Type-Moon, I'm a magician, is that true?

Then as a wife, she cannot lose to Miss Maiya!

"Yes, I understand." Irisviel's delicate face hardened. "Let's try to delay and test each other's intentions."

"Don't worry, ma'am. I will probably die, but as the Lesser Holy Grail, there's a high chance they'll keep you."

At the last moment, Hisau Maiya rarely showed a smile to Irisviel.

"So no matter how cruelly you are treated, please be patient. Kiritsugu will do everything he can to rescue you."

"Well...don't worry, I won't hand this Holy Grail Body over to anyone other than Kiritsugu."

Irisviel clenched her hands tightly, she was ready, at this moment, footsteps were heard outside the house.

The two looked at each other.

'coming! ’

Taking a deep breath, Irisviel pulled out a chair and sat down elegantly, waiting for her fate to come.

One step, two steps, the footsteps came from far away and finally stopped outside the hall.

Irisviel's throat moved slightly, and she began to resent the intruder's indecisiveness.

Compared to facing the end directly, the waiting before it comes is the most torturous punishment, and the invaders seem to be well aware of this.

"..."

Cold sweat dripped down unconsciously, and her resolute heart was trembling. Although only ten seconds had passed, Irisviel felt like dozens of minutes had passed.

"Dong dong dong."

There was an orderly knock on the door, like an ultimatum to them.

Irisviel was puzzled. She didn't know why they had to maintain hypocritical etiquette when the other party had already attacked them.

But if the other party wants to act, she has to act along.

"...Which distinguished guest has come to visit my Einzbern territory in such a manner? Isn't it a bit unreasonable from time to time?"

Acting like a master, Irisviel shouted loudly.

After she spoke, the knocking stopped, replaced by the click of the door lock being turned, an action that made Irisviel shudder.

'Did something I said irritate him?' she thought.

But it was too late to reflect now. She could only try to look calm while looking at the intruder behind the door.

The first thing that caught her eye was the colors of purple and silver. At the same time, a voice rang out that Irisviel would never forget.

"Hehe! Illya's prank was a success!!"

The smaller figure suddenly jumped out, her head held high, her hands on her hips, and a wicked smile of satisfaction on her face, as if a prank had been completed.

"How's it going? Mom is scared, right?"

"Miss Illya...?"

Hisau Maiya opened her mouth slightly, the world in front of her eyes suddenly shook, and she leaned weakly against the wall, her heart starting to pump blood frantically.

Even though she has been through many battles, this kind of gap is rare.

"Ilia?"

The wife stared blankly at her daughter who ran up to her to show off, muttering to herself.

"Yeah, it's me!"

"Ilia..."

No emotion could be seen in her lowered eyes. The lady's tone became heavier, and she repeated Illya's name as if to confirm.

"Huh?" The little girl felt something was wrong. She raised her head and tried to observe her mother's expression.

But before that, a pair of white hands reached out at lightning speed and clamped Illya's soft and tender little face like an iron clamp.

Irisviel smiled horribly, her fingertips turning white from exerting too much force.

"Ilia!"

"Ah!!! Caster, save me!"

The noise between mother and daughter spread throughout the room, and the child's miserable screams broke the dead silence.

At the same time, it also made Emiya Kiritsugu, who was listening nervously to the microphone outside a high-end hotel in Fuyuki City, look speechless.

"That child, should I discipline him properly in the future?"

The man's cold chest thawed, and he suddenly sat down weakly against the wall, revealing a smile that was unclear whether it was happiness or sadness.

……

"Ugh, bad mother, you pinched Illya so hard."

More than ten minutes later, Illya's eyes were full of tears. She groaned and covered her face, which was red and swollen, with obvious arc lines.

"Illya, if you say that again, Mom will have to love you dearly."

Rubbing her fingers together with lingering satisfaction, Irisviel felt a strange emotion sprouting in her heart.

In the following years, she finally understood that this kind of emotion was called "black-bellied".

"Hmm!" Illya shuddered and quickly retreated behind Aiwen.

"Pfft."

Seeing this scene, the wife laughed out loud. She shook her head, and the exaggerated smile faded from her face, and her usual intellectual and elegant smile returned.

"Forget it, let Illya go this time. But why did Illya come back suddenly? Did she miss her parents?"

Hearing this, Illya pouted.

"Hmph, I don't think about that bad guy Kiritsugu. This visit has nothing to do with him."

"Oh~~ So you don't deny that you miss mom?"

The wife giggled and looked at her daughter with gentle eyes. She felt a soft and sweet emotion overflowing from the bottom of her heart.

Her daughter, the continuation of her life, although she would not live more than a week, Illya would definitely be able to accompany Kiritsugu in the future.

Irisviel's eyes became increasingly dazed. She didn't even hear what Illya said, and just nodded blindly.

It wasn't until Hisahi Maiya's urgent call came that she came back to her senses.

"Ma'am, do you really want to agree?"

