blogombal Chapter 57 Entrustment
Chapter 57 Entrustment
Arthur stood by the window for a long time.
After these past few days, Arthur has come to understand that the Holy Grail War will not end just because a young girl has given up.
As long as the Command Seals are still in Ayaka's hands, she is an unstable factor that all Servants must eliminate.
Arthur knew very well that he couldn't remain passively confined to the mansion forever.
He turned around.
Ayaka sat on the sofa, her notebook open on her lap, her short brown hair falling down and covering half of her face, her dark eyes focused intently on the paper.
"Ayaka."
Her pen stopped.
"Pack your things, tonight...go to your sister's."
Ayaka's body stiffened. She looked up, a hint of surprise in her dark eyes. "But, my sister only invited you..."
"It's alright." Arthur's eyes were deep. "I think she won't refuse my request."
Ayaka paused for a moment, then closed her notebook, stood up, walked to the bookshelf, and didn't pack any clothes or anything else.
She only took two things: her father's notebook and the unopened bag of instant coffee on the shoe cabinet in the entryway.
As she stuffed the coffee into her pocket, her fingers paused briefly on the edge of the packaging—something she had prepared for herself.
She used to make coffee alone on those nights when Arthur went to the other side of the river, and now she brought it with her.
Arthur watched her stuff the coffee into her pocket without asking any questions. He picked up the dark blue star-patterned cloak and draped it over his shoulders.
The cloak hung down, concealing the blue and white armor and the two swords at his waist.
To the average person, he was just a tall, blond foreigner.
"Let's go."
Ayaka followed behind him, and when they reached the door, she stopped and looked back at the Western-style house where she had lived for many years.
The living room light was still on; she hadn't turned it off.
The door closed gently behind me.
The bridge over the river was lit up, its red body gleaming dimly in the night, while the river flowed slowly beneath it.
Arthur walked in front, and Ayaka followed behind him. Their shadows were stretched long by the bridge lights and overlapped. When they crossed the middle of the bridge, Ayaka suddenly stopped.
"Arthur".
He stopped walking, but didn't turn around.
Will you come back?
The sound of the flowing river continued, and Arthur's voice came from ahead, "Yes."
Ayaka didn't ask any more questions. She quickened her pace and walked to his side. Their shadows separated again under the bridge lamp, but remained very close.
The Western-style mansions across the river were brightly lit, and warm yellow light spilled from every window, turning the neatly trimmed grass in the yard a pale gold.
Like waiting for someone.
Arthur pushed open the door, and a rich aroma wafted out—the true fragrance of cooking, from a broth that had been simmering for a long time.
Meat grilled to perfection, and fresh vegetables brought out by the heat.
The light in the entryway was on, and the yellow wildflowers in the slender glass vase on the shoe cabinet were in full bloom.
The petals unfurled, their colors bright, as if the twilight of the Camelot Forest had been frozen here.
Aige ran out of the kitchen, her long golden hair tied into a low ponytail with a white hairband, wearing a white dress with a light blue lace apron, and her bare feet on the wooden floor.
The light from the entryway shone in her sapphire-like eyes, and her lips curved into a dreamy smile, the kind unique to young girls in the throes of first love.
"Arthur, you're three minutes late today, but it's okay, because it's you, so I'll forgive you..."
Her voice trailed off, and her gaze fell behind Arthur.
Ayaka stood at the doorway, her short brown hair framed by the warm glow of the entryway light, her dark eyes unblinking.
Ai Ge looked at her, and the smile on her stunning face faltered for a moment.
For a fleeting moment, but in that instant, Ayaka's fingers tightened slightly on the coffee packet in her pocket.
"Oh my, Ayaka's here too? What a surprise!" Aika's voice regained its cheerful tone, sweet as icing sugar.
She tilted her head, her sapphire-like eyes curving into crescents. "But... luckily, I just happened to have prepared dinner for my 'obedient' sister."
She turned and walked back to the kitchen, her golden ponytail swaying gently behind her shoulder.
Arthur walked into the living room, and Ayaka followed behind him. She changed her shoes in the entryway and placed her shoes next to Arthur's, with the toes pointing outwards and the same distance between them.
She walked into the living room, sat down in the corner of the sofa, took the notebook out of her pocket, and spread it out on her lap, but she didn't look at it; she looked at the kitchen.
A white tablecloth was laid out on the table, and dinner for six people was already set out—no, for seven.
The six plates are arranged in a gradient pattern, with the seventh plate placed at the very end of the table.
Five of them were for Arthur, one was for Aiko herself, and the seventh plate was different from the other six.
But the portion sizes of the side dishes, the charredness of the bacon, and the texture of the scrambled eggs were exactly the same as the plate in front of Arthur, as if they were copied.
Aige rested her chin on her hand, her eyes never leaving Arthur.
Whichever plate Arthur was eating from, she would fork up a bite from that plate and chew it slowly.
It's not like he's eating, but rather "tasting the flavors he's tasted before".
Ayaka sat at the far end of the table, with a replica of her dinner in front of her. She picked up her fork, took a bite, and chewed slowly.
"Is it good?" Aika's voice suddenly rang out, her sapphire-like eyes looking at Ayaka, this was the first time she had looked at her properly today.
Ayaka's fork stopped in mid-air. "...Delicious."
"Of course it's delicious, because it's the flavor Arthur likes." Ai-ka's lips curved into a smile.
"I made enough for six people before. Arthur ate five plates, and I tried the rest. I also tried the five plates that were burnt."
