Shirou was obediently sitting on the sofa, wondering if this explained why such an incongruous appliance was in the house.
The sitting room had not lost any of its elegant grandeur because of the television. From the sofa, he could see the beautiful garden--
Unfortunately, the lawn outside probably had not been trimmed for years. The weeds in the garden had already grown waist-high, so there was hardly any scenery left to admire.
Arisu Kyōnoji said she would go brew Shirou some tea, then disappeared at the end of the hallway.
In the kitchen.
Arisu Kyōnoji stared pensively at the kettle heating the water.
Her beautiful figure stood motionless like a still painting, but her heart was anything but calm.
That brat... what exactly is going on?
The boy who claimed to be from Fuyuki City, Shirou Amamiya.
Judging by his appearance, he looked like he had only just graduated from elementary school.
She had briefly suspected that he was a magus disguised as a child, but that did not seem to be the case. He really was just a child...
--Arisu was very confident in this judgment of hers.
Well, children from magus families occasionally matured unusually early. It was not strange.
Although Shirou was just a child, he--
Arisu Kyōnoji found it extremely strange, yet she could not say exactly what was strange about it.
When she had been angered by someone touching the gate to her house without permission, Shirou had shown her an apologetic smile.
His smile had been childish, innocent, and adorable, yet it held a sincerity and gentleness that ignorant children did not possess.
Then, the moment she let her guard down--Arisu Kyōnoji had let Shirou into her home.
It was something she would never have done before.
"..."
Arisu Kyōnoji was