Berryanna was inside her office, as usual, attending to matters of the nation. It was the one place where she could keep herself busy enough to drown out everything else. Scrolls lay open across her desk, neatly stacked but constantly shifting as she moved from one issue to the next. Ink stained the tip of her fingers. The faint scratching of her pen filled the room, steady and controlled.
However, she was not the only one there.
Applegario happened to be present as well.
He had been there for a while now, far longer than he should have been, hiding from Straw, who was still searching for him. The king of the nation was currently pressed behind the heavy curtains near the window, crouched slightly as if that alone made him invisible. The fabric barely concealed his shoes.
"Brother, maybe you should go out and be visible so she can find you," Berryanna said without looking up from her work.
She already knew where he was. She could see the faint movement of the curtains shifting every time he adjusted his weight.
"Your wife is bad at seeking," Applegario replied. "I have been here for hours and there is no sign of her."
He popped his head out from between the curtains, his expression amused, eyes bright with mischief. He looked far too pleased with himself for someone causing unnecessary stress.
"That is why you should go outside so she can easily find you," Berryanna said calmly. "She has not entered this room before."
"Well, I will stay here," he said stubbornly, pulling the curtain closer around himself again. "She can spend all day seeking."
Berryanna sighed quietly. She tried not to let it distract her as she returned to her paperwork. Pages were turned. Decisions were signed off. Orders were written and sealed. Time passed without her noticing. Eventually, she rose from her seat and walked toward the window, pushing the curtain aside just enough to look out.
She scanned the courtyard below. No sign of Straw. Berryanna frowned and returned to her desk, but she did not sit for long. Something about the silence bothered her. She stood again and went back to the window, checking once more.
Straw usually strolled around by in the afternoon. It was something Berryanna had come to notice without trying. She would pass through the same paths, wander aimlessly, humming softly or talking to herself. Today, there was nothing.
She had not passed by at all. And it was all because of Applegario.
"I need you to find another hiding place, Apple," Berryanna said as she rolled the curtain aside. "My wife has not passed by, and thinking about it, she must be stressing all day trying to find you."
Applegario opened his mouth to reply. Before he could, they heard Straw's voice outside the office door.
"Have you seen the king?" Straw asked the guards.
Her voice carried clearly through the hallway, light but edged with exhaustion.
"Looks like someone is about to seek me," Applegario said with amusement.
Berryanna shook her head slowly.
"I told them not to have a conversation with her," she said as she returned to her seat.
She did not need to look to know Applegario sighed. She heard it. He gave up on the curtains and walked over to the couch, dropping onto it with dramatic exhaustion before lying down fully.
Berryanna did not bother trying to drive him out this time. Hearing Straw's voice was enough to put her on edge. It lingered in her mind long after it faded down the hallway.
A few quiet moments passed.
"Do you know anyone whose hair is pink?" Applegario asked suddenly.
Berryanna paused, her pen hovering above the parchment.
"It turns out the pudding thief has pink hair," he continued seriously. "I thought it was the maid Patricia, but she said she was tidying up the rooms, and her hair is dark wine."
He spoke like a man delivering crucial information in a high-level investigation. His tone was grave, thoughtful, and entirely misplaced given the crime.
Berryanna looked up at him.
"Is that the only suspect you have in mind?" she asked.
"Yes," Applegario replied without hesitation. "She is the only one close to being pink."
Berryanna exhaled slowly.
"What about Strawlita?" she asked carefully. "Did she tell you anything?"
"She has pink hair," Applegario admitted. "But she is not a suspect. She is my sister-in-law, not a pudding thief."
Berryanna's grip on her pen tightened.
"Apple," she said after a brief pause. "I have a confession to make."
She set the pen down and stood, turning to face him fully.
"I was the one who ate your chocolate pudding."
Applegario sat up immediately. The casual amusement vanished from his face as he stared at her, eyes wide, as if preparing to deliver a serious judgment. For a moment, Berryanna thought she might actually succeed. She was ready to take the blame for Straw. If it meant ending this ridiculous investigation and easing Straw's stress, it was worth it.
"Oh, little sister," Applegario said slowly, "who is it that you are taking the fall for?"
"I am not taking the fall for anyone," Berryanna replied firmly. "I am admitting that I ate your chocolate pudding. So rest the case and find another adventure to entertain yourself."
Applegario studied her for a long moment. Then he lay back down on the couch.
"I would have believed it if you had said strawberry pudding," he said lazily.
Berryanna closed her eyes briefly. At least she tried.
He knew her far better than she liked to admit. Besides, she did not have pink hair. There was no convincing him otherwise.
The room settled into a quiet rhythm again. Berryanna returned to her work, flipping through documents, while Applegario stared at the ceiling, humming to himself. Outside, the palace carried on as usual. Footsteps echoed faintly. Voices drifted in and out of range.
Eventually, Berryanna put her papers aside.
"Okay, Apple," she said firmly. "Go outside and let Strawlita find you.... Now."
There was no room for argument in her tone. This time, she was serious. Too much time had passed. Straw should have found him by now. Earlier, Straw had mentioned she was feeling a bit down, and it was Berryanna's fault. Now, it lingered uncomfortably in her thoughts.
Applegario was about to respond when the door burst open. Vinegario entered.