Unlock new chapters and exclusive illustrations at https://www.patreon.com/Rayish.
The evening crept toward nightfall, but the atmosphere in the backyard of Twilight Manor remained lively with the laughter and energy of the Loki Familia members. Some adventurers raced bicycles at full speed, while others attempted silly tricks that ended in laughter and tumbling to the ground. Of course, with his sour expression, Bete repeatedly scolded those acting too foolishly, but no one truly paid him any heed.
Meanwhile, on the quieter terrace, Lefiya sat on a long bench beside Riveria. The two elves observed the scene before them, but Lefiya's thoughts drifted far from the commotion. With a determined expression, she clenched her fists and declared fervently,
"I'll follow Lady Riveria's advice! I'll show Shirou my most beautiful side the day after tomorrow!"
Riveria turned to her, her gaze a mix of emotions. As Lefiya's mentor, she should have been supportive of her enthusiasm, but as a woman who also harbored feelings for Shirou, she couldn't ignore the unease creeping into her heart.
Could it be... she's planning to ask Shirou out on a date?
Instantly, anxiety coiled in her mind. Yet her face remained calm as she asked casually, "Oh? So, what do you plan to do with Shirou the day after tomorrow?"
Lefiya opened her mouth eagerly, but suddenly froze as if realizing something.
"Ah—actually, I wanted to... ugh!" She hastily covered her mouth with both hands, her expression slightly flustered.
This only fueled Riveria's curiosity. Why did she stop so abruptly? What is she planning?
Riveria raised an eyebrow, leaning back with a composed expression. But beneath her calm demeanor, she was already strategizing how to extract more information. In a soft yet persuasive tone, she said,
"What's wrong? Why did you stop? Is your plan so secretive that even I can't know?"
Lefiya bit her lower lip, hesitating. Riveria's sharp yet tranquil stare made her feel slightly cornered. After a moment, she finally sighed and whispered, "This is... also Aiz's secret."
Hearing this, Riveria felt a flicker of relief. If Aiz had been involved, it likely wouldn't have been a romantic date between Lefiya and Shirou alone. Still, her curiosity remained unsatisfied.
Riveria smirked faintly and teased, "Oh? In that case, there's no harm in telling me. Aiz wouldn't mind, would she?"
Lefiya hesitated, still torn about whether to reveal the secret. Riveria simply smiled patiently, waiting calmly.
Very well, let's see how long you can keep this from me, Lefiya.
Finally, after a brief internal struggle, Lefiya took a deep breath and decided to confide in her mentor. After all, Riveria's curiosity was too strong, and withholding the truth would only make the atmosphere more tense.
"Actually... the day after tomorrow, Aiz is going to learn how to swim with Shirou, and I'll be accompanying them," Lefiya said softly, her voice just loud enough for Riveria to hear.
Riveria's emerald eyes narrowed slightly as she processed the information. Now it made sense why Aiz wanted to keep it a secret. Though the girl was known for her calm demeanor and rarely showed emotion, Riveria knew all too well that Aiz had her own shy side when it came to her weaknesses. The fact that Aiz wanted to learn to swim was likely something she considered a vulnerability and didn't want others to know about.
Riveria arched an eyebrow and asked with keen interest, "And where will you be swimming?"
Lefiya glanced at Riveria, slightly awkward before answering, "Aiz wanted somewhere less crowded... so she asked Shirou to teach her in the Dungeon."
Upon hearing this, Riveria let out a long sigh. Her brow furrowed, and her composed expression shifted to one of exasperation.
"That girl..." she muttered, shaking her head. Riveria was well aware that floors 25 to 27 of the Dungeon contained water-filled areas, but those places were still dangerous. Not only was the terrain hazardous, but monsters could emerge from the water at any moment.
Lefiya, noticing her mentor's expression, quickly tried to ease her concerns. In a reassuring tone, she said, "Lady Riveria, Aiz is already Level 6. The strongest monsters there are only Level 4, and Shirou has reached Level 4, too. There won't be any problems."
Riveria exhaled softly, then gently pinched Lefiya's nose with two fingers, startling the young elf.
"Ow! Lady Riveria!" Lefiya pouted, her face slightly flushed from the unexpected action.
Riveria smiled faintly before saying, "You're too confident in them when it's you who should be more careful, Lefiya."
Lefiya opened her mouth to protest, but then realized Riveria was right. She was only Level 3 and needed to remain cautious in the Dungeon, even with Aiz and Shirou present.
"Alright, I'll be more careful," she finally conceded, though inwardly, she was still a little annoyed at being treated like a child by her mentor.
Riveria merely chuckled softly before turning her gaze back to the darkening evening sky. Still, she couldn't shake her worry about the reckless plan those kids had concocted.
