A/N: I am back after over three years. I don't know if anyone follows this story anymore of the people that used to read it back then, but I want to say that I'm sorry. I've had... plenty of problems the past three years that I won't go into detail here. Life hasn't been easy, and I kinda lost my will to write. I've kinda lost interest in this fandom as well. But I want to finish all of my stories, so here I am again, attempting to do so. I'll try my best.

The Stray Girl and the Incompetent Mage

Chapter 25: The Charming Fairies' Inn

...

Louis exits the clothing shop sporting brand new dark brown pants, a simple button-up white shirt and suspenders, along with wooden shoes that make way too much noise on the cobblestone floor for his taste. With a sour expression, he looks under his nose at Sachiko, who's wearing a simple light yellow dress with their luggage and Derflinger leaned on the bench she's sitting on.

She tilts her head to the side, giving him a calculating look. "You still don't look like a commoner."

Louis narrows his eyes in annoyance. "I changed clothes, what else can I do to look like a commoner?" he asks, crossing his arms. Sachiko puts a hand under her chin, sizing him up and down and making him nervous under her attentive eyes, before she simply shrugs, leaning back on her hands and sighing.

"I don't know. It's not a question on what you can do or not, it's more like… your posture, your face… everything about you gives off a feel of nobility. Changing clothes does not diminish that effect at all" she explains reluctantly. Louis purses his lips, before sitting down next to her and letting out another sigh, allowing his body to melt against the bench.

"Well, there's not much I can do about that. Mannerisms are something difficult to change…" he frowns, looking up at the sky, where the sun is slowly rising on the heavens. "Still, this is a mission especially given to us by the Queen… even if there are difficulties; we need to proceed no matter what."

"I understand that, ehm; maybe if you tried to be a little… sloppier then you would look less like a noble?" Sachiko offers, straightening and looking at him. Louis raises an eyebrow.

"Sloppier? And how do you think I should do that?"

The question is half serious, half mocking. Sachiko frowns at his tone and he chastises himself in his mind. He's in a bad mood, ok, but that's no reason for him to take it out on her. He's truly trying to become better, but it's difficult getting his temper in check when throughout his entire life he's never had much reason to.

The girl huffs, crossing her arms and turning her face away. "It's not my fault the mission it's not to your liking, you know? So there's no need to use that tone with me. Really, right now I could be on my way to Tarbes with Shiro, expecting a full month of relaxation but because of your Queen…"

"Be careful what you say next. Just because Henrietta isn't your queen it doesn't mean you can be so disrespectful to a figure of authority such as her" Louis cuts her off before she can keep complaining. Sachiko pouts again, but says no more. Louis sighs. "Now, as much as I would love to spend all day doing nothing, we should hurry and find a place to settle and a job, in that order. We need to get started on the mission as soon as we can."

"To think I would have to find a new job in this world…" Sachiko sighs, standing up and pulling her bag around her shoulders. Then, she slings Derflinger too, covered by a cloth as not to drawn attention. Louis too, hangs his own luggage on his shoulder, and the two set out to find an inn in which to stay.

"Stop complaining already. I'm supposed to be the noble here, not you."

"Oh, so you do admit that nobles complain way too much?" she answers mockingly. Louis grunts, knowing she's in no better mood than him for the change of plans, and is taking it out on him.

"Sachiko, you're annoying, so shut up already."

He halts suddenly, causing Sachiko, who was more worried about coming up with a proper retort, to collide against his back. She takes a step back, rubbing her nose and glaring at him.

"What's your deal, now?"

"The note the Queen gave us…" he says referring to the check included in the order's letter, "it's not enough money" he says, placing a hand under his chin. Sachiko frowns.

"What do you mean it's not enough money? It's around four-hundred écu, no?"

"Yes, but we already used a little for my clothes… and I don't know how much more it will last until we find a job…"

"…And in what would we be spending that money on, not to be enough?"

"In an inn, of course" he rolls his eyes, looking at her as if she's stupid. Sachiko raises an eyebrow.

"What kind of inn costs four-hundred écu…?"

"…All the inns I know of…"

Sachiko huffs, "a cheap inn it's fine, no? It doesn't have to be some luxurious hotel."

"I don't trust cheap inns" he responds seriously, and the only answer he receives from his familiar it's a roll of the eyes. Louis glares at her. The way she's looking at him, it's like she's thinking 'as expected of the son of a duke' and honestly, she can't be more wrong.

So, maybe it's true he's a noble and he's used to staying in lavish and expensive places, but at the same time, he's the heir of his house, of a territory that is by far the biggest in Tristain and positioned in the border of a country in constant civil war. He's not so sheltered he has never travelled his territory and stayed at cheap inns, or sometimes in the open, camping with his father while they looked over their lands.

He remembers pulling a quilt over a stack of hay and laying down with his father on the stables of a small village once, looking up at the sky and learning about the stars. How old was he? Nine? Ten? He did complain a little about having to rest in such a place, but his father has always been a hands-on man, and he had always been adamant for his son and heir to be the same, to be involved in the management of their lands and with their subjects instead of being another of those noblemen who left all to their administrators.

So, despite what Sachiko might think, he's not against cheap inns because he can't handle anything below a certain standard, but because he highly distrusts cheap inns, especially those of big cities like Tristania. In a city so packed, cheap establishments could surely be found, but the demand would mean a lack of care, the price being equal to the grade of healthiness associated with their rooms. He would much rather pay a higher price for a room with clean sheets and warm water than one cheap with dusty floors and water stained walls.

Not to mention the rats and other vermin.

He could easily explain this reasoning to Sachiko, and he fully intends to, until she opens her mouth and says something completely infuriating.

"I'm sure if we look around, we'll find some nice place to stay in" Sachiko continues, unrelenting in her glare. "Let's just go to a cheap place, we're supposed to be undercover anyway, no? It won't do to stay at a high-class hotel simply because you can't stand commoners' inns."

He frowns, matching her glare with one of his own, almost baring his teeth at the implication he doesn't want to stay at a cheap place because of a whim. "And who says we're going to stay at a high-class hotel? I just don't want to go downtown to find some stinking inn to stay in because you don't want to spend money."

"The money we have it's for the mission, not for luxuries. Really, don't be so spoiled."

"Who are you calling spoiled?!" he shouts, attracting the attention of the small crowd around them. However, with a simple glare aimed at all of them, Louis quickly intimidates them, and they all pretend to go back to their own business. He turns to Sachiko again, this time saying in a lower voice; "you have no idea what those inns are like. I'm not setting foot in one of those places."

Sachiko huffs, narrowing her eyes at him. "I thought you wanted to complete the queen's mission smoothly. Or are you so blinded by luxury you would jeopardize the mission with your whims?"

Louis is taken aback, part of him surprised she actually said it, but another, bigger one, just boiling at the roots. Without saying anything else, he takes the bag from her shoulder, slips it around his own, and turns around. He can hear her gasp and subsequent steps, growing hurried behind him.

"What do you think you're doing? Give me back my things!"

"I'm going to find us a suitable inn at an affordable price, while you go looking for a cheap hole in the slums, and then you will see which of us was acting on a whim."

"You're the one acting on a whim right now!"

