"Ah... is that okay?"
Irisviel asked in delighted surprise, "Can I sleep with Shirou tonight?"
Shirou looked at the silver-haired homunculus, her eyes shining, and nodded with lingering apprehension.
"...Yeah."
This was a sacrifice he had to make to obtain a Command Spell, he told himself.
"Hehe, good, then it's settled!
Just wait a little while for me, okay? I'm going to change first. And keep it a secret from Saber, all right?"
With that, Irisviel waved and hurried out of the guest room Shirou was using.
[Lady Avalon, are you there?]
[Sorry, it seems I disturbed Master. I'll leave right away...]
[That's not it at all!]
[Hehehe...]
Lady Avalon appeared inside the room.
She sat down by the bed, gracefully crossed her legs, and asked, "Why didn't you use 'Dead Count Shapeshifter' tonight?
I thought Master would definitely use it.
Facing that Archer, you actually fought as a human. Even I was breaking into a cold sweat."
Shirou replied, "I judged there was no need to use it."
"I see... even though you really didn't need to worry that much."
"Is it lecture time again?" Shirou frowned.
The Magus of Flowers smiled. "Hehe, I no longer have the right to lecture Master."
Shirou fell silent.
Lady Avalon said nothing more. She only said she was going back to her room to rest, then disappeared into thin air.
"Shirou, were you just talking to someone?"
Irisviel pushed open the door and peeked her head inside.
Shirou did not hide it and answered honestly, "It was my Servant. I was just telling her about what happened tonight."
"She already left? What a shame. I thought I might get to talk to her."
Irisviel walked into the room.
She had changed into a light silk nightgown and was carrying a pillow under her arm.
The fabric across her chest was stretched tight, the curve from her waist to her hips was full and taut, and her long bare legs were dazzlingly white.
"Um... Shirou, I'm going to turn off the light now."
"Okay."
The brightly lit guest room instantly fell back into darkness.
The room had only been quiet for a short while when Irisviel turned over and looked at the boy beside her.
"Shirou, can't you sleep?"
The red-haired boy nodded. "Yeah, because I slept enough on the way back.
You were all fighting Assassin, and I just fell asleep. I feel really bad about that."
"What are you saying? Didn't you protect me again tonight, Shirou?"
"That's not really right, is it? I'm the one who got you involved. Irisviel, you almost got caught up in Archer's attack."
Hearing Shirou say that, the silver-haired, red-eyed Homunculus smiled and shook her head.
That was not it at all.
Irisviel felt she would never forget what had happened then.
At the time, she had angered the King of Heroes Gilgamesh with a careless remark.
When she had been trembling under the golden Archer's wrath, so frightened she could hardly control herself...
It was Shirou who had gripped her hand tightly, telling her through the strength in his palm that she did not need to be afraid.
For Irisviel's sake, Shirou had even been willing to anger that Archer.
Even now, when she thought back on it, Irisviel could still feel warmth in her chest.
She said happily, "But didn't Shirou knock back all of Archer's attacks?
You were amazing... I was stunned just watching from the side. I never thought Shirou could be this incredible…
No, I always knew Shirou was amazing, I just didn't expect you to be this..."
"Saber is the amazing one. I'm nowhere near her."
"How could that be! Just being able to fight alongside Saber is already incredible, you know?
Unlike me. I only drag Saber down."
Irisviel asked in confusion, "Hehe, Shirou... just who are you?"
Shirou fell silent.
Irisviel covered her mouth. "Ah, I'm sorry! I think I said something I shouldn't have. Please forget that rude question."
Shirou shook his head. "Lately, I've started not to understand who I really am either."
Irisviel looked shocked. "Eh!? You mean you don't know who you are... What do you mean?"
Shirou told her about his dreams.
He did not mention the specific place or story. He only said that lately, he had often been having extremely vivid dreams of traveling back to ancient times.
"So that's it... I see. No wonder Shirou is so skilled with swordsmanship and Magecraft..."
Irisviel's expression turned serious. "But you don't have any memory of what you experienced in those dreams, do you?"
Shirou gave a light nod. "Yeah, that's why it troubles me.
Who am I, really? Why do I have those memories?
Why don't I have parents? Am I different from other children?
Lately, whenever I have time to myself, I keep thinking about those questions."
After saying that, Shirou looked up, only to find tears glimmering in the corners of Irisviel's eyes.
"Sniff... sniff... Shirou isn't different from other children at all... sniff..."
Irisviel looked like she was about to cry.
Shirou was stunned. No way. Was it really this effective?
In order to ask Irisviel for a Command Spell, Shirou had decided to win her sympathy by telling her this story.
He had not expected it to work so well. Shirou thought that if Sella found out he had made Irisviel cry, he was dead.
"I'm sorry, Iri. I shouldn't have told you this. I didn't mean to make you sad..."
"I'm not sad, Shirou... I just feel a little heartbroken..."
