Reborn in Type-Moon: Starting by Adopting Sakura - Chapter 26

At dinner, Irisviel barely touched her food.

When everyone else had finished eating, she quietly excused herself and went straight to her room. She curled up on the bed with her knees drawn to her chest, staring at nothing in particular.

The discovery of that ledger had made everything painfully clear. Her being here was putting serious financial pressure on Yuu, and there was no way to pretend otherwise.

She wasn't completely naive, over the past few weeks, she'd picked up enough about how money worked in the real world to understand what those numbers meant. Yuu was having to take on more and more work just to keep up with the expenses that she and Artoria were creating.

The worst part was that she couldn't even help. Yes, the Einzbern family had wealth beyond most people's imagination, but she'd made the decision to come to Tokyo on her own, against their explicit instructions. As punishment, they'd cut off most of her financial support. She wouldn't have access to the family's full resources until she actually arrived in Fuyuki for the war.

Even knowing all this, though, she couldn't bring herself to just leave.

A soft knock at her door interrupted her brooding. She quickly straightened up and tried to compose herself. "Come in."

Yuu stepped into the room, and she felt her heart skip slightly like it always did when he was around. She was sitting cross-legged on the bed in her black tights, her shoes neatly placed on the floor beside her. When she noticed him looking in her direction, she instinctively curled her toes.

He settled into the chair by the window, his expression concerned. "You weren't feeling well at dinner?"

"No, I'm fine," she said quietly, not quite meeting his eyes.

"You barely ate anything. Was something wrong with the food?"

"No, that's not it. Manaka's cooking is always wonderful."

"Then you must still be hungry. Want me to ask her to make you something else?"

"..."

She didn't answer. Instead, she grabbed one of the pillows and hugged it against her chest like a shield.

After a long stretch of silence, she finally spoke up, still looking away from him. "I think I should find somewhere else to stay."

"Why would you want to do that?" His voice was gentle, but she could hear the confusion underneath.

She stayed quiet.

Yuu let out a small sigh. "Did I do something wrong? Say something to upset you?"

"No!" The response came out more forcefully than she'd intended, and she lifted her head to look at him. "I've been happier these past few weeks than I've ever been in my life."

"Then why are you talking about leaving?"

She dropped her gaze again, unable to find the words.

"Iri," he said softly.

"Yes…"

"You know what I think is the most important thing in any relationship?"

She shook her head slightly.

Looking into her eyes with that gentle expression she'd come to love, he continued, “Communication. If you don't tell me what's going on in your mind, I can't help you, and I can't understand what you need from me. So please, will you just tell me what's really bothering you?”

Something about the way he was looking at her—patient and genuinely concerned—made it impossible to keep deflecting. She explained about finding the ledger, about seeing how much their stay was costing him, about feeling guilty for being such a burden. When she was done, Yuu actually started laughing, which made her feel ridiculous.

"That's what this is about?"

"But I was trying to think about what was best for you!"

"If you really wanted to think about what was best for me, you would have talked to me about it instead of just deciding things on your own."

"I... you're right. I'm sorry." She buried her face in the pillow, embarrassed. Her stocking-covered feet shifted restlessly against the soft bedding.

After a moment, he spoke up again. "If you're really that worried about it, how about this—you can be my assistant."

"Your assistant?"

"Yeah. You can help me with research and paperwork, and come along when I have to travel for work. Starting tomorrow, actually—I have a consultation in the city."

"Really? You'd want me to help?"

She nodded so enthusiastically that her hair bounced around her shoulders.

…

Irisviel woke before dawn, something she rarely did back at the castle. The early summer morning was quiet and peaceful, with just the faintest hint of light beginning to creep through her windows.

She sat up in bed and pulled back the curtains, letting the soft morning glow fill the room. There was something almost magical about this time of day—everything felt fresh and full of possibility.

She took extra care getting dressed, wanting to look professional for her first day as Yuu's assistant. She chose a crisp white blouse and a well-tailored skirt, then spent several minutes making sure everything was perfect. When she slipped on her heels and checked herself in the mirror, she felt confident and ready for whatever the day might bring.

This was important to her—not just because she wanted to help Yuu, but because she wanted to prove she could be useful, that her presence here was worth something more than just the expense she'd been causing.

When she stepped into the hallway, she found Yuu already up and getting ready as well.

"Good morning," she said, unable to keep the excitement out of her voice.

Yuu paused when he saw her, and his whole expression brightened. "You look beautiful today."

"Really?" She felt a flutter of happiness at the compliment and reached up to tuck a strand of silver hair behind her ear, suddenly feeling a bit shy.

After breakfast, Yuu turned to Manaka. "We're going to be out most of the day looking at a property. Don't worry about making lunch for us."

Manaka's eyes widened slightly. "Oh, you're house-hunting?"

Inside, she was practically celebrating. Finally! If they were looking for a new place, that had to mean the current living situation wasn't working out. Maybe all her careful planning was actually paying off.

"Have a wonderful time, Master. I'll make sure everything here is taken care of."

Standing there in her pale green dress with the crisp white apron, hands clasped politely in front of her, Manaka looked like the picture of domestic perfection.

The morning air in Tokyo was surprisingly clear, and you could actually see Mt. Fuji in the distance through the usual haze. The streets were already busy with the early commuter rush, people hurrying to work and cars weaving through the traffic.

Irisviel walked beside Yuu, trying to look as professional as possible. Her white stockings and black heels made soft clicking sounds on the pavement, and the tailored blazer she'd chosen gave her an air of business-like competence. Even in the crowded city, she stood out—there was something about her that made people turn their heads as they passed, though she seemed completely oblivious to the attention.

"So where exactly are we going?" she asked, adjusting her grip on the briefcase.

"Asakusa Temple."

"A temple?" she looked genuinely puzzled. "I thought your work was mostly about old artifacts and historical sites."

Yuu nodded as they walked. "It is. Asakusa has been around since ancient times, and it went through major changes during the Edo period. The temple grounds have layers of history built up over centuries, so there are always interesting finds turning up there. Plus, it used to be a major Tendai Buddhist center."

"Is there something special about Tendai Buddhism?"

"Not really, but I met this monk recently who got me curious about some of their older practices. And we're also meeting up with an old friend of mine while we're there."

She glanced down at the silver case in her hands. "What kind of friend?"

"You'll see when we get there."