But her words fall on deaf ears. Louis increases his pace, and that, combined with the thickening crowd around them, allows him to easily slip between her fingers, leaving her completely alone in the middle of the plaza. Sachiko stays there, completely still, looking with her mouth hanging open at the space he had been occupying just a moment ago.

"He really… he really just left…"

With all her things, too.

The sky it's already tainted with pink and orange colors by the time Sachiko finds him, sitting on a bench in a smaller plaza with his head hanging low, their luggage thankfully safe at his feet. Sachiko lets out a sigh of relief as she approaches him, her brow furrowed and fists held tight as she prepares to give him the reprimand of his life for leaving her alone in the middle of a practically unknown city for hours.

"So this is where you were. Just what were you thinking, taking my things and leaving like that?" she crosses her arms and looks down on him as soon as she stops in front of him. Louis doesn't answer, still glancing down, irritating her further. "Hey, I'm talking to you. Look at me!"

"Annoying…" he mutters, but Sachiko still hears him. She's immediately incensed.

"Excuse me?! Annoying? Who? Me? You must be joking! I'm not the one who suddenly got all high and mighty and left with our luggage just to prove a point! Now tell me what the hell you have been doing all this time, because obviously it wasn't finding an inn to stay in, seeing our luggage is still here!"

Louis clicks his tongue, turning his face away, still not looking at her, and Sachiko finally loses all her remaining patience.

"Now listen here, you punk…!" she reaches out to grab him, but a quick movement from him leaves her grasping air. She stumbles a little, surprised at his speed when she sees him standing a little away, his hands on his pockets and his back to her when just a second ago he had been sitting in front of her. She blinks. "Louis…?"

"I didn't find an inn" he starts, still not facing her. Sachiko frowns.

"Well, obviously, even though you've been gone for hours…"

"I found this place" he interrupts her, and Sachiko almost screams from frustration, "it was a house, very neat and cozy… many people were there, so I thought it might be an inn attached to a bar. Since it looked nice and like a place where we could easily find information, I entered, however, I soon found out it wasn't actually an inn."

"…" what was the purpose of this story? Did something happen in that house? She remembers when she found him, minutes ago, his head hanging low and a gloomy aura surrounding him. Could it be…? Sachiko's eyes widen. Did something bad happen to him there?!

"There were people around tables, playing cards and the like…" Louis continues, kicking dirt with his foot in a disheartened way. "I thought it looked interesting, so I decided to join and play too… my father never allowed me to enter those kind of establishments, so I was excited… at first I won, so I got a little over myself and…"

"…" Sachiko is no longer worried. No, actually, she feels pretty empty, neither amused nor angry. To think there was this side to Louis she knew nothing about… "How much did you lose, Louis?"

She isn't overly worried. Louis is an intelligent person, so as soon as he started losing he should have pulled away. The damage must not be too much… or at least she thought so, but then Louis refuses to answer, and with every second that passes Sachiko becomes more and more anxious.

"Louis… how much did you lose…?"

"…" he watches the setting sun, slowly making its way down the horizon, but he can't remain silent much longer, so with a long sigh, he finally answers; "everything."

"…everything?" Sachiko repeats. Louis nods gravelly.

"Everything."

A heavy silence falls between them. After a moment, Sachiko sighs, letting herself fall down on the bench Louis had been occupying not long ago.

"What the hell is wrong with you… you were the one who complained we didn't have enough money, and now look at this! You lost everything by gambling?" she tilts her head slightly to glare at him, but he is still not looking at her. Coward. "Well…" she closes her eyes, deciding at once she isn't going to bother with this. It was money given to him by Henrietta, anyway. He'll have to deal with the consequences on his own. "At least I still got some money on me. Let's find a cheap place to stay for tonight and then go look for a job tomorrow."

She says it easily enough, but after a while, when she doesn't receive any answer, she opens her eyes again. When she looks at Louis, his head is hanging even lower, if that's possible.

She has a very bad feeling about that.

Quickly, she reaches for her luggage and rummages through its contents. When she finds the pouch where she keeps her money, she finds it flat. Completely empty.

A hot tremor travels throughout her entire body.

"Louis…"

"I'll pay you back. Every single coin."

"…"

Sachiko says nothing, and instead takes the cloth off from Derflinger. The runes start to shine as she slowly walks towards Louis, still giving her his back. The boy must have felt something strange at Sachiko's silence, because he turns around, his eyes widening when he sees the massive sword swinging straight at his neck.

"Oi!" he yells as he jumps away, barely managing to dodge before he gets decapitated. He stares at her, dumbfounded, as she takes impulse again. "What do you think you're doing?! Are you mental?!"

"Money it's something you shouldn't play around with."

"I told you I'll pay you back!"

"If you want to throw your money out the window then do so, but you can't just use other's people's money for your vices."

"Wah! Stop it already, you'll kill me!"

"I earned that money, what right did you have to gamble it away?"

"Stop sounding so calm while you're swinging a sword at me! It's disturbing!"

A small crowd surrounds them, confused by the scene. It's difficult to discern whether what's happening it's serious or not, especially because of just how big the sword is. It should be impossible for such a small girl to carry one and swing it with that ease, no?

In the end, it seems that the crowd had decided collectively that they were seeing a show, and so, some were clapping, and others even went as far as to throw coins at them. It was this latter action, when a few coins slipped between Sachiko's feet and she almost stumbled, what finally returned her to reality from that dark void of pure hatred she had plunged into.

She frowns, glancing down and then at the crowd around them. Louis gives a sigh of relief and quickly steps away, happy he didn't have to use the wand he was reaching for in his pocket to stop her.

"Why are you looking at us? No, why are you throwing coins?" she mumbles the last question, bending down to collect the money. Seeing the show was over, the crowd starts to disperse, except for a single man who decides to approach the kneeling girl.

"Ah, excuse me."

Sachiko looks up, coming face to face with a strange man.

The first thing she notices is that he has black hair, something that surprises her greatly, since, other than her and Shiro and his family, she has not seen anyone else with such a color. The second thing that she notices is how the man is dressed: a sparkling, violet satin shirt opened up at the chest with some hair poking out and tight black pants with knee-high boots. A very flamboyant attire, even more so than anything she has ever seen Guiche wear. The third thing she notices it's his appearance. The hair is styled back with what appears to be oil; he has a moustache under a pointy nose and a magnificent split chin.

She immediately recoils, suspicious.

"…yes?" Louis asks wearily, stepping in front of Sachiko and forgetting in a second how she tried to kill him just minutes ago. The man has a curious glint in his eyes, observing Sachiko from head to toe in a way that Louis doesn't like at all.

Seeing the defensive pose Louis has adopted, the man blinks and shakes his head.

"Oh, right. I'm sorry to meddle, but that was quite the performance you put up there."

"Performance?" Sachiko asks while tilting her head. The man nods.

"Yes! However, I couldn't help but wonder the reason you would be performing to earn money. Could it be you need a job? If you like, wouldn't you work for me? My name is Scarron and I run an inn, and I have a job you would be perfect at" he says, clasping his hands and sticking out his right hip while still staring at Sachiko. The two youngsters look at each other, suspicious.

"A job as what, if I may ask" Louis covers Sachiko with his body, almost positive they can't trust this person. That is, a strange man coming up to them and offering them, or rather, Sachiko, a job she 'would be perfect at'? Moreover, the way he keeps staring at Sachiko just gives him the creeps.

