It felt like hugging an incredibly warm pillow, and even the dreams were sweet.
Her long eyelashes fluttered as the saint awoke from her slumber. The afternoon sunlight filled her athyst eyes, making the drowsy maiden resemble a breathtaking springti painting.
The blanket retained the fluffy warmth of sunlight along with the faint fragrance left by the girl. As Jeanne d’Arc shifted into a more comfortable position, intending to linger in bed a little longer, an unfamiliar sensation in her hand made her squint and glance downward.
A tightly clutched black shirt ca into view.
"Wh—What is this?!"
Jeanne was instantly jolted awake, flinging the shirt away as if bitten by a snake and bolting upright in bed. She turned her head to look beside her.
The space next to her was empty, save for the indentation left behind—evidence that soone had once been there.
Considering who the temporary resident was, and the fact that the black shirt embroidered with golden patterns was in her hand, the identity of the "lucky one" who had shared a bed with this saint didn’t need to be spelled out.
’H-How could he do this?!’
Recalling the young man’s handso yet indifferent face, Jeanne unconsciously licked her dry lips—only to freeze in shock. Her lips tasted slightly salty, with a faint tallic tang.
As soone well-acquainted with battlefields, she recognized it imdiately—the taste of blood.
But she wasn’t injured. Where had the blood co from?
"Miss Jeanne..." The original owner of the body, Laeticia, spoke up in her mind with a quiet sigh. "Do you rember what you did last night after falling asleep?"
"Last night? After falling asleep?" Jeanne replied with her usual gentle grace, smiling. "Miss Laeticia, what a joke. How could I rember anything after falling asleep? I just had a dream—sothing about a pillow, and, well... it’s a bit embarrassing, but I think I might have bitten into it as if it were sothing delicious... What a strange dream, right?"
"..." Laeticia fell silent.
"...Right?" Jeanne persisted with a smile, repeating herself. But as she spoke, her smile gradually faded. She looked down at the shirt in her hands again—and suddenly, the saint threw herself back onto the bed, expertly cocooning herself in the blanket like a worm, and began rolling around in distress.
"Waaah QAQ, what have I done?!"
Clearly, the saint had so inkling about the true identity of the "pillow." But perhaps so things were better left unknown.
"I hugged him? Did I really hug him? If that’s the case, then my reputation in front of him is completely ruined!" Her muffled wails filled the blanket, mingling with the crumpled black-and-gold shirt.
’...To be honest, Miss Jeanne, you lost any semblance of dignity in front of Sakatsuki long ago.’
Laeticia, who had woken up an hour earlier than Jeanne, sighed. Though she had lent her body to the saint, she could still observe everything happening outside.
That morning, she had witnessed the young man—his entire body stiff, yet making no move to disturb Jeanne as she clung to him with both arms and legs, practically groping him all over. His deep, golden eyes had left a lasting impression on her.
What emotions lay hidden behind that complicated yet faintly indulgent gaze?
For so reason, she was deeply curious.
———
anwhile, in the dining hall...
The homunculus enjoyed the feeling of waking up early, breathing in the fresh air and feeling the comfort of her body stretching out—before Sakatsuki started preparing lunch, her excitent had already led her to explore every corner of the house, though she obediently refrained from stepping outside.
While Sakatsuki busied himself in the kitchen, the homunculus girl rested her chin on her hands, tilting her head as she observed the young man’s movents. Her ruby-like eyes were pure, filled with childlike curiosity and wonder.
"But, Master, don’t you look a little off today?"
After catching sight of Sakatsuki’s handso yet stormy expression several tis, the homunculus pondered for a mont before voicing her thoughts candidly.
"It seems you’ve learned to sense others’ emotions. Good." Sakatsuki habitually offered guidance before involuntarily reaching to touch a spot just below his collarbone. The sudden burst of pain made his brow twitch, and he sucked in a sharp breath.
For so reason, the pain from this minor wound was even more intense than being impaled by Vlad III. Every touch felt like an explosion in his chest, stirring a turbulent ss of emotions that even he struggled to untangle.
"...There’s a complicated reason behind it, so I won’t explain it to you."
Just as he said this, Sakatsuki caught sight of a golden-haired figure sneaking along the wall. When she noticed the two of them in the kitchen, she froze.
"Ah, that’s Miss Jeanne d’Arc, right? The one staying in Master’s room."
Thanks to Sakatsuki’s interference, the homunculus girl hadn’t spoken with Jeanne before, but she wasn’t entirely unfamiliar with her. "Um, I think the greeting is... Good afternoon, have you eaten?"
Out of politeness, Jeanne halted her stealthy ’infiltration’ and was about to reply when Sakatsuki, who was wiping the dining table, spoke up in a dry tone.
