A/N: I'm really sorry for Louis in this one, except I'm not.
The Stray Girl and the Incompetent Mage
Chapter 3: One Small Bottle
...
As punishment for destroying the classroom, Louis was made to clean it up from top to bottom. He couldn't use magic for cleaning, but considering he couldn't do much spells, this didn't really affect him. Mrs. Chevreuse was taken to the infirmary to rest. Fortunately she woke up a few hours later, but she didn't give any more classes for the rest of the day.
Sachiko is completely exhausted. While the punishment was meant for Louis, in the end the only one to clean was her. Louis just sat down in a chair, reading a book. Sachiko tried everything she could to make him help her. She refused cleaning, sitting too until he made his part of the work, but then he told her:
"The more time you take, the more we're going to stay here. We'll miss lunch at this pace."
"You'll miss it too if you don't help me" she had said back. He snorted.
"But I ate breakfast already, so I can stand without eating for a little longer. You, on the other hand, have not eaten since yesterday, have you?" and as if to confirm his point, Sachiko's stomach had growled with intensity, bringing a blush to her cheeks from both embarrassment and anger.
Cleaning had been an arduous, unsavory thing. She had to rearrange the desks and chairs, scrub them with a wet cloth to wash off the soot from them, clean up the blackboard, floor and walls, and carry a new glass for a window that ended up shattering with the explosion.
She's used to helping around the house with her mother, but this has been too much. She barely finished by lunch, and as they walk in the direction of the dining hall, Sachiko feels her anger towards Louis increase more and more.
I don't get it, why didn't he help? Is he that spoiled? It didn't sound like it was the first time he was given this punishment, so he should know how to grab a broom at the very least. She grits her teeth, words coming out of her mouth without her realizing it.
"Finally, this is over. Thanks for nothing, master. Well, it's not like I can expect much from you. After all, you're a noble… oh, but then, you can't cast any spell so doesn't that mean you're actually a fake? Really, it seems you can't even clean a classroom by yourself. In the end even I, a 'commoner', can do more than you."
"Shut it" his voice is low. Sachiko can't see his expression, covered by his bangs, but she can see his shoulders shaking and his closed fists. She snorts.
"Don't tell me you're getting offended. How pathetic. Expecting me to do all the work, making fun of me because I'm a commoner, when it turns out you're not very far from being one yourself. One would think that this situation would make you more humble, but in the end you're just a smug loser, pretending to be something you're not."
Sachiko is no longer conscious of her words; she's just letting out the frustration she has accumulated since yesterday. They're already in front of the dining hall, students sat and eating. At most they're halfway through the meal. Louis stops suddenly, grabs her collar and pushes her against the wall, outside of the field of vision of the students.
His expression makes Sachiko's blood run cold. He looks out of his mind, his teeth bared, his eyes narrowed with a dangerous glow. He raises a fist and she closes her eyes, waiting for the hit. But it doesn't come. She opens her eyes, and sees him trembling, as if he's holding himself back.
"Don't push it" his voice is shaking almost as much as him. He sounds angry and hurt at the same time, and Sachiko feels something tugging at her heart other than fear. "Don't think just because you're a woman you're exempt from physical punishment. First of all, you're my familiar, which means I can discipline you however I see fit, and no one will raise a finger to help you. So, next time you say something like that? I won't respond for my actions."
He releases her. Sachiko is trembling. She can't discern if he's being serious or just trying to make her scared. In any case, it's working, and she can do nothing else but nod, tears accumulating in her eyes. Louis steps back. He doesn't look at her as he walks inside the dining hall.
"Oh, one more thing; for the next two days, you're forbidden from eating."
She nods, even though he's already inside. Suddenly, she feels as if all the strength she had in her is gone.
Sachiko is sitting in the hallway. Her knees are pulled up to her chest. She's hugging them, her face buried between them.