As she wiped away her tears, Irisviel murmured,
"When I think about how, at only eight years old, you had to bear something so heavy... a burden even an adult would struggle to carry, I just…
Not only could you not enjoy your childhood like other children, but you were even dragged into the Holy Grail War…
And when I think about it, that is also the sin of our Einzbern family..."
As she spoke, Irisviel suddenly wrapped her arms around the boy lying beside her, burying her face in his hair and pulling his face into her chest.
Irisviel gently stroked Shirou's hair.
"You must have suffered so much... The Holy Grail War... you've really been anxious this whole time, haven't you…
And when you fought Archer, you were scared the whole time too, weren't you…
Wanting someone to stay with you at night when you go to sleep is only natural..."
Shirou was silent for a moment, then with some effort lifted his face from the soft embrace.
"Thank you... I feel much better now."
"You don't have to force yourself, okay?"
"When Irisviel hugs me, I feel especially at ease."
"Oh, really?"
Irisviel looked surprised at first, then smiled gently.
Her beautiful crimson eyes were filled with tenderness as she let her slender fingertips glide across Shirou's youthful face.
"In that case, should I come here every night from now on and sleep with Shirou?"
"How could that be okay?"
Shirou hurriedly shook his head. "I don't want to trouble you any more."
"...Shirou!"
Irisviel's eyes grew misty.
What a good boy.
Sweet. Adorable. Kind. Obedient. Thoughtful.
With how gentle and considerate he was, could Shirou really be an angel heaven had sent to her?
Irisviel was the Lesser Grail created by the Einzbern family for the Fourth Holy Grail War.
Her dream had always been to have a child like a normal woman, but she also knew very well that it was an impossible fantasy, a kind of happiness a Homunculus like her was never meant to have.
She had already given up on that wish once, and yet...
At the very end of her brief life, she happened to meet a child like Shirou.
Shirou matched every fantasy Irisviel had ever had about her own child.
Could this really not be fate?
Irisviel was beginning to suspect that it truly was.
As if it had been decided from the start that Shirou was destined to become her child.
Time flowed on quietly, and before they knew it, it was already the latter half of the night.
"Irisviel, are you asleep?"
A gentle female voice answered, "I'm still awake, Shirou."
"...Mm."
"What is it, Shirou?"
Shirou hesitated, then said, "Actually... there's something I've been hiding from you...
Do you remember the first time we met in Shinto?"
"Of course I remember. How could I possibly forget?"
Staring up at the ceiling, Irisviel murmured, "You really tricked me badly back then, Shirou...
It was all to get close to me and Saber, wasn't it? You even told me your name was Shinji. That was really awful!"
The silver-haired Homunculus put on an angry face, and Shirou quickly apologized.
"Hehe, I forgive you~"
"Actually, about that..."
"What is it?"
Shirou fidgeted with the front of his nightclothes and shook his head. "No... i-it's nothing..."
Irisviel puffed out her cherry-blossom pink lips and pinched the boy's cheek. "You shouldn't stop halfway through, Shirou.
If there's something you want to say, just tell me. I'll listen to all of it."
"Actually... Irisviel..."
Shirou stammered, "Back then, when I first saw you in Shinto, I felt something strange inside."
"...What did you say?"
Irisviel's eyes widened.
Could it be Shirou felt the same way she did?
At the time, the moment she saw Shirou, it had felt as if a bolt of lightning had run through her body.
Looking back on it now, it had to be some kind of fate.
"What exactly did it feel like?" Irisviel asked nervously.
Shirou had not expected such a strong reaction, but to get the Command Spell, he could only force himself to keep going.
"Even though it was our first time meeting, somehow…
Was it your aura, maybe, or your presence...? Iri, you gave me a feeling that was strangely familiar."
"!!!"
Irisviel covered her mouth. "Could it be... Shirou, do I remind you of someone?"
Shirou nodded. "That's right."
Irisviel swallowed, and her heartbeat gradually began to quicken.
Then she heard the boy say, "Iri, you're like my big sis..."
"Mom!"
Shirou blinked. "Huh?"
"I knew it!"
Irisviel said smugly, "Shirou, you think I'm just like your mother too, don't you?
Actually, I think Shirou feels just like the child I've never met! We're completely on the same wavelength!"
A question mark slowly appeared in Shirou's mind.
No, big sis...
Why was this going in a completely different direction from what he had imagined?
Forget it. To get the Command Spell, this was still within the range of sacrifices he could tolerate.
Irisviel's expression suddenly turned serious as she said, "Shirou, I have a request. I want you to think of me as your mother."
"..."
Seeing the speechless look on Shirou's face, Irisviel hurriedly explained.
"I know this request is completely unreasonable, and I know very well that a Homunculus like me has no right to become your real mother, but…
Uu, just think of it as another one of my selfish requests, Shirou..."
The silver-haired, red-eyed Homunculus looked at him pitifully. "No?"
"No."
"......I'm sorry. I overstepped."
Irisviel lowered her head in disappointment, only to hear the boy say,
"It's not okay normally, but... if it's only for tonight, then I guess it's fine."
Irisviel let out a startled "Eh?"
