"..."
Vivian could barely believe the words she'd just heard.
Tohsaka Sakura was asking her to go out?
What exactly did she mean by this?
Was it a challenge? A provocation?
No.
Given Sakura's nature, she wouldn't do something like that. Despite finding her presence somewhat grating, Vivian had to admit Sakura was a remarkably polite girl. Being around her was certainly much easier than dealing with the stuffy mages at the Clock Tower.
But if it wasn't a challenge, then what was this sudden invitation about? Vivian truly couldn't puzzle it out at the moment.
Seeing her teacher fall silent, Tohsaka Sakura, with a delicate politeness, carefully asked again.
"Um—"
"Teacher Vivian, do you not want to go? If that's the case, then please just disregard what I said!" Her voice was soft, almost apologetic.
"No."
Vivian, of course, couldn't possibly let such an opportunity slip away.
"Of course I'll go."
"After all—"
The witch, masking her true thoughts behind an unruffled facade, neatly tucked away all her hidden intentions.
"This is my first time in Japan, so I really do need to find a chance to get a little familiar with Fuyuki City."
"Mm~" A faint, pleased smile touched Tohsaka Sakura's lips. "That's wonderful!"
"Then—"
The young girl's gaze slowly drifted from her teacher to the knightly Servant standing nearby.
"Mr. Ian, what do you think?"
Facing Tohsaka Sakura's question, Ian didn't hesitate, responding with a warm smile.
"You decide."
"After all, you are my Master—I will, of course, listen to you." His words were gentle, his eyes holding a clear affection.
"That's good~"
Saying this, Tohsaka Sakura leaned in close to the knight, looking utterly like a girl deeply in love, her head resting comfortably near his shoulder.
Watching this intimate scene, Vivian felt a sharp, tightening squeeze in her chest.
Perhaps it was the bitter sting of resentment at seeing them so close; or perhaps it was the heavy weight of regret for what she had done all those years ago.
But no matter which it was, it certainly wasn't a pleasant feeling.
[You accepted Tohsaka Sakura's invitation to go shopping.]
[You, she, and Vivian formed a slightly odd trio.]
[However, when it was actually time to leave, the number of people increased to four.]
[Because Tohsaka Rin also joined in.]
That evening, inside a shopping mall in Fuyuki City.
Tohsaka Rin stood with her arms crossed, a clear frown of displeasure etched on her face as she grumbled:
"Why do you two have to drag me along when you go shopping with him?! I don't even want to buy anything!" Her voice held a hint of exasperation.
"We couldn't help it, Sis~" Tohsaka Sakura said with a placating smile, her voice sweet. "You're the only one familiar with this area and available."
"If we didn't ask you—"
"We couldn't exactly ask Mom to take us, could we?"
"..."
Tohsaka Sakura's words were undeniably true. Ever since their father's death in the Fourth Holy Grail War, the Tohsaka sisters' mother, Zenjou Aoi, had been growing weaker by the day.
Tohsaka Rin saw this, and anxiety gnawed at her heart. But there was little she could do, so she remained silent, pretending to be oblivious to her mother's worsening condition.
At least that way, her mother wouldn't worry about her sadness. It was a helpless, necessary charade.
"That's true."
Tohsaka Rin scratched her head, then suddenly remembered something quite important.
"Wait a minute!" A flicker of alarm crossed the young girl's face.
"I'm telling you both right now! If we're buying clothes, don't pick anything too expensive! I didn't bring much money with me!"
In reality, she didn't have much money in her account either. Tohsaka Rin, a master of Jewel Magecraft, was perpetually plagued by poverty.
"No need to worry about that, Sis."
As Tohsaka Sakura spoke, she pulled out a small, rabbit-shaped wallet from her clothes pocket. She opened it before Tohsaka Rin's eyes. Inside were dozens of cards that looked like credit cards. However, judging by their exquisite craftsmanship and the gilded lettering on their surfaces, they seemed to be far beyond the level of ordinary credit cards. Even a young lady like Tohsaka Rin was momentarily baffled.
But Tohsaka Sakura seemed to understand this, so she quickly began to explain what she held in her hand:
"These are the black cards Luvia-nee gave me."
"Hmm... altogether, there's probably about two million US dollars in spending limit." Her voice was casual, almost unaware of the sheer sum.
"Wait a second!" Tohsaka Rin reached out, stopping Tohsaka Sakura mid-sentence.
