Siblings Loving Each Other, Living in Harmony / Kirino Wants the Four of Them to Live Together

At least Shirou would never abandon Ayase. Ethics and laws, while undeniably important, are ultimately products created to improve people's lives and bring greater social order.

For an individual, there are things in this world that are even more important. Even a murderer may have parents who would shed tears for him.

Moreover, in the case of German orthopedic, from the perspective of Magecraft, Magecraft's family lineage will do anything for the sake of inheritance. In fact, such incestuous relationships are not uncommon.

From a scientific perspective, and in terms of blood ties, their situation is actually not too serious.

Because they are half-siblings, the only genetic similarities they share are from their paternal grandparents, with a similarity of less than one-half.

Because humans have lived in a patriarchal society for thousands of years, traditionally most people have believed that genes have a greater influence on the male side. However, in fact, women have two X chromosome that affect intelligence, and babies are nurtured by women for ten months.

Moreover, during the first month and a half of embryonic development, the embryo actually exists in the form of a female.

In other words, all people possess only female characteristics during the first six weeks after birth. After six weeks, under the influence of male genes, the sex of the embryo gradually changes, eliminating the early female characteristics and gradually transforming it into a male, thus giving rise to the distinction between sexes.

However, some people may encounter problems during this process, which could lead to various gender ambiguity issues. For example, some people may be androgynous; some may only discover that their gender is incorrect after adulthood; some may have gender identity disorder; and some men may also develop breast hyperplasia.

In fact, marriage between cousins is even more distant than that between siblings. In some countries, it's even legal.

"Ayase!" Shirou finally released the girl, placed his hands on Ayase's shoulders, and looked at her earnestly as he spoke.

"Is it... Shirou- nii-san?" Ayase looked at Shirou strangely.

"Promise me you won't do anything foolish, and don't hide anything from me. I'll take good care of you."

"Brother Shirou... I have a request." Ayase looked up at Shirou with some trepidation. She felt a reassuring warmth from the man, and received the understanding she had longed for most during the days and nights when she was secretly shedding tears. But the more she felt this way, the more uneasy she became.

Even with the man's understanding and gentleness, she still couldn't be sure.

If she couldn't get his consent, she would have to painfully refuse Shirou's concern, because she loved him and also deeply loved her and their child, and hoped to give birth to the child.

However, society will not allow her to do such a thing, even if this question is too harsh, even if this question determines whether she can truly find happiness.

"Brother Shirou! I want to give birth to this child!" Ayase stroked her slightly protruding belly and mustered her courage to speak.

"Do you really want it no matter what?" Shirou asked the girl.

"Yes! No matter what!" Ayase nodded seriously.

"I understand! Then let's give birth to it!" Shirou nodded, solemnly agreeing.

He had personally experienced the girl's sorrow and madness, and knew that if he didn't agree, she might commit suicide again. Since he couldn't stop her, then he would protect her.

"Shirou! Thank you! Just hearing your words is enough for me." Ayase hugged Shirou tightly, tears of happiness streaming down her face. She knew she hadn't chosen the wrong person. Bloodline, status—none of that mattered anymore. All she knew was how much she loved the person she was embracing.

From a scientific perspective, consanguineous marriage is prohibited because the children born from such marriages have a very high chance of developing genetic defects, hereditary diseases, and other tragedies.

In fact, children born from consanguineous marriages may not only have defects, but also have the advantages of their family genes highlighted. Many great people in history were born to close relatives and achieved unprecedented success in their respective fields.

Furthermore, if everything is based on genes as the primary standard, then it's not that the greater the genetic similarity, the better. Otherwise, we would only be able to have people of different skin colors constantly interbreeding, instead of breeding people of different skin colors like yellow, brown, black, and white.

In fact, human-led breeding of other animals, such as pets and racehorses, often prioritizes the purity of the bloodline. In professional horse racing, for example, there are even legends of three major paternal ancestral lineages.

With the advancement of technology, when genes can be fully customized, all genetic defects can be resolved while the baby is still in the mother's womb, and these worries will be completely eliminated.

