Like a Princess (feat. Yumenokessho ROSE)

On the far edge of the kingdom
lived a young girl capybara.

Every day, she worked diligently-
gathering water plants,
cleaning the ponds,
always the capybara who stayed until the very end.

Even so, she never complained.
She treasured the quiet moments
when she could rest by the water's edge.

One day,
a great festival was announced,
one that would gather every capybara in the land.
There was even a rumor
that the prince of the kingdom would attend.

While everyone put on fresh leaves and decorations
and headed off in excitement,
her work was not yet finished,
and she remained alone by the pond.

"How nice..."
she murmured.

Just then,
the surface of the water softly began to glow.

Before her appeared a mysterious capybara
with strange powers.

"It's all right,"
the capybara said gently.
"I'll help you-just a little."

Old water plants turned into beautiful decorations,
a fallen pumpkin transformed into a splendid carriage,
and she herself became
just a little bit special.

But there was one promise.

"You must return
before the night grows too late."

She nodded
and made her way to the festival.

At the celebration,
the prince noticed her at once-
a quiet smile,
a single capybara among the crowd.

They spoke little.
They walked side by side,
danced side by side,
simply sharing the same moment.

But as the night deepened,
she suddenly thought,

"...I have to go."

As she hurried away,
she dropped the apple she had been holding in her mouth-
an apple with just one bite taken from it.

When the prince noticed,
she was already gone.
All that remained
was the apple with the bite mark.

From the next day on,
the prince searched everywhere
for the capybara who had bitten that apple.

And one day,
by the water's edge,
he found a young capybara girl
napping peacefully in the sun.

Beside her lay the same apple-
bitten in the very same place.

They looked at each other,
said nothing,
and quietly smiled.