I wonder if I went too far. I was angry, true, but to say all those things to him… she sighs, raising her head and drying a few treacherous tears from her cheeks. But I've never seen him like that. If… if he really does something to me… what can I do? I am trapped with him. I… I'm scared…
Her stomach growls again. She covers her abdomen with her hands, feeling like she's about to faint. The last time she ate was at lunch the day before. She has never gone so much time without food. And now she's going to be two more days like this. Should I apologize to him? I don't want to, but if I continue like this, then…
"Um, excuse me miss, but… are you alright?"
Sachiko whips her head up. There's a boy… a man standing next to her. He's leaning towards her, his hands resting on his knees as he looks at her with the deepest, most beautiful pair of blue eyes she has ever seen. His hair is black, his factions sculptured and perfect. She can see the shade of stubble along his chin and cheekbones, which only accentuates his masculinity.
He's absolutely gorgeous. Sachiko thinks he can even rival Louis in looks and win. The man clears his throat, probably uncomfortable that she's staring at him so firmly, and Sachiko wakes up. She blushes, shakes her head and glances down, as she doesn't think she can form a coherent sentence while looking at him.
"I-I am…" her stomach growls again, betraying her. She can feel her face burning.
The man chuckles, extending his hand to her; "It looks you're hungry. If you don't mind, please accompany me."
Sachiko looks at his hand unsurely. She doesn't know if she should trust this stranger. Her eyes look him up and down. He's not wearing the academy's uniform, which is not a surprise, as he looks too mature to be a student, but he's not wearing a robe like the teachers, which makes sense again because he looks too young for the profession. He's instead wearing a butler's attire, complete with white gloves and a long-tailed coat.
He must be a servant. She thinks of the irony that a person of the staff is much more handsome than any of the noble boys studying here, as she eyes his wide shoulders and lean chest.
The man notices she's looking at him with suspicion, so he straightens. "I won't hurt you, if that's your concern. I just wanted to guide you to the kitchens so I can give you something to eat. But you're right of being suspicious. I have not even introduced myself. My name is Shiro."
He smiles. Sachiko feels herself melting at that smile. She extends her left hand, wanting to make up for her behavior earlier. "My name is Hiraga Sachiko, but only Sachiko is fine…"
He helps her up, before looking at her hand with surprise. "Oh, so you're the commoner that was summoned yesterday. You're quite the center of the rumors around here" he says jokingly.
Sachiko bites her lips and follows him. "Is that good or bad?"
"Oh, you don't have to worry. Most just comment on how unfortunate it must be to have been summoned by one of these noble brats. You must know that whatever you need, we from the staff will gladly help you. After all, it's quite an unfortunate situation you have fallen into."
Sachiko sighs, remembering Louis' face when he pushed her against the wall before. Tell me about it…
Sachiko is led to the kitchen, located at the rear of the dining hall. Inside there's a lot of people, cooks, maids and other butlers stirring up pots, cutting vegetables and meat or serving food in dishes, placing them on trays. Many of them turn to look at her when they enter. Shiro announces loudly that she is the commoner who was summoned as a familiar, and they smiled at her, giving her encouraging words. This doesn't make her feel better though. She thinks that if they're all trying to comfort her then her situation must be worse than she thought it was.
She notices many girls looking at Shiro longingly, and she thinks she even sees a boy doing the same. Then again, it doesn't surprise her. He really is a sight for sore eyes.
"Wait here, ok?" Shiro tells her, pointing at a small table with two chairs. She does so timidly. Shiro talks with one of the cooks, who gives him a bowl with steaming soup. She can hear her stomach growl again at the mere sight, more so when Shiro grabs a piece of bread and walks up to her. He places the bowl in front of her. "It's only the leftovers from the nobles, but it's what we eat while we're cooking. You know, in case we're hungry during work."
"T-Thank you" she says sincerely, taking the spoon and plunging it in the soup. It's creamy and nice, and when she eats her eyes open wide. She doesn't know if it is because it's the first thing she's eating since arriving in this world, but she can truthfully say this soup is the most delicious thing she has tasted in her entire life. "Ah, this is so good!" she lifts the bowl and starts to swallow the food. Shiro chuckles and sits on the chair in front of her.
