That certain someone—whose name was never spoken.
There was only one man who could make Medea speak with such complicated emotions: her husband from her past life—Jason. The man for whom she gave her heart, only for him to tear it apart.
For this man to escape safely, she had betrayed her family, killed her brother, and even dismembered his body.
To help this man ascend to the throne, she used magic and trickery to kill his uncle.
But in the end, all her sacrifices didn't lead to a happily-ever-after with the man she loved. In the tenth year after meeting him, this poor woman, who had betrayed her own family, was betrayed in turn by the man she loved. Jason shifted his affections to another woman, not only planning to marry his new lover but also to exile Medea and their two children.
The deeper the love, the stronger the hate.
Medea, already a woman of extreme emotions, finally descended into madness. Using her children, she poisoned her rival and the rival's father. Then, fearing her children would be tortured by enemies, she killed them with her own hands. In the end, amid Jason's furious roars, she set the entire city ablaze and left in a dragon-drawn chariot.
This is the tragic legend of Medea, the witch of betrayal. Because of the widespread notoriety of Greek mythology, Shinji had read about it long ago. At the time, he had no deep thoughts about it—he just thought Jason was a jerk, and Medea wasn't exactly a saint either.
But after meeting Medea in person and hearing her talk about Jason, the words he had once read suddenly seemed to come to life. Especially Medea's words spoken in her despair:
"Among all the sentient and rational beings in this world, we women are the most unfortunate. If a woman doesn't marry by a certain age, she is considered unlucky; but if she does marry, she has to pay a heavy dowry, only to end up finding herself a master. Worse still, if she marries a bad man, her suffering is endless. Divorce brings disgrace to a woman, and we have no power to drive a bad husband out of our home."
—What kind of pain must one endure to gain such deep insight in those ancient times?
"Do you regret it?"
Shinji asked, almost as if possessed, a question he would never normally ask.
Medea was momentarily taken aback, casting a slightly surprised look at Shinji. But she wasn't angry. Instead, she exhaled slowly and resolutely: "If you mean regret towards my parents and brother, then yes. If you mean towards him, then no. A woman fears many things, but when she's been wronged by her husband, nothing is more venomous than her heart."
"That's an extreme way of putting it, but not entirely without truth."
"So, Matou Shinji, be careful. Don't turn the girls around you into another me."
"They won't become like you; I'm confident of that much."
"I hope so."
"Uh, so... can I go to the kitchen and make something to eat now?"
Sensing the atmosphere had lightened, Shinji cautiously tested the waters.
"Don't even think about it! If you don't want to eat, then don't. Skipping a meal won't kill you."
Medea immediately turned cold, clutching the plastic bag and preparing to leave.
"Don't be so heartless."
Shinji quickly put on a pleading smile.
"With that attitude, you'll scare away any good men."
"Good men? Are you talking about yourself?"
Medea stopped in her tracks, half-turning with a face full of sarcasm.
"Of course not me, but there are six billion people on Earth. There's bound to be someone who's your type."
"Even if there is, that man probably wouldn't accept a pitiful woman like me."
"Don't be so pessimistic. Modern times are different from the Age of Gods. Women's status has improved drastically. There are even many historians who sympathize with you. Don't underestimate yourself. Once the Holy Grail War is over, you can travel the world and see for yourself. Then you'll know whether I'm right or wrong." —If she could meet someone like Kuzuki Souichirou, that would be the best outcome.
"Fine, I'll remember that. I might give it a try if I get the chance."
Medea nodded thoughtfully.
"But your lunch is still this, no negotiations. And no slacking off. I'll be here supervising you until Sakura and the others return."
"Alright, alright, you win. You're the boss."
Shinji raised his hands in surrender.
"But just sitting here is boring. How about you use this time to tell me about the Argonauts like you promised last night?"
"Fine, I have nothing better to do anyway."
Medea tossed the plastic bag to Shinji and sat down on a nearby chair.
"What do you want to know?"
"Let's start with Atalanta—sorry, I mean Atalante. As one of the few women on the Argo, you two must've had a good relationship, right?"
"Ah, her... yes, we got along quite well. We often helped each other comb our hair."
At the mention of this, Medea's tone noticeably lightened.
"She's a very straightforward person. If she wants to do something, she'll do it. If she has something to say, she'll say it. And she loves children. Whenever she played with them, she was always so happy, like... hmm..."
"Like a big cat?"
Shinji, understanding her implication, finished her thought.
"Yes, just like a cat."
Medea smiled, but then looked suspiciously at Shinji.
"How do you know that? And what about that nickname just now? Do you know her?"
Shinji didn't hide it: "We've crossed paths. In the Holy Grail War that Artoria and I participated in, she was there too. I fought her, and we also fought side by side. I even entrusted her to take care of my daughter—not by blood, but an adopted child. You can probably guess her wish."
"A world where all children are happy?"
"Exactly."
"Just as I thought... she wished for all children to be happy, but she didn't find happiness in the end. Fate is so unfair."
Medea said bitterly, her anger directed both at Atalanta's fate and her own. It seemed that the women of the Argo rarely had happy endings.
"No need to feel too sad. We may not talk about their first lives, but her second life was quite fulfilling. She survived the Holy Grail War, regained a physical body, and with the support of her companions, she plans to open an orphanage to take care of children. Plus, she has a devoted protector following her around."
"A protector?"
"You probably know him, or at least have met him—Achilles. His father, Peleus, was also one of the Argonauts."
Hearing this, Medea immediately understood.
"Ah, it's him... I remember that Peleus admired Atalanta as well, though he never confessed because he already had a wife."
"Oh? Tell me more!"
Shinji's eyes lit up, excited to hear this bit of gossip.
"I'll tell you, but you'll have to tell me what happened between Atalanta and Achilles."
Medea's curiosity was just as strong as Shinji's, especially since it involved her friend.
"Deal! We've got plenty of time until sunset, so..."
Before he could finish his sentence, the crystal wall in front of him suddenly began emitting a strong red light.