"With the new century came many inventions. For example, through this device called a 'telephone,' you can talk to people and learn about the world without even leaving your house—just lying in bed," the girl continued, showing the prince the phone she had pulled from her pocket.
The boy stared at the strange object in front of him, unable to understand how the two inventions she had mentioned earlier were connected.
"Headphones and a telephone? But how are they related?" Senko wondered.
"I was waiting for that question. Once you connect the headphones to the phone, you can listen to music and also talk to people from far away. So, by wearing headphones, I can pretend I'm talking to someone on the phone. Otherwise, people might think I'm crazy since no one can see or hear you," Ariha finished her explanation.
The girl's words deeply offended the prince. Glancing around, he reached for the hilt of his sword and said:
"Crazy? Who dared say such a thing? I'll execute them on the spot!"
Ariha was taken aback by his reaction—after all, they had only met a few minutes ago. But his behavior didn't align with her perception of reality. Then it quickly dawned on her: he mistook her for a subject of his own land, where speaking ill of others was harshly punished.
"W-wait… The world has changed, and we live in peaceful times now. Worrying about your life and loved ones is natural, so if something truly crosses the line, a person has the right to defend themselves by any means necessary," Ariha began to reason with him.
Senko stopped and, with a sigh, lowered his hands.
"I see… I understand…" he said after hearing everything.
"Good~"
The girl slipped her phone back into her pocket, picked up her shopping bags, and then they headed straight to her house. The walk was rather calm, with Ariha explaining what they should do once they arrived and how she would handle everything. She had sensible answers for every concern.
Soon, Ariha and Senko reached the front door and stepped inside. Hearing the door close, her mother called out:
"Ariha, is that you? You took a while. Did something happen?"
"I'm home! Nah, it's just that the bags were heavier this time, so I stopped by the fountain. But then a cyclist nearly knocked me over, and I almost fell right in! Just got my hands a little wet and splashed some water on myself," the girl improvised on the spot.
Just then, the woman stepped out of the bathroom and saw…*