From Hero to Her: Cale's Quirky Adventure

Chapter 3: Mirror, Mirror: The Beautiful Mystery of Cale's New Morning

The morning sun peeked over the horizon, casting a soft light into Cale's room. Outside his door, Raon, On, and Hong waited eagerly to wake their "hero," unaware that today's wake-up call would be far more exciting than any other.

Raon gave a quick nod, his tiny body brimming with energy. "On, Hong, let's wake up the human!"

On and Hong nodded, eyes gleaming with mischief as they pushed open the door. The three of them quietly crept in, only for Raon to halt mid-step, his eyes widening in disbelief.

"H-Human?" Raon's usually fearless voice wavered.

There, lying on the bed, was not the usual Cale they knew. Instead, a stunning young woman with long, red hair and delicate, porcelain skin was sprawled out, still fast asleep. Raon's jaw dropped, and On and Hong's eyes grew impossibly large as they took in the unfamiliar figure before them.

"Who... is that?" whispered On, her gaze flitting between Raon and the mysterious woman.

Hong, with his usual honesty, deadpanned, "I think that's the human... but prettier."

Just then, Ron appeared behind them, raising an eyebrow at the unusual huddle at Cale's door. "Why are you all gathered here so early? It's too quiet." Ron's eyes shifted to the unfamiliar figure on the bed, his eyebrows inching up in surprise.

A soft chuckle escaped his lips. "It seems the young master has... evolved," he said in a tone that, surprisingly, held a bit of amusement.

At that moment, Cale stirred, blinking slowly as he sat up. His hand reached up to brush away stray strands of hair, which seemed to flow more silkily than he remembered. He squinted at the gathering of wide-eyed faces staring at him.

"What's with the staring?" he muttered in his usual dry tone, though his voice sounded softer, almost musical.

Choi Han, who had arrived just in time to witness the scene, tried to stifle a laugh. "Young Master Cale... you... um... look a bit different today."

Cale raised an eyebrow, still groggy. "What are you talking about?" He paused, catching sight of his hand. His very... delicate-looking hand. And why did his voice sound so strange?

Ron stepped forward, a slight smirk playing on his lips as he offered Cale a mirror. "Young Master, perhaps you should take a look for yourself."

Cale, feeling an odd pit of dread, took the mirror and glanced into it. He was greeted with the reflection of a breathtakingly beautiful young woman with his signature red hair falling in soft waves around a face that was unfamiliar yet strangely his own.

His eyes widened, and a string of curses filled the room—a long list that Raon quickly attempted to shield On and Hong from by humming loudly.

After a moment of stunned silence, Cale scowled. "This has to be some god's doing," he muttered darkly.

Raon, having finally overcome his shock, floated closer to Cale with wide, innocent eyes. "Human, you're... you're... very pretty!"

Cale glared. "Raon. This is not a compliment."

The little dragon, however, looked genuinely in awe. "But it's true! You're prettier than anyone I've ever seen. Even prettier than all the ladies in books."

Cale sighed, massaging his temples. "I don't need to be pretty, Raon. I need to be back to normal."

Choi Han coughed, trying to hide a laugh as he patted Cale on the back. "Young Master, you'll have all the men in the kingdom after you if you stay like this."

"Choi Han," Cale deadpanned, "don't even joke about that."

Mary arrived just in time to catch Cale's new appearance, her usually calm expression shifting to one of pure, open-mouthed shock. "Cale-nim... what... happened?" she managed to ask, her usually deadpan tone uncharacteristically filled with surprise.

Ron tilted his head, looking far too pleased with the situation. "We were just trying to figure that out. Though, I can't help but wonder if yesterday's dessert had anything to do with this transformation."

Cale's eyes narrowed at the mention of the apple pie, piecing the situation together. "You think that pastry had some... magical side effects?"

Raon nodded with a sage expression, as if everything finally made sense. "Yes, it must be the pie! Only something as powerful as a cursed dessert could turn a mighty warrior like you into... well, this!"

Ron's lips twitched. "Shall I inform the chef that the pie was rather... transformative?"

Cale groaned. "No, don't tell anyone. I'll deal with it myself."

Choi Han, who had been observing the whole situation with an amused smile, spoke up. "Young Master, what if this is the work of the God of Mischief?"

Cale looked like he wanted to throw something. "Of course, it would be that blasted god," he muttered through gritted teeth. "Only they would find this amusing."

Mary held up a gloved hand. "If it was divine intervention, perhaps we can reverse it. Though..." She gave Cale a long, contemplative look. "I have to admit, I think you look quite charming this way."

Cale buried his face in his hands, muttering, "Great. Even my allies are betraying me."

Choi Han laughed, finally unable to hold back his amusement. "Young Master, maybe this is just another opportunity to... see things from a different perspective?"

Cale's eyes narrowed. "If I have to see things from this perspective for too long, I'm going to lose my mind."

Raon, ever loyal, nodded solemnly. "Don't worry, Human! I'll protect you from any strange looks or weird comments!"

Cale sighed, feeling the urge to lie back down and pretend this was all a bad dream. But as he looked at the hopeful faces of his companions—his loyal, odd, incredibly curious companions—he knew there was no escaping this new dilemma.

"Well," he said, finally resigned, "let's figure out how to fix this before the entire continent thinks I'm the new 'beautiful lady of Henituse.'"

Everyone nodded in agreement, though Ron's smile suggested he wasn't exactly opposed to watching the young master navigate this new form for a bit longer.