Aozaki Residence.
Before dawn, Utaha was forced out of bed.
The reason? Roy, the master responsible for ensuring Fuyuki City's safety, had returned from his hunt for the blackened Servants.
"Lord Roy, I'm just glad you're safe."
Seeing Roy return as calmly as if nothing had happened, the heavy stone pressing on Utaha's chest finally settled.
She glanced around the living room.
Near the kotatsu, a white-haired, red-eyed little girl who bore a striking resemblance to Roy lay sprawled out.
At the table sat a pair of identical twin sisters.
Mayor Tohsaka, whom she had met a few times before, was also there, sipping plain water.
For a moment, Utaha didn't know how to describe the emotions swirling inside her.
She couldn't deny it—a faint sourness rose in her heart.
And at that moment, she had to admit it.
Towards Roy, who had saved her in her darkest hour, she had unwittingly developed a vague sense of affection.
Utaha was not a woman who lied to herself. She was straightforward with her emotions. Now that she recognized her feelings for Roy, she knew that if she stayed here for a few more months and got to know him better, she might genuinely confess to him.
But right now…
Utaha glanced at Rin, swept her eyes over the white-haired little girl, then the twins, and finally shot a sidelong look at Hayasaka, who was cooking in the kitchen.
Her face remained expressionless, and she said nothing.
What the hell is this?
Rin Tohsaka was one thing.
But why, after just one night, were there three unfamiliar women in this house?
Counting carefully, there were already six women here!
No—if you included that bizarre, utterly illogical Servant, Okita Souji, then it was seven!
"Utaha, let me introduce you."
Roy beckoned her over.
"This is Illya—Illyasviel von Einzbern. I rescued her from a blackened Servant earlier, and from now on, she'll be living here. Think of her as my… well, little sister."
"Big sister!"
Illya lifted her head from the kotatsu, protesting indignantly.
"I was created way before Roy, shortly after the Fourth Holy Grail War! Roy should be calling me big sister!"
"Alright, alright, big sister it is, happy?"
Roy shrugged helplessly, his tone dripping with indulgence.
Utaha's expression turned complicated.
No matter how you looked at it, this white-haired girl appeared no older than eleven or twelve. How could she claim to be the elder sister of Roy, who looked sixteen or seventeen?
But… created?
What did that mean?
The Fourth Holy Grail War was ten years ago, wasn't it?
Come to think of it, Einzbern sounded familiar.
Hadn't Roy mentioned before that they were one of the three founding families who created the Greater Grail?
Because of that, they were punished by the Mage's Association and forced to hand over their homunculus technology…
Homunculus?
Created?
Ten years ago?
Big sister… and little brother?
Utaha suddenly raised a hand and rubbed her temples.
Many things clicked into place.
On the first night she arrived at the Aozaki residence, she had sensed something off about Roy's face after he bathed.
At the time, she hadn't understood. But now, she realized the source of that dissonance.
Roy's face was too artistic, as if sculpted by human hands. Every inch of him exuded a sense of meticulous craftsmanship—an unnatural refinement that set him apart from ordinary humans.
Because normal people always had some rough edges.
But Roy didn't.
That was the source of the unease.
Ah… and his rank as a magus.
Why didn't I think of it before?
Roy's magecraft was clearly formidable—he could easily infiltrate homes protected by bounded fields. And he himself had told her about the treatment of homunculi.
Yet it never occurred to her that this was why Roy's rank as a magus was only the lowest level of Frame.
"These two are Nakano Ichika and Nakano Miku. They were refugees outside the city, captured by blackened Servants. We rescued them, and now they're my attendants. Miku is temporarily under Tohsaka's name, but they'll both be living here from now on…"
Roy noticed the sudden complexity in Utaha's expression but merely smiled and continued introducing the sisters.
"Hello."
Nakano Ichika seemed much calmer now.
On the way back to the Aozaki residence, she had even cautiously apologized to Roy for refusing Atram under the pretense of being his attendant. Of course, Roy hadn't been angry—he even reassured her, which put Ichika at ease.
"H-Hello…"
Nakano Miku, on the other hand, was far more timid. Her eyes were still red, as if she had been crying earlier.
She trembled like a frightened rabbit.
She'd probably make a good bunny girl.
"Where's Saber?"
"Ah, Miss Okita is…"
Utaha forced herself to push aside her tangled thoughts.
"Okita?"
Nakano Miku's ears perked up.
Utaha led Roy to a side bedroom.
"M-Master… I'm sorry… I couldn't… greet you properly…"
Okita lay weakly on the bed, her face as pale as paper, her breath faint as a thread.
"After bringing Miss Illya back, she suddenly coughed up a lot of blood, so we let her rest."
"Ah, just her usual sickly weakness. Servants are like that—she died from illness in history, and even as a Servant, she can't shake it off. At least it didn't act up during battle. Don't worry, Servants can't actually die from illness. She'll recover after resting."
Okita could only stare silently at the ceiling, speechless.
To let her rest properly, the two returned to the living room.
"Okita… sickly… Servant…?"
Nakano Miku's ears twitched again.
Her eyes suddenly grew livelier.
"Breakfast is ready."
Hayasaka brought the dishes to the table.
For now, everyone set aside their worries and gathered around the table to eat heartily.
With so many people, the table felt a bit cramped.
"I'll head back to rest. Contact me via familiar if anything comes up."
After breakfast, Rin yawned and left the Aozaki residence.
"Lord Roy, the bath is ready. I've drawn hot water for you."
Hayasaka returned to the living room, her professionalism impeccable.
"Thanks."
Roy smiled, grabbed a change of clothes, and headed to the bathroom.
Now, only five women remained in the living room.
Utaha and Hayasaka exchanged assessing glances with Ichika, while Miku hunched over like an ostrich, though she seemed to have something she wanted to say.
Illya, meanwhile, observed the four women with keen interest.
Clang!
Suddenly, a loud noise came from the bathroom.
"Roy?!"
Illya stiffened, then immediately shot up from the kotatsu and dashed toward the bathroom.
Moments later, she returned, dragging a completely naked Roy out, bound in silver threads.
Her expression was grave as she scrutinized the four visibly tense women, her gaze lingering particularly on Utaha and Hayasaka.
"All of you—Roy's curse has flared up. Do any of you have any idea why?"
***
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