For a moment, Riveria considered joining them in the Dungeon the next day. With her experience and mastery of magic, she could ensure no harm came to them. But then she remembered the advice she had given Lefiya earlier—advice that could be considered sabotage. She didn't want to interfere further in this matter. Besides, her presence might disrupt their plans.
And yet...
The thought of joining Shirou suddenly crossed her mind. She imagined them playing in the water, laughing under the shimmering crystal lights of the Dungeon, perhaps even joking and—
Riveria stopped. Her face grew slightly warm.
Unconsciously, she had envisioned something far beyond just playing in the water. The image of Shirou's muscular torso, bare and glistening with droplets running down his firm chest... The vision was so vivid in her mind, like something she had long suppressed in her curiosity.
And herself?
Riveria swallowed hard as she inadvertently pictured herself in a swimsuit—
A swimsuit?!
She nearly jolted from her seat, realizing how wild her imagination had become. Aware of something important, she immediately turned to Lefiya with a more serious expression.
"Lefiya," she called, her tone slightly urgent.
Lefiya, who had been enjoying the evening breeze, turned to her in confusion. "Huh? What is it, Lady Riveria?"
Riveria's brow furrowed slightly. "You and Aiz... You're planning to wear the swimsuits Loki bought in Melen back then, aren't you?"
Lefiya blinked, slightly surprised by the question. "You mean... bikinis?" she asked innocently.
Riveria nodded slowly, her sharp eyes studying Lefiya's expression.
The young elf didn't need to think long before answering, "Yes, I think so." She then smiled faintly, as if recalling something. "Back in Melen, I once told Shirou how beautiful Aiz looked in that white bikini."
Shirou even said that I would look just as stunning if I wore a bikini like that...
Her cheeks tinged slightly pink at the memory. If Shirou had merely spoken casually back then, now she wanted to prove it herself. Lefiya wanted to see Shirou's reaction when he saw her in a bikini.
However, before she could lose herself further in her thoughts, Riveria's firm voice cut through her reverie.
"No."
Lefiya looked up, bewildered. "Huh? Why not?" she asked innocently.
Riveria took a deep breath, steadying her thoughts before speaking further. She remembered all too clearly how revealing the swimsuits Loki had given them back then were, showing too much skin, accentuating their curves excessively... She herself had even decided not to join them for swimming that time due to discomfort.
Just imagine if Lefiya and Aiz went wearing such outfits in front of Shirou...
Riveria shook her head quickly, dispelling the thought.
"You must buy more modest swimwear tomorrow," she stated firmly. "And don't forget to get one for Aiz, too. No bikinis."
Lefiya blinked several times, still not fully understanding the reasoning behind her mentor's order. But seeing Riveria's serious expression, she could only nod obediently.
"...Understood, Lady Riveria."
Riveria felt somewhat relieved. At least this way, Aiz and Lefiya wouldn't be flaunting their figures in revealing bikinis in front of Shirou. Imagining how the young man might react to seeing them in such swimwear was enough to irritate her. She didn't want to give them a chance to catch Shirou's attention with their curves.
This way, she could at least breathe easier... for now.
The night deepened. The sky above Orario slowly transformed into a sea of twinkling stars, while the backyard of Twilight Manor remained filled with the laughter and banter of Loki Familia members who had just finished their bicycle games.
One by one, they stopped riding and parked their bikes neatly in front of the terrace. The row of bicycles looked uniform—all of them were projections created by Shirou. Some familia members marveled at how realistic the details were, even though they knew the projections wouldn't last forever.
Among the lineup, one bicycle stood out—a pink one that had been parked earlier. It belonged to Lefiya.
Several female elves from Loki Familia—Alicia, Sylvie, Alinda, and Arwen—had just returned from their ride. As they passed the terrace, they greeted Riveria respectfully.
"Good evening, Lady Riveria," Alicia said politely.
"Good evening," added Sylvie and Alinda almost simultaneously, while Arwen simply smiled slightly and nodded before stepping inside the manor.
Riveria returned their greetings with a gentle nod. "Good evening," she replied in her usual calm and dignified tone. She watched them briefly before shifting her gaze back to Lefiya, who still sat beside her, seemingly lost in thought.
Feeling it was the right time to excuse herself, Riveria stood, smoothing out her green dress before looking at her pupil softly.
"I'll retire to my room now," she said simply.
Lefiya snapped out of her reverie, turned to her. "Ah, yes. Good evening, Lady Riveria," she replied politely.
Riveria nodded once more before turning and walking toward the manor's entrance. Her steps were light yet graceful, like those of a true noble.
As she stepped inside, the manor felt warmer compared to the night air outside. She ascended the stairs to her room on the fourth floor. Each step echoed softly on the polished ceramic floor, her mind still occupied with the day's events, especially her conversation with Lefiya.