She stared at her younger sister with eyes wide in utter astonishment.
"How much did you just say?!"
"Two million." Tohsaka Sakura repeated her earlier statement, her voice calm. "If I were to be more precise, it's roughly two million, three hundred thirty thousand US dollars."
"Huh—?!"
Tohsaka Rin felt her brain reel.
"Is it really necessary to have such a high limit?!"
"Because Luvia-nee was afraid I wouldn't have enough," Tohsaka Sakura sheepishly scratched her cheek. "So she insisted on setting it this high."
"She also said something like, 'Spend lavishly when you're out, and if you run out, just ask me for more, don't ever disgrace the family name,' and so on."
"But I think that's going too far, so I don't want to do that."
"..."
Tohsaka Rin was dumbfounded, her mouth slightly agape.
Do they have a gold mine in their backyard? the young girl internally quipped.
Just as she finished that thought, the curtain of the changing room in front of the three of them swiftly glided open. Ian, now clad in modern attire, emerged before Vivian and the Tohsaka sisters.
"How do I look?" the knight from the past asked, a touch of uncertainty in his voice.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Facing the three women's stunned silence, Ian grew a little worried.
"What's with your reactions? Do I look bad? If so... I'll just change back into my old clothes."
Even as a Servant, Ian had no desire to look foolish.
"No."
Tohsaka Sakura's throat subtly bobbed, and a soft blush blossomed on her cheeks.
"Rather than 'bad'... it's more like, you're too captivating."
Just as Tohsaka Rin had silently marveled, Ian didn't have this effect when he was in his summoned attire.
But once he changed, it was an entirely different matter. His well-defined masculine physique was showcased perfectly by the modern clothing, every curve and muscle highlighted.
The parts of him not covered by fabric flawlessly demonstrated what a "knight's body" truly meant—an elegant musculature and bones brimming with raw, inherent allure.
Combined with Ian's already handsome features, all these elements coalesced, making him simply too dazzling.
Even Tohsaka Rin, a girl who typically paid little mind to personal feelings, felt her heart pound a little faster. Of course, it wasn't the flutter of romance. It was merely a young girl's pure admiration for a captivating individual of the opposite sex.
If Tohsaka Rin was affected to this degree, Tohsaka Sakura, who already held a strong affection for Ian, was even more so. Seeing him now, she felt her heart flutter like a trapped bird. She took his hand, lavishing him with unreserved praise.
"Mr. Ian, you look absolutely amazing now!"
"You're... you're just like a male model!"
"It's not that exaggerated," Ian chuckled, a hint of bashfulness in his eyes. "Sakura, are you just trying to flatter me?"
"No, I'm not!" Tohsaka Sakura retorted, her face flushing crimson, her voice filled with earnestness. "Mr. Ian, you truly look wonderful!"
"..."
Hearing this, Ian reached out and gently ruffled Tohsaka Sakura's hair. Then, he turned to Teacher Vivian, a smile playing on his lips as he asked:
"Teacher Vivian, do you think so too?"
[You didn't ask this question without reason.]
[From the moment you left, you noticed Vivian's expression had been sullen, looking quite displeased.]
[You wanted to point this out, but the atmosphere didn't feel right.]
[After all, Tohsaka Sakura had been holding your hand the entire time—and you were looking at Vivian.]
[It seemed inappropriate to bring up at the time.]
[Taking advantage of this pause after changing clothes to ask the question was clearly the optimal solution.]
"Eh?"
Vivian, suddenly addressed, paused, caught off guard. It was clear she hadn't expected Ian to ask her such a question at that moment. After all, throughout their outing, his attention seemed to be entirely on Tohsaka Sakura, leaving her feeling like an abandoned stone, unnoticed and unasked. The feeling was, to say the least, rather unpleasant.
But a witch was, after all, a witch. When it came to adjusting her own mindset, Vivian was remarkably adept. She quickly composed herself.
"Hmm... it looks quite good."
"However, I'd like to make a slight alteration."
"May I?"
As Vivian spoke, her gaze never once strayed to Tohsaka Sakura. Her eyes remained solely fixed on Ian. The meaning behind this was clear with a moment's thought—she was seeking only Ian's permission, not including his Master, Tohsaka Sakura.
However, Ian didn't forget his role. Upon hearing Vivian's question, he didn't hesitate for long, immediately turning his gaze to the young girl who was still holding his hand.
