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

Chapter 38: System Overload

Back With Sieg

 Looking at Sakura’s crying form, with Rin and Illya frozen in shock at her sides, I couldn’t help but silently admire how much all three of them had grown over the past ten years since the last time I’d seen them.

They had all become beautiful young women, the kind who would turn heads anywhere they went. Out of the three, Sakura seemed the most developed, followed by Illya, and finally Rin.

That wasn’t to say Rin wasn’t developed, of course. Thanks to my perks, all of them had become beauties beyond compare, and their body types were fairly close. Sakura simply had the biggest bust, Rin the biggest ass, and Illya was gifted in both departments, even if she was still a bit shorter than the sisters despite being the eldest.

To me, the biggest change wasn’t their bodies.

It was their eyes, and what I could feel behind them.

Sakura no longer carried the haunted, traumatized look she’d worn when I first rescued her. Just seeing that filled me with relief so intense it felt like a weight lifting from my shoulders.

Even so, I could still see the loneliness lingering in her gaze, and I did my best not to physically wince, knowing I was the reason it existed.

Next was Rin. Her eyes were still bright and full of curiosity, thankfully unchanged, not dulled or guarded like I had read her original self might have become.

And lastly there was Illya, who no longer looked at me with resentment over her father’s death. Instead, what I saw reflected in her gaze, so similar to my own, was self-assuredness… and curiosity.

Pulling myself out of my thoughts, a smile slowly formed on my lips as my eyes returned to Sakura.

“It seems I can’t treat you like children anymore,” I said softly, “with how much all three of you have grown into beautiful young women during my time away.”

I opened my arms in invitation.

“I know I might not deserve it after leaving you behind for so long… but I’d really like a hug.”

I had barely finished speaking when a purple blur slammed into my chest, slim arms wrapping around my torso with crushing strength.

“Oof.”

“Siieeggg-saaan~ Waaah~” Sakura wailed, sobbing into my chest as her grip tightened little by little, as if she needed the pressure to reassure herself that I was truly here.

Smiling gently down at her, now tall enough to reach my chest, I wrapped her in a proper embrace. I traced soothing circles along her back, something I remembered always helped calm her, while my other hand gently patted her head.

“Shh… it’s alright, Sakura,” I murmured into her hair. “I’m here… and I’m not going away again.”

If anything, that only made her cry harder.

Seeing movement out of the corner of my eye, I lifted my gaze and saw that Rin and Illya had finally snapped out of their shock. They were walking toward me now, both wearing blank expressions as they stopped in front of us.

Rin crossed her arms beneath her chest while Illya held her hands behind her back more demurely, both of them staring straight at me.

I focused on Rin first. I could tell she wanted to say something, so I waited patiently, all while never stopping my hands from gently reassuring Sakura.

Rin’s blank expression slowly cracked. A small scowl formed on her lips, and her aqua eyes narrowed.

“Tsk. About time you returned, Sieg,” she snapped. “Do you have any idea how much your absence upset Sakura!? She was inconsolable for weeks! And even after she finally pulled herself together, she barely smiled anymore!”

Her rant came out sharp and fast, fists clenching tight. I had no doubt that if Sakura wasn’t currently in my arms, those hands would be directed at me.

Rin took a deep breath as if trying to calm herself, but her scowl only deepened when she noticed I still hadn’t spoken.

“Well!?” she demanded with a scoff. “Do you have something to say in your defense? Or do you just expect everything to go back to normal now that you’ve returned?”

Illya stayed silent for the moment, so I focused on the irate Rin and gave her a small smile filled with regret.

“You’re right, Rin,” I said quietly. “It’s my fault Sakura had to suffer through that, and I have nothing to say in my defense.”

I paused, then continued, letting the sincerity in my voice show.

“That’s why I want to thank you for being there for her through those hard times. You kept your promise, just like I knew you would.”

Rin’s face instantly shifted from stern and angry to flustered. A full-blown blush spread across her cheeks, and she turned her head to the side to hide it.

“H-Hmph! O-Of course I looked out for Sakura!” Rin stammered. “She’s my sister, after all!”

“Of course you folded instantly,” Illya suddenly cut in with a deadpan look that only made Rin’s stuttering worse. “Don’t think I didn’t notice you also have a huge crush on that dumb dragon and have been eagerly awaiting his return too.”

“N-Nobody asked you, shorty!” Rin shot back, glaring harshly, a glare completely ruined by the blush still burning on her face.

“At least I’m not a tsundere,” Illya said with a shrug before finally turning her attention to me. “So you finally came back, you dumb big lizard.”

