Gray Morality
Chapter 7
Fog of Judgment
Yukari Yakumo, the border manipulator. Easily the strongest being in all of Gensokyo, and definitely in the running for the most annoying. Yukari has the ability to 'manipulate borders,' and there are no exceptions or footnotes or caveats to that. If you can define a border, she can manipulate it. Simple and powerful as that. Her favored way of utilizing this power was to create rips in space and literally just sit in them and hang out, usually while bothering some else. And she was doing this now.
Yukari was a tall, beautiful woman with long, golden hair extending to her waist over her thick white and purple robes. However, currently she was sticking out of one of her gaps in space so that only her upper body was visible to the Scarlet Devil Mansion team. This was nothing new to them, but Yukari seemed uncharacteristically serious. Her one job is to protect the border of Gensokyo, and this group of magicians is ruining that.
"We did nothing to your border." Patchouli said.
"Are you sure about that?"
"We're just scannin' Yukari." Marisa said.
"Yes yes, I can tell. You went all over Gensokyo with a finely-toothed comb, didn't you? But that's not what I was talking about." Yukari replied. "A week or two ago there was a very deliberate, physical, tangible breach in the border. It didn't seem threatening and dissipated after a few minutes so I thought nothing of it. But then you guys started making a hell of a lot of magical noise, so here I am."
"Ah...sorry 'bout that."
"Sakuya was kidnapped." Remilia interjected quickly. "Past your precious border."
Yukari raised her eyebrows at this. Something had stolen one of of the residents of Gensokyo and took it past her border? It was a direct affront to her purpose, and the look of anger on her face was appropriately frightening.
"We tracked her." Patchouli said. "The results are on the board." In response, Yukari floated over to the readout and whistled when she saw what was written there. She was not strictly a magic user, but she had been around long enough to be able to understand the language.
Yukari relaxed a bit once she realized the Scarlet Devil team had made headway on resolving this incident. While it was Yukari's duty to protect the border, she was very much like Reimu in that she was unbelievably lazy. Knowing that the vampire was highly motivated afforded Yukari the opportunity not to be.
"So, wucha going to do, chibi vampire~?" Yukari said while relaxing her face and pointing lazily at Remilia. Remilia was ticked that she had been addressed as such, but Yukari had that affect on everybody.
"I'm going to get her back, of course."
"And?"
Remilia's eyes narrowed and a slight smile crept up the sides of her face. "Punish the kidnapper, of course." She said, and licked her lips.
…..
I brought Miss Louise to a nearby park to calm her nerves. The execution of Turene had rattled her considerably, and I sat her down on a bench near a fountain and a few trees. The news had spread very quickly throughout the town, and although Miss Louise wasn't paying attention I could see the news spread through the commoners nearby the park. They whispered to each other, some hugged, and others openly cheered.
"Why...why would the princess do that?" Miss Louise questioned.
"Well, it has certainly raised the morale of the population." I answered while pointing to a small group of ragged-looking men. They were drinking and laughing heartily while making hand motions mimicking the former tax collector getting decapitated. I couldn't make out what they were saying, but I can guess that some seriously black humor was being exchanged.
"Why are they so happy?" Miss Louise said in anger. "A noble was just killed right before their eyes, even if it was Turene. They should be furious!"
I did not answer Miss Louise's question straightaway. Although it's the duty of a maid to agree with their master and give them answers they want to hear, it usually works differently when a master takes a personal maid. The intimacy of the relationship affords more leeway for the maid to express her own opinions and ideas. A master needs to be able to use their personal maid for anything, including deep and intellectual conversations. It's no good if the maid is purely a "yes man."
So it was with some trepidation that I answered Miss Louise's question. "Miss Louise, the plebeian community here hated Turene. In fact, they hate the aristocracy in general. Princess Henrietta hit the nail on the head when she mentioned it in her speech, and to hear it said so clearly was incredibly uplifting to the common people. They did not see Turene's killing as a "dreadful but necessary" act of justice. They saw it as the execution of their greatest enemy."
"That's ridiculous, the commoners can't hate us! We're the nobles. They look up to us." She shouted.
"No."
"What?"
"No, they do not, Miss Louise. I'm sorry to be so blunt, but it's the truth. That weapons dealer was trying to rip you off, the tailor stole glances at you with hatred on her face, and the staff of the Charming Fairy Inn recognized you as a noble immediately. The maid staff back at the academy has no love for you either, it's all just false praise and false respect, Miss Louise."
