Seeing Syr fall silent, Takumi smiled.
"Pretty melodramatic, right? Later the book says Fulland—holding the spirit's remains—was more devastated than anyone, so he built this grand basilica."
He pointed up at the murals on the ceiling, describing the scenes from the storybook.
Syr looked puzzled.
"A story like that is clearly tragic… so why do you call it melodramatic?"
She'd learned to understand Takumi's odd modern words, but that only made her more confused.
Takumi answered calmly.
"If it were me, I wouldn't let it get to that point. I hate choosing, and I hate sacrifice."
"Throwing one person away for the sake of another choice—if you ask me, that's just stupid."
"And afterwards, crying about it and building some grand hall? That doesn't fix anything. It's just someone trying to comfort themselves."
He didn't hide the coldness in his tone at all and yet those words struck Syr straight in the heart.
"Not willing… to choose… not willing to abandon one person for another?"
Sunlight poured through the stained-glass windows, bright and warm, and fell across Syr's face.
Her pale-gray eyes turned toward Takumi beside her, stretching lazily.
"Takumi-san."
"Hm? What is it?"
"What if I became like the spirit in that mural—what would you do?"
"…Huh?"
"I mean… if you chose someone else, and I became so hurt and angry that I did things I couldn't control… what would you do then?"
Hearing Syr's hypothetical, Takumi turned and met her eyes.
"First, I wouldn't choose."
"Second, if you really couldn't control yourself, I'd stop you—then I'd punish you until you behaved."
"Punish me?"
"Spank you. You know—on the ass."
"Hahaha… is that all?"
Syr laughed, bright as a bell, watching Takumi demonstrate with a shameless little motion.
After she finished laughing, she slowly asked, voice softening.
"You wouldn't blame me… hate me… abandon me?"
"I'm not that extreme."
Takumi waved it off immediately.
"If you want me to go that far, you'd have to be someone like Ishtar."
That answer made Syr lean in closer, lips nearly brushing his ear.
"Takumi-san… you wouldn't pick me up and whisper, 'Such a naughty little bad cat. If you're going to keep causing trouble, I'll have to keep you under my watch—so be prepared, hm?' and then ravage me until I couldn't think straight?"
"…"
What the hell. That felt way too specific—like she'd read his mind.
Takumi clicked his tongue and looked away, suddenly guilty.
"Of course not… Let's not talk about that."
"Takumi-san… you're really cute when you get like this."
Syr smiled sweetly, tilted her head, and rested it on his shoulder.
Her smooth, pale cheek brushed his neck as she murmured, almost sleepy.
"I really want you to treat me like that~~"
Takumi didn't answer.
In a solemn basilica, doing something inappropriate would be too much.
While he stayed quiet, Syr's breathing and heartbeat gradually slowed.
"Did she fall asleep?"
Noticing Syr had drifted off, Takumi stayed where he was.
He gently stroked her pale-gray hair. The two of them leaned together and slept right there.
Time passed slowly until the ringing of a bell announced evening.
Seeing the sunset glow outside the window, Takumi looked down at Syr.
"Syr, let's go. I booked a restaurant early this morning."
Takumi offered his hand again.
Syr opened her sleepy eyes, big and watery, then smiled softly.
"Okay… Takumi-san~"
She placed her delicate hand into his palm.
…
When they left the grand basilica and passed through the plaza outside, a vendor selling accessories called out at the perfect moment.
"We've got matching couple accessories—perfect for lovebirds like you two! Want to take a look?"
That immediately caught Syr's interest.
She stopped and tugged Takumi over to the stall.
"Takumi-san, let's buy one!"
The vendor's face lit up.
"I'm Gordon, a craftsman with skill in silverwork that rivals anyone! I've got the perfect pair for you!"
Then he quickly recommended a matching silver set themed after the Saint Fulland Grand Basilica.
"This pair can be joined into one piece."
"When split into two, the lady can wear hers as a hair ornament, and the gentleman can wear his as a brooch!"
"And since you two look so perfect together—this set is normally 2,000 valis, but today it's only 1,000!"
The man's sales pitch flowed like he'd practiced it a thousand times.
Takumi hadn't even started haggling and the guy had already cut the price in half.
Takumi strongly suspected the discount was baked into a raised price.
The real value was probably a few dozen… maybe a hundred valis.
But right now, Takumi couldn't bring himself to argue.
Because—
Staaaaare…
Syr's hopeful, blazing eyes made refusing impossible.
Takumi didn't bother negotiating.
It was just 1,000 valis.
"Boss, stop talking. I'll take it."
"Wonderful! Thank you!"
The vendor happily pocketed the money and handed the accessory over immediately.
Takumi turned and placed it into Syr's hands.
"Syr. This is for you."
"Wah~~!!"
Syr's face lit up like she'd been handed a treasure.
It was like she hadn't expected him to actually buy it for her.
She carefully separated the matching piece into two halves, then checked the front and back multiple times like she was afraid it might vanish.
"Then I'll keep the half with the spirit symbol!"
"And Takumi-san should take the half with the knight."
"Good idea."
Takumi nodded and accepted the other half.
Syr cradled her piece like it was precious, then finally pinned it into her pale-gray hair.
When she finished, she turned back with a bright, shy smile.
"Does it suit me, Takumi-san?"
"It suits you perfectly, Syr."
The hair ornament caught the sunset and reflected a cool blue sheen but Syr's happy, bashful smile was even more dazzling.
Right now, Syr was beautiful in a way that truly pulled at the heart.
Not the seductive goddess of beauty kind of charm but the sweet, youthful glow of a girl in love.
And Takumi realized something uncomfortable.
Before, he'd mostly wanted Freya's body.
But now…
He might actually be falling for the girl inside her.