When she reached her door, Riveria exhaled softly. She touched the handle, opened the door, and stepped inside, letting the silence of her room envelop her.
Yet, though her body was now still, her thoughts continued to whirl about Lefiya, about Aiz, and especially... about Shirou.
Once the door closed behind her, Riveria let out a long sigh, allowing the quiet of the night to accompany her turbulent thoughts. With light steps, she walked to her spacious, plush bed and let herself sink onto it slowly. Her casual green dress spread out around her, brushing against the sheets gently.
She lay still for a moment, gazing at the elf-carved ceiling, letting her mind wander. But the tranquility didn't last. With a subtle movement, she propped herself up slightly and reached for something on the small table beside her bed.
A folding wooden board.
Her fingers traced its surface with deep emotion, as if this simple object were an invaluable treasure to her. A faint smile touched her lips, full of nostalgia.
This board was something precious. It was not just an ordinary plank but the training board Shirou used when teaching her Magecraft—specifically, Structural Analysis. With his training method, Shirou would write something on this board, and Riveria had to "read" it without looking, using only Structural Analysis.
Back then, the exercises had felt so difficult for her. As someone well-versed in magic, she had never imagined that Magecraft would differ so greatly from the spells she knew. Yet Shirou had patiently guided her. Practice after practice bore fruit.
Carefully, Riveria unfolded the board.
Inside was the last sentence Shirou had written—the one she had read during their final training session. The simple words were still etched clearly in her memory, yet she wanted to trace them with her fingers once more.
I'm grateful to have met you.
Her fingers glided over each letter, feeling the carved words with a gentle touch. There was something about those words that always made her heart tremble.
Her emerald eyes softened. She bit her lip slightly, holding back the emotions welling up inside her. Then, in a voice so quiet it was almost a whisper, she said,
"Forgive me, Shirou... I want more than that."
Instantly, her chest tightened. She knew those words might never reach him. But these feelings, these desires... she couldn't ignore them.
With deep emotion, she hugged the wooden board to her chest, tightly, as if it were Shirou himself. She closed her eyes, letting the warmth of her imagination envelop her, picturing herself in the embrace of the one she had silently loved all this time.
And that night, for the first time in so long, Riveria felt vulnerable in her solitude.
The nature of love was something even she struggled to understand. Riveria knew Lefiya also had feelings for Shirou, just as she did. Even before Lefiya confessed those feelings to her, she had seen how her beloved pupil always sought ways to get closer to the young man, how her eyes sparkled when talking about him, and how she acted so childishly yet enthusiastically in his presence.
But for Riveria, these feelings hadn't emerged suddenly. They had grown gradually, growing stronger over time, ever since Shirou first guided her in Magecraft. He showed patience as he explained the same concepts repeatedly without showing fatigue or frustration. He smiled when she made mistakes, offering corrections in a soothing voice rather than sharp criticism.
All this time, Riveria had stood above others as a respected and relied-upon figure in Loki Familia. Since joining, she had been a pillar of wisdom and protection, someone others depended on. But in Shirou's presence, those roles seemed reversed.
How could a 99-year-old High Elf feel like a young girl still learning? How could she, who always led, now listen obediently to Shirou like a student eager to impress her teacher? Yet that was exactly what happened. In their moments together, Riveria felt small, but for the first time, it felt delightful.
She wanted his attention. His affection. His praise. And every time Shirou gave her those things, every time he nodded in satisfaction at her progress in Magecraft, warmth spread through her chest. Every time she heard Shirou say her name, those feelings grew stronger, deeper, more uncontrollable. Each time her desires were fulfilled, she felt so happy... yet also greedier. She wanted more, more, and more.
But...
She wasn't the only one who longed for this.
Lefiya, her beloved pupil, who would one day succeed her, knew how deeply the young Elf's heart was set on Shirou.
And not just Lefiya.
Aiz...
Aiz, whom she had practically raised as her own. The girl she had protected since childhood, who had taught her so much, she could see that Aiz was also drawn to Shirou.
If she followed her heart... if she decided to claim Shirou for herself...
Riveria couldn't imagine the expressions on Lefiya and Aiz's faces. Couldn't imagine the hurt that might linger in their eyes, the disappointment that might erode the bonds they had built over the years.
And yet...
She didn't want to back down either.
She wanted to fight for her feelings, just as Lefiya—and possibly Aiz—would. That was why, without realizing it, she had sabotaged Lefiya with her advice. That was why she didn't want Shirou to see their alluring figures in revealing swimwear.
Because deep down... she wanted him for herself too.
With a heart full of turmoil, Riveria tightened her embrace around the wooden board, letting the warmth of her memories with Shirou lull her to sleep.
That night, unbeknownst to her, amidst the uncertainty and torment of her emotions... she slowly drifted into slumber.