"Liar!" She shouted at me and grabbed my collar. She wasn't strong enough to do anything, but it served to convey how angry I was making her.
"I am not lying, Miss Louise." I said, keeping my cool tone. "Do you remember the day that I nearly killed Guiche de Gramont? That night, when I went to the maid dorms after you went to bed, do you know what kind of reaction I got? It was applause, Miss Louise. They applauded me for what I had done."
Miss Louise stared into my eyes, her hands gripping my collar started shaking, and then she pushed me away. Her arms shot to her sides, and she lowered her head trying to control her anger and confusion. Her world view was being questioned, and her development as a person would depend on how she handled it. People can spend their wholes lives stuck in a single frame of mind, and more often than not it kills them.
"I have to see the princess." Miss Louise finally said, to which I nodded subtly.
"As you wish, Miss Louise." I said, and followed her as we went back to the palace. The streets were wild, and if I wasn't aware of what had just happened I would guess it was a holiday. The commoners were partying in the streets, drinking in the early afternoon and laughing and joking with their friends. I made sure to pay extra attention in case someone tried to hurt Miss Louise (she was a noble after all), but luckily no such thing happened. We reached the gates of the palace, where the guard promptly held up his hand and prevented us from entering.
"No visitors," he said simply.
"Tell the princess it's Louise!" Miss Louise demanded, and the guard shrugged. He made a motion near his collar and whispered something. A minute later, he nodded to us and began to open the gate. Did he have some sort of magic communication device on him? It would explain how the guards were so coordinated. A different guard escorted us up to the throne room, and held us for a couple of minutes before opening the large ornate door.
The throne room looked completely different when it was lit by the light of the day. We had been in here only half a day earlier in the dead of night, where it had been lit by candlelight. But in the afternoon, the sun spilled through the open windows and lit up the throne room completely. The sun sparkled off of the gems and gold trims, giving a truly majestic look to the place. Princess Henrietta was sitting on her throne in her normal outfit.
"Hello again, Louise Francoise. I can imagine why you're here." The princess greeted.
"WHAT DID YOU DO?" Miss Louise roared suddenly. I saw the princess jump with fright at the sudden outburst, but she regained her calm.
"I can understand why you're upset-"
"You killed a noble." Miss Louise shouted. "With some machine. With a blade!"
"Yes, I did."
"How could you?"
"Louise, please hear me out..." Henrietta said while trying to calm her friend with a meaningless hand gesture. "I have a very real reason for what happened today."
"What possible reason could that be?" Miss Louise said. I could tell how angry she was, but more than anything it must have stemmed from confusion. Her childhood friend, who had been so nice and pleasant, had done such a cruel and unthinkable thing to a fellow noble. It was an act of betrayal, in Miss Louise's mind.
"The aristocracy is dying." Henrietta said.
The room went silent. It took a moment for Miss Louise to properly process what the princess had just said. "What...what does that mean?"
Henrietta shifted in her seat. "Louise, have you been following the global politics?" She asked. Miss Louise shook her head. "A coup d'etat has just started in Albion. A few nobles banded together to wipe out the royalty and instill their own. They are supported by almost the entire plebeian population, who claim they are fed up with the system. My sources inform me the coup will likely succeed."
Miss Louise gasped. This was news to her, although personally I have no idea what Albion is. Before she could catch a breath, the princess continued on with her explanation.
"Meanwhile, the royalty of Gallia is completely falling apart. There have been countless assassination attempts on all members of the royalty, causing the leaders to act erratically and without reason. Gallia is slowly turning into a country of mercenaries that will soon implode in on itself. The country is being run into the ground."
"The citizens of our own country, meanwhile, absolutely hate the Tristain nobility. There's just something about the Tristain nobles that really rub people the wrong way. My guard captain said it was because of their arrogant attitudes, treating themselves like gods and the commoners like rats. If this is true, I fear a full-scale rebellion is not far off."
The princess paused to catch her breath, before finishing. "I cannot let that happen, Louise Francoise."
Miss Louise stood there, her mouth hanging open. I'm not to sure on all the details, but the main point is easy enough to grasp. The nobles and the commoners hate each other, and it's reaching its boiling point. No wonder she's taken such drastic measures. She probably doesn't have any other options.
