Does a Doll Deserve to Live a Happy Life? (Patreon)

Chapter 23: Daughters and Futures

Following Day

Watching the retreating forms of Rider and Waver, with Tamamo and Artoria at my side, I let out a small breath.

We had just said our final goodbyes to the duo and ended things on friendly terms. After a firm handshake, they were on their way.

“Well, that’s that,” I said, turning to my companions. “Do you two want to get something before we head back home? This will probably be your last chance before we set out to Germany later today.”

“I wouldn’t mind going anywhere with you, Sieg-kun~” Tamamo instantly chirped, snuggling up to my arm. Then she threw Artoria a sharp glare. “If only there wasn’t a third wheel here, we could go on a date~”

Artoria coughed into her fist and ignored the jab with practiced knightly grace. “I do not care either way. Your home provides everything we will need.”

“Hmm… while I wouldn’t mind going on a date with you, Tamamo,” I said, glancing down at her. Her eyes lit up like stars at my words, and I felt my nerves twist, my first date and I’d already set the fox’s heart aflutter. “Wouldn’t you rather have one in a place where you don’t have to hide who you are?” I looked at her head and back not seeing any fluffy ears or tails there.

In an attempt to not draw attention, Tamamo had simply hidden her most appealing features in my opinion under a simple illusion, but it was clear to me that she wasn’t too comfortable doing so.

Tamamo tilted her head. “What do you mean, Sieg-kun?”

“I mean that after we leave this world, we can visit one where no one bats an eye at your ears or tails. A place where you don’t have to hide your best features under an illusion. I’m sure there are a few worlds out there that fit the description. We can even spend a few days there, just to relax, all of us. A break before things get… complicated again.”

Her blush deepened, and she smiled at me tenderly. “You would really do that, Sieg-kun?”

“Of course.” I nodded, though my smile faltered into a frown. “We’ll need the rest. The world I’m aiming for won’t give us much of it.” I thought about all the mess that was the Grand Order.

“The way you describe it, the more dire it sounds,” Artoria said with a thoughtful crease in her brow. Then she gave a sharp nod. “That’s wise. A warrior must rest not only their body, but their spirit before a great battle.”

In stark contrast, Tamamo suddenly leapt onto my back, her legs cinching around my waist as she hugged my neck. She planted a kiss on my cheek and rubbed her face against mine.

“Count this fox in! Fufufu, that means I’ll finally be getting my date with Sieg-kun~” she cheered not caring for the attention she drew our way.

My face burned crimson.

“C-Calm yourself, Caster!” Artoria blurted, flustered. “Can’t you save that sort of display for when I’m not present!?”

Tamamo only smirked, snuggling tighter and giving Artoria a smug look. “Oh my, is that jealousy I hear in your voice, Saber? And why should I restrain myself from showing Sieg-kun just how much I lov— ahem, adore him?”

If possible, Artoria turned redder and snapped her head away with all the dignity of a pouting child.

I cleared my throat, trying to rescue the situation before my cheeks caught fire. “How about we visit a pastry shop and buy something for everyone back home?”

At the mere mention of food, Artoria’s embarrassed expression melted like snow in the sun. Her ahoge twitched like mad, her mouth watered, and she nodded with an intensity that startled me.

“That sounds like a wonderful idea.” She tried to sound serious, but failed miserably.

“Always food with this one,” Tamamo teased, though she didn’t object. “Still, I agree. That way I can learn a few recipes from my home country’s confectionaries and make them for Sieg-kun in the future~”

“Right then…” I said, steering us toward our next stop, flanked by two Servants who were visibly happier, though for very different reasons.

=====

Hours Later

“Are you sure you want to do this, Irisviel? I don’t mind if you let me handle it,” I asked softly.

The woman beside me only nodded once, her face blank but her eyes carrying the weight of her decision.

After we’d returned home and shared pastries with everyone, Irisviel had quietly pulled me aside and made her request. I’d been surprised at first, shocked, really, by what she asked of me, so I double-checked before excusing us.

Of course, Tamamo had been watching like a hawk and refused to be left out. Now here we were, the three of us in the basement.

The answer to Irisviel’s request was bound before us: the battered, restrained forms of Kiritsugu Emiya and Maiya Hisau.

Since she felt partly responsible for their fates. Irisviel wanted to be the one to personally sell them to the Company.

“I won’t ask for forgiveness,” Irisviel said at last, her voice barely above a whisper. “I know I don’t deserve it.”

Maiya’s only response was silence. She looked at Irisviel with faint betrayal and anger in her eyes, but she didn’t speak, she merely accepted her fate.

