.

The Stray Girl and the Incompetent Mage

Chapter 26: The Favored Fairy

...

"My fairies, you know today is the start of the tip race!" Scarron happily announces, as per usual jumping on a table and wriggling his body, just this time, he's wearing a black and short bustier that tightly fits his body.

Louis sighs and closes his eyes, disbelieving of the level of stupidity he has been a witness of ever since the beginning of the school year. Why is he even wearing that? No… he doesn't want to know after all.

"As you all know, this establishment was founded four hundred years ago" Scarron starts to narrate, quickly becoming absorbed in his story. "During the reign of King Henry III, who was also known as Henry the Beautiful; he happened to set foot in this bar. At the time it was called the 'Eel's Bed Inn', which didn't have a bit of appeal at all. There, the King, you wouldn't believe it! He fell in love at first sight with a waitress he met here!" then, Scarron shakes his head sadly. "However, their love could not be. A King cannot fall in love with a commoner, so he prepared a bustier and sent it to the girl as a memento of their love. My ancestors were greatly impressed by that and changed the store's name, basing it on the bustier. What a beautiful story…" he finishes with a dreamy sigh.

"What a beautiful story, mi mademoiselle!" the girls agree immediately, Sachiko included. Louis rolls his eyes. He has never heard the story before, so he's sure it's fake. Scarron continues immediately, all but dancing on the table.

"And this" he points at himself "is the magical bustier the King sent to his love! The heirloom of my family! It has a magic that allows it to change its size depending on the wearer's constitution as well as the magic 'Attraction' casted on it" he makes a pose. The girls clap.

"It's wonderful, mi mademoiselle!" they cheer enthusiastically. Louis sighs again. If the bustier really had a magic spell casted on it, it was no wonder he wasn't feeling as creep out by Scarron and his constant posing as usual. Especially considering what he was wearing. He still doesn't believe the story one bit though.

"The fairy that wins the tip race this week will be given the rights to wear the 'Charming Fairies' Bustier' for a day! Imagine how many tips one would get on the day she wears it! I get excited just thinking about it! And that's why everyone should try their best!" he says, giving them a cheerful smile.

"Yes, mi mademoiselle!"

"Very good! Well then, everyone! Hold your glass!"

The girls do it at once.

"To the tip race's success, prosperity and…"

There, Scarron cuts off his words and stands up straight with a serious look after clearing his throat. And then, not in his usual feminine language, but in a proper middle-aged man's voice, he says, "a prayer to Her Majesty the Queen's health. Cheers" and raises his wine cup.

Thus, the girls scatter. The doors are opened, letting all the eager male clients in. Louis stands up, making his way to the kitchen. He stops just when his hand is about to touch the door, and turns to look at Sachiko with a little frown between his eyes. She's fixing her hair in a nearby mirror with an anxious expression. He wonders, after what happened earlier that week, if it's alright to leave her alone with so many perverted men going about the place. He's worried something can happen again.

Of course, he knows she's more than capable of taking care of them herself, but the thought of one of them managing to touch her before she can just makes his blood boil. He decides then to keep an eye on her, just in case. Nodding to himself, he finally enters the kitchen.

Sachiko gives her first client of the day a smile, leaning forward to show a bit of cleavage. "Welcome, master, there's something you'll like to order?" she asks, tilting her head to the side attempting to look innocent. The man seems to like her act, and with a slimy smile, he inadvertently takes her hand.

"I practice a little of divination, you know? Let me tell you your future" he stares at her hand, and she eyes him curiously. He doesn't look like a noble. Can he really read her future? "Let's see, you were born the daughter of a flour grinder, am I right?" he asks confidently. Sachiko feels a small drop of sweat forming on the crow of her head. As expected, the man is just bluffing. Her father is a lawyer, but there's no way for him to know that. Regardless, she still gives a small nod that seems to invigorate him.

"Of course you are. And you have a guy you like, don't you?" she has a boyfriend, more specifically, though he's obviously playing it safe now. Girls her age have crushes all the time. She nods, interested where he's going with all this. "Ohh, you do, hehe, I'm very good at these things, you know? And your compatibility with him is… wow, I'm impressed!" he exclaims. Sachiko leans closer, curious for the answer even though she knows it's all an act.