"B-but how does that relate to k-killing nobles?"
"Louise, I am not simply 'killing nobles.' I am treating nobles and commoners equally. Eventually, I plan on creating a society without such a horrible thing as an aristocracy. If I can't create such a thing, then it will be created for me by the commoners' own hands. But if it comes to that...most of us will be killed before we are able see it. I have to minimize the damage."
"But that's absurd!"
"You and every other noble will think that, but it must be done. I hope you will see what I see one day, Louise. I wasn't sure of it myself, until you brought me Turene. It only took you three days, Louise. You found a corrupt aristocrat in three days."
Miss Louise did not have a response to that, and the conversation seems to have died. The princess did not dismiss us though, so an awkward silence started to form. Unexpectedly, Henrietta broke it by addressing me.
"Miss Familiar...the world you claim to come from...does it have any insight into our situation here in Halkeginia?" Henrietta said, almost pleading. I'm sure the history of Earth had plenty to say on the subject, although I was only familiar with the parts of it that involved pointy metal objects. Admittedly that was most of it, but I found the politics of it all kind of boring. And Gensokyo...well...
"Gensokyo's upper class generally feeds on the lower class, so I don't know if the situations are exactly relate-able." I said.
"Excuse me?" Henrietta said, sure that she misheard me.
"The upper class 'youkai' eat the lower class 'humans.' So our enforcement system is...different than something you would probably employ."
Henrietta and Miss Louise were shocked. "H-How do you manage such a world?" Henrietta asked. "Your earlier description made it sound so wonderful."
"A certain entity exists to prevent any major events disrupting the status quo. It prevents youkai from completely exterminating humanity, and also keeps humanity from rebelling and exterminating the youkai. Everything is kept in check at an acceptable level."
That entity was Hakurei Reimu, of course.
"I'm sorry I cannot be of more help, and I take the same stance as my master on your actions." I said, partly to cover my ass with regards to Miss Louise. Henrietta seemed to understand, but Miss Louise's expression did not change. Henrietta sighed.
"Well, in any case, you two should return to the academy. I am going to have a lot to deal with."
Miss Louise left the throne room of the person she had thought was her closest friend. How she felt now I can only guess, but as a proper maid I followed silently behind her ready to tend to her every need.
…..
"Sorry, the route is blocked. Ya ain't goin' to the academy from here," said the carriage manager at the gate of the capital. Miss Louise and I were trying to get a ride back to the academy, but it was not going well.
"Blocked by what?" Miss Louise asked.
"There be major floodin' in the area. The road is completely submerged."
"Isn't there another way?"
The carriage manager stroked his short beard in thought. "Well, I suppose you could ride up to Tarbes, it should be dry. However, that'd take ya six hours at the least."
"Uwah...that's..." Miss Louise slumped. That was over twice as long as the ride normally took, and six hours by carriage was a bit hard for a noble to handle.
"Miss Louise, if it's the only way..."
"Yeah, yeah, I know..." Miss Louise said to me, and then turned back to the carriage manager. "How much would that cost?"
The manager frowned, clearly not wanting to actually take the journey to the academy. However, as a businessman I'm sure he couldn't let this opportunity slip. "Two gold." He said, and Miss Louise unhesitatingly paid the price. The manager went to the back and grabbed a pack before leading us to his horse-drawn carriage.
"Stupid flood." Miss Louise said.
…..
We didn't get back to the academy until early evening, the sun just starting to set. We had ridden very out of the way through lush farmland and a small village called Tarbes. It seemed like a simple farm town, where most people ran farms or related establishments. Definitely a town of commoners. We got a few looks from the farmers as we passed by, but they were peaceful enough. Miss Louise complained the whole way, of course.
"What a terrible day." Miss Louise said, after we finally made it back to the academy. I helped her off the carriage while the driver called over the stable master.
"Some days are like that, Miss Louise. If there's anything I can do..." I offered, and Miss Louise put her finger up to her chin in thought.
"Sakuya, I was thinking a lot about what the princess said and did on that excruciatingly long carriage ride, and I've come to a conclusion."
"Oh?"
"Yes. I've concluded that I need a drink as fast as possible."
