"Yaaawn~" Kai stretched out his arm as he let out a yawn. Looking to his side, Louise was fast asleep. Her eyes were still a little swollen from crying all night. She had been crying from that time last night, until she got tired and fell asleep.

Thinking about it a little harder, it was odd. What made her change so quick?

It could be... No, never mind.

Hm.

Abruptly, Louise woke up, and noticing Kai, she got up and bit her lip. She could barely whisper out, "Good morning..."

"Good morning..." For some reason, Kai felt a little more nervous.

Louise started to blush. Usually anger accompanied her blushes, but it was different now. She looked down, and mumbled something.

"W-What?"

"Forgive me." Louise sounded a little weird. "Forgivemeforgivemeforgiveme. Forgive me?" Something was definitely off about her. She was looking at Kai with eyes that he'd never see from her.

"Really, what's goin' on with you?" With some worry, Kai put a hand on her shoulder. Feeling his hand, Louise rested her head on his hand.

"I saw?"

"Huh?"

"...a dream..."

"...What kinda dream?"

"A dream about Kai."

"A d-dream about what?"

"Kai was mean in the dream. Even though I tried my best to talk to him, he still wouldn't look at me." Louise suddenly bit into Kai's hand, though it wasn't painful in the slightest. She was very gentle.

As Louise glanced up at him, Kai felt his heart beat faster and faster. What is wrong with her? Something is going on, but... is it really that bad?

Kai! Really... I never took you for the sort of pervert to be into biting-

SHUTTHEHELLUP!

"Listen to me."

Kai froze up a little hearing her. "Y-Yes?"

"Tell me the truth... W-Who do you love the most in the world?" Before he could answer, Louise buried her face in Kai's chest.

"Y-You."

"Liar."

It wasn't a lie in the slightest. She was the only one who could make his heart race so much.

"I'm not."

"Really?"

"Yeah...?"

Louise suddenly got up, and crawled to the other side of the bed. After taking something out of a secret gap in the wall beside the bed, she crawled back to Kai.

Louise suddenly thrusted the thing to Kai.

"Uh... what's-"

"Take it."

It was an odd object made out of wool. It seemed extremely strange, but one thing was for certain. It wasn't wearable. Kai held it, and tried his best to figure out what it was. It could be something he wore... No. Not possible.

Louise quietly watched Kai look at the object. She had expectant eyes that seemed like they would let tears flow if he didn't meet those expectations, but he hadn't the faintest clue as to what the object could have been.

What is this thing?! While still staring at it, Kai tapped on his head with his knuckle. Think think think think think! Wait! I've got it!

"Thank you so much! I really wanted a wool toy!"

Louise's expectations were not met. "It's not that... It's a sweater."

At first Kai stared blankly at the 'sweater'. Any which way he looked at it, he couldn't see how it could be a sweater.

Now in a panic, Kai tried to put it on... But how? Somehow he found a spot to force his head through... Though now his arm was stuck in it, and half of his face was obscured by the thing.

Then, Louise held Kai tightly while pushing him down onto the bed.

"L-Louise!" Since his arm was stuck in the sweater, he couldn't do anything.

"Be still."

"Can do..." Kai muttered quietly. Really, it was the only thing he could do.

Louise held onto Kai firmly, as if he were her long lost stuffed animal.

After a minute, Kai asked, "Don't you have to go to class?"

"It's fine. I'll just skip it. When I let you go, you always go out for so long. You never pay attention to me, so today I'll make sure you do. I hate when you don't pay attention to me."

From how she sounded, it was as if Louise wouldn't ever let him go. For the ever-so prideful Louise to say something like that... something was terribly wrong.

"Say something..." Louise muttered softly.

"Something." Kai started to wonder just what would make her act so differently.

ㅤ

A few hours later, Louise finally fell asleep. She faintly snored while in a deep sleep.

Quietly slipping out of her grasp, Kai still couldn't quite get out of the 'sweater' so he'd probably make too much noise going out the door. Thinking quickly he closed his eyes.

