In the afternoon, the sky was bright and clear.
The warm sunlight streamed through the window, entering the room and bringing a touch of warmth to the enclosed study.
Miss Mei was very fond of the afternoon sun.
The afternoon, though lacking the vibrant rising sun of dawn and the grand, majestic atmosphere of dusk, possessed a unique tranquility.
At this time of day, brewing a cup of clear tea, picking up a book, and reading while sipping tea alone on a balcony or in a study was undoubtedly an excellent choice.
That bone-deep relaxation, the warmth that lingered in the aroma of the tea, was, in Raiden Mei's opinion, a pleasure second only to interacting with friends and family.
Out of habit, Miss Mei brewed herself a cup of tea, picked up a book, and prepared to enjoy the afternoon sun.
And then—
"BANG BANG BANG—!!"
A series of rather urgent knocks sounded from the door.
Who is it?
Remembering that Kiana had been called away by Teacher Himeko, and that Bronya and Seele had gone out to play together, Miss Mei's delicate brows furrowed.
Could it be Zihan?
Miss Mei, who had been with Li Zihan not long ago preparing to ask him some questions before being interrupted by the Schicksal Overseer, saw her brow smooth out instantly, a slight smile gracing her lips.
Is he coming to explain things to me on his own initiative?
As she thought this, her mood brightened. She stood up from her desk and walked towards the door.
And then—
What came into view was a white-haired shorty who was probably not even as tall as Bronya.
It was the Principal of St. Freya Academy, Theresa, a great-aged loli who was good for nothing except being number one at freeloading meals.
"...Good afternoon, Principal."
Raiden Mei, not seeing the person she had hoped to see, found the smile on her face changing ever so slightly.
But she still opened the door and made a gesture to invite her in.
"Good afternoon, Mei."
The white-haired shorty, who had arranged with Murata Himeko that they would each guide one of the girls, wore a serious expression.
That look made Raiden Mei freeze.
Although she hadn't been at St. Freya for long, she knew that Principal Theresa's role was very close to that of a mascot, a cute commodity.
To suddenly see the school's number one mascot acting so serious, Raiden Mei was also a little dumbfounded.
"What's wrong, Principal?"
Feeling that the situation was a bit off, Raiden Mei asked very carefully.
Theresa's current serious demeanor made it look as if she had just witnessed a Great Eruption and was preparing to head to the battlefield.
"Mei, I have something very important to tell you."
The white-haired shorty, who had seen a portrait that was very likely of Mei while playing bridge with Murata Himeko, stood on her tiptoes, stretched her arms out as far as they could go, and patted Mei's shoulder.
"What is it?"
Raiden Mei looked at the Principal, who was having a rather hard time just patting her shoulder, and considerately bent down slightly before asking.
"That Li guy is probably secretly in love with you."
Theresa, whose attention was focused on oppai and felt that the probability of it being Mei was higher, said with a grave expression.
These words entered Miss Mei's ears, leaving her stunned.
Her father, Raiden Ryoma, had already given Li Zihan the Plasma Kagehide, an item that was absolutely an indispensable part of her dowry. Her relationship with Zihan was actually very close to that of fiancés.
Moreover, aside from when they first met, Zihan had almost never hidden the fact that he held feelings of love for her.
Helping her escape Cocolia's pursuit, unconditionally seeking aid for her father, and even going against the will of the Schicksal Overseer for her sake...
These actions were undoubtedly an open and honest pursuit.
And yet, Theresa was saying Li Zihan was secretly in love with her?
Raiden Mei opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know what to say.
She felt that Theresa might have some misunderstanding of the term "secretly in love."
If it weren't for Father being transferred to Mexico for a secret mission, I probably would have already been engaged to Zihan by now.
The girl, who was not at all averse to the idea of an arranged marriage, felt her pretty face flush red at the thought.
If they were to get engaged in the near future, such progress would be a little fast, fast enough to be a little unsettling.
But, it seemed she didn't dislike this feeling of unease as much as she imagined.
