Afternoon crept in gently.
Sunlight slipped through the gaps between the garden leaves, casting shifting shadows across the wooden floor of the modest little house.
The air was quiet.
Grandma was still at the flower fields.
Hana hadn't returned from school.
And Mathien…
Was alone in the room.
His stomach growled.
His round body lay sprawled on a floral pillow, tail flopping limply.
He cracked one eye open, glancing at the ticking wall clock.
"It's already four-twelve..."
"No salmon. No servants. No… anything."
He let out a deep sigh.
Then turned to a small bowl in the corner of the room.
Inside it...
Tuna-flavored dry food.
Cheap brand, sharp smell, hard as pebbles.
Mathien stared at the bowl like it was the disgrace of civilization.
"I was born on silk bedding in a royal chamber."
"Welcomed by a dozen physicians and fourteen handmaidens."
"Today... I'm considering eating regular cat food."
Dragging his plump body with reluctance,
He moved slowly, each step heavy.
Stopping right in front of the bowl.
Silence.
Then—
CRUNCH.
One piece entered his mouth.
CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUNCH.
Three more followed.
Mathien swallowed slowly, then stared straight ahead.
"I will never forget this."
Not long after, the wooden door swung open with a loud creak that echoed through the quiet house.
Small footsteps ran across the living room. Hana's school uniform was crumpled. Her forehead glistened with sweat. She clutched a white plastic bag in one hand.
"Haaa—aaah!"
Her breath was ragged.
"Mathien! I got it! I got it!"
Her footsteps shook the wooden floor, and within seconds, she stood at the doorway. Her face glowed with triumph.
From the embroidered pillow, Mathien only spared her a glance.
His back faced her.
His body curled up.
His chubby tail lay limp on the floor.
"I'm not hungry anymore," he muttered bitterly, full of spite.
Hana paused at the doorway, still breathless.
"I... I didn't buy anything today. Not even iced tea."
She lifted the white plastic bag.
"I got fresh salmon cuts! Really pink, smells amazing! Here—smell it!"
Mathien didn't move.
But… his ears twitched.
Hana stepped closer and opened the plastic bag right in front of his face.
The scent of fresh fish filled the room.
Clean. Soft. Not fishy.
Fine fur along Mathien's neck stood slightly on end.
"Where did you get that?"
"Back market behind the school. I ran! I was cutting it real close! I even—almost got hit by a pedicab, seriously!"
Mathien finally turned.
His eyes widened slightly at the sight of the salmon—uncanned, unshredded, undesecrated.
He rose.
Walked slowly.
Sat upright in front of the bag and spoke quietly:
"Worthy."
Mathien sat tall.
His round body trembled ever so slightly with excitement he was desperately trying to hide.
Before him: a fresh salmon fillet, perfectly intact, glistening pink, with a delicate scent that pierced to the very soul of a noble.
Hana sat on the floor, right beside the bag she brought from the market.
Her uniform was soaked with sweat. Her breathing still unsteady. She was fanning herself with a torn notebook.
"Phew... finally… I thought it was all sold out. But the lady said there was some left under the ice…"
Mathien turned slowly. His blue gaze sharp, full of command.
"Silence."
Hana raised an eyebrow.
"Huh?"
Mathien gave a slow nod, like a king preparing to attend a sacred banquet.
"During the dining ceremony, peasants must not speak."
"Hah?"
"This is a sacred moment, Hana."
He leaned down, sniffing the salmon like a sommelier savoring the finest vintage wine.
With as much grace as an overweight body could allow, he picked up one piece with his paw.
Then—
CHOMP.
One bite.
His eyes closed.
And slowly... his face melted into peace.
"Balance in life… has been restored."
Hana watched him while still fanning herself.
"You're seriously insane."
Mathien didn't look up.
He just continued to eat slowly, elegantly, sitting in perfect posture like a noble being served the world's finest cuisine.
And when the final bite entered his mouth, he lifted his gaze to the wooden ceiling and whispered with majestic reverence:
"Thank you, river of the earth. You have saved the throne."
🌸🌸🌸
Night fell gently.
A small lamp in the corner of the room glowed dimly.
The window was left half open, letting the evening breeze slip inside, carrying with it the scent of damp soil and grass from the backyard.
Hana sat cross-legged on the rug, her pajama visibly faded from too many washes. She hugged a thin pillow, her cheek resting softly on it.
Meanwhile, Mathien sat at the edge of the bed.
His round body half-covered with a tiny flower-patterned blanket.
Silence lingered for a while.
Then Hana spoke, softly.
"Hey, Mathien…"
"Don't say my name like that."
"Your Royal Highness, Prince Mathien?"
"Proceed."
Hana smiled a little.
"I was thinking. Since you've got magic, a kingdom, and all that fancy stuff... what's your dream?"
Mathien raised an eyebrow, then looked up at the wooden ceiling above them.
"My dream? To become an undefeated king. To unite the seven magical realms. To break the dark fate of the kingdom. To rewrite the legacy of Valtherion with my name on the first page."
He glanced at her. "Simple stuff."
Hana held back a laugh. "Wow. Super modest."
She rolled her pillow and looked down.
"As for me…"
Mathien stayed quiet. Listening.
Hana took a breath.
"I just want to keep living here. In this wooden house, with the flower garden in the back, with Grandma."
Her smile widened.
"I want to make Grandma happy until she's super super super old… and I want her to see me get married. To see me have kids."
Mathien blinked.
His voice was soft, flat—but full of weight.
"That's all?"
Hana nodded.
Then her tone shifted, a little more fragile.
"My parents… they're gone. When I was little, we got into a car accident. On the way home.
Our car got hit. I survived. They didn't."
She took a deep breath, trying to smile despite the glint in her eyes.
"Grandma raised me since then. And I just want… to be with her as long as I can. That's all."
Mathien didn't answer right away.
His eyes rested on the wooden floor. His gaze… unreadable.
His tail swayed slightly. Then, in a low voice, he said:
"Your dream is too small… and too big at the same time."
Hana turned to him, puzzled. "What do you mean?"
Mathien didn't answer.
He lay down, eyes closing.
"Go to sleep. I expect another meal in the morning."
But that night, before sleep truly claimed him, Mathien cracked one eye open.
Peeking at Hana—now fast asleep on the floor, hugging her pillow, breathing softly.
And for the first time…
He didn't feel like he was wasting time in the human world.
🌸🌸🌸