"Saito, where are you?"

"Kai? I'm right outside the kitchen with Siesta-"

"Great!"

Not a moment later, Kai teleported straight to Saito.

When Kai arrived, he explained the situation to Saito and Siesta while Saito helped him out of the 'sweater'. He needed a little help with that situation, plus some lunch for him and Louise wouldn't hurt.

Siesta smiled at Kai. "You sure seem popular."

Kai waved his hand. "Nah, it's something different. She isn't herself. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's like something took over her." Hearing that, Siesta had a serious expression.

Saito shook his head. "Kai, come on. You're making quick progress. Are you telling me that you don't like it?"

"Yeah! I don't! She isn't herself!"

With a finger on her chin, Siesta said, "That reminds me... I heard that there are magical potions that can change how someone acts..."

The two boys looked at her. "Potions?"

"Indeed. Since I'm not a mage, I don't understand it that well, but Miss Vallière wouldn't drink anything like that..."

Things started to piece themselves together now. Drinking a potion that would change her personality so drastically. That seemed to be the most likely thing, but when did she drink-

Ah.

Monmon.

ㅤ

Leaning against the door to the dining hall, Kai waited for Montmorency to come out. As soon as she did, he grabbed her arm.

Seeing that act, Guiche roared out, "Hey! What are you doing to my Montmorency?!"

Instead of anger, Montmorency's face paled. Normally a noble would make a fuss, especially a noble haughtier than Louise, but she was quieter than a mouse. In a way, she felt indebted to Kai, for some inexplicable reason.

"Hey, Monmon." Despite the friendly voice, Kai glared at the girl.

"W-What...?" She turned her face away. She wasn't even angry at that stupid nickname.

"So... What did Louise drink last night?"

"Eh?" Guiche looked confused. "Montmorency gave Louise something to drink?"

Kai shrugged. "You could say that. I mean, Guiche, you saw how fast Louise's attitude changed last night, right? Going from ballistic to crying her eyes out. Even someone like you should figure it out."

Guiche crossed his arms while thinking, then he nodded. "That's right... Louise turning soft so suddenly... it shouldn't be possible. Right?"

"Right! Monmon, the hell was in that wine that Louise drank?"

"That's the wine I brought! There's nothing suspicious about it!" After saying so, Guiche noticed Montmorency's unusual behavior. She was biting her lips strongly and tiny beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. "Montmorency! That wine, really..."

"That girl drank it without permission!" Montmorency couldn't take it anymore. "None of this is the point though! It's your fault!" She pointed at Guiche. Both Kai and Guiche stood there, dumbfounded. "It's because you're always fooling around!"

Shaking his head, Kai's anger was renewed. "Monmon! What the hell did you put in that drink!?" It all made sense now. Montmorency put something in the wine for Guiche to drink, but Louise drank it instead turning her into the mess that she was now.

After a moment, Montmorency looked down. "...a love potion."

"LOVE POTION!?" Kai cried out.

Montmorency quickly covered his mouth in a panic. "Idiot! Not so loud! ...It's banned."

Kai yanked her arm off of his mouth. "Then don't do something so stupid in the first place! Help her!"

ㅤ

Montmorency, Kai, and Guiche racked their brains in Montmorency's room. She arrogantly explained to them both that she made a love potion to prevent Guiche from having an affair. She put it in Guiche's glass to have him drink it, but then Kai and Louise ran into the room. It wasn't hard for Kai to imagine what happened after that. Unaware, Louise drank every drop of it.

Kai screamed out, "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

Guiche, who kept silent till then, clasped a blushing Montmorency's hand.

"Montmorency, you cared so much for me..."

"Hah! Do you think that I did it for you? I would never waste my time on that. It was just merely unpleasant for you to have affairs behind my back!"

The blush on Montmorency's cheeks was quickly replaced by an arrogant scowl. As expected, the pride of Tristainian women was high. Very self-conceited and arrogant.

"Do not worry about me having an affair! I am your servant forever!"