"The worst" he concludes gravelly. She takes her hand away. As expected, she should have just put a stop to it from the beginning. She and Shiro have amazing compatibility, thank you very much. "Hey, don't make that face" the man says, grabbing her wrist just when she's taking a step back. "Just because your compatibility with one guy isn't good doesn't mean you can't… look at others…"

"I have a boyfriend" she tells him firmly when he starts tugging her towards his lap. Why do they all want her to sit on their laps? Hearing this, the man's eyes narrow, and he puts more force on his grip.

"Really? Does your boyfriend know you work in a place like this? What a stupid guy. If it were me, I wouldn't let you anywhere near the sight of other men, specially dressed like that."

"I don't mean to be rude, dear client, but my relationship with my boyfriend is none of your business" she tries to take her arm away, but the man suddenly stands up, bringing her to his chest with one sharp tug.

"Why, you little-!"

The rest of his words are lost to the wind when a bottle hits him square in the head. The man slumps, unconscious, and Sachiko jumps away, looking everywhere to see where that bottle had come flying from.

"You can't touch the fairies!" Louis shouts, appearing out of nowhere and answering her doubts. His face is red and he's panting slightly. Sachiko stares at him, wide-eyed, but Louis ignores her, instead calling over Scarron so they can get the unconscious man out of the bar. After that, he disappears once again inside the kitchen, leaving Sachiko completely bewildered at what had just happened.

However, that isn't the last time Sachiko sees him that night. He appears multiple times, when she's trying to flirt with the clients in order to get tips. Because he always disappears so quickly, she can't ask him to stop interrupting her, and so, that night she barely gets any tips.

The next day, Sachiko's very careful not to give Louis any reason to ruin her work. She tried talking to him that morning after the shift was over, but he was fast asleep before she could say anything. Because of that, she keeps a minimum distance between her and her clients, thinking Louis' just being possessive like always. What she can't imagine though, is that, apart from that, he's also both jealous and worried about her safety.

"Hey you, pour me some wine" a man says, extending his cup towards her. He looks pretty drunk already. Carefully, Sachiko does what he asked, still keeping a distance. That seems to displease the man. "What? You think I have some kind of disease or what? Come closer" he barks the order. Sachiko gulps.

"Um, I don't think that'll be safe, sir…" she tries to explain, however, the man takes her words the wrong way.

"Safe?! Who do you think you are?!" he shouts, standing up. Sachiko takes a step back. "Why are you trying to run? Do you think I'll do something to you? You disrespectful brat!" he gets even closer, but before he can even lay a finger on her, he receives a swift kick to the face. Sachiko doesn't even have to look up to know who the one responsible is, and although she's grateful, she's also annoyed.

"Louis…"

"Ah! Good timing, Louis! That man was causing so many problems!" Scarron happily interrupts, leaving Sachiko dumbfounded.

Needless to say, her luck that night wasn't any better than the one before it.

So this is how is going to be Sachiko thinks with annoyance as she looks at Louis sleeping soundly the next morning, just when she was planning to have a conversation with him. Sitting down next to him, she shakes his shoulder.

"Hey, sleeping beauty, I want to have a few words with you" she demands, her tone harsh. He doesn't even stir. Sachiko uses more force, to the point she almost throws him out of the bed. He wakes up with a start, and pushes her away with a glare.

"What do you want?" he asks roughly. Sachiko huffs.

"Why are you sabotaging me?" she crosses her arms, looking at him sternly. Louis raises an eyebrow.

"…excuse me?"

"Oh no, no 'excuse me', I want to know what you're trying by driving away all my clients! Ever since the day before yesterday you've been doing nothing but kicking and hitting them unconscious! I can't even get a proper tip!" she complains, unconsciously pouting in a way Louis almost finds adorable. Key word: almost.

He was ready for this kind of interrogation though, and because of that, he knows exactly what to answer. "So you mean you'll prefer I let all those men touch you without your consent?"

It's Sachiko's turn to frown. "Of course not, but the way you do it…"

"There's nothing wrong with it. Scarron even congratulated me for taking such good care of the 'fairies'" he folds his arms, lifting his chin pridefully. Sachiko purses her lips.