"I'm glad you like it" in no time the soup is over. Sachiko puts down the bowl. "Would you like more?" he asks, extending a hand. Sachiko bites her lips.
"Won't it be too bothersome?"
"Don't worry about it. Do you want more?" she nods and he takes her bowl; soon after he's back with more soup. This time, Sachiko takes her time while eating. "So, why are you so hungry? Could it be you were given nothing to eat?" Shiro asks with concern. Sachiko sighs, munching on the bread.
"Yes. That guy, Louis, he won't let me eat. I think I made him angry…"
"Oh?"
"No, I surely made him angry. It's just; he's been so mean to me all this time. So when I learned the reason he was called a zero, I said some hurtful things."
"You made fun of him?" Sachiko nods; "you should be careful. He's infamous for having a short temper. I think last year he was suspended for two weeks for blowing up a group of boys that were taunting him during a lesson."
"H-He did that?"
"Yes, luckily the boys were only left with some scratches, nothing serious. I feel pity for him though. It must not be easy to be teased all the time for something he cannot control."
"Even like that, shouldn't he try to be nicer?" she asks sourly. She understands it must be tough to be received with derision every day of his life, as she remembers the laughs and whispers behind his back this morning, but that doesn't justify his attitude towards her. It's not her fault everyone makes fun of him. Really, if I were to treat people badly for every time someone has called me an airhead, then there wouldn't be an end to it…
"I don't know him personally, so I can't say if this is the case or not, but I sincerely think you shouldn't worry too much. From all the nobles here, he can actually be considered one of the most rational. He's the only one who looks at us in the eyes when he asks us to do something, and he greets everyone when he comes across us in the hallway. I doubt he would do something mean to someone who has not earn it, so maybe you two can have a good relationship."
He smiles. Sachiko tries her best to smile back. Now that Shiro has mentioned it, it is true Louis greeted all the servants who bowed to him that morning. If he's right about that, she hopes he's right about Louis being rational. She doesn't think she can stand constantly living in fear of awaking his anger. Maybe we can get along. We just… need more patience. And that included her as well. She's not reluctant in taking the first step if needed.
For her mental health, more than anything.
"Are you done?" Shiro asks. Sachiko looks down at her bowl, and with surprise realizes it's empty.
"Yes. Thank you again. I was really hungry" she hands him the bowl. He shakes his head.
"Don't mention it. Like I said, we'll help you in whatever you need. If you feel hungry, feel free to come around here again. As long as you don't mind eating the same as us, we'll always have a plate of food for you."
Such a kind offer; Sachiko is touched.
"Thanks…" she whispers, before breaking out in tears. This surprises Shiro.
"Miss Sachiko, are you alright?"
"Yes, yes, it's just… this is the first time someone has been nice to me since I arrived here. I became a bit emotional."
"You're exaggerating."
"Well, maybe…" she says, thinking back on that teacher, Mr. Colbert, who smiled at her, and Kirche, who told her to hide under the desk. "If there's anything I can do for you, please tell me. I'll lend you a hand."
"That is not necessary."
"I insist!"
"Ok" he's smiling, finding her determined expression kind of cute. "Then, I have to serve dessert now. If you don't mind helping me…"
"Of course" she stands up and follows him outside. She thinks about their conversation, and decides she's going to apologize to Louis as soon as she sees him. She'll demand an apology from him too. That way, she will show him they can get along if they both put an effort.
Sachiko pushes a cart, full of cakes, cookies and tarts. She follows Shiro who has a pair of thongs, and individually asks every single noble what they want to eat, before placing the dessert on their plates. Shiro was right; none of the kids look at him in the eyes, and even less thank him. A few girls blush when he walks past them, but apart from muttered thanks from their part, no one acknowledges his presence. This makes Sachiko angry.
