Sella lay alone, staring up at the mottled ceiling of her room.
Sella lay alone, staring up at the mottled ceiling of her room.
Yet the scene seared into her memory refused to leave her mind.
Last night in the bathroom, after soaking in the tub until she grew lightheaded, she had seen Shirou's face through her haze.
In the steam-filled bathroom, the appearance of the red-haired young man had felt so unreal that she mistook it for part of a dream.
If it was only a dream... then surely it didn't matter what she did, right?
Things she would never dare to do normally.
Words she would never dare to say.
Even if it meant betraying her mistress, if it was only a dream, surely that was fine.
And the result...
"......"
One embarrassing, sensual scene after another from the bathroom flashed through the Homunculus maid's mind.
How she had cast aside her usual icy facade...
How she had clung to him and acted spoiled like a little girl...
How she had tried to seduce Shirou while completely naked...
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Sella screamed.
So embarrassing, so embarrassing, so embarrassing, so embarrassing, so embarrassing, so embarrassing, so embarrassing, so embarrassing, so embarrassing, so embarrassing!
The silver-haired Homunculus hugged her pillow and rolled back and forth across the bed.
To think that... in front of Shirou, she had done that... and then that!
She had insisted that he carry her out of the bathtub in his arms.
She had even begged him in a sugary voice to wash her body.
Waaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
No, no, no, no, nooooooo!
Guh, I might as well die...!
Sella covered her burning cheeks and collapsed face-down on the bed, panting heavily.
Come to think of it...
I went that far trying to seduce Shirou, so how did that man still manage to calmly bring me back to my room?
In the manga the Lady usually reads, the male lead would get a nosebleed immediately in a situation like that!
Sella was well aware that she possessed little feminine charm, much less enough to compare with the Lady, but Shirou's composure still left her somewhat dejected.
Just as she began biting her pillow to vent her frustration, the bedroom door clicked open.
"Sella...? It's already this late. Why are you still in bed?"
"Ah... L-Leysritt?"
Sella scrambled out of bed.
Leysritt looked at her with concern. "Sella, are you okay?"
"Hm? Huh? I-I'm fine. Why are you suddenly asking?"
"Yesterday, when Shirou helped you back, he said you were acting a little strange and asked me to keep an eye on you."
"Eh... he really said that?"
Sella's regret deepened even further.
All because she had briefly lost her head, she had made Shirou and Leysritt worry about her.
She forced a smile for Leysritt. "Mm. I think I stayed in the bath too long yesterday and got a little dizzy, but after sleeping it off, I'm completely fine now."
"I'm glad you're okay, Sella."
Leysritt nodded.
Seeing her sister's innocent reaction, Sella couldn't help wondering how they could be so different when they were twin sisters from the same batch.
"If you're fine, then let's go. Everyone's waiting for us to eat."
"Okay."
Sella followed Leysritt toward the living room.
"By the way... did Shirou say anything last night?"
"Say what?"
The busty maid tilted her head, then noticed Sella awkwardly scratching her cheek.
Leysritt stopped to think for a moment. "Shirou seemed pretty shaken."
"Huh? I'm the one who should be shaken..."
Sella's face went pale, only for Leysritt to continue.
"When Shirou left, he kept muttering things like…"
"'So Sella has such a cute side after all.'
"'That was a little too stimulating. I'd better take a cold shower and calm down before bed.'
"Things like that."
"Eh..... Shirou really said that?"
"Mm."
Sella was speechless.
Her feelings were complicated.
But she certainly wasn't unhappy. If anything, she felt relieved.
Apparently, her body had managed to get at least some reaction out of Shirou.
Perhaps all that embarrassment hadn't been completely wasted...
"Ah, Shirou."
Leysritt's voice made Sella instantly stiffen.
"Shi-Shirou?"
"Good morning, Leysritt... and Sella."
They greeted each other stiffly, both wearing awkward expressions.
"I'll go get Illya for breakfast."
With that, Leysritt hurried away down the hallway.
"......Are you feeling all right now, Sella?"
"Ah, mm."
Sella lowered her head in embarrassment and stared at the floor. "About last night... I caused you trouble, Shirou."
"It doesn't really bother me, but Sella, you should probably be more careful from now on…"
"Ah, I don't mean it like that, and I'm not trying to blame you! I'm actually really happy that Sella trusts me."
"But..."
What Shirou left unsaid was that he was also a healthy young man in the prime of his youth.
Nothing had happened in the bathroom last night, but there was no guarantee things wouldn't get out of hand next time.
"Mm... you're right."
"I'm glad Sella understands."
Shirou smiled in relief, but Sella abruptly abandoned the slightly embarrassed tone she had been using.
