Zero no Tsukaima:Volume4 Chapter5 - MTL

Chapter Five

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When Saito woke up in the morning, Louise was sleeping by his side. Last night, when Louise, whose eyes were swollen from tears, got tired, he brought her to the room and feel asleep at once. "Kuukuu" ,with an innocent face, she breathed out through sleep. What made her change this way yesterday? One moment she was ready to kill, the other - she was suddenly weeping "Why don't you look at me!". What? What? Saito wondered.

She started waking up. Abruptly, Louise got up, and, noticing Saito, bit her lip. Then, in a wrung out voice, she murmured "Good morning".

"G-good morning" Saito returned the greeting.

Then Louise blushed. Louise always blushed with an angry look on her face, but now it was different. looking up at Saito, she softly curved her lips. And said something hesitatingly.

"W-what?"

"Forgive me"

Louise opened her mouth and said in a lamenting voice.

"Forgivemeforgivemeforgiveme. Forgive me?"

Louise was definitely weird. She gazed at him with a helpless puppy eyes, and yet, she never looked at Saito this way before. Louise always looked down on him or scowled, he wasn't used to be looked at some other away.

"Seriously, what is wrong with you?"

Worried, he gripped her shoulder. Dressed only in negligee, Louise lent her head and rested her cheek on top of his hand. He felt an unexpected pang. Moreover, pang on his left side. Quick one. Soon he was fully overtaken by a destructive power. His body shook violently and his pulse was beating hastily. Aah, Louise looking like this… She wouldn't be in love with me, would she!

"I saw"

"Eh?"

"..a dream, yesterday."

Dream?

"W-what dream?"

"Dream about Saito"

"D-dream about what?"

"Saito was mean in the dream. Though I was talking very hard, he still spoke with other girls."

'Gab' Louise bit into Saito's hand.

However, it was not painful. Louise bit very gently. Then she glanced upwards at Saito's face.

"Even so, it was yesterday. Do not buy gifts for other girls, do not look at other girls - you have your master-sama, right?"

Saito gulped down saliva, while watching Louise. He never realized, that she was so in love with him...

But what made Louise's attitude change so much. It's as if she is an entirely different person. Louise who despised me up till now, cannot become so sweet just like that. At first she was mad. And now she gently chews onto his palm while scowling.

She would not just bite like this. She would hit.

Louise would never sell herself for such flirt...

Though at first Saito thought that Louise may be in love, he drove the last ray of hope out of his mind.

"Listen to me"

"Y-yes"

"Tell me truthfully. W-whom do you love the most in the world?"

Louise buried her face in his chest and muttered in a tearful voice. Saito felt dizzy in his head and answered incoherently.

"M-master-sama. Yes."

"Lie"

It wasn't a lie. When near, only Louise can make his chest throb this much. However, Louise today...

"Really?"

"Yeah..."

Then Louise got up and, tototo, ran up to the other side of the bed.

After taking out something from the secret gap in the wall beside the bed, she ran up to the Saito with it.

"N. N, nh"

And then she thrust it out to Saito.

"What's...?"

"Take it"

The thrust out complex object was made from a knitting wool. In any case, it seemed to be unwearable. Saito received it and tilted his head, trying to figure out it's purpose. By all means, could it still be something "to wear"? No, never. He had no inkling of where it could fit on the body.

Louise kept on quietly watching Saito... with eyes that seemed to be moist from crying. Aah, can't help it when looked at with such eyes. They had an expecting look. Yet, he can't answer Louise's expectations. As he doesn't know what on earth is it for, however, he has to do something!

What the heck is that. Saito thought. Think! Yeaaah, looking at it, it seems similar to medusa stuffed toy. It also can be thought to be one of Burgess fauna's species that ruled the sea in the ancient earth. Though it looks like a mysterious animal, because Louise handed it over to me, it must have some use. Ah! Think!

Saito fused, slowly loosing his cool.

"Great! This! A fantastic thing! Medusa's outlook! The best!"

Louise's face fell.

"It's different... It's not that... It's a sweater."

As for the alien world sweater, it was different from what one would expect. It easily surpassed Saito’s imagination.

In panic, Saito tried to put it on. But how to wear it. Somehow he found an entrance and pushed his head in. However, his arm doesn't go out. And half of his face remains stuck inside. Being stuck in such uncomfortable way, Saito stood still.

Then, Louise tightly embraced Saito and pushed him down to the bed.

“L-Louise..”

Because the arm is imprisoned by the sweater, he cannot move.

“Be still“ Louise pleaded Saito. What? I’m already still. But it is because I can’t get out my arms out of the sweater.