She sees Louis sitting on the other end, giving her a murderous glare, but luckily for her, another person is serving dessert in that part of the table. She knows he's going to ask her what she was doing helping out one of the servants, and it's like that she ruefully realizes he's going to know she was given food. She hopes apologizing will save her the reprimanding.
In one of the tables she helps Shiro serve, there's a familiar face she really didn't want to see again.
"So Guiche, who are you going out with now?" a group of boys are around Guiche, drilling him with some intimate questions that are being asked too loud for comfort.
Guiche softly raises a finger to his lips. "Go out? I hold no woman in such special regard. After all, a rose blooms for the pleasure of many."
Is he really likening himself to a rose? This is so embarrassing… she feels herself blushing just listening to their conversation and how Guiche is glorifying himself. Looking at him more carefully, he acts like a playboy. Who knows how many more girls he has apart from the one from yesterday. She wonders how in the world she could have thought he was a nice guy.
She shakes her head, ignoring him. To be fair, it's not her business whether he's seeing other girls or not, but she can't help but feel her blood boiling at the thought. Her mother says men who cheat on their girlfriends or wives are the worst. She thinks the same.
They continue talking for another few minutes. By then, Shiro and Sachiko are almost finished with their section of the table. Once the last dessert is gone, Shiro turns to look at her with a smile.
"Well, this is all for today, fortunately. Thank you for your help."
"Oh, it was nothing, but I feel like I didn't really do anything…" she scratches her cheek, embarrassed. Truthfully, the only thing she did was push a cart following Shiro. He's the one who did all the work.
He shakes his head. "You might think like that, but it's more comfortable when I don't have to push the cart and serve at the same time. You made my work easier."
Sachiko gives him a shy smile at that. "Then, is there something else I can do to help?"
"If you want, you can help clean up the table, but we'll have to wait until the students finish their meal."
"Alright, no problem, I'll wait" in that moment, she turns her head at the exact second Guiche and his group get up and begin to leave the dining hall. She sees something falling out of Guiche's pocket, but she's too far to call out to him. He leaves, and she slowly walks back, picking up what looks like a small battle, full of some purple liquid.
"What is that thing?" Shiro asks, approaching her. Sachiko shrugs.
"That guy, Guiche, I think it's his name, let this fall from his pocket."
"Mr. Gramont?" Sachiko looks at him.
"Is Gramont his last name?"
"Yes, I think it was… Guiche Armand Roquelaure de Gramont… he's quite a known figure around the academy, because of his family."
"What is it with nobles and their names?" she asks to herself in a whisper, before sighing.
"You should give it back to him" Sachiko makes a face. The idea of talking with that playboy doesn't sit well with her; "or do you want me to give it back for you?" he's already reaching for the bottle, but Sachiko quickly retreats her hand and shakes her head.
"It's not necessary! You're already giving me food, so I couldn't ask you to do anything else for me."
"It's not a problem, if you want me to…"
"It's ok. I'll do it myself, but thank you for offering. I'll see you later" she smiles, bows, and with that sets off to find him. He didn't leave the dining hall too long ago, so he shouldn't be far. At least that's what she thinks. After ten minutes walking in circles because she doesn't know the academy, she finally gives up.
Really, why give myself so much trouble because of someone like him? He lost this bottle, so now it's mine. She looks at it, stirring the liquid inside it with a soft movement. She wonders what this thing could be. Just then, she sees another familiar face, but this time she's happy to see her.
It's Katie. She's surrounded by a group of girls, chatting enthusiastically about something she cannot hear. She smiles, and approaches her with quick steps before she can lose her.
"Excuse me, miss" she calls out. She was going to use her name, but thought better of it. After all, they didn't know each other, and Katie never told her name officially to Sachiko.
The group of girls turns around. Only Katie recognizes her. "Oh, you're the familiar from yesterday" she says, eliciting a few comments from her friends. Shocked comments, more than anything. Still, they make Sachiko uncomfortable. She ignores them as she stops in front of Katie.