"When you get down to it, this is Shirou's fault for having lewd thoughts about my body."
"Huh? This is my fault?"
Sella might normally be strict and serious, but she certainly wasn't an unreasonable woman.
Last night's trouble had clearly started with her, yet now she was blaming Shirou. It made no sense at all.
Shirou looked up in confusion, only to find Sella blushing as she gave him a mischievous grin.
The silver-haired Homunculus maid stepped forward. Shirou instinctively tried to retreat, but she caught him by the wrist.
Sella rose onto her toes and whispered beside the young man's ear.
"Shirou, my body excited you, didn't it?"
"Well... anyone would react after seeing Sella like that, wouldn't they?"
Even after an entire night, Shirou still had a vivid impression of Sella's slender naked body, as flawless as a finely crafted work of art.
"I see. So my naked body really did get a reaction out of Shirou."
Strangely enough, Sella felt genuinely delighted.
Was it simply because she felt that her worth had been acknowledged?
No, it had to be more than that.
The corners of her lips rose despite herself. "Last night, you and the Lady spent quite a long time in the bathroom, didn't you?"
"...Mm."
Sella fixed the young man with a sharp stare. "Honestly, don't you have a little too much energy?
"The Lady spoils you far too much. No matter how excessive or unreasonable your demands become, she always indulges you.
"In the end, aren't you the only one enjoying yourself?"
"I think Iri enjoys herself quite a bit too..."
Of course Sella knew exactly how much Iri enjoyed her time with Shirou. If anything, she had already fallen hopelessly into it.
"But the Lady has also said that once Shirou's animal instincts take over, he stops listening to anything she says."
"All that usual gentleness and consideration disappears the moment you get into bed, and you become rather frightening."
Shirou: "..."
"You're especially rough with women, treating them like objects and leaving marks all over their bodies without knowing when to stop…"
"You even force them to say all sorts of humiliating, self-degrading things in the middle of it…"
"Even on dangerous days, you brazenly go ahead and do it inside anyway…"
"Nothing I've said is wrong, is it?"
"You're absolutely right, Sella-sama."
Shirou hung his head dejectedly.
And it wasn't only Irisviel. With the Aozaki sisters and Alice as well, Shirou had a history of going too far and nearly pushing them beyond their limits.
Of course, he never did it intentionally. It was simply what happened when his emotions ran too high for him to restrain himself.
"...Ugh."
Looking back on it now, he could only reflect on his own animalistic behavior.
Once, after Touko-nee-san had passed out because Shirou had gone too far and later woke up, she told him there wasn't a woman in the world he couldn't conquer. Even a cold and aloof witch like Alice would lose herself completely.
At the time, Shirou had thought she was praising him.
She had actually been mocking him!
Damn it!
"I'll reflect on my behavior properly."
Shirou spoke with a solemn expression.
Next time, definitely.
"Hmph."
Sella snorted disdainfully. "If you keep making the Lady your partner like this, something will go wrong sooner or later."
"I'm sorry."
"So from now on, we'll have to limit how much time you spend with the Lady... understood?"
Shirou assumed this was simply Sella looking out for Irisviel, so he nodded without hesitation.
"I understand. I promise, Sella."
The silver-haired maid nodded in satisfaction. "Good. And as compensation..."
"As compensation?" Shirou asked, puzzled.
For some reason, Sella suddenly grew fidgety, clasping and unclasping her hands because she didn't know what to do with them.
"If you go over the time limit, then, um…"
"I'll take the Lady's place... and satisfy Shirou's desires."
Sella's cheeks burned bright red as she stumbled over her words.
"I may not be able to compare with the Lady, but simply satisfying your desires…"
"Handling your sexual needs is hardly a difficult task for a maid like me."
"Huh? You can't do that!" Shirou shouted.
"Why not!?" Sella glared at him with wide eyes. "You reacted to my body, didn't you!?"
Shirou stared at her speechlessly. "......Why are you getting angry?"
"I-I'm not angry."
Realizing she had revealed her desire a little too openly, Sella hurriedly steadied her breathing.
"The Lady once instructed me to treat Shirou the same way I would treat my own master."
"Mm, did she...? I don't think you need to go that far."
"Either way, it's settled."
Ignoring Shirou's objections, Sella unilaterally decided the matter.
"From now on, if you feel like attacking Irisviel, tell me first... and come violate me instead."
Having said that, Sella left Shirou standing there and turned toward the living room.
Shirou: "......"
Sella walked with unusually light steps, her entire back radiating good cheer.
Still, Shirou could understand her desire to protect her mistress.