Shirou said flatly, "You've already said this much. If I still refuse, I'll probably have nightmares tonight."
"...Shirou!"
Overjoyed, Irisviel clasped the boy's small hand tightly and looked at him with eyes full of expectation.
Shirou sighed. "You have to forget about it tomorrow, okay?"
"Mhm, it's a promise."
"And you can't tell Saber, okay?"
"Mhm, this will be a secret just between Shirou and me."
In the end, Shirou reluctantly shifted under the covers and moved his mouth close to Irisviel's ear.
Then, in a whisper soft enough that only the two of them could hear, he murmured,
"...Iri-mama."
"!!"
Irisviel's shoulders trembled slightly.
That one soft line hit her like a devastating critical blow.
"Hehehe... hehehe..."
Looking at Irisviel's lovestruck grin, Shirou felt it was about time to get to the real business.
"Um, Iri..."
"It's Iri-mama."
Irisviel suddenly switched to a stern expression and corrected him.
"Iri-mama..."
"Hehe, Shirou, you really are such an affectionate child!"
A vein twitched on Shirou's forehead as he said, "Actually, I have a request too, though it might be hard to say.
Irisviel, once you hear it, you'll probably think it's too much.
But if you can't agree to it, I probably won't be able to sleep peacefully tonight."
"?"
Irisviel's delicate brows drew together.
What kind of request was it that would keep him from sleeping if she refused?
All of a sudden, a scene from a movie she had watched not long ago flashed through the silver-haired Homunculus's mind.
It was a warm, heartwarming image of a baby sleeping soundly with a pacifier in its mouth.
"Gulp..."
Irisviel's expression instantly turned odd, and she instinctively covered the impressive chest beneath her thin nightgown.
"Shirou, don't tell me you want to..."
Shirou thought, I haven't even said anything yet, and you already get it?
It really was hard to bring himself to ask Irisviel for a Command Spell. If she could understand what he meant on her own, that would be a huge help.
Shirou said, "My request is probably the very thing you're imagining right now."
"You actually...!"
A blush spread across the beautiful doll-like face in the darkness, as if two pomegranate petals had suddenly landed on her cheeks.
Irisviel bit her lip. "Shirou, you bad boy... asking for something so shameless…
You're not a baby anymore, and yet you want... uu... how am I even supposed to answer something like that?"
"I'm sorry."
Shirou lowered his head apologetically.
Blushing furiously, Irisviel murmured in embarrassment, "You don't need to apologize, Shirou, but this request really is a bit too much..."
"So it's not okay?"
This time, Shirou was the one wearing a pitiful expression.
Faced with that look from the beloved child in front of her, Irisviel, who had originally wanted to reject him sternly and scold him, instantly felt her heart melt.
"I... I didn't say it wasn't okay!"
"So that means it is okay?" Shirou pressed.
After a brief silence, Irisviel nodded with quiet resolve, like someone accepting her fate.
It was an outrageous request, but it really was something only she, as this child's mother, could do.
If she could not answer him, then who else could?
"I-it's okay... if it's only this once."
Shirou quickly nodded. "Just once! Once is all I want!"
There was no need to sound that desperate, Irisviel thought to herself faintly.
"Is it okay, Iri?" Shirou asked again.
The silver-haired Homunculus blushed and pursed her lips. "J-just so we're clear…
Since I'm not really a mother yet, nothing will come out, okay?
So please don't get any strange expectations, Shirou."
"?"
Shirou thought, What are you even talking about?
Before he could ask, Irisviel gave her instruction. "Close your eyes."
Shirou was confused.
It was only the transfer of a Command Spell, so why did he have to close his eyes?
Did she not want him to see the Command Spell appearing on her face? There was really no need to worry about that.
"Do I really have to close them?"
Irisviel answered seriously, "I'll tell you when you can open them, but not yet.
This is the one thing I can't compromise on, Shirou. Close your eyes first."
"I understand."
Shirou obediently shut his eyes.
Seeing that, Irisviel finally relaxed a little.
At the same time, she could also feel that her body had grown much hotter than before.
She thought to herself faintly, It's all Shirou's fault for saying something so strange. Now I'm starting to feel strange too.
Irisviel steadied her uneasy emotions a little, then reached toward the hem of her nightgown.
"Can I open them now?"
In the darkness, Shirou heard the rustle of clothing and asked.
"N-not yet!"
Irisviel's voice sounded both flustered and shy, and for some reason that made Shirou's heart start racing too.
About ten seconds passed.
"Y-you can open your eyes now."
Shirou obediently opened his eyes, and then...
"Huh?"
Shirou was completely dumbfounded.
What exactly did you shove in my face?
"D-don't keep staring. It's too embarrassing."
Turning her burning-hot face aside, Irisviel shyly murmured while supporting them with her arm.
"Shirou, pick whichever one you like. The left, or the right...?"
"Uh, Irisviel... no... what are you..."
Just as Shirou started to explain, a slender yet surprisingly strong hand suddenly cradled the back of his head.
"!!"
A sweet and rich taste gradually spread through Shirou's mouth.