Having made friends with Ilya, I left her in the guest room and headed for Sion's room.
I impatiently knocked on the door and awaited permission to enter.
As soon as I entered the room, I asked Sion, who was relaxing on the sofa.
"Sion, lend me Rena!"
"Ha?"
Sion made an astonished face at my sudden statement.
Sion Nanaohgi.
Black hair, black eyes, black-rimmed glasses. His intellectual, clean-cut appearance and calm, graceful way of talking have recently made him a very popular man among castle's court ladies.
He's a former Tarim tactician, and now similarly works for Freed as a tactician. Actually, he's my ex-boyfriend from my previous life.
He's my ex-boyfriend, but since I reincarnated and fallen in love with Freed, I don't have any feelings for him now, so I have no intention of telling him that I'm his ex-girlfriend… Well, that doesn't matter.
The reason I came to his room is because Rena works exclusively for him. If I want to bring her, I have to obtain Sion's permission. As for the order of events, first I'd talk to Sion about lending me Rena, and then I'd search for her.
"Ah, Rena! Found you!"
"Eh!? Y-Yes!"
Rena reflexively gave such a response.
Luckily, Rena was together with Sion. Her droopy cat ears were lovely as ever. Rena, who is in the middle of learning the job of court lady, was pouring a cup of tea for Sion. I quickly said to her.
"I'm sorry. There's no time. Please, Sion. Just a while is fine, so could you lend me Rena?"
"What is it about?"
When I put my hands together and asked Sion, he made a puzzled face. By the way, Freed didn't come with me. He couldn't come because he was still talking with Prince Hendrik.
Ilya will return to her country in the evening. I want to let Ilya and Rena meet no matter what, so I rushed to come pick Rena up.
Albeit concisely, I explained it to Sion.
As Rena's master, I had to tell Sion that Ilya is a beastman. I didn't want to increase the number of people who know Ilya is a beastman, but it couldn't be helped.
Of course, I got Ilya's permission.
When I said that a cat beastman just like Rena is in a neighboring country, Sion was surprised, and Rena's eyes sparkled.
"Eh? A cat beastman just like me? Of Aura?"
"Yeah. Rena, when I talked about you, she said she wanted to meet… Don't want to?"
If Rena doesn't want to meet her, that's the end of it. I thought so, but Rena shouted, "No!"
"There's no way I wouldn't…! I haven't seen anyone from my race ever since leaving the island, so I want to meet her if I can!"
Rena put down the tea utensils and excitedly said so. Seeing her like that, Sion expressed his consent.
"If Rena wants to meet her, I have no reason to stop her. Please, take Rena with you."
I felt relieved that I got a positive answer from both of them.
I thought it would be alright, but I was slightly worried that Ilya would be hurt if she was refused.
Pulling Rena's hand, I said to Sion.
"Then, I'll borrow Rena. Naturally… You can't come along."
"I understand that. Rena, enjoy yourself."
"Yes! Lord Sion!"
Rena cheerfully answered, and I took her outside.
Rena was smiling delightfully, her cheeks were red.
It's inevitable she'd look forward to meeting a member of her clan.
―― I'm glad.
Both for Rena and for Ilya.
They're about five years apart. I don't know if they are acquaintances, but it must be reassuring to meet somebody from the same clan in a place far from home.
"… It's here."
We walked through a long corridor and stopped in front of the room where Ilya was waiting. I addressed the soldiers standing in front of the door.
"You've heard the story, right? Please open."
"Yes!"
The soldiers opened the door.
I pushed Rena's back as she was petrified not knowing what she should do.
"Now, enter."
"Y… Yes."
We went inside together.
Only Ilya was inside waiting for us. As she saw Rena enter, her eyes went round.
"My…"
"Huh!?"
Not understanding her surprise, Rena froze in fear. As she did, I whispered into her ear.
"Rena, she's your fellow, Ilya."
"Eh? B-But… her ears…"
"They're hidden with a magical art. Ilya, she's Rena who I wanted you to meet."
