Chapter 19: Familial Regrets
Louise quickly drags the catatonic-looking Michael through the academy and eventually up to her room. Kicking the door closed as she begins to pace back and forth in the middle of the room.
Michael wasn't really in any state to comment on her peculiar behaviour however, his recent actions easily caught up with him and brought with them a tsunami of unfamiliar emotions. He'd seen movies that depicted death and injury before, but it was an entirely different experience watching someone most likely die before your eyes... Especially at your hands.
Louise herself was on the brink of a mental breakdown. Guiche de Gramont had been hideously injured by her familiar, who also turned out to be some sort of Mage? Her heart had almost leapt out of her chest when she saw him cast that orange lightning, yet the exhilaration was quickly replaced with horror and the sense of impending doom.
The nail on her thumb had been filed down to the skin from her anxious and incessant chewing, there was a twitch in her back leg which made her want to run for the hills and abandon any responsibility for the incident and its implications for her family...
While the Valliere family was at a considerably higher status than that of the Gramont, it didn't mean they were at liberty to do whatever they wanted. Not to mention the fact the family had previously had close ties before this incident... She imagined what her mother would say about it all, having her daughter implicated in a 'murder-attempt' against Earl Gramont's third son.
She wasn't even sure who was liable at this point, as it was apparent that her familiar was some kind of noble, with his use of magic confirming it, Michael and Guiche weren't even supposed to be duelling by the rules of the academy...
Not that she thought the Gramont family would let this rest idly. Earl Gramont was a rather renowned General in the Tristain army, if nothing were done to rectify things he'd likely bring the matter forth to the Queen and her council...
She takes a glance at her familiar who was still just standing there with a blank expression on his face. She wanted to berate him for being the cause of all of this, but seeing him now made it obvious he never intended to go so far...
The revelation of his status as a noble, or at the very least, a fallen one. Made Louise reconsider how she'd actually been treating him thus far... Perhaps her disappointment for summoning a 'peasant' familiar had made her harsher than she should have been, as she usually would never treat a servant like she had him...
Looking back on it now, he probably orchestrated the whole duel with Guiche to display his magic. That must've been why he was so desperate to actually attend the duel, even when he looked regretful at actually causing her trouble.
Which brought it back full circle, where Louise held full responsibility... Now, not only in the eyes of the other nobles, but also herself... Her actions may have forced her familiar's hand, but even if it was her fault, she couldn't make herself forgive his actions...
With her anger towards her familiar quickly fading into resentment and disappointment, she releases a sigh and sits at her table, dropping her head against it and letting her forehead rest against its cold surface. "Familiar. Why did you not say you were able to use magic." she asks, the realisation that her familiar was a better mage than she was dealing a great blow to her ego.
...
Michael slowly comes back to his senses as he hears Louise talk to him, he was still shaken up by the duel, but the dull ache in his left hand brought a strange clarity to his mind. "Would you have believed me?"
Louse scoffs, "I would have if you'd shown me it! If I knew you were a noble your treatment would have been vastly different!" a tinge of red appears on her cheeks, "I wouldn't have let you dress me for starters!... Is that why!?" she starts and looks about to blow Michael out of the window when he interjects.
"No!" he quickly retorts, a bead of sweat gathering on his forehead as he thinks on how to explain his actions... He couldn't say 'I was just trying to follow the plot!', as there were only two ways that could go... Either Louise thinking he was crazy, or him becoming a seer of some sort, if that was even a thing in this world... Either option wasn't ideal for what he wanted to do. "...My magic is peculiar, and can only be used on enemies. Targets won't do, so I had to create my own targets." he states, trying to project confidence but noticeably twitching at Louise' incredulous expression.
She glares at him for a moment before releasing a heavy sigh, "Not that it really matters now... If Guiche doesn't recover from this, you will probably be executed." she states.
...
"Eh, what?" Michael awkwardly sounds out. He knew that would probably be a possibility due to how severely he'd fucked up, but hearing it from Louise cemented it... "We can do something about it, right?... You managed to heal me when I was badly hurt? Why not just do the same?"
Louise shakes her head, "I had to use a special potion my mother gave me to save you. I doubt there's another like it anywhere near the academy..." she refutes, having already considered such a thing before they even reached her room.
...
"So there's nothing we can do?... Just like that." Michael says.
Louise slowly nods, "Mmhm... Unless you are royalty to one of the nearby countries, or possess an exorbitant amount of gold, that is the likely outcome." she solemnly confirms.
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