As for ethical views, they change with the times. The traditional Chinese saying "a woman should follow her husband wherever he goes" and "a wife should follow her husband wherever he goes" reflects a strong sense of male chauvinism that was part of Confucian ethics after the Song Dynasty, but it is now considered outdated.

At that moment, Kouko-san, who was holding a book, also walked over. It was the time Shirou had arranged to meet her.

"Kouko-san...? Why are you here?" Ayase asked suspiciously, a hint of hostility in her eyes.

"I asked her to come over, and I've decided it's necessary for you to meet her," Shirou said.

Chapter 716 Sibling Love and Harmony

"Ayase, do you know why Kyoko asked to work at the library?" Shirou asked the girl.

"I don't know, but I actually envy Kyoko quite a bit, and I admire her courage." Ayase shook her head, glanced at Kyoko, sighed, and said softly.

"I really don't deserve that. I just want to be able to read every day," Kyoko said softly, bowing her head.

"It's certainly admirable to pursue the life you want, but... if you're not forced to, who would give up their rightful rights? I hope you can understand Kyoko's difficulties." Shirou told the girl about Kyoko's past.

Kyoko is the granddaughter of a merchant family, who does business across the ocean. During one of her voyages, the merchant's daughter is kidnapped by her father and becomes pregnant with her. However, this also gives her the protection of her pirate father, allowing the merchant's fleet to sail freely on the seas.

The merchant grandfather initially supported the mother and daughter as protection money, but now that the mother has died of illness and the father is dead, their power at sea is destined to be divided up by other pirates.

To the merchant's maternal grandfather, she had lost her value. Even if she inherited her father's maritime fortune, a weak woman like her couldn't possibly protect it. After being sent here, she had nowhere to go back to.

She herself did not struggle against fate at all, only wanting to hide in the ocean of books.

That's why she asked Shirou, saying she was willing to give up her inheritance in exchange for being allowed to stay in the library.

"I see. I didn't know that before, so..." Ayase seemed thoughtful, her gaze softening as she looked at Kyoko, even showing a hint of guilt.

Many things, if not spoken aloud, will remain unknown to others. After all, people spend over 70% of their time thinking about their own affairs. When it comes to other people's affairs, we rely more on guesswork, and prejudice always outweighs goodwill.

China and foreign countries, fellow ethnic groups and different ethnic groups, say things like "those who are not of our kind must have different hearts." People of the same generation and previous generations, classmates and other classes, good students and bad students, can easily find reasons to distinguish people.

This is human nature, something etched into our genes millions of years ago, and it is one of the reasons why humanity has been able to emerge from the harsh and cruel natural world.

However, while this nature leads people into endless infighting between various political parties, it also fosters the unity of small groups.

Because their fathers were womanizers and homeless wanderers, their living environments were essentially like those of single-parent families. Lacking their fathers' presence from a young age, they both had incomplete childhoods. Now, they are even more destitute and see reflections of themselves in each other in every way.

They shouldn't be enemies; they should be friends.

"Ayase, I hope you can come with me to accept Kyoko," Shirou said, holding Ayase's hand.

"Brother Shirou..." Ayase looked at Shirou with deep affection, then turned to look at Kyoko, stepped forward, bowed to her, and said:

"I'm sorry, Kouko-san... no, Sister Kyoko, please forgive my rudeness before."

"No... Sister Ayase." Kyoko grasped Ayase's hand, tears welling in her eyes.

"But... brother, is this really okay?" Shirou asked doubtfully.

"Yes, for me, each of you is indispensable if I want to be happy!" Shirou said. "Besides, I don't know anything about managing a castle, so I'll definitely need your help. I can rest assured that I can entrust the library to Kyoko to manage."

If the conflict could be resolved, given Shirou's personality, he wouldn't care about the property at all, let alone that it was an inheritance that fell from the sky.