I gave Rin one last glance. She caught it and immediately looked away again. Smiling faintly, I turned to Illya.

“I did,” I replied, amused. “And it looks like you managed to grow taller, despite my initial reservations.”

Illya’s cheeks flushed pink as she glared at me with a pout that was far cuter than she intended. “Are you calling me short!? Do you want to get roasted, stupid lizard!?” she snapped.

Before anything else could be said, another voice joined in.

“Now, now, dear,” a woman said with a teasing tone.

I blinked as a girl who looked almost identical to Illya, just slightly taller, and with a more developed figure, stepped up beside me. She covered a smile behind her hand in a delicate, practiced gesture.

“What did I tell you about hiding your true feelings behind petty insults?”

Seeing her mother, all the fight left Illya’s expression. An almost identical look to Rin’s appeared on her face as she turned bright red and stared at Irisviel with pleading eyes, silently begging her to keep quiet.

“M-Mother… when did you get here?” Illya asked with a small stutter. “I thought you’d be busy until much later today.”

“Ara ara~ I was,” Irisviel replied smoothly. “But then a handsome gentleman suddenly dropped in on me out of nowhere, and I decided nothing else mattered. So I dropped everything.”

She sent me a teasing look and gently bumped her shoulder against mine.

I smiled back in greeting, my mind briefly flashing to how we’d reunited earlier with both Irisviel and Aoi.

We had arrived in this world about an hour ago and immediately tracked down where the two of them were living. After knocking on their door, Irisviel had answered, looking exactly the same as the last time I’d seen her, as if she hadn’t aged a single day.

The moment she recognized me, she pulled me into a teary hug and welcomed me back as if she’d been holding her breath for ten years.

Artoria received the same treatment immediately afterward, with Irisviel rambling happily about her new appearance until Artoria was left thoroughly embarrassed.

Irisviel invited us inside, where we were greeted by Aoi next. That was also when we introduced them to Scáthach… and little Eri.

Both women, especially Irisviel, fell in love with Eri almost instantly, welcoming her with open arms. Eri was a little overwhelmed at first, but she eventually returned to her usual bright self and began talking with them, telling them what she’d been doing with us and sharing parts of her story.

After hearing it, both women seemed even more taken with her, and the moment they learned Eri called the others “Aunties,” they happily insisted she call them that too.

After catching up for a while, everyone decided it would be best if I greeted Sakura, Rin, and Illya first as a surprise.

Meanwhile, the others would go to the store to buy food for a feast in celebration of our return, since everyone knew a small meal would never satisfy Artoria. Much to the knight’s embarrassment.

Now that Irisviel was here, I could only assume they had already returned from their shopping trip. Knowing her, she had likely decided to get a head start… just to tease the girls a little before the others arrived.

Looking a little more relaxed now that her mother seemed to be sparing her, Illya let out a small sigh, one that didn’t go unnoticed by Irisviel, whose eyes practically screamed mischief.

“Anyway, as I was saying,” Irisviel continued smoothly, “you shouldn’t take my daughter’s words at face value, Sieg-san. If only you could hear all the positive things she says about you when we’re alone. Like all the times she’s fantasized about the day you rescued her so heroically before going—mmph!”

Whatever Irisviel was about to say next was cut off as Illya practically teleported to her side and covered her mouth with both hands, her face and ears burning bright red.

“S-Shut up, Mother!” Illya whined, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes from sheer embarrassment. “Stop embarrassing me! How could you share the things your precious daughter told you in secret!?”

Irisviel’s eyes only shone brighter with delight as she watched her daughter’s reaction.

That was when another voice joined the conversation, signaling the arrival of the others.

“Fufufu~ I see your reunion with Sieg-kun went just as I imagined it would,” Kiara said, laughing behind her hand as she took in the scene.

Next to her were the rest of the girls and Eri, perched happily on Artoria’s shoulders like she was riding a steed. The moment her eyes landed on me, she waved energetically.

“Sieg-san~ We’re back!” Eri shouted with a huge grin that made it obvious she’d had a great time with the others.

I glanced toward Scáthach, who stood a bit farther back from the group. We shared a silent exchange, and I relaxed when she gave the faintest shake of her head.

Now that we were back in the Nasuverse, there was no telling what kind of trouble might appear. It was always better to stay prepared.

“Kiara-san! Saber-san! It’s so good to see you again!” Illya exclaimed with a bright smile. She finally removed her hands from Irisviel’s mouth and rushed forward to greet them, though she still shot curious glances at the newcomers, namely Eri and Scáthach.

