Archer's words made Tohsaka Rin's heart skip a beat. "Wait a minute!" She reached out to stop her Servant, asking with a tone full of confusion: "You said that name sounds familiar to you?"
"Yes." Atalanta nodded.
"Then according to you—" Tohsaka Rin's expression became puzzled, "do you mean Ian and you are heroes from the same era?" If that were the case, it wouldn't make sense. After all, the weapon used to summon Ian was the scabbard of the legendary sword [Excalibur Gallatin]. And Tohsaka Rin didn't think the catgirl Servant in front of her would be a hero from that era—after all, she had never heard such a name in the [King Arthur] legends!
"I don't mean that." Atalanta shook her head, her face turning somewhat red. "He's not a hero from my era. It's just—we've met before, and spent some time together."
"..." Looking at Atalanta like this, Tohsaka Rin felt a sense of déjà vu. That's right. Her sister, Tohsaka Sakura, had the same expression when she looked at Ian. Wait—! Could it be... another one who had something going on with Ian? Tohsaka Rin suddenly felt a headache—she just wanted to see her sister and her Servant become lovers, but why were there more and more rivals instead?!
"Rin." Atalanta's voice sounded again. She, who was so confident just a moment ago, now had a touch of shy diffidence. She carefully asked: "Can I go see him? I want to confirm if he's really the person I know—otherwise, I'll keep thinking about it."
"..." Atalanta's request was so reasonable that Tohsaka Rin found herself unable to find a reason to refuse her. Besides—she also didn't think things would be that coincidental. Her summoned Servant being related to that man again. That would be too much of a coincidence.
After thinking for a while, Tohsaka Rin looked at the corridor Tohsaka Sakura had just walked down and spoke: "Archer, of course that's fine. However—you have to promise me first, that even if it turns out to be the person you know, don't get too emotional, okay?"
"No problem." Atalanta readily agreed. "My self-control is very strong. Even if it is him, I won't shout."
"Good." Tohsaka Rin nodded. "Then let's go in now."
"Mm~"
[You don't know that Tohsaka Rin has already summoned her Servant.]
[Your thoughts have been severely influenced by Tohsaka Sakura's Command Spell.]
[Combined with your pre-existing feelings for her—this further amplifies the Command Spell's effect.]
[As the frequency of Prana transfer increases, you feel yourself hallucinating her as someone extremely important.]
T/N: So now we are switching to Prana Huh(￣m￣）
[But you can't quite remember that person's name.]
In the kitchen.
Tohsaka Sakura spoke to Zenjou Aoi, who was beside her: "Mom, you go out and rest~ Just let Mr. Ian and me do the cooking here."
"..." Zenjou Aoi, who had already learned from Tohsaka Rin that her younger daughter had feelings for Servant Ian, didn't think much of it and simply nodded. As a mother, her primary concern was the safety of her daughters. After all, she had already experienced the pain of losing her husband, and certainly didn't want her daughters to repeat that. So, no matter what, as a mother, she had to promote the romance between Tohsaka Sakura and Ian.
"Okay, I'm going out. You two... take your time."
Swish!
The kitchen door was abruptly pulled shut. In the brightly lit space, only Tohsaka Sakura and Ian remained. The girl stood with her hands behind her back, looking very well-behaved.
"Mr. Ian, it's just the two of us now. I'm actually not very good at cooking either—could you please teach me later?"
"No problem, Sakura." Ian smiled and nodded. "Whatever you want, I'll teach you."
Hearing this, a sweetness welled up in Tohsaka Sakura's heart. She knew that part of this might be the influence of the Command Spell. But—what did it matter? Being able to spend time with him like this was already incredibly blissful.
"Since that's the case—then Mr. Ian, please teach me how to prepare vegetables first."
"Alright."
By the sink, clear liquid continuously flowed from the faucet. The water level in the sink rose higher and higher. And by the sink, Tohsaka Sakura, held in the man's embrace and learning to cook, blushed. This had once been a fantastical scene for her, but now it was reality. And the girl's hands were tightly held by the knight, achieving a perfect fit.
"Mr. Ian." Tohsaka Sakura followed Ian's guidance while expressing her feelings. "This is the first time you've cooked with me. I'm very happy~"
"Is that so..." Ian's eyes remained dim. "If you feel happy this way, Sakura—then let's cook together more often in the future."
"Mm~" Tohsaka Sakura agreed without hesitation, then seemed to remember something. "Oh, right—! Luvia-nee-san called a few days ago... she specifically asked about you."
"Did she?" Ian leaned on the girl's shoulder. "Then what did you say?"
"I... told her everything." It wasn't that Tohsaka Sakura was unguarded. It was that Luvia truly held a very important place in her heart—she was an honorary older sister, even closer than a biological one.
"..."
"Then what was her reaction?" Ian continued to ask.
"She said—" Tohsaka Sakura recalled her phone call with Luvia that day; the latter had spoken to her at length with earnest advice. But in summary, it came down to a few points: she supported Sakura being with her Servant—but on the condition that they must win this Holy Grail War and bring him back to the Edelfelt family for an introduction. As for his identity afterward, she would find a way to arrange it properly. This was also one of the reasons why Tohsaka Sakura directly went to the school to find Misaya. After all, if even Luvia-nee-san approved, what did she have to fear?
"She's very supportive of me being with you," Tohsaka Sakura told Ian, her face flushed crimson. "She also hopes that I can win the Holy Grail War with you."
"Is that so?" Ian tightly held Tohsaka Sakura's hand; that incredibly reassuring sense of security spread throughout the girl's body. "Then don't worry, Sakura—I will do my best to secure the greatest chance of victory."