"…"
Well, that certainly subverted my expectations. However, a proper maid must serve. "Very well, Miss Louise. The cafe is just over there and will have some wines available." I said, and Miss Louise nodded in agreement. She walked a bit faster than usual towards the cafe while I followed. I was honestly surprised, actually, at the number of wine drinkers at the academy. It seemed that a prerequisite for being an aristocrat was to drink fine wine at every occasion, even if they were just students. I wonder if they actually enjoyed it, or if it was just for appearances.
As we neared the cafe, I could see Guiche and Montmorency enjoying a small meal together at one of the tables. If my watch is correct then the commons are still offering dinner, but I guess these two opted for a romantic dinner instead. Maybe it's Guiche's first day out of the infirmary. As we got close, Montmorency was the first to notice us.
"Oh, hey Louise. How was-" Montmorency began, but was interrupted when Louise haphazardly grabbed one of the wine glasses on the table and gulped it down.
"Hey! That's-" Guiche said, but was not quick enough to stop Miss Louise from stealing his drink from in front of his face. She downed the entire glass in one go and slammed it back onto the table with a satisfied gasp of air.
"Thanks." Miss Louise said with no real enthusiasm, and then strode over to a different table and sat down. I followed her and made to stand behind her, but she gestured for me to sit as well. "Have one of the other maids serve us, Sakuya." She said.
"Ah, er, of course, Miss Louise..." I said. As trained, one of the maids on duty at the cafe came to wait on us quickly enough, although when she saw me she froze.
"C-Chief, you're back." The maid said with no hidden amount of disappointment in her voice. "What will you be, er, having?"
"Bring Miss Louise a nice bottle of wine, she's had a trying couple of days." I said. Unfortunately I still haven't grasped the reputation and quality of different brands of wine, and coupled with the fact I can't read the language Halkeginia uses, I really can't tell the difference by the labels. I'm not in a big rush to actually learn the language though. With luck I will be back home in Gensokyo soon.
"Right away." The maid said, and ran off. Miss Louise looked at me a bit funny, and spoke after a few moments.
"In all seriousness though," she said, "I just can't believe the princess's words..."
"Any part in particular, Miss Louise?"
"The part about the aristocracy..." Miss Louise said, and then lowered the volume of her voice considerably. "...dying."
"Would you like my personal opinion, Miss Louise?"
"Sure."
I shifted in my seat and put my hands in my lap. "She was absolutely correct about one thing, and that is the fact that the aristocracy and proletariat absolutely loathe one another. Whether this is indicative of an impending rebellion, I can't say..."
Before Miss Louise could respond, the maid brought us a bottle of some-and-such wine. Miss Louise looked at the logo, gave it a nod and the maid began to pour. I watched her with narrowed eyes and a piercing gaze to put on pressure. I could see her tense up, and she ended up pouring the wine too fast. It was a minor mistake, but one she knows she made. I could see the fear on her face. After she finished pouring, she left the bottle and rushed back.
"Well let me tell you two something, missies!" Derfligner suddenly said from inside my uniform. It was hard to remember one of my knives was sentient, and gave me a little start. "I've seen a lot of rebellions in my time, but that beauty of a princess you got here has done something unique."
"And what rrrebellions were those, knife?" Miss Louise said, rolling the 'r' in "rebellion" for some reason. She wasn't drunk, she's only on her second glass.
"Eh, I don't remember exactly."
"What."
"But I know they happened!" Derflinger said loudly, and I decided at this point to just unsheath him and place him on the table. I don't know if it actually helped him any, but it made it easier for me to visualize a conversation with three people instead of just Miss Louise and I. "Anyways, the princess did that thing with the prisoner. I've never seen that, so perhaps rebellion isn't in the cards after all."
"The history books I have read would indicate otherwise," I said, "but it's definitely unique."
"Yeah...thats because the princess...is amazing." Miss Louise said and finished off her second glass. She was staggering in her seat a bit, as if she was somehow off balance.
"Miss Louise, are you alright?" I asked.
"..."
"..."
"Miss Louise. Can you hear me?"
"..."
"...Sakuya..."
"Yes?"
"..."
"Saaaaaaaakuuuuuuuuyaaaaaaaa~~~~" Miss Louise cried, and then charged me out of her seat with a huge embrace. I wasn't prepared, and she tackled me with enough force to knock my chair over backwards, sending us both flying onto the ground. She hugged me tightly while we both laid there. "Sakuya~! Hold meeeee~"
"W-What? M-Miss Louise..." I said in protest, and then she looked up at me with large, puppy-dog eyes. I blushed slightly and looked to the left while I wrapped my arms around her. How can I say no to that?
