In the afternoon, the sky was bright and clear.
The warm sunlight stread through the window, entering the room and bringing a touch of warmth to the enclosed study.
Miss i was very fond of the afternoon sun.
The afternoon, though lacking the vibrant rising sun of dawn and the grand, majestic atmosphere of dusk, possessed a unique tranquility.
At this ti of day, brewing a cup of clear tea, picking up a book, and reading while sipping tea alone on a balcony or in a study was undoubtedly an excellent choice.
That bone-deep relaxation, the warmth that lingered in the aroma of the tea, was, in Raiden i's opinion, a pleasure second only to interacting with friends and family.
Out of habit, Miss i brewed herself a cup of tea, picked up a book, and prepared to enjoy the afternoon sun.
And then—
"BANG BANG BANG—!!"
A series of rather urgent knocks sounded from the door.
Who is it?
Rembering that Kiana had been called away by Teacher Hiko, and that Bronya and Seele had gone out to play together, Miss i's delicate brows furrowed.
Could it be Zihan?
Miss i, who had been with Li Zihan not long ago preparing to ask him so questions before being interrupted by the Schicksal Overseer, saw her brow smooth out instantly, a slight smile gracing her lips.
Is he coming to explain things to on his own initiative?
As she thought this, her mood brightened. She stood up from her desk and walked towards the door.
And then—
What ca into view was a white-haired shorty who was probably not even as tall as Bronya.
It was the Principal of St. Freya Academy, Theresa, a great-aged loli who was good for nothing except being number one at freeloading als.
"...Good afternoon, Principal."
Raiden i, not seeing the person she had hoped to see, found the smile on her face changing ever so slightly.
But she still opened the door and made a gesture to invite her in.
"Good afternoon, i."
The white-haired shorty, who had arranged with Murata Hiko that they would each guide one of the girls, wore a serious expression.
That look made Raiden i freeze.
Although she hadn't been at St. Freya for long, she knew that Principal Theresa's role was very close to that of a mascot, a cute commodity.
To suddenly see the school's number one mascot acting so serious, Raiden i was also a little dumbfounded.
"What's wrong, Principal?"
Feeling that the situation was a bit off, Raiden i asked very carefully.
Theresa's current serious deanor made it look as if she had just witnessed a Great Eruption and was preparing to head to the battlefield.
"i, I have sothing very important to tell you."
The white-haired shorty, who had seen a portrait that was very likely of i while playing bridge with Murata Hiko, stood on her tiptoes, stretched her arms out as far as they could go, and patted i's shoulder.
"What is it?"
Raiden i looked at the Principal, who was having a rather hard ti just patting her shoulder, and considerately bent down slightly before asking.
"That Li guy is probably secretly in love with you."
Theresa, whose attention was focused on oppai and felt that the probability of it being i was higher, said with a grave expression.
These words entered Miss i's ears, leaving her stunned.
Her father, Raiden Ryoma, had already given Li Zihan the Plasma Kagehide, an item that was absolutely an indispensable part of her dowry. Her relationship with Zihan was actually very close to that of fiancés.
Moreover, aside from when they first t, Zihan had almost never hidden the fact that he held feelings of love for her.
Helping her escape Cocolia's pursuit, unconditionally seeking aid for her father, and even going against the will of the Schicksal Overseer for her sake...
These actions were undoubtedly an open and honest pursuit.
And yet, Theresa was saying Li Zihan was secretly in love with her?
Raiden i opened her mouth, wanting to say sothing, but didn't know what to say.
She felt that Theresa might have so misunderstanding of the term "secretly in love."
If it weren't for Father being transferred to xico for a secret mission, I probably would have already been engaged to Zihan by now.
The girl, who was not at all averse to the idea of an arranged marriage, felt her pretty face flush red at the thought.
If they were to get engaged in the near future, such progress would be a little fast, fast enough to be a little unsettling.
But, it seed she didn't dislike this feeling of unease as much as she imagined.