"I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm looking for Mr. Gramont" polite, she has to be polite. That's what her mother always tells her. Katie tilts her head to the side.
"Why are you looking for him?"
"He let this fall from his pocket and I wanted to give it back to him" she shows her the small bottle. At this, for some reason, Katie and her friends gasp.
"Did this really fell from his pocket?" Katie asks. Sachiko doesn't get her tone. She sounds shocked and angry. She wonders why.
"Yes, it did."
"Are you completely sure?" she asks with vehemence. Sachiko frowns, giving a step back when the girl leans closer. She nods.
"Yes, I saw it. He was leaving the dining hall when it fell. I wanted to catch him but I lost him before I could" she explains; "after all, I still don't know the academy all that well."
"I see…" Katie's face is gloomy, as if a dark cloud has suddenly installed over her head. Sachiko opens her mouth to ask if there's anything wrong, but Katie takes the bottle from her hand and turns before she can. "I'll give it to him; you don't have to worry about it."
She leaves, her friends following close and whispering. Sachiko stays behind, watching them go with raised eyebrows.
"You're welcome" she says, before sighing and turning around. Well, it seems is time for her to go talk to Louis.
Sachiko tries to go back to the dining hall, but is unable to find the way back. She doesn't remember which path she took, and every arch and window look exactly the same as the last, so she doesn't have any reference to look for. She has the feeling she's simply walking in circles.
Maybe I should stay in a single place. If I keep walking around I might get even more lost. She didn't leave the building, so Louis must be around here. If she stays here, he should find her in no time. Or I could ask someone for directions; but that's not a possibility. There's no one in this hallway, and now that she thinks about it, she has not seen anyone for some time now. Did they come back to classes? In that case, Louis must be gone too. Ugh, I really wanted to talk to him now…
She crosses her arms and tilts her head up, thinking in what she should do, when she hears someone calling her.
"There you are!" fortunately, it's Louis. He approaches her with quick steps, his fists balled and his brow furrowed in a deep frown. Sachiko barely has time to wonder why is he not in class before raising her hands, attempting to calm him down.
"Before you start yelling at me, I want to say something very important to you. Can you hear me out first and then do whatever you want to do with me?" she asks in a conciliatory tone, her hands still up hoping just this time Louis will listen to her. He glares at her, stopping just a few steps away, and crosses his arms. He doesn't say anything for a while, but finally, after what feels like hours, he speaks up.
"This better be fast. If it is something stupid, consider yourself dead" Sachiko gulps. She has to remind herself it's just a phrase, and he's not really going to kill her. It's hard.
She bows down, her hands joined in front of her. "I want to apologize for what I said before lunch. I was angry and didn't know what I was saying. You are not pathetic or a loser, I shouldn't have said that. I won't make fun of you again."
She continues with her head down for another moment, until she hears him sigh. Only then she looks at him. His eyes are closed, and he's pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers. She patiently waits.
Finally, he puts down his hand and opens his eyes. He looks at her in a way she can determine. "So that's how it is…" Sachiko tilts her head. Louis shakes his head. "Nothing, just talking to myself" he clears his throat. "Well then, I guess I can forgive you, since you took the initiative to apologize."
Sachiko smiles; "you aren't angry anymore?"
"I'm still considering it" he says, drumming his fingers on his arms, and bites his lips; "but for now, this is enough…"
"So I can eat now?"
"So this is what you really wanted" his eyes narrow, but compared to other times, he doesn't look as if he's going to attack her, so Sachiko remains calm. "Don't think I didn't see you at lunch. Going to the servants to beg for food, really…"
"I couldn't keep without eating. I was going to starve to death!"
"Don't exaggerate."
"The food you give me is too miserable" she comments, careful not to spark his anger. Shiro told her Louis was rational, so if she speaks rationally to him, it should work some results.
