𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 | (𝐆)𝐈-𝐃𝐋𝐄

𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧

The bustling streets of Bahisa smelled like cardamom and freedom.

Miyeon tugged her cloak tighter, her heart pounding under her ribs like it still belonged to the palace.

She was no longer Princess Miyeon Larine Afondor of Valliria.

Just Miyeon now.

And for the first time in her life, that felt like enough.

She wandered aimlessly, unsure where to go, until the scent of warm vanilla and baked fruit pulled her in like a memory.

A little café tucked between a bookstore and a flower shop.

The wooden sign read: Mooncake.

Miyeon pushed open the door. A soft bell chimed.

And then—

She saw her.

Behind the counter, a girl with flour-dusted cheeks, messy strawberry blonde hair tied in a scarf, and the kind of smile that could undo even the most guarded heart.

“Hi there,”  the girl said, eyes twinkling.  “First time here?”

Miyeon nodded, her voice soft. “I think I got lost and found something better.”

The girl laughed. “That’s the nicest thing anyone’s said about my café.”

“I’m Miyeon.”

“Minnie,” the girl said, extending a floury hand. “Nice to meet you, Miyeon.”

---

Weeks passed, and Miyeon returned every day.

It started with curiosity. Then comfort. Then something she couldn’t quite name.

Minnie always greeted her the same way.

“The usual, my mystery girl?”

“Unless you’ve created something more magical than yesterday.”

“Challenge accepted.”

They talked for hours sometimes—about spices and cities, sunrises and silly dreams. Minnie never pried, never asked why Miyeon sometimes flinched at loud carriages or why her fingers traced her teacup like a nervous habit.

Miyeon watched her from across the counter and thought,

This is what it means to live. To feel.

And slowly, day by day, she fell.

Not just for the food.

Not just for the laughter.

But for the girl behind the counter who treated her like a person, not a title.

X●x●X

One crisp afternoon, Minnie packed a basket and dragged Miyeon to the park.

“You’ve been stress-eating my pastries all week,” Minnie teased, spreading a blanket. “Time for sunshine therapy.”

Miyeon smiled as she sat. “You’re a doctor now?”

“Pastry doctor.” Minnie grinned. “Also a decent listener. Just saying.”

Miyeon hesitated. “What if… what if I wasn’t who you think I am?”

Minnie blinked. “Are you secretly a dragon?”

Miyeon laughed, eyes misting. “No. Worse.”

Before she could say more, a voice rang out—

“Princess Miyeon! There you are!”

She turned, dread sinking into her stomach.

Four royal guards approached, swords sheathed but presence unmistakable.

Minnie stood up quickly, protective. “What the hell—”

“It’s okay,” Miyeon whispered, standing beside her. “They’re mine.”

She faced Minnie fully.

“I didn’t lie. I just… didn’t tell you everything. I’m Princess Miyeon. I ran away from an arranged marriage. From a life that wasn’t mine.”

Minnie was silent for a long moment.

Then she exhaled. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Miyeon blinked.

“You make a killer tea order. You laugh with your whole face. And you say ‘thank you’ like it actually matters. That’s who you are. Princess or not.”

Miyeon’s eyes filled. “You’re not scared?”

“I was more scared when you tasted my first cinnamon bun.”

They both laughed—and Miyeon reached for her hand.

The guards watched silently, unsure, until one cleared his throat.

“The king… demands your return."

Miyeon squeezed Minnie’s fingers. “Then he’s going to meet the girl who taught his daughter how to live.”

---

Weeks later, in the gold-streaked halls of Valliria, King Mallow stared at his daughter.

“You left without a word,” he said quietly.

“I couldn’t breathe here,” Miyeon replied, voice trembling. “And now I can.”

He turned his gaze to Minnie, standing beside her in simple clothes and unshakable calm.

“And you…” he began.

Minnie met his eyes. “I love your daughter, Your Majesty. Not because she’s royal. Because she’s Miyeon.”

There was a long silence.

Then King Mallow, eyes soft with some long-hidden grief, nodded.

“Then love her well. That’s all any father can ask.”

---

Mooncake reopened one year later, with a new addition to the sign: “Royal Approved.”

Miyeon worked the morning shift. Minnie baked through the night. They kissed over steaming mugs and burned batches. They lived loudly, laughed freely, and never once let go of what they'd found in each other.

A runaway princess.

A café girl with flour on her nose.

A love story written in sugar and chance.

And the whole kingdom knew it:

Love—true love—always rises.