Scarron notices his suspicious glare, and laughs.

"Oh, I'm so sorry; I'm probably giving you the wrong impression. You see, it's true I run an inn, but it's also a bar, and I was thinking this little girl here would be perfect as a waitress. I've only ever seen one other person with your features before, and I became a bit nostalgic" he wipes a single tear that was forming on his eye. Louis still doesn't look convinced, but Sachiko was giving the idea a good thought.

"So, you want me to work at your bar?" she asks again, just to be sure. Scarron nods. She looks at Louis, who has a face as if begging her not to do it. She decides to ignore him. After all, it's his fault they have no money now. "Alright, I guess it cannot hurt. But I have one condition."

"A condition? What might that be?"

"We have nowhere to stay. Since you're running an inn too, would it be alright if we stayed at one of the rooms? Ah, of course you can discount the price of the room from my salary" she quickly adds, not wanting to sound too demanding. Scarron thinks it over, but it takes only a second for him to agree.

"Très bien" he coos, turning around and hitting them with the strong smell of perfume. He indicates for them to follow him, but just as Sachiko is giving a step forward, Louis grabs her by the wrist and pulls her closer to him.

"What are you thinking? You can't work for this man, he looks suspicious!" he heatedly whispers in her ear. Sachiko resists a shudder that threatens to run through her at his breath on the shell of her ear, and quickly shakes him off, before giving him a glare.

"Whose fault do you think it is we have no option but to accept work from a strange man?" she retorts, and Louis purses his lips, unsatisfied. "Come on, if it really turns out to be something dangerous, you know we can fight back. Now let's go, before we lose sight of him."

She starts going behind the man, adjusting her grip on both Derf and her luggage, and after a few steps, she finally hears Louis sighing, resigned, and walking after her. Good, because if he complained more, she would have had to hit him and carry his unconscious body to the inn, and she really wasn't feeling up to that.

"This is the place; if you need anything, just let me know. The bar opens at ten. I'll give you an hour to make yourself comfortable before coming downstairs. Now then, see you!" Scarron waves happily, still swinging his hips, before descending the stairs with a hop in his step. Sachiko looks around, taking in her surroundings while holding a candle in one hand.

It was basically an attic; dark, cold and dusty. It had a wooden ceiling, a table with a pair of chairs and empty barrels scattered around. A simple, single bed was in the middle, with just a blanket covering the discolored mattress. At the far end, there was a closed window. Sachiko walks up to it and opens it, just to be received with planks attached to the other end, obstructing the view.

"I hate this place" Louis declares. He hasn't even stepped inside, watching everything from the threshold. His arms are crossed, and his nose wrinkled in a clear sign of distaste. "We could have stayed at a proper room in this inn. Why did you suddenly change your mind?"

"Because Scarron said I wouldn't have to pay for this place. We should save as much money as we can, considering we're literally at zero right now. Besides, why are you complaining? We have work, and at a bar to boot. Collecting information should be easy now" she says as she sits down on the bed, which makes a cringing sound and sinks slightly. Louis grimaces.

"Ugh, I don't know" he finally steps inside, before dragging his finger across the surface of the lone table near the door. It comes out completely covered in soot. "This is really disgusting. This place needs to be cleaned immediately!"

"Are you going to clean it, then? Because I have to go down in an hour and I would prefer to rest as much as I can" Sachiko says nonchalantly as she lies down. At least the sheets smell clean… somewhat. She'll take a bath later.

"I have to clean? Give me a break" Louis sighs, closing his eyes. He closes the door and walks up to the bed to sit down as well, not bothering to hide his disgust with the whole situation. "But really, you'll be a waitress, but what am I going to do? That creepy guy didn't tell me anything."

"A waiter too, perhaps? I don't see why you wouldn't do that, too."

"Didn't you see the name of the place before we entered?"

"Not really" she shrugs, not saying anything about not knowing how to read. Louis sighs again.

"The Charming Fairies' Inn, with a name like that, I can make myself an idea of what exactly this place is. Ugh, to think I would be reduced to working in this kind of establishment…"

"What do you mean?" Sachiko asks, curious. Louis shakes his head.

"You'll see. In any case, just rest. This is going to be a long night…"

Louis' suspicions about the true nature of the establishment were confirmed when, as they descended the stairs, a pretty girl they had not seen before appeared before them and dragged Sachiko to a special room where all the waitresses could 'get prepared'. In the meantime, Louis found Scarron, who immediately asked him to help tidy up the place before opening. This job consisted of wiping the windows, setting the tables and sweeping the floor with a broom.

That alone was already quite a lot for him, but then Scarron threw a frilly, pink apron at him and declared him their new dishwasher, and he almost blew a fuse right there.

Not that he could or would complain. He already knew something like this was what was waiting for him, and while annoyed, he was grateful to at least have something to do to contribute to the mission. But, at the same time, it was troublesome, since being the dishwasher would mean being behind the scenes all the time, leaving the investigation completely to Sachiko.

It wasn't that he didn't trust her, Sachiko had way better social skills than him anyway, but, well, he couldn't pretend it didn't bother him being unable to put himself out there and complete the mission Henrietta had given him himself.

Regardless of his feelings, though, they had a mission to complete, and as he sits at one of the tables of the bar, ignoring the lingerie-clad women giggling and sending him flirty glances, he ruminates about the strange turns his life had taken ever since summoning that weird girl as his familiar.

After a while, Scarron finally makes his appearance, wearing an olive-green satin shirt this time instead of the violet one he had met him with. He moves his hips while looking around his store. Ok, he seriously needs to stop doing that…

"Good night, fairies!" he exclaims. The girls all make a line in front of him, and gracefully bow.

"Good night, Mademoiselle!" Louis raises an eyebrow at that, but says not a word, still looking attentively at them.

"I hope tonight you feel as cheerful as yesterday, my fairies. The sales had been dropping lately, because of that horrible new shop that has been bringing 'tea' from the east. We cannot lose to them, otherwise the name 'Charming Fairies' would go to shame!" he declares passionately. The girls all agree with him, giving loud cheers, and Scarron trembles pleasantly. Then, he jumps onto a table, Louis' table, and makes a pose. "That's right fairies! And now, I have a wonderful announcement for you all! Tonight you'll have a new comrade! Sachiko, come here!"

Slowly coming down the stairs, Sachiko appears, red in the face and the loveliest Louis had ever seen her. Her hair is up in a ponytail, and she's wearing a white camisole with pastel pink lining, tight on the upper part, bringing up her breasts, and looser under it, flowing freely and stopping just a little beyond her bottom. She had white stockings and high heels too, and light make-up that brought up her eyes. That, accompanying the even tan she had acquired since arriving to this world more than three months ago, makes her look like an exotic, sultry beauty, and completely takes Louis' breath away.

Instantly he diverts his gaze, feeling a blush creeping up his neck. To feel this way towards his familiar it's just shameful.

Luckily, nobody's paying much attention to him now, as everyone's completely concentrated on Sachiko, who was too embarrassed to look anywhere but the floor. Scarron finally jumps down from the table, and softly pats Sachiko's shoulder.

"Our poor Sachiko was about to be sold to a circus, but she managed to escape in time with her younger brother. A cute girl with such a sad story" he says, pushing away a tear from his eye. The other girls sigh with sympathy, and Sachiko manages to give them a shaky smile.

