MMMS 103

The sky stretched endlessly above them, clouds drifting without purpose. Morgan stood there breathing in the morning air, her expression peaceful but touched with something deeper—a sadness that seemed to weigh on her shoulders.

That solitary figure looked exactly like the one from his dreams.

‘So that's what it was.’ The realization hit him all at once. Why Morgan had appeared in 1994. Why she'd been holding something back from him this whole time.

Ryuuto's legs felt heavy as he approached, moving carefully across the space between them. Without saying anything, he slipped his arms around her waist from behind and pressed his face into her silver hair. It smelled like winter mornings.

He wished he were taller. Just enough to rest his chin on her shoulder properly.

"Oh my. Someone's being affectionate this morning." Morgan's voice carried that familiar hint of amusement, though she kept looking out at the horizon.

"I had a dream."

Her eyelashes fluttered, just barely. "Oh? What sort of dream?"

"You left me."

"Hmm." She was quiet for a moment. "And does that mean you don't want me to leave?"

Instead of answering, he tightened his hold slightly. "Let's go back inside."

"Not yet. I don't want to."

"Where do you want to go then?"

Morgan gazed into the distance, and when she finally spoke, her voice was soft as breath.

"Britain. I want to see Britain again."

"Britain..." he buried his face deeper into her hair. "If I said I'd take you there, would you come with me?"

"Of course I would."

"That's weird though, isn't it?"

"What's weird about it?"

"Britain's on the other side of the world. And not just in space—in time too. We're talking about crossing an ocean and going back fifteen centuries." He paused, feeling the steady rise and fall of her breathing. "But going back to our room is just a few steps. So why would you rather travel impossible distances than walk through a door with me?"

"Why? Well, obviously it's because..." Morgan started to frown, then stopped, looking genuinely puzzled.

Because that room isn't Britain.

"I want to be your reason to stay, Morgan."

His arms tightened around her.

"Let me be your castle. Your homeland."

"I'll be your sky, your fields stretching out forever."

"Your forests, your rivers... the flowers growing wild and all the small things that made it beautiful..."

He stretched up on his toes, his breath warm against her ear.

"Let me be your Britain."

"...!"

Something shifted in her—he felt it in the way her breathing changed, subtle but unmistakable.

The silence stretched between them before she finally placed her hands over his.

"...Well. That's quite the declaration." Her voice was softer than usual. "You do realize what you're saying, don't you?"

Instead of addressing what had almost sounded like a love confession, Morgan turned in his arms. Her cheeks had taken on a soft pink color.

"Though I have to ask—where exactly did you learn to talk like that? Some romance movie?"

Ah. Cold sweat prickled at his hairline. Not exactly, but she was way too sharp.

"Ha. I thought so." She studied his face with those knowing eyes. "Still... I suppose I'll treasure those foolish words of yours."

"Hey, don't call them foolish."

"Mm? But they are." Morgan's lips curved into a small smile. "Foolish, impossible... and rather sweet." She tilted her head. "You've been awfully handsy this morning, haven't you? Are you perhaps expecting some sort of reward for your pretty speech?"

"It's not like I... I mean, I wasn't trying to get anything out of you." Ryuuto's face reddened. "But if you're offering, then... yeah, a kiss would be nice."

"Mm? Just a kiss?" she raised an eyebrow, that familiar mischievous glint in her eyes. "I'm feeling rather generous right now. If you wanted more than that... well, I might not say no."

"Just a kiss is good."

She moved closer, placing her hands on his shoulders. "Close your eyes then."

"Okay." he let his eyelids fall shut.

But instead of leaning in to kiss him, Morgan's gaze drifted past his shoulder, toward the room beyond the balcony door.

Through the glass, Artoria sat frozen on the sofa, her green eyes locked with Morgan's gleaming blue ones.

Just moments before, Artoria had stirred from sleep. Something felt wrong. She'd opened her eyes, still drowsy, and looked around the room until she spotted them—Ryuuto and Morgan on the balcony, standing so close together.

Her sister’s hands on their Master’s shoulders. That smile playing at Morgan’s lips—the same one she’d worn when she destroyed their kingdom. Her hands curled into fists against her knees.

After he asked for a kiss, Morgan smiled. "Alright. Close your eyes for me."

"Okay." he let his eyelids fall shut, his hands settling naturally on her waist.

In the darkness, he could feel her warmth as she moved closer, her soft curves pressing against him.

Her breath was warm against his face, sweet and inviting. He tilted his chin up slightly, waiting.

Just as he expected to feel her lips—

The sly witch ducked down instead, her mouth finding his ear. Her lips parted, and she took his earlobe between them, sucking gently.

"C-Caster?!" he jerked back, his eyes flying open.

For a moment, his brain short-circuited. Then the sensation hit him fully, sending sparks down his spine.

"Caster, what are you—"

"Shh." Morgan's voice was like honey, her lips still brushing his ear. "You're making the most interesting faces... so cute." Even as she spoke, her eyes stayed locked on something over his shoulder, a deeper flush spreading across her cheeks. "Keep your eyes closed, won't you?"

"I... okay..."

From her spot on the sofa, Artoria felt her mouth go dry. She tried to turn away, but her body wouldn't respond.

“...!” The realization hit her like a slap. Morgan's Mystic Eyes. She could break free easily enough, but that would mean alerting Ryuuto—and looking like some uptight prude who couldn't handle a little romance. But if she didn't resist, she'd have to sit here and watch this whole... whatever this was.

Her heart hammered against her ribs as she weighed her options.

"Haa..." Ryuuto's breathing grew heavier, his hands starting to wander. His left hand traced down the curve of her hip while his right slipped beneath the hem of Morgan's robe.

"Ahh... stop that..." Morgan's voice wavered, her body trembling slightly. Even as she protested, her eyes stayed fixed on her sister across the room. "Master, if you keep doing that... she's going to notice..."

Those words only seemed to encourage him. His hands explored the smooth warmth of her skin as he pressed his face against hers, breathing heavily. "It's okay... she's still asleep..."

She's definitely not asleep! Artoria wanted to scream. Her face burned as she sat frozen on the sofa, gripping the fabric of her robe so tightly her knuckles went white. Her body felt strangely warm, and that was... that was definitely not Morgan's doing.

No way. The thought made her stomach flip. Morgan had already used most of her focus just to bypass Artoria's magic resistance. There was no way she had enough left over to mess with her senses.

Which meant this heat, this racing heart, this inability to look away...

"This is ridiculous," she whispered under her breath, swallowing hard. She'd heard about people who got excited watching others, but she was the King of Knights, for crying out loud. She didn't have weird fetishes.

So why couldn't she turn away?