"Then why are you only 'caring' for me? There are so many other men trying to take advantage of the other girls, but never once I've seen you bothering with them!"

"Because I don't care about them. You're my familiar, I can't let people touch you as they please. Besides, the other girls can take care of themselves" he responds, matter-of-factly. Sachiko looks at him, crossed-eyed.

"I can also-"

"No, you can't. Idiots never can" is all Louis says before turning around and closing his eyes. And it doesn't matter how many times Sachiko tries to make him listen to her, he stands his ground and ignores her, until finally she gives up, tired.

By the third day of the race, Sachiko's simply pouring wine while keeping a safe distance from her clients, brooding over the fact Louis had decided to take care of her now of all times.

"What's with that face? Such a gloomy girl" the men complained, and thus, she received even less tips. During her break, she sits down on a stool behind the bar, listlessly glancing at the floor.

I can't get too close without Louis snapping and scaring away my clients, but I can't get any tips if I keep my distance and act cold. Just how am I going to win this race? She drops her face on the counter, feeling troubled, when Jessica approaches her.

"So how's it going?" she asks merrily, sitting right next to her. Sachiko growls, not even bothering with lifting her head to glare at her. "Hmph, something tells me is not too well."

"Can you leave me alone?" she snaps, moving her head slightly so she can frown at her. Jessica's not taken aback at all.

"I knew from the beginning I was going to win, but to think it would be to such proportions" she sighs. "I didn't think Louis would so desperately want me to know why you were working here. If that was the case, he could just have told me, and I wouldn't have bothered with making this bet…"

"…the hell you're on about…"

"I'm saying that he's doing everything he can for you to lose! We've all noticed how he suddenly became so protective of you, but because most of the time he's actually doing a good job scaring creeps away we decided to let it be. But really, you're a weirdo magnet. More men had been trying to take advantage of you only this week than they had me for a year!" she exclaims, looking genuinely surprised. Sachiko frowns.

"Huh?" she asks intelligently. Jessica rolls her eyes.

"You need to take better care of yourself. Men realize you're an easy target, so they don't think you'll oppose their advances, and while letting them think you're interested is good, you have to let them know the one who's making the rules is you and if they want something from you, they'll better listen first" she folds her arms. Sachiko blinks, letting her words sink in.

"That's… that's actually good advice" she says after a while. Jessica smiles smugly.

"Of course it is. I've been in this business for a few years already" she declares proudly.

"And how old are you?"

"Sixteen."

"…and how many years have you been in the business?"

"More than you, that's for sure" she stands up "and concerning Louis, what I'm saying is that I thought he would want you to win, so you didn't have to tell me your secrets" she shrugs "not that I'm complaining, since like this I'll kill two birds with one stone; know what you're hiding and getting to flirt with him all I want!" and with that, she takes off, Sachiko watching her go with a pensive expression.

If I tell Louis about the bet, he might stop sabotaging me she thinks, biting her lip, but on the other hand, I'll have to tell him I made a bet with Jessica, and what will happen if I lose… which might actually be worse. He'll get mad at her, and scream and things will get awkward again between them just when they were starting to look good and… It's better if I just keep this to myself for now! If I lose, he'll find out anyway, but if I win he'll never have to find out. Meaning, I have to win no matter what!

But how was she going to do that?

The fourth day of the race, Sachiko formulates a plan.

When the first client walks in, she hands him the menu and stands there, waiting for the order with a calm expression.

"I wonder what to order… mm, what do you think about the salted beef? Is it good?" he asks, looking at her and letting his eyes fall to her cleavage, something Sachiko's getting used to after spending so much time working here.

She gives a small nod. "It is, sir. Would you like to order that?"

"Yes. And a pint of ale to wash it down" Sachiko takes back the menu, seeing a chance at the choice of drink of the man.

"Ale, is it? That's quite rare. Normally our clients always order wine."

"I'm not a fan of wine. I grew up in a small town in Germania, and only recently came to work here. This is one of the few establishments in Tristania that sells ale, actually" he tells her nonchalantly. Sachiko nods with interest. As expected, showing just a small amount of interest was enough to get the man to loosen his tongue. But loosening his tongue isn't exactly her objective. "Now that I think about it, I don't think I've seen you before. Are you a new waitress?"

