"W-Wait...?"
Hearing Fang Mo's explanation, Irisviel suddenly realized something. "...No, that's not right!"
"Ah, right, right."
Fang Mo deliberately began muddling the issue.
"No, this definitely isn't right." Unfortunately, it seemed to have the opposite effect, making Irisviel notice even more holes in the details. "...No matter how I think about it, stuffing me into a box and hiding me under the bed doesn't make sense, does it?"
"Uh, I..."
Little Illya's eyes began darting everywhere. She was clearly panicking.
"What doesn't make sense?"
Fortunately, Fang Mo's expression remained unchanged. Calm as ever, he slowly asked, "I already told you. You died after the Fourth Holy Grail War, but I'm a kind-hearted person. So that Illya could have something to remember you by, I specifically preserved you..."
"What?"
"Think about it. If I didn't put you in a box, what was I supposed to do?"
Taking advantage of Irisviel's stunned moment, Fang Mo continued pressing on. "You were already dead. Could I just leave you out in the open all the time? Wouldn't my house turn into a morgue?"
"Well..."
She hesitated once again.
"The dead have to be put in boxes. That's been the rule since ancient times." Fang Mo spread his hands. "If you were cremated into ashes, it would've been much more convenient. I could've put you straight into an urn, and it wouldn't even take up much space. But didn't I just say it? I wanted to leave something behind for Illya..."
"...Me?"
By this point, Illya's expression had become rather subtle.
"Anyway, that's how it was."
Ignoring little Illya's strange stare, Fang Mo continued speaking with a straight face. "It's like an old photo album kept beneath the bed. The photos may be yellowed, but they're still precious memories of family members. No matter what,