Kiritsugu, still missing both arms from our confrontation, lay slumped on the ground. His blood stained the floor, but even then, he said nothing. He only stared at the ceiling with a blank, tired expression.

“All I can say is this,” Irisviel continued, a tear slipping down her cheek, “thanks to my actions, Illya will finally be safe. She’ll grow up to full adulthood… as a normal child.”

At those words, Kiritsugu finally stirred. His eyes shifted, meeting hers for the first time since I’d pulled him out of my inventory. For a heartbeat, something flickered across his face. Then he gave a short, weary nod.

“…Do it.”

He looked away again, closed his eyes, and let out a long breath, as though surrendering to the inevitable.

Irisviel’s hand trembled as she took my Company Phone. Her finger hovered over the sell button. She drew in one shaky breath, then another. Another tear fell. Then she pressed the button, once, twice.

And just like that, Maiya and Kiritsugu vanished as if they had never been there at all.

The sound Irisviel made next was not words, not really. A wail tore itself free from her chest as she collapsed to her knees, her composure shattering at last.

Tamamo and I were beside her instantly, wrapping her in a three-way hug. She buried her face into my chest and sobbed with abandon, as Tamamo and I rubbed her back gently.

“Waaaaaah—”

“Let it all out, Irisviel,” I whispered, voice as steady as I could make it.

As we held her, I felt another presence at the doorway. Glancing over, I saw Saber, her expression somber. She had been standing there for some time, silently bearing witness. Our eyes met, and she gave me a small, solemn nod before walking away, leaving us alone to comfort the distraught woman.

And thus ended the Magus Killer, not by an enemy blade, but by the choice of his own wife.

‘Not that the bastard didn’t deserve it,’ I thought grimly, ‘after trying to kill her multiple times.’

=====

Days Later

With nothing keeping us in Fuyuki anymore, we quickly booked a flight to Germany, using a little hypnosis here and there ensured the regular people wouldn’t ask too many questions.

After more than a day cramped in the plane, we finally arrived. The following day was spent just stretching our legs, shaking off the stiffness from being stuck in such a small space.

From there, it was only a few more hours of travel before we reached the nearest town to the Einzbern Castle. We spent most of that afternoon going over our plan to rescue Illya… but in truth, with four Servants on our side, planning felt almost unnecessary.

In the end, we simply stormed the castle. Saber, who I had returned Avalon to (much to her glowing happiness), took the lead, with Berserker and myself flanking her while Tamamo guarded our rear.

Thanks to Environmental Defense, the eternal winter around the castle didn’t touch us. We cut through evil spirits, wolf packs, and the homunculus guards with ease, leaving the latter alive but unconscious as we swept through the halls.

In minutes, the castle was ours. Jubstacheit was already captured and sealed inside my inventory, and more importantly, Irisviel and Illyasviel were together again at last.

“Momma!” Illya cried, launching herself into her mother’s arms.

“Illya~! Are you alright?” Irisviel answered with tears streaming down her cheeks, clutching her daughter as though she would never let go.

I finally allowed myself to relax, sliding my blade away. “Mission accomplished.”

Artoria, letting her armor and sword vanish in a shimmer, returned to her blue skirt and white blouse. She turned to me with a thoughtful expression. “What will happen with all the homunculus maids?”

“They’re welcome to come with us, if they want,” I said without hesitation. “Our home will be expanding soon, and having a group of maids will help immensely.”

Artoria arched a brow. “You’re willing to bring them all?” She paused, then gave a small nod. “I suppose it won’t be too difficult to feed them with your home somehow automatically replenishing its food storages every other day. The only real concern would be housing them, since your home can’t fit everyone currently meaning we would need to build them somewhere to stay.”

That made me blink. Right, Artoria hadn’t been with us back then. “Actually, our home can grow larger at the push of a button. Space won’t be an issue.”

“That’s right~!” Tamamo chimed in proudly, puffing out her chest. “I’ve personally witnessed our small den turn into a grand manor in an instant. My Sieg-kun is just full of surprises!”

Artoria tilted her head slightly, then nodded again, clearly getting used to the impossible. “I see. Then it seems everything is in order.”

=====

Sometime Later

With our objective of saving Illya complete, we spent the next few days looting the castle clean and putting everything in storage for future use.

There was another reason for staying at the castle, though, one that pertained to the future.

“Are you sure you want to go through with this, Irisviel?” I asked one morning as we had tea in the backyard, speaking privately.