"Yes. I started working here a week ago."

"Ah, I see. Yes, quite a nice catch that old man got. Now, girly, why don't you-" the man says as his hand slowly creeps up towards her. Sachiko speaks then.

"And what do you work as, to bring you all the way here from Germania?"

"Eh?" the man didn't expect that question. His movements halt; just enough that Sachiko can take a step back without him noticing. "Ah, nothing too important. I'm just a humble accountant that moved when the company I was working in branched out to this country. Since the alliance with Tristain, business has been flourishing between the two nations."

"I think I heard about it. Ah! How thoughtless of me, I was so interested in the conversation I forgot to take your order to the kitchen! Please forgive me!"

"Ah, no worries girl. Go work."

When she comes back to the table, the man slides a few coins her way after she places his plate in front of him. When Sachiko looks up, he winks at her. "Just a small welcome gift. Come by to talk to me again. It's nice having someone to actually hear you out once in a while."

"Thank you" she smiles at the man, before turning around. She wonders if she's doing it right, showing interest but keeping her distance like Jessica had told her, but after receiving more tips from other clients, with no sight of Louis to beat them up, she guesses she's doing alright.

That's just the beginning of a rather successful night.

However, in the last day, Sachiko realizes she's still too far behind.

"I'm tired of washing dishes" Louis, sitting next to her, complains. Sachiko shushes him immediately, saying something about 'wanting to hear what Scarron's saying'. He frowns. "He's still making counts, and why are you so focused in what he has to say?"

"Today is the last day of the race" she explains, serious. "He's going to give out the top three waitresses, and I want to know if my name's in there" she crosses her arms, tapping her foot impatiently. Louis sighs.

"You care about that?" Sachiko nods vehemently, and he rolls his eyes, "alright, if you want, but you're not losing focus on our mission, are you? You're still hearing all the rumors you can, I hope."

"Yes, I have them all in here" she points at her forehead. That doesn't reassure Louis at all.

"Tell them to me tonight. It's past time I write a letter to Henrietta" he stretches, giving a yawn. So Sachiko wants to win the tip race… he wonders why. It is true she has been behaving a little more attentive than what was necessary with the clients in the past few days, much to his constant annoyance. And while at the beginning he had been able to scare those men away with the excuse that he was protecting the fairies, lately Sachiko had not been giving him enough reason for him to do it without looking suspicious. It was starting to frustrate him.

That, and the way Jessica still tries to rub onto him whenever possible, is really getting on his nerves. He can't wait for this mission to be over.

"Alright, fairies!" Scarron stands up, wriggling his body and posing as always; "now, I will announce the current top three for the race! In third place, we have Marlene, with eighty-four écu, fifty-two sous, and six deniers!" he exclaims joyfully. The blond girl gives an elegant bow as her coworkers applaud. Sachiko pouts, and with that gesture Louis understands she hadn't made it. "In second place we have Jeanne, with ninety-eight écu, sixty-five sous, and three deniers!" the brunette girl bows just like the last. "And then… First place!" Scarron's eyes scan the girls, his smile widening; "without match, my very own daughter; Jessica! With one-hundred-sixty écu, seventy sous and eight deniers!"

The announcement is received with cheers of joy and loud applause as Jessica stands up and bows, all the time giving a cat-like smile. Her eyes make contact with Louis', and she winks at him cheekily, causing him to scoff and turn away. In his peripheral vision, he sees Sachiko grinding her teeth, much to his bewilderment.

"Now! Whether you cry or laugh, today is the last day!" Scarron says once the cheers die down. "But today is the day of Daeg in the week of Teuz! Because it is the end of the month, lots of customers will come! If you try hard, you might get lots of tips. The top places are still in range!" he encourages; and with that, the bar is ready to open.

Louis pokes Sachiko's side.

"So? How far behind are you?"

Sachiko sighs. "I have fifty-nine écu, and a few sous, but I think I can still make it if I serve enough tables" she gives a determined nod, before glancing back at him. "And I have a favor to ask you" she says, serious. Louis raises an eyebrow, waiting. "Please, please, please don't try to 'protect me' or anything! I have to win this race! And I can't do that if you're popping out of nowhere and scaring my clients away!" she begs, giving him the biggest pleading eyes she can muster. Louis blushes, but turns away and snorts.

