For Saito, who was standing behind, time was passing very slowly. No words were uttered. The food being served here far outshone even a formal dinner at the academy. The only sounds coming from the dining room were the sounds of silver forks and knives.
Breaking this silence, Louise said.
“M-mother-sama.”
The duchess did not answer. Eléonore did.
“Mother-sama! Tell Louise! This foolish child said that she wants to go to a war!”
Bam! – Louise stood up, hitting the table.
“I am not a fool! Why am I a fool for applying to Her Majesty’s military forces?”
“Aren’t you a girl?! War is men’s business!”
“That’s a very old-fashioned way of thinking! This is now an age when women and men are given equal positions! If positions were only given to boys in the Academy, even you, older sister, would not be able to become a chief researcher at the Academy!”
Eléonore shook her head in amazement.
“Do you know what kind of place a battlefield is? It is not where woman and children like you should go.”
“But Her Majesty trusts me…”
“You are trusted? You – the ‘Zero’?!”
Louise bit her lip. Henrietta is taking me to the battlefield because I am necessary. I am a “Void” user. However, I can't tell my family that. So Louise was not able to say anything at all and fell silent.
Eléonore tried to continue preaching, but was cut by the duchess who quietly stayed silent up till now. She commanded in a haughty voice,
“Eat, Eléonore.”
“B-but Mother-sama...”
“We’ll talk about Louise tomorrow, when father comes back.”
And so the discussion ended.
Saito, in a room prepared for him, was lying on the bed and looking at the ceiling.
In this storage room, a broom leaned against the wall and a dust cloth was on the bed. Saito learned anew about the difference between his and Louise’s status. Recently, they slept in the same bed, lived in the same attic and they ate from the same table, yet he couldn't feel any difference in their status…
But when he met her family, it all started feeling like groundless fantasies.
Louise is beautiful. Rich. A noble, so to speak.
Also, Saito recalled that they did not speak with Louise once they left school. Louise lost her nerve because of Eléonore and did not talk much. In fact, she took all the preaching of her family, like a servant from their master, without complaining. For some reason, she hid her true self.
He felt pity for her.
He was no one, he had nothing to do with this world's social system.
But... after seeing such a dinner in this castle – you just can’t help but wonder about it, right? He thought.
He felt like he learned the huge difference between his and Louise’s positions.
He was feeling a bit down because of that...
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
Who could be coming to this storage room? He thought while opening the door, only to be greeted by the shy smile of Siesta, who stood there.
“Siesta?”
“W-well… I couldn’t fall asleep, so I came here.”
“Eh? Eeeh?”
While Saito was panicking, Siesta entered the room.
“Even so… how did you know where I was?”
“I asked the servants where Saito-san is staying.”
“Is that so…”
Siesta sat down on his bed, idly swinging her legs. For some reason, her face was red. When Saito tried to pass her, Siesta grabbed his arm and pulled him down to sit next to her. Then, she rested her head against his shoulder, just like in the carriage a while ago.
“Siesta?”
Hearing him ask, Siesta innocently looked up at him.
“This is the first time I've come into such a wonderful castle. This castle is a real maze.”
“It’s great.”
“A friend at the academy kept telling me that the La Vallière family is one of the five most distinguished families in Tristain. To be living in such a castle, with titles, riches and good looks… Miss Vallière can only be envied.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. It’s a very secure life. One can get whatever one wishes for, like…”
Then Siesta looked into Saito’s face.
“…Saito-san.”
“I-I am not her property. I am her familiar…”
“I understand.”
Siesta said slowly.
“Eh?”
“The way Saito-san looks at her, I understand. I do not have a winning chance. She is rich, she is a noble and she is beautiful… and has such a big castle as a home. *Hic*”
Siesta turned her face down, looking lonely. Trying to understand what she just said, Saito became silent as well.
“Hiccup, hiccup.” Siesta sounded like she was sobbing. Was she crying?
While Saito was at a loss what to do, Siesta suddenly stood up.
“Siesta…”
“But...”
“Eh?”
“I have something too.”
“Siesta?”
It looks like the situation changed. With a new resolve that seemed to say “I won’t give up on Saito-san!,” Siesta turned around.
“My b-b-b-breasts definitely beat Miss Vallière’s! Hiccup!”
“S-Siesta?”
Shaking with anger, Siesta continued talking.
“N-n-noble family? So what? I am a maid. A maid! Hiccup!”
“Y-yes, I know.”
Saito noticed that Siesta continued hiccuping many times, over and over again.
“Siesta, could you be… drunk?”
“I made dinner alone. And they didn't even say ‘You had a long journey, thank you, please take some rest.’ Hiccup!”
Not only was her face brightly red, but she also smelled of alcohol. Saito was dumbfounded. It was the first time he saw Siesta drunk.
Indeed, since she had to fulfill her duties as a maid here as well, Siesta had to entertain and serve alcohol in this castle. Drunk, Siesta took out a bottle of wine from the crevice of her shirt.
“W-where did you get the bottle from?”
Siesta brought her face close to Saito.
“Stole it.”
“I, I see.”
Siesta drew out the cork and immediately drank from the bottle. Wide-eyed, Saito stared at her gulping it down.
“Phua!” Siesta separated her mouth from the bottle. Her face became even more red.
“Hey, Saito!”
At last she was calling him informally.
“Y-yes?”
“You also must drink.”
“Cheers.”
He knew that if he disobeyed, her mood would go foul. Saito took the offered wine. He tried to take it down in one gulp, and with a “Buaagh,” quickly spit it out. W-what was wrong with this wine? It was really strong stuff.
“S-siesta. This wine…”
“It was on a kitchen table.”
Seems like Siesta was the type whose mood increased after one glass of wine, and one gulp from the bottle on the table was enough to make theft look okay. Siesta was an indescribably bad drinker.
“Y-you shouldn’t have taken it without permission…”
“Hey! Saito!”
“Y-yes?”
“Whatever. Drink!”
“C-cheers.”
Remembering that the mood might change to a raging one if he refused, Saito reluctantly drank the wine again.
Meanwhile...
In Cattleya’s room, Louise had her hair combed by her older sister.
Cattleya's room was an elegant mix between a botanical garden and zoo. Potted plants were placed all around, a lot of poultry baskets were hanging from the ceiling, and puppies were running around the room.
Cattleya gently combed Louise’s hair.
“Louise, Little Louise. Your hair is so charming, it has such a beautiful color.”