Her voice was very soft, as if she were talking about something that had nothing to do with Ayaka.
Ayaka didn't say anything; she put the food from her fork back onto her plate.
"You can leave the leftovers if you can't finish them," Aika said, her gaze already shifting back to Arthur. "Arthur always leaves some, but I always eat them."
"Aige..." Arthur stopped Aige.
He knew that Ayaka and Aika's relationship wasn't good, but he didn't expect it to be even worse than he imagined.
Aige didn't speak, but her eyes never left Arthur, and the atmosphere became somewhat heavy for a moment.
"..."
Halfway through dinner, Arthur put down his cutlery and looked at Aige, his sapphire-like eyes meeting hers.
"Aige, there's something I'd like to ask you."
"Whatever Arthur's wish is, I will grant it."
Ai Ge's voice was light and cheerful, like a dream. She rested her chin on her hand, her blue eyes reflecting his face.
"Even if you want me to sink this entire city into the sea, just say the word..."
"No," Arthur interrupted her. "I expect that during this time, you can protect Ayaka and ensure her absolute safety within this mansion."
Aika blinked, her gaze finally glancing at Ayaka with a hint of pity. At the far end of the table sat the brown-haired girl.
The replicated dinner in front of Ayaka was still mostly uneaten, and Aika's sapphire-blue eyes were devoid of any emotion.
Her voice was very soft, as if she were asking about something trivial.
"Why? If it weren't for Ayaka, Arthur wouldn't have to go through all this trouble."
Ayaka's fingers tightened around the edge of the tablecloth, her knuckles turning white.
"Because it is my responsibility, and it is also my request." Arthur looked directly into Aegean's terrifyingly clear eyes.
"I need to leave for a while to find those wandering Servants and to end this twisted war with my own hands."
During this time, I don't want her to become a victim.
Aige remained silent for a moment, the speck of dust in her blue eyes slowly spinning. She was certain she would grant Arthur's request.
But she was wondering "why," why Arthur would go to such lengths for something like that.
Then she laughed, the kind of laugh that says, "Never mind, I don't want to think about it anymore."
It doesn't matter. Arthur's "why" doesn't matter. What matters is that this is his wish.
"If this is Arthur's condition for exchange, then so be it." Aika stood up, walked around the long table, and stepped barefoot onto the wooden floor without making a sound.
She walked behind Arthur, bent down, and gently wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her long golden hair falling down onto the star-patterned cloak on his chest.
Her lips brushed against his ear, her voice both gentle and icy.
"I'll keep an eye on her. As long as she doesn't leave this door, none of those golden, blue, or ugly heroes will be able to step into this place."
She raised her eyes, her sapphire-like pupils passing over Arthur's shoulder to look at Ayaka.
There was no emotion deep within his pupils.
"Stay here, Ayaka. As requested by Arthur, I will take good care of you."
Ayaka's fingers gripped the edge of the tablecloth, her knuckles turning white, but her dark eyes did not avoid Aika's gaze.
She looked at Aigo, at her sister's arms wrapped around Arthur, and at those terrifyingly clear blue eyes.
"I see."
The voice was soft but steady, and Ai Ge's eyelashes drooped slightly for a fleeting moment.
Then she buried her face in Arthur's blond hair, took a deep breath, as if trying to remember the taste.
For the first time, it was the first time I touched Arthur's body.
For the first time, I smelled Arthur's scent so closely.
Arthur stood up, and Aige's arm slid off his shoulder and hung at her side. She stood there, watching him walk towards the entrance.
Ayaka also stood up and walked to the living room window, in the same spot as before in the mansion, diagonally facing the entrance, with a wall behind her.
She placed the notebook on the windowsill, opened it, and touched the paper with the tip of her pen.
Arthur walked to the entrance, picked up the Star Cloak and put it on again. The cloak covered his blue and white armor and the two swords at his waist.
He pushed open the door, and the night breeze rushed in, carrying the scent of the river.
"Arthur." Ayaka's voice came from the window.
He stopped walking, but didn't turn around.
"I'll stay here, organize the intelligence, and wait for you to return." The pen tip tapped the paper. "When you leave, don't worry about what happens afterward."
Arthur nodded and then walked into the night.
The door closed, leaving only the lights and two girls in the living room.
Aige stood by the dining table, looking towards the entrance for a long time. Then she turned around, walked towards the kitchen, and stopped after a few steps.
"Ayaka."
The brown-haired girl by the window tightened her grip slightly.
"There's a coffee machine on the second shelf of the entryway cabinet."
Ayaka loosened her grip, watching her sister's golden figure disappear through the kitchen doorway. Then she lowered her head and pulled the packet of instant coffee from her pocket.
She watched for a long time. The river outside the window flowed slowly in the night. The lights of the Western-style mansion on the opposite bank were still on; she hadn't turned them off when she left.
She looked at the lamp for a while, then placed the coffee on the windowsill.
In the kitchen, Aige stood by the sink, where seven plates were already stacked and placed on the drain rack.
She looked out the window and saw the blond figure walking across the red bridge, his star-studded cloak fluttering slightly in the night breeze.
"He will come back," she whispered, as if trying to convince herself.
Then she reached out and dimmed the lamp on the windowsill a little, leaving a dim light so that people crossing the bridge could see it but it wouldn't be too bright.
The omniscient and omnipotent Root Connector dimmed a lamp for the first time, for "the one who is waiting for Arthur to return."