Chapter 33: It Was a Dark and Stormy Night…

Note: This Chapter is Re-Translated on 6 / 15 / 2025

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Chapter 33: It Was a Dark and Stormy Night…

The loud thud of Shinji crashing into the ground drew the attention of nearby passersby. People began to turn their heads, curious about what was going on.

But when they saw that it was just a young girl throwing a boy to the ground, they quickly looked away again.

Clearly, this was a lover's quarrel—something so common in "romantic" France that no one batted an eye.

Lying flat on the pavement, Shinji took only a moment to collect himself before regaining composure.

He looked up and grinned.

"Yo, Lissy. Still as passionate as ever, I see."

"Passionate, my ass! The nerve of you to even say that with a straight face."

The girl's ruby-red eyes rolled in exasperation.

Even though a storm of emotions raged inside her, Shinji maintained his cool on the surface. He even flashed his signature charming smile.

"This is simply my way of showing proper patience when dealing with a beautiful woman."

Unfortunately, not even this diplomatic grin—so polished it could put career politicians to shame—had any effect.

"If you don't want dentures, I suggest you shut that smug mouth of yours."

"Yes, Miss Lissy."

Shinji instantly erased his smile, scrambled to his feet, and—while the girl wasn't looking—shot a dramatic throat-slitting gesture at Waver and Kariya, who were both chuckling quietly nearby.

"Smooth-talking little sleazeball."

The girl gave him a sharp glare before continuing with venom in her voice:

"Shinji Matou, you've really got some nerve. You've seriously been dodging me all this time."

"What? Of course not. I've always held the deepest respect for Miss Cloris."

Shinji placed extra emphasis on the word respect, and the implication behind it was crystal clear.

"And I've always been so fond of you too, Shinji—after all, our families have been close for generations."

Noticing that Shinji had suddenly dropped the nickname and was now speaking in a purely formal tone, the girl raised an eyebrow.

She was clearly irked by his overly businesslike attitude, but she managed to shift gears into the polite mode expected between heirs of prestigious families.

This silver-haired, red-eyed young lady, a few years older than Shinji, was none other than Cloris Flora—the heir of the North American magus family, the Flora family.

Although her magical prowess was average at best, she was sharp as a whip.

At a young age, she'd earned a double degree in business management and finance, and had already begun overseeing her family's enterprises.

"So... you're the one representing Time Group as their distribution executive?"

Shinji asked while rubbing his sore neck.

"Looks like someone didn't know I'd taken over the distribution division. How cold."

Cloris rolled her eyes again.

"I crossed the Atlantic to meet with you in Europe, and you couldn't even bother to find out who your own distributor's rep was?"

"Now hold on—I didn't—wait, don't talk like it's already been decided that Time Group is our distributor!"

Finally catching on, Shinji raised his voice to object. He then turned and glared at Waver, who was still happily munching popcorn off to the side.

Waver, looking rather smug, said:

"So far, Time Group—represented by Cloris here—has shown the most sincerity out of all the distributors we've talked to."

Then, leaning in close, he whispered into Shinji's ear:

"She really does want to work with us, Shinji. Just say yes already."

Shinji's expression darkened.

He hissed under his breath:

"Do you know what kind of history I have with her?"

"Nope," Waver replied bluntly.

"Then shut the hell up!"

Shinji stomped down hard on Waver's foot.

Ignoring Waver's muffled yelp and hopping foot, Shinji turned back to face Cloris and forced an awkward smile.

"I'm honored that Time Group is so enthusiastic about my film. But our Fate/Stay Night project is rated PG-13. That's a bit of a mismatch with your company—you guys do own HBO, after all."

HBO was the largest premium cable channel in North America, infamous for pushing boundaries with its TV shows and original content.

Just how far did they push?

Well, considering that the worldwide sensation Game of Thrones was produced by HBO, you could probably guess.

"It's not like Time Group only owns HBO," Cloris rolled her eyes at Shinji again. "We also have TBS, which is strictly family-friendly. And besides, TV networks and film distribution are two completely separate channels."

Another eye-roll.

Normally, when a girl does that repeatedly, it'd come off as annoying. But when she did it, it only made her even more captivating.

Because Cloris Flora was stunningly beautiful—no matter how high your standards were.

Her long silver hair fell in soft waves, and her elegant features looked like they'd been carefully carved by a master sculptor.

She had excellent taste too—today she wore a sleek, silver-trimmed black dress that bared her delicate collarbones and slender shoulders. It was a look that balanced simplicity and elegance, the kind of outfit that made her welcome in any elite social circle.

Unfortunately for Shinji, this beauty was none other than Cloris Flora, the woman he least wanted to see—the one he feared most in his entire network.

So instead of admiring her looks, Shinji continued doubling down on resistance.

"But isn't Time Group's main business still in media and broadcasting? I was actually hoping to work with a distributor that had a stronger foundation in film. Y'know, like that unnamed giant rat with the massive ears…"

That remark made Cloris' lips twitch ever so slightly.

She responded, voice laced with thinly veiled sarcasm:

"Oh? If you're not interested in Time Group, then why did you tell your Japanese partners that we were your preferred Western distributor?"

"Kariya Matou-san!!"

Shinji snapped, throwing a sharp glare at Kariya, who was now casually whistling while admiring the ceiling.

The look in Kariya's eyes said everything, even though he hadn't said a word:

You're the one who asked me to reach out to the Flora family, kid.

Still, Shinji was nothing if not shameless.

