Senko (with a formal bow): "Good afternoon, Lady Eina. We've come to discuss something important."
Eina blinked at the strangely dressed young man before her, his features tugging at her memory.
Eina: "You… remind me of someone…"
Ariha (grinning): "Yep, Auntie. Meet Crown Prince Senko von Minaguchi Hyōnko—the* missing prince from three centuries ago."*
Eina (staggered): "The actual—?"
Senko: "Indeed. And you're the third person we've visited like this."
Realizing they were still standing at the threshold, Eina snapped to her senses.
Eina: "Oh! Right—come in, come in. Jiho did warn me you'd be… unusual."
Over tea and snacks, Eina cut straight to the point.
Eina: "So—you vanished in the past, reappeared here, and have no idea why? Anything else before that?"
Senko (surprised by her directness): "I entered the castle, then… white light. Next thing I knew, I was by a fountain in your time."
Ariha: "And before I bumped into him, no one noticed him—not even Nana. Akito saw him faintly. Only royal-blooded relatives like us can see him clearly."
Eina (nodding): "So the question is: why is he here, and can he return?"
A heavy silence fell.
Eina (leaning forward): "I think I know who might help."
Later, conversation turned to modern economics—taxes, wages, even cashiers.
Senko (perplexed): "People pay taxes for others' labor? Even for… 'cashier' work?"
Ariha: "Exactly! Cashiers operate machines called 'registers' to handle payments—like your era's merchants, but with tech."
Senko: "So they've earned their own title now…"
As they approached Eina's home, Ariha removed her earbuds and knocked. The door swung open to reveal a woman with the same bright blond hair and cornflower-blue eyes as Ariha—royal blood undeniable.
Eina (beaming): "Ariha! It's been too long!" She pulled her niece into a hug.
Senko stood frozen, struck by the woman's gaze—piercing, like she'd already dissected his soul before saying a word.