The Silver-haired homunculus who approached the boy wore nothing but a silk nightgown that revealed far more than the one from last night.
The thin material let Shirou see even the contours of Irisviel's body through the fabric.
The boy kept his eyes closed as he heard Irisviel's plaintive voice.
"Shirou... You spent the entire day avoiding me, so I had no choice but to resort to this. I hope you can forgive me."
"Got it, got it! I'll listen to you properly, so for now, find something to cover yourself with!"
Irisviel, of course, had no intention of doing that.
This disgraceful outfit, as indecent as a prostitute's, was also a symbol of her resolve at that very moment.
"Shirou, you must think I'm a very selfish woman."
"Ever since I met you... I've always forced my own wishes on you without considering your feelings."
"Even I think I'm utterly shameless."
"I've never thought that."
Shirou opened his eyes to deny it, but after seeing her outfit clearly again, he hurriedly shut them— the sight was simply too overwhelming.
At this point, Shirou could no longer deceive himself.
No matter how much he hypnotized himself by thinking, "Irisviel is my family," somewhere deep inside... he had long since come to see Irisviel as a woman.
That was precisely why his reaction was so intense.
"Shirou, this is my request... Please, just agree to it this once."
Irisviel's voice reached him.
Shirou gritted his teeth. "I can't..."
After being refused again, Irisviel said nothing this time.
The room fell silent. The two remained locked in a standoff, neither willing to yield.
"...Hm?"
After a long wait, Shirou suddenly felt that something was wrong.
He opened his eyes and saw an unbelievable sight.
Irisviel had fallen to her knees on the