“Yes.” Irisviel nodded firmly, her expression serious as she set her cup down after a small sip. “I’ve already discussed it with Aoi-san, and we both agreed it would be best if we all lived together in a single house for the next few years. Then, when the girls mature, you can come back for us and take us with you permanently.”

And there it was, the crux of my current discomfort.

At first, I thought Irisviel would want nothing more to do with me once the war ended and Illya was safe. But it seemed I was mistaken.

Like Aoi, Sakura, and Rin (who was desperate to reconnect with her sister even if Sakura gave her the cold shoulder), Irisviel wanted to keep traveling with us.

‘Is this because of the Stamp?’ I wondered with a flicker of worry I didn’t let show.

“You do know that the place I’m heading is fraught with danger, right? I can’t guarantee anyone’s survival, including your daughter.” I reminded her again gently.

“If it wasn’t for you, Sieg-san, I would have died in the war, and my daughter would follow me a few years later,” Irisviel said softly with a melancholic smile. She sighed, then her smile brightened again.

“But now I have the chance to raise her properly, to give her the childhood Kiritsugu and I couldn’t. Besides, if what you said is true, my Illya will be eighteen when you return, an adult by then. If she doesn’t want to go with you by then, at least I’ll have had the chance to see you again.”

I hesitated before asking, “Doesn’t she resent me? For being the one responsible for Kiritsugu not being here?”

Since meeting Illya, I’d avoided approaching her. At meals or in passing, she would either stick her tongue out at me and run in the other direction, or just pretend I didn’t exist.

A gentle hand slipped over mine. Looking up, I saw Irisviel’s warm smile. “She’s young. In time she’ll understand you’re our savior, not the villain she imagines.”

Her last words made me wince, slumping forward. “So she really does think of me as a villain…” I muttered.

Irisviel giggled suddenly. I looked up to see her covering her mouth as tears of mirth welled in her crimson eyes.

“Fufufu, sorry, sorry.” She waved her hands quickly. “I’m not laughing at you. You just looked so much like Illya when she pouts about something~”

Heat rose to my cheeks. I looked away, scratching at my face. “So I look like a child, is what you’re saying,” I muttered, feeling even more dejected.

“Not at all! T-that’s not what I meant!” Irisviel said in a fluster, looking like a kicked puppy.

A small chuckle slipped out of me anyway, growing when I heard her pout. I shook my head and smiled at her. “Don’t worry. I get what you meant.”

I glanced down at my teacup, catching my reflection in the rippling surface, red eyes, brown hair. “And I see the resemblance too. I was modeled after an Einzbern homunculus, after all.”

Irisviel blinked, realization dawning. “So that’s why you always felt familiar. It makes sense now.”

“Anyway—” I coughed politely, steering us back. “Very well. While I’m not comfortable dragging others into my selfish goals, I can’t argue if the girls themselves insist on joining despite the risks.”

I sighed, thinking of Sakura. “I especially know I won’t be able to convince Sakura otherwise. She’s set on joining me, and Rin and Aoi-san won’t let her go alone.”

“Fufufu~ that girl just knows what she wants and won’t let anyone stop her.” Irisviel giggled, giving me a teasing look I chose to ignore.

“So all that’s left is purchasing the home where you, Aoi-san, and the girls will stay, and furnishing it?” I asked, steering the topic away from Sakura’s crush, which I dearly hoped would mellow out with time.

“Correct. Now, I’d better stop hogging all your attention before I face the consequences~” Irisviel said, glancing knowingly behind me.

I sighed, then turned the same way with a smile. “You can come out now, girls. My chat with Irisviel is over.”

From the bushes, two familiar heads popped out, purple and black, and Rin and Sakura emerged sheepishly. Well, Rin looked sheepish. Sakura didn’t bother hiding her lack of shame.

“Sieg-san, can we play by the beach now?” Sakura asked, eyes only on me.

Irisviel who was already giggling again, went ignored.

“Of course,” I said with a smile, patting her head knowing she just wanted to spend time with me before turning to the blushing Rin. “Want to join us?”

“I-I guess.” Rin huffed, looking away before perking up suddenly. “Oh! Sakura said you can transform into a dragon! Can you take me for a ride around the island~?” Her eyes sparkled, her embarrassment forgotten.

“You got it.” I nodded, watching Sakura immediately pout until I added, “You too.”

As we walked toward the beach, I glanced back one last time, and spotted a white head and a pair of red eyes sticking comically out of the bushes. Illya’s gaze met mine. For a moment she froze, then promptly stuck her tongue out, pulled down her eyelid, and dashed back inside.

I sighed, smiling wryly. ‘Can’t win them all, I guess.’