I introduced Rena to Ilya. Ilya looked at Rena and made a pained face. Then she quietly came closer.
Standing before Rena, Ilya crouched and matched her gaze with Rena.
"―― You poor thing. You were kidnapped before you were taught the magical art to hide your ears."
Rena flushed as her gaze was matched.
"… W-What a beautiful person. Princess Consort. I-Is she really from the same Aura cat clan as me?"
As Rena looked at me for help, I returned an affirmation.
"Yeah, that's right… Ilya. Sorry, but could you show the evidence?"
"Of course."
The moment after Ilya said that, cat ears sprang up on her head.
Perhaps unable to immediately respond to cat ears suddenly appearing, Rena opened her eyes wide.
"E-Ears? Same as mine?"
Ilya gently smiled at the surprised Rena.
"Right. I'm also from Aura… That ear shape of yours. If I recall correctly, there was a person with the same ear shape among my father's subordinates. If I'm not mistaken, he also said his daughter was kidnapped when young… Is your dad's name perhaps Weiss?"
Hearing the name Ilya said, Rena raised her voice.
"Dad! It's dad's name! Why!?"
Apparently, they know each other through their fathers.
I'm glad. When I felt so from the bottom of my heart, Ilya said.
"After all you are… I can only talk about what had happened before I left the village, but your dad had always been searching for you. He said it should be an easy search, since his daughter had the same ear shape as him. From time to time he left the island to look around the continent."
"Dad did…"
Unexpectedly hearing her father's name, Rena's eyes moistened. Ilya hugged such Rena in her arms.
"… So you are the child Weiss had been searching for. I'm glad you lived… and grew up safely…"
"Y-You say you know dad… Who are you?"
"Aura's patriarch's daughter. I remember seeing you held up in Weiss's arms in the past."
"Patriarch's…? I-I'm sorry. I hardly remember anything from the island aside from my dad and mom."
Rena became dispirited in Ilya's arms. To comfort her, Ilya shook her head many times.
"It's okay. You went through something scary. Of course you wouldn't remember. But I really could meet a person of the same clan as me in such a place."
"I am also happy to meet you… umm, Princess."
Rena called Ilya princess and smiled happily.
"The whole time I was enslaved, everyone made fun of these ears. Bent ears are less valuable. You're a failure as a beastman. I continued being told that. It was heartbreaking. But now that I heard about my dad from Princess, I recalled that my dad is the same as me. Moreover, thanks to them Princess knew I'm my dad's child. For the first time, I'm glad to have these ears."
"…!"
Unable to bear it, Ilya strongly hugged Rena. I also nearly unconsciously teared up in sympathy.
I knew Rena was saying that she was ashamed of her ears. Every time I or Sion heard it, we denied, and Rena always said, "Thank you. I'm happy," but I was aware she wasn't saying it for real.
I'm really, really happy that such Rena said, "I'm glad about these ears," smiling from the bottom of her heart.
Ilya separated from Rena and instead looked into her eyes and said.
"Rena. If you wish to return to Arcanum Island, I will ask His Highness to take you back there. Your dad will surely be happy to learn that you are alive."
"Eh… Return to the island?"
At the sudden words, Rena stared at Ilya, dumbfounded. Ilya nodded strongly.
"Right. It's different now… but it was painful to be a slave for a long time, right? I don't want to see anyone from my clan to suffer any more. This time the villagers will certainly protect you. You might even find your mate. That's why――"
"To the island…"
Rena simply listened to Ilya's talk in a daze.
While Rena was confused, Ilya was patiently convincing her to return to the island.
Seeing her like that, I thought that she's a patriarch's daughter after all.
She's timid as the Crown Princess of Irvine. But as Aura's patriarch's daughter, Ilya felt like a firm, dignified woman. Probably her timidness as Crown Princess comes from the necessity of hiding that she's a beastman.
Showing deep affection for a member of her clan and suggesting the way forward, Ilya was a person who properly stood on top.
Chapter end
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