"Um, Shinji-san... there's something I'd like to ask you."
"Just call me Shinji."
Shirou thought there was no need to be so polite to "Shinji." Adding honorifics just made it feel strange.
"If you need anything, just say so."
"Mm."
Ye Sizhen looked down at the blanket wrapped around her, pressed her lips together, and asked with some difficulty.
"...Where is my dress?"
"Ah..."
Shirou finally remembered. He had taken her cheongsam away last night.
Which meant she was not wearing anything underneath right now...
The shocking image from last night, that alluring and dangerously seductive sight, rose again in the boy's mind.
Shirou hurriedly explained, "I took it to wash it. It probably isn't dry yet.
Sorry, I didn't think that part through."
Ye Sizhen shook her head and said calmly, "Not at all. Thank you again for helping me. You really saved me a great deal of trouble."
"..."
Shirou was a little surprised.
He had thought this foreign gang's big sister would be a colder, sterner woman, but she was unexpectedly kind and easy to talk to.
"Ye-san, I'll get you something to wear."
Shirou walked over to the wardrobe in his room and opened the top drawer.
"...Just call me Sizhen," she said, watching his back.
The drawer was full of the raglan-sleeve T-shirts Shirou liked, and there was no way he could hand those to a woman older than himself.
After searching for a while, he finally dug out a neatly folded white shirt from the bottom of the drawer.
Shirou brought it back to Ye Sizhen. "Will this do? I'm not sure if the size is right."
"This is fine. Thank you."
Ye Sizhen ran her hand over the shirt and thought to herself, Is this the legendary "boyfriend shirt"? Hm.
Shirou stood and walked toward the door. "I'll be right outside. Call me if you need anything."
After the red-haired boy left the room, Ye Sizhen slipped off the blanket covering her, exposing her flawless, alluring body to the air.
"Mm..."
Ye Sizhen looked toward the door and saw the boy's silhouette through the shoji. Her heart began to race before she realized it.
To expose her body with a boy so close by was actually so...
Even though he had already seen her entire body last night for the sake of treatment, just changing clothes with a door between them now felt so...
"..."
Ye Sizhen swallowed and undid the bandages wrapped around her chest.
There was a fresh pink scar on the skin over her heart.
But because it had been treated in time last night, she probably did not need to worry about it leaving a permanent mark. It would fade after a while.
Once again, Ye Sizhen found herself impressed by how careful and considerate the boy was. She slipped her arms into the sleeves and put on the white shirt with a little nervousness.
Unexpectedly, the shirt was looser on her than she had imagined.
Could that child look slender on the outside, but actually be quite sturdy under his clothes?
Ye Sizhen could not help letting her thoughts wander.
The loose shirt made her own figure seem petite, and that felt rather nice too.
Also, although Shirou and Ye Sizhen were both a little over 170 centimeters tall, perhaps because her legs made up more of her height, the hem of the shirt completely covered her lower body. At least she did not have to worry about accidentally exposing herself.
Ye Sizhen began buttoning the shirt, but when she reached her chest, she could not help frowning.
Ugh... so tight.
If she had known this would happen, she would not have unwrapped the bandages around her chest.
But if she took it off now and wrapped them again, would he get tired of waiting?
"Shinji."
Ye Sizhen called to the red-haired boy outside the door.
Shirou slid the door open. "Sizhen... Huh?"
The boy stared blankly at the woman in the white shirt.
His reaction was perfectly understandable. The top three buttons of that white shirt were still undone.
Ye Sizhen very much wanted to button at least one more, but this was her limit.
Her round, snow-white cleavage, along with the vividly blooming Higanbana, was completely exposed.
Ye Sizhen kept her expression calm and did her best to maintain a poker face as she explained.
"It's a little tight around the chest."
"Sorry, I'll get you something else to wear..."
"No need. This is fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Mm, it's fine."
"Okay."
Shirou looked away.
Then the conversation stopped dead.
Neither Shirou nor Ye Sizhen knew what to say.
Until a sound broke the awkward silence.
"Grrrrrr..."
It was the cute rumbling of Ye Sizhen's stomach.
"This is..."
The "cool and reliable big sister" image the Thought Magus had tried so hard to build in front of Shirou collapsed in an instant.
"You haven't eaten anything since last night, have you?" Shirou asked.
"No."
"Got it. I'll go make you something."
"I can't let you do that!" Ye Sizhen hurriedly said.
"Why not?" Shirou asked, puzzled.
That was not what she meant. Ye Sizhen shook her head.
"You saved me last night. I was thinking I should at least cook a meal to repay you... How could I trouble you to prepare food for me too?"
"Is that so?"