She had come up with the story all on her own, earlier that day. It's obvious she had made it up in desperation, but Scarron hadn't asked too many questions, so Louis supposes it's alright. Really, they look like anything but brother and sister, though the part about being sold to a circus is still believable. Sachiko's such a clown, after all.

"Good, now Sachiko, why don't you greet your new coworkers?" Scarron tells the girl, clasping his hands and leaning a little on his side. Louis wonders how much longer it will take him to get used to this man.

Sachiko nods, still shy and self-conscious, and slowly raises her eyes. What was she acting so coy for? He had never seen her that way before, and for some reason, it's making his stomach churn from the inside.

"H-Hi, my name is Sachiko Hiraga and… please take care of me!" she suddenly bows, both hands neatly clasped in front of her. Everyone's silent for a second, slightly surprised at the unusual greeting, before the girls all break out in coos and giggles, drowning Sachiko in hugs.

"She's adorable, can we keep her?"

"Don't be stupid, Reina, she's working with us. Of course we can keep her."

"So shy! Look at these cheeks!" one of the girls pinches Sachiko's aforementioned cheeks, which are red from embarrassment at all the attention she's receiving. Louis chuckles under his breath, secretly enjoying the flustered state she's in. Scarron swiftly cuts off their antics, clapping his hands and clearing his throat.

"I'm glad you all accepted Sachiko so quickly. Now, it's time to open!"

The doors open, letting all of the impatient clients in. In no time, the place is crowded, and some people even have to wait outside for a table. Louis knows how this kind of establishment works. While it's not what he imagined when Scarron first proposed the work to Sachiko, there's definitely eye-candy, and that kind of thing always attracts people; more specifically, men. Despite that, he's still amazed at how many people there are. He wonders if the food is good as well, to warrant this kind of influx.

And the dishes as well.

Heaving a sigh, Louis looks at the pile of dishes awaiting him, and after not even an hour of opening! He has never washed dishes before, but seeing the cloth and soap on one side, he can make himself an idea. Swallowing his pride once more, he takes the first dish and washes it, taking his time to get rid of any leftover food or sauce on them. He's very time inefficient though, and in the blink of an eye there are even more dishes occupying the empty space next to the sink.

An hour and a half later, he stops, throwing the cloth in frustration. No matter how much he washes, it never ends, and the pile just keeps growing and growing. He looks to the side, at the cooks that are working diligently while dirtying even more dishes, and feels the burning impulse to call out to them so one of them can help him. He shouldn't be washing alone after all! Why was he the only dishwasher anyway?

But then, a waitress enters with a new pile and he loses it. He steps aside and walks past her, thinking about going over to Sachiko to see how the information gathering is doing, before a dainty hand stops him by pushing him by the chest. He steps back, frowning in distaste, seeing the same waitress glaring at him.

"Just where do you think you're going?" she asks, placing the dishes on the last remaining space beside the sink. She looks around eighteen, with long, straight black hair and thick eyebrows, wearing a showy outfit with a very visible cleavage, even steeper than what Sachiko was using. She crosses her arms once her hands are free and taps her foot, glaring sternly. Louis resists the urge to growl in frustration.

"I'm going to take a break" he answers simply. The girl scoffs.

"A break? We're crowded, and we don't have any plates!" she retorts, walking over to him and forcefully grabbing his wrist to drag him towards the sink. Louis slaps her hand away without preamble.

"Don't touch me! And anyway, if you want your dishes, then send someone else to wash them. Only one person isn't enough to take care of all of this!" he gestures towards the plates dramatically, causing the girl to narrow her eyes.

"It's your job. There shouldn't even be these many dishes if you actually did your… ugh, you know what? Screw this. Come here, I'll help you, princess" and with that, she turns around and takes the cloth Louis threw before, starting to scrub the plates with both experience and technique. Louis is so amazed at her speed he forgets to shout at her for calling him princess. After a while, he cautiously steps back next to her and takes another cloth, watching her to copy her method. In a few minutes and with the both of them, the pile of dishes decreases considerably.

Seeing this, the girl smiles. "Exactly, that's the way you do it" she encourages. Louis rolls his eyes at her unnecessary enthusiasm. "By the way, my name's Jessica. And yours?" she asks, not losing her good mood.

"…Louis" he answers a bit reluctantly. Jessica grins.

"Hiraga, right? That's a strange name…" she teases.

"Shut up."

"So…" she continues. Louis doesn't turn to her, or acknowledges in any way he's listening, but she doesn't seem to be discouraged by his cold attitude. "Are you really that girl's little brother, or it's just a lie?" she asks, leaning a little closer to him. Louis bits his lip, uncomfortable at her sudden closeness, and takes a protective step back.

"We don't share the same mother" he couldn't deny anymore the lie Sachiko had invented, but he could at least try to fix it up a little. It would be more believable if they weren't completely related, after all.

Jessica purses her lips in thought, but doesn't back away, much to Louis' chagrin.

"Is that so… I take one of you doesn't look like their father at all, then…"

"None of us do. We both take after our mothers" he says, a little more curtly. He doesn't like this girl at all. Her intense curiosity just sets him on edge, and he wants to finish washing the dishes quickly so she will just get away. Unfortunately, more and more keep coming, and so, he's trapped with this woman for an indefinite time.

"Then, do you really have the hots for your older sister?" as soon as the question is out of her mouth, Louis freezes, letting go of the dish he's holding. Luckily, it falls on the sink, full of soapy water, so it doesn't break, but he's hardly paying attention to that. He turns his head to Jessica so fast she's surprised he didn't snap his neck. His eyes are wide and his face flushed.

"H-H-H-How, w-w-why, y-y-you th-think you're saying!" he shouts, shaking and greatly scaring Jessica with his sudden mood change. She had said that just to see his reaction, but she didn't expect it to work this way. She takes a step back and holds up her hands in a calming manner.

"Okay, geez, relax" she says with an awkward smile. Louis shakes his head.

"No! Just w-what the hell gave you that weird idea?! We're siblings, for God's sake!" it seems that what she said really got to him. Jessica was regretting her question; however, his behavior intrigues her, so she decides to keep on the conversation a little more.

"Well… the way you were ogling her when she came down the stairs was pretty obvious, don't you think?" his eyes get even wider, if that's possible, and his lower lip trembles a little.

"N-not true!" he denies it stubbornly. That gives Jessica just the bit of information she needs. With a confident smirk and her hands on her hips, she gloats.

"Oh, yes, it's true, and you can't deny it anymore! But don't worry, everyone else was too concentrated on Sachiko to pay any attention to you, so I'm the only one who noticed" she winks, enjoying the way he seems to get more flustered with every word that leaves her mouth.

"You've misinterpreted things, I was just embarrassed at the outfit you put my sister in, that's all. A-and why were you looking at me and not Sachiko, anyway?" he tries to change the subject as he's growing more restless by the second. Jessica shrugs.

"You're cute. I guess I was a little interested" she responds off-handedly. Louis blinks, not having expected that.

"Huh?" he probably looks like an idiot, staring at her like that, but what she said was just… surprising. Jessica giggles, closing his jaw with a finger; that he hadn't even noticed was open in disbelief.

