Morning greeted the house with a soft breeze that swayed the wooden curtains gently.
The pale blue sky stretched wide, adorned with thin clouds like cotton.
Behind the slightly fogged window glass, Mathien sat still on a short table facing the porch.
His chubby body was nestled into a small pillow with floral patterns.
His eyes followed every move Hana made—as she, like always, was getting ready for school that morning.
The girl sat on the steps of the porch.
Her face was still a little puffy from waking up too early.
Her hair was tied up messily.
She whistled softly while putting on a pair of socks that had grown loose at the toes.
And then...
She reached for her shoes.
A pair of worn-out brown school shoes.
The soles were thinning. The laces had been knotted back together—twice.
There was a streak of dried mud on the right edge.
Mathien stared at them for a long while.
"…Even a palace servant wouldn't dare touch that."
His brow furrowed.
His gaze shifted down to Hana's uniform.
Faded fabric, the color uneven in places.
A small tear near the hem of her skirt had been patched up with white thread—clumsily.
But what Mathien couldn't comprehend the most—was Hana's smile.
The girl laughed lightly as her grandmother came from the kitchen, carrying a lunch wrapped in pastel patchwork cloth.
"This is your lunch, dear. I put in the fried tempeh you like."
"Waaah! Thank you, Grandma! I hope no cats steal it this time."
Her grandmother chuckled, then gently pinched Hana's nose.
"If you keep working hard, maybe one day you can afford your own lunch—not just from Grandma's kitchen."
"I want to eat your cooking forever, even when I'm old!"
Their small laughter echoed into the morning air.
A laughter that was warm.
A laughter that was... simple.
Mathien didn't move.
His eyes were still watching them from behind the glass.
He didn't understand.
"Worn-out clothes. Dying shoes. Breakfast was just bread and a tempeh lunchbox.
Yet they laugh. As if this world... had never been cruel."
He inhaled slowly.
"I grew up surrounded by gold and gemstones. Powerful magic. Castle walls.
But even then, I never laughed like that."
Mathien's tail curled slowly.
His head tilted slightly.
"What makes them laugh like that?"
Soon after, Hana skipped toward the gate.
"Chirooo! I'm off to school!"
Mathien didn't answer.
He only lifted his head a little, meeting the girl's eyes from a distance.
And for the first time…
He didn't feel like he was looking at a 'commoner.'
He was just looking at a small girl…
whose life was tough, but heart still warm.
The kitchen was small, but always felt warm.
Sunlight peeked in through a tiny window above the dish rack.
The scent of firewood and simmering pandan leaves filled the air.
Grandma was pouring something from a can into a small metal bowl.
"Chirooo… come here, dear. Time to eat."
Her voice flowed softly, filled with the usual warmth.
Mathien walked slowly toward the kitchen.
His plump body wobbled slightly with each step. His eyes fixed on the bowl.
Salmon. But not fresh.
Canned.
Soft. Oily. And its smell—strong.
He stood in front of the bowl.
Didn't touch it.
Didn't eat it right away like usual.
Grandma sat back in her chair, gently peeling garlic cloves.
"Eat well, Chiro. Stay healthy. So you can take care of Hana."
Mathien stayed quiet.
"This... is cheap food.
From a can with a label too faded to read.
From a place I can't even imagine cooking in."
He lowered his gaze.
Staring at his own reflection in the oil that floated on top of the canned salmon.
Suddenly, Hana's face flashed in his mind.
She had sat cross-legged the night before, smiling at the fresh salmon in her hands—while trying to hide the truth that it was her first time ever tasting it.
Not because she wanted to try it.
But because that was her only chance.
Mathien took a breath.
"I've eaten the best food from this world and the world of magic. But that girl gave everything... just for a single piece."
His tail stiffened.
"She never complains.
She just smiles. Even when she bathes in cold water and sleeps on the floor."
His stomach churned.
Not from hunger.
But from something else—something he couldn't explain.
Slowly, Mathien bent down.
Then took a bite.
Quietly.
No comments.
No snide remarks.
"Today, I'll eat what she eats."
From the corner of the table, Grandma smiled.
"You're such a good boy, Chiro. After this, don't bother Hana, okay? She's taking a test today."
Mathien just licked his lips slowly.
And at that moment, the cheap food in that metal bowl felt so much heavier.
Not on his tongue.
But in his heart.
🌸🌸🌸
The sky had begun to dim.
Golden-orange hues on the western horizon slowly gave way to dusky gray.
