The moonlight was bright and clear.
Aozaki Rin gripped the pitchfork, feeling its texture and the night breeze on his skin. Everything felt incredibly real, yet he could still confirm that he was dreaming.
After all, nine years of real life couldn't possibly flash by like a few brief scenes.
Although those nine years were now preserved in his mind as a strange kind of experience, Rin still identified as the individual named Aozaki Rin, not "En," the adopted son of the knight Ector.
"En, why are you here?!"
The girl's startled cry pulled the boy back to his senses.
Under the moonlight, Artoria scrambled out of the water-filled bathtub in a panic. Without even bothering to dry herself off, she frantically began to put on her clothes, her fair, youthful body flashing for a moment in the moonlight.
Although Merlin, who taught her in her dreams, had long ago placed an illusion spell on her that would cause anyone who saw her to perceive her as male, an illusion only altered the perception of others; it did not alter reality itself.
Besides, even if she could deceive the eyes of others, the young girl wasn't yet strong enough to overcome the shame of standing completely unclothed in front of someone.
Of course, the main reason for her panic was that she had been frightened by the pitchfork the boy had nearly poked her with.
"'Brother' Artorius... no, you're a girl?"
Though the voice was slightly different, Aozaki Rin still identified the owner of the cry as his adoptive brother from this dream.
What surprised him was how his brother had turned into a sister in the blink of an eye.
Sensing that there might be a difficult secret behind this, Aozaki Rin didn't press the matter. He simply lowered the pitchfork, turned around, and walked to the back of the stables, silently closing his eyes.
"Sister Artorius, I don't know what's happened, but you should dry your body properly, or you might catch a cold later."
"Also, I'm sorry about just now. But please rest assured, I didn't see anything."
The young, clear voice came from behind the stables. Artoria, of course, knew that her adoptive brother hadn't seen anything; after all, his eyes had been flawed since birth. The exposure of her true gender was likely due to her earlier cry.
But logically, even her voice should have been perceived by others as that of a young boy.
Artoria didn't understand why the illusion magic had no effect on her adoptive brother. Hearing his advice, she glanced hesitantly at her now damp and disheveled clothes. Feeling the chill of the night air, she ultimately chose to take them off again, picking up a towel hanging on the tub to carefully dry the remaining water from her body.
"...It's okay now, En."
Dressed once more, Artoria didn't tie up her shoulder-length golden hair as she usually did, instead letting it hang loose. A trace of embarrassment still lingered on her delicate, pretty face.
She wasn't ashamed that her secret had been discovered by the boy; she was purely feeling immature for her earlier panic.
"Are you really okay now, Sister Artorius?"
Having recovered from the initial shock of the gender change and realizing that anything could happen in a dream, Aozaki Rin quickly accepted the situation and walked out from behind the stables.
"Mhm... Also, my real name isn't Artorius, it's... Artoria... I'm sorry for not telling you all this time, En."
Since she had been discovered, the girl chose not to hide it any longer and revealed part of the truth.
"So, you've always been a girl, Sister, not a boy?"
"Uh, yes."
"And you hid it for a very important reason?"
"M-hm."
"I understand. I'll keep your secret. I'll do my best to hide it from Sir Kay and Father, too."
Aozaki Rin nodded, showing his comprehension. In his view, to go to such lengths, his adoptive sister must be carrying an incredibly heavy burden.
"Um, actually, Sir Kay and Ector already knew... sorry."
Not daring to look at the boy's expression, Artoria glanced away, flustered. She fidgeted with her pale white fingers, revealing her inner turmoil.
After all, they were supposed to be a close-knit family, yet she was the only one who had been kept in the dark about something everyone else knew. If she were in his shoes, Artoria felt she would probably be dejected for a long time.
To her surprise, however, the boy just blinked with a little astonishment before letting out a sigh of relief.
"That's good. I was just wondering how I was going to hide it from Sir Kay and Father. If they already knew, then it saves a lot of trouble."
"...You're not angry, En?"
"It's fine. Everyone must have their reasons for doing things. Family members should trust each other. Besides, don't I know your secret now, too, Sister?"
Looking at the pure smile on the boy's face, devoid of any suspicion or negative emotion, Artoria was overcome with a wave of guilt. She couldn't help but feel that she had failed as an "older brother."
Not only that, but through their long time together, the girl had long since understood that although her younger brother was still young, he was surprisingly sensible, composed, and calm. Even his skill and talent in swordsmanship far surpassed her own.
In comparison, she herself was...
"Sorry, Merlin... it seems someone like me, who only excels at eating, has no right to lead Britain. Maybe it would be better to switch to someone else now..."
Caught in a vortex of self-doubt, Artoria muttered to herself in a low voice. The single, prominent strand of golden hair on her head, which usually stood up straight, drooped down listlessly.
"Sister, are you alright?"
Noticing that something seemed off with the girl's state, Aozaki Rin leaned in with concern.
Fortunately, the self-loathing emotion was fleeting in Artoria's heart. The girl quickly returned to normal, offering a slightly sheepish smile.
"I'm fine. By the way, what are you doing in the stables so late, En?"
"Mhm. I forgot to clean up this afternoon, so I planned to take care of it tonight. We have sword training first thing tomorrow, after all."
"I see... Then I'll help, too."
Before the boy could say anything, Artoria sprang into action.
This was something they had always done together anyway. Besides, as his "older brother," she couldn't possibly let her blind younger brother clean up all by himself.
"Right, should I keep calling you 'Brother Artorius' like before?"
Moving a bundle of straw into a stall with practiced ease, Aozaki Rin seemed to remember something and asked.
"Uh, in front of others, it's better to keep it the same as before..."
Artoria hesitated, blinking. To be honest, she much preferred being called "Sister" over "Brother." No matter how real the illusion was, she was, in essence, still a girl.
Although she had long ago decided to cast aside the shackles of her own gender for the sake of a certain goal, when she was actually treated as a sister, the corners of her lips couldn't help but curl upwards.
And so, the girl hugged the straw in her arms a bit shyly, her gaze flickering as she spoke with some hesitation.
"As for when we're alone... you can just call me Sister."
"I understand, Sister Artoria."
"...Mhm."