"Sakuya~~Why doesn't anybody love me? All the students make fun of me! And even the professors don't have any faith in me...and the princess has betrayed me...and my family doesn't like me...and even you are planning to leave me the first chance you get! Even though I love you so much~!" Miss Louise said as she buried her head into my chest.
Did, did she just say she loved me? No no no, Miss Louise was obnoxious and bratty, not...whatever this is. Something is clearly wrong. "Derflinger," I addressed the knife back on the table, "Is something wrong with Miss Louise, do you think?"
"Looks drunk."
"She had two glasses of wine, she's not drunk."
"You have no idea, I once had this one guy who after only a shot would-"
"Not the time, Deff."
"Fine, fine." The knife said, but didn't offer any sort of explanation. Miss Louise then starting sniffing me, which became fairly awkward. But she seemed completely oblivious to everything around her, so it was only me who was feeling it. I couldn't really push Miss Louise off or tell her to stop touching me, since I was her maid. Luckily, a minute later Montmorency and Guiche walked over to see what the commotion was.
"Err...I was afraid of this..." Montmorency said quietly.
"Afraid of what?" I said sharply.
"Well...Louise may have, hypothetically, inadvertently, in a completely unavoidable way...drunk a love potion."
"Ahahahahaha!" Derflinger started laughing hysterically. "That sure explains it!"
That had to be the source. Montmorency didn't bat an eye when the knife started to speak—intelligent items aren't that rare, I guess—and instead rubbed her arms nervously together behind her back and tried to avoid my gaze. I didn't even have to ask where Miss Louise ingested such a thing. She stole Guiche's glass and drunk the wine meant for him.
"This is your fault, I presume." I said.
"Hmph. I'm an aristocrat, you can't talk to me like that, maid."
"So how do I reverse the potion's effects?" I said, completely ignoring her comment.
"It'll wear off, just wait it out." Montmorency said, and put her hands on her hips. It occurred to me that she might not like me much after what I did to her boyfriend. Although the look on his face would suggest he was actually happy that he was so adored by his girlfriend, to the point she would dose him. What goes on in that head of his I could never guess.
"How long?" I asked.
"I'm getting tired of your attitude, maid!"
"How long?" I said coldly and narrowed my gaze at the little blond-haired girl. She tensed up slightly.
"Six months."
"Eh?" Guiche exclaimed suddenly. "Y-You were going to make me drink such a thing...?" The look of happiness on his face from earlier quickly turned sour and his skin went pale at the news. A couple of weeks can be waited out, but six months is life-changing. Before I could protest, Miss Louise shifted upwards and brought her face close to mine. My gaze shifted back to Miss Louise, and we locked eyes. A few seconds passed, and then she nuzzled up against my neck. I rolled my eyes, and turned to face Montmorency again. She had turned around and was walking off, but Miss Louise preventing me from pursuing.
"Six months doesn't seem so bad from where I'm looking." Derflinger said.
"You can shut it."
…..
"Miss Louise, it's time for your bath." I said, and moved to go prepare it. We were back in her room and most of the students were getting ready for bed. Instead of studying as usual, Miss Louise instead found it a more valuable use of her time to stare at me. She followed me into the washroom and watched as I drew her the bath, meticulously altered the temperature, adjusted the amount of soap and suds, the bubble bath, the incense and aroma, and all the other things. She looked at me in her lovey-dovey way, but there was also an expression of wonder at all the work I put into it. Once it was completed, I helped Miss Louise to undress herself, placing her clothes into the dirty laundry bin and hanging a robe for her. Then I helped her into the tub. I tried to leave her alone, but she stopped me.
"Sakuya~ Wash me please~" she asked innocently. This love potion of Montmorency's is annoyingly high-maintenance. I went back and leaned over the tub, helping Miss Louise to clean her body of the day's grime. After the bath, I helped Miss Louise into her robe and walked her back into her room. She asked me for assistance for her entire nightly routine, including brushing her teeth, combing her hair, and various other small tasks. These are all actions she took herself before tonight, but now I was apparently necessary for their execution.