Guiche embraced Montmorency closely. Then, holding her cheek, he tried to kiss her. Startled, Montmorency closed her eyes.

"That's enough of that." Kai pulled them both apart.

"What are you doing, idiot?!"

"You two can do that later! Help Louise first!"

"She'll recover... sooner or later..."

"When the hell is 'sooner or later'!?"

Montmorency looked doubtful. "Each person's physiology is different, it may take a month or maybe a year..."

"You were planning on making me drink that?" Guiche turned pale.

"That's way too long! Figure out how to help her!" With a jerk, Kai brought his face close to Montmorency's.

"I understand! But it will take some time to prepare the antidote!"

"Well hop to it! Do it now!"

"However, to make an antidote a certain expensive drug is necessary, but I used it all up while making the love potion. I can't do it for the time being."

"Yes, money will be hard to come by, I don't exaggerate," Guiche nodded to himself.

"No money-? You guys are nobles!" When Kai shouted, Guiche and Montmorency looked at each other.

"Although we are nobles, we are students as well."

"It is older members of the family that possess the territory and money."

"Then just ask your parents for the money," Kai said to them both. Then Guiche raised his finger and started talking.

"Listen. There are two kinds of nobles. One kind are nobles who do not have the good fortune of money, and the other kind are nobles who do have money. For instance, Montmorency's family is a failure when it comes to land reclamation, and the management of their territory is horrible."

Montmorency cut in, "Or like Guiche's family that for the sake of honor got involved in a war and wasted all of their money..."

"Anyways, there are money-less nobles. Actually, and I am not exaggerating, half the nobles in the world have enough money to maintain their residence and the territory around it at best. However, it is not for a commoner like you to understand the hardships of keeping the honor and pride of the nobility."

Kai felt his eye twitch a little. If another snobby noble looked down on him... Reluctantly he put his hand in his pocket and pulled out the money that Henrietta gave him. Half of it was in Louise's room and the other half was on him.

"This good enough?"

He spilled the coins on the table.

"Uwaa! Why do you have so much money? You!"

Seeing that amount of gold lying all over the table took Montmorency's breath away.

"Awesome, and some are even five hundred ecu coins."

"Don't ask how I got it. Just... get that medicine with this by tomorrow."

Montmorency nodded reluctantly.

ㅤ

ㅤ

When Kai got back to the rooms, it looked a little weird. It reminded him of his grandpa's house with the smoke, but oddly enough the smoke was sweet smelling. Louise was sitting in the center of the room with incense fuming around her.

"Hey... So, what's up with... all this?" Kai waved his finger around the room.

Louise ignored his question, and with a teary voice she asked, "Where have you been...?"

Only then did Kai notice, she wasn't wearing her skirt.

"You left me all alone..." She said in a teary voice while sulkily looking up at Kai. It seemed like while feeling lonely, she started burning all this incense.

"Sorry...?"

Why doesn't she have a skirt on?! He turned his eyes away from her body when he noticed something else that made him freeze. L-Louise isn't wearing... She isn't wearing her panties.

Her lower waistline was peeking up from the gap of her shirt. There were no signs of any underwear underneath.

Kai began to panic.

"Y-You, p-put some p-p-p-p-panties on!" He shouted while turning his head away.

"I w-won't!"

"WHY NOT?!"

"I'm not attractive... I know that because night after night, you sleep by my side in bed, but you don't do a thing to me. I can't take it anymore."

"Because I am a respectable and respectful young man! Did you really want me to those sorts of things?!"

"I-Is that bad...?"

"Probably?!"

"I'll... shut my eyes and for an hour, I'll pretend not to know."

Louise pulled down the hem of her shirt to cover herself, and stood up. Her bare legs were moving against each other.

Louise jumped onto Kai's chest. The sweet smell of her hair was even stronger than the aroma of the incense in the room. She never used perfumes, it was her natural smell.

Kai quickly shook his head as if the thoughts in his mind would fall out of his ears.

With her face buried in Kai's hoodie, Louise trembled and twitched.