"Mm~" Tohsaka Sakura tilted her head slightly, looking at the man standing behind her. "Then, to achieve victory—we should actively utilize our magic circuits every day to secure victory—no, let's start securing victory from today!"
"Mr. Ian... how many dishes are you planning to teach me today?"
"About seven or eight... after all, there are quite a [few] people to feed, aren't there?"
"Then—" The girl's vision was solely focused on Ian; it was an undeniable singularity. "If I learn one dish, Mr. Ian owes me a kiss, alright?"
"...Of course, that's fine," the man replied.
Inside the kitchen.
Steam and mist swirled, mixed with the scent of cooking oil, lingering in the air. And Tohsaka Sakura earnestly learned the skills a good girlfriend should possess—how to maintain a conversation with her boyfriend while cooking.
An hour later.
Tohsaka Sakura, feeling very accomplished, regrouped her emotions—she felt the time had passed too quickly. Carrying a plate of finished food, the girl tilted her head slightly, asking with a blush: "Mr. Ian, shall we go out now?"
"Alright."
And so—the two left this place full of happiness. After a few trips back and forth, the table outside was filled with dishes Tohsaka Sakura had cooked under Ian's "guidance."
"Ian, your cooking is as good as ever," Zenjou Aoi exclaimed. "It's comparable to professional chefs outside."
"Mrs. Aoi, you flatter me," Ian replied very humbly. "I merely have a slight understanding. It would be difficult to compare to outside chefs. Besides—" Ian looked at Tohsaka Sakura beside him, firmly holding her hand. "This time, Sakura did the cooking."
"R-really?" Zenjou Aoi could hardly believe what she heard. "Sakura, did you really make this?"
"Mm..." Tohsaka Sakura touched her lower abdomen; even through her dress, she could feel the warmth within. "I did make it."
"Is that so... that's wonderful then." Zenjou Aoi smiled, a rare sight for her. "Then I'll have to eat a lot today!"
And Tohsaka Sakura, seeing her mother's expression, instinctively looked at Ian. But she quickly noticed he was also looking at her, and she shyly lowered her head. The man said nothing more, merely tightened his grip on her hand, to convey that he completely understood her feelings.
However—this atmosphere didn't last too long. Because Ian noticed a stranger sitting across the table—and one who kept staring at him. In addition, her attire looked a little unusual.
[This is a girl who seems a little out of place.]
[The first thing you notice is the cat ears on her head.]
[Besides that, you also feel like she looks a little familiar—but you still can't remember who she is.]
The various doubts in Ian's mind made him unable to resist asking. "You are..."
"Uh... this." Tohsaka Rin was just about to answer when Atalanta, beside her, spoke directly.
"I'm Arcadia. Rin's classmate. I just happened to run into her nearby today, so I came along for a visit. Right?" After saying this, Atalanta gently nudged Tohsaka Rin with her hand, signaling her to cooperate. The latter understood, and quickly followed up with her "explanation": "Yes, that's right."
"I see." Ian nodded thoughtfully, but his gaze remained on Atalanta's cat ears. "Then how did she..."
"I'm a cosplayer!" Atalanta "explained," and to add to her credibility, she placed Tohsaka Rin's hand on her own ear. "This is fake!"
However, it was not fake. Atalanta's ears were genuine cat ears. The sensation Tohsaka Rin felt when touching them was also genuinely real. Fluffy, soft, and very comfortable to the touch. It's just—given the current situation, Tohsaka Rin definitely couldn't express her true feelings. She could only suppress the stirring in her heart and cooperate with Atalanta's words, explaining the cat ears on her head.
"N-no, that's right!"
"Arcadia just likes this—she hasn't had a chance to change yet. There's nothing strange about it!"
"..." Ian frowned slightly, looking as though he didn't quite believe the synchronized explanation from the two girls. But as he was about to ask more questions, Tohsaka Sakura, beside him, pulled him.
"Alright, Mr. Ian. She's finally here at our house... so don't ask too many questions. Hurry up and try my cooking instead~"
Although he still had many questions, hearing his Master, Tohsaka Sakura, say this, Ian could only nod in agreement. At this moment, he was gradually starting to treat Tohsaka Sakura as a phantom he hadn't fully remembered.
Seeing that they had finally escaped the situation, Tohsaka Rin breathed a sigh of relief. However, she quickly grabbed Atalanta's hand, then spoke to the others present: "Excuse us for a moment! I suddenly remembered something I need to ask Arcadia."
Before anyone could respond, Tohsaka Rin directly pulled Arcadia outside. After confirming that no one had followed, she immediately asked her Servant: "Well?! Is he the one you know?"
"Mm..." Atalanta nodded. "It is him." The catgirl Servant recalled the days of being pampered by Ian. Although somewhat "fallen" on the surface, the actual feeling was quite wonderful. After all, being held in his embrace was truly a blissful thing.
"But—he doesn't seem to recognize me."
"..." Tohsaka Rin, not dull-witted, quickly understood the reason—after all, if he had recognized her, it wouldn't have been so easy to fool him just now.
"Then Archer, what should we do now?"
"I'm not sure," Atalanta's two cat ears twitched. "But if I could be alone with him for a while—who knows, we might discover something new."
"A chance to be alone?" Tohsaka Rin pinched her chin, thinking for a while, and suddenly had an idea. "Just being alone is enough?"
"Yes," Atalanta nodded.
"Then alright!" Tohsaka Rin grasped Atalanta's shoulders. "If that's the case—you go and barge in when he's alone in the bathroom later!"