Chapter 4


"Um…if you could, would you please hate my face?" he remembered the hooded girl telling him. It was Gray's first day in Chaldea, and yet…

"…I'm already asked to do something so impossible." He spoke to himself.

He wanted to ask the Lord El-Melloi II about it, but the Mage told him that it was better if Gray herself told him.

Ritsuka sighed. The whole ordeal with Mnemosyne was over, thankfully, and all parties involved were able to return safely.

"We saved human history yet again, but why the oh so sad face, Master?" then asked a certain whimsical wizard. Ritsuka stopped in his tracks and greeted Merlin with a smile.

Merlin smiled back. "You sure seem to be having fun, Merlin." Ritsuka commented, and the wizard gave a laugh.

"Well, you see Master, other than your predicament with your female Servants, a certain Mage is also having the same problem~" he spoke, pointing ahead and sure enough, at the end of the corridor, the Lord El-Melloi has his back on the wall. He was somehow pinned…by none other than—

"—Skadi?!" exclaimed Ritsuka, as he rushed to save the man. Merlin skipped, following him.

"Human mage, why do you still refuse to look at me?" asked Skadi, a deadly glare present on her face.

Lord El-Melloi II sighed, fixed his glasses and tried to move, but hands held his arms in place.

'Such grip strength! Ow ow ow ow ow it hurts!' he thought, but he maintained a straight face.

"Skadi! Sensei! What's going on?!" came Ritsuka, with the whimsical wizard right behind him.

"Ah, Master, perfect timing. Would you mind helping me out?" El-Melloi II asked, but that only made Skadi tighten her grip on his arms. She inched her face closer, glaring intently, but her cheeks were tinged pink.

"U-Um! I-If you don't unhand shishou immediately, I-I might h-have t-to intervene!" then came a timid voice. All eyes now looked on the hooded girl, who was practically shaking in place.

The glare on Skadi, however, did not falter.

Gray became even more nervous. "Whoa there, that's a scary glare alright!" commented Add.

El-Melloi II cleared his throat. "Good afternoon, Gray." He greeted. Merlin's happy-go-lucky disposition instantly turned solemn the moment she looked at the hooded girl.

"S-Shishou! A-Are you okay?" she asked, wanting to approach him and help him out but is too scared to do so.

Ritsuka then whispered to Skadi. "Um, Skadi? You're scaring her, can you please let sensei go?" he asked.

Before Skadi could react, El-Melloi II effortlessly, and gently, pushed her away, and fixing his clothes a bit, approached Gray.

"What seems to be the problem, Gray?" he asked, and the girl held her hood, covering her face more.

"A-Ah…its nothing really…I was only worried." She spoke. The Lord then sighed and took out a cigar from his suit pocket. "I'm alright, lady, but I do appreciate you worrying about me." He spoke, lighting up the cigar.

Merlin then whispered to Ritsuka. "I think this is where you butt in, Master." He spoke, as he walked away, humming happily.

The other Caster in the vicinity pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed as well. "I was acting irrationally, how humiliating. Manners unbefitting of a Queen." She spoke, but as soon as she was about to walk away, a hand held her arm.

"There is much talk, don't you think, milady?" asked El-Melloi II. Skadi, for some reason, almost instantly blushed.

Ritsuka was surprised at the interaction.

"Master, I believe you have something you want to talk to with my student?" he asked Ritsuka, as he unhanded Skadi's arm and lit his cigar.

The Master looked at Gray, who averted her gaze.

Ritsuka shook his head. "Its alright, sensei. I think Mash needs me in the Command Room." He said, as he briskly walked forward, passing by the hooded girl.

"Hmmm~? That sounds like some bullcrap to me! Don't cha think so too, Gray?" commented Add, but Gray remained silent.

The Lord blew out smoke from his cigar, sighing afterwards. He now looked at Skadi. "Let's start this…calmly, shall we?"

Skadi simply nodded.


