Chapter 204: I Will Survive

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Sola-Ui, dressed in a white silk nightgown, sat up in bed, her back against the headboard, flexing her hands, opening and closing them repeatedly.

"I'm—alive...?" she murmured.

Casting basic detection spells was second nature to her—she cast dozens, confirming that her body was intact.

No, more than intact. She felt better than before, a warm, pleasant sensation flowing through her, as if she'd just spent time in a sauna.

The door creaked open.

"I sensed you were awake. How are you feeling? Is everything alright?" Illyasviel peeked into the room, her silver hair framing her face.

Sola-Ui's eyes narrowed as she looked at the beautiful woman before her.

"I haven't introduced myself. I'm Illyasviel von Einzbern." Illyasviel entered the room, curtsying gracefully.

"Einzbern—the thousand-year-old family?" Sola-Ui murmured. Though she'd been brought to Fuyuki City by Kayneth for the Grail War, she knew of the Einzbern, one of the three founding families.

And as a member of a mage family herself, Sola-Ui knew even more about the Einzbern—a reclusive and powerful clan, their lineage stretching back millennia.

She looked at Illyasviel, the silver-haired woman who radiated both childlike innocence and the classy elegance of a noblewoman, and she understood.

They were—the same. Tools, used by their families for political marriages—gilded cages.

Illyasviel, sensing the shift in Sola-Ui's gaze, tilted her head slightly, a puzzled look on her face.

"Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri. Just call me Sola-Ui, Illyasviel-san," Sola-Ui said, a warm, genuine smile—a smile Kayneth had never seen—gracing her lips.

"Just Illyasviel is fine. Are you—feeling better, Sola-Ui-san?" Illyasviel asked, her cheeks flushing slightly, her fingers fidgeting.

"Much better. I've never felt so well..." Sola-Ui's smile faded, replaced by a wry expression as the memories of last night came flooding back.

"That's good! I was so worried! I-I thought I'd killed you!" Illyasviel clasped her hands together, her face filled with relief.

"..."

Sola-Ui's face darkened.

"I may have exaggerated a bit. You were dead, yes. Your intestines were everywhere." Illyasviel's voice was filled with a childlike wonder.

Sola-Ui's face turned an angry shade of red. Her voice, cold and menacing, echoed through the room. "So you're the one who hit me with a car! At over 200 mph! In the middle of the night!"

Illyasviel, her face paling, began to apologize profusely, bowing repeatedly. "I'm so sorry!"

"Just explain what happened," Sola-Ui sighed, her anger slowly subsiding.

Having nearly died, she wasn't eager to risk another brush with death. She needed to stay calm, gather information. This was likely the Einzbern's base of operations.

She looked at Illyasviel, her innocent demeanor and childlike aura making Sola-Ui wonder if the Einzbern were truly as ruthless as the rumors claimed.

'Whatever happens,' she thought, 'I have to survive.'

....

The Einzbern's hidden castle, shrouded in layers of illusions and magical barriers, was located deep within the forested mountains.

It was a perfect hidden fortress, rarely revealed to the outside world.

The following morning, in the castle's dining room, Haru sat at the head of the table, a glass of juice in his hand, staring at Saber.

Saber, her face serious, expertly wielded her chopsticks, quickly devouring her breakfast.

Her movements were elegant, delicate, perfectly befitting a knight of noble birth.

But her speed...

Her hands blurred, a whirlwind of motion, her mouth opening and closing rapidly. Dishes disappeared in the blink of an eye. Haru stared, dumbfounded. She was eating faster than she'd swung her sword during her battle with Diarmuid.

He looked at the table, his face a mask of disbelief. Less than two minutes had passed since they'd started, and the table, once laden with a variety of Japanese dishes, was now completely bare. He hadn't even had a single bite.

"That was delicious, Kiyohime. Though—the portions were a bit small. Perhaps next time, you could make a bit more?" Saber wiped her mouth with a napkin, her voice calm and composed.

"I prepared that breakfast for Haru-sama, and you ate it all?!" Kiyohime's lips curled into a snarl, her eyes narrowed menacingly as she looked at the empty plates.

"I'll burn you! I'll burn you to a crisp!" A small flame erupted from her mouth.

Saber's face flushed as she looked at the empty table.

Having suffered through years of British cuisine, she hadn't been able to resist Kiyohime's exquisite cooking.

She needed to change the subject. 'Right, the battle plan!'

"Haru," she said, turning to him, her voice serious, "breakfast is over. It's time to discuss our strategy."

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