The Christmas party was lively—but tinged with melancholy.
The reason wasn't complicated. Chaldea was about to undergo restructuring. With the deputy director who had purchased Chaldea's relinquished authority coming in, it was inevitable he'd bring in his own personnel. That meant a large portion of the old staff would be reassigned elsewhere.
So at first, everyone was cheerful and festive, but gradually, the atmosphere turned sentimental. It became a farewell gathering, followed by an exchange of Christmas gifts. Quite a few staff members ended up wiping away tears in secret.
By the time the celebration dispersed, it was already 11 p.m.
Following Morgan's instructions, Shiomi waited about twenty minutes after the three of them had left. But when he couldn't wait any longer, he finally returned to his room.
Clearly, even his early return had been within their expectations.
So when he entered the door code and stepped inside, the three of them showed no signs of surprise. It was Shiomi who froze in place, eyes wide in shock—then quickly closed the door and locked it behind him.
The reason for his surprise was simple: Morgan and his master were both dressed as bunny girls.
"This is... my Christmas gift?" Shiomi's heartbeat instantly sped up.
Morgan sat on the edge of the bed, legs crossed, lightly swinging her feet. "Do you like it, my husband?"
"Anyone who says they don't like this should be banished to Imaginary Numbers space."
As he spoke, Shiomi drifted toward Morgan like a man possessed, dropping to one knee before her.
"My husband?" Morgan blinked in surprise.
He knelt down slowly, took hold of Morgan's raised foot, slipped off her high heel, and leaned in toward her stocking-covered foot, clearly about to kiss it.
"Calm down…" Morgan couldn't help but laugh, though she made no move to stop him.
That is, until another hand reached out to intervene.
Scáthach, lying across the bed behind Morgan, reached forward and pinched her disciple's cheek, halting his advance.
"Honestly, just a change of clothes and you lose all sense?" she said, displeased. "And on top of that, all your attention's on Morgan—you don't even glance at your master?"
"No, of course not." Shiomi quickly came back to his senses. "It's just... Master was blocked from view... and Morgan is kind of stealing the spotlight right now."
"So it's my mistake then?" Morgan tilted her chin up slightly, hooking a finger under Shiomi's chin.
He obediently lifted his face, letting her "interrogate" him.
"A mistake called 'being too beautiful,'" Shiomi replied earnestly, meeting her gaze.
They held each other's gaze for a solid ten seconds before Morgan finally released him, clearly satisfied, letting his eyes freely trace her figure.
The black low-cut outfit clung to her curves, perfectly outlining her voluptuous figure—her ample chest looked ready to burst from the tight fabric.
The matching black stockings hugged her thighs in a way that made it hard not to imagine burying one's face against them.
"Well, it's Christmas," Scáthach chimed in, rising from the bed's edge and sitting beside Morgan. "And I've always been curious about this whole 'bunny girl' thing. Seeing how thrilled my disciple is, I'd say it was worth it."
One of her feet dangled a purple high heel as she lazily swung her leg, clearly inviting Shiomi to come and kiss it.
Still holding one foot from each of them in his hands, Shiomi studied them with greedy appreciation—then suddenly thought of something.
"Uh, where's Artoria? Don't tell me she got too embarrassed and decided not to join in?"
At his question, Morgan and Scáthach exchanged subtle smiles. Following the direction of their glances, Shiomi finally noticed Artoria.
No wonder he hadn't seen her earlier.
Part of it was because Morgan and Scáthach had completely captured his attention. The other part was that Artoria's bunny girl look was completely different from theirs.
It wasn't the provocative black of Morgan, nor the mysterious dark purple of Scáthach. Instead, it was a pure white low-cut top paired with blue fishnet stockings—much more in line with the image Artoria usually gave off.
In a way, her outfit blended so well with the room's white interior that it was no surprise Shiomi hadn't noticed her right away.
A fluffy cape draped over her shoulders added an unexpected touch of allure to the look.
And, well... just thinking about what that outfit could be used for was enough to make his blood race.
"Whoa... so that's the design? Compared to Morgan and Master's outfits, this feels... less traditional," Shiomi said, rising to his feet—only for his legs to give out beneath him.
He stumbled forward, knocking Morgan and Scáthach over onto the bed.
"Tenkei!" Artoria hurried over. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, totally on purpose—" Shiomi laughed as the two women helped him back up and sat him on the edge of the bed.
Artoria now stood directly in front of him. Her white low-cut outfit was lined with gold thread that shimmered faintly, and the part Shiomi had called "less traditional" was a narrow strip of exposed skin running from her chest down to her navel.
Suddenly struck by a mischievous impulse, he reached out and lightly poked her belly button.
"...Mmm..." Artoria didn't pull away, though her cheeks turned red as she endured the ticklish sensation. "Please... don't tease me too much."
"Let's sit down and talk, otherwise it's going to look like we're bullying you... Though, I guess it kind of already does."
He withdrew his hand, then gently took hers.
But with just a little pull, Artoria lost her balance and fell forward, landing on top of him and smothering his face.
"Sorry..." she said quickly, pushing herself up.
Shiomi grinned, completely unbothered. "No worries. This Christmas gift is amazing. Thank you, all of you."
"So, is my husband really satisfied with just that?" Morgan lay on her side, gazing at his face with sultry affection. "The night is still young, you know."
"Of course not—"
Before Shiomi could finish, the sound of clinking glasses caught their attention.
In the corner of the room, Scáthach stood holding a large bottle of red wine in one hand and four crystal goblets in the other.
"With a mood like this, how can we not have a drink? I refrained during the party for appearances' sake, but now... I say we indulge a little," she said with a smile. Her ruby-red eyes shimmered with warmth and affection.
"Then I'll gladly take you up on that, Master." Shiomi sat up, while Artoria remained seated, straddling his lap face to face.
The four of them took a glass each, and Scáthach poured the wine.
"Should we make a toast?" Morgan asked.
Shiomi looked flustered. "Honestly, with all of you in my head right now, I can't come up with a single decent line."
Artoria shook her head. "No need to say anything. Tenkei is here, with us. That alone is the best toast."
"As expected of a king. Always knows what to say," Scáthach teased.
"Then, to us..." Morgan's voice was soft but carried clearly through the room.
Shiomi raised his glass. The other three met his, producing a crisp chime.
"Cheers... Wait—hey! Why are you stealing the wine from my lips?!"
And with that, the room descended into chaos.