"Yes, I'm interested, that's why I decided to stay and talk to you. But you know; you're actually pretty amusing. I still don't believe that about you and Sachiko being siblings, but I guess I'll let it slide for now" she sighs, before turning around and walking off. "Anyway, I'll better get to work. Even if I'm the owner's daughter, he'll probably get mad if I slack too much. So don't forget: you can put both sides of the plate in-between the cloth and scrub really hard, that way cleaning the dishes will be more efficient" and with that, she leaves.

Louis, however, barely heard what she said. He was still gaping at her, surprised at her sudden confession. He was used to always being ignored, more so by the opposite sex ever since his falling from grace in his first year at the academy. And although there were still a few girls that turned to look at him from time to time, no one approached. Kirche was the only one that still showed a bit of interest, but it wasn't the same.

So, understandably, he's dumbfounded, not really sure what to think of the situation. It isn't until Scarron enters the kitchen a while later and reprimands Louis for letting all the dishes get accumulated in the sink, that he wakes up from his reverie. He scrubs forcefully, to get the distracting thoughts out of his head and the remaining energy from his talk with Jessica out of his body.

Working at the Charming Fairies Inn wasn't as difficult as Sachiko thought. Back in Japan, she had a job as a waitress in a family restaurant, to pay for some things she wanted that her parents didn't give her money for. This is pretty similar, except for some clients that feel like touching what they shouldn't and trying to flirt with her. She received a lot of attention since she's new, and many men had already tried talking to her, some even giving her juicy tips, as if trying to give her confidence on her first day.

It was actually pretty nice. The atmosphere reminded her a lot of the maid cafés from her country. She poured wine and served dishes with steamy food, taking the opportunity to hear about rumors and casually asking what they thought about the waging war. She supposes, since Louis can't gather information being trapped in the kitchen, that the task falls completely on her.

The only thing that bothers her, besides the indecent looks thrown her way, it's the exact thing that's attracting those indecent looks in the first place. At first, she felt cute when she saw herself in the mirror, back when one of the girls had finished preparing her. Like with the sailor uniform, the corset and camisole made her feel confident, attractive, and all in all, good; but after a little time had passed, she noticed how uncomfortable was having to pull the hem of her skirt time and time again because it was too damn short; or walking on high heels for hours straight, carrying trays and bottles of wine, especially because she isn't used to them. Her hair is coming loose a bit, and some make-up had entered her eye, but more than looking in a mirror to make sure she was still good to go, she couldn't do much about it.

She sighs, resting for just a second after serving another too-eager-to-touch-her-bottom table. She wants to take her shoes off, but that is completely out of the question, so instead she stretches her legs and leans against the cool wall behind her. She reaches for her hairband and takes it off, letting her hair fall freely around her shoulders, deciding she'll leave it like that for the rest of the night. Closing her eyes, she lets herself relax for a little bit.

"I talked to your brother a little while ago" a voice suddenly interrupts her rest. Sachiko opens her eyes, staring up at a black-haired girl with an amazing cleavage and thick eyebrows. She immediately straightens, tilting her head innocently to the side.

"Oh" is all she says. The girl smiles.

"Yeah, I didn't know you had different fathers" she comments casually. Sachiko blinks. Louis probably told her that. Mm, wise move, really. That way, even if we don't look alike it won't be that obvious we're not related. She smiles as naturally as she can.

"Oh yeah, that's right" then something occurs to her; "you were talking with Louis?" she asks, furrowing her brow. Sachiko could swear the girl's smile turned feral for just a second, but it was so fast she wonders if she hadn't just imagined it.

"Yeah, we did. Actually, I even helped him wash the dishes" she flips her hair back in a rather petulant manner. Sachiko narrows her eyes, starting to get a weird vibe from her.

"Oh… I see…"

"He's really fun to talk to, as well. How old is he, anyway? I hope he's close to our age" she leans against the wall and looks down at Sachiko, smiling. For some reason, Sachiko is becoming rather uncomfortable with the conversation.

"He's sixteen, but I guess he's turning seventeen soon…" she answers slowly, wondering all of a sudden when Louis' birthday is… and when would her birthday be in this world.

The girl raises an eyebrow. "You guess? Aren't you supposed to know? Since you're his sister and all…"

"Excuse me, but I didn't quite hear your name" Sachiko interrupts before she can probe further. She doesn't understand it, but there's just something about this girl and the way she speaks that ticks her off the wrong way.

The girl blinks, before chuckling softly. "Oh, sorry, silly me. My name's Jessica, and I'm Scarron's daughter" she sticks out her hand for her to shake, but Sachiko's too busy registering what she just said.

"Y-you're Scarron's daughter?!" it's really difficult keeping her voice down, but for some miracle, she manages. Jessica laughs good-naturedly.

"Of course, though I guess it would be hard to guess. Dad always says I have mother's look."

"I can totally see that" she mutters, still shocked. But other than that, she was sure Scarron was gay. Surely no straight man can behave like he does, right? "My name's Sachiko Hiraga, but you already know that" she shakes Jessica's hand, who gives a short nod in response.

"Yes, I do. As I was saying, your brother is an interesting person, and really cute too! Do you know if he has someone, or is already interested in anyone else?" Sachiko stiffens after hearing the question. She looks at Jessica with wide eyes.

"Y-you're actually interested in him?!" the girl in front of her smirks.

"I think I'd made myself clear after all the questions I asked you" she answers simply. Suddenly, Sachiko stands up, surprising Jessica, who takes a step back. She looks at her with amusement, patiently waiting to see her reaction.

Sachiko isn't sure what she feels. For some reason, finding out that Jessica is interested in Louis brings about a heavy feeling that settles in her chest, almost like she has suddenly swallowed lead. She doesn't understand what that feeling is, or why her skin's suddenly heating up or her heart's beating so fast. She's divided between hitting Jessica and stomping away, but she knows both options are immature, make no sense and, at least one of them is sure to get her fired.

So instead, she forces herself to calm down and reply, with a tight smile. "I don't think he has anyone he likes, but, as a piece of advice, you shouldn't try to approach him. Louis isn't someone who's really interested in relationships, since he had a very bad experience when he was younger" and with that, she turns around and begins to walk away, only to stop dead on her tracks when Jessica says another thing.

"It didn't look that way when I insinuated myself to him back in the kitchen."

Slowly, so very slowly, Sachiko raises her eyes and looks at her with a venomous glare. Being used to those kinds of glares from other women, Jessica easily shrugs it off. She puts a friendly hand on one of Sachiko's shoulders, ignoring how her eyes snap towards that place, almost looking as if she's going to bite her.

"I told him I was interested in him, and his jaw practically touched the floor" she chuckles. "Now, I don't know about you, but I'm not the kind of woman that gives up for something as small as 'isn't interested in relationships'. I'm sure it'll only take time; after all, you just need to know which cards to use" she says this while puffing out her chest. Sachiko narrows her eyes at her.

"Louis' not the kind of person to fall for something like that" she informs her, and it's true. Sachiko doesn't remember Louis ever being interested in that kind of thing. Even when Kirche blatantly throws herself at him, he remains unmoved. His past history with Henrietta aside –that by the way had some serious creepy vibes from what she could gather– Sachiko could swear he was likely asexual. After all, in a place like this, with girls basically walking around in fine lingerie, he looked completely unaffected the one time she glanced his way. Not to mention all the cute and attractive female classmates he had that he didn't even spare a glance for.