"Sakuya, can you sleep with me tonight?~" Miss Louise begged. Great. She certainly didn't seem to mean it in that way, but it was still something I would rather not do. I had to train the maids, and there was a lot of cleaning and organizing I did at night. I always loved it when Remilia asked this of me, but the human Louise? No thanks.
But I couldn't refuse, and so I found myself under the covers with Miss Louise as she hugged me. I patiently laid next to Miss Louise until her breathing slowed and she fell into a deep, drug-enhanced sleep. Then I stealthily crept out of bed to go find the maid staff. Miss Louise was a heavy sleeper and she wouldn't wake up until daybreak, so there was no need for me to actually stay with her while she was unconscious. And the maids have had much too long to go unsupervised.
…..
"Five." I announced. The maid staff of Tristain Academy was worried, as they have every right to be. I had gathered them in the kitchen as I usually do to see the results of their half week of independent training. It had not gone well.
"Five of you are at what I consider to be at an 'acceptable' level." I said with a cold stare. "Out of forty of you, five are not completely worthless. You are pitiful." The maids shrunk away from me, and turned their heads to avert my gaze. I didn't explicitly say which five had passed, but they probably had a good idea of who they were regardless. Siesta was one of them—the best, actually—and a few others were showing promise as well. But I have a strong feeling that most of the staff just completely blew off training while I was away. This is unacceptable.
"You can't punish all of us." One of the cockier maids shouted. When she spoke up, the crowd slowly parted away from her and isolated her. I walked up to her slowly, but she didn't break her stance. I reached into my uniform and pulled out a long knife, not Derfligner, but one near him, and held it out loosely at my side.
"Oh, you aren't afraid of being punished?" I asked her, and put on one of my infamous smiles. She just scoffed.
"There's no way you would actually hurt us. You can't just hurt people who don't do a good job. All of your threats are empty, you'd never actually use that knife on us." She said. The maid staff stiffened up, and the tension was thick in the air. The entire room was silent, waiting for my reaction to this blatant insubordination. This maid did have a point in that I had not yet cut the skin of a maid with one of my knives. I had hit them, whacked them about, burned them, but I did not actually pierce their skin. Her confidence was annoyingly well-justified.
In a quick motion, I secured the grip on my knife and stabbed it into her stomach. It ripped through the apron and dug into her skin, red blood seeping out and staining her uniform. Her eyes widened, but I didn't change my expression at all from that terrifying smile people say I have. The crowd gasped, and the other maids became extremely fearful. Cold sweat ran down their foreheads, and one collapsed to her knees. But I focused on the insubordinate maid who my knife was invading, and slowly pulled it out of her. She screamed out in pain, and collapsed onto the ground holding her stomach. The blood spilled onto the floor.
"I have no problem cutting up human beings." I said as I stood over her writhing body, and then turned to the onlookers with my bloodied knife in hand. "Does anyone else want to test that claim?"
The failures instantly fell to their knees and begged for mercy. It was surprisingly empowering, I see why Remilia likes it so much. The fairy maids never became this afraid of me, since my knife attacks were never truly lethal to them. Youkai, fairies...they're pretty resistant to physical attacks. It'll take more than a knife to the chest to knock them down. A human though? Easy to kill, easier to scare. I looked down at the begging maids.
"You lot are on thin ice. If you don't want to end up like your friend down there on the floor with a hole in your heart, I would suggest you step up and practice with more enthusiasm. Since you apparently don't have the motivation to work on your own, I'll need to step up the severity of my punishments..." I said, and wiped the maid's blood off of my blade with a small cloth. "Siesta, bring the wounded to the infirmary. She won't die, but she's done as a maid."
I know how to kill humans—I have much experience in that arena—and by extension I know what will not kill them. But this maid will be out of commission for a week at least, which will put her too far behind my training schedule. I have no more use for her, and so turned my attention to everyone else, and began to train them as usual. We went over recipes and cooking mostly until four in the morning. I ran them extra late as punishment.
…..
I made sure that I was in bed with Miss Louise when she woke up. I decided to actually sleep in her bed with her, in stopped time of course, but it was very refreshing. Her bed was very luxurious. When she woke up, she rubbed her eyes a bit, smiled at me, and then sat up. "Sa~ku~ya~" She said.
I guess the potion is still in effect. Although it took a bit more effort than usual, I performed the morning routine and led Miss Louise down for breakfast in the commons. She asked me not to leave, but I assured her I was simply going to get her food and I would be right back. I sat her down next to Kirche and Tabitha, who were looking considerably less well-rested than Miss Louise was. I emerged from the kitchen with some over easy eggs and sausage patties, and set the plate down in front of her.
