The castle trembled again.
A roar echoed through the walls—so loud Milo's tail puffed up like a frightened dandelion.
Sir Bramble clutched his sword, shaking.
Ravenna sighed like she'd seen this 10,000 times before.
Ace sat there silently… questioning every life decision that somehow led him to becoming a disaster manager for magical beings.
The throne room doors burst open.
WHOOOOM!
A massive shadow swallowed the hall.
Guards screamed.
The Queen fainted dramatically onto three pillows that servants had conveniently prepared.
Then…
A giant dragon squeezed through the doorway—
scales shimmering gold, wings folded tightly, face red with embarrassment.
It cleared its throat, smoke puffing out.
"I… um… is the… Cat Tailor here?"
Everyone stepped aside.
Ace raised a paw weakly.
"…me."
The dragon bowed its massive head.
"I need your help. It's an… emergency."
Ace braced himself.
Burned scales?
Torn wing membrane?
Fire gland malfunction?
Cursed jewelry?
Explosive tail spikes?
No.
Of course not.
It was somehow worse.
The dragon whispered loudly enough to shake the chandeliers—
"My treasure hoard has become… unfashionable."
Ace's soul left his body.
Milo squeaked, "W… what?"
The dragon covered its face with a wing.
"I've been hoarding gold for 300 years and it just… doesn't SPARK JOY anymore!! It feels cluttered! Un-aesthetic! Unbalanced!"
Ace blinked slowly.
"…You want me to… upcycle your treasure?"
The dragon nodded desperately.
"Yes! I want a rebrand! A makeover!! A new interior design for my treasure cave!"
Ravenna whispered,
"He wants… a renovation."
Sir Bramble whispered,
"He's asking a CAT… to be an interior designer."
Ace whispered,
"I want to go home."
But the dragon wasn't done.
It leaned in, eyes shining with hope.
"I heard you fixed the Minotaur's skirt… and saved the Queen's slipper… Please, Cat Tailor…
Help me make my cave look majestic."
The entire castle turned to Ace.
The Queen gasped (having woken up conveniently).
"A DRAGON CLIENT? That's… PRINCE-level VIP!"
The court mage shouted,
"You MUST accept! Or he might accidentally burn half the kingdom!"
Ace stared blankly.
His tail drooped.
"…Fine," he muttered. "I'll help you redecorate your hoard."
The dragon lit up.
Literally—sparkles of flame burst from his nostrils.
"REALLY?!"
"Y-yes," Ace sighed.
The dragon began jumping excitedly.
The castle shook again.
Milo clung to Ace.
"WE'RE GONNA DIE OF INTERIOR DESIGN."
The dragon then lowered his massive claw gently.
"Hop on. I'll take you to my cave."
Sir Bramble whispered,
"Ace… are we getting… free transportation?"
Ravenna nodded.
"Billable hours in transit. Excellent."
Ace groaned.
Milo climbed onto the dragon's paw.
Sir Bramble followed, trembling.
Ace hopped on last, praying silently.
The dragon spread its wings.
FWOOSH!
They blasted into the sky, soaring above the kingdom.
Wind howled.
Clouds whipped past.
Milo screamed the entire time.
Ace clung to a scale, shouting,
"IF WE DIE BECAUSE OF A DRAGON WANTING AESTHETIC DECOR—
I'M SUING THE UNIVERSE!"
The dragon laughed joyfully.
"We're almost there!"
Ace peeked downward.
They were approaching—
A mountain.
A cave.
A glowing pool of gold…
Large enough to drown a castle.
They landed with a thunderous BOOM.
The dragon turned to Ace, eyes sparkling like a kid showing off their messy room.
"WELCOME!
To my treasure hoard!"
Ace looked inside.
And saw:
Gold coins dumped like laundry
Gems in random piles
Crowns stacked like broken bowls
Magical artifacts shoved under rugs
A cursed mirror leaning on a pile of rusty swords
A suspicious chest trying to crawl away
A giant pink plush unicorn for no reason
Milo whispered,
"This is… this is not a hoard.
This is a crime scene."
Ravenna nodded professionally.
"Ace. This project will need planning."
Ace sighed.
He stepped forward, tail raised.
"Alright. Dragon. Team. Listen up."
He inhaled deeply.
And declared:
"We're doing a full inventory, reclassification, risk assessment, and aesthetic overhaul."
The dragon gasped.
"You mean—"
Ace nodded.
"Yes."
The dragon trembled.
"—a COMPLETE TREASURE MAKEOVER?!"
Ace stared at the chaos before him.
"This," he growled, "is going to take DAYS."
Suddenly—
The cursed mirror rattled violently.
Then whispered:
"HELLO, NEW MANAGER…"
Ace froze mid-step.
The team turned.
Milo squeaked.
The dragon gulped.
The mirror cackled.
"LET'S HAVE SOME FUN."