As if she believed Sachiko was just putting on a front, Jessica huffs, taking her hand off her and placing it on her hip. "Are you sure about that? All men are weak when it comes to the flesh."

"Not all…"

"Well, all the men I've met are like that" she says, affronted. Sachiko rolls her eyes.

"I'm not surprised you think that, considering the kind of men that frequent this establishment."

"And when it comes to that bad experience, I know I can make him forget all about it" she continues as if she hadn't heard her at all. Sachiko snorts. "So, taking that aside, and despite the fact I know you're probably hating me right now, I have to know: you aren't really siblings, right? That is just a lie, right?" Sachiko frowns at those questions, deciding to let her believe what she wants when it comes to Louis' interest in sex.

"What are you talking about? Of course we're siblings; didn't Louis just tell you?"

"He told me you had different mothers. However, when I asked you, you didn't deny being from different fathers instead. Now, that sounds a little weird, don't you think?" her smirk grows, as if she knows she has caught her and she cannot escape. Sachiko swallows, realizing her blunder. Not seeing any other way out, she decides to play dumb.

"Ah, of course I didn't deny it. I mean, when you said 'fathers' I thought you were referring to our mothers, but in the term of parents…"

"Cut the crap, we both know I'm right" Jessica folds her arms, staring with a stern expression. Sachiko gulps, though she still manages to return her glare with one equally intimidating. They keep glaring at each other for quite some time, none willing to let the other win, until Scarron finally spots them and walks over to them.

"My, my, what happened here?" he asks in a concerned tone. Jessica rapidly changes her serious expression for a happy one, and turns to her father, smiling innocently.

"Nothing dad, we were just talking" she tells him nicely. Sachiko almost rolls her eyes again.

"Oh, that's really nice, but sweetheart, there's still work to do, so if you don't mind, why don't you continue with your conversation later?" his tone is kind and warm, but there is a certain authority under it that makes both girls quickly go back to their work. Sachiko glances back at Jessica, finding her eyes already observing her, brimming with jeer. She groans, and turns back around, ready to take a new order and ignore that annoying woman for what remained of the night.

Morning is already poking its head when the bar finally closes. Sachiko happily takes off her high heels, throwing them to the far end of the room, before plummeting to the bed. She stretches, hands high above her head, giving a weary sigh.

"I swear this night couldn't have gone slower. My feet ache" she sits up, proceeding to take off her stockings. Louis throws a blanket at her head.

"Do that somewhere else! God, don't you have any decency?" even as he's saying this, he's also taking off his shoes and unbuttoning his shirt. Sachiko rolls her eyes.

"Where else do you want me to do this? Besides, it's not like it matters since I'm just a familiar, remember?" she taunts, using the same words he has said over and over when he's trying to dismiss her. Louis grunts something under his breath, but says nothing more.

Sachiko sighs, standing up and walking towards the table, where she pours some water in a basin Scarron had lend them. As she's washing her face, she thinks back to Jessica again, and her horrible blunder. She doesn't know if she should tell Louis or not that the waitress had found out about them not being siblings. On one hand, even if Jessica knew they had lied about their parentage, she had no way of knowing what they were actually doing here… but on the other, Louis could still get mad at her for letting that information slip, even though it wasn't really her fault, as she had just been playing along with what Jessica said.

But that isn't her only concern about the woman. Her mind keeps repeating the moment she made it known she was interested in Louis and wanted to pursue him. A prickle in her chest bothers her at the thought, even though she doesn't know why. It's not like Louis would ever look Jessica's way, she knows, and even if he did, he was too proud to go for a simple commoner like her. But then, why is she thinking of that, as if reassuring herself Louis wouldn't choose her at all? She doubted he would, but if he did… if he did it wouldn't be a problem, right? It had nothing to do with her, right?

And yet, it bothers her. It bothers her more than she cares to admit.

She turns around, frowning at the confusing feelings filling her, water drops sliding down her face and throat, and finds Louis lying on the bed, shirtless, eyes closed and an arm slung over his face. Instantly she blushes.

He has a nice body, for someone so short. Even though he doesn't look it with clothes on, he's actually extremely fit, his chest covered with slender muscles. It's been a while since she's seen him bared chested, and when she realizes that she starts to wonder for the first time when exactly he stopped changing in front of her. She hadn't been paying too much attention, but… wasn't it when they returned from Albion? What changed?

"What are you looking at?" she hears him ask, snapping her out of her thoughts. She blushes further when she realizes she's been staring, and that Louis caught her doing it. He's looking at her with raised eyebrows and an inquiring expression, waiting for her to say something.

"I… was just wondering when your birthday is…" she says, remembering what she had wondered during her conversation with Jessica. Louis sits up, mussing his hair while frowning, probably confused at the suddenness of the question.

"The day of Éoel, week of Heimdallr in the month of Fogl" he answers. Sachiko blinks.

"Eh… ok."

"When's yours?" he asks, standing up and walking over to the basin, pouring more water. Sachiko watches as he washes his face.

"December 9th" Louis looks up, frowning.

"Translation?"

"I don't know… Mm…" she starts thinking. She was summoned February 13th in her world, and arrived in what would constitute April 4th here. Three months have passed since then, meaning it should be around May now in her world… but weeks here had eight days and the month thirty-two days, meaning it might probably be closer to June… She gives up. "I'll need a calendar and some paper to make the calculations. I'm not bad at math, but even I can't guess based on speculations alone."

"Alright" he shrugs, before pursing his lips. "I want to take a bath… I also need new clothes" he looks down disdainfully at his rough brown pants. "One change isn't enough."

"You're right. When we get our first pay, we can get them. In the meantime, you'll have to make do with only that. If you want, you can give me your clothes and I'll wash them while you take a bath" she offers. Louis sneers.

"Taking a bath? Here?"

"Yeah, where else?"

"It's a commoner's bathroom!"

Sachiko sighs. "You're a commoner right now, so I don't get why you're complaining. You knew it was going to be like this."

"I know, but…!" he groans. "I'm the son of a Duke, and one day I'll be a Duke myself. Living like a commoner even if it's for a little while is disgraceful!"

"Well, it's what the mission requires of us. Unless you want to give up?" she taunts with a smile. Louis glares at her. "If you're not going to take a bath now, then I'll do it. I feel disgusting" she says, taking one of the towels that were given to them, hanging at the edge of a chair, and walking towards the door. Before leaving, she grabs Louis' shirt as well, saying she will wash it for him. And then she's gone.

Louis sits down again in the bed, heaving a sigh. He's tired after a whole night of doing nothing but scrubbing and cleaning. He looks at his hands, almost expecting them to still be wrinkled after hours spent under water, but they're fine. He plops down on the mattress and stares at the ceiling, frowning at the cobwebs and dust between the rafters. Another thing they would need to clean later.

Being a commoner is… hard. And it's only the first day. He wonders how many days will take him to get used to the routine. Although he's not happy with the position, he knows it's necessary, like Sachiko had pointed out. He complains but at the end of the day he still knows his duty. Besides, as much as it bothers him working in this kind of establishment, he has to admit there is one good point in being here.

Sachiko is not with that servant anymore.

