Little Pink Starfish

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Several days had passed since Asher’s visit to see Lilian in the castle town.

He had still not been able to meet with Queen Angela. Ellie had informed him that her condition had improved, but she refused to see anyone and remained secluded in her chambers—even Asher.

He was worried, but according to reports, King Augustin had been visiting her every day since that incident.

…I’m sure she’ll be alright. If I wait a little longer, she will surely meet with me.

Yet, beyond his concern for his mother, something else had been bothering Asher.

Compared to Angela, it might seem like a trivial matter, but it was something he just couldn’t shake.

Every morning, after getting dressed, Asher would open his door and glance around the corridor, checking for something—or rather, someone.

“…Not here today either…”

Finding no sign of the person he was looking for, he slumped his shoulders.

Lately, Theodore had been absent from his side more often. Of course, if Asher informed him in advance of where he was going, Theodore would always accompany him. He had also been told to call for Theodore whenever leaving his room.

…I know he has other duties besides guarding me…

It was selfish of him to think this way.

And yet, Asher found himself feeling uneasy whenever Theodore wasn’t around.

…Even though he still comes to see me at night… but…

He recalled the previous night—Theodore embracing him, pressing gentle kisses against his lips, his expression unusually soft.

That was a side of Theodore that no one else saw. A side that only Asher knew.

Just remembering it made his chest tighten and his cheeks heat up.

The mere touch of Theodore’s lips made him happy. And yet, at the same time, something felt missing.

He had realized it now—he craved more.

He knew what lay beyond those gentle kisses.

…I could never say this out loud.

Every night, he found himself hoping for more. The realization of how shameless he was being made him ashamed of himself.

As Asher was lost in these thoughts, a knock came at the door. Thinking it was Theodore, he opened it hastily.

“…Ah.”
“Oh, whoa—! Ah, my apologies. The sudden opening of the door startled me. You are as stunning as ever today, Prince Asher.”
“Ward…”
“…You sound disappointed, don’t you?”
“I—I do not! More importantly, what do you need?”
“Ah, how cold… I simply longed to see you, my dear Prince Asher…”
“Liar!”
“Truly, you wound me.”

With elegant grace, Ward took Asher’s hand and placed a light kiss upon it.

“Wh—”
“It has been some time since we last met… But why is it, I wonder… You have become even more alluring.”

Asher quickly pulled his hand away and turned his face away, avoiding Ward’s probing gaze.

“…My apologies. That was a joke. In truth, I was sent by Prince Samuel to summon you.”
“Samuel… wants to see me?”
“Yes. He has been occupied with royal duties since the trial, but now that things have settled, he wishes to meet with you.”

Asher had heard that, after King Augustin collapsed, Samuel had taken on additional responsibilities to ease his burden.

That was why Asher hadn’t seen him these past few days.

“…I should inform Theodore first.”
“Louis? I shall serve as your escort in his place. Prince Samuel is already waiting, so if you have no objections, I would like to take you there immediately.”

Asher hesitated for a moment before nodding.

Samuel is already busy. It wouldn’t be right to keep him waiting. And… calling Theodore over just for this seems unnecessary.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Ward smiled brightly at Asher’s response and led the way.

As they walked, Ward suddenly asked,

“By the way… what became of that matter?”
“What matter?”
“Oh? Have you forgotten? Your love training, of course… I never got to teach you properly because of all the chaos.”
“Ah… Th—that’s… it’s fine now… just forget about it.”
“‘Fine’…? Does that mean something happened with the person you had in mind?”
“Something… happened… I mean—”

Asher’s voice trailed off, his face turning red as he averted his gaze.

Ward stared at him, his golden eyes narrowing slightly.

“…I see. So, it was that time…”

His voice was barely a whisper, too quiet for Asher to hear.

The playful, smiling expression on Ward’s face gradually darkened.

“I was looking forward to savoring your untouched innocence, taking my time to indulge in every reaction…”
“Huh? What did you just say?”
“Ah, nothing at all.”

Ward’s smile returned, but his mood had clearly shifted. Asher, sensing something was off, tilted his head in confusion.

Upon arriving at Samuel’s room, Ward knocked on the door. Samuel himself opened it and greeted Asher warmly.

“Asher! …It’s been a while. I’m sorry I couldn’t visit you.”
“You don’t need to apologize. If anything, I should be the one apologizing… I only added to your workload…”
“Don’t worry about it. None of it was your fault. …But actually, I just remembered something I need to take care of. Could you wait here for a moment?”
“If you’re busy, I don’t mind coming back later…”
“No, it won’t take long. Just wait here. Ward, let’s go.”
“As you wish.”
“Eh? Wait—”

Before Asher could finish speaking, Samuel and Ward had already left the room, leaving him alone.

“…What should I do now?”

For the first time, Asher found himself inside Samuel’s chambers.

Compared to his own room, it was luxurious yet refined—elegant without being excessive.

Asher stood there, at a loss, when a sudden noise from an adjacent room caught his attention.

What was that…?

Hesitantly, he approached the door leading to the neighboring room.

A strange unease crept up his spine.

He recalled the night he had been attacked in his own chambers.

Could someone have snuck into Samuel’s room?

Wary, he slowly pushed the door open just enough to peek inside.

There was no one there.

But the sight before him was peculiar.

“…This is… incredible.”

Asher stepped inside.

Every inch of the walls was covered with paintings.

“So many…”

As he examined them, he noticed a pattern.

“Are all of these… angels?”

Each painting depicted a winged boy or girl.

All of them had golden hair and blue eyes.

“But why so many…?”

Though the artwork was beautiful, the sheer number of them made the room feel eerie.

Then, at the far end, he noticed a large painting covered with a black cloth.

“…What is this?”

Beneath it, another painting had fallen to the floor, likely causing the noise earlier.

Asher bent down, picking up the fallen painting and propping it against the wall.

He turned his gaze back to the shrouded painting.

Something about it unsettled him.

…I shouldn’t be touching other people’s belongings. I shouldn’t even be in this room.

And yet, his curiosity overpowered his hesitation.

He reached out to pull the cloth away.

“Asher.”

A voice from behind stopped him.

He froze.

Samuel stood in the doorway, smiling gently.

“I told you I wouldn’t be gone long, didn’t I?”

“Ah… um… Sorry, Samuel… I just heard a noise, and—”
“Ah, the painting must have fallen.”
“Yes… I put it back up.”
“Thank you… Now, come back to the other room.”

“Y-Yeah… Oh—”

As Asher turned to leave, his foot caught on something.

The easel supporting the covered painting wobbled.

The black cloth slipped off.

And underneath—

A portrait of a boy in royal attire.

The face was slashed beyond recognition.

“…What… is this?”

Samuel’s voice remained calm.

“There was a mistake with that one. I was planning to dispose of it soon.”

Asher’s breath caught.

The boy in the painting…

With golden hair and faint traces of blue eyes still visible beneath the ruined canvas…

“…Samuel… this painting… is it… me?”

He slowly turned back to Samuel.

The prince was still smiling.

“Asher.”

A shiver ran down Asher’s spine.

For the first time, he was afraid of Samuel.