If they werent able to remember, wouldnt they have gone back to being regular cats? Did these children just come to the Country of Cats like him?

How long ago did you two start living here?

Hmmm, how many years has it been? At least ten years have gone by.

Twenty-one years.

Akio answered precisely. Even though it had been twenty-one years, they both didnt look any older than a human first or second grader. That must have meant they had become ayakashi when they were kittens, and time stopped for them at that age.

You know

Natsuki started to speak to the shocked Touya.

Our bodies dont age the same way humans do. Like how Kiri-sama is

Idiot, Natsuki. Talking about his age is forbidden.

Akio frantically covered the blabbering Natsukis mouth.

Why?

It would be unfortunate if Touya-dono becomes frightened. Kiri-sama will tell him anything necessary.

But Touya-dono wants to talk to us.

When he watched the two of them argue Touya felt conflicted. Every time these children began to speak then stopped because they werent allowed to talk about it, his restless doubts about who or what Kiri was expanded.