It's temporary, of course, and they are still together and he has to accept that, but just this small reprieve is enough to brighten his mood, just slightly. He trembles in anger just thinking what could have happened had this mission not popped out when it did, and Sachiko left for Tarbes with that man. As much as he wanted to stop it, he knew at the end he wouldn't be able to, and would have allowed her to go, much to his embarrassment when he arrived at his home with no familiar in sight. So he's happy, or rather contented, with the turn of events as far as it goes for that matter specifically. When it comes to other things though…

He closes his eyes, starting to feel the weariness of being awake for over a day creeping up on him. Resting the eyes a little shouldn't be a problem, right? He's sure Sachiko will wake him up when it's his turn to take a bath as soon as she returns. And when she does, he'll ask her to relate all the information she had learned that night to him, so he could write his first report to Henrietta.

He closes his eyes, and in just a few seconds, he's completely gone to the world.

The next day is as exhausting as the last.

Sachiko's wearing the same camisole from before, but this time her hair's tied in a bun, with some locks falling softly down her shoulders. She heaves a sigh as another man tries touching her, softly taking his hand and guiding it away. "You're a really special kind, aren't you? I've never seen someone like you before" he drawls, already drunk. Sachiko fakes a giggle and pours him more wine.

"Many people say that" she says casually. For some reason, the man laughs as if she had just told a joke.

"Funny girl. You know what? I like you, so take this" he gives her a golden coin, which Sachiko accepts with a light bow. "And courteous too! So cute…" this time, when the man drags his hand under her skirt, Sachiko's too slow to stop him. She jumps, accidentally spilling the contents of the bottle on the man. "Ah! What are you doing?!"

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to…!" she puts the bottle down and with a cloth starts wiping the man's shirt. This, however, doesn't seem to calm him down.

"An apology is not enough! And just after I gave you a nice tip, what are you going to do about this, huh?" he takes her hand and drags her to him, making her sit on his lap. Sachiko tries to wriggle her way out, but the man is holding her tightly against him. Just when she's about to use physical force on him, Scarron appears, saving her the hassle.

"Oh, excuse me sir, but you cannot do that with our fairies. I'm sure little Sachiko here is really sorry for what she did to your shirt, but if you keep this up, I'll have to ask you to leave" he says, kindly but also quite sternly. The man clicks his tongue in disgust.

"And just who do you think you are, to tell me what to do? Fucking faggot…" he mutters, palming Sachiko's butt. Scarron stares at him for a moment, dumbfounded, before his expression turns dead serious. Sachiko can feel the danger emanating from his body, and she suddenly feels sorry for the man.

"I hate this" Louis groans, just as a new pile of dishes arrives. He looks at his hands, full of wrinkles from being so much time in the water, before taking back the cloth and scrubbing once more. He'd had a few ideas on how to pass his summer, but washing dishes in a bar of commoners was most definitely not one of them. Now he's actually missing being at school.

"I see you've improved" someone says from behind him but he doesn't turn around. Jessica steps next to him, smiles, and wordlessly grabs another cloth to help him. "Then, are you ready to confess?" she asks in a playful tone. For a moment Louis fathoms the idea of ignoring her, but with what he already knows about her, he knows she'll keep insisting until she gets an answer.

Reluctantly, he says; "confess what?" Jessica smirks.

"That you're lying about being Sachiko's brother, of course."

"I'm not, can you stop asking? You know you'll get the same answer, anyway" he hangs the cloth after finishing with the plates. Jessica copies him, still with a confident expression.

"I know, but you see, yesterday I spoke with Sachiko, and her story about your parentage was a bit different…" she lets the information hang in the air, waiting. Louis blinks.

"You asked Sachiko?" he asks, dumbfounded. Jessica shrugs.

"I just said you told me you didn't have the same father, and she confirmed it quite enthusiastically, which is weird, because I thought your mothers were different. Or could it be both? Then you two would have different parents, and you wouldn't be siblings at all…" she puts her hands on her hips and lifts her chin, looking proud of herself. "Now you can't deny it, you're not Sachiko's brother!" she exclaims. Louis stares at her, unblinking.

"You have to be the most annoyingly curious person I've ever met" he says, raising an eyebrow. "You couldn't just let it pass, no; you had to go all the way to find out if we were actually saying the truth. Is it really that important for you to know? Don't you have anything better to do?" he folds his arms, looking at her sternly. Jessica furrows her brow.

"Ah, it's not important, and I do have other things to do, but as you said, I'm just curious. Here we don't pry into anyone's past, but there shouldn't be a problem if you just tell me, right?" she smiles apologetically, slightly tilting her head to the side. Louis scoffs.

"I'm not going to tell you anything! Whether we pretend being related or not, it's none of your business, so just leave us alone already!" he shouts, his patience having reached its limit. Jessica takes a step back, surprised, but continues to press on nonetheless.

"You are most definitely not siblings, now I know for sure! And besides, it's not going to kill you telling me what's going on, I swear I will not tell anyone" she vows, placing a hand over her heart. Before Louis can reply with one of his snarky remarks, she continues, stepping closer to him and putting on the most seductive smile she can. "After all, it's only natural for a girl to want to know everything about the person they like."

That catches him off guard, again. He glances away, blushing slightly. "I'm the person you like? How long have we known each other? Two days?" he asks derisively, ignoring the sultry look she's giving him. She chuckles.

"One and a half, actually" she rests one of her hands on his chest, causing Louis to stiffen. "Mm, something tells me I might not be the only one interested…" she jokes. Louis immediately backs away, causing her to almost fall as she was leaning most of her weight on him. She blinks, looking up at him. He has a disgusted expression.

"Interested in you? Don't make me laugh. You just surprised me with your comment, but don't think for even a second a common girl like you could actually attract someone like me! You're a hundred years too early for that!" he steps away from her, red on the face and frowning. Jessica gapes at him, surprised as she had never been rejected like this before, until something he said clicks in her mind.

"You said… common girl?" she asks in a low voice, but it's enough for Louis to hear her. He halts, cursing under his breath. He was so angry at the fact this woman was making assumptions of him, he didn't even think before talking. Slowly, he meets Jessica's calculating stare. The room is thick with tension, both of them trying to read the other's thoughts on their faces. Then, Jessica says; "you're a noble."

"No, I'm not!" Louis glances away from her, but there is no convincing Jessica otherwise.

She takes a step forward, and with a smile grabs his shoulder. "Of course you are! Now it all makes sense, that stupid feeling I had about you! You're arrogant, use a snobbish vocabulary, don't even know how to wash plates properly and-!"

"What do you mean 'don't even know how to wash plates properly'? I've been doing that ever since I came here!" he complains, shaking her hands away. Jessica snorts.

"Yeah right, at first it was obvious you had no technique. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if this is the first manual thing you had ever done in your life! See? Your hands are soft…" she takes one of them to make a point, but stops as soon as she feels the calluses on it. Blinking, she grabs the other one, and turns them around, not believing her eyes. Louis slaps her hands away, crossing his arms while raising an eyebrow.

"'Never done anything manual in my life'?" he mocks. Jessica's still speechless, but manages to recover her composure after some time. Just when she's opening her mouth to say something, a loud yell and thundering sound is heard from the bar. They freeze for a second, before their feet unconsciously take them towards the door.

What they find there is a surprising scene for one but kind of usual for the other. The man that had been molesting Sachiko earlier is lying on the floor, unconscious, as his body twitches from time to time. All the clients stare with wide eyes and open mouths. The girls also look surprised, but considerably less than them, while Sachiko is covering her mouth with a hand, pale.

