Chapter 52

But...

Clearly, Her Royal Highness the Emperor had not yet realized the gravity of the situation.

She kept her eyes closed until she bumped into the hem of his trousers. Only then did she open her large eyes in surprise.

"Player, why are you so tall? I can't even see how high up you go. Are you some kind of ancient giant species?"

"Ahem."

Kurosawa Ren cleared his throat, crouched down, and gently said to the miniature queen, who was clearly trying to stay calm but couldn't quite hide the panic on her tiny face:

"Nero, hop into my hand first. It's kind of hard to talk like this."

"Hmm… okay."

The tiny servant gave a dignified nod, then leapt into his palm with a soft swish.

Only then did she realize—the world looked nothing like what she had imagined.

"Sir, why have you become so small?"

"No, you've shrunk. You're a Capsule Servant, summoned through a miniature Heroic Spirit ritual."

"Hmm, I'm not entirely sure what that means, but the Throne of Heroes did give me some basic understanding of this world… It has birds that fly and carriages that move without horses—amazing!"

Ren looked at the miniature servant sitting obediently in his hand and smiled.

"Anyway, I have to go to school today… Nero, come with me."

—

As he left the basement, Nero—perched on his shoulder—looked around, wide-eyed, amazed at the world around her.

During their short exchange, the young Empress had already grasped a few things: although this world had demons and spirits, there was no need to fight in a Holy Grail War. And her own "Death-Cursed Tower" master was absurdly powerful—far more powerful than she was as a Servant.

What more could she say?

She might as well lie back and enjoy this strange but delightful world.

Standing on her master's shoulder, the mini-empress—about the size of a small figurine—suddenly felt like the entire world had opened up beneath her.

"Meow?!"

A surprised feline cry came from the corner.

Nero glanced over curiously at the approaching Mr. Pan.

"So this is your pet? Hmm… what a round little cat."

"Meow!"

Maybe Mr. Pan caught the jab. With a disgruntled flick of his tail, the plump cat twisted his body, leapt into Ren's arms, and started a high-speed game of chase with the tiny empress.

"..."

Ren, who had suddenly become the battleground, rubbed his temples in exasperation.

He felt exhausted already.

Clearly, this household was not going to be "normal" ever again.

—

Shinomiya Kaguya stood at the gate of her mansion, clutching a small, elegant schoolbag. She took a deep breath.

Her crimson eyes sparkled like finely cut rubies.

Today, the family car was out of commission—some wild cat had chewed on the engine wiring.

After much pleading and some rare begging, she finally convinced the household staff to let her walk to school by herself.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Raised in a strict, prestigious household, things that seemed normal to most people—like walking to school alone—were like far-off dreams to her.

Usually, she was always chauffeured to and from school.

And yet, every now and then, as she watched her classmates laugh and play on their way home, Kaguya couldn't help but long for a chance to do the same—to have someone walk with her to school, like a normal girl.

And today, at last…!

She, Shinomiya Kaguya, was going to experience it for herself.

"Miss… are you sure about this?"

Hayasaka Ai, dressed in her black-and-white maid uniform with her golden ponytail neatly tied, looked at her with concern despite the sparkle of excitement in her eyes.

"It's fine, Hayasaka."

Kaguya's voice was calm and formal, fully embodying the grace and elegance of a highborn young lady.

But only Hayasaka, who had grown up by her side, knew how thrilled and giddy she really was.

"In that case, please be careful."

To Ai, Kaguya wasn't just her charge—she was a sister, a precious, sometimes troublesome one.

"Thank you, Hayasaka."

Kaguya nodded demurely, hiding her eagerness as best she could.

Then—like a bird bursting from its cage—the girl bolted out of the estate.

Everything outside felt new and strange.

Cars zoomed by. Office workers rushed to their jobs. And teenagers around her laughed, chatted, and ran with their friends.

The young girl in her school uniform clasped her hands behind her back as she walked through the crowd.

She did her best to hide the bubbling excitement in her chest, not wanting to look out of place.

But the smile on her lips hadn't left since the moment she stepped outside.

"I probably won't get another chance like this… I have to cherish it."

A quiet smile curled at the edge of her lips.

Unbidden, the image of a boy's face appeared in her mind.

Kurosawa Ren… I wonder how he's getting to school today?

Every time they'd talked in the student council room or played games together, she always felt like time moved too quickly.

Just thinking of him—

A flush crept onto her cheeks, coloring her fair face like a blooming flower.

But just as she stopped at the intersection, waiting for the light to change—

She saw him.

The very boy she was thinking about… walking on the other side of the street.

Kurosawa Ren?! What's he doing here?!

It was as if the universe itself heard her thoughts.

She had just been thinking of him—and now he was here, right in front of her.

What's he like when he's not at school?

A mix of curiosity and shyness welled up in her chest.

Biting her pink lips, she stared at his figure for a moment before quietly beginning to follow him.

"Haah, Player. Seems someone's tailing us," Nero said from Ren's shoulder, glancing slyly at the girl sneaking behind them.

"I know. She's someone I'm familiar with."

Thanks to the "Dragon Vein" ritual, Ren's body was now intrinsically linked with the earth itself. His perception of the surrounding environment had reached supernatural levels.

Even without that, missing Shinomiya Kaguya's amateur stalking attempt would've been disgraceful.

He smirked playfully.

Then he suddenly broke into a sprint.

"Huh? Why's he running? School's not for a while…"

Kaguya blinked in confusion.

But this was a rare chance to be alone with him—she wasn't about to let it slip away.

Gritting her teeth, she gathered her long legs and dashed after him.

He ran. She chased.

Together, they quickly veered off the regular route to school and entered a more unfamiliar area.

Huff… huff…

"Finally… he stopped."

Kaguya panted, barely able to catch her breath. Her knees gave way, and she collapsed onto the pavement with a soft thud.

"Ow… I think I twisted my ankle…"

She winced, seeing the red swelling on her foot. Her heart sank in frustration.

I've been practicing Kyudo all this time. Why would I sprain my ankle just from running?

Had she really slacked off on her conditioning that badly?

"It looks like it's a pretty bad sprain."

A shadow fell across her face.

She looked up and saw Ren standing in front of her, concern in his eyes.

P-President?!

"I-I… I was just out for a walk!" she blurted, caught off guard.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Sure. You just happened to be 'out for a walk'… right behind me?"

"I-It's not like that!"

Flustered, Kaguya tried to deny it, but Ren calmly pulled out his phone and opened a photo.

In the picture: her, crouching behind a pole, clearly following him.

"…I'm sorry."

There was no room for excuses.

Her crimson eyes dimmed with guilt and regret.

This is the worst… I got caught stalking him… and humiliated myself. He's going to hate me…

"Nope. I'll forgive you, but only if you agree to one condition."

Kurosawa Ren crossed his arms, his voice firm.

"…What condition?"

Kaguya's voice trembled slightly.