Reborn in Type-Moon: Starting by Adopting Sakura - Chapter 22

Sakura was still upstairs, buried in her programming homework like always. The kid never seemed to take a break. By the time Manaka came back with the tea, Artoria was the only one left in the lounge, working her way through another slice of tiramisu.

When Manaka walked in, Artoria carefully placed her spoon on the plate and looked up to meet the blonde girl's eyes.

Manaka's smile looked like it had been painted on. "Master went out?"

"Shopping," Artoria said. Then, after a beat, she added, "With Irisviel."

The smile vanished from Manaka's face like someone had flipped a switch. Her expression went completely flat—even more blank than Artoria's usual poker face, if that was possible. She tilted her head slightly and tapped one finger against her chin. "I see."

That empty, almost innocent look sent a chill down Lancer's spine. It wasn't like Manaka was threatening her directly or anything. It was more like being in the shadow of some massive predator circling overhead, the kind that could strike without warning and leave nothing behind.

Just sitting in the same room with this girl made Artoria's instincts scream danger. The kind of random, unpredictable threat that could end you the moment you let your guard down. Like if she closed her eyes right now, there was no guarantee she'd ever open them again.

"Why aren't you angry?" Artoria asked bluntly.

That was what really got under her skin about this whole situation. When someone wanted to kill, there was usually fury behind it—hot, messy emotion you could see coming. But this girl had barely even blinked when she heard Yuu had gone off with another woman. Artoria had thrown in that detail about Irisviel on purpose, just to see what would happen. She could already tell Manaka was completely fixated on Yuu, so where was the jealous rage? Where was anything?

Instead, Manaka just stood there looking completely hollow. No anger, no malice you could point to and say ‘there, that's dangerous.’ But somehow Artoria knew this girl could kill someone without blinking, probably while wearing that same empty smile.

It was like trying to read something that wasn't quite human.

"Hmm..." Manaka tilted her head so far to one side it looked like it might just keep going until it fell off. Her voice came out soft and wondering. "Why would I be angry?"

The sunlight streaming through the windows felt wrong somehow, like it couldn't quite reach into the corners of the room where they sat.

Manaka's smile brightened, but it didn't touch her eyes at all. "Even if I got angry, Master wouldn't change his mind about anything, would he? I'm not going to do something that would make him upset with me."

Because ever since that snowy Christmas night, when Yuu had taken her hand and guided that blade toward his own chest, Manaka had made herself a promise. Right after she'd sworn to never look into her own future again, she'd made another vow—she would never, ever do anything that might make Master hate her.

…

Irisviel had always been full of life, bubbling with energy and just enough mischief to keep things interesting—at least when she was around Yuu. After they got off the train at Shibuya Station, she asked him to help her pick out some clothes.

Her smile could have outshone the winter sun itself. "Over here, over here!" Without warning, she grabbed his hand and pulled him straight into an upscale lingerie boutique.

"When you said clothes, this is what you meant?" Yuu asked, looking around at the displays.

Irisviel clasped her hands behind her back and leaned forward, the movement making the purple fabric of her dress dip just enough to reveal the elegant curve of her chest. Her red eyes practically danced with mischief as she looked up at him. "Well, both outer clothes and undergarments are important, don't you think? Unless Mr. Yuu doesn't bother with underwear?"

Yuu found himself at a complete loss for words. This girl had always been sharp, but she seemed even more uninhibited than she'd been back at the Einzbern castle. Like someone had cut the last few strings holding her back.

"Welcome to our store," chirped a sales clerk in a crisp suit, approaching them with a professional smile.

"Thanks, but we'll just browse on our own," Irisviel said, waving her off before pulling Yuu deeper into the shop. They made their way between displays of delicate lace and silk in every color imaginable.

She ducked her head slightly, glancing up at him through her lashes. A faint blush colored her otherwise perfect features. "Yuu... you'll help me choose something, won't you?"

"Of course," he replied.

Her face lit up with a shy, grateful smile that revealed the truth—for all her bold words, the princess wasn't nearly as confident as she pretended to be. She was probably fighting off embarrassment through sheer determination. "Then please help me pick out something... cute."

The front section of the store was mostly filled with the more seductive pieces. All the customers and staff were women, which didn't bother Yuu much. Irisviel, on the other hand, seemed to tense up after getting the words out. Her cheeks flushed visibly.

She patted her face a few times to collect herself, then flitted between the displays like a butterfly sampling flowers.

"Oh, they're all so adorable! Yuu, which one do you like?" She'd already narrowed it down to two options, holding up matching sets in each hand. Both were trimmed with delicate lace and clearly designed to be charming rather than purely practical.

The set on the left was a seductive pink with black lace, the one on the right was a fresh sea-blue.

"They're both lovely," Yuu said honestly.

Irisviel's lips formed a small pout. "That's such a non-answer."

"I'm being completely serious here," he replied. "Either one would suit you perfectly. Actually, I think you'd look good in pretty much anything."

The silver-haired girl looked down, a shy smile spreading across her face. "Then... would you mind helping me check if the size is right?"

Yuu nodded.

Irisviel made her way to the most private fitting room tucked away in the back corner of the store. Just before she pulled the curtain shut, she peeked out one more time. “You’ll keep watch for me, right?”

Even though this was a women-only store, she obviously didn't want anyone else—not even other female customers—catching a glimpse of her while she was changing.

Once the curtain closed, Yuu found himself standing alone in the middle of a lingerie boutique.

The looks from other shoppers became noticeably more pointed.

Which made sense, really. A guy who looked handsome enough to be a movie star hanging around in a place like this was bound to turn heads and raise questions.

He met their stares calmly, and most of the women quickly looked away like they'd been caught doing something they shouldn't.

Yuu couldn't help but smile a little as he settled in to wait.

The curtain rustled.

"So... what do you think?" Irisviel stepped out, fidgeting nervously. One hand played with her silver hair while the other hovered uncertainly over her stomach.

"You look beautiful."

Yuu's honest compliment made Irisviel even more self-conscious, her voice soft, like she wasn’t sure she wanted him to hear. “Then... should I get this one?”

He smiled. "The red one looked great too, though."

"Huh?"

"Maybe you should try that one on as well."

"Okay..."

Something about the slightly eager look in Yuu's eyes made Irisviel feel even more flustered—but in a good way, the kind that made her heart flutter.

Both sets ended up fitting her perfectly.

"I can't decide which one to get..." Irisviel stood there looking torn, holding both options.

But for him, there wasn't really a decision to make. "Why not get both?"

"Both? Really?"

"If they both look good on you, then take them home. Seems like a waste to leave one behind."

Irisviel hugged the lingerie to her chest, her face lighting up with pure joy. "Then that's what I'll do!"