"Ha! If your clients don't try anything funny, I might consider it" he says, not looking at her. "Besides, don't know why you're complaining, these past few days I haven't done anything, have I?" Even if I really wanted to he adds in his mind.

Sachiko purses her lips, not pleased with the answer. "Louis, I'm serious. Scarron said today there will be more clients than usual, and I need this. Like, really need, so I might have to get a little closer to the men if I want to get something more than what I usually get. Therefore-"

"Closer?!" Louis snaps, standing up and clutching her by the camisole's neck. Sachiko blinks, surprised at his reaction. Though he was not putting his strength behind it, it was still the most forceful she has seen him been in a while. "You won't do more than is strictly necessary when you're around those perverts! The last thing I need is a bunch of weirdoes touching my stuff!" he declares hotly. The girl simply stares at him, feeling her face starting to get warmer. When Louis releases her, she finally finds her voice.

"Your stuff?" she asks, trying to conceal her embarrassment. Her heart is beating very fast, and she has no idea why.

Louis shrugs. "Yeah, 'cause you're my familiar" he explains simply, and then walks towards the kitchen. Sachiko quickly shakes herself out of her surprise and follows him, still not done with the conversation.

"Nobody will touch me! I promise! I just need to flirt a little, maybe give a few little brushes, but nothing else! So please, can you not interfere?" she gives him those pleading eyes again and he sighs, more jaded than anything.

"Alright! See if I care when one of them is trying to take advantage of you!" he storms inside the kitchen, mumbling to himself all the while, and Sachiko smiles.

"Thanks!" her enthusiastic call is received with a growl. She quickly goes back to work.

She does as much as she can; tending various tables at the same time and flirting like there's no tomorrow. Although the rhythm was a little complicated to follow at the beginning, she quickly got used to it as the hours went by, and was careful to maintain her façade while trying to remember all the orders correctly. Finally, all those afternoons playing memory card games with her grandmother bore fruit.

Only two hours after opening, her small fortune had increased by thirty-seven écu and twelve deniers; however, she knows this isn't even close to what she needs in order to beat Jessica. Glancing in her direction, she watches in despair as a fat man gives her a rather juicy tip as the girl thanks him with an even face. Sachiko growls internally, and goes back to the front to receive more clients.

Meanwhile, Louis couldn't stop himself from peeping from time to time how the situation was developing. He eyes as Sachiko welcomes another client with a graceful bow, and feels his blood run hot when the man's eyes instantly land on her chest. His hands ache with the need to hit something, but because Sachiko had pleaded with him not to interfere, he settles with scrubbing the dishes with more force than necessary to let out steam.

A few minutes later, Jessica walks in, her face so serious Louis forgets to be annoyed.

"Ah, Louis" she says not in her usual teasing, seductive way, but with a frown. Something's wrong.

"What happened?" he asks, putting down the washing cloth. Jessica sighs, grabbing his arm and guiding him until they can see what's going on in the bar safely behind the door. What Louis sees is an obscenely fat man accompanied by many others; some wearing military uniforms, others wearing plain clothes. However, one thing is for sure; they're all nobles. If not for their simple cloaks the wands attached to their waists give it away. Louis frowns; "who…?"

"If it isn't Lord Turenne! Welcome to the Charming Fairies' Inn!" Scarron receives the group of men, nervously rubbing his hands together. The noble twists his face, giving Scarron a demeaning look before speaking.

"Hmm, the store seems to be flourishing, huh, shop manager?" he asks condescendingly, looking around at the people drinking and eating, especially the girls.

"Ah, no, no!" Scarron rapidly shakes his head, nervous. "It's just a coincidence today. Usually, this place is so empty we can even hear the cuckoo sounding. It must be because it's the end of the month that we're surprisingly so full!" he says as he gives frantic nods. Turenne raises an eyebrow.

"What, if it isn't that a nice excuse."

"It is as I said, my lord. But, as you can see, the store is full today…" Scarron continues explaining, almost desperately, a far cry from his usual confident personality.

Giving a cruel smirk, Turenne says; "I do not see such a thing though?"