So if I ask Sella, she'll be willing to do naughty things with me...?
Shirou swallowed.
Considering the sincere bond between Sella and Irisviel as mistress and servant, wouldn't it be wrong for him to simply disregard her feelings?
...
Breakfast at the Amamiya residence was as peaceful and comfortable as ever.
Then, while sipping her miso soup, Taiga Fujimura suddenly seemed to remember something. She put down her bowl and chopsticks and began counting on her fingers.
"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven... eight? Hm?
"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven... eight!?"
"What are you doing, Taiga?"
Illya asked on everyone's behalf.
"The number of people at the table seems wrong today."
Taiga Fujimura muttered as she looked around the table.
Then her gaze stopped on Tiamat, who was sitting right beside her.
She sprang to her feet and belatedly shouted.
"Y-You! Who are you!? Why are you sitting at our table like you belong here!?"
"I am Mother."
Tiamat introduced herself as though this were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Huuuh???"
Taiga Fujimura clutched her head.
"How did this happen!?"
"I thought things had finally settled down, but before I knew it, there was another person living here!"
"How did it come to this? This house has already turned into some kind of fantasy hot spring inn…"
"No, if you include Tohsaka and Sakura too, it's basically an all-girls school!"
"Taiga! You're too loud!" Illya protested.
"Disciple Zero, calm yourself."
A dignified voice rang out.
"Master!!"
Taiga Fujimura looked toward Irisviel as though she had found her last lifeline.
Faced with a strange woman who had suddenly proclaimed herself "Mother," the only person she could rely on now was the true mother of this household.
Irisviel spoke calmly. "Mother will be staying here with us for a while. Please get along with her from now on."
"Even Master has fallen aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Taiga Fujimura clutched her head and collapsed onto the dining table.
"Will someone please explain what's going on!?"
"Could this be that legendary... hypnosis? Cognitive alteration?"
"I looked away for one second, and the home Shirou and I share has gotten even closer to becoming a den of depravity!"
"There, there~"
Tiamat gently stroked Taiga Fujimura's head.
"Hey... if we castrate Shirou, will this chain of tragedies finally end...?"
...
Shirou headed to school with Tiamat accompanying him in Spirit Form.
The previous night, he had called Shinji to ask about Sakura.
"Huh? Sakura? She's been locked in her room all day."
"She's even eating all her meals in there. Come to think of it, she's been eating an awful lot these past couple of days... Could she be pregnant? Hahaha."
Ever since entering middle school, Shinji had started referring to his younger sister as "that girl."
And this was the same person who had once said he wanted to become a good older brother who would protect his little sister.
This is exactly why she hates you, Shirou thought.
In any case, after a combination of threats and persuasion from Shirou, Shinji went to knock on Sakura's door and learned that she would be coming to school today.
Whatever needed to be said could be discussed there.
Shirou intended to introduce Tiamat to Sakura as well.
For one thing, Sakura was a Magus of the Matou family, one of the Three Founding Families. She had every right to know about this matter.
More importantly, though, if Sakura discovered that Tohsaka already knew about it and they had deliberately kept her in the dark...
Shirou's shoulders trembled as an inexplicable chill ran through him.
"Is Sakura Shirou's little sister?"
"Well, you could say that."
Tiamat seemed unexpectedly interested in Sakura Matou.
As a mother, she loved all of humanity, her children, equally.
As a wife, she loved only Shirou, her husband.
For someone like her, this seemed to be the first time she had taken a particular interest in one specific human.
"She wasn't chosen by the Goddesses as a vessel, you know," Shirou said.
Tiamat shook her head.
"I feel a strong connection between that child and Mother."
"Could it be her Magecraft attribute?"
Shirou suddenly understood.
Sakura Matou's Magecraft attribute was "Imaginary Numbers."
It was an extremely rare and valuable Magecraft attribute, one whose value could rival Rin Tohsaka possessing all five Magecraft attributes at once.
Tiamat, meanwhile, was the Goddess of Creation who had been exiled into Imaginary Numbers Space.
In that sense, the two of them really did share a peculiar connection.
"I'm looking forward to meeting that child♪"
Tiamat was in exceptionally high spirits, humming the commercial jingle she had heard on television the night before.
"She's a very well-behaved girl. I'm sure Tia will like her."
"Mother would never dislike a child!"
While communicating telepathically with Tiamat, Shirou passed through the school's main gate.
Students surrounded him as they hurried toward their classrooms. Homeroom was about to begin.
Amid the crowd rushing through the school, Shirou suddenly stopped.
"Hey, Mother... did you notice it?"
Tiamat nodded.
"Someone has erected a Barrier around the school."
***
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