Shirou tilted his head and thought for a moment, then activated his Personal Skill, "Unconscious Sarcastic Remarks." "I don't think one meal really counts as repayment."
"...Eh."
Ye Sizhen's expression stiffened.
W-was he mocking me?
Shirou had saved her life last night. Of course a debt like that could not possibly be repaid with something as simple as one meal.
So was he mocking how rude she was being?
No, this child definitely was not the kind of person who said cruel things like that... Ugh! Her heart was starting to hurt!
Shirou gave the flustered Ye Sizhen a gentle smile. "It's just a meal, so please don't worry about it.
You're still injured. Leave the rest to me and wait here in the room."
So that was what he meant...
The boy's smiling face left Ye Sizhen feeling a little resentful.
The Thought Magus lowered her gaze to the floor and answered with a quiet, "All right."
During her more than ten years studying at the Spiral Manor, she had always lived alone, so she actually had quite a bit of confidence in her cooking.
The next time she had the chance, she would absolutely let this child taste her cooking... and properly show him how capable she was as an older sister.
Of course, Ye Sizhen was also curious about Shirou's cooking.
He was probably still in middle school, right?
And there were maids in his home too. No matter how she looked at it, he did not seem like someone who knew how to cook.
She decided that even if the food he brought was terrible, she would do her best to praise him.
Half an hour later, her naive thoughts were shattered completely.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. Please enjoy."
The moment Shirou entered the room carrying two plates, the tempting aroma immediately lifted Ye Sizhen's spirits.
"Is this... fried rice?"
"To be precise, it's Yangzhou fried rice. I thought it might suit your tastes."
Thank you...
Ye Sizhen silently thanked him in her heart.
Shirou placed the fragrant fried rice in front of Ye Sizhen, then sat down across from her.
"The place where I used to work had a Chinese wok, so I'd sometimes use it to practice Chinese cooking.
That said, I mostly taught myself, so I'm not sure how authentic it tastes."
"..."
Ye Sizhen said nothing.
The grains of rice on the plate were perfectly distinct, glossy as if coated in a layer of gold.
The ingredients were generous too. Eggs went without saying, along with neatly diced cucumber, carrots, and sausage, all paired with corn, green peas, and shrimp as accents.
Whether in appearance, ingredients, or aroma, Shirou's fried rice was flawless. Ye Sizhen was genuinely shocked.
It was only the most ordinary kind of fried rice, yet somehow it looked like a glittering golden treasure. She even hesitated over whether to eat it.
But the saliva gathering in her mouth did not lie.
Ye Sizhen carefully scooped up a spoonful and put it in her mouth.
"...Delicious."
A wonderful flavor spread across her tongue, as if it could melt her body.
Perhaps relieved after hearing her response, Shirou began eating his own portion as well, nodding in satisfaction.
Ye Sizhen elegantly continued bringing the fried rice to her mouth, the corners of her lips rising without her noticing.
She was deeply satisfied, but a small sense of defeat also welled up inside her.
My cooking can't compare to this child's at all...
Thank goodness she had not cooked. If she had proudly served up something so unpresentable, her dignity as an older sister would have been...!
"Does it not taste good?" Shirou asked.
"Not at all," Ye Sizhen said calmly.
"But you don't look very happy."
"Not at all."
Ye Sizhen shot him a fierce glare. Shirou flinched and stopped talking.
"Uh... Oh, right, there's tea too."
Shirou said, "You probably prefer green tea, right? This is black tea, but it's Chinese Da Hong Pao. Give it a try."
"All right."
Shirou had not lied.
This really was the highest-grade Da Hong Pao, and likely this year's new harvest.
Its aroma was mellow, its flavor rich, and it filled her with happiness despite herself.
It was truly delicious... beyond what expensive black tea alone should taste like.
Ye Sizhen seriously wondered what kind of magic this child had added to it.
The meal ended in a pleasant, satisfying atmosphere.
Shirou stacked the plates together and said he would take them out to wash later.
Now that they had eaten and drunk their fill, it was about time to get to the main subject.
"Sizhen, your injury..."
"Mm."
Ye Sizhen pressed her fingers between her full breasts. "I know. My injury will probably be difficult to heal completely. It will leave aftereffects, won't it?"
Last night, she had taken an attack at point-blank range powerful enough to kill a mythological hero.
Although she had used the "Thought Key" to cancel out most of the damage, her heart had still suffered a fatal wound.
Her future Magecraft research likely would not be affected, but combat... She probably would not even be able to do anything slightly strenuous.
There was no helping it. Even if she could use divine arts of the Age of Gods, she was still only human.
At this point, simply being alive was already something to be grateful for.
