Zero´s Partner

The warmth of the morning sun streamed through the bedroom window as I opened my eyes. I blinked a few times, feeling the light breeze passing through the slightly open glass. It took me a moment to notice something strange: Louise was no longer in bed.

I turned my head and stared at the empty space beside me. The sheets were still slightly rumpled, but already cold. She left without me noticing... Probably so she wouldn't wake me up. I smiled softly, imagining her mumbling under her breath while getting ready for the day.

Stretching, I got up and adjusted my shirt before leaving the room. My stomach was already protesting, and the kitchen seemed like the most logical first stop.

I'll take the chance to start preparing for my date with Louise.

I want everything to be perfect.

The walk there was peaceful, with a few students already starting their daily activities in the stone corridors of Tristain Academy.

As I entered the kitchen, I was welcomed by the comforting aroma of freshly baked bread and hot coffee. The head chef, a burly man, raised an eyebrow when he saw me.

"Well, well, our Sword, my favorite kid! Hunting for food before it's time?"

I chuckled and approached the counter. "That too. I just woke up, and the dining hall is already closed. Also, I wanted to ask for a favor. Could you prepare some snacks for a picnic? You know that red berry cake? I'd like a few slices. I want to make something special."

He crossed his arms, studying me for a moment before letting out a hearty laugh. "Hah! So that's what this is! A date, huh?" Shaking his head, he grabbed some bread, a few fruits, and a cup of coffee while walking toward me. "Leave it to me, kid. I'll put together something worthy. Just come back later to pick it up."

I nodded as I took a seat, and soon, the chef placed the food on the table. "Thanks a lot, Chef."

The man shook his head dismissively. "No need to thank me, kid. After what you did for Siesta and that noble, you'll always have friends among the commoners in this academy." He said as he returned to preparing the dish he had originally been working on.

People in this world really are grateful. I finished eating as quickly as possible so I could stick to my schedule.

I smiled and thanked the kitchen staff before heading out. Next stop: the music club.

The club hall was spacious, with a few well-maintained instruments displayed along the sides. As soon as I entered, the supervising teacher—a thin man with a friendly expression—looked at me curiously.

"Hiraga Saito, right? The young man who put that arrogant Count Mott in his place."

I raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Looks like the story spread fast."

He chuckled. "Oh, absolutely. The Count wasn't exactly well-liked around here." Then, he nodded toward one of the guitars. "Here to borrow one?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I want to play something special today."

The teacher smiled and handed me the guitar without hesitation. "Consider it a small thank-you from all of us. Enjoy."

I grasped the guitar firmly, feeling the familiar weight of the instrument. "Thank you. This means a lot to me."

Before long, everything was ready. With the picnic snacks packed and the guitar in hand, I went to find Louise.

When I found her, she was in her room, looking flawless in a rose-colored dress. The elegant fabric highlighted her delicate features, while the refined details reflected her nobility. For a moment, I lost my breath.

She eyed me suspiciously. "What? Why do you have that dumb look on your face?"

I chuckled softly and shook my head. "Nothing… I was just admiring how beautiful you look."

Her face immediately flushed red. "S-stop saying nonsense and get on with it already!" she grumbled, turning away.

Smiling, I stepped closer and gently covered her eyes with my hands. "Trust me. I have a surprise for you."

She huffed, crossing her arms. "Saito, if this is one of your stupid ideas, I swear—"

"Relax, relax," I interrupted, laughing. "You're going to like it."

I led Louise through the Academy's courtyard, feeling her hesitation as we stepped onto the soft grass. After a few more steps, I finally took my hands away from her eyes.

"You can look now."

She blinked a few times before taking in the scene before her. Under the shade of a large tree, a picnic blanket was spread out on the ground, and at its center, a basket waited for us. The spot was secluded enough to give us privacy but still within the Academy's grounds.

Louise raised a hand to her mouth, surprised. "Saito… Did you do all this?"

I sat down on the blanket and smiled. "You haven't seen anything yet."

She blushed again, but a small smile played on her lips. With a dramatic sigh, she sat beside me. "Fine, let's see what you've prepared. But if it's awful, you're going to pay for it."