As soon as the words are out of his mouth, the nobles that followed him pull out their wands. The customers, afraid of the noble's magic, wake from their drunkenness, stand up, and disappear out of the entrance at full speed. The bar becomes empty at once.

"It seems that talk of a cuckoo was true after all" Turenne sneers. His belly quivering, he and his followers reach a table in the middle.

Louis looks at Jessica.

"Lord Turenne" she says, not waiting for his question, "the tax collector around here. Just like that, he comes to the stores under his jurisdiction and swarms around us. A horrible person! He won't even pay a single coin" she puffs her cheeks indignantly. Louis blinks.

"Oh, so it's like that…" he eyes the man, feeling a new dislike for him. Seeing this, Jessica continues.

"Swaggering like that just because he's a noble. If you displease him, he'll place an outrageous tax on you and bankrupt your store, so everyone always listen to what he says" she sighs. Louis nods to show he's paying attention.

Just then, Turenne, who seemed to have been discussing something with Scarron, leaving him rather pale, speaks up.

"Is there not a girl who will pour wine for Her Majesty the Queen's tax collector?! This bar at least sells that, right?!" he shouts. Louis growls mentally. How dare he use the name of Henrietta like that! Jessica also looks angered.

"Who would pour for you, when you won't hand over a single tip no matter how much you touch us?" she snarls. As expected, not a single girl approaches the group. Turenne's face grows redder by the second. Somebody has to take care of them before the situation gets worse, but none of the girls want to, instead glancing at each other, looking to escape the responsibility.

Suddenly, a girl steps forward, holding a bottle of wine. Louis' eye twitches and his nails dug into the wooden door.

What is Sachiko doing?!

"T-That idiot!"

"My lord" she bows respectfully once she's in front of the group. Honestly, she's a little scared, but decided to go forward after realizing the inn could get in trouble if no one served them. It also helps the fact that she has some kind of idiotic heroic complex.

Turenne gives her an appreciative look, his smile turning slimy.

"What do we have here? A new waitress?" Sachiko nods, trying to keep her composure, and pours wine into his cup.

"I've been working here for a little over a week, my lord" she says. Suddenly she yelps, as the man's hand reaches under her skirt, roughly touching her bottom.

"A good acquisition, if I can say. You're act-" he's interrupted when the sole of a shoe explodes on his face, toppling him from the chair. Sachiko takes a step back, surprised, and looks at the person responsible for that.

Louis' back is to her, but she can see the way his shoulders go up and down with his ragged breath, and how his body trembles with his fists tightly closed. All the other nobles rapidly take their wands out, pointing them at him.

"W-who do you think you are brat? I'll have you hanged!" Turenne shouts hysterically. Louis laughs. It's a shaky, angry laugh.

"W-who a-a-am I?" his voice is trembling almost as much as his body. Sachiko can see he's furious, and can't help but feel bad for those miserable nobles. "I-It doesn't m-m-matter who I am! I definitely won't allow it!" he screams, taking out his wand.

A pure white light flashes throughout the bar and blows the armed nobles all the way to the entrance. Confused, they look at Louis, and scream at the sight of him, sure they were face to face with a demon.

"It's my own special privilege! No one can touch Sachiko but me!" he shouts, raising his wand again. Seeing this, the nobles try to run away, but with a simple wave, he creates a hole in which they fall down. Louis walks up to them, still glowering.

"W-what are you? Who are you?" Turenne asks, terrified. Seeing the look of complete terror in the fat man's eyes, Louis smiles cruelly. Without saying anything, he takes out the permit from Henrietta. "…H-H-Her Majesty's permit?"

"Indeed. I am part of Her Majesty Queen Henrietta's Court and the only son of an esteemed family lineage that boasts of a righteous history. I have no name to tell some petty official like you" he declares, his anger cooling down into prideful superiority. The man screeches.

"F-forgive me! I beg of you!" he bows. Quickly, he takes out his wallet and throws it at Louis' feet. He urges his companions to do the same. "With this, please forgive our lives!"

Louis takes a little to answer, enjoying the way all these men are trembling and asking for mercy, before finally deciding to say; "forget everything you've seen and heard today. Otherwise, I will make sure to hunt you down to the pits of hell."

