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Epilogue[]
On board of the ship traveling from Rosais to Tristain, Saito was having a nightmare while lying in the cabinâs bed.
He had received more damage from the fight with Jörmungand than Louise.
âUgh, ughâ - 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.
âWho is it?â
âItâs me.â Answered Louiseâs voice.
â...itâs open.â He said in an ill-tempered voice, and with an awkward expression on her face, Louise stepped in.
âExcuse me. Just in case, I came to check. Are you alright?â
âYou... hit me more than enough already.â
Louise pouted and said in a sulky tone.
âY-you were the one who was wrong. You said you love me only as a familiar. I-it was a lie wasnât it? Truly. You love me, right?â
She sounded almost desperate.
Saito glared at Louise and said.
âSuch a thing can be said to anyone. As a noble.â
âS-still, you love me?â
âI donât dislike you.â
âSo you like me?â
âIsnât that the opposite? Arenât you the one who likes me?â
âN-n-n-n-n-n-no way!â
Blushing Louise, whirled her hands fast.
âSo, were you not this jealous because you love me? And you even amassed your willpower so quickly because you were angry I was kissed. Itâs so obvious.â
âUuuuuhâ Louise let out a half-sobbing groan and nodded.
â...Really. It might be so.â
â...Huh?â Surprised, Saito stared at Louise. Seeing him like this, Louise once again gave a triumphant ânyaâ smile.
âNo way. The dog is drooling again.â
âY-you cheated!â
âAnd you got all âdokidokiâ from that. Idiot.â
Saito turned to the other side to hide his embarrassment and said.
âReally... Iâll just gradually find a way to return home. And then I will definitely drink miso soup.â
âWhat is miso soup?â
âMy countryâs soup.â
Then Louise gently said.
âI too would like to drink soup from Saitoâs country.â
Saitoâs cheek turned redder than from a kiss.
Louise became embarrassed as well and turned the other way.
âIt may be very difficult, however... for the moment, the way things are, I would like for you to continue helping us.â
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.
âWhy should I do such a thing?â
Why doesnât Saito say such words.
That time... he saved her from Fouquetâs golem.
And that day, he came to Louiseâs rescue again...
Thatâs why behind his snappish words, Louise felt Saitoâs love. And then, when he went through Tiffaniaâs spell... It wasnât a familiarâs affection, but genuine love.
However, why do I still doubt? That it isnât given by a familiar magic? Why canât 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 Saitoâs words. Therefore, all I can say are such things â while thinking so, Louise shyly said.
âI-I am being manipulated too.â
âEh?â
âI hold affection for my familiar as well. Thatâs why I felt such burning jealousy, even though I did not want to. Really.â
Louise placed her palms on both of Saitoâs cheeks and suddenly brought her lips close to his.
âEh? Eeh? Nmh...â
Two pair of lips slowly melted with each other.
Gently tracing Saitoâs 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 â 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...
Louiseâs 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.
âPoor me - I have been manipulated by the Void to feel an attraction towards my familiar. I am such a poor girl.â
After saying those words, Louise leaned in and passionately recaptured his lips again.
While kissing her lips repeatedly... Saito understood that Louiseâs words were a lie.
It was painfully obvious.
Louiseâs 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... Tiffaniaâs magic really effective against me?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Originally this âFake motiveâ might have been nothing more than, in Cattleyaâs words, âthe locked mindâ.
Well, when he thought about it, it may have been just showing off Saitoâs 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 Tiffaniaâs magic could not change that â it still remained the same.
Saito recalled a dream he saw in Tiffaniaâs house.
That time, Saitoâs mother had asked him.
âHavenât you forgotten something?â
After all, the meaning of a manâs 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.