Little Pink Starfish

Standing in front of the doors, King Augustin’s attendants exchanged uneasy glances, shifting restlessly.

“Sir Theodore… Do you think Prince Asher is alright?”
“Be silent.”

Vex and the others, who were just as anxious, had been fidgeting while waiting. Without even looking at them, Theodore responded curtly.
However, he, too, was concerned about Asher.

How long had it been?

None of them had expected even His Majesty to arrive…

Just as the uncertainty began to weigh on them, the door slowly creaked open, drawing the attention of everyone present.

Emerging from within was Asher. The moment he noticed all the eyes on him, his own widened in surprise.

“…Ah… Uh… Theodore!”

His gaze darted around before finally landing on Theodore, and he hurried over to him.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting so long…”
“Not at all. Have you finished your discussion?”
“…Mother wasn’t feeling well partway through… But instead, I spoke with Father.”
“His Majesty…?”
“Yeah.”

Theodore immediately noticed that Asher’s eyes were slightly red.

But judging by his expression, he didn’t seem troubled. On the contrary, there was a sense of relief in his face.

“Also… This is sudden, but there’s somewhere I want to go.”
“Somewhere?”
“Yes, to the town… Would you come with me?”
“That is… of course. However, if I am to escort you outside the castle—”
“I’ve already received direct permission from Father, so it’s fine.”
“His Majesty gave you permission?”

Those nearby, who had been eavesdropping, looked even more intrigued.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, Asher turned to Augustin’s attendants.

“Father said he would be staying with Mother a little longer.”
“I-I see…”

The sudden address caught the attendants off guard, but they quickly responded.

“Alright, please wait for him a little longer.”

Asher smiled, and for a brief moment, everyone in the corridor was captivated.

“Let’s go, Your Highness.”
“Eh? Ah… Right. Excuse me.”

At Theodore’s urging, Asher started walking.

As they walked through the corridors, Asher noticed that Theodore had a slight furrow in his brows.

Why? Was it because he suddenly decided to go to town?

“…Sorry for being so abrupt and selfish.”
“Not at all. However—”
“However?”
“…No, if we are heading to town, you must be disguised to avoid drawing attention.”

Behind them, Vex chimed in.

“That’s right! If people see Prince Asher, it will be a big deal!”

Wile and Zettam nodded in agreement.

Unlike the festival during his birthday, members of the royal family didn’t casually visit the town. If the common people saw Asher outside of an official event, they would certainly be shocked.

“…”

Maybe this was a bad idea.

Asher briefly considered abandoning the plan, but before he could say anything, Theodore had already started giving orders.

“Vex, prepare a discreet carriage. Wile, Zettam, find appropriate clothes for the prince’s disguise.”

Vex and the others immediately saluted and dashed off.

“…Sorry, I didn’t think about the preparations you’d need to make for my safety.”
“Think nothing of it. Since the incident with the beast bandits, security in the town has been tightened, not just in the castle. However, if word spreads that you are there, it could cause confusion. Please ensure your face remains hidden… May I ask why you wish to go to town?”

Hearing this, Asher paused and looked out the window at the sky.

“Your Highness?”
“It’s like the fog in my mind has lifted… I remembered something.”

It wasn’t just emotions he had remembered.

Back then, he hadn’t understood.

He had been too consumed by fear, too focused on his own terrifying memories, too unaware of the people around him.

“There’s someone in town I need to meet.”

---

The town was bustling with activity.

Asher walked through the crowd with his hood pulled low, keeping his face down.

Merchants shouted about their fresh fruits, customers haggled over prices, and all around him were sights he had never paid attention to before.

During his birthday festival, so much had happened that he hadn’t been able to enjoy the scenery. Now, his eyes sparkled with curiosity as he took it all in.

“…Please, don’t wander off.”
“Ah, right. Sorry.”

Since they had snuck out, they couldn’t afford to be noticed.

After getting off the carriage, Asher had been walking alongside Theodore.

To avoid drawing attention, Vex and the others followed from a distance.

His outfit was plain, the cloak was slightly worn, and a scarf covered his mouth. Still, if someone recognized him, all of it would be meaningless.

───And yet.

“Asher-sama!”

Hearing his name shouted, Asher froze and clutched his hood tightly, instinctively hiding behind Theodore.

“—This fabric is woven in the exact same shade of blue as the prince’s eyes! We only have a limited stock left!”

M-My eye color…?

Asher turned to see a merchant proudly holding up a roll of blue cloth, waving it at passing customers.

“Asher-sama!”

Once again, his name was called from another direction.

Startled, Asher clung to the hem of Theodore’s cloak.

“—This is the pie that His Highness praised during the birthday festival! The palace still sends for it from time to time!”

W-Wait! Pie!?

But I didn’t even eat any…!!

Completely bewildered by the state of the town, Asher turned to Theodore, who whispered in his ear.

“…After the public trial, those who witnessed Your Highness’s actions were moved. Word spread, and now the entire town is praising you.”
“P-Praising…? Moved? W-Why… How did this happen…?”
“Indeed. That cloth is nowhere near the color of Your Highness’s eyes… And I find it unlikely that you have ever tasted that shop’s pie. Their claims are outright lies… However, many businesses are now using your name, and it is impossible to arrest them all.”
“W-Wait, hold on! Theodore, calm down! A-Are you angry?”
“…No.”

Theodore’s expression was as composed as ever, but somehow, he seemed irritated.

“Still… I can’t believe the town has changed this much in just a few days.”
“…Merchants adapt quickly.”

They knew what would sell.

They understood trends—what people were interested in, what would attract customers.

Right now, the public’s focus was entirely on Asher.

Of course, the man himself had been completely unaware.

Looking around, he saw his name written in various places, and in every one of those places, business seemed to be booming.

“…We should hurry.”
“Y-Yeah.”

As they pressed on, the streets became even more crowded.

Eventually, they reached their destination—a bustling eatery overflowing with people, so full that customers spilled outside.

“…That fox.”

Hearing Theodore’s unusually low voice, Asher shuddered.

A large sign stood in front of the restaurant.

It read in bold letters:

“The eatery visited by Prince Asher, Prince Noah, and Prince Hugo during the festival—Officially Endorsed by the Royal Family! Fold’s Eatery”

For some reason, “Prince Asher” and “Prince Noah” were written in larger letters, while “Prince Hugo” appeared smaller.

“There are too many people…”
“Your Highness, this way.”
“Huh? But—”
“We’ll enter through the back.”
“Isn’t that… trespassing?”
“They’ve already declared themselves ‘royally endorsed.’ There is no issue.”

Asher felt like arguing but held his tongue.

There was something different about Theodore today.

For some reason, Asher felt that disobeying him would be a terrible mistake.

As they circled to the back of the restaurant, they found the rear entrance.

However, someone was crouched there.

“Are you alright!?”
“Wait, Your Highness!”

Ignoring Theodore’s warning, Asher rushed forward.

The moment he saw the person’s face, his eyes widened.

“…Lillian?”

Hearing her name, Lillian slowly lifted her pained expression.

Upon seeing Asher, shock flickered across her face.