Zero no Tsukaima:Volume6 Chapter2 - MTL

Chapter Two: Cattleya

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Noon, two days after leaving the academy...

Saito and the rest reached the la Vallière territory. However, by the time they would reach the la Vallière's mansion it would already be late at night. Upon hearing the words “late at night”... Saito turned pale. He realized that this “territory” was nothing more than a courtyard.

However, after half a day spent traveling, he could not possibly understand how something this big could be a residence’s garden.

By Japanese standards, Louise’s territory could be called a middle-sized city. A city... Saito had never heard of somebody possessing so much land before. These Upper Nobles are truly intimidating.

Louise’s status as a noble was truly displayed once they entered her territory.

They decided to take a break at an inn…

Once their carriages stopped, Siesta, who arrived just a bit earlier, quickly got out of her carriage. Having been trained as a maid, she went to open the coach's door for Louise.

“Uwaa, I can’t believe Siesta just did that... without any protesting”, thought Saito as he walked towards Louise’s carriage. But before he could get there, he was knocked down by a crowd of villagers running from the inn.

The villagers removed their hats in front of Louise, who had just stepped down.

“Miss Eleanor! Miss Louise!” they cried while deeply bowing down.

The villagers thought that even Saito, who was now lying in the dirt, was a noble. They quickly helped him up apologizing for their terrible manners.

“No, I’m not a noble…” Saito nervously tried to explain.

“Even so, you must be Miss Louise’s or Miss Eleonore’s attendant. And we cannot disrespect that.”

Plain looking farmers said while nodding.

They went on saying things such as “Let me carry your sword for you,” and “It must have been a tiring journey to get here, huh?” as they treated Saito with the utmost kindness.

“We will be resting here for a moment. Please inform the family of our arrival,” commanded Eleanor.

A young boy quickly jumped onto a horse and rode off in order to report.

They walked into the inn. Once Eleonore and Louise approached the table, chairs were immediately pulled out for them to sit on. The two sat down as if it were second nature. Saito tried to sit next to them only to be given a demeaning glare by Eleanor.

“Saito-san! Saito-san!”

Hearing Siesta call, Saito turned around.

“Commoners are not permitted to sit at the same tables as nobles.”

That reminded Saito. Recently he had been sitting next to Louise without worrying. Yet this was a strange thing to do in this world after all. Actually, Louise made Saito sit on the floor at first too.

Louise opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by a glare from Eleonore. Louise could do nothing but sit in her chair like a good girl. Saito stared wide-eyed – it was the first time he saw Louise in such a state. She really looked naturally obedient in front of her older sister. However... she must be a really scary elder sister... to make Louise look so weak.

“Oh how Louise has grown!"

"She’s growing more and more beautiful!”

The villagers were chattering around them.

“It seems Miss Eleanor has been engaged, right?” someone muttered.

“SHHH! Don’t talk about that!” came the scolding.

Eleonore’s eyebrows started to twitch and her expression darkened. The atmosphere in the inn took a plunge. Apparently, speaking of Eleonore’s engagement was definitely something to be avoided…

The commoners, feeling the murderous intent coming from Eleanor, didn’t dare speak another word. Saito and Siesta exchanged glances. Then Siesta quietly got close to Saito and grasped his hand. She was afraid.

Not noticing the change in her elder sister, Louise spoke.

“Eleonore. Eleonore nee-sama...”

“What…”

“Congratulations on your engagement!”

The face of every commoner fell, and a deep sigh escaped them.

Louise had completely misread the atmosphere once again. All of a sudden, Eleonore’s eyebrows shot up as she pinched Louise’s cheek.

“It hwwuuuurrtsss!! Waaahhhhh! Nee-shammaaa!! Whhyy?! It hwurts it hwurts it hwurts!!!”

“You don’t know? You speak of it even though you know you shouldn’t!”

“I won’t whoh wah ur alking awout!!”

“The engagement has been canceled!! C-A-N-C-E-L-E-D!”

“W-why?”

“Who knows? Why don’t you ask Earl Burgandi? He said something about reaching his limit. I can’t understand why.”

Saito completely sympathized with that Earl Burgandi. Yes. Anybody who listened to her would soon reach their “limit”. Eleonore was much more fierce and abusive than Louise. The Earl must have thought he didn’t have the stamina.