"Thank you... thank you so much, Shirou- san, for understanding my feelings and for giving me a home." Kyoko said, wiping away her tears. She had been lonely for too long; as a vulnerable woman, who wouldn't want a real support?

"It's alright. Like I said, we're family, we should love each other." Shirou said with a smile.

"Yes, I think so too." Ayase nodded in agreement, looking every bit the perfect Shirou. With her worries resolved, she was in the best mood of the day, free from any further anxieties or worries.

"So, after crying and laughing, I'm hungry too, brother..." Ayase looked at Shirou with eyes full of love.

"Of course, let's go to the restaurant then. I'll borrow the kitchen for a bit to make some snacks." Shirou looked at the girl affectionately, patted her head, and agreed with a smile.

"Then I'll make the tea," Kyoko said with a smile.

Ayase took Kyoko's hand with one hand and put her arm around Shirou's shoulder with the other, leaning against Shirou's chest. The three of them walked towards the restaurant, chatting and laughing.

I happened to run into Kuro Neko and Kirino bickering in the hallway. Although they still argued all the time, it was no longer the confrontational, fighting, or hurtful relationship they used to have. They were more like a pair of best friends who liked to tease each other.

"Hey, why are you all laughing so happily?"

"Holding hands? What happened that made you so close? What's going on?" Kuro Neko and Kirino looked at the three holding hands, both showing suspicious expressions.

"We were just about to go to the restaurant for tea when Shirou said he'd make us some sweets. Kirino, Ruri- san, would you like to come too?" Ayase asked with a sweet smile.

"Snacks made by Shirou?" Kirino nodded.

"Since I have nothing else to do, I'll join in," the Kuro Neko nodded and said.

"Then I'll go and call Eriri and the others over too," Kyoko said, clasping her hands together.

"Okay, I'll go with you. Big brother~! Please take care of the snacks." Ayase said in a coquettish voice, winking at Shirou.

"Yes, I've made the desserts, I'll come to the dining room now." Shirou nodded in agreement.

That night, Shirou drank tea with the girls, chatting and laughing, and their relationship became more harmonious. The girls let down their guard and became friends.

Shirou felt very gratified about this; for him, nothing could be better than this. Compared to Eriri's assassination attempt on him, Kyoko's death at the hands of Ayase, or Ayase's second suicide, or the mutual killing between Kuro Neko and Kirino, this laughter was truly delightful and moving.

He finally managed to resolve the matter satisfactorily.

Chapter 717 Kirino Wants the Four of Us to Live Together

The morning light shone through the sheer curtains into the guest room, illuminating tiny golden beams of light with elfin-like particles of light dancing around them. Shirou slept soundly until dawn, a rare occurrence. Although only one day had passed, it felt like three days of constant tension for Shirou, with no proper sleep.

This isn't war, but rather the inexplicable and drastic changes in the people around you. A close friend one moment becomes a completely different person, a friend you were laughing and chatting with suddenly turns on you and becomes a psychopath who wants to kill you. This kind of completely irrational world is more exhausting than fighting.

Fortunately, although the process was thrilling and unpredictable, everything was eventually resolved, and the emotions of these seemingly easily angered girls were finally stabilized. After getting to know each other, even if they didn't accept each other as sisters, they could at least treat each other as friends.

The black pipes, representing the pollution of the mind, have all remained below a quarter, no longer posing a danger of collapse and slaughter. This fills Shirou with a sense of accomplishment.

Shirou opened his eyes, remained lying on the bed, stretched his back, and then sat up with his legs, feeling refreshed.

With a click, the door was pushed open.

It was the same pair of twin maids again, their expressions indifferent, pushing the cart inside without a word. It was exactly the same scene as the first morning.

Shirou felt a chill run down his spine. Had he been murdered without his knowledge while he slept?

However, the maid's reaction the next moment dispelled Shirou's worries.

"Lazy guest, please don't come again. Rem will have to wake you up."

"Lazy guest, please don't make your sister wake you up every day."

"Ah, thank you, Ram, Rem." Shirou sat up in bed and greeted them with a smile.