Laughing, I began taking out the snacks, carefully arranging them on the blanket. Louise watched in silence until I caught a flicker of surprise in her eyes.

"Wait…" She blinked, looking at the slices of red berry cake, the buttery rolls, and even the tea the chef had prepared. "These… these are all my favorites."

I grinned, satisfied with her reaction. "I noticed what you liked to eat at breakfast and dinner. I just had to reinforce it with the chef. Looks like I got it right, huh?"

She averted her gaze, her cheeks lightly flushed. "Idiot…" she muttered, but she reached for a slice of cake, breaking off a small piece with her fingers before taking a bite. Her eyes lit up at the sweetness of the flavor.

Seeing her there, so genuinely happy, warmed my chest. I leaned forward slightly, resting an arm on my knee as I watched her. "I'm glad you're enjoying it. I wanted today to be special for you."

Louise paused mid-bite. Her eyes met mine for a moment before she quickly looked away, falling silent. Instead of answering, she focused on eating, chewing slowly—clearly trying to hide how flustered she was. I chuckled softly and let her have that moment.

For a while, we simply enjoyed the picnic. Louise sampled the sweets and tea while I watched, amused by how, despite being a noble, she couldn't resist a well-made dessert. Time seemed to pass slowly, comfortably, until Louise suddenly broke the silence.

"How are you handling all this so well?" she asked, furrowing her brows. "If I had been transported to Japan like you were to Tristain, I would have been way more confused."

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "It is what it is. If there were a way back, I'd be stressing out a lot more. But you yourself said it's a one-way trip. That, and…" I let out a nervous laugh. "A part of me wonders if I brought this on myself. So I can't complain too much."

She raised an eyebrow. "You brought this… on yourself?"

I gave a weak smile and sighed, carefully choosing my words. "I've always felt an emptiness in my heart, a purpose to live for, you know? Something I could never quite fill. But ever since I came to Tristain... ever since I've been with you... that feeling disappeared."

Louise's eyes widened, and she turned completely red. She clasped her hands in her lap and looked down, biting her lip. When she finally spoke, her voice was quiet and hesitant. "I... I'm glad you feel that way." She took a deep breath before continuing. "Because... I feel like something has been complete since you arrived too."

My eyes widened slightly at her confession. But before I could respond, her expression changed. Her fingers tightened around the hem of her dress, and her voice sounded sad as she murmured, "But even so... I feel bad about everything. I'm sorry for all of this."

I shook my head immediately. "Hey, don't worry about that, okay?" I smiled at her, trying to reassure her. "I'm still trying to accept all of this, but the sooner I do, the better. Besides, Tristain isn't so bad. From what I've seen so far, at least. I mean, yeah, some things are really different. Others? Not so much."

Louise's lips curved up slightly, and her cheeks turned an even deeper shade of pink. "I'm glad you like it here..." she said softly. Then, to my surprise, she leaned forward and rested her head on my shoulder.

My heart skipped a beat.

Chuckling, I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and leaned back against the tree, gazing up at the blue sky above us. "I do, mostly."

Louise didn't say anything, but I felt the way her body tensed slightly for a second. Did she notice how I phrased that? But instead of pulling away, she just relaxed against me again. We stayed like that for a while, simply enjoying each other's presence, no words needed.

Every now and then, Louise reached for another treat from the basket, eating with small, careful bites. I couldn't help but smile. The way she nibbled on the smaller pieces first, savoring every little bit, was incredibly adorable.

Suddenly, I remembered something. "Ah, wait a sec. I still have one last surprise."

Louise lifted her head and looked at me, curious. "Huh? What else did you plan?"

I stood up and walked to the back of the tree, where I had hidden the guitar. Carefully, I picked it up and returned to where she was, holding the instrument with a hint of nervousness.

"I... I know how to play the guitar a little," I admitted, feeling my face heat up. "But this is the first time anyone outside my family is going to hear me play. So... don't laugh at me."

Louise's eyes widened, and an excited smile spread across her face. "You know how to play? Really?!" She straightened up on the blanket, now completely focused on me. "Then hurry up and play! I want to hear it!"

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. I looked at Louise, who was now watching me with all the attention in the world, eagerly waiting.

