"It feels like we've gone back to the old days…"
As Shiomi spoke, he sat on the sofa, reading a book. Morgan was reading too, though she was half-reclined on the couch, her legs lazily draped over his.
"The old days..." Morgan lifted her gaze from the book and paused to think. "Yeah, back then I loved reading with you in the room, especially on rainy days."
Running his fingers gently over Morgan's smooth, jade-like instep, Shiomi asked with a smile, "And now?"
"Nothing's changed. Except sometimes it stings a little knowing you don't belong only to me anymore." Morgan shielded her face with the book, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
Shiomi pressed his lips together helplessly. "Does that make you angry? That I never told you anything back then, tricked you into marrying me, made you my wife?"
"Not at all. Because I kept secrets from you too—I made you my husband." Morgan's eyes narrowed slightly, her expression full of delight.
"Is that really how it was?" Shiomi murmured in wonder.
The room was quiet, save for the rustling of pages.
"Feeling bored?" Morgan keenly sensed Shiomi's mood.
"Not at all," Shiomi replied. "You're here with me. It's just that suddenly having nothing to do feels a bit unfamiliar."
The new Chaldea had weathered its initial chaos. Now, everything was running smoothly—systems in place, everyone with their tasks, and plenty of time to rest and recuperate.
Shiomi was no exception.
Today was, in a sense, his day off. With no pressing duties, he and Morgan were simply passing the time together, reading in his room.
"In that case, my husband, what do you plan to do for amusement?" Morgan's foot began to move restlessly, teasing him.
"My wife's suggestion is tempting, but there's something else I'd rather do right now." Shiomi set down his book and reached out to Morgan. "Let's go for a walk. It's been ages since we've strolled together."
Morgan gently pushed his hand away, as though refusing.
Thinking she was playing a game of polite refusal, Shiomi invited her again. True to form, Morgan pushed him away three times in a row.
After the third time, she raised an eyebrow slightly. "Go wash your hands."
"Hm?" Shiomi froze.
Then it dawned on him—his hand had been lingering on Morgan's foot the whole time. Theoretically, that wasn't quite appropriate.
Of course, that was just theory.
"But it's your foot! It's not sweaty, doesn't smell, and isn't dirty," Shiomi protested, grabbing her foot and sniffing it for confirmation. "See? Not a hint of odor. It even has a lingering scent of body wash."
Morgan was already amused beyond measure by his earnest demeanor. The book resting on her chest shook with her laughter.
"If my husband will go to such lengths to 'prove his innocence,' I certainly can't insist you wash your hands."
Morgan closed the book, then took Shiomi's outstretched hand and sat up.
She sat on the edge of the sofa, her feet tapping rhythmically on the carpet, and made a request.
"Since you invited me for a walk, would you mind putting my socks and shoes on for me?"
"It doesn't matter to me at all." Shiomi fetched the socks and shoes. "Seeing you looking so lazy and carefree, just like before, makes me feel very at ease."
"Heh~." Morgan chuckled softly as she watched him put on her socks. "This is only possible when we're alone. In front of the children and others, I must maintain the appearance of a mother. After all, I am the Queen of Winter, who has reigned over the Fairy Kingdom for 2000 years. It wouldn't do for anyone to see me like this."
Shiomi's hand paused. He slowly lifted his head and looked into Morgan's eyes. "You… truly feel that way?"
"Why do you ask?" Morgan replied, puzzled.
"Though it's strange coming from me, this so-called cold-hearted Queen of Winter is just your own subjective perception, right?" Shiomi stifled a smile. "Setting aside the Fairy Kingdom for now, during those years you served as my Servant, you only showed that side during the initial Holy Grail War."
Morgan's eyes widened slightly, her surprise evident. "So that means..."
"Whether in Sakura's eyes or those of your other comrades at Chaldea, you've never been the cold-hearted type." Shiomi, who had just finished lacing Morgan's shoes, calmly explained a truth Morgan herself hadn't realized.
Truthfully, he hadn't expected Morgan to believe her "persona" was so well-established. It was a harmless, laughable misunderstanding.
After all, during her Servant period, Morgan had consciously or unconsciously played the role of another version of herself from Proper Human History in her words and actions. Perhaps it was to avoid problems stemming from facts within the Lostbelt, but in terms of results, the success rate of this act was fifty-fifty.
Because at her core, she remained that kind-hearted little witch. Monsters and beasts were one thing, but truthfully, Morgan had never personally killed any human or fairy.
Wars were always instigated by Shiomi, and on the battlefield, she never had the chance to kill any of Londinium's soldiers.
From beginning to end, the only one with blood on her hands was Shiomi.
"Ugh..." Morgan covered her face, a blush spreading to her ears.
Forcing herself to play the wicked witch when she wasn't truly evil—in everyone's eyes, it must look like she had some strange fetish.
In ordinary people's terms, it was what they called a case of "middle school syndrome"...
"Alright, alright. They probably didn't call you out because they didn't think it was necessary. Don't take it to heart." Shiomi had to hug her to comfort her. "If need be, I'll go scold them later. How could they bully you like that?"
"It wasn't exactly bullying..." Morgan just felt intensely awkward. "It felt like everyone was acting along with me, like that movie The Truman Show."
"What a brilliant metaphor! If this had been back in the Fairy Kingdom era, you probably wouldn't have even imagined such a description." Shiomi praised her with a smile, further easing her discomfort. After getting up from Shiomi's embrace, Morgan felt a wave of relief wash over her.
"What a brilliant analogy! Back in Fairy Kingdom days, you probably wouldn't have thought of describing it that way." Shiomi praised with a laugh, further easing her discomfort.
After rising from Shiomi's embrace, Morgan took his hand: "I wonder who it was... back then, always dragging me out shopping, on dates, to movies, then picking up Sakura and Caren from school together."
"Because it was so much fun," Shiomi replied. "Especially walking down the street—people would look at me with envy. Thinking back, I was pretty giddy back then. A stunning beauty appearing in a small town like Fuyuki was bound to draw attention. I was pretty reckless."
"In the end, nothing bad happened. It's all in the past now." Morgan stood on tiptoe and ruffled Shiomi's hair. "Let's go out."
Seeing her mood lift, Shiomi nodded. "Yeah."
...