"Master."
"What do you think?"
"Oh, um..."
Tohsaka Sakura bit down on her lip, seemingly wrestling with this remarkably simple question. Finally, she nodded, directly answering the query.
"Yes, of course you can."
"After all, it's Teacher Vivian; she'll definitely find a way to make Mr. Ian look even better."
"I understand."
Ian nodded, then shifted his gaze back to Vivian.
"Then I'll leave it to you, Teacher Vivian."
"Mm, don't worry."
Vivian replied simply, then, with smooth, deliberate steps, moved directly in front of the knight.
"Sakura, could you perhaps move aside for a moment?"
"..."
Though she sensed a deeper meaning in the words, Sakura ultimately nodded.
"I understand."
Having responded, the young girl reluctantly moved from her original spot, making way for Teacher Vivian. The witch gazed at the knight before her, a myriad of thoughts swirling in her mind, yet in the end, she could only utter a simple phrase.
"Pardon me."
With that, Vivian extended her pale hand toward Ian, under the watchful eyes of both Tohsaka Sakura and Tohsaka Rin. She indeed had a way to make Ian look even more captivating in these clothes.
But—
She hadn't specified what kind of captivating.
The witch's fair hand reached out, inch by inch, towards the knight, finally arriving at his collar in the young girls' sight. Her fingertips traced along the pristine fabric, then moved to the first button.
Click.
That black button was delicately unfastened by Vivian's finger. The formerly high collar immediately fell open, revealing a portion of the man's neck. But even so, that intensely alluring presence wasn't diminished. Or perhaps, it was even amplified.
Tohsaka Rin, having never witnessed such a scene, quickly clapped her hands over her eyes. Yet, curiosity compelled her to peek discreetly through her fingers—after all, she truly had never seen anything like this.
Meanwhile, the usually shy Tohsaka Sakura, surprisingly, now seemed intently focused. She wasn't lustful; rather, she felt that Vivian genuinely understood him deeply. With just this one action, Vivian had delivered on her promise.
What the Tohsaka sisters didn't know was that their reactions were already clearly visible to Vivian. A subtle, triumphant little smirk gradually spread across her face.
Yes.
Vivian was doing this on purpose.
How could a mere student possibly understand him better than she did? After all, she had been entangled with him countless times—she knew exactly which parts of his body were most alluring, most memorable. She even knew how to most swiftly excite him, every single detail.
Feeling the sweet taste of "victory," the witch continued her actions. Her fingers followed the line of the clothing, sliding down to the second button.
Tohsaka Rin's eyes, peeking through her fingers, trembled incessantly—she truly had never witnessed such a sight. So, when Vivian said she'd make Ian look "even better," she meant making him reveal his most sexually appealing self?
If this continued—
It would definitely become unsuitable for younger viewers, wouldn't it?
But, why did it feel kind of interesting...?
No!
Tohsaka Rin, what are you even thinking?!
Just as Tohsaka Rin was utterly flustered, her sister, Tohsaka Sakura, spoke up.
"Sister, could I ask you to do something for me?"
"What is it?"
A blushing Tohsaka Rin softly responded to her sister's question.
"It's something simple~"
Tohsaka Sakura took a card from her rabbit wallet and handed it to Tohsaka Rin.
"Could you go to the cashier with Mr. Ian and pay? Just buy all the clothes Mr. Ian tried on—and of course, if you see anything you like, you can get it too, it's my treat."
"..."
Looking at the card, Tohsaka Rin cleared her head considerably. While the scene unfolding was somewhat captivating, it really couldn't continue like this. It had to stop here.
"Alright, I understand."
Calmed down, Tohsaka Rin took the card and waved to Ian.
"Let's go, Ian!"
"It's time for us to pay!"
"Um... alright."
The knight stepped away from the witch. Vivian felt a genuine sense of triumph—even if it was a somewhat unfair victory achieved by leveraging her intimate knowledge of him. But that truly didn't matter.
After all, he was hers alone!
At that moment, Tohsaka Sakura approached Vivian, who was in excellent spirits. She spoke, her voice calm:
"Teacher, may I ask you a question?"
"What question?"
"Mm..."
Tohsaka Sakura looked towards the figures of her sister and Ian, who had temporarily walked away, as if steeling herself for some kind of dramatic revelation.
"If a Master falls in love with their Servant..."
"What should they do?"