Early morning, the wind was gentle and the sun was bright, all sounds were hushed. A hint of light emerged from the eastern horizon, cautiously permeating the pale blue sky. A new day gradually moved in from afar.
Rin, still half-asleep, stumbled out of the study. Her lustrous black hair was a tangled mess, and her expensive, exquisite Western dress was crumpled. She looked nothing like a noble young lady, but rather like a wild child.
Rin, still a bit dazed, swayed as she leaned against the wall, heading towards the washroom.
Damn it, why did I inherit Rin's anemic morning grumpiness? This feeling of being conscious but having blurry vision and slow thoughts truly sucks.
When I used to watch the anime, I only thought Rin being groggy in the morning was cute, but when it happened to me, it was genuinely not good.
The early-rising maid happened to see her young lady looking like a wild child and quickly stepped forward to greet her: "Young Lady, what's wrong with you?!" The Tohsaka Family motto was classical elegance, always maintaining one's noble demeanor and status. The young lady's current appearance... to put it bluntly, disgraced the family.
Rin, with her eyes half-open, looked up and replied: "Ah, Reiko. I went to bed a bit late last night, so I'm having trouble waking up now. Take me to wash up. Ah~ It seems staying up late isn't for kids after all."
Reiko couldn't help but look at her young lady with sympathy. Although the servants didn't fully understand, they vaguely knew that the Tohsaka Family had an unknown side, and the young lady, as the chosen heir, had to strive for it since she was two years old.
"Young Lady, please come this way."
"Okay."
Upon reaching the washroom, Rin stood before her private washstand. She didn't have to lift a finger; brushing her teeth, washing her face, shampooing, and drying were all handled by the maids. Afterward, she went to the dressing table, where, with the skillful hands of a maid, her soft, shiny black hair was styled into pretty twin-tails. Her crumpled red butterfly dress was taken away for cleaning, and Rin changed into a black and charcoal gray pleated skirt (although Rin repeatedly expressed that she wanted to wear a top and pants combination, it was sternly rejected by her mother, Aoi).
A new day, a refreshed Rin makes a dazzling appearance! Today, the pink-cheeked loli in the mirror is still off-the-charts cute! If only that wasn't me... Thinking this, Rin couldn't help but hang her head dejectedly. Seeing that it was already breakfast time, she jumped off the dressing chair and walked to the dining room.
Entering the dining room, Aoi was already waiting at the table with Little Sakura. Little Sakura happily greeted Rin as she came in: "Ohayo Onee-chan."
"Ohayo Little Sakura, ohayo Mama."
"Ohayo Rin." Aoi smiled gently, returning Rin's greeting, then looked at her eldest daughter with concern, "Rin, you stayed up late again practicing Magic."
"Yes, as the heir to Tohsaka Magecraft, I must always strive and be strict with myself," Rin answered seriously.
Although it wasn't for the Tohsaka Family's Magecraft, Rin had a bigger goal in her heart, so she had even less free time to relax.
Aoi, upon hearing Rin's words, felt even more heartbroken. As the saying goes, a doting mother spoils her child. In a mother's eyes, a child's healthy growth and happy life are the most important things. If she could, she truly didn't want Rin to suffer this hardship.
"Still, prioritize your health. Your body is the most important thing, Rin. You are the future heir of the Tohsaka Family, so you must cherish yourself even more."
"Mm, I remember, Mama."
Rin jumped into her seat and sat quietly, waiting with her mother and sister for the head of the household to arrive.
Not long after, Tohsaka Tokiomi, the head of the household, arrived. After he sat in the main seat, the family officially began their breakfast for the day.
Halfway through breakfast, Aoi said to Tokiomi, who was holding a sandwich in one hand and reading the newspaper in the other: "Tokiomi, after breakfast, I'd like to take Rin and Little Sakura to the park. Rin has been studying with you ever since she recovered from her illness. Being so overworked isn't good; after all, Rin is still a child, and too much fatigue will affect her future."
Tokiomi pondered for a moment after hearing this and then readily agreed. After all, Rin had indeed started learning Magic too early. Even children in Magic families usually began to learn Magic after the age of five. Rin, however, had entered the world of Magic early because her extraordinary talent allowed her to bear it.
"Are you sure you'll be safe taking two children by yourself?" Tokiomi wasn't someone who neglected his family; he merely prioritized Magic over family, but he still offered appropriate concern.
"Don't worry, I'll be with a good friend from my childhood," Aoi smiled, having received Tokiomi's agreement.
Upon hearing this, Rin's ears perked up. Mother's childhood friend, wouldn't that be... After breakfast, Rin got into the family's luxurious private car, sitting in the back row, huddled with Little Sakura, playing with her.
Although Little Sakura is super cute, playing with children... is somehow more tiring than practicing Magic... especially having to pretend to be innocent. And especially the teddy bear Little Sakura handed her, which Aoi had taken Little Sakura to a doll store to pick out for her. This family affection warmed Rin's heart, but this bear... for Little Sakura, I'll pretend to love it immensely!
Just for Little Sakura's radiant smile, I'll endure it. It's just a teddy bear, after all. I'm a two-year-old child right now, who would say anything about me holding a toy! It just feels like something important in my heart shattered... When the car reached its destination, Rin took Little Sakura's hand and got out. Looking up, she saw a black-haired young man in a silver-gray jacket waving at them, or to be precise, waving at Aoi.
And when Rin saw that black-haired young man, her eyes involuntarily showed a trace of pity, and she muttered softly, "Sure enough..."