Swallowing hard, I positioned my fingers over the strings.

It was time to play.

As soon as the sound of the guitar vibrated under my hands, I felt calmer. I closed my eyes and let the memories guide me. Soon, I started to sing softly.

Let's go in the gardenYou'll find something waitingRight there where you left it lying upside downWhen you finally find it, you'll see how it's fadedThe underside is lighter when you turn it around

Everything stays right where you left itEverything staysBut it still changesEver so slightly, daily and nightlyIn little ways, when everything stays

My voice echoed softly under the tree, blending with the gentle breeze that swept through the courtyard. As the chords unfolded, I could feel Louise beside me, completely silent. When I stole a quick glance at her, I saw her wide eyes, as if she were mesmerized by the sound of the song. Her blushing face and the slight parting of her lips showed that she hadn't expected something like this from me.

I kept singing, letting the melody flow freely. When I finished, the silence lingered for a moment. The wind gently rustled the tree branches, and only the distant chirping of birds broke the quiet. Finally, Louise blinked a few times and swallowed hard, as if returning to reality.

"Saito..." she murmured, still absorbing it all. "That song... did you write it?"

I scratched the back of my neck, embarrassed. "Not exactly... It's from a story. It was my sister's favorite."

Louise tilted her head slightly, curious. "A story?"

I nodded. "Yeah. One of the songs she loved the most. And, well... I guess it resonates a little with my situation."

I fell silent for a moment, carefully choosing my words. Finally, I sighed and looked at Louise, allowing my voice to carry my emotions. "I won't lie, Louise. A part of me still wants to go home. But also... I want to explore this world with you. I want to understand this feeling I have for you. And I want to do things right, follow noble traditions, or whatever needs to be done. I've never felt like this before, and I want to see where it leads us."

Louise's face turned completely red. Her eyes widened for a moment, but then she quickly looked away, gripping the hem of her dress tightly. "I-idiot...!" she murmured, biting her lip.

Silence hung between us. For a moment, I thought she was going to shut down completely, but to my surprise, she took a deep breath and met my gaze again. Her eyes were still shy, but there was something different in them. A glimmer of emotion, of affection... and something deeper.

She hesitated before speaking, but when she did, her voice was soft, almost a whisper. "If you want to follow noble traditions, you're doing well. This whole date has been wonderful. I'm glad you want to..." She averted her gaze, her face burning. "Because I... I want to explore this with you too."

My heart pounded. A slow smile spread across my face.

Louise quickly looked away, crossing her arms as if trying to hide how much my words affected her. "B-but don't think this means we're doing anything, got it?!" Her voice was higher than usual, and her blushing face betrayed her desperate attempt to maintain her composure. "We have to wait until marriage, so don't try anything... a-and don't look at any other woman, or I won't forgive you!"

I let out a low chuckle and ran a hand through my hair. "I don't plan on ruining what we have, Louise. You can trust me."

I placed the guitar beside me as a mischievous grin spread across my face. Slowly, I leaned closer to Louise, who was watching me like a startled kitten.

"Saito..." Louise warned in a quiet voice, but I saw no real resistance. Despite her words, she wanted this just as much as I did.

With my face mere inches from hers, close enough to feel her warm breath against my skin, I whispered softly, "After all this... am I not even worthy of a kiss from my lady?"

My whisper sent shivers through her, and I saw the flicker of indecision and desire in her eyes. She stared at me for a moment, her gaze shifting between my eyes and my lips, lightly biting her lower lip. My heart pounded, anticipation making me restless. I resisted the urge to just pull her close, waiting for her to make the decision on her own.

And she did.

Slowly, her slender arms rose and wrapped around my neck. Her touch was light, but it burned like fire.

"You really are an idiot... You should feel honored that I'm doing this for you... but just one kiss." Her voice was so soft it almost blended with the wind. But before I could respond, she pulled me toward her.

Our lips met, and everything else faded away.

The warmth of her body, the soft lavender scent mixed with the natural perfume of her skin, the gentle touch of her fingers in my hair... it all blended into an overwhelming sensation.

I must say, she was the one who broke her own words about it being just one kiss.