Fate: Emiya the Host

The sky around four or five o'clock should have been: red sunset, oil-paint gold, and clouds dyed crimson; however, the Einzbern castle remained an unchanging white.

Here, there was only the eternal and unchanging winter snow. If you wanted to leave, there were still evil spirits and hungry wolves that endured starvation residing in its forest.

In such a day that never changed, today at the Einzbern castle, the fireplace that had stood for nearly nine hundred years, like a decoration, was lit with a bonfire.

Letting Illya, who always felt the room was gloomy, for the first time, feel a different color.

The red flames, now and then revealed a touch of orange-red and golden yellow.

The crackling burning dry wood scattered sparks. In winter, a spoon delivered the delicate and smooth pudding into the mouth, this was called life.

"Mm~", Leaning on the main sofa that could seat four people, Illya showed a satisfied expression.

Liz devoured it ravenously.

Unfortunately, the 8–10 cm pudding was too cruel for her. After eating, she still showed signs of reluctance to part.

"Illya-sama, how was today's dessert?", Sella was so happy she almost fainted.

She was willing to treat this day as a festival, called Pudding Day.

The bonfire was Shirou's suggestion. He noticed Illya was a bit afraid of the cold, so he hoped the castle could light the fireplaces that should be lit.

"Sella, you're too much!", Illya put down the empty dish and accused, "Clearly there's such a delicious dessert, why didn't you bring it out before?"

"This…", Sella hesitated for a moment, then clenched her teeth, "Although I don't want to admit it, that Servant's skills are indeed just a little bit better than mine."

She used her fingers to show a distance so small it was almost invisible.

"The pudding was also taught to me by him."

If Shirou had heard this, he would definitely say, 'That tiny gap is an entire universe.'

"Really?",Illya grew deeply interested.

Liz was simple, "Berserker… tasty… want more!"

"What nonsense are you spouting, Liz!", Sella glared at her, "Don't throw away the dignity a maid of the Einzbern family should have."

"But… only Sella… not fair."

'What isn't fair?', Sella didn't understand.

Illya said, "Where's Berserker?"

Sella respectfully replied, "In the kitchen?"

"Why hasn't he come out yet?"

"Worried about your body, temporarily inconvenient to move."

"Hmph! Unnecessary," Illya snorted and connected with Shirou.

Not long after, magical energy extraction begin. Illya frowned slightly, Sella folded her hands in worry. Liz leaned over.

Fortunately, Illya only frowned lightly and quickly relaxed.

"This bit of side effect, Illya doesn't even care," She raised her head, smiling at her own triumph over the pain.

"Thanks for the effort," Shirou calmly came over.

"Hey, Berserker, make me twenty… no, a hundred puddings," Illya's tone was imperious, but her sitting posture was upright, and every move carried proper etiquette.

"Master, eating too many desserts isn't good, you could look forward to tonight's dinner," Shirou's expression remained composed, without commenting on Illya's current attitude.

A pillow flew over. Shirou raised his hand and caught it.

"Shut up! As a familiar, do as you're told," Illya was very impatient.

She was always like this to him. It's hard to imagine how terrible her attitude must be to Heracles, who couldn't even speak properly.

It was said Illya initially disliked Heracles for being a big brute, and ugly too.

But Shirou remembered, when the great hero was first summoned, his sanity didn't seem to be fully gone, at least he could still talk.

"Master, do you still remember the duel between me and Sella?"

"Hmm? Didn't Sella already admit defeat in that duel?", Since Sella admitted her skills weren't as good as Shirou's, Illya thought they weren't going to compete anymore.

Also, in her eyes, pudding was more important now.

"Illya-sama!", Sella stepped forward and said first, "I only admitted I was indeed slightly worse than him, but I'm far from giving up… because, betting on the honor of being the head maid of the Einzbern family, I will never hand over the food and life of Illya-sama to a Servant!"

As Sella spoke, flames rose behind her, like a Saint Seiya bursting with cosmos.

'But without a Cloth, you cannot defeat me, who can summon one,' Shirou commented inwardly, face as stoic as ever.

"That's right, Sella will make pudding later, and I'll make what I want. Master, eat as you like, and the final result will be decided by you."

"I see," Illya walked in front of Shirou, hands behind her back, big eyes curiously examining him, "Looks like, you're quite an interesting Servant."

'Interesting? What's interesting? What do you think a Servant is?'

For some reason, Shirou wanted to say that.

———

Time: Exactly six o'clock.

The kitchen was filled with passion.

As judges, Illya and Liz sat at the dining table, behind them gathered a group of Einzbern maids.

Across the table, Sella and Shirou stared at each other, sparks flying.

Well, only Sella was full of fighting spirit, Shirou wasn't.

From the moment she started making pudding, Shirou no longer cared who would manage the kitchen.

Because as long as Sella remembered the time of eating pudding with Illya, bad meals wouldn't happen again.

Of course, harsh training was still necessary. Who told her to be so dumb.

"Come on, Berserker, let's settle this!", Sella prepared the ingredients for her French caramel pudding first.

Illya glanced over them, then paused on Shirou, who was wearing an apron.

Why did she freeze? This man in an apron gave her a very strange feeling. A little hard to explain. Just wished he wore it more, let her see more.

Shirou carefully selected ingredients.

It was true he didn't care about the kitchen, but the cooking must not be sloppy.

First, he had to consider the lack of kitchen tools in the Einzbern castle… He didn't think anyone on the other side would help him find magical devices as supplements during the competition;

Secondly, many eastern dishes he knew were too complex, and without ingredients, couldn't be made. So, Shirou chose things that were available here.

He rolled up his sleeves and first removed the odor from oxtail bones and beef, added spices and began slow stewing.

Then he started preparing the cold dish. Just two moves, and everyone's attention was captured. Graceful and skilled gestures, quick and agile actions, clean and neat.

Sella grit her teeth watching, 'Illya-sama, can you look at me just once?'

She noticed that since Shirou put on the apron, Illya's gaze hadn't rested on her at all.

Once Shirou started working, even Liz abandoned her. This pudding felt tasteless now.

How could she know, Illya didn't like many things. It just happened to include Shirou in an apron.

Washing the cold vegetables and cutting them into pieces, he mixed them with tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers in a bowl, added roasted Caesar salad dressing, and stirred lightly.

A starter, Caesar salad, was finished.

Illya's eyes sparkled like stars, completely mesmerized.

This was the quickest and most accurate time Liz ever guessed Illya's thoughts, she asked, "Food… ready?"

"No," Shirou replied, "that was just the appetizer. Next are: main course, soup, dessert."

Since he was making it, he'd make a complete set.

Coincidentally, Shirou was very good at both eastern and western cuisine.

Even surpassing traditional Japanese dishes that had lasted for centuries.

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