Zero no Tsukaima:Volume13 Chapter8
Chapter 8, The meaning of the Smile
translation by: SeiryuuChan
Saito woke up in Mister Colbert’s room. Laying down on the table, he was covered by a blanket. It seemed that the one who put the blanket on him was Mister Colbert, who was in bed, asleep.
It seems Saito fell asleep before he noticed it. Streams of the morning light shone through the window.
"Now I remember. Yesterday, I was so tired from crying that I fell asleep."While thinking that, Saito stared at the display of his notebook computer. It seemed like the power supply had been taken off.
I was thinking about asking Mister Colbert to reconnect my notebook to the electricity, but decided against it.
I memorized it last time, so I am able to recall it..., so it is not necessary to do it for a second time.
From the window, he gazed up at the sky.
Somehow, this world was connected to Earth, one way or another.
What could it be that connected these two worlds together?
Looking at the fact that tank and aircraft could come to this world, it should be normal for an electro-magnetic waves to enter.
"Ah, that seems to be the case." Saito looked around absent-mindedly as he thought that.
"After all, I was a weak man." He thought.
I have comrades, so I think I can do something, since that's the situation I can accept if one way or another, to live in this world. Nevertheless, when I read the mail, I am suddenly overcome by the feelings of homesickness.
Described in simple words, I am a weak man.
It can't be helped since I suddenly read the mail. thinking this Saito left his notebook computer behind in Mister Colbert’s room.
Saito felt depressed. While he trudged through the corridor he muttered.
"Tomorrow will be a troublesome day. The three year anniversary of the coronation of the pope..., My spirit must not be like this."
At any rate, my mood must be kept hidden from Louise.
I don't want her to get depressed again.
I should be thinking about the immediate danger first. Saito positively thought.
Okay, Let's hide this depressed face of mine. While forcibly doing that, Saito opened the door to the living room.
"Louise, forgive me for not coming back yesterday. I was drinking with Mr. Colbert in his room and collapsed..."
Louise was sitting in the chair looking at the mirror. But it seems that she wasn't going to scold Saito. Instead she smiled back, almost like a trap.
"Good morning."
Louise’s sudden smile, surprised him.
"What the...? What with your clothes......"
"Eh, this? Last evening, I went out to buy this."
Louise wasn’t her usual Tristain academy uniform, But a cute blouse with short deep blue silk skirt, and a red ribbon which seemingly leap in the collar. (no idea about the last part)
"Why?"
Saito being amazed, asked? From all the days today is. No, even if is this is a joke in Romalia's great cathedral. Saito still couldn't understand the reason.
"Oh I understand, for tomorrow’s ceremony isn't it? But, is it okay to be wearing that?"
Then Louise smiled pleasantly and said.
"No, for the sake to be going to town to buy things with you today."
"Мe, why?"
"In the town, there is a festival for the celebration of his holiness the pope’s third anniversary. In noble society there are festivals, here in street it seems like they have festivals too. Now, I want to go to the festival with you."
"But tomorrow......, shouldn't be we use time we have today to prepare ourselves?"
"No it's okay. Doing practice right now would not change the result, an effortless action. Besides, sometimes, relaxation is an important too."
Looking innocent, Louise grabbed Saito’s arm.
"Okay, let's go?"
In the end attracted by Louise’s unusually cute behavior, Saito was going to town. Louise was glued to Saito’s arm. What, something wrong? He turned for a moment to Louise. Louise only smiled back.
As expected, I have(had) a bad feeling about this. Saito asked Louise.
"Hey Louise?"
"Yes."
"What are you scheming?"
But Louise was, kyahaha, laughing.
Kyahaha? Louise was laughing? Saito's head was full of questions, jerkily Louise remained glued to Saito arm.
"I'm not scheming anything."
"Lie!"
"It's not a lie. Honestly, for today I just want to take a stroll with you through town. That's all."
Looking at it from all sides her smile was not a scheming smile. Still, there is something hidden, Saito though. Then Louise pointed something.
"Eh that's right, for today I will listen for anything you request."
"Huh?"
"Really I'm serious. So, don't be polite, okay?"
Smiling and leaning to him. Saito felt more and more suspicious. For the sake of testing, he said.
"Then, show me your underpants."
He thought he was going to be kicked, so he prepared for that.
But, neither kick, punch, nor magic attack was launched. Instead, Louise shyly began to slowly lift up her skirt.
"Okay."
It's been a while since I last saw Louise's underpants. He thought.
She doesn't seem to be angry.
