On board of the ship traveling from Rosais to Tristain, Saito was having a nightmare while lying in the cabin’s bed.
He had received more damage from the fight with Jörmungand than Louise.
“Ugh, ugh” - although he was having a nightmare, somehow Saito was feeling refreshed. He had now somewhat straightened up his feelings on the things he had to do.
Thinking about this and that, Saito was gazing at the ceiling…
*Knock knock*
Someone knocked against the door.
“Who is it?”
“It’s me.” Answered Louise’s voice.
“…it’s open.” He said in an ill-tempered voice, and with an awkward expression on her face, Louise stepped in.
“Excuse me. Just in case, I came to check. Are you alright?”
“You… hit me more than enough already.”
Louise pouted and said in a sulky tone.
“Y-you were the one who was wrong. You said you love me only as a familiar. I-it was a lie wasn’t it? Truly. You love me, right?”
She sounded almost desperate.
Saito glared at Louise and said.
“Such a thing can be said to anyone. As a noble.”
“S-still, you love me?”
“I don’t dislike you.”
“So you like me?”
“Isn’t that the opposite? Aren’t you the one who likes me?”
“N-n-n-n-n-n-no way!”
Blushing Louise, whirled her hands fast.
“So, were you not this jealous because you love me? And you even amassed your willpower so quickly because you were angry I was kissed. It’s so obvious.”
“Uuuuuh” Louise let out a half-sobbing groan and nodded.
“…Really. It might be so.”
“…Huh?” Surprised, Saito stared at Louise. Seeing him like this, Louise once again gave a triumphant ‘nya’ smile.
“No way. The dog is drooling again.”
“Y-you cheated!”
“And you got all ‘dokidoki’ from that. Idiot.”
Saito turned to the other side to hide his embarrassment and said.
“Really… I’ll just gradually find a way to return home. And then I will definitely drink miso soup.”
“What is miso soup?”
“My country’s soup.”
Then Louise gently said.
“I too would like to drink soup from Saito’s country.”
Saito’s cheek turned redder than from a kiss.
Louise became embarrassed as well and turned the other way.
“It may be very difficult, however… for the moment, the way things are, I would like for you to continue helping us.”
Though she said it calmly, Louise was burning with emotion on the inside.
Surely after all this, Saito will deny such a pledge with curses.
‘Why should I do such a thing?’
Why doesn’t Saito say such words.
That time… he saved her from Fouquet’s golem.
And that day, he came to Louise’s rescue again…
That’s why behind his snappish words, Louise felt Saito’s love. And then, when he went through Tiffania’s spell… It wasn’t a familiar’s affection, but genuine love.
However, why do I still doubt? That it isn’t given by a familiar magic? Why can’t I get rid of this fear?
…because I am still not confident in myself.
Because I am not confident, I refuse to accept my feelings and doubt Saito's words. Therefore, all I can say are such things – while thinking so, Louise shyly said.
“I-I am being manipulated too.”
“Eh?”
“I hold affection for my familiar as well. That’s why I felt such burning jealousy, even though I did not want to. Really.”
Louise placed her palms on both of Saito's cheeks and suddenly brought her lips close to his.
“Eh? Eeh? Nmh…”
Two pair of lips slowly melted with each other.
Gently tracing Saito’s lips with her own, Louise thought absent mindedly while kissing.
When I used Void, why was I so angry?
Was it because… Saito did that with another girl? Apparently, it recharged real fast. What an annoying willpower – Louise thought.
Besides I got angry from the bottom of my heart.
It was hateful, it was painful… however, there was nothing I could do…
Louise’s lips kissed the corner of his mouth before pressing themselves hard against his lips again.
After continuing kissing him wildly for a while… Louise suddenly pulled her lips away from his, catching her breath.
“Poor me - I have been manipulated by the Void to feel an attraction towards my familiar. I am such a poor girl.”
After saying those words, Louise leaned in and passionately recaptured his lips again.
While kissing her lips repeatedly… Saito understood that Louise’s words were a lie.
It was painfully obvious.
Louise’s kisses were increasingly feverish and hot.
Hot because her feelings for Saito were spoken out loud.
The moment he saw the lower half of the Albion continent covered by a white cloud from their ship, Saito mused.
Was… Tiffania’s magic really effective against me?
Originally this ‘Fake motive’ might have been nothing more than, in Cattleya’s words, ‘the locked mind’.
Well, when he thought about it, it may have been just showing off Saito's natural optimism.
Something that even your own heart is not aware off.
However, he knew one thing for sure.
Looking at Louise always made his heart beat fast. Even Tiffania’s magic could not change that – it still remained the same.
Saito recalled a dream he saw in Tiffania’s house.
That time, Saito’s mother had asked him.
“Haven’t you forgotten something?”
After all, the meaning of a man’s existence, was to protect the girl that made his heart beat hard.
Even at the cost of his life.
That was all that there was to it.
That was what Saito thought, inside the ship drifting further away from Albion, and continuing to exchange passionate kisses with Louise.