Lisephyr had the strong urge to call Shirou. She was afraid—afraid that her bond with him might be broken just like that.
Would a single misunderstanding really turn them into strangers? Would they go their separate ways, never to speak again?
"No… it won't happen. It can't be like that…"
Her eyes reddened, tears beginning to form.
But every time she worked up the courage to dial his number, some unexplainable fear crept up on her and stopped her hand.
Was she afraid? Afraid that Shirou would reject her call? That he wouldn't want to speak to her again?
And just then… her little phone began to vibrate.
Lisephyr's eyes widened as she looked at the caller ID.
It was Shirou!
She picked up the call in a heartbeat, unable to hide her excitement—though the moment she answered so quickly, she immediately felt embarrassed about acting so impulsively.
"Moshi moshi? Lisephyr?"
Shirou's familiar voice came through the speaker. Her heart skipped a beat.
"Y-Yes! It's me!"
She was so nervous, her voice stuttered.
"About that day… something urgent came up with Sakura's family. I had to deal with it right away. I'm really sorry, Lisephyr. As for taking her to the food market, it was just to comfort her—there's nothing more to it than that…"
Shirou explained sincerely.
He had a feeling Lisephyr had misunderstood.
"I'm sorry too, Shirou-kun. I overreacted… I shouldn't have stormed off like that."
Lisephyr suddenly realized—now that she had an explanation, it all made much more sense.
Including why Shirou had come to Fuyuki City in the first place. He had mentioned it was for a personal matter.
"No, it's me who should have explained things better to you."
Shirou let out a breath of relief. It seemed like the misunderstanding had been resolved. Then he added:
"So, where are you now, Lisephyr? I'll come find you."
"I… I already went back…"
Lisephyr deeply regretted her impulsive decision to return to London.
"Back?"
Shirou paused in surprise.
"I'm already on the way to London… Shirou-kun, when will you come back to London?"
There was no point in trying to undo her return now—her father already knew, and she was halfway there. All she could hope for was that Shirou would come back soon too.
"It'll be a little while. Oh, and Lisephyr… my name is Shirou Emiya."
Shirou suddenly spoke his true name, because he really disliked being referred to as "Nazeray Yulifes."
He hadn't expected Lisephyr to return to London, but in truth, it might be for the best.
The Fourth Holy Grail War was about to begin in Fuyuki. As someone with magecraft blood, Lisephyr could easily get dragged into it.
That was something Shirou absolutely didn't want.
"Emiya? So Shirou Emiya Yorifes?"
Lisephyr blinked in confusion.
"No, just Shirou Emiya. I'm not adopted into the Yorifes family. Think of me more like… a guest of the Yorifes."
"A… guest?"
Lisephyr found it strange. What did he mean by that?
"Anyway, you should go back to London and get some rest. I'll return to the Clock Tower for classes soon."
"Then make sure you come back quickly! Otherwise… otherwise you'll fall behind on your studies!"
Yes—that was it. Lisephyr told herself it wasn't because she missed him or anything like that. It was purely about keeping up with lessons.
That's what she told herself.
And with that, Shirou ended the call.
"Noka!"
Shirou called out.
The maid appeared swiftly.
"My lord, what are your orders?"
"Bring me all the documents on the Einzbern family."
Shirou now knew exactly what he needed to do next.
Noka handed over a stack of carefully compiled information on the Einzberns.
—
Far in the eastern lands stood the Einzbern Castle.
This ancient forest was perpetually wrapped in snowstorms. Cotton-like snow hung from the trees, and a biting chill permeated the air.
But today, the storms had briefly subsided. The sky was a pale milky white. There were no birds, no lush greenery, but at least… there was a bit of sunlight.
On days without blizzards, no matter how busy Kiritsugu Emiya was, he would always take a walk outside with his daughter, Illyasviel von Einzbern. It was a promise between father and daughter.
"Illya is totally going to win today!"
Illya declared with confidence as she led the way, her little snow boots crunching through the thick snow. Her big, bright eyes scanned the area with great care, not missing a single detail.
She was tiny, her delicate face framed by long, beautiful lashes and sparkling ruby-red eyes.
Dressed in thick white fur, she looked like a little porcelain doll—perfect in every way. So precious it made your heart ache.
Today's mission: a playful competition between father and daughter.
"I found one! That's my first one! Illya, you haven't even found your first yet, have you?"
Kiritsugu's teasing voice came from behind her.
Illya gasped and turned around, a little annoyed. "You're lying! Where is it? Where? I definitely didn't miss anything!"
"Look, it's right there."
Kiritsugu smiled and pointed at a walnut bud peeking out from under the snow on a tree branch.
"That's just the first one! Illya will find more in no time!"
Without responding, Illya puffed her cheeks and marched on.
This was their yearly forest game—searching for budding walnut sprouts. So far this year, Illya had found 362 of them. Kiritsugu? Only 289.
Even though she was winning overall, she had lost their last round—and she was still bitter about it.
"I refuse to lose again!"
Illya shouted in her mind, fiercely determined.
And in the end—Illya won again, beating her father by two buds.
"Illya is the champion! You lost, Kiritsugu!"
She shouted joyfully, hopping up and down in victory.
She looked absolutely adorable—bouncing with glee like a little bunny.
Kiritsugu lifted her into his arms, and Illya snuggled happily into the warmth of her father's embrace.
"Let's go! Let's go further ahead!"
She pointed eagerly.
And so, the father and daughter duo continued their peaceful day in the snow-covered forest.