Scarron shakes his hands, his shoulders moving up and down as if he's breathing heavily. "Such a shame; I don't like treating clients like this but when they don't listen, what else can you do? Right, fairies?" he asks aloud, turning to the girls.

"Yes, mi mademoiselle!" they answer eagerly. Scarron smiles.

"Just so you all know; it's strictly forbidden to touch any of the fairies without their consent. Please, try to follow the rules" he says to the clients. They all give shaky nods, before gazing away and pretending nothing had happened. Scarron approaches Sachiko. "I hope I didn't frighten you. Are you alright?" he asks kindly. She jumps, suddenly awoken from her daze.

"Y-yes, I am! Thank you very much!" she bows, obviously nervous but doing her best to hide it. The man chuckles.

"Good. Now-oh! Good timing, Louis, I was about to call you. Can you help me get this man out?"

"Mm…" Louis looks between him and Sachiko, before stepping closer to her. "What happened here?" he whispers, seemingly worried. Sachiko blushes.

"Ehm, you see, he…" she points at the unconscious man, but before she can say anything else, Scarron speaks.

"Oh, he tried to take advantage of poor Sachiko and called me a really bad name!" he places a hand on his forehead dramatically. Louis frowns, staring at the girl in question with a pensive expression.

"Oh" he finally says, before Scarron hurries him to help him get rid of the man. Sachiko can't stop herself from wondering what that simple word meant, as she looks at his serious face while taking the man's feet (maybe a bit more forcefully than necessary) and dragging him outside. Jessica approaches her.

"So you finally had your first insistent client, huh? Ah, I remember the first time I encountered mine. Dad almost killed him" she laughs, obviously finding the incident really funny. Sachiko furrows her brow.

"It's not… I mean… what do you want?" she decides on asking, giving her a stern glare. Jessica shrugs.

"Nothing, just making conversation" she smirks. "I was helping Louis in the kitchen when we heard the yelling. Too bad, we were making so much progress" she gives a fake sigh of disappointment. Sachiko's eyebrow twitches.

"Oh, is that so? I'm sorry then, for interrupting your… 'progress'" she says, turning around and deciding to ignore her for the rest of the evening. Of course, Jessica has other plans in mind.

"Is Louis a noble?" she asks, suddenly. As soon as Sachiko hears that, she grabs Jessica's wrist and forcefully drags her upstairs, much to the young woman's amusement. Once they're in an empty room, she locks the door and faces her with an angry expression.

"You're officially the most annoying person I've ever met" Sachiko spats, crossing her arms and pacing in front of Jessica like a cat trapped in a cage. Jessica smiles, and calmly sits on the bed, stretching her arms in a nonchalant way.

"I've been told that, yeah. So, am I right or not?" Sachiko scoffs.

"You're asking me? I think if you have enough nerve to say something like that, is because you have it all but confirmed, and if not, you won't believe me even if I tell you it's not true. You" she points at her with an accusing finger. Jessica doesn't even bat an eyelash "will tell me right now why and how an idea like that even came to see the light of day in that ridiculously large head of yours."

"Hey! My head is not large!"

"Your forehead is enormous, I'm sure it's at least four fingers wide."

"Talks the one with the flat chest" Jessica retorts, crossing her arms and lifting her chin. Sachiko self-consciously covers her chest with her arms.

"I'm not flat-chested! I'll have you know I'm a proud C-cup!"

"…C-what?"

"Urgh! Your face is common!" she stomps her foot on the floor. Jessica gasps.

"C-common!? At least my eyes are not weird like yours!" she shouts back.

"Where I come from, my eyes are pretty normal, thank you very much!" Sachiko snarls. Jessica's about to say something back, but Sachiko interrupts before she can get a word out. "And answer the question already!"

There's silence for a few seconds, the air thick with tension and rivalry as the two young women glare at each other, their faces flushed from the heated discussion and brows furrowed in challenge. Finally, Jessica rolls her eyes and leans back on the bed, propping her body with her elbows. She sighs in an overly long, dramatic way.

"I should have guessed he was a noble from the beginning, I mean, his arrogant attitude and choice of words were too… conspicuous, to say the least. I'd have noble customers after all, I know how they usually behave" she sits up straighter as Sachiko slowly gets closer to her. "However, I have to admit he's kind of good at concealing it. For a noble to do jobs like washing dishes and cleaning the-"

"I rather you make your point soon, this is tiring" Sachiko interrupts, sitting just a little away from her. Jessica sends her an annoyed glare.

"If you want to know, I suggest you be a bit more patient" she folds her arms while Sachiko rolls her eyes, but remains silent otherwise. "Good. As I was saying, I should have seen it coming, and I guess I kind of did, until today, that's it, when he called me… how was it? A common girl?" she lifts an eyebrow, while skeptically looking at Sachiko. "Now, why would he call me that, if we're both of the same status?"

"…because of your face?"

"I'm serious!" Jessica suddenly snaps, taking Sachiko by surprise. "I know you're both up to something, and I know you lied about being siblings. If he's a noble, would that make you a noble too? Why are you here? What are you trying to achieve by working in a place like this?" she stands up, staring down at her. Sachiko raises an eyebrow.

"Why are you acting so offended all of a sudden?" she asks, confused. She stands up as well and puts her hands on her hips. Luckily, Jessica's about the same height as her, so she doesn't have to look up to meet her eyes. "What happens with Louis and I is none of your business. You can wonder all you want, but I won't tell you anything" she walks past her, smiling with superiority, before grabbing the door's knob.

"Oh, you think so?" Jessica looks at her with her hands on her hips, and the change in attitude sends a chill down Sachiko's spine. She unlocks the door, trying to get out of the room before she can say something to put her on edge, but isn't fast enough. "Why don't we make a bet then? Next week, there'll be a tip race."

"Tip race?" Sachiko asks, curious despite herself.

"That's right. It's a competition where the bar's girls compete to see how many tips they can get. There's also a prize prepared for the winner" she grins. "If you can get in a higher position than me, then I'll stop bothering you and Louis about your reasons for being here. If I win though…" her smile turns cat-like "you'll have to tell me exactly what's going on with you two. What do you say?"

"I say you're an idiot. Why would I accept something like that? What do I win? I'll just ignore you."

Jessica sighs. "Ok, don't accept then, I'll just go back downstairs and talk with Louis a bit more. You know, I think he's starting to open up to me a little. I'm sure in no time we'll get to… know each other more intimately…" she sways towards the exit, letting her last sentence hang in the air. It's a lie, of course, but Sachiko doesn't know that, or at least Jessica hopes so. She doesn't have to wait long before Sachiko puts an arm in front of her, preventing her from leaving. "Yes, Sachiko?" she asks with a taunting smile. The other girl grits her teeth.

"I…" she's thinking about the proposition, truly pondering if it's worth it or not. She has no idea why, but it truly bothers her when Jessica talks about pursuing Louis. She knows Louis would never look at her twice, but… but he's probably bothered by her constant flirting, too. She sighs dejectedly, dropping her arm to the side. "Add this one: you'll stay away from Louis and will stop bothering us. Deal?" she sticks out her hand for her to shake. Jessica grins.

"Deal."