Despite initial plans for only a few representatives to meet the boy who resembled Ailia, curiosity got the better of everyone, and the treehouse room became crowded. Eventually, only Ailia, Martina, Charlotte, and I entered to speak with him, while the others waited outside.
As we approached, the boy stirred, glancing at us with confusion. His gaze froze on Ailia, and his face turned pale.
「You’re the one who lives here—Wha-!?」
His calm tone vanished the moment he fully registered Ailia’s face.
…Well, that’s the natural reaction, isn’t it?
Anyone would be stunned to see someone who looks exactly like them.
「It’s surprising, right? We were just as shocked. We didn’t think there’d be someone out there who looked this much like Ailia.」
「Ailia…? Ailia!?」
Hearing her name, the boy’s eyes widened further in disbelief.
This reaction… Did he know something about Ailia’s past?
「Do you… know Ailia?」
「Know her? That’s not even close. I’ve been searching for her all this time!」
His words struck us like a thunderclap.
「W-What!?」
He wasn’t just familiar with Ailia—he’d been actively looking for her?
…In hindsight, it made sense.
Coming across him in Driessen seemed far too convenient to be mere coincidence.
We pressed him for more details.
「My name is Phil. I’m Ailia’s twin brother.」
「T-Twin!?」
We’d suspected as much, but to hear it confirmed left us speechless.
Of course, the one most shaken by this revelation was Ailia herself.
She had always believed she was completely alone, with no family to rely on.
Now, before her was someone claiming to be her brother—a connection she’d never imagined she had.
Unsure of how to react, she fell silent.
Phil, noticing our collective bewilderment, continued speaking.
「I want Ailia to meet our parents.」
「P-Parents…」
Ailia’s voice quivered.
It was clear that this subject weighed heavily on her.
Sensing her hesitation, I stepped in to steer the conversation.
「When you say parents, where are they now?」
「In Bartel, a country in the western continent. Our father is the king there.」
「I see, so you’re royalty. Wait, what!?」
Hold on a second.
Did he just casually drop that their father was a king?
Hanon, standing at the doorway, summarized the situation with her usual bluntness.
「If your father’s a king, that makes Ailia a princess of this Bartel place.」
The treehouse erupted in astonished murmurs.
Ailia… a princess!?
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