Meaning..? “Hey, this is the middle of the street, there’s a lot of people here.” Saito said while furiously trying stop her.
"Stop it, People can see that."
With a smile, Louise returned the skirt to it’s original position.
Too suspicious.
Is this really the real Louise?
Could it be that someone transformed her?
Right, for example, Myozunitonirun’s magical tool...
Saito though, that was an acting. The tension began to get higher with his next words.
"Ah, then, Allow me to touch your breast."
"Go ahead."
Louise nodded almost instantly, with a smiling face.
"Ok, then I will not hold back."
Gulp, Saito swallowed his saliva and began to touch her small breast. Rustle, rustle. (I guess that this is the sound being made, don’t know where to put it)
Even with her small breasts, touching her there, Saito’s tension began to raise. ( I have no idea what to replace tension with)
When he looked back at her, she was still smiling brightly. A face with a color of happiness. Prepared for death, Saito started to shake. If this is the real Louise, let's try that. He thought.
"И..., is this a breast?"(not sure what the И means)
"Yes, that's right."
she positively nodded with a smile.
This was absolutely not Louise! another thing!
"Nah, too small, compared to Tiffania."
"It's okay with me."
That instant Saito jumped, took posture. (?)
"Who or what are you!"
"Just like I keep saying, I am me. Please believe me."
"Why you aren't angry?"
"Because, that's...."
She hesitantly said those words, and when she figured out something, she raised her face.
"Yes! You see, tomorrow there’s going to be a fierce battle. The enemy seems to be Myozunitonirun, right? So this is some kind of reward! yes that's it!"
Seems enjoyed it, Louise said that. (?)
You would normally, even in a situation such as this, object.
In the end, Louise seems to have changed her way of thinking. Perhaps because the noble pride within her, and the princess. Saito had an reached understanding.
"You want to touch more?" "..." "it’s alright! Go ahead! Believe me! Please!" "..." "Thank you."
For the ninth time, she smiled again. O well, if she is enjoying this the I should too. Saito thought. This leisureous situation, is not a reckless action. Besides, there is possibility one of us may be lost tomorrow. Anyhow,however bad the situation turns out to be we will survive.
Tomorrow is, the commemoration of pope’s coronation, things are busy in this Romalian street. Of course, it shouldn't differ too much with the festivals usually held in Tristania.
As expected of the street stalls and the performances, the atmosphere here feels busy. Even in Romalia, in every place around here, pilgrims can be seen crowding merchants. The various goods brought by them were put in the front of the stall.
Louise was stood in front of clothes shelves that was showed in the front of a stall. Doing her best to search for something.
"What, do you really want scarf that much?, I will buy it for you, so go ahead to choose something better."
Even with that said, Louise only shook her head. And then determined to choose a plain scarf, she requested this one.
"...Hey Louise, what do you plan to do with a scarf of that color?"
The scarf’s color didn’t fit with women's tastes. A black one, with lattice pattern embroidery. But Louise just answered by shaking her head.
"See this black color, it suits you."
"What, did you buy that for me?"
"Yes"
Louise smiled sweetly.
"Could it be that you somehow accidentally drank a love potion again?"
"That's not it. It's okay don't mind me. Like I said a reward."
I see, so this is a reward too, Saito murmured.
For the time being for today I will accompany Louise, Saito thought.
Saito and Louise loitered around the street. Around noon, priests went out too to drink and sung war song with their comrades in arms.
The impression that I had, when first entering this place, though it's quite strict, it is still not too different with other town in Halkeginia. In the middle, was dance party provided by a band using of flute and drum to perform.
Louise pulled Saito. Bring him to the center.
"Let's dance."
With Cheerful rhythm accompanying them . Louise and Saito danced. A pleasant want(waltz). Louise was dancing, and Saito was trying to follow her lead.
After they were satisfied they went to the tavern that they were chased into by the Templar knights.
When they entered the tavern, the table was replaced by high class looking sparkling one. Seems the money Kirche gave as compensation was quite sufficient to repair all the damage. The window, and stand counter had been replaced with a glass one.
This tavern was really different from the previous one. The one that stood right now was a first class tavern.
The shopkeeper too was wearing first class brand new polished clothes. When he saw the two of them, he threw a smiled.
When they entered, the shopkeeper recognized Louise and Saito. And looked awkward.
Until this time many trouble has been happened(?). He grinned at Saito and without saying anything the shopkeeper started to send foods one by one to both of them.
And then he whispered silently to Saito ear.
