When Shichen opened his eyes that morning, the first thing he saw was a head of soft black hair snuggled against his chest. As his eyes adjusted, he was greeted by a delicate, sweet face still wearing a faint smile in her sleep.
Up close, Sakura looked so adorable that it nearly melted his heart.
Unable to resist, he leaned in and gently kissed her forehead.
But just as he pulled back, Sakura's eyes fluttered open.
"Ah—did I wake you?" Shichen asked, feeling a bit awkward.
Busted. That was totally a sneak kiss.
Sakura smiled and shook her head. Then she leaned in and kissed him lightly on the forehead too.
Shichen blinked, then instinctively touched his forehead, a little stunned.
"I… I wasn't supposed to do that?" Sakura asked shyly, cheeks turning a soft red.
"Of course you can," Shichen chuckled and pulled her into a warm hug.
Sakura relaxed in his arms, let out a content breath, then hugged him tightly back and closed her eyes, breathing in his scent—completely intoxicated by it.
"Daddy?"
Their rustling woke Illya. Still drowsy, she opened her eyes—only to spot someone unfamiliar.
"Eh? Who... who's that?" Illya suddenly sat up, wide awake now.
"What's wrong, Illya?" Irisviel stirred too.
"Mom! There's a girl in Daddy's arms I don't know!" Illya said, half shocked, half confused.
"Huh?" Irisviel blinked, then realized, "Oh—you mean Sakura."
"Sakura? You know her?"
"Yup. She's going to be living with us from now on."
"Living with us?"
"Hi Illya, I'm Sakura." Sakura slipped out of Shichen's arms and introduced herself politely.
"Sa... Sakura?" Illya repeated, her mind racing. She glanced at Shichen suspiciously. "Is she... your daughter?"
"Nope, she's your little sister," Shichen replied.
"My sister?" Illya tilted her head, confused.
"Don't overthink it. You and Sakura are about the same age—you'll be playmates from now on," he said with a smile.
"Huh... okay! Nice to meet you, Sakura! I'm Illyasviel von Einzbern. You can just call me Illya."
"Illya."
"Yup! Sakura!"
The two girls giggled and held hands, instantly hitting it off.
Shichen breathed a sigh of relief. Good—no jealousy about sharing the spotlight.
"Alright, time for breakfast," Shichen clapped his hands.
"Okay!"
He got up first and left the room so the three girls could change. After freshening up, he headed for the smaller bedroom.
The room was toasty warm, and while the bed looked empty, the blanket was puffed up like a hiding spot.
He walked over and pulled the blanket off—
A silver-haired girl lay there like a snowy lotus blossom, her hair spread out like silk.
But her sleeping face? Definitely not graceful.
"Mmm… my blanket…" Frieren murmured, curling into herself and reaching around for it. When she couldn't find it, she gave up and stayed in bed.
Shichen rolled his eyes, then climbed onto the bed and tugged on her cheek.
"Get up already!"
"Nnnn… nooo…" Frieren groaned, frowning with her eyes still shut.
"Don't you want breakfast? It's delicious! Plus, we're playing something fun later."
"Fun?" Her eyes opened instantly. "What kind of fun?"
"You'll see after breakfast."
"Ugh… fine."
Frieren couldn't resist the lure of new-world fun.
"You're way too slow. I'll help you change," Shichen said, watching her sit up drowsily.
Without asking, he pulled off her strappy nightgown.
The room seemed even brighter—her pale skin practically glowed against the sheets.
"Seriously…" Frieren crossed her arms over her chest, shooting him a helpless look.
"What? It's not like I haven't seen it all before."
He picked up her undergarments, turned her around, and helped her into them.
Yes—apparently, even elves wore standard underwear.
Frieren just sighed and let him do his thing.
Once he buttoned everything up and threw on her sweater, he said, "Alright, time to go wash up."
"Nope. The water's cold… I'll just use magic…"
"No way. Go brush your teeth and wash your face properly."
"Nooo…"
"Then I'll help you." He scooped her up and carried her out of the room like a sack of potatoes.
"Daddy!"
"Big bro!"
In the bathroom, Illya and Sakura had already washed up. Their cheeks were rosy and clean, skin soft and glowing.
Shichen playfully pinched both their cheeks before placing Frieren in front of the sink.
"Wash up, okay? Don't make us wait."
"Ugh…"
"Alright, let's go ahead," he said to the girls and led them out.
"Daddy, I want a piggyback!"
"Onii-chan, me too!"
"Alright, alright."
He picked them up—one on each arm—and headed to the living room.
"Where's Iri?"
"Mom's still getting dressed."
"Getting dressed?"
"Well, you said we're going out today, right? She probably wants to look extra pretty."
"She's already beautiful though…"
"Huh?" came a surprised voice.
Shichen turned to see Irisviel stepping out with a new hairstyle—and a faint blush on her face.
"That hairstyle really suits you," he said honestly.
Irisviel was already stunning, but with a ponytail and soft bangs, she looked like a seventeen-year-old girl.
"R-Really?" She blushed even more and looked away.
"Definitely. What do you two think?"
"Mom looks so pretty!"
"I think Iri looks gorgeous too!"
"You guys…" Irisviel muttered, even more flustered.
"I'm done," Frieren announced.
"Let me see."
Frieren marched over, still pouting.
Shichen leaned in and inspected her face—soft, fresh, and slightly dewy.
"Open your mouth."
"Ahhh~"
He checked her teeth, caught the scent of minty toothpaste, and nodded in approval.
"Perfect. You can eat now."
"Ugh… you treat me like a kid," Frieren complained.
"You kind of are one. You're worse than Illya and Sakura."
"Hmph~"
"Alright, put on your coat. Let's go eat before all the good stuff's gone."
"What?! No way!" Frieren rushed to grab her coat.
Modern food was her weakness now. For someone who used to live on raw, unprocessed ingredients, flavor enhancers like MSG were pure magic.
Once she got her coat, they all headed down to the hotel's restaurant.
…
It was still early and freezing, so most guests were sleeping in. Not many people were at breakfast.
But those staying in a place like this? Missing one gourmet meal didn't really matter.
After finishing breakfast, Shichen led the group out—Illya and Sakura holding his hands, Irisviel and Frieren walking beside them.
"Shichen, where are we going?" Irisviel finally asked.
"You'll see."
They'd already explored Fuyuki City yesterday, so today he had a clear goal.
Soon, they stopped in front of a bike shop.
"Bicycles? What are we doing here?"
"Buying bikes. We're staying for a while, so we'll need something to get around."
"But don't we already have a car?"
"Yeah, but driving around means you miss out on the city's charm."
And, let's be honest, Irisviel's driving wasn't exactly... reassuring.
"Okay then," she nodded.
"Shichen, what's a bike?" Frieren asked.
"It's a two-wheeled vehicle you ride on."
"Two wheels? Is it fun?" She looked at the store's sign, still trSakura to picture it.
"Super fun~" Shichen grinned. He couldn't wait to see her ride one.
Just imagining it was hilarious.
"Then let's get one! I wanna try!"
"You got it."
He walked into the shop and, without hesitation, bought three bikes. Illya and Sakura didn't need their own yet.
Of course, Irisviel paid.
…
"Frieren, like this—just push off and hop on."
Shichen rode a few circles around her as a demo.
Frieren's eyes lit up with excitement. She gave it a go—pushed forward, tried to jump on—
THUD!
She and the bike both crashed straight to the ground.