Louis raises an eyebrow. "I can't let a familiar get used to luxuries. It makes for bad habits."
"I'm not asking you to let me eat at the table with you, just… something less meager?"
"Mm…" he's considering it, even if he's still frowning. Sachiko crosses her fingers behind her back. Finally, he sighs. "Fine, you can eat with the servants then."
"Yes!" she raises her arms and jumps in celebration. Louis rolls his eyes.
"Don't get too excited! I have two conditions!" Sachiko stops jumping and looks at him with a frown. She's about to say something, but thinks better of it and decides to close her mouth and just nod. "You'll accompany me during my meals. You'll stand behind me and only leave when I'm finished" she nods, even though she doesn't understand why she has to do that. Anything for the sake of better food. "If you misbehave or cause any trouble, you'll be forbidden from eating with the servants. I'll make sure myself that you don't get any food if that's the case" she purses her lips, but nods anyway. If what Shiro said is true, even if Louis talks to the servants, she'll still receive food, so she doesn't really lose.
"Is that all?"
"That I can think of for now."
"Great, now about my bed…"
"Do you still have more to say?"
"Of course!" she actually obtained something good, so why don't push it a little more? Louis sighs, but with a gesture of the hand urges her to talk. "It's about where I sleep. Just one blanket is a little…"
"Alright, I'll see to give you a mattress as well" he says before she can talk. She gasps.
"Really? You will?"
"Yes, I wasn't really going to make you sleep on the floor. It's just that yesterday was a little tiring, so I couldn't find anything for you" and deep down even he thought making her sleep on the floor was a little too much. He is her master after all, so he might as well behave like a good one. "Is there anything else you want?"
"Well…" she seemingly thinks for a moment, a finger on her lips; "maybe that about cleaning and washing your clothes…"
"That is not up to discussion. If I have to feed you and give you a place to stay, then you should at least work for it."
"Ok…" she sighs. That's actually something she can understand. "But do I really have to dress you and help you wash your face? Can't you do that on your own?"
"Since you're here I might as well make the most of you. Don't complain about your work."
"Fine…" she rolls her eyes. Well, it didn't go so badly. Now she has decent food and a bed of sorts. Is much more than what she expected to obtain.
Louis clears his throat, making her look at him. He's facing the other way, not making eye contact with her, his arms crossed. "A-Also, for what happened at lunch…" is it her imagination or is he blushing a little? "I-I guess I was a bit excessive… I s-s-shouldn't have d-d-done that…"
Sachiko blinks. Is he referring to…? "What are you talking about?"
He groans, closes his eyes and passes a hand through his hair. "I was angry alright! So sorry for pushing you and scaring you!" he yells, turning around. "Geez, let's do something productive now! I'll show you around the academy ok?" he walks off.
Sachiko can only look at him with big eyes. Really, she wanted him to apologize for his behavior with her, but to think he did it on his own, without her prompting… she smiles, running to catch up to him. "Are you sure you can show me around? Don't you have classes now?"
"We have an hour and a half before the next lesson. Besides, I don't have anything else to do" he explains simply. He refuses to look at her. His cheeks are still red. Sachiko nods and follows him. She feels a little lighter than before.
Louis shows her many parts of the academy. He starts with the main tower. In it, there is the dining hall, the library, where commoners are not allowed entrance except for cleaning, the third year classrooms, a hall used for reunions and the boys' dormitories. The teachers' lounge and the principal's office are also there, but he doesn't show them to her as very rarely students go there.
Apart from the main tower, there are five more towers in the academy, surrounding it and forming a pentagram if looked from the sky. Each has a name that corresponds with the five elements: fire, wind, earth, water and void. The first and second year classrooms are in one tower, another is used as infirmary, other contains the baths, and one of them possesses the girls' dormitories, but the great majority of the space in the towers only has empty rooms that are used for storage.
Louis guides her to one of the courtyards, the Suori Courtyard, where the servants' quarters are located, in case she needs cleaning materials, when their little tour is brusquely interrupted.
