But after only two steps, Obito stopped again.
The road he had come from was gone.
The castle gate and plaza that had been wide open just moments ago had turned into a towering stone wall.
"Where are you going, Your Highness?" the butler's voice came from behind him.
Obito slowly turned around.
The butler stood about three steps behind him, both hands folded in front of him, his posture exactly the same as before.
"I... I need to use the bathroom." Obito gave two dry laughs.
The butler tilted his head slightly and extended one hand toward the castle. "There is one inside the castle."
Obito looked at the dark entrance of the castle and instinctively swallowed.
"Fine. I'll go."
The butler turned around and walked half a step ahead of him. The two rows of servants still maintained their bowed posture, all of their faces pointed toward the ground, making it impossible to see their expressions.
The instant he stepped into the castle gate, the light seemed to be swallowed by something.
It took Obito's eyes several seconds to adjust before he could make out the hall.
The dome ceiling was so high that he could barely see its details. Only a dark stained-glass pattern loomed above.
Portraits hung on both sides of the corridor. Obito didn't dare stare at them for too long. He kept feeling like the eyes in the portraits were following him.
"We have arrived." The butler stopped and pushed open the door at the end of the corridor.
The sound of the door hinge turning dragged on for a long time.
Inside was a spacious hall. A red carpet stretched from the entrance all the way to the steps at the far end.
"Your Highness." A little girl sat on a high-backed chair at the end of the carpet. "You have finally come."
Obito's body tensed, and he instinctively took several steps back.
"I've waited for you for so, so long." The little girl jumped down from the high-backed chair. "Do you know? I wait for you every day."
"Wait." Obito's voice changed. "You've mistaken me for someone else. I'm not some prince—"
"Of course you are the prince." The little girl sounded as if she were stating a fact. "Your formal clothes, your gloves, the way you stand here—all of it is exactly how a prince should look."
Obito lowered his head and looked at the formal attire on his body, trying to explain. "This was changed onto me at some point without me knowing."
"And." The little girl interrupted him, a sweet smile appearing on her face. "If Your Highness doesn't come, the story cannot begin."
A chill ran up Obito's back again.
"What story?"
The little girl did not answer. Instead, she turned around and spread both arms toward everyone in the hall.
"His Highness the Prince has finally arrived. Our story officially begins now!"
The people on both sides clapped at the same time, every face wearing the same smile.
The little girl turned back and looked up at Obito.
"Today is the day of our engagement."
Obito's brain completely crashed at that moment.
"Engagement?"
"Yes." The little girl nodded. "Your Highness saved me ten years ago. Back then, we made a promise. Once I grew up, you would come and marry me."
"Ten years ago, I wasn't even born yet..."
"The prince's kingdom and my kingdom have been mortal enemies for generations." The little girl didn't care what he was saying. "But our love transcends the hatred between nations."
Obito's mouth opened and closed.
"But your father did not agree." The little girl's voice lowered. "He said that if Your Highness insisted on marrying me, he would expel you from the royal family."
A few suppressed sobs came from the crowd on both sides.
"I don't care." The little girl suddenly lifted her head, tears shining in her eyes. "Even if you lose everything, I still want to be with you."
"Um." Obito raised a hand. "Can I say one thing?"
"You don't need to say anything." The little girl took Obito's hand. "I understand all of your feelings."
Obito's body stiffened.
"Next." The little girl released his hand and took one step back. "We must go ask Father for his approval."
"What?"
"But Father definitely won't agree." The little girl shook her head. "He'll fly into a rage and throw Your Highness into the dungeon."
"Dungeon?"
"Then I'll go save you." The little girl clasped both hands in front of her chest. "I'll steal the prison key, wait until the dead of night, open the cell door, and take you away."
She spoke faster and faster, two blushes appearing on her cheeks.
"We'll ride a white horse through the forest, cross the river, and go to a place where no one knows us. There, we'll build a small house and plant it full of your favorite flowers."
Obito took a step back.
"Then we'll hold our wedding in the garden." The little girl continued, "I'll wear a white wedding dress, and you'll wear a white suit. Flower petals will float down from the sky, and everyone will bless us..."
Obito took another step back.
The little girl didn't notice and kept describing their future life. "Then we'll have three children. Two boys and one girl..."
Obito turned around and ran.
The little girl's voice came from behind him. "Your Highness? Where are you going?"
He did not answer. He sped forward. At the end of the corridor was a half-open door. He squeezed through sideways, slammed the door shut behind him, and leaned against it, panting heavily.
Then he lifted his head.
The little girl was standing in the center of the room, tilting her head at him. "This door leads to the dining room. Is Your Highness hungry?"
Obito yanked the door open and ran in the opposite direction.
He turned into a side corridor, pushed open the nearest door, and rushed inside.
The little girl sat on the windowsill, both feet dangling and swinging in the air.
"Your Highness, are you playing hide-and-seek with me?"
Obito's heart almost leaped out of his chest.
"I like hide-and-seek." The little girl jumped down from the windowsill. "But no matter where you hide, I can find you."
"Because you are my prince."
Obito stumbled out the door and scrambled down the corridor, half running, half crawling.
But every time he stopped to catch his breath, that voice would float over from somewhere.
"Your Highness..."
"Over here..."
"I found you..."
Obito's legs were already weak. At the end of the corridor, a door was slightly ajar, and warm yellow light leaked through the crack.
He no longer had the strength to think about what might be behind it. He crashed through the door and rushed inside.
Then he stopped.
It was a huge dining room.
The table was covered with food: golden roasted turkey, glossy roasted suckling pig, and fried shrimp tempura piled like a small mountain...
And seated right at the center of that dining table was a five-year-old child.
"Obito, you came too." Shin-chan moved the chicken leg away from his mouth and waved at him.
Obito slid down the doorframe and sat on the floor with a thud.
Never in his life had he felt this relieved to see Shin-chan.
"What are you doing here?"
"Eating." Shin-chan held up the chicken leg to show him. "The food here is really good. Do you want some too?"