"lady!"

"Hey, what, what did I promise?"

Irisviel blinked in confusion and looked back at everyone, only to see Illya excitedly high-fiving Caster, while Maiya beside her had a complicated expression.

"Ms. Maiya?"

"Ma'am, Miss Illya just wanted you and her to leave."

"Ugh?"

Irisviel subconsciously wanted to ask what was wrong with this, but after seeing Hisau Maiya's expression, she suddenly understood something.

That's right, she forgot that she is no longer just Illya's mother.

She is also Kiritsugu's wife, a supporter of his dreams, and the embodiment of the Lesser Holy Grail in the Holy Grail War.

Illya is already the Master, and she and Kiritsugu are on different sides. Even though the two will not fight to the death, they can no longer get along like father and daughter until one of them admits defeat.

"That's right, Mom, come with me. There's a surprise, something Kiritsugu definitely can't do."

Illya said proudly, throwing herself into Irisviel's arms and acting coquettishly.

Although the time she had to spend with her daughter was becoming increasingly scarce, Irisviel no longer felt as happy as usual. Her heart was torn between her husband and her daughter.

She is the Lesser Holy Grail and an important part of the Holy Grail War system. Whoever she favors will be one step ahead of other Masters.

My daughter's servant is a caster, so she will definitely be able to fully utilize her special abilities. At that time, even Saber will be able to fight against her.

Of course, Irisviel was willing to sacrifice everything for her daughter, but this also meant that she had to abandon Kiritsugu's dream and the man she loved deeply.

Kiritsugu's dream was far-reaching, shining like a star; Illya's dream was ordinary, like an everyday candle. The difficulty of the two was vastly different, but no one could say which was more important.

Irisviel didn't know what to choose. Should she follow her daughter's wishes, or continue to follow Kiritsugu?

Perhaps sensing her hesitation, Illya gradually loosened her arms, burying herself in Irisviel's arms, her voice muffled.

"As expected, Mom still supports Kiritsugu's side? Even though she knows that if she continues like this, she will never see Illya again?"

"I……"

Irisviel hesitated to speak, unable to utter even a perfunctory word of comfort.

In her arms, Illya paused before continuing.

"Mom, Caster already has a way to cure you. As long as you come, responsibilities and the future will no longer be a problem. Don't you want to be with Illya forever? Don't you love Illya anymore?"

"!"

There is no question more pointed and heart-piercing than this.

Her arms suddenly tightened, and Irisviel stuffed her daughter into her arms. She lowered her head and rubbed her cheek against Illya's silver hair.

"Of course Mom loves Illya, more than anyone else..."

Hot tears filled her eyes and slid down her cheeks. Irisviel's voice trembled with the fluctuation of emotions.

It wasn't because of what Illya said that she could survive, but because of her daughter's accusation that made Irisviel unable to suppress the pain in her heart.

Yes, her daughter came all the way to Fuyuki for her and personally entered the Holy Grail War. She has been sacrificing for her family, but what about herself?

What mother in the world would like to see her daughter suffer more than herself? Now she and Kiritsugu have become the source of her daughter's pain.

"I'm sorry, Kiritsugu." Irisviel apologized silently in her heart: "Illya is just a child, I really am worried about her."

After sobbing and wiping away her tears, the lady's red eyes showed a look of realization.

She raised her hand and gently stroked her daughter's little head in her arms.

"Illya, Mommy and you..."

"That's enough, Aunt Irisviel. There's no need to say any more. Just keep your decision deep in your heart forever."

Suddenly, when Irisviel was halfway through her words, Aiwen, who had remained silent, interrupted the conversation and interrupted her decision.

Although I couldn't see his expression, there was a thoughtfulness in his words that could not be ignored.

Irisviel held Illya in her arms and looked at him with confusion.

"Illya's caster, why are you..."

Yes, even Hisau Maiya beside her gave him a complicated look.

Everyone could see that under Illya's attack, Irisviel had already made a decision, and it was impossible to change it without Emiya Kiritsugu around.

But why did this servant interrupt? Would letting it go on like this lead to a result that was in their favor?

Under everyone's gaze, Aiwen slowly stretched out his hand, and thin vine-like substances began to form at his fingertips.

"As long as you have a clear answer, it's enough. There's no need to say it out loud, because that would leave room for ambiguity and wouldn't create an imperceptible rift in your relationship with Uncle Emiya."

Aiwen looked at Hisau Maiya beside him, and the communication decoration hidden in the corner of the cabinet, and made a deliberately loud declaration.

"Please note that everything that follows is my arbitrary decision as a Servant. It was I who insisted on abducting Irisviel, the Lesser Holy Grail. She simply had no power to resist."

"After all, we are on opposing sides, so it's only natural for us to do things that increase our chances of winning."

As he finished speaking, Aiwen's technique also touched Irisviel's exposed skin. Like a puppet with the power turned off, she fell down quietly and silently.

"lady?!"