That night the two slept together in the same room. As soon as Tabitha had hit the bed, she had fallen asleep. Kirche was sleepless and lay on the sofa with one hand under the pillow.
Tabitha had explained to Kirche what the task would require of her, and asked Kirche if she would indeed come.
“Although I promised... this certainly will be no ordinary task.”
It was very likely that they could die attempting to complete this task. But as a noble, the risk of death had always been in the not so distant future. Compared to that, she was more worried about this child.
What incredible loneliness this child might have endured?
Tabitha was turning over in her bed. With her glasses now gone, her sleeping face was the one of an innocent young girl.
It didn't show that she was shouldering unhappiness that didn't suit her age, the distinguished services that had conferred her the title of Chevalier and the difficult assignment that she had to complete.
“Mom.”
Tabitha muttered in her sleep. Kirche's shoulders reacted to the word.
“Mom, don't drink it. Mom.”
Tabitha called for her mother many times while sleeping. Her forehead constantly kept sweating with more intensity after each call.
Kirche gently stood up, laid on the bed next to Tabitha, embracing her closely. Tabitha buried her head in Kirche's chest. Her heartbeat passed on to Tabitha as they lay there, it might have felt like a mother's.
Tabitha soon became calm again, her night sweat leaving her.
As for Kirche, she thought that she somehow understood the reason why Tabitha treated her as a friend. Her heart hadn't been totally frozen, some warmth still remained within it. Only that the ice wind that flowed blocked it. She might have felt that the fire inside Kirche could melt it.
Kirche, while slowly falling asleep, said in a gentle manner:
“Hey Charlotte. The 'Ardent' warms and melts everything, so you can rest at ease.”
Chapter Five: The Strength of a Love Potion
When Saito woke up in the morning, Louise was sleeping by his side. The previous night, when Louise, whose eyes were swollen from tears, got tired, he brought her to the room and fell 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 helpless puppy eyes, yet she had never looked at Saito this way before. Louise always looked down on him or scowled, he wasn't used to being looked at some other away.
“Seriously, what is wrong with you?”
Worried, he gripped her shoulder. Dressed only in negligee, Louise bent her head and rested her cheek on top of his hand. He felt an unexpected pang. Moreover, a pang on his left side. A 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?”
“A 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 chewed on 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.”
“Lies.”
It wasn't a lie. When near, only Louise could 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 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 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 any 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 couldn't answer Louise's expectations as he didn't know what on earth it was for, however, he had 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 losing 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 didn't go out and half of his face remained stuck inside. Being stuck in such an uncomfortable way, Saito stood still.
Then, Louise tightly embraced Saito and pushed him down onto the bed.
“L-Louise...”
Because his arm was imprisoned by the sweater, he could not move.
“Be still,” Louise pleaded with 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 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.