Morning arrived.
In one of the castle's chambers, Ranya gently pushed open the door, ready to begin her daily routine of cleaning the young prince's room. But the moment she stepped inside, a long sigh escaped her lips.
Prince Paul was sprawled across the floor, surrounded by a chaotic mess of scattered belongings—notes, tools, scraps of parchment, and half-finished sketches.
Shaking her head, Ranya closed the door behind her with a soft click and muttered under her breath, "Again… he's like this every time…" while rubbing her temples with a tired hand.
She walked over and crouched in front of him, nudging his shoulder gently.
"Prince, don't sleep on the floor. Get up and move to the bed."
Paul stirred at the sound of her voice, his eyes fluttering open. The morning sunlight streamed through the windows, making him squint.
"Good morning… haaa…" he yawned, stretching slightly.
But the moment he turned his head and caught sight of his unfinished project, his sleepiness vanished in an instant.
"Damn, I forgot to finish it!" he blurted out, scrambling upright and immediately reaching for his tools, his fingers already moving with urgency.
Before he could get far, Ranya swiftly grabbed his hand.
"Prince, at least change your clothes first."
Paul glanced down at himself, mumbling, "Not too dirty… just need a shower…" in a half-hearted voice.
Hearing his lazy excuse, Ranya's expression shifted. She stood up slowly, her smile sweet—yet unmistakably menacing.
"Oh? So the prince wants to take a bath?"
Paul froze in place, eyes widening.
Before he could say anything, Ranya was already walking toward the door.
"Wait—"
Click.
She was gone.
Two hours later, after wiping down and changing into fresh clothes, Paul finally returned to his work.
Meanwhile, Ranya moved about the room, tidying things up and sorting through the scattered mess he'd left behind. As she shifted a few boxes, her eyes landed on the white apple resting silently on the table.
She paused, her brow furrowing.
"...Forbidden fruit, huh?" she muttered. "Prince, where did you get this? And there's even a spatial bag…"
Paul froze mid-scribble. His head snapped toward her. "You don't know?"
Ranya shook her head slowly. "No… There was no order from His Majesty."
She then narrowed her eyes at him. "So, Prince… who was she? A woman, right? I can still smell her perfume."
At her question, Paul felt a chill down his spine. He quickly averted his gaze and answered in an awkward tone, "I… don't… know. She just said the fruit was the answer. you know, my wish right? "
Ranya crossed her arms, drumming her fingers lightly. " She even knew about the forbidden fruit… Hardly sounds like an assassin to me."
Paul scoffed. "Please. If she were an assassin, I wouldn't be standing here."
Ranya narrowed her eyes. "You're right… but then, who was she, really?"
Paul shifted uncomfortably. "She said… she was a witch."
Ranya's brows furrowed. "A witch? And you just believed that?"
Paul nodded slowly. "She said she had a task—to bring me something I needed."
"So, she just walked into your room, handed you an apple and a spatial bag, then left?" Ranya asked, her voice laced with skepticism.
Paul hesitated. "…Actually, just the apple." He rubbed his cheek, avoiding her gaze.Ranya's expression remained unchanged. "And?"
Paul sighed. "The spatial bag and everything inside... she called them an investment."
Ranya didn't press further and instead asked, "What else did she say?"
"She told me to cut the apple into 24 pieces and eat one piece every week. Apparently, that's what her friend told her…" Paul muttered, sounding resigned as he gazed out the window.
"I see…" Ranya murmured. Without saying another word, she picked up the apple and placed it gently on a plate.
Then—
Slice. Slice. Slice.
In the blink of an eye, the apple was cut into 24 perfectly even slices, arranged neatly and elegantly on the plate.
Paul turned his head just in time to see the result.
A bead of cold sweat trickled down his forehead. He swallowed.
"Fast… and smooth…"
Ranya, holding a slice between her fingers, smiled playfully.
"So, my prince… aahhh~" she teased, holding the piece up to his mouth.
Still in shock from her sudden precision and speed, Paul absentmindedly opened his mouth and ate it.
As he chewed, the sweet and slightly tangy taste settled on his tongue, and he finally asked,
"So… what about the other 23 pieces?"
"Just store them in the spatial bag," Ranya replied casually, already turning back to her cleaning.
"If I'm not mistaken, it has a time-stop function."
"…Oh."
And with that, Paul quietly gathered the rest of the perfectly sliced apple pieces and stored them inside the bag—his mind still reeling a little from everything.