The twin maids simultaneously took two steps back, distancing themselves from Shirou, and grasped each other's hands, saying...

"The guest is actually wearing a friendly, pretty-boy smile, seemingly trying to win over Rem, sister."

"The guest is trying to seduce Ram and Rem with a friendly, pretty-boy smile."

"No, forget it, let's hurry over to the restaurant." Shirou stood up. He was in a good mood today and didn't want to argue with these two maids whose mouths were the complete opposite of their cute appearances. Anyway, he wanted to get Ram and Rem out first, as he needed to change his clothes!

"Rem doesn't want to peek at the customer changing clothes. The perfectly bulging shoulder muscles on the customer's back are not attractive at all."

"I don't like guests showing off their firm, elastic, and smooth six-pack abs."

Ram and Rem stared at Shirou, who was unbuttoning his pajamas. Holding hands, they pouted and walked outside.

Shirou took out a change of clothes from the shopping cart, put them on, and headed towards the dining room.

The girls arrived at the restaurant one after another, and most of them were already seated. The only difference was that no plate was set at the head seat in the middle, because Roswaal, the head of household, had not yet returned because he had gone out yesterday.

"Good morning, everyone," Shirou greeted his sisters.

"Good morning~! Shirou- san." The girls greeted Shirou with smiles, especially Ayase, whose eyes lit up the moment she saw Shirou.

"Shirou, did you sleep in again? That's so unlike you," Eriri said, looking at the man.

"Haha, I was so happy yesterday, I had a good dream. Eriri, did you rest well?" Shirou asked the girl with a smile.

"Well, I... I'm actually fine... You don't need to worry about my sleeping!" Eriri blushed and suddenly realized what she meant and called out.

"Yes, yes," Shirou replied casually. Judging from the black aura he saw, Eriri was in very good condition.

Kyoko was quietly reading a book. The Kuro Neko was Saori with Kirino, while the virtuous young lady Saori was brewing black tea for everyone.

"Let me help," Shirou said, walking towards Saori.

"No, brother, please sit down first. I can manage on my own. The tea will be ready soon." Saori shielded the tea set behind her back, raised her voice, and said firmly.

"I know, then I'll leave it to you. Thank you, Saori," Shirou said with a smile.

"No..." Saori avoided looking at Shirou's face, perhaps out of shyness.

"Ayase, how are you feeling today?" Shirou sat down next to the black-haired girl and gently took her hand.

"I'm fine, Shirou- san." Ayase said to Shirou with a sweet smile, her pretty face slightly flushed, her other hand naturally placed on her stomach. Today, the maternal instincts of the girl seemed to be even more pronounced.

Kirino, standing to the side, watched Shirou interact with her friend with a responsible expression, and glared at Shirou with some displeasure.

"What happened to you?" Shirou asked Kirino, hurt from being stepped on.

"Hmph! Although there will be many problems in the future, and things will definitely be difficult for you and Ayase, I will still help! But if I see Ayase crying because of you, I won't let you off the hook!" Kirino threatened.

"Does she already know?" Shirou asked Ayase, glancing at her with his eyes.

"Mmm." Ayase nodded, her face flushed.

Last night, Ayase told Kirino everything, and as her best friend, she didn't want to hide it from her any longer.

'Since this is Ayase's decision, there's nothing we can do. I'll support you all.' Kirino agreed at the time, revealing a deep-seated fearlessness of authority and a rebellious spirit of freedom. (Monthly membership group 694936135)

Although she loves Shirou, given her strong personality, she doesn't have any particular attachment to him or think she can't live without Shirou. Intelligent, she can always clearly analyze the situation, understand the essence of a matter, and not be Shirou down by trivial details, making decisions and actions that best serve her interests.

Kirino had to choose between Shirou and Ayase, and ultimately chose to support her close friend Ayase.

Moreover... compared to other women, if it were Ayase, she could treat her as a brother or sister, or a close friend. If it were Ayase's child, she was confident she could love her as her own. If it were her daughter, she could even have her call her 'older sister'.