“Losing in front of the girl you have a crush on is truly a despicable event. But don’t look so down, or I will cry as well... Hey, I remember something, what was it? It happened a long time ago… Oh that! Wait!”
Saito put Derflinger back to his sheath, silencing it in the process. Dusting off his pants, the boy took a heavy step forward.
That night, Saito stared at the moon from his balcony window. Guiche and company were drinking in the bar on the first floor. Tomorrow they were heading for Albion, so everyone was partying below. Kirche came with an invitation, but he refused. Our hero had little heart for drinking now.
Apparently, the group could leave with the two moon eclipses; it was the day in which Albion was closest to the world.
Saito looked up to the starlit night sky, in the sea of stars, the pink moon hid behind the white moon, and thus became one moon sparking with a peach color. That moon reminded him of the one of his homeland, the moon of Earth.
The depressed Saito never stopped mumbling, wanting to go home, to go back to his homeland. Also, losing to Wardes in front of Louise made Saito more homesick than ever.
Without realizing it, tears were falling from Saito’s eyes. The tears rolled down his face past his chin then fell on to the ground. The boy continued to cry as he stared at the moons, then he heard something behind him.
“Saito.”
Turning around, he saw Louise standing behind him with her arms crossed.
“…Just because you lost does not mean you should cry, that is unbecoming.”
The boy in response wiped his face, not wanting Louise to see his tears.
“That's not right.”
“What is not right?”
“I am only doing it because I am homesick. To return to Earth. To return to Japan.”
Louise lowered her head.
“…I know, it is my fault.”
“You are just treating me like a dog.”
“There is nothing I can do about it, I am a member of the nobility, and if I don’t do it there would be rumors.”
“So what is the way to return me to my old world? I really don’t want to be in this world anymore.”
Saito muttered in an unpleasant tone, which came from the bottom of his heart.
“…What, you know you are very troublesome for me too.”
“If you say so, then help me find a way back. Promise me you will find a way to send me to my original world.”
“…When this mission is over, I will do my best to find you a way home.”
“Really?”
Louise put her arms around her belt, nodding her head in a cute expression.
“I am a member of the nobility, I will not lie.”
“But what happens if I cannot find a way back?”
Her face reddened a little, Louise hardened her heart and replied, “…If that happens, I will ask you to continue to serve me.”
“Even if you are married?”
“This has nothing to do with marriage.”
Louise stared at Saito.
Saito commented with a little sarcastic humor, “Ok ok, a person like you, with such an awful personality and there is a person who is willing to marry you, that noble is really a miracle. You are really lucky.”
Louise raised her arms with a tint of anger, “What? Didn’t Kirche fall in love with you? That idiot can fall in love with you. Forget it, no matter what can be said, both of you are morons and would make a lovely pair.”
The two turned away from each other. Louise closed her eyes, calmed herself and spoke, “In summary, during the time you are in Halkeginia, you are my familiar. So regardless of the fact I get married or not, it is your duty to protect me and do laundry as well as other duties.”
Saito turned around to face Louise.
Under that peach colored hair, Louise’s tea-green eyes sparked with fury. Her normally pale face was also tinted with color of anger, which made her puckered lips extremely cute.
Saito’s heart began to race as he stared at her. He did get yelled at by Louise, but she was still so beautiful.
But is it truly only this? Just because she is beautiful, my heart is racing? I feel it is not just this alone. No matter how beautiful she is, how cute, when I hear such hurtful words my heart should not race.
Louise held her hands together. The red faced Louise. The Louise who nursed me. The Louise who confronted Fouquet's golem despite being a zero. The self-ashamed Louise that cries secretly when being called zero...
Occasionally, Louise shows up as a real girl that combines courage, kindness and beauty in herself.
Saito thought really deeply, “Then why is it really this way?”
He finally understood why he had been staring at the moon every night until tonight, yet never thinking about going home.
But, he really hated wanting to admit this reason.
This really sucks!
Why would I…Saito could not stop the line of thought.
Spontaneously, Saito asked, “Why don’t you just let Wardes protect you?”
“Amazing, you are still not over losing to him?”
Saito remained silent.
“You are MY FAMILIAR right? Just because you lost, you have to be strong. That defeated look would sully the la Vallière name.”
It was not as simple as being defeated. It was losing in front of Louise, and losing to her fiancé. How could he still be strong? Saito curled his lips, and angrily slammed the balcony frame.
Louise replied angrily, “Ok, I understand. Do what you like, I will let Wardes protect me.”
“Ok, be like that.” Saito countered maliciously, and this line made Louise even angrier.
“That person is really reliable. He won’t make me worry. I don’t have to tell a familiar like you, but I will tell you now. Now I have decided, I will marry Wardes.”
Louise looked at Saito, but Saito remained silent, not caring. What? Louise thought.
“I am going to marry Wardes.”
Louise repeated herself again, but Saito remained silent and didn’t say anything. With his head lowered in anger.
At first she expected Saito to say something to stop her, but he didn’t even say a single word.
What? Haven't you already crawled into my bed?! Louise thought. She got even more unhappy as her pride had been hurt.
“A person like you should spend the rest of your life staring at the moon!” Louise howled as she dashed away.
Just at this moment…
“WOAH!” Saito shouted. Louise turned her head around, and to her surprise, something appeared that swallowed the moon, and it was nowhere to be seen.
Beneath the moon’s shadow, there appeared to be a giant. If we looked at it closely, the huge shadow turned out to be a golem made of stone. The person controlling the golem turned out to be…
“Fouquet!” Saito and Louise shouted in unison. The figure above them sat on the golem’s shoulder, cheerfully answered, “Oh, it is such an honor to be remembered!”
The sword on Saito’s shoulder asked, “Shouldn’t you be rotting in jail?”
Fouquet shouted back, “Somebody had a kind heart, a beauty like myself should be contriving to the welfare of the world, so they let me escape.”
It was dark so not many people could see it, but there was a figure in the black cape of nobility standing next to the woman. Was that guy the person who helped her escape? The noble supported Fouquet’s actions, but remained silent. Because the figure wore a mask, no one could see anything clear, but it appeared to be a man.
“…So you are someone who can’t mind her own business, what are you doing here?” Saito brandished his sword with his left hand.
“I am here to thank you for the long vacation you gave me, I am here to send you my appreciation!”
Fouquet howled in laughter, as the huge golem pulverized the fence on the balcony with one hit. The fence was carved right out of solid stone, so it appeared the power of the golem had increased significantly.