In the end, unhappy with the marriage cancellation, Eleonore just vented all of her anger on Louise…

And so, the preaching started. She scolded Louise for blowing the roof of the carriage. Louise’s stretched cheek became angry red and swollen by then. Naturally, Saito felt sorry for Louise.

However, this reprimand didn’t last very long because suddenly the door opened and a flow of pink blew in.

A girl, wearing an elegant dress around her slim waist and a wide rimmed hat with a feather on top, had entered. Under the hat was a flow of silky pink blond hair – exactly the same as Louise’s.

Surprisingly, a lovely face popped up from under the hat.

Although from the first look it was obvious that she was older, she looked very cute. Such a beautiful face was beyond description. Her eye color and the way her eyes sparkled was the same as Louise’s as well. Noticing Eleonore, the girl stared with wide eyes.

“Ah! I’m so glad I noticed the strange carriage outside and came over here to take a look. I didn’t think I would meet you! Eleonore nee-sama! You’re back?”

“Cattle...ya...” Eleonore muttered.

Noticing the sudden guest, Louise looked up. Seeing Louise, Cattleya’s face radiated a happiness which was mirrored on Louise’s face as well.

“Big sister!”

“Louise! No way! You are not my chibi Louise anymore! You came back as well!”

Louise stood up and launched herself into Cattleya's chest.

“It’s been so long, big sister!!”

Unable to control their excitement, the two hugged with a squeal.

Seems like Cattleya was Louise’s sister. She had the same hair color, the same eye color – it was like looking at Louise. However, Cattleya’s face seemed to have a more calm and placid look than Louise’s. This aura of complete calmness and tenderness coming from Cattleya made Saito’s heart race.

She was like a matured Louise, with added gentleness. Besides, her beautiful figure and breasts well matched Saito’s taste.

Cattleya's mouth half opened as she finally noticed Saito.

“Ah, ah, ah , ahah!”

While Saito was wondering what this ‘Ah’ might mean, Cattleya approached him and gazed at his face.

“W-w-what’s wrong?” Saito asked nervously.

Cattleya began to gently stroke Saito’s face. Saito almost fainted from these sensations.

“You... are Louise’s lover, right?”

“Huh?!”

Siesta's, who was standing right next to Saito, eyes suddenly turned cold. She stomped down on his foot. Hard. Saito jumped up.

Louise blushed furiously.

“He’s just my familiar! Not my lover!”

“Ah, is that so?”

Cattleya giggled and tilted her head with a sweet smile.

“I’m sorry, I got it wrong. Don’t worry about it.”

* * *

Everybody got onto Cattleya’s chariot for the remainder of the ride to the La Valliere household. Eleonore showed obvious discontent of having to sit with a commoner and a familiar. But when Cattleya jokingly said - “The more the merrier right?” Eleonore, though still not uttering a single word, reluctantly consented.

However... Saito and the rest weren’t the only passengers in the large carriage.

It was just like a zoo inside the carriage.

In front of seats a tiger was laying sprawled, yawning. Louise sat down next to a bear. Various kinds of dogs and cats were scattered here and there. A huge snake, which was hanging down the ceiling, appeared right before Siesta’s face, making her faint. While looking after fainted Siesta, Saito muttered.

“But what a wonderful carriage…”

“Big sister loves animals” said Louise.

Though he thought that the limits of love have been exceeded, Saito did not say a thing.

“I recently picked up a thrush.”

Cattleya said in a happy voice.

“Show me! Show me!” Louise was frolicking like a child.

Eleonore and others took a collective deep sigh.

This was a life of three beautiful La Valliere sisters. Saito took a deep sympathetic bow towards Louise’s older sister. 　

Louise and Cattleya continued having a long chat between them.

Seems like the second eldest sister, who was wearing those lovely clothes, was considerably good friends with Louise. When you see two people getting along like this, even tedious time doesn't feel so very uneasy either. Siesta was already sleeping peacefully in his lap. On the left of the coach, hills stretched. On the right – cultivated fields extended. As it was rye harvest ending, here and there mass of straws were piled up. When looking at such tranquil scenery, it was impossible to believe that war was going on. Leaning into window frame, adjusting the Derflinger behind his back, Saito took a deep yawn.

　

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