He was a person who would stand against the leader of Anti-Entropy's radical faction and defy the Schicksal Overseer for her sake. The sense of security he brought her far outweighed the unease of moving too quickly.
"In that Li guy's dormitory, I saw an oil painting with its face covered by a canvas."
Theresa, who had actually first stumbled upon Li Zihan and Banya getting close and was now operating under mory loss, paid no mind to what Miss i was thinking. She took a deep breath and spoke her piece.
"An oil painting?"
Miss i's expression was a little puzzled upon suddenly hearing this term.
"Mhm, I can confirm it was a girl wearing a St. Freya uniform."
Theresa's expression was serious, which was a very normal reaction.
Because the girl in that painting was either i or her own niece.
"So, you're saying it's possible Zihan is painting my portrait in his dorm?"
Hearing these words, Miss i felt her heart begin to beat faster, and an imnse sense of joy welled up inside her.
To paint a portrait of one's lover in secret, then present it at a specific mont.
Such a developnt was truly romantic.
After seeing Li Zihan decide to postpone his eting with the Schicksal Overseer just to explain things to her, the girl who believed he loved her saw her eyes curve into crescent moons.
"We can't rule out the possibility that the Li guy just randomly found a model."
Feeling that i's reaction was a bit over the top, Theresa's eye twitched as she ntioned another possibility.
"If you want to confirm whether it's your portrait, you'll probably have to go see it."
"Then, I'll go have a look."
Miss i, who was a little curious about what kind of girl Li Zihan would choose as a model, thought for a mont and said.
Although she didn't understand why Theresa was telling her these things, going to have a look couldn't be a bad thing.
And so, a short ti later.
"Zihan, are you very good at oil painting?"
Inside Li Zihan's dormitory, Miss i's voice rang out.
The girl, who had just been cornered by Theresa for a long chat about life, looked at the young man who seed to have returned to the height he was when they first t, her expression a little nervous.
"I'm alright."
The young man, who had just deciphered the Emiya family's true Magical Crest and successfully returned his body to its normal state, wore a very pleasant smile.
A Magical Crest is a mystical sigil that a magus has spent a lifeti training and solidifying, a magical inheritance.
Because it's sothing akin to a "new organ" brewed over hundreds of years, a Magical Crest is difficult to match with a non-blood relative.
If one wanted to extract the knowledge within, there were generally only two thods: destroy the Magical Crest or undergo self-modification.
However, those were the ordinary thods.
Li Zihan, who was very interested in the Emiya family's research, chose a third thod.
He drew the invincible Jizo Mitama.
The organ-like, "biological" Magical Crest had practically no resistance against Jizo Mitama.
With almost no effort, Li Zihan obtained the research of one of the top-tier research-type magi in the Type-Moon world, Emiya Norikata—the Reality Marble born to reach the end of ti.
He deployed the Reality Marble, made the flow of ti accelerate, and his body, which had been regressed to thirteen years old by Aoko, quickly returned to its normal state.
"Art is pretty simple, really."
Li Zihan, whose observational skills were extrely sharp and whose control over his limbs was also exceptional, said. While his painting skills weren't at a master's level, they were still first-rate.
Can he really paint?
The girl, vaguely rembering a certain white-haired shorty pulling her aside and saying that Li Zihan might be secretly painting her portrait, felt a slight blush appear on her pretty cheeks.
She really wanted to know if that oil painting was of her.
"Um... could you let see the painting you've been working on recently, Zihan?"
"I've been thinking about learning oil painting myself recently."
The girl, who was actually more interested in cooking than oil painting, let her gaze drift, glancing towards a very obvious easel.
She might as well have had "I want to see" written all over her face.
"Of course you can."
The young man, who had told Bronya before this that he was painting Seele, chuckled lightly. He stood up and walked unhurriedly to the corner of the living room.
He very naturally placed his hand on the canvas, tapped it once or twice, and then lifted it.
On the canvas, a girl with black hair and purple eyes wore a warm smile.
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