“Can’t do that”

He said quietly, being honest.

Louise held onto Saito firmly, like a girl embracing her favorite stuffed animal.

“Ugh, don’t you have to go to the class?”

“It’s alright. I’ll just skip it anyway.”

Muhaa! The more he thought about it, the more suspicious it sounded. Normally serious Louise never skipped class so lightly.

“For a whole day. Because, when you are let out, you flirt with other girls. I hate that”

Seems like she wants to bind Saito this way. Yet, for a very prideful Louise to say such things… Even if she would be feeling this way, she’d never utter it aloud.

“Say something”

Louise muttered sweetly. Saito, what is the matter with Louise? He wondered, while worrying, what made Louise to start talking so weakly and softly.

* * *

In the afternoon, Louise finally fell asleep. The young girl snored faintly in a deep slumber.

Then Saito quietly slipped out of the room and headed to the dinning room to get some food. He was going to take Louise’s share too.

Siesta, who was preparing lunch in the kitchen already, sweetly smiled when he finished explaining a situation to her.

“You are popular”

“No, it’s different. Louise isn’t herself. She’s acting funny. It can’t be helped, and now have to get some of this food…”

Worried, Saito said, while Siesta trampled on Saito’s feet, without breaking her smile.

“That’s great”

“S-Siesta ?”

Seems like she was really mad. The composed smile only emphasized her cold anger.

“Heeeh. That a highly prideful noble Miss Valliere would suddenly become clingy over Saito-san. What would male her change her mind about Saito-san? I’m worried.”

Still smiling, Siesta put more strength crushing Saito’s foot. Saito screamed.

“I-it’s true! She really suddenly started acting strange”

“Really?”

“Yeah… It is as if she turned into a different person.”

Hearing that, Siesta started to think with a serious expression.

“This reminds me, I heard that there is some magical potions that can change person’s mind this way…”

“Magical potions?”

“Indeed. Yet because I am not a mage I might have not understood it well.. But, Miss Valliere would not drink such thing…”

Saite remembered last night. Louise attitude change dramatically after entering Montmorency’s room… while he was hiding under the bed futon.

At that moment Louise’s attitude changed suddenly… Did Louise do something then?

Ah.

That reminds me, she said “Fuah! I’m thirsty from running around!” and in one breath drank up the red wine on the table!

That? Could it be that? Saito started to feel suspicious about the red wine in Montmorency’s room.

* * *

Saito waited for Montmorency to come out of the dinning and gripped her arm. Guiche, who was walking next to her, roared.

“Hey! What are you doing to my Montmorency!”

However, Montmorency’s face suddenly turned pale instead of complaining. What! Even though he gripped noble’s hand like that! Guess Montmorency who though is even more arrogant than Louise do not want to make much noise. In a word, she feels indebted to Saito over something. And that is surely related to Louise’s sudden change.

“Hey Monmon”

Saito glared at Montmorency.

“W-what…”

She awkwardly turned her eyes away. And she is not angry at being called Monmon. It is becoming more and more suspicious.

“What have you made Louise to drink?”

Guiche “Eh?” made a suspicious face.

“Montmorency gave Louise something?”

“Hey Guiche. You saw Louise’s change, right? One moment she was angry, other placing her palms gently. Even someone as dim-witted as you should grow suspicious.”

Guiche thought while crossing his arms. It took some time, because he was slow as usual. Then Guiche, who with great effort recalled last night’s events, nodded.

“It is really as you say. It should not be possible for Louise to become so soft suddenly. De?”

“Right! Monmon! Louise became strange after drinking the wine in your room!”

“That’s the wine I brought! There’s nothing suspicious about it!”

After saying so, Guiche noticed Montmorency’s unusual acting. She was biting her lips strongly and on her forehead tiny drops of cold sweat appeared.

“Montmorency! That wine, really…”

“That child drank it without permission!”

Montmorency, who could not take it anymore, cried out.

“That’s not the point! It’s your fault!” she said while pointing at Guiche, poking his nose with her finger. Now when the anger reversed, Guiche and Saito dumbfounded watched Montmorency.

“Because you are always fooling around!”

“You! What have you put in the wine!”

Saito understood. Montmorency wanted for Guiche to drink up something that was put in the wine. Yet Louise, who rushed into the room, drank it up instead.

For a moment, both, Guiche and Saito, stood hesitatingly embarrassed and resigned. And then Montmorency in a calm, bared voice said.

“…Love potion”

“Love potion!”

Guiche and Saito cried out. Montmorency placed a both hands over their mouths in panic.

