Shinji Matou at Your Service

Was Shinji good to Artoria? Absolutely.

From their first encounter during the Holy Grail War to now, Shinji had always, consciously or unconsciously, considered Artoria's well-being without expecting anything in return.

When they first met, he had Scathach intervene to heal her injuries and fend off powerful enemies.

During the King's Banquet, he spoke boldly. Though his words sounded harsh and his actions seemed ridiculous—like a clown among kings—it was his way of shattering her illusions and helping her see reality.

At the Fuyuki River, she battled the sea monster, and with Scathach's guidance, retrieved her strongest weapon, lost in her previous life, curing her curse and ultimately destroying the sea monster.

In the final battle at Ryuudou Temple, he restored Lancelot's sanity, defeated their strongest enemy, Gilgamesh, and through her most valued knight, resolved her inner conflict, allowing her to accept the end of her life and find peace finally.

When they met again, he recognized her immediately. Even after five years, he still cared deeply for her.

He felt frustrated, thinking she hadn't let go of her obsessions, and saddened, believing she was bound by the Counter Force.

When he learned she had entered Avalon and found peace, his joy was something she still remembered vividly.

During the subsequent Holy Grail War, although he wasn't by her side, he always arranged things well for her. Whatever she wanted to do, he would find a way to make it happen.

And when Mordred, the rebellious knight who ended her reign, appeared, he did everything he could to resolve their misunderstandings, allowing them to interact like normal family members.

What he did for her went beyond the boundaries of a Master and Servant relationship, more like long-time companions—at first, she thought so. But after talking with Mordred, she found something different.

His feelings for her differed from those of Merlin, Guinevere, or the Knights of the Round Table.

She wanted to know the answer to this, which is why she came to him.

"You're asking about that, huh."

Hearing Artoria's question, Shinji's eyes showed a hint of hesitation.

"Maybe it's because I like you."

A few days ago, Shinji would never have admitted this honestly, even though this "like" was somewhat different from romantic love between men and women.

He might have come up with some grandiose reason, evaded the topic, or said something impressively vague. At that time, his mindset was restless, and he was worried whether telling the truth would leave a bad impression on Artoria.

But after everything that happened, he discarded those now laughable concerns, completely calming his mind and being his true self.

He also believed, given Artoria's character, she wouldn't be angry at his honesty. She would either outright reject him or tell him to focus on the battle at hand.

Artoria's reaction was almost as Shinji expected. After a brief moment of surprise, she quickly composed herself and, with a slightly heavy tone, said:

"I'm sorry, Master. I can't respond to your feelings right now. I truly apologize."

"It's okay. If you had responded, I would've found it strange. Besides, to be honest, I'm not even sure how to categorize or deal with this 'like.' Your response makes me feel much more at ease."

A fleeting complexity crossed Shinji's eyes, unnoticed by Artoria.

"Thank you for understanding, Master."

"Then let's continue being partners and comrades."

"Yes, let's leave the rest of the conversation until after the war. I hope we both survive until then."

Artoria naturally took Shinji's outstretched hand and then, after a brief farewell, left.

This honesty and openness were qualities Shinji most admired in her, though he couldn't help but feel a bit of regret.

"I thought I might see her flustered or blushing, but she just froze for a moment and her ahoge twitched. Is it because this doesn't count as a confession? Or has she matured over the fifteen hundred years? Or maybe my affection level isn't high enough?"

In his self-deprecating state, he had no idea that none of his guesses were correct. Artoria's nonchalant reaction was because of Mordred.

Imagine this: if Mordred, with her obsessive admiration for her king and father complex, had an open conversation with Artoria, how would their relationship change?

In truth, their way of communicating didn't change much, but they spent more time together. Mordred wanted to know how her father had been all these years and what she had gone through.

Talking about their experiences inevitably led to discussions about their respective Masters. So, Artoria told Mordred everything about her relationship with Shinji.

Despite being a problematic child, Mordred had more common sense than her father, probably thanks to her mother, Morgan's teachings.

Upon hearing all that Shinji had done for Artoria, Mordred's first reaction was that he had ulterior motives—like wanting to become her second dad or second mom, basically that he was interested in the King.

Mordred was furious and prepared to draw her sword, but considering that Shinji was her father's Master and a strong combatant and that he had contributed to their harmonious relationship, she didn't attack. Instead, she advised Artoria to be wary of her Master.

Initially, Artoria didn't believe it, but after Mordred's persuasion, she wavered and sought confirmation from her Master. As it turned out, Mordred was right.

Because of Mordred's warning, Artoria's reaction wasn't as dramatic as it would have been if she had been caught off guard by the "confession." Before coming here, Artoria had already thought about what to do if it were true.

The answer was what Shinji heard—she couldn't respond now, and the rest would be left until after the war.

...

...

...

Wait a minute, something seems off.

That meant, "I won't answer you now, but I'll give you a formal response later."

But with a few explanations and pleasantries mixed in, the meaning changed—at least in Shinji's understanding, it was a rejection (a sad one), and a very straightforward one at that.

Meanwhile, back in her room, Artoria was still pondering her feelings for Shinji.

Hatred? No.

Like Gawain and Lancelot, a comrade and battle companion? Not entirely.

Like Merlin, a mentor, father figure, and friend? No.

Artoria, who had never experienced such feelings, was troubled. She recalled Merlin's nagging before she was summoned—"Artoria, you're no longer a king. Now that you have a rare chance to go out, enjoy life as an ordinary girl. Get a boyfriend, fall in love or something. Want me to teach you? I'm quite good at this."

Could Merlin have been right?