The nobles nod frantically. "Yes! I swear in the name of Her Majesty and the Founder that I will not reveal what has happened today to anyone!" while yelling that, he gets out of the hole, tumbling, and Turenne and his men disappear into the darkness of the night.

Louis gallantly returns inside the inn. As he steps in, everyone applauds.

"That was amazing, Louis!"

"Couldn't get enough of that look on Turenne's face!"

"I feel refreshed! That was great!"

Comments like those fill the inn's main hall. He blinks, before realizing what he had just done, and his face turns red remembering what he said about Sachiko. He looks at her, but she's glancing down, as red as he is. Scarron, Jessica and the other girls surround him.

"I don't know how I should thank you" the middle-aged man says with tears in his eyes, which suddenly glint with an idea. "Oh! I know! Let me kiss you!" Louis desperately shakes his head as he takes a step back, not at all comfortable with that plan.

"Ah, no, it's alright. Just…" and then it clicks. "Oh, for the love of-! I just used magic!" he laments, face-palming. As everyone had already seen it, there was no point in trying to keep his tone down. Jessica giggles.

"Don't worry; everyone already knows that" she says. Louis turns to her. Sachiko also stares, dumbfounded.

"Huh?!"

"It wasn't obvious at first" Scarron continues, patting him on the back. "But after a while, we all started to notice your behavior and the way you talked. Also, there was no way we were going to believe that story about the circus and you and Sachiko being siblings, right?" he says, laughing. Louis glares at Sachiko and she chuckles nervously. "But you don't have to worry, there's not a girl here that would expose a co-worker's past's secrets" the girls all nod. Sachiko looks at them.

I wonder if Jessica told them… or if they're really just very sharp she wonders. She sighs, thinking that now that the secret is out in the open, there was no longer a reason for her bet with Jessica. However, what he said, 'no one can touch Sachiko but me'… she smiles softly, before catching herself and shaking her head. What am I thinking? Get a hold of yourself! You can't let yourself be carried off just because a handsome boy said that, especially if that boy is Louis. Don't forget you already have a boyfriend!

Clapping his hands together, Scarron catches everyone's attention. In a cheerful voice, he says, "now that all of the customers have gone home, I will announce the results of the tip race!" he looks towards the wallets outside the inn. "Though I think we don't need to count, right?" then, he glances at Louis. The boy simply frowns, before the meaning of his words sink in. He blushes.

"I-I don't need a bustier! I'm not even a waiter!" he exclaims. Scarron pouts.

"But I do think you'll look adorable in it…"

"No! Give it to Sachiko, she could use it better than me!" he insists, remembering Sachiko wanted to win the race. All eyes immediately fall on her.

"M-me?!"

"Well, if that's the case, then we have a winner!" cheering voices erupt, along with enthusiastic applause. Sachiko looks at Louis, who only smiles at her.

That night, they didn't work anymore.

The next night, Sachiko looks at herself in the mirror, fixing her hair constantly and fidgeting nervously. Louis had already gone down to start preparing the bar with Scarron, so it is only her in their bedroom in the attic.

To be honest, she has her doubts about going down tonight to work. The bustier is certainly flattering, and the moment she glanced in the mirror she very badly wanted to take a picture because she looked so cute, but now, after the rush of seeing her appearance for the first time has finally wore off, she finds herself unsure.

Because, she is certain she will attract a lot of customers tonight dressed like this. And while that is certainly a good thing and she will be sure to earn a lot of tips, Louis' words just won't stop ringing in her head, over and over again.

'It's my own special privilege! No one can touch Sachiko but me!'

…making her want to show her cute appearance to no one but him.

What did he mean by that? Was it because she's his familiar and therefore doesn't want others to touch 'his stuff' like he had told her the other night? O was there some other meaning…?

"Stop thinking about it Sachiko. Obviously there's no other meaning. Besides, you already have Shiro" she mumbles, annoyed with herself. Despite that, the questions still haunt her. She could probably ask him directly, but knowing him, he would likely just get angry and yell at her to stop misinterpreting things, so she had chosen not to pursue the subject to save herself the headache… and possibly heartache.

She sighs, finally deciding to stop wasting time and go downstairs, when the door suddenly opens, startling her. Louis enters, frowning.