In that case, the plan to "hunt Shirou Amamiya" would have to be abandoned...
"No, you should be able to recover, right?" Shirou suddenly said.
"Why do you say that?" Ye Sizhen's elegant brows drew together slightly.
Shirou explained, "I gave you a rough examination last night. The wound wasn't in your heart. It was about three centimeters off to the side.
So your heart and lungs only took the impact. There were no signs of Mana burns, and the damage isn't irreversible. As long as you rest properly, you should recover."
"It missed my vitals...?"
Ye Sizhen's expression remained calm, but inside, she was startled.
The Tohsaka Magus. Had her attack missed?
No, in that situation, how could she possibly have missed...
I see. Ye Sizhen suddenly understood. Rin Tohsaka likely had never intended to kill her from the very beginning.
Even in that situation, she had still tried to settle the battle without taking her enemy's life. What a naive little girl, and so arrogant it was irritating.
"What do you plan to do next?" Shirou asked.
"I'm considering it now," Ye Sizhen said.
"All right. Then rest properly and take your time thinking about what comes next."
"...?"
Ye Sizhen watched Shirou rise from the tatami.
He walked to the other side of the Japanese-style room and slid open the door to the room Irisviel had originally used.
To Ye Sizhen's surprise, there was another space of the same size beyond it.
The two moved into the adjacent Japanese-style room.
"Sizhen, you can use this room from now on."
"..."
For the first time, panic appeared on Ye Sizhen's cool, alluring face. Is he really not going to ask me what happened last night!?
After staring at Shirou for a long while, Ye Sizhen realized he truly did not intend to ask anything.
"You don't need to worry about anything else. Just focus on recovering."
Considering Irisviel and Illya in her belly, Shirou truly did not want to get dragged into a dispute involving a foreign Magecraft mafia. Even so, he simply could not leave an injured person alone.
Shirou said, "If any trouble does come up, leave it to me. I'll take responsibility for your safety."
Leave the rest to me.
Ye Sizhen could not help remembering the gentle words she had heard yesterday while half-asleep.
"...Then I'll gladly accept your kindness."
Ye Sizhen stole a glance at Shirou. Starting tonight, I'll be living in the room right next to this child...
"And, um... there's actually one more thing I want to discuss with you."
"Please don't be so polite. You saved my life. Just say whatever you need to, all right?"
Ye Sizhen said, "Just treat me like a friend your own age. Um... is there anything you want me to do?"
Shirou scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Okay, then I'll say it.
If it's not too much trouble, could you stay within this room and my room for now?"
Seeing Ye Sizhen's puzzled expression, Shirou explained, "I haven't told my family that I brought you back."
The clever Thought Magus immediately understood the boy's awkward situation.
"I see... I understand.
No problem. I'll cooperate as much as I can, and I absolutely won't cause you any trouble."
Shirou said, "Thanks for understanding. If you really need to go out, take that invisibility charm with you."
"Mm. I won't go anywhere."
Ye Sizhen answered absentmindedly.
For some reason, her current situation made her think of an idiom: hiding a beauty in a golden house.
Then,
"I think it's beautiful."
Hearing the boy say that out of nowhere, Ye Sizhen suddenly looked up.
She realized that the boy was staring very rudely at the soft curve of her chest exposed through the front of the shirt.
More accurately, he was staring at the Red Spider Lily tattoo on it.
"Do you really think so?" Ye Sizhen asked.
Shirou nodded. "Mm. You carved that tattoo with your own Mana, didn't you...
It's delicate and gorgeous, and there isn't a single compromised detail. I can feel how much effort you put into it. It's really impressive."
"..."
Ye Sizhen stared blankly at the boy and unconsciously extended an invitation.
"If there's a chance in the future, may I invite you to visit my workshop?"
The moment she said it, Ye Sizhen regretted it terribly.
That was far too sudden! We've known each other for less than two hours!
And yet.
"Sure."
Shirou agreed without the slightest hesitation.
"...It's a promise."
Ye Sizhen pressed a hand to her chest and murmured from the bottom of her heart.
Her workshop was filled with dolls, masks, and other folk items from all over the world, collected for both personal interest and research.
Even she understood that not everyone would appreciate such a hobby, but…
If it's him, he'll surely accept me...
Ye Sizhen, the talented woman of the Spiral Manor's Watchtower of Possession.
Having poured her entire life into Magecraft research, at the age of thirty, she felt the emotion known as "love" bloom within her for the first time.
***
...
If you'd like to support my work and unlock advanced chapters, you can follow me on p-@-treon.
[email protected]/PinkSnake (50 Chapters Ahead).
You can also follow as a free member to read a few advanced chapters.
***