Zero no Tsukaima:Volume2 Chapter1

Chapter one - A secret Boat

Chapter one - A secret Boat

Louise, lying on her bed, started dreaming. She dreamt that she was back to her homeland where she was born, which was three days ride away from the Tristain academy.

The young Louise in her dream was running about near the house, eventually hiding in the vegetation which was as complex as a maze to hide from her pursuers.

“Louise, where are you? Come out now!” shouted Louise’s mother. In her dream, Louise was being reprimanded due to her poor results in magical studies. She was constantly being compared with her sisters, whom had much better results than her.

Louise saw a pair of shoes below the bushes.

“Miss Louise is really poor in magic!”

“I totally agree. Why can’t she be like she two elder sisters who are so good with magic?”

Louise, hearing that felt sad and dejected at the same time as she bit her lips. The servants have started looking for her in the vegetation. Louise tried her best to escape. She retreated to the place she has name “Secret Garden” – The central lake.

That was the only place that Louise felt at ease. It was a tranquil place with no one else around. Flowers bloomed all around and birds gathered on the benches near the lake. And in the middle of the lake there was a small island which had a small house made of white marble.

Next to the island there was a small boat originally used for leisure but no one comes to row the boat anymore. Her elder sisters had already grown up, and are busy studying magic. Her father, who had retired from his military duties, now mingles around with the nobles who live nearby. Besides hunting for wild game, her father has no other pastime. Her mother is only interested in teaching her daughters and could not care less about anything else.

Therefore, besides Louise, no one ever comes to the forgotten lake anymore, much less remembering that small boat. That is why whenever Louise is reprimanded; she would come to this place.

In Louise’s dream, the younger version of her jumped on to the boat and snuggled into a blanket that was prepared earlier.

As she hid inside her blanket, a noble wearing a cloak appeared out of the mist covered island.

The noble was about sixteen years old. In Louise’s dream, she was only six years old, a ten year difference between them.

“Have you been crying, Louise?” His face could not be seen as it was covered by a large hat that he had worn on his head.

But Louise know exactly who he was, it was the viscount, the noble whom had just inherited the lands around her homeland. Louise felt warm and fuzzy inside, the viscount was the man of her dreams. They had often joined the same banquets together and furthermore, both of their fathers had already made an engagement.

“Is that you, Viscount?”

Louise haphazardly covered her face; she did not want to let the man of her dreams see her crying. It would be embarrassing

“I was invited by your father today regarding the engagement.”

Hearing this, Louise was even more embarrassed to the point that she did not even dare lift her head up.

“Really?”

“But that would not be possible, viscount.”

“Louise, my small and dainty Louise, do you dislike me?” The viscount said in jest.

Louise, gently shook her head and said abashedly,” No, it’s not that. Just that I’m still young and ignorant…”

The face hidden underneath the hat revealed a smile and extended a hand out to Louise.

“Viscount.”

“Lady, please take hold of my hand. Quickly, the banquet is about to start.”

“But…”

“Have you been scolded again? Don’t worry I’ll talk to your father.” the viscount said.

Louise nodded, stood up and reached out to the viscount’s hand. What big hands, isn’t that the hand that I had always dreamt of holding?

Just as she was about to hold the viscount’s hand, a sudden gust of wind blew the hat out of the viscount’s head.

“Eh?!” Louise looked his face and said perplexingly. Because it was a dream, Louise had reverted back to her sixteen year old from god knows when.

“What… What are you doing?”

The person underneath the hat was not the viscount, but her familiar, Saito.