Little Pink Starfish

Led into the dusty underground prison, Theodore quietly sat down on the old bedding. His beast-like body had lost some of its sharpness since earlier and was gradually returning to its original form, but his fangs and claws were not yet fully healed. Moreover, the injuries he should have had were almost completely gone.

“…It’s as if…”

Like a monster, Theodore lowered his gaze.

Was Asher safe?
What had happened to Asher’s wounds?
Would he meet Asher in this form?

If Asher saw him like this—what would he say?

He was so worried, he wanted to see Asher immediately, but just as much, he was terrified of being rejected. If Asher found out that beastman blood ran through his veins, what would he think? Asher was not the same as before. Asher had changed. But still, the fear was unbearable.

For the first time in his life, Theodore felt fear and hung his head.

At that moment, the door of the cell opened, and a beastman carrying Asher entered, laying him face down on the other bedding. The beastman, after casting a pained look at Theodore, quietly exited the cell and locked the door.

“…Your Highness!”

Theodore rushed to Asher’s side, almost throwing himself toward him, but hesitated when he looked at his own hands. Just then, as if responding to Theodore’s voice, Asher faintly opened his eyes.

“…Theo…”
“…Your Highness!”

Asher’s weak, hoarse voice made Theodore hesitate, but he still leaned in to look into his face.

“Theodore… your wounds…”
“My injuries don’t matter… More importantly, your Highness’s wounds…”
“…I’m… fine…”

Asher tried desperately to lift the corners of his mouth, but the pain contorted his face instead.

Seeing his mate in such a state tightened Theodore’s chest, filling him with even greater anguish.

Theodore stared at Asher’s upper body, wrapped in bandages. Unlike the other princes, unlike Samuel or Hugo, Asher had a slender chest and skin far too pale. His back would undoubtedly be marred with terrible whip marks.

“…Sorry, Theo… let me sleep… a little…”

Asher, his face deathly pale, fell asleep once more. Theodore felt his eyes grow hot.

—Even though I was by his side, I let this happen.

—If only I had resisted before we were brought here… but if I had, his Highness might have suffered a different kind of harm.

Regret churned inside him, twisting his face in anguish.

The bandages on Asher’s back were stained with blood.

“…I couldn’t protect you…”

As Theodore whispered, brushing aside Asher’s sweat-drenched hair, the sound of footsteps approached from the corridor beyond the cell.

One person… no, two.

Theodore narrowed his eyes, focusing on the figures emerging from the dark corridor. A hooded man walked slowly toward the cell, followed closely by a feline beastman.

“…Huh? That’s a face I’ve seen somewhere before.”

At the man’s words, the cat beastman’s ears twitched.

“Someone like you claims to have seen the Black Knight Theodore?”
“Watch your mouth… Do you even realize who helps you move around Dias* while avoiding Notovis? Hah, so you’re the Black Knight Theodore, huh?”

The hooded man placed a hand on his chin, as if deep in thought.

“Ah! I remember now. You’re the knight from Dias who was in Notovis Forest back then.”

At those words, the man pulled back his hood, revealing his face.

With deep green hair and matching eyes, and an unshaven beard, the man smirked.

The moment Theodore saw him, he remembered.

This was the man he had encountered in Notovis Forest after falling off a cliff while fleeing from beast bandits.

“So, you’re the Notovis collector…”
“That’s right. Looks like you remember me too. Still, you two sure are unlucky to get captured.”
“…And you? Were you captured too?”
“Me? Captured? Don’t be ridiculous. I’m here for work.”

The man smirked, while the cat beastman let out an exasperated sigh.

“Hey, stop talking. We’re not supposed to be here. Let’s go.”
“Aw, come on, just a little longer… You took your bribe, didn’t you?”
“…I said they could be looked at, nothing more.”
“Yeah, yeah. But when I heard there was a captured, half-beast idiot, I just had to see him for myself… and what do you know, it’s a familiar face.”

After glancing at Theodore inside the cell, the man turned his gaze to Asher.

“The young master who was supposed to be just a servant… is fast asleep, huh, Black Knight?”
“…You’re human, yet you’ve sided with beast bandits?”
“Is it wrong to work with beastmen? If our interests align, I’ll work with anyone. And I’m not the only one. Every human is the same.”

The man locked eyes with Theodore, smirking.

“Well then, I’ve seen enough fools for today. Best of luck to you two.”

With a casual wave, the man left. The cat beastman glanced around cautiously before glaring at Theodore and following after the man.

Silence returned to the cell.

Theodore looked at Asher’s face. He was breathing painfully. Theodore brushed his cheek, deep in thought.

How had the beast bandits managed to use a passage to Asher’s room that only the royal family should have known about?

If such crucial information had leaked, the other royals could also be in danger. The beast bandits couldn’t have obtained this knowledge on their own.

“Is it wrong to work with beastmen? If our interests align, I’ll work with anyone. And I’m not the only one. Every human is the same.”

The hooded man’s words resurfaced in his mind.

“Every human is the same.”

He didn’t want to think about it. But if he didn’t, nothing made sense.

“…Was there someone among the royals who helped them?”

The beast bandits had originally planned to assassinate Asher. That plan had changed to a kidnapping.

Who stood to gain from Asher’s disappearance, the third prince and second in line to the throne?

Asher had long been at odds with the first prince, Samuel, due to the conflict between the crown prince’s faction and the queen’s faction.

But Theodore couldn’t imagine Prince Samuel orchestrating something like this.

Theodore had often sparred with Samuel in sword training. Though usually reserved, Samuel would often initiate conversations with Theodore.

As the first prince, Samuel was intelligent, gifted in swordsmanship, and well-liked by both knights and nobles. A perfect model of royalty.

Yet, at the same time, there was an unsettling, unreadable aura about him…

Theodore shook his head, dismissing his creeping doubts.

“Prince Samuel wouldn’t do something like this.”

He wasn’t the type to scheme in the shadows. If he wanted to act against Asher, he would gather undeniable evidence and confront him head-on.

Even after thinking for a long time, Theodore found no answers.

—How much time had passed?

Asher remained asleep. Only time moved forward.

Theodore sighed.

Once again, footsteps echoed from the corridor.

The underground prison was dark, making it hard to see, but whoever approached could see Theodore.

A distinctive cackling laugh rang out.

“…How troublesome. Even these lowly beastmen managed to bring you here as well.”

That voice—Theodore knew it.

From the past and even now, Asher’s most trusted adult.

“…Why is Marquis Clark here?”

At Theodore’s words, Marquis Clark smirked.

His usually well-groomed chestnut hair and composed demeanor were nowhere to be seen.

“What, my puppet hasn’t woken up yet?”

Smiling, the marquis gazed down at Asher from outside the cell.

In an instant, Theodore stepped between them.

Clark’s gaze shifted to Theodore—icy cold.