"What's taking you so long? The bar is already open and all the others…" he trails off, his eyes getting big upon seeing her.

"Ah! Yes, I was just going down now and… Louis?"

Sachiko tilts her head, watching Louis just… standing there, looking at her as if mesmerized. She blushes, realizing the bustier must be working its magic on Louis right now. To have that always arrogant and uninterested boy staring at her like that… the bustier's magic really is something else.

Catching himself staring, Louis shakes his head, before crossing his arms and staring away. "I see you're already all prepared. Why are you still here, woolgathering, then?"

"Who even says woolgathering…?"

"So?" he insists, and Sachiko sighs.

"I was actually feeling a little apprehensive…"

"About what? The bustier? That thing's got an attraction spell casted on it, so you look fine" he says, sounding exasperated. Sachiko purses her lips, suddenly annoyed at his flippant answer. To think she had been so worried because she didn't want others to see her after his declaration the night before.

"Ah, yes? You looked pretty awestruck when you came in here before…" she taunts, causing Louis to sputter.

"It's just the magic, you know! Even Scarron looked good with that thing on!"

"Huh? Are you saying it wouldn't look good on me if not for the magic?" she gasps, offended at the implication. She huffs, crossing her arms. "Yet you were the one that said 'no one can touch Sachiko but me'! What was that about, then?" she asks, even though she had not been intending to do so just a moment ago. However, when she fights with Louis she tends to forget herself.

Being exposed, Louis blushes, but he tries to cover it up by glaring. "You're my familiar, so of course it's implied not just anyone can touch you as they please. And you! What were you thinking, going over to those men to serve them?! You even asked me not to interfere… really, how much of an idiot can you be?" he blurts out, still angry over yesterday's events.

Sachiko winces, aware he has a point, and also a bit disappointed his answer is just as expected; that he said that only because she's his familiar. She tries not to think about that last part too much. "W-Well, no one else was going to! And what would have happened to the inn if that man got angry because no one wanted to serve him?"

"Yeah, maybe it's like that, but you can't always act like the hero! Even if you're Gandálfr, there are still things you'll need help with. That's why I'm here. We're like… like a team or something" he mutters the last part, blushing a little. This gives Sachiko pause. For the first time, she sees Louis' actions in a different light. True, he hindered her at every turn whenever he showed out of nowhere to beat her clients into a pulp, and while she always thought of it as a sign of his natural possessiveness, she never really stopped to think he might be doing it… because he was worried about her safety.

She feels warmth spreading in her chest at the notion, and a small flutter in her heart that she decidedly ignores. Clearing her throat, she plays with her fingers and also looks away, searching for the right words to answer his statement with.

"I… thank you Louis. For defending me yesterday. Maybe… maybe I was being a little condescending, when I asked you not to interfere at all… without you, I don't know what would have happened to me back there."

Louis slowly glances back at her, his brow furrowed slightly in confusion. "No… just… just be more careful from now on, ok? You don't even have Derflinger with you to protect yourself with during work."

"Mmm" she nods. Then, she adds, as she straightens her skirt absentmindedly; "so… you know. I won't get angry if you protect me again."

"Huh?" Louis asks before he can stop himself. Sachiko chuckles, causing his blush to go even redder.

"I mean, we're a team, no? You protect me when I'm unable to protect myself, and vice versa, right? Besides" she joins her hands behind her back and winks mischievously, "tonight's going to be especially tough if I'm wearing this bustier. Gotta need a little hand out there."

Louis thinks about it for a second, still looking at her as if wondering if she's being serious or not, but after a while, he finally smiles and nods.

"You got it."

Later that night, after closing, Sachiko deeply regrets her words when, despite wearing the enchanted bustier to work, she didn't earn a single tip thanks to Louis getting in her way every three seconds.

A/N: 'It's my own special privilege! No one can touch Louise but me!' it's probably one of my favorite lines from Saito. And so, I had to use it here. But why is Louis saying it instead of Sachiko? Because I think it sounds better coming from a guy, haha. Sexist much? Maybe, but I don't caaaareeee.

Thanks to everyone for the warm welcome back! So happy to see people still interested in this little fanfic.