"I will be dependent on you for the next year too."
Meanwhile, Louise was still smiling.
When the food has been served in the table, Louise offered some soup to Saito.
"Еh?"
Б, a----a・(?, maybe aah( as in say aah))
With Louise started to say that, Saito still felt little troubled. Even if this was a reward. It's still too much.
"Hey Louise, please tell me the truth, I won't get angry. Did you by accident, destroy the zero fighter. So you are trying to make me feel better."
"That's not it, for today, I wanted to look cute. I want you to see the cute side of me. Please believe me, that’s the only reason."
When he heard that he was dumbfounded and couldn’t say anything. Looking happy, Louise just smiled.
Once again, they walked through town, Louise gazed at Saito, and lightly said "let's go there"
"Hey let's kiss" She said.
"Еh? Right here?"
Something outrageous had been said, even her face looked shy. Is it possible she wants to do that in a place where there are less people. Looking flustered, Louise suddenly started to push Saito into the nearest alley.
After, she fixed her gaze on Saito's face, and stood there on her tippy toes. Full of passion the two of them pressed their lips together. It was a deep kiss.
For a moment, they pressed each other’s lips together, after satisfying themselves the two of them separated. Once again Louise showed him an extraordinary smile.
Saito could not understand the meaning behind her smiles, but Saito too tried to smiles back vaguely.
while the two of them were walking, Saito would take a peek at Louise, when she would noticed that. She would return a smile, a very lovely one. In the end they continued walking. Saito thought, for Louise, he would do anything to protect her.
But it couldn't be helped, sometimes he would remember his mother’s face. When that happened his chest would hurt.
"Something wrong?"
"Nothing at all, don't mind me."
The instant that happened, Saito forced a smile. Cooling his head.(?)
Full heartedly, the two of them spent their time together, when the night drew near they returned to the room. In the end Saito, was with her the whole day. Calmly thinking, from whatever aspect, it was too suspicious.
"Here drink some water, you must be tired?"
Louise poured water into a cup, and gave it to Saito. After taking a breath he drank it, Saito asked.
"Hey Louise!"
"Yes"
".....You see, I’m still wondering, why are you smiling so much?"
"Can't I?"
Once more Louise smiled a sweet smile.
"its very strange you know!, As long as I remember this whole year you only smiled twice! However, today you smiled 72 times."
"I'm very happy you counted. Thank you."
Once again, she smiled. An angelic smile, a lovely smile.
"That's why I will smile continuously this last minute."
"What?"
"Оnly twice a year huh. But from now on, the time we could spend together, twenty years, forty years?, or even fifty years....., I would smile whenever I could."
"What are you talking about?"
"You know, I won’t smile again for the rest of my life."
Even with her smiles still surfacing, tears began to flow down Louise face.
"Louise?"
"For the rest of my life I won't be loved by anyone anymore. But you must not be like me, Please love whoever, anyone you love. Just like me, you can watch over that person, from your world."
Tears continued to flow and made lines on her cheeks from her eyes to her chin. That kind of form.(Huh, I don’t get that last part)
"Еh?, What?"
Having said that, Saito suddenly became very drowsy.
"Еh?"
It is Magic. But the moment he noticed that, the magic had already taken effect.
"Louise... you.... the water before...."
Loosing strength, Louise hugged Saito, touched his face with her hands, Pressed her lips against his.
Strength completely left Saito’s body.
The water before, just like as Saito said, a sleeping potion had been put in beforehand.
While gently embracing Saito, Louise whispered,
"Good bye my gentle person......, Good bye my chevalier(knight)."
Hick. (sounds of crying from Louise)
After embracing Saito for a while, she put Saito in the bed. After a moment, she stood up.
"...It's okay now."
A moment after that, the door behind her opened, Julio was standing there with smile surfacing on his face.
"Are you really sure about this?"
With no expression, Louise nodded.
"Yes, for the sake of Saito too, to open the [Door world]."
"Then for that sake too, you will......"
"With all my pleasure, I will give you my cooperation. Whether to capture Myozunirum, or to take back the holy land....., All of it. Not only that. For the sake of Halkeginia’s ideals, I will give my life, my void ability and my noble status."
Julio nodded.
"Seems like a saint has been born. Then, let's go immediately. We will explain, the modification to our plain for tomorrow since he won't be here anymore."
Just a moment before she left the room, Louise turned her head once more. Endless tears still flowed on her cheeks. Wiping those tears, Louise whispered,
"Good bye my most important person in the world."
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