"Even if that's true, don't we still chat on our phones all the time~?" Eriri said with a cheeky grin.
Hearing that, Ilina suddenly stopped in her tracks. She turned around to face Eriri directly, her already slightly displeased expression now fully clouded with grievance.
"It seems to me you've been too busy spending time with your new family and completely forgotten about your dear cousin..."
Just as Eriri said, they often kept in touch via phone. In fact, to make chatting and video calls with Eriri easier, Ilina had even specially installed LINE on her phone.
During their chats, Eriri would occasionally bring up things happening at home, so Ilina had a vague understanding of people like Arifureta.
In general, she knew that Eriri had met some new friends over the past year and had even become family with them.
However, she had no idea how many of these new family members there were, nor where they came from.
After all, Eriri had yet to mention the chat group or anything related to the multiverse to Ilina, so she had no concept of other universes.
Back when Ilina first heard Eriri mention Arifureta and the others, she had been jealous for quite a while, and even now she still harbored some envy toward those unseen "new family members."
"How could I ever? You'll always be my beloved big sis~"
Eriri reached out and hugged Ilina tightly, burying her face in her cousin's full and soft chest.
Caught off guard by the sudden embrace, Ilina froze for a second before a joyful expression lit up her face. She quickly wrapped her arms around Eriri in return, afraid that she might pull away at any moment.
"Ahem, well, I'll let it slide this time... But from now on, you have to come visit me in England more often, okay!?"
Ilina said gleefully, her earlier grievance completely gone.
At the same time, she buried her delicate face in Eriri's hair, deeply inhaling the sweet fragrance wafting from her golden strands.
"Absolutely. In fact, you can always come visit me too~ My door is always open for you, Ilina-nee."
"Mhm, I'll definitely come if I get the chance! If Mom hadn't insisted I spend my vacation training my superpowers, I would've visited you during summer break!"
Thinking of her strict mother, Ilina couldn't help but pout.
"But I'm graduating from high school next year, and my superpower is about to reach Lv5. I think Mom won't stop me from visiting Japan then."
Hearing her cousin's words, Eriri couldn't help but picture a regal blonde beauty who bore a seventy percent resemblance to Ilina.
She looked up at Ilina and said, "Don't worry. When the time comes, I'll have a word with Aunt Victoria. She definitely won't stop you."
"Really? That's amazing!"
Eriri's words instantly made Ilina excited. She eagerly lowered her head and rubbed her cheek against Eriri's.
She didn't doubt Eriri's promise at all. After all, she knew exactly how much her mother doted on her precious niece. Such a small request wouldn't be refused.
Feeling the soft, smooth sensation on her cheek, Eriri suddenly thought that it was about time to tell Ilina about the multiverse.
So she spoke directly, "Ilina-nee, there's something I'd like to talk to you about. Want to hear it?"
Hearing that, Ilina immediately stopped rubbing against Eriri's cheek. She quickly lifted her head and nodded.
"Yes, yes, I'd love to hear it!"
So over the next period of time, Eriri gave Ilina a general overview of the multiverse, even revealing the existence of the chat group.
As Eriri spoke, Ilina's perspective and worldview expanded by a staggering degree. She was especially stunned when she learned about the power level classification system of the multiverse, her jaw hanging open for a long time.
Ilina finally understood where all the "new family members" Eriri had mentioned came from.
Because there was an eight-hour time difference between England and Japan, when Eriri and her family arrived in England, it was only a little after 9 a.m. local time.
Eriri and Ilina wandered around the estate for over two hours, only returning to the castle when it was lunchtime.
...
Time passed quickly, and before long, the day had come to an end.
That afternoon, Eriri had stayed in the Spencer estate, spending time with her grandfather and grandmother. She also helped further nourish their health.
Ilina, for her part, stayed obediently by Eriri's side. As for some of the younger girls from the extended family who wanted to play with Eriri, they didn't dare approach due to the overwhelming presence of the family patriarch.
Although Eriri's grandfather always acted kind and gentle toward her, when it came to the other younger members of the Spencer family, his aura as the family head was absolutely commanding.
As for Miss Sayuri and William, they were both rather busy.
Unlike Eriri, who paid little mind to interpersonal interactions and had no intention of mingling with others, Sayuri and her husband still cared about social ties. So they spent most of the afternoon receiving guests.
Their visit to England was no secret. The moment they arrived, nearly all of the notable families in England became aware of it.
As a result, these families rushed to visit, each hoping to establish some form of connection with the now-prominent Sawamura family.
And this morning, the Spencer estate welcomed a few very special guests—members of the British royal family, led by Queen Elizabeth herself.
The Spencer family and the royal family actually shared quite a bit of history. In the Spencer family's thousand-year lineage, there had been members who married into royalty and became princesses remembered by history, as well as instances of royal princesses marrying into the Spencer family.
Ilina's mother, in fact, was the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth—making her the previous generation's British princess.
Given this relationship, the royal family's visit naturally received treatment far above what other noble houses could expect.
Even Eriri was pulled along by Ilina to meet the royal family.