"You!" the voice belongs to a boy. Louis and Sachiko turn around in time to see Guiche approaching them. He's glaring at Sachiko, his face red and his fists balled, while some guys follow close behind. "I've been looking for you!"
"What do you want Guiche?" Louis asks, standing between him and Sachiko before he gets too close. Guiche stops in front of him.
"It was because of you and your careless actions!" he ignores Louis and speaks directly to Sachiko. She frowns, confused.
"Pardon me?"
As response, he takes out something from his pocket and shows it to her. It's a small bottle. Sachiko recognizes it immediately.
"Oh, you have it back!" she says with a small smile. Guiche shakes his head.
"Yes, I have it back, thanks to you! Why did you have to give it to Katie? Couldn't you just keep it on you until you found me?" the commotion is attracting other students. Sachiko blinks.
"Em, I couldn't find you, and when I saw her…"
"Isn't that a bottle of perfume from Montmorency?" Louis asks, eyeing the bottle and beginning to understand. Guiche nods.
"Your familiar gave it to Katie!"
"Huh…" Louis crosses his arms and glares at him; "I see, so your two-timing has finally been blow. It was about time."
"Two-timing?" Sachiko doesn't understand a thing. She looks at one and the other, waiting for someone to explain the situation to her.
Louis shrugs. "Guiche is going out with Katie and Montmorency at the same time. I can assume Montmorency gave this bottle of perfume, which she only concocts for herself, to him, and when you gave it to Katie she found out about it. I suppose she confronted you" he says to Guiche; "that's why you're here."
"Not only Katie, but Montmorency also appeared!" one of the guys exclaims.
"The two dumped him in front of everyone!"
The guys look like Guiche's friends, but with such comments it's difficult to determine how deep their friendship actually is. Guiche blushes.
"Enough with this! Thanks to you, the reputation of two ladies has been tarnished; how will you take responsibility?" he asks Sachiko, his eyes fixed on her as he crosses his arms with some big flourish. Sachiko suddenly feels a headache just by looking at him.
"What? I have to take responsibility? Isn't it your fault for two-timing?"
To her surprise, Guiche's friends laugh.
"She's right Guiche! This is your fault!"
"Ugh…" it's obvious he's being left without weapons. Louis lets out a sigh and shakes his head.
"Guiche, if you've come here only for this, I recommend you to leave. You're not only embarrassing yourself, but are making me and my familiar very uncomfortable."
"I'm not talking to you!" he finally explodes, yelling and leaving the little crowd that has been gathering around them in shock. After all, Guiche was well-known for his carefree attitude. For him to yell at someone his patience really had to reach its limit. He turns to Sachiko, now that Louis has been left speechless; "I want compensation for what you did! I demand an apology!"
Sachiko's eyes are wide open, her jaw slack. She quickly shakes her head and looks at him with determination. "No! Why should I apologize? It was an accident. Besides, you were two-timing! If I managed to save two innocent girls from you, then there's nothing I should apologize for!"
"You…!" he's shaking, but in the next second, he suddenly calms down. He relaxes and looks at Sachiko as if he's analyzing her. Sachiko doesn't like that look at all. "Well…" his voice is also calmer. Whatever he found in Sachiko after his brief analysis managed to tranquilize him. "Why am I getting so worked up for? You're right, it was an accident. To have expected a noble's courtesies from a commoner is something I shouldn't have done. My mistake."
At this, something inside Sachiko snaps. "Saying those kinds of things right after looking for a fight, aren't you just a sore loser? You're disgusting for getting angry now that your two-timing has been discovered. I'm glad those girls dumped you in front of everyone, that way no girl will be fooled by you again!"
Guiche's eyes narrow. He clicks his tongue and shakes his head, as if he's the one disgusted at her. "This is exactly what I was talking about. You don't even know the proper way to address a noble. Getting angry at some commoner it's not worth my time."
