When Jiang You carried Illya back to the Emiya household, Sella, her face as dark as the bottom of a pot, had been waiting for quite some time. As the de facto guardian of Illya in the absence of Kiritsugu and Irisviel Emiya, Sella was fiercely protective of her charge. She even kept a wary eye on Shirou Emiya, Illya's adoptive brother who lived with them, let alone a complete stranger like Jiang You.
Earlier, Jiang You had left Sella behind, finding her too troublesome. Besides, Illya didn't want to reveal her identity as a Magical Girl. This had resulted in Sella, bound like a dumpling, wriggling frantically like a worm.
From Sella's perspective, it was clear that Jiang You had feelings for Illya. His intimate gestures came so naturally, as if he'd done them many times before. Taking Illya away alone this time was nothing; who knew how far their relationship had progressed before they even noticed?
"What have you done to Illya?!"
Carrying Illya like a sack was hardly dignified, and Illya herself looked uncomfortable. Jiang You switched to a princess carry. Thus, Sella saw Illya slumped in his arms, her head drooping as if she had been dead for quite some time.
"She's socially dead..."
Jiang You shook Illya, who was still mimicking a corpse, and found that even this failed to elicit any response. He leaned close to her ear and whispered, "If you keep pretending to be dead, I'll tell them all about your strange fantasies about your brother. How do you think they'll react?"
"Eek!!!"
Illya's paper-thin facade crumbled instantly. She jolted upright, her face flushed. "No! You can't tell them about that!"
"Even after all this, you still refuse to give up on this forbidden love?"
"I'll never give up!"
Forgetting one's first love is almost impossible. Illya rejected the idea without a second thought. "Brother Shirou is my stepbrother, right? If we can sever Kiritsugu's ties to him, I'll still have a chance!"
"You plan to make your brother an orphan? Does he even know about this?" Jiang You couldn't help but chuckle at Illya's audacity. "But don't worry, I'll make you give up."
"?"
Illya couldn't decipher the meaning behind Jiang You's words. She assumed he simply disapproved of her actions on moral grounds.
"What exactly are you two talking about?" Sella asked, her anxiety easing slightly now that Illya seemed her usual energetic self. "And where did you take Illya just now?"
Jiang You had no intention of answering. He admired Sella's unwavering composure, maintaining her dignity and composure despite the vast power disparity. Let Illya worry about explaining things later, though Jiang You doubted revealing her Magical Girl identity would be a major problem. After all, this world had Magi, and these maids were specially crafted homunculi.
"I'll be leaving now. I'll contact you again later."
The immediate priority was to get the Sapphire magic wand into Miyu's hands. Though the girl didn't cry or fuss, she was undoubtedly still worried about her brother. The sooner this plotline could be resolved, the better—it would spare a little girl from having to single-handedly save the world again. Once was enough for the Huangtian Emperor; there was no need to repeat such a burden.
"Huh? How do I contact her?"
Before Illya could answer, Sella abruptly pulled her into a protective embrace, blocking Jiang You's view. It was understandable; any parent would be wary of a strange adult suddenly taking their child away.
Jiang You switched to another Script. This time, the teleportation went smoothly, and he successfully returned to the Einzbern family's castle. Sella immediately greeted him, preparing tea and refreshments for his arrival. Unlike the Sella from the Prisma Illya World, this Sella was colder and more aloof. Though she possessed a touch more warmth than her other sisters, her distinct difference from ordinary humans was immediately apparent.
"Thank you for waiting here for me all this time," Jiang You said, his heart softening. Even if she was just an NPC, the emotional support she provided was genuine, and he felt obliged to respond in kind.
"There's no need for such formality. You should rest first."
"It is my duty, Lord Jiang You."
Just as with the Fourth Station, after receiving the Soul Crystal from Jiang You, the Einzbern's artificial human Master immediately transferred all of the Einzbern family's assets in Fuyuki to Jiang You's name. Though Jiang You himself remained unaware, he was now the true Master of this place—in fact, even Illya was essentially his property.
"My purpose for existing lies here."
Perhaps due to remnants of the Third Magic, the Einzbern's artificial humans possessed souls. Sella and her kind were essentially no different from Illya and Irisviel in essence. Therefore, there were no predetermined programs governing their actions.
Jiang You wanted Sella to live a normal life like any other human, believing that living as a mere puppet was both boring and tragic. However, he lacked a good solution. After pondering the matter, Jiang You recalled the Parallel World from Prisma Illya, where Sella displayed remarkable humanity. Perhaps they could lend a hand.
"Sella, call your sister Leysritt and have her pack our belongings. We'll be taking a long trip together soon."
"No problem, Miss Illya is under Lady Raikou's care. Our absence for a while won't cause any issues."
Since Minamoto no Raikou arrived, she had personally taken over all aspects of Illya's daily life. Rather than "taking over," it would be more accurate to say she allowed no one else to interfere.
"Master of the House, will you require international travel? I should prepare your passport in advance."
"No need. This time, our destination is the Einzbern family in a Parallel World. They'll have someone there to receive us."
Although Sella from that world hadn't been informed beforehand, the overall atmosphere of Prisma Illya was quite friendly, and they would quickly accept this arrangement. In contrast, the Sella from this world was more prone to causing trouble. However, Jiang You would do his best to prevent any such incidents. After all, this world's Sella obeyed Jiang You's orders almost completely, second only to Melusine in her loyalty.
Speaking of Melusine, Jiang You couldn't help but notice her odd behavior since leaving Golden Drill's house. Once despondent and emotionally withdrawn, she now spent her evenings watching television—specifically, Animal World. It was a peculiar sight. While Jiang You himself found Animal Planet quite engaging, Melusine's newfound interest in such programming remained puzzling.
Still, Melusine's willingness to engage with new things was a positive development, so Jiang You let her pursue her own interests.