đź’•The competition begins!đź’•
Cata was living an awesome life with Cato, Pinky, and Alice. Every day felt exciting because there was always something new to create. She had so many hobbies that people sometimes wondered if there was anything she couldn’t do. She loved drawing colorful illustrations, making handmade crafts, creating beautiful accessories, planting flowers, decorating little spaces, and trying all kinds of creative projects. Before long, she had become an expert at many of them.
Just like in the old days, Cata still enjoyed making simple handmade creations to sell. It wasn’t because she wanted fame or popularity. She simply knew herself very well. Whenever she spotted something cute or interesting, she couldn’t resist buying it, so selling her own creations helped her avoid suddenly going broke because of her shopping habits. Every bracelet, charm, flower pot, tiny sculpture, and decoration she made was crafted carefully by hand. She always paid attention to the smallest details, making sure each piece felt unique.
Cato and Ice had taught her how to cook many delicious meals, from warm homemade dishes to tasty snacks. Alice, on the other hand, taught her how to bake all kinds of sweets like cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and colorful desserts. Cata loved every lesson. She enjoyed mixing ingredients together, watching batter become smooth and fluffy, carefully piping frosting, and decorating each dessert until it looked almost too pretty to eat.
Even with all those talents, something still felt… empty.
She loved seeing people smile when they received one of her handmade gifts during birthdays or special occasions, but deep inside, she felt like her creativity was meant for something bigger. Cata wasn’t the type of person who stayed satisfied for long. Whenever she mastered one skill, she immediately wanted to learn another. Her imagination was always searching for its next adventure.
One bright morning, exciting news spread throughout the kingdoms.
Queen Jade of Vallaria had announced a grand event called the Miscellaneous Talents Competition, a competition where princesses could show off all kinds of creative talents. Instead of focusing on only one skill, every round would test something different, from fashion design and baking to decorating, crafting, and more.
The moment Cata heard the announcement, her purple eyes sparkled with excitement.
“This sounds amazing!” she cheered. “I have to join!”
Without wasting another second, she signed up.
When she arrived at the competition hall, several princesses were already waiting.
Juliana stood gracefully with her beautiful dirty blonde hair shining under the sunlight. Beside her was Leila, another blonde princess whose calm smile made her seem gentle and elegant. Near them stood Lia, Leila’s blonde sister. Although she looked confident, there was a hint of jealousy hidden behind her expression.
Then Cata noticed someone standing a little farther away.
Long white hair flowed behind the princess like fresh snow, and a single bright green strand framed one side of her face.
“…Rumechi?!”
Rumechi turned around.
For a brief moment, both girls simply stared at each other.
Then they both smiled.
“Cata!!”
The two ran toward each other and shared a warm hug.
“I can’t believe it’s really you!” Cata laughed happily.
“It’s been forever!” Rumechi replied. “I’ve missed you so much!”
Neither of them expected to reunite at a competition after so many years. Seeing her old best friend again made Cata even more excited for what was ahead.
Soon, Queen Jade stepped onto the stage, wearing an elegant gown that shimmered beautifully beneath the palace lights.
“Welcome, everyone,” she announced with a warm smile. “Each round of this competition will test a different creative talent. Today’s challenge is to design your own outfit along with matching accessories. Your creation should reflect your personality.”
The contestants immediately got to work.
Cata already had plenty of ideas for bracelets, chokers, and accessories, but one question kept bothering her.
“What colors would match my purple hair..?”
She sat quietly, thinking.
She filled pages of her sketchbook with different outfit ideas.
She held ribbons beside her hair to compare colors.
She even searched online for inspiration, hoping something would stand out.
After trying several combinations, she finally smiled.
“Black and white!”
Those colors made her purple hair stand out perfectly.
She chose an elegant off shoulder black top with a matching black skirt. Then she carefully threaded black and white beads together to make bracelets with different patterns. She polished each bead until it shined, attached tiny silver stars between them, and finished everything with a matching black choker that completed the outfit beautifully.
Meanwhile, Lia didn’t spend much time deciding on colors. Since she had blonde hair, she felt confident that many colors would suit her. She chose a bold red top with a black skirt and created matching accessories to complete her look.
After everyone finished, Queen Jade slowly examined each outfit.
Every princess had done an amazing job, but one design stood out the most.
Juliana’s.
Her dirty blonde hair paired beautifully with a soft pink outfit inspired by blooming cherry blossoms. Tiny white flowers decorated the dress, while elegant accessories completed the design perfectly.
Queen Jade smiled brightly.
“What I love most isn’t just how beautiful this outfit is,” she said. “It tells me exactly who you are. I can see your love for cherry blossoms in every detail.”
Juliana happily thanked her.
Lia quietly clenched her fists.
Cata simply smiled.
“I’ll do even better next round,” she whispered confidently.
The second challenge was baking.
Each contestant had to create a doll cake, with the doll’s dress made entirely from cake and frosting. Queen Jade allowed everyone to choose their favorite flavor, but she wanted each cake to reflect its creator’s personality.
Cata smiled with confidence.
She carefully mixed rich chocolate batter together with soft vanilla batter before pouring them into the cake pans. As the cakes baked, the sweet smell filled the kitchen, making everyone hungry. Once they had cooled, she carefully carved them into the shape of a beautiful flowing dress.
She chose a doll with warm brown skin and decorated her with an elegant off white gown made from smooth vanilla buttercream. Cata wanted the doll to look ambitious and determined because those were the qualities she saw in herself.
Then came her favorite part.
Decorating.
She gently placed tiny star shaped candies into the doll’s hair until they sparkled like the night sky. More stars decorated the dress, giving it a magical appearance. Finally, she carefully crafted a tiny umbrella and decorated it with adorable little cat shapes, adding a playful touch that made the whole cake feel unique.
Lia believed the biggest dress would impress the judges the most, so she spent most of her time making enormous frosting layers and fancy decorations.
When all the cakes were finally presented, everyone admired the colorful creations lined up across the room.
Queen Jade tasted each one carefully.
Then she stopped in front of Cata’s cake.
“The decoration is elegant,” she said with a smile. “The chocolate and vanilla flavors complement each other wonderfully, and every detail reflects your personality. This cake tells a story.”
The judges nodded in agreement.
When Jade tasted Lia’s cake, however, something felt wrong.
Lia had become so focused on making the cake look beautiful that she had forgotten one very important ingredient.
Sugar.
The decorations were lovely, but the cake itself tasted bland.
Lia’s face immediately turned red with embarrassment.
Watching Cata receive so much praise filled her heart with jealousy.
As Cata happily accepted first place in the baking challenge, Lia quietly looked away.
“If I can’t beat her fairly…” she thought.
A slow smile spread across her face.
“…Then I’ll make sure she doesn’t stay ahead for long.”