Thin clouds hung above, while the evening wind carried the scent of wet earth and fallen leaves from the nearby fields.
Mathien sat on the edge of the porch.
His chubby body rested against a small woven mat laid in front of the door.
His orange tail curled slowly.
His ears twitched now and then—catching sounds from afar.
But not the sound he was waiting for.
Hana hadn't come home.
He stared down the narrow path that led to the school.
The dirt road was muddy in several spots.
No shadows of a bicycle.
No squeaky chain.
No off-tune singing that Hana usually brought back every afternoon.
"Late."
Mathien furrowed his brows.
His gaze grew sharper.
"She said she'd be home by four. It's already near dusk. I shouldn't care. I shouldn't have to—"
Suddenly…
Hack... khhh... khokkh... khhhh…
A faint cough echoed from inside the house.
Soft. Uneven.
From the half-lit kitchen.
Mathien's ears twitched toward it.
He paused. "The grandmother."
"I've been hearing that cough for days now. But why does it sound... so quiet today?"
"In the past, when I awaited reports from the magic battalion... I was never this anxious."
The evening breeze returned.
Wooden shutters creaked gently.
The sky grew dimmer. And that narrow path… was still empty.
Mathien stood up.
He stepped forward until his body was just past the shelter of the porch roof.
A fine rain began to fall, like a wet mist sweeping across the earth.
He sat again.
Silent.
"Foolish."
"I'm waiting for a human.
I'm sitting here. Staring at a dirt path.
Waiting for her."
Mathien narrowed his eyes.
His face remained calm—but his tail twitched nervously.
"If anything's happened to her..."
He didn't finish the thought.
And at that moment, faintly from afar...
"CHIROOOOOO!!!"
A loud, slightly panicked, and unmistakable voice.
Mathien immediately stood.
Ears perked.
And from the distant bend in the road—a rusty bicycle appeared, its flower basket barely hanging on.
Hana's hair had come loose, her clothes were smeared with dirt, and sweat clung to her temples.
"She's here."
Mathien didn't know why his heart beat faster.
But he knew one thing...
Today, he waited.
And he was relieved.
The old bike thudded over the wet ground. Its tires screeched to a stop in front of the house.
"Haa… haa… hhh…"
Hana panted, trying to catch her breath. Her bag hung askew, her uniform was dusty. There was a small scrape on her knee.
But she still smiled.
"Chirooo! I'm so sorry! I'm really really really sorry!"
She half-ran up the porch—then dropped herself beside Mathien.
Mathien stood motionless.
He stared at her.
Sweat on her forehead. Breath uneven.
But in her hand, she clutched a clear plastic bag.
A piece of fresh, whole salmon. Still damp.
"This…" Hana held it up, still smiling wide.
"I—I figured you must've been waiting for this."
Mathien was silent.
"She was late because… she was looking for salmon. For me."
"I had to circle the market twice. Then I traded my flowers for this piece. The guy was super kind—he gave me extra when I said it was for a sick pet."
She laughed softly. Her hand gently stroked Mathien's head.
"I know you like the whole ones. So I picked the best piece. Just for you."
Mathien only stared.
His voice was hoarse.
But not from anger.
"She traded her flowers... for a cat she doesn't even understand."
He lowered his head.
Sniffed the new salmon.
Its scent was rich. The meat, fresh. Even better than the first piece.
But his throat felt tight.
"I am a prince. Raised with ceremony, a throne, and magical protectors."
"But now... I'm just a cat, sitting next to a common girl who traded her lunch for me."
Hana spread out a clean cloth on the floor.
She plated the salmon on a small dish, then sat beside Mathien, smiling proudly.
"Here you go, Your Highness Prince Mathien."
Her tone was playful—but her eyes, sincere.
Mathien stepped closer.
He ate slowly.
No comments.
No scoffs.
And when he finished, he turned to Hana—who was still sitting cross-legged, cheeks flushed, eyes a bit sleepy from exhaustion.
"Thank you."
Hana's eyes widened.
"Eh?! Did you just say… thank you?!"
Her eyes sparkled. "Aaaa are you starting to love meeee???"
Mathien turned away instantly.
"No. That was merely royal etiquette."
"Waaah~ So you say thanks using royal protocol?"
"No! That's not what I meant!"
Hana giggled softly.
Her laughter lit the night like a small lamp in a dark room.
And quietly...
Mathien began to wonder.
"What if... I never return to Valtherion?"
🌸🌸🌸