"I'm lonely... Idiot..."

Both of Kai's hands wrapped around Louise's body. They seemed to embrace her firmly on instinct.

Kai bit down on his lower lip to regain his senses through the pain.

Calm down and think me. The Louise right here isn't the one I know.

Right, it's all just a love potion.

Yeah, my Louise is the one I will protect and love... Which is why...

Which is why I cannot embrace her like this.

Kai, with trembling hands, gripped Louise's shoulders. Then he looked her straight into her eyes and squeezed out as gentle a voice as possible.

"Louise..."

"Kai..."

"W-well... Louise, you're acting weird right now because of a... medicine you took."

"Medicine...?" Louise looked up at Kai with moistened eyes.

"That's right. You right now isn't the real you. But don't worry, I'll get you a cure soon. Okay?"

"It isn't because of a medicine!"

Louise looked straight at Kai.

"These feelings are not because of medicine. Because whenever I look at Kai my heart starts beating wildly. Not only that... I cannot breathe and feel helpless. I know, this feeling is..."

"I-it's different. I would love it if they were your real feelings, but they aren't, it's different. This is 'cause of a drug. The antidote should be ready by tomorrow night, so wait till then. Anyway go to sleep now, okay?"

Louise shook her head.

"I don't understand. It doesn't matter. Anyway, you must hug me tightly, or else I won't go to sleep."

Kai took in a deep breath, and let it all out.

"If I do, you promise to go to bed?"

Louise nodded. Kai carried her to the bed. Then she lay down, snuggled next to him, and firmly clung to him.

"Don't go anywhere. Look only at me, no other girls, only me."

She repeated as if some kind of spell.

Where's she getting the idea I'm going to other girls?

Kai nodded.

"I won't go anywhere. I'll stay here for a while."

"Really?"

"Yep, so rest, ok?"

"Un... If Kai says to sleep, I will sleep. Because I don't want him to dislike me."

Kai finally breathed a sigh of relief.

However, Louise didn't go to sleep. Instead, she shuffled a little and brought her blushing face to the scruff of Kai's neck. Before Kai could even think of what she was doing, she started to kiss his neck. It felt like a torrent of small needles down his spine.

"Aah! Louise, what're you doing?!"

While Kai started to panic, she started to suck strongly on Kai's skin.

"Louise! Louise!"

Louise didn't stop. With flushing cheeks, she watched the place that she just kissed. It reddened as if bitten by an insect.

Noticing this, Louise proceeded leaving marks on Kai's skin with an absorbed interest.

"Louise! Stop! I said stop!"

When Louise separated her lips, she muttered in a sulky way, "No. I won't stop. Kai is mine and mine alone. Therefore, I will leave marks to show that he is mine and keep the other girls away."

After that, Kai's torture continued for a while. Louise started to leave hickey marks not only on the scruff of his neck but even on his chest too. She noticed a mark on his chest right over his heart, it looked like a scar.

By the end, there were ten hickeys.

Then Louise, turned her head to the side, presenting Kai her own neck.

"Now you mark me."

"W-what?" Kai's voice had gone up three octaves when he looked at Louise's slender, snowy white neck. He quickly shook his head again.

"If you don't do this... I won't go to sleep."

Kai felt like he was about to cry. He closed his eyes and brought his lips to Louise's neck. He touched it. A deep sigh escaped Louise's lips. Never having heard such a cute sigh from her before, Kai almost died.

Very nervous, he sucked on Louise's pale skin.

"Nh...!"

Louise must have been nervous too, as giving out such a cry seemed to confirm.

Tiredness soon took over her and Louise started to breathe softly like she was asleep.

Dazzled, Kai looked at the red mark on Louise's neck. It looked like a red strawberry in the middle of white snow.

Kai carefully got up and started breathing deeply. Suddenly, he slapped himself with enough force for it to hurt, but he was quiet enough not to wake Louise.

Damn it me! You couldn't hold back, could you!?

What was I supposed to do?! You know how stubborn she can be!

