Reincarnated as Twins: And Then, I Was the Only One Abandoned - ☆63 And Then, ②

☆63 And Then, ②

Several days had passed since I regained consciousness. 

Since yesterday, the maids and attendants at Elysia’s mansion had been acting unusually restless. They were scurrying around busily. 

There was no doubt about it. 

Elysia’s father—the King of Eldarin, Eldaris—was coming for an inspection. 

For the time being, I decided to avoid Elysia’s mansion and stay quietly holed up at home. 

Getting caught up in something troublesome would be a pain. 

And whenever I do get involved, things always take a turn for the worse. 

That’s just how it goes for me. 

As I steeled my resolve, I heard the sound of my front door opening with a *click*. 

There was no need to look. 

It was obviously Elysia. 

“Souta!” 

See? 

“My father will be arriving by evening.” 

“Oh.” 

“You should properly dress to welcome him. You *do* have decent clothes, right?” 

“Have you ever seen me wear anything like that?” 

◆◆◆

—And so, I was dragged to the shopping mall. 

This place had shops lined with clothing for all sorts of races. 

From elegant robes for elves to sturdy workwear for dwarves, you could find just about anything here. 

But I had never cared about fashion, not even in my previous life. 

If I had three tracksuits, I could just rotate through them. And that was enough for me. 

By the way, tracksuits didn’t exist in this world. 

Thanks to my passionate campaigning, I convinced local craftsmen of their necessity. Mass production of them had finally started just recently. 

Before long, this city would embrace the “tracksuit culture”. 

—The store I was taken to specialized in elven fashion. 

It had an overwhelmingly luxurious atmosphere. It was completely out of place for someone as obviously common as me. 

As Elysia pushed open the shop’s door, the staff immediately straightened their posture. A woman who appeared to be the manager hurried over, looking tense. 

“Lady Elysia. We are honored beyond words to welcome you to our humble establishment. What brings you here today?” 

“Well, it’s not for me today—I’d like you to find an appropriate formal outfit for *him*.” 

Elysia gave a slight nod in my direction. 

At that, the manager’s gaze shifted to me. 

She looked at me as if I were something filthy. 

…Well, I guess that’s fair. 

A guy in a tracksuit waltzing into a high-end boutique? Yeah, definitely not something they expected. 

“As expected of Lady Elysia. To be so considerate even towards your *attendant’s* clothing is truly admirable.” 

Who’s an attendant? 

“We’re short on time, so just find something that fits and looks appropriate.” 

Wow, that’s pretty careless. 

Also, could you at least correct her about the ‘attendant’ part? 

—After that, I was treated like a dress-up doll. I was forced to try on one outfit after another before I could even complain. 

In the end, Elysia chose one for me. 

From now on, this would be my one and only decent piece of clothing. 

◆◆◆

A magnificent carriage adorned with gleaming golden decorations came to a quiet stop in front of Elysia’s mansion. 

Through the crimson curtains, I caught a glimpse of the regal figure inside. 

The royal crest fluttered in the wind. It emphasized the significance of this visit. 

The maids and attendants stood in two perfectly aligned rows. They were holding their breath in anticipation of the carriage door opening. 

And I— 

For some reason, stood at the entrance beside Elysia. I was dressed in the formal attire she had just bought me. 

…Wait a second. 

How did this happen? 

What kind of punishment game is this…? 

Everywhere I looked—right, left, ahead—elves, elves, elves. 

I was the only human here. 

Compared to the discomfort I felt in that high-end boutique earlier, this was on another level. It was like I was some foreign object that had mistakenly ended up here. The sheer out-of-place sensation made my head spin. 

As if mocking my predicament, I spotted Kai, Nactis, and a few others watching from a distance. They were clearly amused. Among them was Lucian, who had discreetly slipped away from the battlefield during the chaos. 

…I’m *definitely* beating you guys up later. 

For now, just empty my mind. 

Think of nothing. 

I am just a pillar. 

The carriage door was gracefully opened by one of the attendants. 

And then— 

Emerging from within was none other than the King himself. 

A faint, light-like mana radiated around him. It was exuding an overwhelming presence. 

Was this the so-called “Royal Aura”? 

No idea. 

Stepping out of the carriage, the King ignored the waiting attendants and walked straight toward Elysia. 

“Oh, Elysia! It has been too long.” 

“Father. ‘Too long’? We met just two years ago.”

For an elf, two years apart isn’t considered a long time, huh? 

“The time I spend without seeing you always feels longer than usual.” 

“Well, standing around talking isn’t ideal. Please, come inside.” 

Saying that, Elysia led the King into the mansion. 

Taking advantage of the commotion, I tried to quietly slip away, but— 

“Where do you think you’re going?” 

Someone roughly grabbed my jacket. 

When I turned around, Elysia was glaring at me with mercilessly cold eyes. 

And just like that, I was dragged—literally dragged—into the mansion.