“Idiots! Not so loud! … It is banned.”

Saito gripped Montmorency’s arm, removed her hand from his mouth and shouted.

“Then don’t start such mess to begin with! Help Louise somehow!”

* * *

Montmorency, Saito, and GuicheIt racked their brains in Montmorency's room. Montmorency explained to them both in arrogant manner that she made love potion to prevent Guiche from having an affair. She put in Guiche's glass to have him drink it up, but then Saito and Louise have flounced into a room. It wasn’t hard for Saito to imagine what happened after that. Unaware Louise drank it all up. Saito screamed.

“What have you done!”

“…However, otherwise he would not have fallen in love with me, right?”

Guiche who kept silent till then, clasped blushing Montmorency's hand.

“Montmorency, you cared so much for me…”

“Hah! You think that I did it for you? I would not waste my time on that. It was just merely unpleasant for you to have affairs behind my back!”

The blush on Montmerency’s cheeks was quickly replaced by an arrogant scowl. As expected, Tristain noble women pride is really high. Very self-conceited and arrogant.

“Do not worry about me having an affair! I am your servant forever!”

Guiche embraced Montmorency closely. Then, holding her cheek, tried to kiss her. Startled Montmorency shut her eyes.

“Put off”

Saito pulled them both apart.

“What are you doing idiot!”

“Doesn’t matter! Help Louise first!”

“She’ll recover sooner or later!”

“When is this ‘sooner or later’!”

Montmorency looked doubtful.

“Each person's physic is different, it may take a month or maybe a year…”

“You planned to let me drink such a thing?”

Guiche turned pale.

“That will take too long. At once! One way or another! Do it!”

With a jerk Saito brought his face close to Montmorency’s.

“I understand! But it will take some time to prepare the antidote!”

“Hurry up then and do it! Now! Make it now!”

“However, to make an antidote, a certain expensive drug is necessary, however I used it all up while making a love potion And to buy it will take a lot of money. I can’t do it for now.”

"Yes, money will be hard to come by, I don't exagerate."

"No money? You are nobles!"

When Saito shouted, Guiche and Montmorency looked at each other.

“Although we are nobles, we are students as well.”

“It is older members of the family that possess the territory and money.”

“Then ask your parents to send the money”

Saito said to them both. Then Guiche rose his forefinger and started talking. 　 “Listen. This world has two kind of noble. One kind are nobles that do not have the good fortune of money, another kind – nobles that have the money. For instance, De Montmorency, Montmorency's family, fails in the land reclamation and the management of the territory is horrible.”

Montmorency cut in. 　

“Or like De Gramont house, Guiche’s family, that for the sake of honour got involved in a war and wasted all of their money…”

“Anyway, there are moneyless nobles. Actually, and I am not exaggerating, half the nobles in the world have enough money only to maintain their residence and the territory around it at best. However, it is not for a commoner like you to understand the hardships of keeping the honour and pride of the nobility.”

These guys… Saito reluctantly started to search for something in his parka’s and jeans pockets. Then he pulled out golden coins that he received from Henrietta before. Half of the amount he left in Louise’s room and the other half he carried with himself.

"Will this suffice?"

He spilled them out on the table.

“Uwaa! Why do you have so much money! You!”

Seeing the amount of gold lying all over the table, took the breath from Montmorency away.

“Awesome. And some are even 500 Ecu coins.”

“Don’t’ ask where it comes from. Just buy that expensive medicine with this by the end of tomorrow.

Montmorency nodded reluctantly.

* * *

When he returned back into his room with light pockets, the room itself looked weird. 　

Somehow whole room was filled with cigarette like smokes, yet the aroma was sweet. Louise was sitting in the center of the room with joss-sticks fuming around her.

“Hey, what? What’s up with all this smell?”

When Saito said so, Louise, who was watching Saito, answered in a teary voice.

“Where have you been...”

Only then Saito noticed how tempting Louise looked. She wasn’t wearing her skirt.

“You left me all alone…”

She said in teary voice while sulkily looking up at Saito. Seems like, while feeling lonely, she started burning all these incenses.

“So-sorry…”

Why doesn't she put on a skirt?! He tried to turn his eyes away from her body when he noticed another unexpected fact. Well… Lo-Louise, Louise Francoise – that rascal, the skirt wasn’t the only thing that she missed… Her panties were gone as well.

Her lower waist line was peeking up from the gap of her shirt. There were no signs of any underwear beneath.

Saito began to tremble.

“Y-you, p-put on some p-p-p-p-panties!

Trembling, he shouted while looking to the other side

“I w-won’t”

“Why not?!!”