"Louise, there's this crazy rumor going around." Kirche exclaimed rather energetically, despite the bags under her eyes. Even Tabitha was showing interest in the conversation, although it didn't stop her from having a book open under the table. "My friend says she heard from her friend in the capital that a noble was executed. You were there, right?"
Miss Louise was shook off guard by the question, I could tell. She had raised the fork to her mouth, but set it back down on her plate before taking a bite. "Well...it was Turene, the royal tax collector. He was k-killed by the princess herself..." She could barely get the words out, and whatever bliss the love potion afforded her it was not working on this topic of conversation.
"Seriously?" Kirche shouted, but quieted herself down once she realized how much attention she suddenly drew. "Why?" She said softly.
"He was committing fraud." Miss Louise said. That was essentially true, other motivations for the execution or no. Turene was definitely a bad guy who definitely deserved having his head chopped off. I mean, pads, really? How dare he. And there was all that extortion stuff too.
"But still, execution, for that? He was a noble you know. The royalty can't do that! We have to complain."
I stifled a laugh, but my expression must have changed because Tabitha suddenly looked in my direction. "Maid." She said in nearly a whisper. Dammit, she ratted me out. Quite the observant little one, she is. Kirche and Miss Louise both turned to me with questioning looks.
"Terribly sorry for interrupting." I said and bowed slightly.
"What is it, Sakuya~?" Miss Louise said, and put a big smile on her face. This strange tone of Miss Louise only got more questioning looks out of Kirche and Tabitha, but I didn't clarify for them.
"I was just wondering what Miss Zerbst thought she would actually complain about, to the princess."
"About executing nobles, obviously. It's wrong."
"It's the law." I said, cutting my words deep like our infamous Shikieiki would back in Gensokyo. "Do you plan on telling the princess you have trouble with being punished for committing a crime?"
"W-Well, er..."
Kirche crumpled up, not having a proper response. Miss Louise on the other hand was positively beaming. "My maid is so smart, I bet you guys wish you had a cool familiar like me~"
"Well—wait, what?" Kirche said. That was something Miss Louise just would not say. However, Miss Louise wasn't explaining herself and I wasn't either, so Kirche was left to wallow in uncertainty while everyone finished their meals. I watched on in silence, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Montmorency leaving the commons. I should probably go speak to her about this love potion nonsense.
I leaned down and whispered in Miss Louise's ear. "Miss Louise, may I please go outside and wait for you to finish?"
"Ehhhh? B-but I want you here with meee..."
"Miss Louise, if you let me go outside I would be so in your debt I might do anything for you." I whispered seductively in her ear. Her face went red, and she nodded her head violently. Ah, do I know how to manipulate people. I walked out of the room and caught up to Montmorency, who hadn't noticed me come up behind her.
"Hello, Montmorency. We need to talk." I said, and she jumped up in surprise. Her face was narrow and angry when she turned around to face me.
"I already told you-"
"It's unacceptable, I will not wait six months. You will fix Miss Louise, today."
"I can't, you damn maid." She spat out. "You just have to wait."
I stepped closer to her, right up next to her and stared down into her eyes. She was about as tall as Miss Louise, putting me a full head higher than her. "Montmorency, if you are not aware, I am the chief maid of this academy's maid force."
"So?"
"So," I said and smiled, "I supervise the cooking of all meals on campus, for every single person. Wouldn't there be a rather cruel irony if somehow you were drugged in the same way Miss Louise was?"
Montmorency's face went pale. "A-Are you threatening me, commoner?"
"Oh, don't be mistaken Montmorency." I said, and slowly pulled back a fold in my uniform to reveal one of my more sinister knives. "If the next words out of your mouth are not another way to cure Miss Louise, you won't live long enough to drink a spiked glass of wine."
"..."
I kept my smile and stared right into Montmorency's eyes. The fear in them was unmistakable. It's easy for a person to claim themselves strong, hiding behind words like "aristocrat" and "magician." However, when the enemy is right in your face and means to kill you, suddenly you have to back up your words. And most people, I've learned, are incapable of doing so. So it was no surprise what Montmorency said next.
"T-There's another way..."
"I thought so."