"Of course the holy maiden who slept in like a lazy pig and dread of food hasn’t had lunch yet."
"Ahaha..." Struck where it hurt, Jeanne let out an awkward laugh and tried to slip away from the awkward situation. "Thank you for your hospitality, but I have things to do, so I’ll be going now—goodbye!"
"Stop." The young man’s unhurried voice acted like a command, freezing the holy maiden with Magic Resistance EX in place, her expression turning as mournful as if she had lost her parents.
Clink!
A white porcelain plate was placed on the table with a crisp sound. Sakatsuki looked at the cowering holy maiden with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
"Did you forget sothing?"
At this, Jeanne let out an "uh," her fair face visibly flushing. After hesitating for a long mont, she reluctantly pulled out the shirt she had been hiding behind her back, averting her gaze as she refused to look at the young man before her.
"Is this shirt... yours?"
It was clearly her Master’s shirt.
The homunculus girl recognized it at a glance. She gave Jeanne a strange look before shifting her gaze to Sakatsuki, who had been wearing a black robe since morning...
Which ant... her Master wasn’t wearing anything underneath?
"Of course. Whose else would you expect it to be?" Sakatsuki was drying his hands, so he tilted his chin slightly, signaling for Jeanne to put the shirt down.
The golden-haired girl hesitated for a long ti before finally taking small, hesitant steps toward the table. As if tossing a bomb, she flung the shirt onto the table and imdiately yanked her hand back, ready to flee—only to et Sakatsuki’s gaze again. Unable to move, she could only stamr out:
"Um, you... why are your clothes here with ..."
At these words, Sakatsuki raised an eyebrow.
"You don’t rember? Seriously? I was hoping you’d give an explanation."
An explanation?
A sense of foreboding rose within Jeanne d’Arc as her breath caught. Sakatsuki continued, "After you fell asleep, you either wanted to hug or strangle , and then... well, tsk tsk."
Watching Jeanne’s rapidly changing expression, Sakatsuki clicked his tongue with mischievous delight. "I never expected the honorable Ruler to be like this in her sleep."
"W-what was I like?!"
Jeanne’s legs had gone weak, but to uphold the dignity of the Ruler, she stubbornly tried to defend herself.
She looked oddly adorable.
The young man’s smile deepened, though he feigned a troubled expression. "Let’s just say you did so... indescribable things to ."
Indescribable?! Jeanne stared in disbelief at the shirt on the table.
"Things too embarrassing to put into words..."
Too embarrassing?! The girl’s face flushed crimson, her eyes glistening with moisture as she staggered back and collapsed into a chair, gasping for breath, her ample chest heaving.
What on earth did I do to him last night?!
"Miss Jeanne, have so water."
The homunculus girl handed her a glass, which Jeanne snatched and downed in one go. Plain water sohow took on the vigor of strong liquor as she slamd the empty cup onto the table with a bang and launched her counterattack:
"Mr. Sakatsuki, answer directly—what exactly did I do last night?!"
"You really want to know?" Gone was the coldness from yesterday. The young man smiled, his eyes glinting with fox-like cunning.
Jeanne nervously rubbed her thighs but gritted her teeth. "Yes!"
"Are you sure?"
"I’m sure!"
Sensing the saint was about to explode if pushed further, Sakatsuki pretended to sigh. "Very well, then take a good look."
A look? At what?
Puzzled, Jeanne turned to Sakatsuki just as the white-haired youth reached up and removed Hades’ cloak.
Her eyes widened instantly, lips parting slightly as her barely cooled brain went into overdrive again, threatening to turn her into a steaming ss.
Before Jeanne’s eyes was the young man’s bare upper body—his slender arms and beautifully defined muscles. Simply standing there, he radiated an indescribable allure, sharp as a steel spear.
Sakatsuki displayed his physique unabashedly before the two girls, his masculine aura leaving Jeanne breathless.
Her gaze involuntarily trailed downward, following the lines of his muscles until she saw it—a neat row of teeth marks just below his collarbone, vividly red, clearly a fresh "injury."
As for who the culprit was... the answer was obvious.
The events of last night beca clear. Evidently, a certain sleep-addled saint hadn’t been content with just hugging Sakatsuki and groping him—she’d even mistaken him for sothing delicious and taken a bite...
Jeanne let out a soft "eep!" as her brain completely short-circuited. She collapsed onto the table, steam practically rising from her head.
Shaless! Absolutely shaless!
The renowned Maiden of France actually dragged a man to bed in the middle of the night and did such things to him.
What’s more, she did it using soone else’s body...
Lord, please forgive my sacrilege, my violation, my impurity...
