"Ah, I see. So… she was Master's partner in the previous Holy Grail War, then?"
In the living room, Lily sat kneeling politely beside Shichen, nodding with a look of understanding.
A moment ago, Shichen had explained his history with Artoria to her.
"That's right," Artoria said, pressing her lips together.
It still felt strange. Seeing her younger self right in front of her—she didn't even know what to say.
They were the same person… and yet, right now, they were also clearly two separate people.
And their situation was different from Mio and Murasame Reine's.
Mio and Reine were split into two—each with her own consciousness, yet sharing memories.
But Artoria was more like her past self meeting her future self. Both carried the full lifetime of memories as King Arthur.
There was one difference, though: Artoria's experiences with Shichen were something Lily didn't have.
"I have a question!" Lily suddenly raised her hand, completely unreserved.
She was the kind of girl who looked toward the future with hope—she adapted quickly, without any heavy emotions.
Even though she still possessed every memory of her life, good and bad alike.
"What is it?" Shichen looked at her.
"Well—since I'm… and she's…" Lily started, then got stuck. "Ugh… wait. How am I supposed to address her?"
"Call her 'Onee-chan,' maybe?" Shichen suggested.
"Onee-chan? Okay! That's it!" Lily declared happily, clearly liking the idea.
"O-Onee-chan…?" Artoria froze.
"Is that… not okay?" Lily looked at her timidly.
"This… isn't it a bit weird?" Artoria asked, instinctively looking to Shichen for help.
"What's weird about it?" Shichen said. "Even if you're the same person, you've lived more than Lily has—you're her senpai. It makes perfect sense for her to call you 'Onee-chan.'"
"I think it's adorable, too~" Irisviel chimed in, delighted to stir the pot.
"Iris… not again…" Artoria sighed.
"I'm not kidding~ You can't seriously call each other 'the other me,' can you?"
"Well… fair point… Shichen?" Artoria appealed to him again.
"Let's go with it," Shichen decided. "Lily, call her 'Onee-chan.' You can just treat it like you're twins."
"Twins…" Artoria narrowed her eyes at Shichen. "You're not thinking something weird again, are you?"
"...No way." Shichen shook his head, helpless.
"I hope so… Fine. Then we'll go with 'sisters.'" Artoria looked at Lily and accepted.
"Okay! Onee-chan!" Lily called out brightly.
"Ah… yeah…" Artoria still didn't quite know how to respond.
"Alright," Shichen said. "Continue—what were you going to ask, Lily?"
"Oh, right! The previous Holy Grail War was ten years ago, wasn't it? Why is Onee-chan still here? Did she get a physical body?"
"This…" Artoria hesitated, looking awkward.
She couldn't exactly say she'd become Shichen's woman.
Even her younger self—who might've been curious about romance—probably wouldn't imagine that outcome.
"More or less," Shichen answered for her.
"Oh! Then that means Onee-chan won the last Grail War?"
"Yeah. Your Master is awesome," Shichen said, praising himself without shame.
"Wow! Incredible, Master!" Lily's eyes sparkled. "Then I have to work hard too!"
That was Lily for you—hopeful, upbeat, positive to the bone.
"Go for it," Shichen said, holding out his fist.
"Yeah!" Lily bumped fists with him.
"Alright, enough for today. It's late—everyone go to bed," Shichen said.
"Huh? It's still early!" Illya protested. "I'm really curious about Lily-oneechan."
"Be good—or I'll spank you again."
"Ehh—Dad always bullies me… Wait, do you like spanking me or something?" Illya asked.
Shichen gave her a cold smile. "Sounds like your butt's itching again."
"M-Mom! Let's go! I'm going to sleep!" Illya squeaked, instantly panicking as she yanked Irisviel away.
Her butt still hurt, okay?!
"I thought Illya liked being spanked," Irisviel teased.
"I'm not a masochist!"
"Then why do you keep provoking him?"
"I'm just trying to provoke Dad! What if he suddenly… goes feral?"
"So that's your strategy. Good luck, Illya. I support you."
"Iris!" Shichen snapped.
"Aww~" Irisviel didn't care. She laughed and took Illya back to her room.
"I'll go to my room too, then." Sakura quietly returned to her room as well.
"We'll turn in too," Sella and Leysritt said, preparing to leave.
"Wait." Shichen stopped them.
"Sorry to trouble you again—could you set up a room for Lily and Rin? From now on, they'll be living with us too."
"Hey! Don't decide that for me!" Rin blurted out. "I have my own home!"
"Nope." Shichen rejected her outright. "You living alone is too dangerous. Everyone knows a Tohsaka is a Master—if I'm not by your side, you're an easy target."
"That's your fault!" Rin pouted.
"Anyway, it's decided. Sella, Leysritt—thanks."
"No problem."
Sella and Leysritt went off to prepare Rin's room. Rin followed them, still grumbling as she left.
"Master's house is full of girls… and even a daughter…" Lily murmured, amazed. "So Master and Irisviel are married?"
"Not officially," Shichen said with a warm smile. "But she's one of my partners."
"One of… your partners?" Lily froze.
"Yep."
"Um, Master… if my knowledge is correct, in this era it's supposed to be one husband and one wife, right?" Lily asked cautiously.
"Yep."
"Then why did you say 'one of'…"
"Because I have more than one partner."
"Uh…" Lily instinctively glanced at Artoria.
"What he said is true," Artoria confirmed with a nod.
"So… Master is… a womanizer?" Lily finally realized.
"I call it 'affectionate,' not 'a womanizer,'" Shichen argued.
"But… what's the difference?"
"I like them, and they like me, so we're together."
"Th-this…"
"Lily, you're not even from the modern era—why do you care?" Shichen asked.
"I don't care," Lily said quickly. "I'm just curious… So are Sella and Leysritt also Master's partners?"
"No," Shichen denied.
"Then… Rin?"
"Also no."
"Then… it can't be…" Lily swallowed and asked carefully, "Illya and Sakura?"
"They're my daughter and my little sister."
"Okay, good." Lily patted her chest in relief.
Shichen laughed. "What kind of person do you think I am?"
"You feel really close to me, Master," Lily said seriously. "I just… don't want you to be a pervert."
Shichen chuckled. "And if I were a pervert?"
"I wouldn't leave," Lily said honestly, "but I'd have to keep my distance."
"How are you going to win the Grail War like that?" Shichen teased. "You're a Servant—don't sweat the small stuff."
"Master, you forgot," Lily smiled. "I'm still not mature yet."
"…Fair enough." Shichen nodded. "But don't worry. I just have multiple partners—I'm not a pervert."
"Mhm! That's what I thought!" Lily nodded happily.
"Then where are your other partners?" Lily asked. "Are they somewhere else? Because you can't see them?"
"No," Shichen said, grinning. "My partners all get along really well—like sisters."
He shot a quick sideways glance at Artoria.
Artoria turned her head away, refusing to look at him. She was clearly afraid Lily would notice something.
"Wow, Master!" Lily didn't think too deeply. "That's amazing!"
"You'll probably meet them tomorrow," Shichen said casually. "She already ate dinner and holed up in her room."
"I see. Got it."
"Go sleep," Shichen told her. "Don't worry about anything. I've got plenty of mana. Just act like this is your home."
"Okay~" Lily replied, leaving with light, cheerful steps, not caring at all that Shichen and Artoria were left alone together.
But once she reached the room prepared for her, she suddenly realized something.
Artoria had a physical body now—which meant she'd been living in this world for the past ten years.
Like a normal person.
So… what had she been doing all that time?
Had nothing happened in this world?
Like… romance, for example?
~~~
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