He was a person who would stand against the leader of Anti-Entropy's radical faction and defy the Schicksal Overseer for her sake. The sense of security he brought her far outweighed the unease of moving too quickly.
"In that Li guy's dormitory, I saw an oil painting with its face covered by a canvas."
Theresa, who had actually first stumbled upon Li Zihan and Banya getting close and was now operating under memory loss, paid no mind to what Miss Mei was thinking. She took a deep breath and spoke her piece.
"An oil painting?"
Miss Mei's expression was a little puzzled upon suddenly hearing this term.
"Mhm, I can confirm it was a girl wearing a St. Freya uniform."
Theresa's expression was serious, which was a very normal reaction.
Because the girl in that painting was either Mei or her own niece.
"So, you're saying it's possible Zihan is painting my portrait in his dorm?"
Hearing these words, Miss Mei felt her heart begin to beat faster, and an immense sense of joy welled up inside her.
To paint a portrait of one's lover in secret, then present it at a specific moment.
Such a development was truly romantic.
After seeing Li Zihan decide to postpone his meeting with the Schicksal Overseer just to explain things to her, the girl who believed he loved her saw her eyes curve into crescent moons.
"We can't rule out the possibility that the Li guy just randomly found a model."
Feeling that Mei's reaction was a bit over the top, Theresa's eye twitched as she mentioned another possibility.
"If you want to confirm whether it's your portrait, you'll probably have to go see it."
"Then, I'll go have a look."
Miss Mei, who was a little curious about what kind of girl Li Zihan would choose as a model, thought for a moment and said.
Although she didn't understand why Theresa was telling her these things, going to have a look couldn't be a bad thing.
And so, a short time later.
"Zihan, are you very good at oil painting?"
Inside Li Zihan's dormitory, Miss Mei's voice rang out.
The girl, who had just been cornered by Theresa for a long chat about life, looked at the young man who seemed to have returned to the height he was when they first met, her expression a little nervous.
"I'm alright."
The young man, who had just deciphered the Emiya family's true Magical Crest and successfully returned his body to its normal state, wore a very pleasant smile.
A Magical Crest is a mystical sigil that a magus has spent a lifetime training and solidifying, a magical inheritance.
Because it's something akin to a "new organ" brewed over hundreds of years, a Magical Crest is difficult to match with a non-blood relative.
If one wanted to extract the knowledge within, there were generally only two methods: destroy the Magical Crest or undergo self-modification.
However, those were the ordinary methods.
Li Zihan, who was very interested in the Emiya family's research, chose a third method.
He drew the invincible Jizo Mitama.
The organ-like, "biological" Magical Crest had practically no resistance against Jizo Mitama.
With almost no effort, Li Zihan obtained the research of one of the top-tier research-type magi in the Type-Moon world, Emiya Norikata—the Reality Marble born to reach the end of time.
He deployed the Reality Marble, made the flow of time accelerate, and his body, which had been regressed to thirteen years old by Aoko, quickly returned to its normal state.
"Art is pretty simple, really."
Li Zihan, whose observational skills were extremely sharp and whose control over his limbs was also exceptional, said. While his painting skills weren't at a master's level, they were still first-rate.
Can he really paint?
The girl, vaguely remembering a certain white-haired shorty pulling her aside and saying that Li Zihan might be secretly painting her portrait, felt a slight blush appear on her pretty cheeks.
She really wanted to know if that oil painting was of her.
"Um... could you let me see the painting you've been working on recently, Zihan?"
"I've been thinking about learning oil painting myself recently."
The girl, who was actually more interested in cooking than oil painting, let her gaze drift, glancing towards a very obvious easel.
She might as well have had "I want to see" written all over her face.
"Of course you can."
The young man, who had told Bronya before this that he was painting Seele, chuckled lightly. He stood up and walked unhurriedly to the corner of the living room.
He very naturally placed his hand on the canvas, tapped it once or twice, and then lifted it.
On the canvas, a girl with black hair and purple eyes wore a warm smile.