Weeks passed, and the Master brought Gray along on missions, extracting into multiple minute Singularities, as an act of deepening and strengthening their bond.

Eventually, Gray was able to tell him about her face.

"King…Arthur's face?" he asked. Gray nodded. "Yes. Its all because the people in my hometown tried to recreate the king who had passed away long ago…"

He nodded in understanding, and told her that, in Chaldea, there are other Heroic Spirits who share the same face as hers.

"And well…the King is also here." He added.

Gray's eyes somehow gleamed and she nodded. "I see."

They sat in silence, watching the campfire. This mission was a bit harder than the rest, but the Master was reassured that Gray can handle it fine.

And, well, they have the Lord El-Melloi II sleeping behind them.

"Master…what do you think of those that shares the same face as mine?" she asked.

Ritsuka pondered over it. "Honestly, they look cute." He spoke.

Gray was caught off guard, blushed, and hid her face in the hood. Add laughed, and Ritsuka apologized.

He then continued. "Well, they're also very brave, and very strong. Determined, but also caring, and kind."

Gray did not remove her grasp from her hood.

Ritsuka blushed. "A-And I like seeing their faces…" he admitted.

Gray blushed as well.

"So," spoke Ritsuka, suddenly caressing Gray's cheeks, surprising the girl, and letting her hood fall off "don't tell me to hate your face, Gray, because I can never do such a thing."

Gray slowly nodded, as she blushed full force.

She somehow smiled. "Well…if you ask me if I still hate this face of mine, I…don't hate it." She said.

Ritsuka smiled a bit.

"Its just that I couldn't get used to it…" she added. She then looked at the sleeping El-Melloi II. "I was happy that shishou hated my face, which is why I asked something impossible from him."

The hands touching her cheeks then stopped doing so. "Master are you really incapable of hating my face?" she asked Ritsuka.

As an answer, Ritsuka leaned in, planting a short kiss on her lips.

He smiled, and Gray went full red, and steam seems to have come out from the top of her head.

"Oy Gray! Pull yourself together!" then remarked Add, jumping around on her lap. "Ah, shit, she's completely flustered! That was a bit forward, Master!" he added.

"I-I guess it was! Gray! Snap out of it!" then spoke Ritsuka.


A few more days passed, and Ritsuka seems to have noticed that Gray…isn't shy about her face anymore. At least, around him.

And she seems to be tailing him lately, much to El-Melloi II's relief. But now, there is a different, older and more mature woman that is tailing him.

Entering the room, Ritsuka turned around and noticed that Gray has let her hood down. "Gray…?"

She walked forward and hugged the Master as he was sitting down.

She ended up on his lap, and Ritsuka now wonders why the female Servants seems to like this position a lot.

"I may still cover myself with this hood, but it doesn't mean I hate myself." She spoke, a smile present on her face. Ritsuka felt…calm at how genuine it all looked.

"And…just like shishou and Reines, I'm very glad that you are here." She added.

Ritsuka caressed her cheeks. "Did anyone ever tell you how beautiful you really are, Gray?" he asked, and Gray instantly blushed.

"I'm really embarrassed, Master, but…" she spoke, trailing off and leaning in a bit. She pecked Ritsuka's lips.

The Master blushed a bit. "Is…that how you're supposed to do it?"

Ritsuka smiled and held her waist, making her yelp at the sudden movement.

"Ah sorry, Gray. Should I just—"

"No, Master, this is fine." She cut him off midsentence.

Ritsuka chuckled. "I see. And yes, that's how you're supposed to do a kiss." He spoke, assuring Gray with a head pat. "But…" he trailed off and held Gray closer. "I would like to be a bit selfish today…" he continued, as he looked at Gray.

The girl blushed fully but nodded. She closed her eyes and braced herself for a longer kiss.

Ritsuka leaned in, closing the distance between them, but he made sure Gray's first kiss would be slow, soft, and sweet.