48

After following Casper mindlessly, Arcane felt a strange urge to initiate small talk. As they walked in silence for a while, she finally asked him, "So... What do you do around here?"

Casper slowed down a few steps ahead of her and replied hesitantly, "I...do important things." He didn't want to brag about being the prince and next in line for the throne.

Arcane hugged the cat to her chest and peeked at Casper with wide eyes. "What kind of important stuff?" she asked curiously.

Casper pursed his lips and looked down, avoiding eye contact. "Like managing state affairs," he finally replied.

Arcane's eyes widened with excitement. "Ooh, like you're some kind of state minister?" she asked, impressed.

Casper smiled at her reaction. "Yeah, something like that," he replied.

Curious to know more about Arcane, Casper asked in a non-threatening way, "What about you? Who are you?"

Arcane's smile turned sneaky as she replied, "I do important things too."