In a retro-style reception room, the entire Sawamura family, including her grandparents and Ilina's family, were seated on sofas.
Representing the royal family were only Queen Elizabeth, her husband, and their only daughter, Princess Lillian.
The royal trio sat across from Eriri's family. The young Princess Lillian, who looked about twelve or thirteen years old, stared wide-eyed at Eriri, her sapphire-like eyes filled with curiosity.
All in all, it was more like a casual family gathering.
"Greetings, Mrs. Sawamura. I'm delighted to welcome you back to England. On behalf of the British royal family, I extend a warm welcome to your entire family," Queen Elizabeth said respectfully, standing up in her blue formal gown and extending her right hand toward Miss Sayuri.
Although she was the queen of England, she understood perfectly well that the person before her was the sole heir to the Sawamura family—someone whose status far surpassed that of a mere monarch.
Even with the Spencer connection, Queen Elizabeth didn't forget to lower herself and greet Miss Sayuri with utmost humility.
"Oh my, Queen Elizabeth, you're being far too courteous."
Miss Sayuri chuckled softly and stood up from the sofa, gently shaking the hand Queen Elizabeth had extended.
"Besides, you're Victoria-nee's older sister, so that makes us relatives of sorts. You can just call me Sayuri."
Upon hearing Miss Sayuri's words, Queen Elizabeth smiled warmly.
"In that case, I won't be formal either. You shouldn't call me Queen anymore—just Elizabeth is fine," she replied with a friendly laugh.
After their brief handshake, the two of them sat back down on the sofa.
At that moment, Queen Elizabeth suddenly turned her gaze toward Eriri and, smiling, asked Sayuri,
"Sayuri, this must be the fruit of your and William's love, yes?"
Upon hearing that, Sayuri beamed proudly and pulled Eriri into her arms.
With a tone full of pride, she introduced her, "That's right. This is our beloved daughter, Eriri~"
Hearing her mother's introduction, Eriri smiled brightly and waved at Queen Elizabeth.
"Hello, Auntie Elizabeth~"
Despite Eriri's casual tone, no one in the room seemed to mind.
Everyone from the Spencer side was naturally a devoted Eriri fan, unconditionally supportive.
As for the royal family, Queen Elizabeth didn't find Eriri's informality rude at all—in fact, it only made her more fond of the girl.
Her husband, while not insignificant in status within England, had no real standing in this reception room—especially not when facing the towering presence of the Sawamura family.
So he simply served as a background figure, waiting for the queen and Sayuri to finish their conversation before speaking with William and the others.
Meanwhile, the little blonde girl sitting beside the queen—Princess Lillian—had been staring fixedly at Eriri from the beginning, clearly more interested in her than in the ongoing conversation.
"Hello, Eriri. You're even prettier than I imagined. Hearing about you is nothing like seeing you in person," Queen Elizabeth said with admiration.
"Oh? Auntie Elizabeth has heard about me before?" Eriri asked curiously.
Although the Sawamura family's current status was undeniably tied to her, Eriri's true strength had never been publicly revealed.
Even among Japan's elite families, knowledge of her was limited to being the most favored member of the Sawamura family, and perhaps her goddess-level looks that had captivated countless heirs.
In terms of fame, she couldn't compare to Miss Sayuri, who frequently appeared in public.
In fact, over ninety percent of the world recognized Sayuri, but those who knew of Eriri—and her identity—were exceedingly few.
Aside from students at Toyogasaki Academy, only a handful of other prominent families with surface-level information knew of her.
"Of course. Victoria and Ilina mention you often in front of me~"
Queen Elizabeth said with a grin, glancing at Ilina and Victoria beside her.
Following her gaze, Sayuri, Eriri, and the others instinctively turned their attention to the mother-daughter pair.
Feeling the sudden attention, both Ilina and Victoria scratched their heads in embarrassment—their gestures perfectly mirrored.
Just then, Queen Elizabeth spoke again to Sayuri and Eriri.
"By the way, Sayuri, let me introduce someone to you. This is my daughter, Lillian. She just turned thirteen."
Her words brought everyone's attention back from Victoria and Ilina to the young golden-haired girl Queen Elizabeth was now patting on the head.
"Lillian, come greet your Aunt Sayuri, Uncle William, and your cousin Eriri," the queen said to her daughter.
However, her obedient daughter didn't respond, causing Queen Elizabeth to frown slightly in confusion.
"Lillian?"
She called her daughter's name again and gave her a light shake.
This time, Lillian finally snapped out of it.
"Ah—Mother, did you call me?"
She looked up at her mother with a sweet and innocent expression.
Her adorable reaction brought smiles to everyone's faces—including Eriri's—while Queen Elizabeth pressed a hand to her forehead, momentarily speechless.
Clearly, Lillian hadn't been listening to the conversation at all.
Still, the queen didn't scold her. After all, she adored her daughter immensely.
"Lillian, this is your cousin Eriri, and these are your Aunt Sayuri and Uncle William. Hurry and greet them."
Upon hearing her mother's words, the clever and quick-witted Lillian immediately understood the situation.
Her cheeks flushed red as she grew bashful.
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