From Hero to Her: Cale's Quirky Adventure

Chapter 7: The Prince's First Encounter

The atmosphere in the royal palace was charged with a mix of tension and excitement. Cale, still adjusting to the reality of his transformation, was flanked by Ron, Choi Han, Mary, and Cage as they approached Crown Prince Alberu's office. The news they had to share was urgent, and with the God of Mischief on the loose, they needed all the help they could muster.

"Remember, don't mention the 'beauty' thing too much," Cale warned, glancing sideways at the others as they climbed the marble stairs. "I'm still getting used to this... new me."

Mary stifled a giggle, clearly unable to resist the moment. "Right. Because nothing says 'serious business' like discussing how gorgeous you are now."

Cale groaned, running a hand through his longer hair, which felt foreign yet oddly captivating. "Thanks for the reminder, Mary."

As they reached the door to Alberu's office, Ron knocked briskly. The sound echoed through the hallway, and a moment later, they heard a cheerful voice call out, "Come in!"

Cale pushed the door open and stepped inside, trying to maintain a casual demeanor. Crown Prince Alberu sat at his desk, reviewing a stack of documents. As soon as he looked up and saw Cale, his expression shifted from focused to completely bewildered. His eyes widened, and his mouth fell open slightly.

"Cale! And company!" Alberu exclaimed, but his gaze was solely locked on Cale, clearly taken aback. "You... you look... different!"

Cale raised an eyebrow, feeling a surge of annoyance at the prince's shocked expression. "You think?" he replied, unable to resist a hint of sarcasm. "I just had a makeover."

"Makeover?" Alberu echoed, still in disbelief. "You look... stunning!" His eyes sparkled with admiration as he struggled to find the right words. "Like a—like a—"

"A princess?" Cale suggested, crossing his arms. He tried to maintain his usual bravado, but he could feel the heat rising to his cheeks. "I know, it's a lot to take in."

"Stunning is an understatement!" Alberu exclaimed, finally standing up from his desk. "I mean, wow! This is the first time I'm seeing you like this." He waved his hand dramatically as if he were in a play, his face a mixture of shock and genuine admiration. "I—uh—didn't expect you to look this amazing."

Cale's exasperation turned into laughter at Alberu's fumbling attempts to articulate his thoughts. "I appreciate it, but could you stop staring at me like I'm an art piece?"

"Right, right!" Alberu snapped back to reality, shaking his head as if trying to clear his mind. "We have more important things to discuss. The God of Mischief!"

"Yes, the mischievous god who decided to make my life infinitely more complicated," Cale replied, rolling his eyes. "I need your help to find him."

Alberu nodded quickly, clearly trying to regain his composure. "Of course! I'll join the search immediately!" He took a step closer, his gaze shifting from focused determination to a mix of admiration and confusion. "But seriously, how did this happen?"

Cale sighed, recounting the tale of the cursed apple pie, complete with all the details of the previous day's mishaps. Alberu listened intently, but every few seconds, his eyes would flick back to Cale's long hair or the delicate features that had transformed overnight.

"So, let me get this straight," Alberu said, trying to keep his voice steady. "You ate an apple pie and poof! You turned into a gorgeous girl?"

"Exactly," Cale replied, exasperated. "And it's not like I asked for this! Can we focus on finding the god responsible?"

"Yes! Absolutely!" Alberu exclaimed, suddenly enthusiastic again. "This god needs to be found and dealt with immediately!" He then took a deep breath, attempting to regain his usual regal demeanor. "I'll send word to my connections. We can't let him roam free, especially now that you look like—like a royal!"

"Royal? You mean, now I'm a royal distraction?" Cale quipped, unable to help himself.

Alberu's face flushed at the implication, and he waved his hands in a defensive gesture. "N-no! I didn't mean it like that! You're just—uh—unique in your own way now!"

"Unique? Is that what we're calling it?" Cale laughed, crossing his arms with a smirk. "I think you're just trying not to sound like a lovestruck fool."

"Who, me?" Alberu shot back, a mock look of horror on his face. "I would never—"

"Sure you wouldn't," Ron muttered, barely holding back his laughter.

Choi Han chimed in, grinning. "I think the prince is just trying to keep it together in front of his crush!"

Cale raised an eyebrow at Choi Han, only half-amused. "Okay, now we're just reaching."

"Let's get back to the plan," Cage interrupted, trying to bring the focus back. "Cale, have you experienced any strange happenings since your transformation?"

Cale shrugged, adopting a casual attitude. "Aside from being forced into dresses and being admired like some sort of fashion model? Not really."

Alberu leaned closer, his curiosity piqued. "So, you're saying you haven't encountered any—strange encounters? You know, with that god?"

"Just my friends staring at me like I'm some rare butterfly," Cale said, smirking as he crossed his arms. "But, you know, I'm still the same person inside. Just... with more hair."

"I don't think you can call this just 'more hair,'" Alberu countered, waving his hand at Cale's flowing locks. "This is a whole new level of beauty."

"Right, because that's what I needed to hear," Cale deadpanned. "Alberu, please, try not to swoon on the floor when we face the god."

"I can't promise anything!" Alberu shot back, his laughter echoing in the room. "I mean, who knew you had this kind of potential? Maybe I should recruit you as a secret weapon against the God of Mischief!"

Cale snorted. "Great. Just what I want—to be used as bait."

"Not bait! More like a distraction!" Alberu corrected, his enthusiasm returning. "A brilliant strategy, if I do say so myself."

As they began discussing their plans, Cage interjected. "If we're going to find the God of Mischief, we need to gather as much information as possible. Cale, your... charm might be a useful tool in our endeavors."

"Great, so now I'm a distraction and a charm?" Cale rolled his eyes, but couldn't help feeling a hint of pride.

"Exactly!" Alberu beamed, his smile radiant. "You'll lure the god into a false sense of security while we ambush him!"

Cale couldn't suppress a grin. "Well, if I have to be a bait, I might as well be the best bait there is."

As they gathered their allies and prepared for their quest, Cale couldn't shake the feeling that this journey might lead to more than just confronting a god. Perhaps there were unexpected twists waiting for them, and as much as he wished to be back to his old self, he had to admit—this adventure was shaping up to be anything but dull.

With Alberu's wide eyes and somewhat flustered demeanor still fresh in his mind, Cale couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, this transformation might lead to some rather interesting and amusing encounters along the way. And who knew? Perhaps a little chaos was exactly what he needed after all.