Rin, clearly eager to escape her own lingering embarrassment as well, followed after Illya, though she too studied the newcomers in silence.

The only ones who remained beside me were Irisviel… and Sakura, who still hadn’t let go of me even once.

I couldn’t help but notice, though, that someone was suspiciously silent.

Someone with the fluffiest, softest tails I had ever seen. Someone who also happened to be my girlfriend.

Someone who was completely ignoring everything else around her, her gaze locked onto me… or more specifically, the girl currently snuggled against my chest.

‘Oh boy,’ I thought nervously, already knowing what was coming.

With her tails swaying calmly behind her and a smile far too wide for her beautiful face, Tamamo started walking toward us. Everyone immediately gave her a wide berth after taking one look at her expression.

I even caught a few whispered exchanges, though they went completely ignored by my foxy girlfriend.

“Tsk… I almost forgot about that possessive fox for a moment,” Illya whispered under her breath, Rin nodding beside her.

“She seems even more possessive than before,” Rin muttered back, casting Sakura a slightly worried glance.

“This ought to be good,” Illya murmured, falling silent as Tamamo finally reached Sakura and me.

By then, Irisviel had wisely moved away to join the others while I was distracted.

“I thought we already went over this, brat,” Tamamo said in a sing-song voice, her smile not reaching her eyes. “You’re smothering my Sieg-kun, so back off already!”

Her smile finally cracked into a small glare.

Sakura seemed to return to reality at Tamamo’s words. After blinking in confusion for a few seconds, she slowly turned her head, without loosening her grip even slightly, and came face-to-face with the angry fox.

Recognition immediately entered Sakura’s violet eyes… before narrowing into a glare just as sharp as the one she was receiving.

“Oh,” Sakura said flatly. “It’s just you.”

A small, angry tick mark appeared on Tamamo’s forehead.

“Yes, it’s me,” Tamamo snapped. “Sieg-kun’s girlfriend!”

She emphasized the word girlfriend with extra force, and a smug smirk flickered onto her lips when she noticed Sakura’s eyes widen.

“Now get off him already!”

Sakura didn’t back down. If anything, her hold tightened.

“I remember making a promise last time,” she said quietly, eyes narrowing in determination. “And since the time has finally come… I can finally do this.”

With those words, Sakura turned back toward me. A blush spread across her cheeks, but her gaze remained unwavering. She stood on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around my neck, and pulled me down—

Meeting me halfway with a kiss.

Surprised gasps erupted in the background… followed by Irisviel’s delighted cheer.

“Woohoo! Way to go, Sakura-chan~ That’s the way to do it!” Irisviel squealed, sounding far too thrilled. “See, girls? You have to be confident like her!”

Eyes wide, I could only stand there as my lips instinctively returned Sakura’s kiss.

When she finally pulled away, she looked unbelievably satisfied. She gave me a loving smile, her cheeks still flushed.

“I love you, Sieg-san,” Sakura whispered. “And as promised… from now on, I’ll do everything in my power to make you fall in love with me too~”

She closed her eyes, her smile turning bright and real, full of joy and happiness, while a few tears slipped down her cheeks.

Too stunned to say anything immediately, I could only stare at Sakura, the sunlight reflecting off her face and making her look even more beautiful.

Before I could even come up with a response to such a heartfelt declaration, a hand suddenly turned my head to the side, and I was pulled down into another kiss.

After a few moments, Scáthach pulled away with a small smirk.

“If we’re declaring our intentions out in the open like this, then I won’t stay silent,” she said smoothly. “I’m already Sieg’s woman.”

Now truly thrown for a loop, I blinked at what was happening, barely registering Sakura or Tamamo’s reactions—

And that was when another voice made itself known.

“I can’t stand it anymore!”

I slowly turned and saw a beet-red Kiara striding toward me with a determined expression. A deep pit formed in my stomach.

‘She’s not going to…’

My thoughts were cut off as Kiara reached us. She gently but firmly took my hand, pulling me away from Sakura’s embrace as she looked up at me with unwavering eyes.

“I’m tired of always staying silent despite what my heart says,” she declared. “I love Sieg-kun too!”

Before anyone could stop her, she pulled me down into my third kiss of the day, leaving my brain completely fried.

When she finally pulled away, I could only stare forward blankly, half-convinced I had to be dreaming.

Of course, that was the moment Tamamo finally snapped.

I barely had time to react before I was yanked into a very familiar chest.

“Back off, homewreckers!”

‘I’m so done with today,’ I thought silently, unable to breathe for reasons I couldn’t exactly complain about.

My vision darkened.

I lost consciousness moments later.