“I am not sexy enough. I know this because night after night Saito sleeps by my side in bed, but do not do anything to me. I cannot take this anymore.”

Louise said in a weeping voice.

“T-that’s, you, me, are saying you want me to p-push you down and then d-d-d-d-do those things to you?”

“I-is it bad…”

“That’s right.”

“But, I'll shut my eyes. And for an hour, I will pretend not to know.”

But by saying that she would pretend not to know… Louise made a huge commitment

Louise pulled the hem of her shirt down to cover her private parts and stood up. Louise moved her bare, slender legs. Saito's heart pounded inside his chest, sounding like a constant ringing of a bell.

Louise jumped onto Saito’s chest. A sweet smell of her hair was even stronger than the aroma of the incense in the room. She never used perfumes, it was her natural body’s smell.

With her face buried in Saito’s parka, Louise trembled and twitched.

“I am lonely… Idiot…”

Saito’s both hands positioned themselves on Louise’s body.

They seemed to embrace her firmly on an instinct.

Saito bit his lip. He put some pressure in his bite seeking to regain part of his calmness through pain.

Louise of today…is not the Louise whom I know. It is love potion that’s making me loose myself. My Louise is the one I protect and like… For this reason, I cannot emrace her this way now. What if his brakes would fail him? He surely would covet Louise like a beast.

Because of love, this cannot be allowed.

Saito with trembling hands gripped Louise’s shoulders. Then he looked straight into her eyes and squeezed out as gentle voice as possible.

“Louise…”

“Saito…”

W-well… You are acting this strange today is because of a medicine.”

“Medicine…?”

Louise looked up at Saito with moistened eyes.

“That’s right. The present you is not the real you. But don’t worry, I will find the cure somehow. Okay?”

“It is not because of medicine!”

Louise looked straight at Saito.

“These feelings are not because of medicine. Because whenever I look at Saito my heart starts beating wildly. Not only that…I cannot breathe and feel helpless. I know, this feeling is…”

“I-it’s different. I would like if it was your feelings, but it isn't, it is different. This is because of the drug. The antidote will be ready by tomorrow night, so wait till then. Anyway, go to sleep now, okay?”

Louise shook her head.

“I don’t understand. It doesn’t matter. Anyway, you must hug me tightly or else I won’t go to sleep.”

“If I will, you’ll go to bed?”

Louise nodded. Saito carried her to the bed. Then lied down, snuggling next to her. As usual, Louise clung firmly to him.

“Don’t go anywhere. Look only at me, no other girls, only me.”

She repeated, as if some kind of spell.

Saito nodded.

“I won’t go anywhere. I’ll stay here for a long time.”

“Really?”

“Aah. Yes, so rest, ok?”

“Un… If Saito said to sleep, I will sleep. Because I don’t want him to dislike me.”

However, Louise doesn’t go to sleep. Instead, she shuffled a little and brought her blushing face to Saito’s scruff of the neck. Before Saito could even think of what she was doing, she started to kiss the scurf of his neck. It felt as if a torrent of small needles ran down his spine.

“Haaaaaaaaaaah….”

Saito started to shake in fair. Meanwhile Louise started to suck strongly into Saito’s skin.

“Louise! Louise!”

If you won’t stop I’ll die. However, Louise doesn't stop. With flushing cheeks she watch the place that she just kissed. It reddened as if bitten by an insect.

Noticing this, Louise proceeded leaving marks on Saito’s skin with an absorbed interest.

“Louise, stop! I already! I! Aah!”

His mind could not take it anymore. When Louise separated her lips, she muttered in a sulky way.

“No. I won’t stop. Saito is mine and mine alone. Therefore, I will leave marks to show that he is mine and keep the other girl’s away.”

After that, Saito’s torture continued for a while. Louise started to leave hickey marks not only on the scurf of his neck but even on his chest too. By the end, there were ten of them.

Saito’s strong convulsions turned into a faint shivers, when Louise’s lips finally left his chest. Then Louise, turn her head to the side, presenting Saito her own neck.

“Now you mark me”

“B-but…”

Saito looked at Louise’s slender, snowy white neck.

“If you don’t do this - I won’t go to sleep.”

There was no other way. Saito closed his eyes and brought his lips to Louise’s scurf of the neck. He touched it. A deep sigh escaped Louise’s lips. Never hearing such cute sigh from her, Saito almost died.

Very nervous, he sucked into Louise’s celadon skin.

“Nh…!”

Louise must have been nervous too, as giving out such cry seem to confirm.