That legendary face-thicker-than-tank-armor wasn't just a rumor.

"Did he say that?" Shinji feigned surprise. Then, furrowing his brow with dramatic concern, he added:

"Maybe he was just overly eager to find a distributor and exaggerated a bit. I personally wouldn't have gone that far."

"Oh, really now?"

Cloris' teeth clenched ever so slightly. Her tone had grown a touch sharper.

"Alright, alright. Time Group is on my list of candidates. I'm just saying—I want the best possible deal for my movie."

With a forced earnestness, Shinji made it sound like a serious business stance, even though his nerves were clearly showing.

"Hmph. Not like I came to Cannes just for your movie anyway," Cloris huffed, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm here to scout all potential candidates on behalf of Time Group. Don't flatter yourself."

"Of course. At Type-Moon Studios, we welcome all distribution partners. Fairness and transparency are our guiding principles," Shinji replied, slipping into full corporate speak.

"If none of the others bite, you can always come crawling back to Time Group," Cloris smirked.

"Personally, I think you've got talent, Shinji. I'd love to see you succeed."

Before Shinji could reply, her hand slipped around behind his back and gave him a brutal pinch right on his side.

"Ghh—!"

Eyes widening in pain, Shinji sucked in a sharp breath and glared at the silver-haired devil, unable to say a word.

"See you at the festival."

Cloris shot him a satisfied smile and strutted away gracefully, her heels clicking across the floor.

"Pfft— Shinji— hahahaha— I can't believe it!"

Waver nearly doubled over with laughter.

"There really is a girl out there who can put you in your place—this is amazing— hahahahaha—"

Once Cloris was out of sight, Kariya could no longer hold it in.

Clutching his stomach, he burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"Go to hell!!"

Shinji, face flushed with embarrassment, lashed out with a furious kick.

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The relationship between Shinji Matou and Cloris Flora was… complicated.

The two had first met three years ago.

At the time, Shinji had gone to North America to study the film industry and learn more about movie production.

Thanks to the longstanding connection between the Matou and Flora families, he stayed as a foreign exchange student in the Flora household.

Back then, Cloris had just turned 20—already a beloved heiress of the Flora family and widely regarded as a breathtaking beauty.

Living under the same roof, and with both of them eyeing careers in entertainment, they naturally interacted quite a lot.

Cloris didn't care much for the filmmaking process itself, but she was deeply intrigued by Shinji's bold ideas on media development and genuinely admired the boy's talent.

So, one thing led to another.

They talked, they clicked, and soon, they became rather close friends.

But Shinji never had any romantic intentions.

Just like the Tohsaka family, the Flora family was too tightly linked with the Matous—if he really got involved with her, the only logical conclusion would be marriage.

And Shinji, who already had a playboy streak even back then, wasn't about to give up the entire forest for one particularly shiny tree.

Originally, everything seemed destined to unfold perfectly.

The next generation of the Matou and Flora families would form a deep, lasting friendship—just like their predecessors.

It would be a touching tale in magi society.

Unfortunately, life has a nasty habit of throwing curveballs when you least expect it.

On a dark and stormy night—ahem, no—on Cloris' 21st birthday, things took a drastic turn.

To celebrate finally being legal to drink, she decided—just this once—to rebel a little.

She cracked open a bottle of alcohol.

Now, she might've been gifted in many ways, but drinking was not one of them.

Worse, she'd never touched alcohol before.

Shinji never expected it either.

Not only was Cloris a lightweight, but her drunk personality wasn't great either.

She didn't cry or cause a scene like most first-time drinkers.

Instead, she kept pouring drinks for Shinji.

At the time, Shinji was still underage by both Japanese and American standards, but as a reincarnated man, he didn't take that too seriously.

He just figured it was like cracking open beers with the boys.

But then—Phase 2 of Cloris' drunkenness kicked in.

Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around him and refused to let go.

Her cheeks were flushed bright red, and she started showering him with kisses.

Shinji initially tried to resist.

Unfortunately, he'd vastly overestimated his post-reincarnation alcohol tolerance.

His half-hearted attempts to break free only came off as shy compliance in Cloris' eyes.

And so, she took the initiative.

She very decisively… pushed him down.

What followed broke Shinji's brain.

He never imagined there'd come a day where he—Shinji Matou—would be the one who got pinned by a girl.

And worse, that girl wasn't even someone he wanted to "capture."

Sure, the process itself had been… physically enjoyable.

But a moment of pleasure didn't mean a lifetime of comfort.

Cloris, for her part, took the whole thing surprisingly well.

She acknowledged the incident as a one-time drunken mishap, but still held a favorable view of Shinji—and didn't mind taking things further.

Afterward, she began dropping more and more subtle (and not-so-subtle) hints about deepening their relationship.

This, of course, scared the hell out of Shinji.

It wasn't just that he had zero intention of settling down.

It was also that Cloris—much like Rin Tohsaka—had an incredibly assertive personality, far from the gentle, supportive type Shinji imagined as his ideal wife.

But more importantly, with grand ambitions in the entertainment world, Shinji couldn't afford to get too close to Time Group.

A business partnership was one thing.

But if he married the "princess" of the Flora family, then it would become unclear whether he was building an empire for himself—or for Time Group.

Fearing a forced marriage, Shinji ended his studies in America a full year ahead of schedule and fled straight back to the Clock Tower to seek new business partners.

Ever since then, he had deliberately minimized contact with both Cloris and the Flora family.

He never expected that the two of them would cross paths again—of all places, here in Cannes.