CHAPTER 22: Breakfast

The next morning, Gabe woke Togon up, bright and early. "Just how long are you planning to stay here?" Gabe asked, sitting at the edge of the bed.

Togon sat up sleepily, leaning against the headboard. "Ugh, was this not a dream? Are you part of my dream?" He slapped his cheeks and rubbed his eyes.

"I'm really here. I can hit you if you need proof that I'm not just a figment of your imagination," Gabe said, lifting a fist.

"No thanks!" Togon quickly replied and pulled the thick blankets up to his chin for protection.

Gabe put down her fist, "So when do you want to leave?"

"I will live here for the rest of my life," Togon replied with a determined look on his face.

"No way, I won't allow that. I'll give you a few months at most," Gabe said. She did not want to have to take care of a Prince from another world for the rest of her life. "We should start planning on how you are going to die. Don't you want to go back?"

"I do want to return to my home, but I am just not looking forward to the dying part. What if it doesn't work and I stay dead forever? And how can I trust your words?"

"If you are not willing to take risks, you will never return," Gabe rebutted.

"At least give me some time to be mentally prepared and ready," Togon argued, dead set on staying for as long as possible.

"Just how long do you need? I should start charging you rental for the room, or send you to live on the streets. Why am I even helping you?" Gabe gestured wildly with her hands, exasperated.

Just then, the delicious smell of the sizzling bacon and fluffy pancakes wafted into the room. Togon's stomach growled loudly. Gabe shook her head, sighing.

"Get up. Let's have breakfast first." Gabe said as she flipped the blankets off from Togon and pulled him out of the bed.

"Aren't they going to bring the food into this room?" Togon thought back to when he was in his world and the palace maids brought his trays of breakfast into his bedchambers.

"You want breakfast in bed? No chance. You don't even deserve all these amenities in my house in the first place."

They left the guest room and sat at the long table. As they waited, the kitchen staff lined plates of mouthwatering food neatly on the table. Just then, the noisy clatter of the cutleries and plates stopped as the double doors to the dining room swung open and a man in a suit stepped in. The staff bowed their heads.

"Welcome home," one of them said.

"Father." Gabe greeted.

Myles Chen, Gabe's father, had just returned from the airport after his business trip. He came to a stop at the entrance, scanning the room. His face lit up when he saw Gabe.

"Gabe! I'm glad you're safe! How could you sneak out of the house on your own in the middle of the night?" he asked, referring to Gabe's escapade a week ago. It was then he noticed Togon sitting on the seat beside Gabe, stuffing pancakes in his mouth with his hand ravenously.

"My, my. Who's this hungry boy?" Myles asked, amused.

"He stole-" Max opened his mouth to reply when Gabe interrupted.

"He's a friend I made when I snuck away on that day." She cut in. This would save so much explanation. If Max revealed that Togon stole Chestnut, she would have to explain why Togon was in her house, which she had no idea why she decided to let him stay in the first place.

Max shot Gabe a questioning look but kept silent.

"Nice to know that you have been making new friends. So you've just had a sleepover party?" Myles asked.

"Not exactly, he has nowhere to go to so I'm letting him stay here for the time being. Is that okay with you?"

"Sure, sure! Anything for your friends. What's all those guest rooms for if we don't even use them?" Myles replied, surprised and glad that his unsociable daughter has finally managed to make a friend.

Suddenly, there came a loud burp from beside Gabe. Togon had just downed his glass of milk and was at his third pancake.

"-Scuse me for that," Togon mumbled through his mouthful of food.

Gabe stared at Togon, disgusted. "I didn't know elegant and refined princes ate like that," she whispered.

"Not my fault. I haven't eaten a bite since yesterday," Togon mumbled in his muffled voice.

"Hah. Well I won't bother you guys anymore, I'll now be off to shower and catch up on some snooze," Myles's eyes crinkled up at the sides in amusement.

As soon as he left, Togon turned to Gabe, swallowing the food in his mouth. After clearing his throat, he started, "Hey, on the topic of food, I just remembered that I missed my birthday feast that was supposed to take place yesterday."

"Whoa, it was your birthday yesterday? You didn't tell me," Gabe replied, placing a slice of pancake into her mouth with her fork.

"You didn't ask," Togon dabbed at the milk on his mouth with his sleeve, "And besides, how could I remember amidst the chaos and confusion?"

Gabe shrugged.

"By the way, your father gives off a vibe of an important person, just like my father. Is he someone of a high status?" Togon continued in a low tone.

"Yes, you could say that. He owns a few businesses," Gabe replied.

"Then how about you? What is your status in the society?"

"I'm just the daughter of a conglomerate leader. I might inherit his businesses when I grow older."

"Ho. So you're just like me then. My father's the king and I will one day be King too."

Gabe nodded and lifted the glass of milk to her mouth.

"Well then, let us children of important people, form an alliance for mutual benefit, to achieve some common purpose that I haven't come up with yet!" Togon lifted his empty glass of milk and clinked it against Gabe's glass which was in her hand. He knocked against it too hard by accident, and milk sloshed onto Gabe's hand, spilling all over the table.

"Heyyy!" Gabe yelled.

"Oops," Togon grinned sheepishly.

As Gabe was wiping the milk off her hands, Max reminded, "Gabe you should better start hurrying or you might be late for school."

Gabe nodded and left her seat. The kitchen staff began wiping up the mess and clearing the table.

"Wait! I'm not done yet!" Togon frantically tried to stop them from taking his half finished pancakes.

Seeing how Togon was really bent on finishing all the food, they placed the plates back and allowed him to continue, trying to hide their amusement at Togon's antics. Embarrassed at how undignified her guest was, Gabe left him at the dining hall and went to change into her school uniform.

Togon patted his belly in satisfaction. "Ahhh, it has been so long since I felt this full."

Just then, Gabe returned, dressed smartly in her neatly ironed white blouse and plaited blue skirt.

She said to Togon, "I'll be off. Stay here and don't make a mess. See you later."

Gabe turned to leave, her bodyguards moving to their positions at her side.

"Huh, where are you going?" Togon asked.

"I'm going to school. It's where I study," Gabe explained.

"Ohh, can I go too?" Togon asked, standing up from his seat, the chair dragging behind him.

"No. You are not a student there. They probably won't let you enter," Gabe made to leave.

As she got into her limousine, Togon came running out from inside the mansion.

"Wait for me, I want to come too!" He yelled, his footsteps thudding across the ground. Gabe noticed that he was still wearing his fancy royal boots from back in his world, and made a mental note to find him a new pair before the end of the day.

Gabe stuck her head out from the door, "I already said, don't come. They won't let you in."

Togon ignored her and squeezed into the seat beside her.

Gabe sighed. "What must I say to make you und-"

Max interrupted, "It's okay, let him come with us on the car ride. We will send him back here later."

"Thanks, Max," Gabe was grateful.