Tiredness soon took over her and Louise started to breath in a faint sleeper’s way after a while.

Dazzled he looked at his own red mark on Louise’s nape of the neck. It looked like a red strawberry in the middle of white snow.

Saito breathed roughly, he had to restrain himself many times, or else, he would have attacked Louise who was peacefully sleeping next to him.

Calm down! Louise is acting this way only because of the potion!

He had to find the antidote quickly, to return Louise back to her usual saucy self, instead of this cute one!

Then Saito noticed something that Louise was grasping tightly in her sleep.

It was the pendant that Saito bought her in town. She was grasping it tightly as if some sort of treasure. Seeing that lovely view he lost all his strength.

It is cruel. Louise is horrible. It’s a crime to look so disturbingly cute.

Subconsciously, he extended his hand towards Louise -- only to clamp it with his other one. I don’t have the right to take advantage of Louise this way. It is not because of Saito. It’s because of the potion. Endure it.

If only I wouldn’t have wanted for Siesta to wear that sailor uniform, Louise would have not turned into this… Therefore it is my fault.

I am useless, Saito thought. I never turn down an opportunity to flirt with a girl and…

Siesta. That’s right, Siesta.

Aah, Siesta, she would calm him down simply by her presence. She is a fine looking lass too.

But when Louise is nearby she makes his heart race.

Aah, which one I love more.

What a luxurious worry. He couldn’t even imagine having such worry back at Earth.

Watching Louise’s sleeping face, he started to think… why to return back to former world, if you can stay here.

When Louise became a court lady of Henrietta, it became difficult to travel to the east… Though he was disappointed, at the same time he felt glad.

Because of that he could stay by Louise’s side.

Aah, Earth, Siesta and Louise. Those three turned round and round in Saito’s head, making him frustrated.

Which choice should I make? He could not make a choice today, but he will have to.

Maybe, in the near future.

* * *

On the next day evening, Saito was worried in Montmorency's room. He had a quarrel with Louise before leaving her in her room and coming here…

“You can’t make an antidote?”

With his face lifted, Saito stared at Montmorency. Beside her sat Guiche holding his chin and scowling. 　 Montmorency and Guiche had gone into the city today to face the black-market traders in the hopes of finding the antidote, however....

“It can't be helped! It was sold out!”

"Then when can you buy it?!"

“It… seems like they do not have the goods needed.”

“What is it?”

“The specific medicine comes from Ragudorian lake, at the boarder with Galia. It is made from the tears of water spirit… however it seems they were not able to contact the water spirits recently. “

“Whaat?!”

“In other words, we cannot get this special medicine.”

“Then what about Louise!”

"Well, I mean, really, what is so bad about this all? She has fallen in love with you. You like Louise, do you not?"

Saito doesn’t consent with what Guiche said, though.

“I can’t be happy if the reason she likes me is such medicine. This is not Louise’s true feelings. That’s why I want Louise to return back to her original self.”

But…Montmorency pouted her lips. And Guiche shook his head reluctantly. Even Saito thought quietly for a while, until he finally grasped his hand into a fist, determined.

“Where is that water spirit?”

"I told you already, it's at the Ragdorian lake.”

”So you only need to get in touch with her, right”

“Eeeeeh!? Now listen here! The water spirit rarely shows her face before humans! And even if it did, it is very strong! If angered, the results can be disastrous!"

“I don't care, let’s go!”

"Well I don't care! I am absolutely not going!"

Saito crossed his arms.

“Well then, there's only one thing I can do. I will have to tell her royal highness Princess about the love potion, or is it her royal highness Queen now? Anyway, I will have to ask for her help about the problem. Come to think, wasn't that potion banned? It's not supposed to be allowed to be made, right. Now, then, I wonder what would her highness do if she learned about it?”

Montmorency's face quickly turned pale.

“What do you think, Monmon?”

“Fine, already! I understand! I will go, if you go!”

“Hmm, we can't let Louise stay this way too. Or else other's may notice her strange behaviour and suspect the love potion.”

Guiche shook his head.

“Fear not, my lover. I will stay by your side on this journey." said Guiche while leaning in and trying to slowly put his hand over Montmorency's shoulders, but she quickly evaded him.

“That’s not really inspiring. You are too weak.”

After that, the trio made arrangements for the journey.

They should leave tomorrow, early in the morning. Because they did not know how Louise might act if left alone, they decided to bring her along as well.

“Haah, this is my first time skipping school.” Montmorency sighed.

“And what about me as I am not going to school for a half of a year now? After Saito came, it was adventures everyday! Ahahaha!” Guiche bursts into a hearty laughter.