That may be true, but you still could have found an alternative or hell, I dunno, leave the damn room!

Kai sighed to himself. He needed that antidote yesterday. He needed his Louise back.

Then Kai noticed something that Louise was holding tightly in her sleep.

It was the pendant he had bought her in town. She was holding it tightly as if it were some sort of treasure. Seeing that lovely view he lost all his strength.

It was cruel. Louise was horrible. It's a crime to be that cute.

He laid back down softly, and subconsciously, he extended his hand towards Louise. His other hand grabbed it harshly.

No! Not for you! You don't deserve that! You caused her to be like this. If you just paid more attention to her she wouldn't be like this...

Oh god, I'm such a screw-up.

Seeing Louise's sleeping face, an old thought came crawling back from the depths of Kai's mind.

Why go home? I have Louise right here...

When Louise became a court lady of Henrietta, it became difficult to travel to the East... Though he was disappointed, at the same time he was glad. He would be able to stay by Louise's side longer. It was a choice in his head between Earth, and Louise. He had to find a way home regardless for his sister and Saito, but would he join them? It was a choice he couldn't make right now, but he would have to.

ㅤ

ㅤ

In the evening of the next day, Kai was in Montmorency's room. He had a 'fight' with Louise before leaving her in her room and coming here...

"What do you mean you can't make it?!" Kai stared at Montmorency.

Guiche sat beside him holding his chin and scowling.

Montmorency and Guiche had gone into the city that day to face the black-market traders in the hopes of finding the antidote, however...

"It can't be helped! It was sold out!"

"Then when can you buy it?!"

"It... seems like they do not have the goods needed."

"What do you even need?"

"The specific medicine comes from Ragdorian Lake, at the border with Gallia. It is made from the tears of the water spirit... however, it seems they were not able to contact the water spirit recently."

"What?"

"In other words, we cannot get the medicine."

"Th-Then what about Louise?" Kai felt like he couldn't handle much longer of this version of Louise.

"Well, I mean, really, what is so bad about all this? She has fallen in love with you. You like Louise, do you not?"

Kai and Guiche's mindsets when it came to this sort of thing differed extremely.

"You... I am not taking that version of Louise! Those feelings that she has aren't true in the slightest! That's why... That's why I want her back to normal."

But... Montmorency pouted her lips and Guiche shook his head. Even Kai thought quietly for a bit until he finally had an idea.

"Where is that water spirit?"

"I told you already, it's at the Ragdorian Lake."

"So you only need to get in touch with her, riiiight?" Kai asked with a smirk.

Catching the hint, Montmorency started to panic. "Eeeeeh?! Now listen here! The water spirit rarely shows her face before humans! And even if she did, she is very strong! If angered, the results can be disastrous!"

"That just gives me more incentive, let's go!"

"What?! I am absolutely not going!"

Kai crossed his arms, keeping his smirk.

"Well then, seems like there's one last resort. I'll have to tell Her Royal Highness the Princess about the love potion. Oh right, silly me, it's Her Royal Highness the Queen now, isn't it? Anyways, I'll just have to ask her for help. Wait a second, wasn't that potion banned? It's not supposed to be made, right? Now then. I wonder... just what would Her Highness do if she learned about it?"

Montmorency's face quickly turned pale.

"What do you think, Monmon?"

"Fine, already! I understand! I'll go if you go!"

"Hmm, we can't let Louise stay this way, either. Or else others may notice her strange behavior and suspect the love potion."

Guiche shook his head.

"Fear not, my love. I will stay by your side on this journey," Guiche said while leaning in and trying to slowly put his hand over Montmorency's shoulders, but she quickly evaded him.

"That's not really inspiring. You are too weak."

Guiche was about to defend himself but decided against it.

After that, the trio made arrangements for the journey.

They would leave the following day, early in the morning. Because they didn't know how Louise might act if left alone, they decided to bring her along as well.

"Haah, this is my first time skipping school," Montmorency sighed.

"After Kai came, it's adventures every day! Ahahaha!" Guiche burst into a hearty laugh.