"Um, excuse me..."
With the sound of the door opening, Miyu timidly stepped inside, only to be immediately pounced on by a dark blur.
"Welcome, welcome!" Illya's cheeks puffed out like steamed buns, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "This is amazing! A real maid outfit! And it looks like it's made of high-quality fabric, with such sturdy stitching..."
Under the assault of Illya's boundless energy, Miyu was completely overwhelmed.
She had never seen Illyasviel like this before...
Wham!
Illya placed both hands on Miyu's shoulders, her flushed face and spiraling eyes proof that her rationality had long since drowned. "The real deal! A genuine elementary schoolgirl maid?!"
Fueled by a child's boundless curiosity, Illya began making all sorts of strange demands. Miyu, unable to keep up, soon found her own eyes spinning in confusion.
Finally, Sakatsuki—who had been snickering in the corner—stood up and lightly bonked Illya on the head with a book.
"Alright, that's enough. Behave yourself, Illya. If you're going to play the master, at least act the part."
"Eh... Ehhh?!" Only then did Illya realize there had been someone else in the room the whole time. Her head creaked as she turned to see Sakatsuki calmly walking out the door. After a long pause, she let out a mortified scream.
"Uwaah! What have I been doing?!"
A short while later, the child-sized priest returned with steaming cups of tea and some chocolate treats he had prepared along the way.
In the awkward, tension-filled atmosphere, he gracefully set the table, laid out the refreshments, and invited the two girls to sit. "Please, enjoy."
The moment they took their seats, Illya bowed her head. "I'm sorry! I got way too carried back there..."
"I-It's fine..." Miyu's face sank even lower.
"Illya, you're a latent sadist," Ruby muttered under her breath.
"More importantly... why was the priest in the room?" Miyu nervously tugged at her skirt, finally voicing her confusion.
For some reason, standing in front of Sakatsuki in this outfit made her feel more embarrassed than ever.
It was like a little sister being caught red-handed by her older brother while doing something naughty...
"Sella went out this afternoon, so she asked Sakatsuki-nii to look after me." Illya scratched her head. "Ah, sorry, I didn't think about how that might affect you..."
Though Sakatsuki was already familiar with Illya's family—and was even the only person Illya could confide in about magical girl matters—for Miyu, who had only met him a few times, being seen in this outfit was undoubtedly mortifying.
"There's no need to be shy. I have a personal maid too," Sakatsuki remarked casually from the side, book in hand.
Illya's eyes widened. "Fr fr?"
"You just haven't met her because she's always busy." The priest waved dismissively, as if unwilling to elaborate, then stood up and walked toward the balcony. "I'll chat with Ruby and Sapphire for a bit. You two take your time."
Sliding open the balcony door, he found the two gem spirits already waiting.
Ruby blinked in surprise at his arrival.
"Don't mind me," Sakatsuki said with a faint smile, leaning against the doorframe.
Ruby, seeing no reason to distrust him—especially after his solo takedown of Caster the previous night—had already come to regard Sakatsuki as a reliable ally.
At the moment, she and Sapphire were discussing the mysterious Saber from last night, as well as the overwhelming power Illya had displayed.
"So, what do you think, sister?"
"To be honest, I was shocked. Illya seemed to have fully manifested as a Servant."
"I had no idea the cards could even do that."
"Neither did I. This might be their original intended use—to distort magical energy and unleash such power. It's honestly terrifying... What about you, Priest-chan? Any thoughts?"
"What kind of nickname is that? Disgusting." Sakatsuki shuddered before deciding to share a few tidbits.
"The Saber we fought last night wasn't a Servant manifested from a Class Card. Like Illya, he was a human who could wield the card's power."
"Oh! That makes so much sense!" Ruby gasped in realization. "That explains why he could talk! And—wait, that means the one who took the Rider card was probably him too!"
"But the question is, who else besides us knows about the Class Cards and is interfering?" Sapphire mused.
"Who knows?" Sakatsuki shrugged effortlessly, spinning lies with practiced ease. "Even the Church hasn't found anything concrete. They just ordered me to assist you in collecting the cards."
"Then... the Caster card..."
"I earned that card fair and square. Why should I hand it over?"
"Now, now, we can trade for it! How about Rin? She's one of the Clock Tower's famous twin stars! We can have her be your maid! Or maybe you'd like some... private photos of hers? I've got quite the collection, you know~"
"Rin Tohsaka must have committed some grave sin in a past life to end up with a familiar like you..." Sakatsuki deadpanned. "So how many do you have?"
He was here on vacation, after all. If Rin Tohsaka was going to be bullied, he might as well enjoy the show—maybe even take those photos to scam people in other worlds.
"Wow, you're actually considering it?! Kids these days are so corrupt!" Ruby, realizing he was serious, immediately switched to righteous indignation in an attempt to deflect.
"Unacceptable! I'm telling Illya about this! She needs to see your true, despicable nature—"
As she spoke, Ruby slid open the balcony door—only to freeze at the sight inside.
If the roles of Sakatsuki and Illya were reversed, the FBI would probably be kicking down the door by now.
"My, my. Doesn't it seem like Miss Illya is the far more dangerous one here?"
The priest in black robes peeked in, his face full of amusement.
"Wouldn't you agree, Ruby?"
After the chaos settled, Sakatsuki returned to his corner to spectate, while Illya and Miyu resumed their conversation. Seizing the opportunity, Illya asked Miyu to address her differently.
"Just call me Illya! That's what all my friends do."
"Friends...?"
"Eh? Aren't we? Was I just assuming things?!"
"N-No, that's not it..." The moment Miyu denied it, Illya threw her arms open and cheered, "Then you're taking care of me this afternoon!"
"Why does it have to be this?!"
"Taking care of the sick is a maid's job, right?"
Just as the commotion reached its peak, the door burst open.
"Hello! We're here to visit!"
Sakatsuki glanced up calmly to see Illya's elementary school classmates, who had apparently heard about her absence and come bearing gifts.
Then, the moment they processed the scene inside, they all turned to stone.
In the deafening silence, only Sakatsuki wore a smile of pure delight.
"Oh dear. You're done for."
***
Hey readers!
Want to read ahead? 📖 Join my Patreon for early access to 30+ advance chapters! Your support helps me write more and bring the story to you faster.
🔹patreon.com/aarvan🔹