Sachiko is seething. She can no longer control herself. "What did you say, you over-pretentious bastard?! Comparing yourself to a rose, and then playing with two girls' hearts as if it's nothing, you're completely worthless! You should just go suck on roses for the rest of your life!"
"They don't understand the meaning of a rose's existence! I did not play with their hearts! And even if I did…" he lowers his head, his lips quirking down on one side; "that has nothing to do with you."
That is it. Without thinking, she pushes Louis aside and walks up to him with quick steps, before slapping him with all the strength she has. "Nothing to do with me?! You must be kidding!"
Guiche's face has turned to one side, his cheek is searing red and he has a few tears in his eyes. The crowd is silent once more, but this time, the air feels even heavier.
Guiche turns his face towards her slowly. "You low-life" he takes out his wand, which is ironically a rose, and prepares to cast a spell on her. Before he can, Louis snaps out of his trance and stands between the two of them with his arms extended.
"Guiche, please, whatever you're going to do now, take into consideration that we're still in school grounds, with teachers looking at us" he points with his head to a far part of the hallway where some adults have appeared. They're eyeing curiously, and some even sternly, the scene taking place in front of them. Guiche turns in that direction and seems to be in thought for a second, before going back to bore holes into Sachiko.
"I'll be waiting at Vestri Court" and with that he turns around and leaves.
Louis turns to Sachiko and shakes her by the shoulders.
"What is wrong with you?!"
Sachiko pushes him away. She looks around. "Does someone know where Vestri Court is?"
One of Guiche's friends, who stayed behind to make sure she didn't escape; answers; "this way, commoner."
"Oh, no, you won't" Louis stops her before she can even take a step forward. "Don't you understand how grave the situation is? If you fight against Guiche, you'll lose. Don't think he'll have any consideration just because you're a girl! I told you already, before being a woman, you're a familiar! If he beats you up he'll be in his right!"
"I don't care about that! He's freaking irritating! Besides, he made fun of me and all women! I definitely won't forgive him for that!"
"Can't you look at the situation rationally?! A commoner can never beat a mage! You'll be badly injured. Actually, you'll be very lucky if you come back alive with just injuries!"
"Take me to Vestri Court" Sachiko says to the boy, still waiting for her. Louis growls.
"Can't you listen for once?! Ugh, you know what? Screw this, we're going to Vestri Court, and you're going to apologize. Maybe if you do it now Guiche will forgive you" he grabs her wrist and drags her away. Sachiko protests.
"I'm not going to apologize! Let me go! I can go to Vestri Court on my own!" but everything she says is in vain. Before she notices it, they're already outside the main tower. She looks back, and is surprised when she sees Shiro standing behind with other servants. The servants look petrified, but he has a blank expression, as if he can't believe what's happening.
She has a bad feeling the moment their eyes met and he averts his gaze from hers.
A/N: I'm still wondering what do I do to make chapters so long. I was planning to get the duel scene done in this chapter, but I'll have to leave it for the next. Also, sorry if Guiche looks a bit OOC. I invented a full name for him too. Have you noticed only the girls (with the exception of Saito) have very long names? Makes me wonder why...
Sachiko is a bit more innocent (naive) than Saito, and Louis thinks things through more than Louise. It makes sense in my head. I also took some liberties with the description of the academy. Hope you don't mind.
We finally see the third genderbent character: Siesta. I don't really remember why I decided to genderbend her too, but every time I think about this story, I can only picture Shiro in my head. There are many differences between Shiro and Siesta. First one: Shiro is older. Why? Because for some reason, when I first watched Zero no Tsukaima I thought that since Siesta was working in the academy, then that meant she was past high school age. I know that's not the case now, but I'm going to use it for Shiro anyway. Also, between the three, Shiro is the one whose background changed the most, so he has more differences with Siesta than Louis and Sachiko do with Louise and Saito. He is Siesta at his core, of course, but more... mature, because of his different experiences.
I almost have the next chapter done, so I think I can bring it in a few days.