MMMS 76

The scent of warm food lingered in the air as the three of them sat around the dining table in the Zenjou household.

"Aoi, you don’t mind me bringing Alice over for dinner, right?" Ryuuto asked, glancing at their hostess.

There was a faint tension in the air—subtle, but hard to miss. He picked up on it immediately.

Aoi turned to him with a bright smile and shook her head. "Of course not. Ryuuto-kun, you're our benefactor. Any friend of yours is more than welcome here." She turned to the guest with a graceful nod. "Miss Alice, please make yourself at home."

"Thank you for having me, Miss Aoi," Irisviel replied with a gentle smile.

Her manners were impeccable. Despite Aoi’s noble background—born into prestige and married into it—she couldn’t help but feel that this silver-haired woman carried herself with a different kind of grace.

Aoi was a beautiful woman in her own right. After all, she was the mother of Rin and Sakura, both stunning in their own ways. Her beauty felt grounded, warm, unmistakably human.

But Irisviel... she was something else entirely.

There was a quiet elegance in her every movement, a glow that felt almost unreal. If Aoi was a portrait of human beauty, then Irisviel was a sculpture, carved from a different world. Something rare, like a doll brought to life—too flawless for everyday life, yet impossible to look away from.

Aoi’s gaze drifted between Ryuuto and Irisviel before settling into a faint smile.

“You two seem to get along really well.”

Her words carried a gentle undertone. If their relationship wasn’t at least somewhat close, Ryuuto wouldn’t have brought her to dinner at a near-stranger’s house.

Irisviel let out a cheerful laugh. “Mm, Ryuuto and I are practically siblings! Our families go way back—since our grandfathers’ time, actually.”

As she spoke, she flashed a playful wink in his direction. ‘See? I’m getting good at lying, right?’

He scratched the back of his head, looking away. “Our relationship is not that close.”

Irisviel’s smile froze for a split second. ‘...Seriously? Are you messing with me right now?’

The silent exchange didn’t go unnoticed.

Aoi blinked, watching them carefully. Something felt off. Could it be that this elegant foreign woman had simply attached herself to Ryuuto-kun on her own? That thought stirred a flicker of doubt in her chest. Her fondness for him quietly deepened, while her impression of Irisviel grew a touch more distant.

Just then, the household staff began to bring out the evening meal. The spread wasn’t extravagant, but it was carefully prepared—more than enough to comfortably satisfy three guests at the table.

“It smells amazing, Aoi. Did you make all of this yourself?” Irisviel leaned in slightly, eyes twinkling with curiosity.

Aoi nodded with a gentle smile. “Yes. Don’t hold back, Ryuuto-kun. Eat while it’s still warm—it won’t taste as good once it cools.”

“Alright, alright.” he grabbed his chopsticks and reached for the stir-fried green pepper and pork strips.

He took a bite. Then froze.

“Wow, this is amazing! I haven’t had food this good in ages. Aoi, seriously, with skills like this, you could get married again tomorrow!”

“Hehe... don’t tease me like that, Ryuuto-kun,” Aoi said, her cheeks tinged pink. “But thank you. That makes me happy.”

“…Hmph.” Sitting beside them, Irisviel puffed her cheeks in protest. She picked up a crystal shrimp, narrowed her eyes, and popped it into her mouth.

Her expression softened almost instantly.

“…Delicious,” she murmured, hand covering her lips in modest surprise.

“Thank you, Mrs. Alice,” Aoi said with a warm chuckle.

With that, the atmosphere lightened. Ryuuto and Irisviel quickly relaxed and started enjoying the meal without reservation.

Partway through, he glanced around. “By the way, Aoi, your daughter’s not home tonight?”

Aoi set down her teacup with a touch of regret in her voice. “Yes. Rin is spending the night at a friend’s place. If possible, I would’ve loved to introduce her to you.”

He paused mid-bite, eyes lighting up. “Oh… so Rin’s not here tonight. That’s actually really convenient.”

“Huh?”

“Ah, nothing!” he coughed and waved it off. “I just meant, it’s a pity she’s missing such an amazing dinner.”

While the conversation drifted around Aoi’s daughter, Irisviel, surprisingly, stayed quiet. Her usual cheerfulness had faded, replaced by a faraway look. As a mother herself, Aoi couldn’t help but notice the change.

“Miss Alice,” she asked gently, “do you not get along with your daughter?”

Irisviel shook her head, eyes dropping to her lap. “How could that be... Illya is my treasure. My most precious child. It’s just…”

She trailed off, unable to finish.

‘Just that I’ll never get to see her again.’

No matter how things played out in this war, once the Greater Grail was summoned, her role would end. Her life would end. And Illya would grow up never knowing what her mother fought for.

“You’ll definitely reconcile,” he said quietly, setting his chopsticks down.

She blinked. Reconcile? She hadn’t argued with Illya. There was nothing to reconcile.

“…Thank you, Ryuuto.” She smiled politely and left it at that, nudging the conversation to a quiet close.

After the meal, Aoi led them to the living room. The three settled into a plush sofa, the cushions sinking under their weight. A light-hearted variety show played on the TV. Between the laughs from the screen and the soft murmur of small talk, the evening eased into a peaceful calm.

“Eh? Ryuuto-kun is staying overnight here?” Aoi blinked, clearly surprised.

He gave her an awkward smile. “Aoi, didn’t I mention it on the phone yesterday? I was planning to stay just one night. Wait... I didn’t say that?”

She shook her head, answering plainly, “No. You didn’t.”

Even Irisviel tilted her head slightly. It wasn’t just Aoi—she also found it strange. The whole thing felt sudden, and that was because it was. Ryuuto had only made the decision after hearing that Rin wouldn’t be home tonight.

‘Tonight… I’ll make Aoi mine.’ That thought had taken root in his head the moment the opportunity appeared.

He scratched his cheek, looking sheepish. “I’m sorry, Aoi. I must’ve forgotten to mention it. That was careless of me.”

Then, as if trying to retreat from the situation, he turned to her and said, “It’s alright. Alice and I can go find a hotel for the night—”

“No!” Aoi suddenly shot to her feet, voice louder than she intended.

Ryuuto and Irisviel both looked up at her, startled.

Her heart was racing. That night… the memories from that love hotel came rushing back in a blur of heat and shame. The thought of Ryuuto, innocent and trusting, staying in that kind of place with a woman like Irisviel—it was unthinkable!

What if Alice had hidden intentions? What if she seduced him and took advantage of his naivety? Ryuuto-kun, swallowed up by that silver-haired temptress…

Absolutely not!