"I have a matter weighing upon my heart, Shirou."
"Hm?"
It was on a bright and tranquil day that Artoria came to visit the Emiya Estate. As she sipped the tea Shirou had prepared for her, she lowered her gaze and spoke with an uncharacteristically somber expression.
Shirou and Rin exchanged a glance. Then both turned back to Artoria and questioned her in turn.
"What sort of trouble?"
"Did you quarrel with Elius, by any chance?"
"It is not that. Our relations remain as good as ever."
"That figures. Elius doesn't seem the sort who would ever truly be angry with you, Artoria."
Rin nodded at once. Whenever she happened to speak with Elius about ordinary matters in the midst of their business, the greater part of his talk somehow came back to Artoria—what they had done together, where they had gone, what small thing had pleased her that day.
Even to Rin, as a fellow woman, it was enough to stir a trace of envy. She could scarcely imagine Elius raising his voice to Artoria.
"That is true enough," Shirou said, nodding in agreement.
He had never once seen Elius grow angry with Artoria—not during the Holy Grail War, nor in the days after both had taken flesh and begun to live in this present age.
If it was not a quarrel, then what could trouble her so deeply? With that question plain in his eyes, he looked at Artoria.
Then the words that fell from her lips were so unexpected that both he and Rin stared in open shock.
"I have begun to wonder whether I am unworthy to stand at his side."
"What!?"
Rin and Shirou were thunderstruck.
For Artoria, who was ever proud and composed, to utter such words at all—it was beyond anything they had imagined.
And yet it was plainly no jest. Even the foolish little lock of hair that usually stood so spiritedly upon her head seemed, on this day alone, to droop with the same dejection as its mistress.
Seeing her thus, Shirou asked with concern.
"Did something happen? Did Elius say something to you?"
"No, nothing of the sort. It is only... that such thoughts came to me."
Rin watched Artoria answer in a dispirited voice, then asked carefully, as though afraid to press too hard.
"...May I ask why you began to think that?"
"There is... nothing."
"...What?"
Rin had not caught the words, spoken as they were in so low a voice. At her prompting, Artoria shut her eyes tightly and said it once more.
"There is nothing by which I may be of help to Elius."
Then Artoria began to speak of the days she had spent living beside him.
While dwelling with Elius, there was scarcely anything for Artoria to do. He handled everything himself—and with flawless competence.
From preparing meals to cleaning and washing, he had somehow mastered every household task. More often than not, before Artoria could even rise to assist him, the work was already done.
In the end, the only things she did were to set the table from time to time before meals, or cross bamboo swords with him in practice.
And since even the matter of earning money was borne by Elius, there remained truly nothing for Artoria to take in hand.
As such days repeated themselves, she began to feel as though she were no more than a burden laid upon him.
At last, Artoria resolved to try, one by one, the things Elius usually did for her sake.
But there was one truth she had not known.
Will alone could not carry every task to completion.
Crash.
"Artoria! What was that sound—...Artoria?"
"......"
She first attempted to fry an egg. Yet when she tried to flip it, she used far too much force. The handle tore free, and the head of the frying pan flew straight into the wall. Thus ended her first attempt in failure.
"I tried doing the washing, Elius!"
"Hm? You could have rested instead... Artoria, wasn't that a white shirt?"
"Ah."
She next attempted the laundry. But by mistake she washed black garments together with white, and ruined the lot. Thus ended her second attempt in failure.
At last, she tried the one task that remained—cleaning.
"Artoria, have you seen the file that was on the desk? I have to bring it to Rin's house by tomorrow."
"...."
While cleaning, she had unknowingly thrown away important documents as well. The result was that Elius had to work late into the night. Thus ended her third attempt in failure.
And even after that, the same pattern continued. Rather than helping him, she only seemed to hinder him at every turn. After a long succession of such defeats, Artoria had finally raised both hands in surrender.
When Rin and Shirou heard the whole of it, both wore deeply troubled expressions.
"This is... difficult," Rin murmured.
"It really is," Shirou agreed.
The two looked at one another. It was an awkward matter, for there was no easy way to lay blame upon either side.
They could understand Artoria's anguish at feeling she did nothing but trouble the one she loved. And yet they could hardly fault Elius either. How was one meant to reproach a man merely for being too capable?
After a short silence, Rin spoke first.
"So, to put it simply—you are worried that because you are poor at household work, you may only be causing Elius trouble. Is that right?"
"Yes. Yes, that is exactly it, Rin."
"Then learn."
"...Pardon?"
Artoria turned to look at her. Feeling that gaze, Rin lifted a finger and pointed.
"Isn't there someone right here? A man who could practically be called the god of housekeeping."
"Eh?"
Startled by the finger aimed at him, Shirou pointed at himself in disbelief.
"Me?"
"Yes. There isn't anyone here better at running a household than you, Shirou."
"...Indeed."
At Rin's words, Artoria recalled Shirou as he usually was and gave a slow nod, as though the matter had at once become clear.
In the end, Shirou nodded as well.
"All right. I'll try teaching you."
"Thank you, Shirou!"
"But from what I've just heard, this won't be easy. I'll be strict. Can you keep up?"
"I shall keep pace, no matter what is required."
"Then from today onward, let's do one hour every day."
Thus began the household training at the Emiya Estate.