained frozen in place.

Ward glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, gauging his reaction.

The prince standing before him was not the same Asher from before.

Something had changed.

Ward exhaled sharply.

──How should I report this?

A complicated situation was unfolding before him.

And at the center of it all stood Asher.