"Ellyn, get down. Your mother's here," Hazuki said, tugging at her foot.

"Eeek! Don't pull my leg, mou!!" Ellyn yelped, squirming before puffing her cheeks in protest.

Hazuki sighed and released her leg, while Faria, unable to hold back any longer, rushed forward.

"Ellyn!" Faria wrapped her arms around her tightly. "I'm so glad you're safe… I'm sorry it took so long to find you."

Ellyn hugged her back, her tail curling slightly from relief. "Mm… don't worry. I was saved by Hazuki."

Hazuki rubbed his chin, tilting his head slightly.

"Ellyn?"

"Hmm?" she blinked innocently.

"I wonder…" Hazuki muttered, his brows furrowing.

"Hmm? What is it?" she asked, confused.

Hazuki looked between Faria and Ellyn, then crossed his arms. "If a mother's daughter went missing or in danger… shouldn't the mother be angry first before crying and hugging?"

Ellyn froze, her ears twitching nervously. Faria also stiffened mid-hug, while the knights exchanged nervous looks behind her.

Hazuki tilted his head. "You didn't even ask who took her or what happened. You just ran and hugged her."

Faria kept her composure, forcing a calm smile. "Would you rather I scolded her in public, Hazuki? Relief comes first for a mother. Anger can wait later."

Hazuki blinked, stared for a second, then nodded slowly.

"Huh… makes sense, I guess."

Ellyn exhaled in quiet relief, hugging Faria tighter.

Hazuki scratched his cheek and muttered, "Still weird though…"

"Mou! Don't call my mama weird!" Ellyn puffed her cheeks again.

Faria chuckled softly, still holding Ellyn close. "It's fine, Ellyn. He's not wrong. I may be a little weird."

Hazuki nodded. "Yeah. Guess it runs in the family."

Ellyn leaned closer to Faria, whispering something only she could hear. Faria nodded gently as Hazuki glanced around the street.

"Hmm…" Hazuki tapped his chin, thinking out loud.

"Since your mother just got here, she probably doesn't have a place to stay. And it's kinda rude to let your mother and her escort sleep at an inn. I guess they can stay at our house, Ellyn."

But before he could finish, Ellyn stomped her foot. "No! They stay at the inn!"

Hazuki blinked, confused. "Huh? Why?"

"N…nothing!" Ellyn snapped, looking away too quickly.

Hazuki squinted at her. "You're being weird."

She puffed her cheeks and gestured him to lean down. Hazuki lowered his head, and Ellyn whispered rapidly into his ear.

His cheeks turned slightly red, but his voice stayed calm. "We can have more time for that later, you know."

Ellyn's eyes went wide, her tail stiffening. "No!" she hissed sharply. "If my mother's here, that means tomorrow I'm going back to Pawston!"

Hazuki blinked again. "Huh? Really?" he asked, his tone not quite believing her.

Ellyn clenched her fists tightly at her side. "…Yes. Really."

Then Hazuki said in a low voice, "But still, she's your mother, right?"

Ellyn nodded quickly, avoiding his eyes, still refusing to tell him the truth.

Hazuki rubbed his temples, staring off as if trying to recall something.

"Wait a minute…" he muttered, eyes narrowing slightly.

Ellyn and Faria both tensed.

"If I remember correctly… back in Pawston, when you went to buy the meat skewer, I met a woman you called 'mother,' too." He looked up, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "She had the same hair color as you… and golden eyes too, I think."

Ellyn froze.

Faria's body stiffened.

"Hmm… weird," Hazuki continued casually, pointing at Faria.

"You also have golden hair and golden eyes, but that woman… she looked exactly the same."

"W-What are you talking about, Hazuki!" Ellyn blurted out nervously.

"Now's not the time for that!" She waved her arms around in a panic. "Let's just think about where they're going to sleep, right? Right?"

Hazuki blinked, scratching his cheek. "Uh… sure, I guess."

Ellyn laughed awkwardly, her tail puffed up. "Haha… yes! Let's do that!"

Hazuki shrugged. "Still feels weird, though…"

Before he could continue, Ellyn suddenly pointed at Ridan, who was floating nearby.

"Look! Ridan's doing something again!"

Hazuki turned immediately, glaring in the direction Ellyn pointed.

"Ah! Ridan! You were talking behind my back again, weren't you!?"

Ridan, caught mid-float, blinked and confuse. "Hah!? I didn't even say anything this time!!"

Faria let out a long, quiet sigh of relief. Behind her, the knights slumped down onto the cobblestones, some wiping the sweat from their foreheads. They had been bracing for the worst, only to realize the black-haired human was just shouting and pointing at thin air again.

Ellyn sighed too, glancing at Faria and leaning closer to whisper, making sure Hazuki, who still yelling at Ridan a few steps away, couldn't hear.

"My secret nearly spilled because of this… Mou! Faria!!"

"I–I'm sorry, Princess," Faria whispered back.

Ellyn hissed softly, ears twitching. "Don't call me that. Hazuki still doesn't know about it."

Faria blinked, then her gaze lowered to Ellyn's hand. Her breath caught when she saw it, the complete mark of the pinky promise glowing faintly on the back of her hand. A sign that the bond had been fully sealed.

"P…Princess…" Faria's voice was a trembling whisper. "You… you did it?"

Ellyn froze for a heartbeat, her tail flicking nervously. She turned her head away, refusing to meet Faria's eyes.

"Princess… tell me," Faria pressed in a hiss, her tone half scolding, half breathless.

"Mou…" Ellyn pouted. "Yes. I did it with him. Now it's sealed, and no one will be able to do anything to me again."

Faria's lips parted slightly before a long, shaky breath escaped her. The tension that had clung to her for weeks finally began to ease. A soft, warm smile broke across her face.

"Thank God…" she murmured, relief clear in every word.

For the first time since Ellyn vanished, the tightness in her chest loosened. She could finally breathe.

"So he knew you were already an adult then?" Faria leaned closer, whispering cautiously.

Ellyn's ears twitched, and she nodded slightly. "U…umm… yes."

Faria exhaled in quiet relief, a small smile of reassurance crossing her lips. "Then why not tell him you're a princess?"

Ellyn's eyes widened instantly. She turned to face Faria, her expression serious. "You know I have the Absolute Eye skill, right?"

"Yes?" Faria replied softly, tilting her head.

"If he finds out now, he'll panic," Ellyn said quickly, her voice low but certain.

"He'll overthink everything. He'll probably run away and avoid me for a year or two. I can't let that happen."

Faria hesitated. "But still, Princess...."

"No…" Ellyn cut her off gently, shaking her head. Her tail curled slightly as she looked back at Hazuki, who was still arguing with the Ridan.

"Not now. Maybe later."

Faria sighed softly but smiled faintly, understanding her resolve. "You really are stubborn… just like your father."

Ellyn smiled quietly. "Maybe… but this time, I want to choose for myself."

( End Of Chapter )

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