Chapter 42: Who Really Has Bad Sleeping Habits?

"So… why is there only one bed?" Jeanne d'Arc blinked in confusion as she stared at the lone, oversized red bed in the room. In her understanding, a double room should logically have two beds.

And why did the lighting in the room feel so… pink? There was an indescribable atmosphere to it.

Takashi Kuroda glanced around and smirked, as if he had expected this. The front desk clerk had clearly mistaken them for a couple on a getaway and had "thoughtfully" arranged things accordingly. As for the clerk's judgment? Well, Takashi could only say—spot on.

"Maybe this is just how double rooms are set up here. It’s probably cheaper this way—saving on an extra bed and all," Takashi said casually, pulling back the covers and slipping in. "It’s too late to change rooms or hotels now. Let’s just get some rest. It’s already late."

"Alright." With no other choice, Jeanne closed the door, dispelled her spiritual armor, and climbed into the bed beside Takashi as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Wait a minute!!!"

But to someone else, this was anything but normal.

"Saintess, why are you sharing a bed with him?!" Laeticia, watching from within, was barely holding it together. How had she suddenly ended up in bed with a man she’d known for less than a day?

"Because there’s only one bed?" Jeanne’s straightforward reply left Laeticia speechless. On the surface, it made sense, yet something about it felt very wrong.

"That’s not the point! Saintess, men and women shouldn’t just sleep together so casually!" Laeticia hurriedly reminded her.

"Hmm. Then should I sleep on the couch? Or stand guard?" Jeanne asked.

"Huh? Why should you be the one to sleep on the couch?" Laeticia was stunned. Shouldn’t the man be the one to yield in such situations?

Sensing Laeticia’s thoughts, Jeanne’s tone turned firm. "We can’t possibly make Takashi-kun sleep on the couch. He nearly died from his injuries today. Even if he’s mostly recovered, who’s to say there aren’t any lingering issues? He needs proper rest and observation. Since when is it fair to make the injured party suffer? Courtesy should be mutual, not blindly favoring one side."

"I… I’m sorry, Saintess. You’re right." Laeticia lowered her head in apology.

"It’s fine, Laeticia. I know you’re just concerned about propriety. How about this—I’ll sleep on the couch and keep sensory control, so you won’t feel uncomfortable. Does that work?" Jeanne offered.

"Haa… haa…"

Just then, the sound of steady breathing came from Takashi’s side. It seemed the exhaustion from the day’s events had finally caught up to him, and he had fallen into a deep sleep.

"He’s… already asleep? Maybe we should just stay. Moving around might wake him up. Since he’s unconscious now, you don’t have to worry about anything," Jeanne suggested.

"Alright… I’ll rest too." Truthfully, Laeticia was mentally drained from the day’s ordeal. The comfort of the bed made her unbearably drowsy. If not for her concerns, she would’ve fallen asleep long ago.

Once she sensed Laeticia had drifted off, Jeanne closed her eyes, ready to sleep as well. But suddenly, she felt something press against her back.

"Shirou-kun?" Jeanne whispered, but all she heard was slightly uneven breathing.

"Still asleep, huh? Maybe he reacted unconsciously when I called his name?" she thought. "Well, I should just move away a bit."

But just as she tried to shift, she felt movement behind her—a hand draped over her waist, the forearm brushing against her chest in a way that made her jolt.

"!!!" Despite her composure in battle, Jeanne was still a woman. The sudden contact nearly made her yelp, her face flushing crimson. Suppressing the urge to react, she steadied her breathing and carefully adjusted, gently lifting Takashi’s arm and placing it back on his own body.

Takashi stirred slightly, rolling onto his back again.

"Shirou-kun’s sleeping habits are terrible. We really should get separate beds next time," Jeanne sighed under her breath. Still, she didn’t hold it against him. She pulled the covers up and settled back down.

Before long, Jeanne’s own breathing evened out as she, too, fell asleep.

Meanwhile, Takashi cracked open an eye.

He hadn’t been asleep at all.

The earlier "accident" had been entirely intentional. After all, when a delicious meal was right in front of him, even if he wasn’t going to eat it, was there any harm in a little taste?

Still, he hadn’t gone too far. With the help of his [Eyes of Corruption], he had carefully controlled the intensity and area of contact, ensuring Jeanne’s favorability didn’t drop—in fact, her flustered reaction had raised it. Now, like Laeticia, she was at 45 favorability.

"Looks like I won’t be going back to the Matou residence tonight… Then again, after meeting Jeanne, I’ve got a bold new plan in mind. Until I secure her, I shouldn’t return carelessly. Fortunately, I can still remotely control Zouken. I’ll have him explain things to the others."

Takashi remotely manipulated Zouken Matou, issuing instructions to the four Servants and Kariya Matou at home. Once the plan was set, he finally allowed himself to sleep, ready for the new day.

Morning sunlight streamed into the room as Takashi slowly woke. Though he had slept deeply, he had kept his senses sharp—after all, he wasn’t dealing with someone like EMIYA, who still had some moral restraint. No, this was Emiya Kiritsugu, a Counter Guardian who would stop at nothing. A nighttime ambush was all but expected.

"Hm? Why does my chest feel heavy? Wait—"

As full awareness returned, Takashi realized why.

A certain golden-haired beauty was sprawled across his chest, sleeping soundly with a faint smile, as if using him as her personal pillow.

"And you were the one complaining about my sleeping habits?" Takashi muttered, recalling Jeanne’s words from last night.

---

"I-I’m so sorry!!!" Jeanne’s face burned with embarrassment as she bowed her head in apology. Last night, she had criticized his sleeping habits, only to wake up in an even more compromising position—on top of him. And worse, he had seen it first.

Even the unshakable Jeanne d’Arc, who remained composed in the fiercest battles, was utterly flustered by this. It was a side of her Takashi found unexpectedly charming.

"Don’t worry about it. If anything, I’m the one who got lucky. But this does highlight something important."

"What?"

"We need to find a proper place to stay."

"Y-Yes… You’re right." Jeanne nodded in agreement.

"By the way, what about Laeticia? Is she still deep in your consciousness?" Takashi asked.

"Mhm. After a proper Servant possession, the Servant’s personality takes precedence. Before the Holy Grail War officially began, I let Laeticia take the lead so she could relax. But after yesterday’s incident, I had to fully manifest. Now that the possession is complete, I’ll be in control most of the time. Laeticia’s still asleep and hasn’t woken up yet."

"Let her rest, then. Jeanne, today, let’s split up. I’ll look for a place to stay, and you scout the area for any traces of the Servant who attacked us last night."

"Split up? No, that’s too dangerous—"

"Relax. I’ve got enough power now to at least put up a fight. And if anything happens, I can contact you immediately." Takashi condensed dark mist into a bracelet and clasped it around Jeanne’s wrist.

"This will guide you to me if needed. I’ll also be able to sense your location. If I run into that Servant, I’ll call you and run straight toward you. Deal?"

"…Fine." Jeanne reluctantly agreed.