The night was deep, and all was silent.
Bathed in the tranquil glow of the moonlight, Irisviel lay restlessly on the soft bed that had been assigned to her, unable to fall asleep.
Everything that happened today felt too surreal. Too overwhelming.
Her body's transformation, the granting of the Command Seals, the summoning of Saber…
And most of all—the mysterious man who had pulled her away from that cold, preordained fate—Rei Ao.
His figure, his words, those azure eyes that seemed to see through everything—his entire presence lingered ceaselessly in her mind.
An indescribable flutter, mixed with curiosity, gratitude, and a faint unease, swirled in her heart—a heart that had only just tasted freedom.
At last, she gathered her courage, rose quietly, and draped a light coat over her shoulders.
With silent steps, she made her way to Rei Ao's room.
She hesitated for a moment… then gently knocked on the door.
"Rei Ao-san, are you still awake?"
Inside the room, Rei Ao sat by the window.
Saber, upon hearing the voice, immediately faded into spirit form.
When the knock came, a knowing glint flashed in Rei Ao's eyes—as though he had expected her arrival all along.
"The door isn't locked. Come in, Irisviel."
She slowly pushed open the door.
Only a dim bedside lamp lit the room.
Moonlight streamed through the lattice window, tracing a silver outline along Rei Ao's face, making him look even more enigmatic and untouchable.
"It's late. What's the matter?"
His voice was calm as always.
Irisviel fidgeted slightly, twisting the hem of her robe.
Her gaze swept around the room, but she didn't see that small yet dignified blue figure.
"Saber… isn't she here?"
Rei Ao smiled faintly.
His eyes drifted—almost imperceptibly—toward a seemingly empty corner of the room, where Saber stood silently in spirit form, watching everything unfold.
Naturally, he didn't reveal it.
"She's a Heroic Spirit, after all. She doesn't need to sleep like humans do," he replied evenly.
"She's probably patrolling the mansion grounds, familiarizing herself with the area. No need to worry."
Then, after a short pause, he turned his full gaze toward Irisviel.
In the dim light, his blue eyes looked deeper, almost unfathomable.
"So, you came to see me at this hour. Is something troubling you?"
Irisviel took a deep breath, as if summoning all her courage.
She lifted her head, her ruby eyes locking onto his.
And at last, she asked the question that had haunted her ever since he brought her away:
"Rei Ao-san… why are you being so kind to me?"
Her voice was soft, yet carried a weight of sincerity that couldn't be ignored.
"We were complete strangers not long ago.
Yet you rescued me from that frozen castle, freed me from the Little Holy Grail, healed my body, and gave me freedom.
You even granted me the right to be a Master and helped me summon Saber.
You've done so much for me… Why?"
She couldn't understand.
In the Einzbern family, every action had a clear, cold purpose—always for the sake of that millennium-long wish.
But everything Rei Ao had done for her seemed devoid of any agenda.
And that, paradoxically, only made her more anxious and confused.
She needed an answer—something she could grasp, something that would make sense of it all.
Rei Ao looked at her quietly.
At her pure confusion, her searching eyes desperate for truth.
The gentle smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by something more direct—almost predatory.
He rose slowly, closing the distance between them.
Under the moonlight, his tall silhouette cast an invisible pressure over her.
But Irisviel didn't step back.
She simply stood her ground, defiant, waiting for his answer.
Rei Ao reached out his hand.
His fingers brushed through her silvery hair—soft and luminous like moonlight itself.
The gesture carried the reverence of an artist admiring a masterpiece.
His gaze lingered openly on her flawless, ethereal face before finally locking onto her crimson eyes—so pure, yet trembling with uncertainty.
Then, he smiled.
It wasn't the warm, gentle smile from before.
This one carried a trace of danger—of desire and possessiveness, unmasked and unashamed.
"Why?" His voice dropped to a deep, velvety murmur. "What if I told you… I'm simply interested in your beauty?"
"!"
Irisviel froze. Her heart gave a violent jolt.
Rei Ao's fingers slid down the strands of her hair and gently lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze head-on.
What she saw in his eyes was raw—like a beast fixated on its prey.
"Irisviel," he said softly, "you possess a breathtaking beauty—like an elf carved from ice and snow, yet fragile and pure like a porcelain doll."
"This contradiction… fascinates me."
His words cut through the air, cruelly honest, stripping away every layer of warmth and pretense.
"I took you away, changed your fate, gave you power… Perhaps it was simply because I wanted to make you into something—"
"—that belongs to me alone."
"Does that answer satisfy you? Or does it disappoint you?"
The desire in his eyes felt tangible, as though it could devour her whole.
It was an unfiltered, almost wicked kind of possessiveness—so starkly different from the savior-like image he had shown before.
"...!"
Irisviel gasped softly, startled by the bluntness—even the rudeness—of his confession.
Instinctively, she tried to step back.
But Rei Ao's arm slipped around her waist, holding her in place—firm, yet gentle.
Her cheeks flushed crimson, her heart thundering in her chest.
This unmasked intensity was unlike anything she had ever known within the cold walls of the Einzbern castle.
There, people looked at her with indifference—either as a tool, or as someone to obey.
Never… with eyes that simply wanted her.
And yet, strangely—after the first shock faded—
that heavy weight in her heart finally lifted.
So that's it, she thought.
It wasn't for some noble reason.
Not pity. Not calculation.
Just because of her beauty.
~~~
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