"The one you should be asking for forgiveness isn’t the one in heaven, but ."
The young man’s voice grew closer. Jeanne d’Arc only felt soone pat her head before picking up the shirt beside her. Amidst the rustling sounds, Sakatsuki’s voice carried a hint of amusent.
"Get up, Ruler. I believe you’re not the type to dare do sothing but not own up to it."
Hearing Sakatsuki’s words, Jeanne could no longer pretend to be dead. She raised her head, her eyes moist as she looked at him.
"How... how should I compensate you?"
"Oh? Still using honorifics?" Sakatsuki couldn’t help but laugh. Instead of taking advantage, he knocked on the table. "It’s lunchti. Let’s eat first."
"...Oh." Under Sakatsuki’s amused gaze, Jeanne pursed her lips but ultimately sat down obediently and picked up her cutlery.
And thus... she endured the most agonizing al of her life.
’The dessert was delicious, the main course exquisite, the after-al snacks delightful too... but Sakatsuki, could you please stop staring at ?! Don’t you need to eat?!’
The saint inwardly wailed, but it didn’t stop her from channeling her frustration into appetite, devouring the food on the table like a whirlwind. Even the homunculus girl was intimidated by her intensity, putting down her utensils to cautiously offer more food to the "big boss."
As for Sakatsuki, now properly dressed, his gaze remained fixed on Jeanne, admiring her beautiful and holy profile, his golden eyes brimming with an unconscious mirth.
Unspeakable? Too shaful to ntion?
That’s a lie!
Sakatsuki was a Servant—he could dematerialize and leave anyti. How could Jeanne possibly take advantage of him?
Yet despite himself, mories of last night’s sweetness flooded his mind.
He recalled the saintly maiden, asleep and as docile as an infant, clinging to him like an octopus, her face buried in his chest as she murmured soft, adorable sounds.
He rembered how she suddenly sniffled, then opened her small mouth to bite his chest, her hair cascading down as pain and ticklishness intertwined, making the young man frown slightly yet unable to look away, suppressing his voice.
He recalled how, after her mischief, she loosened her embrace—only for him to reflexively pull her back, unwilling to let go, gazing at her pouting lips before brushing her cheek and twirling strands of her golden hair.
Just reminiscing made Sakatsuki unable to suppress his smile, until Jeanne grew so unsettled under his stare that she clutched her bowl, pushed away from the table, and silently retreated... and retreated... and retreated...
"Done eating?" Sakatsuki snapped out of his thoughts, watching Jeanne now several ters away. He stood up nonchalantly. "Did you have enough? Should I make more?"
"T-that won’t be necessary." Extrely uncomfortable with Sakatsuki’s current deanor, Jeanne whispered, "May I ask... how should I compensate you?"
Looking at the overly respectful saint, Sakatsuki chuckled inwardly. He flicked her smooth forehead, making her yelp and cover the spot in grievance. Only then did he rise, thoroughly satisfied.
"We can discuss compensation later. There are so matters I need to attend to first," Sakatsuki said as he prepared to leave. "Miss Ruler, please communicate with the homunculus I rescued. Having escaped from the Black Faction’s fortress and gained qualification to participate in the war, she’s now the new Master who contracted with Black Rider. I’m sure there’s much knowledge you’ll need to impart to her."
"A Master? This homunculus lady?" Jeanne d’Arc asked, her professional deanor instantly replacing her earlier emotions as she turned to the silver-haired girl who rarely spoke. Seizing this opportunity, Sakatsuki slipped away from their sight and returned to his room.
Sitting cross-legged on the bed that still retained traces of warmth, the smile gradually faded from Sakatsuki’s face. With an impassive snap of his fingers, imaginary number space unfolded, and a tallic image display device tumbled out.
The device appeared utterly ordinary—neither containing remarkable mysteries nor bearing any powerful magecraft. Yet when Sakatsuki activated it, the illuminated screen reflected a corner of the courtyard below.
There, a gentle-faced priest in clerical robes could be seen moving through the grounds, heading toward a particular spot in the garden.
"After hiding for so long, you finally plan to conclude matters while I’m away," Sakatsuki murmured.
Watching the man in the display, the corners of his lips curled slightly, his golden eyes filled with nothing but cold mockery.
"How unfortunate. No matter how many precautions you take, you still can’t escape my grasp... Amakusa Shirou Tokisada."
As the Assassin whispered these words, the Red Faction priest remained completely unaware. After straightening his appearance, he respectfully pushed open an inconspicuous small door.
Wispy smoke drifted as the priest disappeared inside with a smile on his face.
—Along with soone’s familiar that had been lurking in the imaginary number space.
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