"Do we need to tell Illya in advance, Lady Irisviel?" Morpheus asked.
Irisviel shook her head, a trace of nervousness in her eyes, perhaps because the moment of reuniting with her daughter was drawing near.
"No need. I want to see how she's doing now, and if possible, I'd like to surprise her." Irisviel smiled as she spoke, stepping forward once more.
"If I hadn't already told Illya I'd revive her mother, this meeting wouldn't be a surprise... it'd be a shock," Morpheus muttered under his breath, just low enough that Irisviel, walking ahead, didn't hear.
However, Leysritt, following beside him, caught his words.
"Mr. Morpheus, Miss Illya is very strong. She wouldn't be frightened by something like this."
"True, she is from a magus family, after all," Morpheus nodded, finding Leysritt's words reasonable.
It was now the afternoon, with sunlight slanting across the earth and buildings, bathing the world in a relaxed, almost lazy atmosphere. It made one want to lounge under the sun, nibble on pastries, sip tea, and perhaps read a good novel to pass the fading daylight.
At that moment, a cry of surprise came from the Emiya residence.
"Ah, Illya, you can't put that in yet! If you do, the soup won't taste right later!"
It was Shirou Emiya's voice.
"What? I can't put it in now? But it's sukiyaki!" Illya's dissatisfied voice rang out, mingled with Rin Tohsaka's comment, "You still have a lot to learn about cooking."
Irisviel turned to Morpheus, who struggled to maintain his smile. "Looks like they're eating. Since we didn't tell them we were coming, this is pretty normal."
Irisviel hesitated at the entrance, unsure whether to go in now. The woman who had planned to bring a surprise suddenly found herself at a loss due to the scene inside. Morpheus shook his head quietly and stepped forward.
He brushed past Irisviel and pushed open the unlocked door.
In the courtyard, a group was gathered together. Not only was the towering Heracles present, but even Sakura Matou and Medusa were there. Moreover, Morpheus's sister, Bazett, was also among them.
The spacious courtyard felt a bit crowded with so many people.
At that moment, Sella was wiping Illya's mouth with a handkerchief, as Illya had some grease on her lips.
Seeing Morpheus push open the door, the group paused. Shirou Emiya quickly called out, "Morpheus, come join us for dinner!"
Morpheus smiled and said, "It's not just me... there are two others with me."
"Two others?" Shirou frowned, puzzled, racking his brain but unable to guess who else might come to eat.
His teacher, perhaps? But that would only be one person.
The others also seemed unsure who Morpheus was referring to. Seeing this, Morpheus stepped outside briefly, then pushed a figure forward.
"Of course, it's her... the one who'll be living with you all from now on!"
Irisviel, nudged forward by Morpheus, lacked the strength to resist and was half-pushed, half-guided into the courtyard.
Once inside, she faced a crowd staring at her. She quickly smoothed her clothes and smiled at them.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Irisviel von Einzbern."
"Einzbern?!" Rin Tohsaka muttered under her breath, then sharply turned to Illya, instantly realizing what the name signified.
As expected, Illya froze, staring at the woman as if time had stopped.
If one looked closely, they could see the usually proud and haughty girl trembling slightly.
Shirou, too, looked at the newcomer, his mind flashing back to what Morpheus had told him... this woman was his adoptive mother, Kiritsugu Emiya's wife.
His future family!
"Family… huh?"
It felt like a dream. Having been alone, he suddenly had a sister and now a mother... a beautiful dream he feared might shatter.
But he couldn't afford to be nervous now, not when someone else was even more so... his sister.
Illya stared at the figure before her, one she had seen countless times in her dreams, longed to reunite with. Yet now, seeing her here, she was afraid... afraid this was another illusion.
"Illya…" A soft call broke through the fragile defenses in the girl's heart. Unable to hold back her emotions any longer, she stood and rushed toward the woman at the entrance.
"Mom!"
Like a fledgling returning to its nest, the instinct to return to a parent's embrace overwhelmed her. She clung tightly to the woman, feeling the warmth radiating from her.
That warmth was so real, imbued with the essence of humanity, constantly reassuring her that this was true, that she could trust it.
Irisviel felt her daughter trembling in her arms. The fear and nervousness she had felt vanished in that moment. She raised a hand, gently stroking the girl's hair, soothing her anxiety.
Yes, she was revived. The worries that once plagued her were gone. She could now be a normal mother, staying by her child's side.
So what was there to be nervous about?
Looking at the girl before her, so much bigger than before but not by too much, it was as if half her years had been stolen.
The image in her heart merged with the girl before her, clearly telling her this was her daughter, hers and Kiritsugu's.
In this moment, all she needed to do was hold her close.
"I'm back, sweetheart. Mommy's back."
She spoke softly, prompting the girl in her arms to hold her even tighter.
Morpheus, watching this scene, quietly gestured to Leysritt, signaling that the others shouldn't disturb the two. He gently pulled her along, moving carefully inside.
For now, everyone could simply watch the pair while eating. Interrupting a mother and daughter who had just reunited would be impolite.
***
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