"So... what was it you wanted to talk to about that was so important?" Zaira asks.
She and Ren walk side by side down a long avenue near Tsugumi, eating ice cream.
"Well, first of all, thank you for the ice cream. I really appreciate it."
"Oh, co on, it was nothing. You really are a very polite boy — complints to your parents, they clearly did a wonderful job."
"Yeah, two truly unique parents... and they’re exactly what I want to talk to you about. My mother, specifically — Eliss Narkhalis."
Zaira suddenly stops and stares at him, eyes wide.
"E-Eliss is your mother?!"
"From your reaction, I’d say you know her — just as I expected."
"Yeah, she’s my mother’s sister, even if I’ve only heard about her. I just know she ca to Earth after falling in love with a human, before I was even born, and that she had three children."
Zaira cuts herself off mid-sentence.
"W-Wait... if Aunt Eliss is your mother, that ans... we’re cousins?! That’s... incredible! How the fuck can the multiverse be this small?! Co here, cousin — give a hug!"
Zaira throws herself at Ren, hugging him tightly, almost to the point of suffocating him.
A gentle smile crosses Ren’s face, then fades as his expression turns even more serious than before.
"So, I assu you also know... Raelor Valraen, right?"
"Oh yes, my dear old Raelor! I sure do. He was my bodyguard until five years ago, when I ca to Earth. But aside from that... well, let’s just say there was sothing between us — if you know what I an," Zaira replies, giving him a few light, knowing nudges.
Ren’s cold gaze makes her stop before she can go on.
He may be polite, but he really has no sense of humor... sure, he’s damn handso, but he’s too boring — my Chris is a thousand tis better!
"So, how is Aunt Eliss? Like I said, I’ve never seen her before and I’d really like to et her! You’re all invited to dinner at my place!"
"My mother — and my father as well... were killed three years ago by Raelor Valraen."
"W-What...?"
Zaira freezes on the spot, struck by the shock of those words. The ice cream cone slips from her fingers and falls to the ground as her lips tremble. She tries to speak, but it takes her several monts to find her voice.
"N-No... it’s not possible that Raelor would do sothing like that. H-He was... the kindest incubus I’ve ever known! Besides, I know that before he was my bodyguard, he was Eliss’s bodyguard — and he cared deeply about her. I’ve heard they practically grew up together, and their bond was so strong that so even believed there was sothing more between them... Y-You’re mistaken, I’m sure — there has to be so misunderstanding!"
"No misunderstanding, unfortunately... he killed them right in front of and my sisters. And the worst part is, there wasn’t the slightest warning. He used to co to Earth often to spend ti with us, and in recent years he even trained and my older sister..."
Ren’s composure begins to waver, and his eyes slowly fill with tears.
"R-Raelor... he was like a second father to us. I don’t know what the fuck got into him that night, three years ago, when he killed my parents in cold blood. Or why he didn’t even look at and my sisters. It’s as if he ca there just to kill Eliss, then disappear without a trace — no explanation. T-That’s why I wanted to talk to you — I was hoping you might be able to tell sothing more about Raelor. But if you haven’t seen him in five years, I doubt you can tell anything I don’t already know. Sorry for taking up your ti... and thanks again for the ice cream."
But Zaira doesn’t take it well.
"Let get this straight — we just found out we’re related and have a lot in common, and instead of talking, you just up and leave because I don’t know what you want to know about Raelor Valraen? Damn it, Narkhalis blood runs through your veins — the most important demon house in all of Elyndea! Aren’t you even curious to learn more about your origins, and the world our race cos from?"
"You’re right, forgive ... it’s just that lately I’ve had my head in the clouds."
"I can’t bla you after what you’ve told ... though, you said you have two sisters. One was the cute girl who had lunch with us — and the other? Since she’s a cousin I’ve never t, I’m really curious to et her."
"I’m sure she’d be very happy to et you too, but she’s much older than us and she’s working now, so it’s not really possible. But if you’d like, you’re welco to join us for dinner. I’m sure Yuzu and Iris — my older sister — would really appreciate having soone they can be themselves around, instead of acting like normal human girls."
"Of course, I’d really love that! Would it be a problem if I brought Chris and Mia too? They’re both vampires, so we can talk about succubi, incubi, and the kingdom of Ravessia without any issues."
Ren smiles slightly and nods.
"Of course. Yuzu, Iris, and I would all be very happy to build a good relationship with other non-humans our age. Not tomorrow evening, but the one after — Iris will be ho on her day off, so we could arrange it for that evening, if you’d like."
"Deal! For now, though, we should head back to Tsugumi. Your little sister didn’t seem very happy about us spending ti alone, and by now Chris and Mia should have finished the school tour. We both have soone waiting for us, so it’s better not to keep them waiting."
◇◇◇
"And finally, this is our chemistry lab. As you can see, here at Tsugumi High, we lack nothing. That concludes the tour. If you have any questions, feel free to ask — I’m here to make sure you feel at ho," says Claire Kurotsuki, who has been guiding them, as well as the student council president.
She’s a second-year student, and her manners are so elegant and refined that Mia almost feels as if she’s standing before one of the court ladies who used to frequent the royal castle when she was still a princess.
It’s not just her formal, polished way of speaking that gives that impression, but also the way she carries herself, and her hairstyle — light blonde hair with red and purple highlights, carefully styled and elegantly gathered into a side ponytail.
Chris lets out a long sigh of relief.
Finally this is over... all because of Mia, asking a million questions! Lucky Zaira — she managed to slip away right after class and skip this whole pain in the ass...
"No, no questions. Thanks," Chris cuts in.
He’s already heading for the exit when Mia...
"I’d really like to know more about your chemistry lab. Is it also equipped with—"
But she doesn’t get to finish before Chris grabs her by the wrist and drags her away, while Claire waves to them from a distance.
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