Facing Miss Louise's suspicion, Hayashi Maki didn't waste words—he simply stripped off his shirt and pants.
Standing before her in just his boxers, his well-built torso, balanced muscles, and sharply defined abs made Louise scream.
"Ah!"
"W-what are you doing? Planning to do something indecent to your master again?"
Hayashi Maki rolled his eyes. "You're the one who didn't believe me. I'm showing you whether there's a familiar's mark on me or not."
"Mmph…"
Swallowing her shame, Louise widened her eyes and openly inspected his body. Then her brows knit; her face fell.
"How can there be nothing…?"
"You really aren't my familiar?"
"Impossible. We clearly concluded the contract. I—I felt it succeed!"
The girl was on the verge of tears. So even her one chance at a familiar summoning had failed? Was she doomed to be "Louise the Zero"—a useless mage who couldn't cast?
How could this be?
Just imagining Kirche and the others laughing at her made her tremble.
"No. You must be hiding it in your shorts!"
She grabbed his boxers and yanked them down before he could react.
Hayashi Maki's eyes went wide. This little lady's move left him speechless.
"Aaaah!"
"W-what did you just show me?! Lewd—pervert!"
As Louise covered her eyes and stumbled back in a panic, Hayashi Maki calmly pulled his boxers up.
"I should be asking you. Who yanks a man's shorts down out of nowhere? You're the indecent one, Miss Louise—shameless girl."
"Hah? A shameless girl? Y-you… lecherous dog!"
"Mmph!"
Calling him that again earned Miss Louise another "penalty." Hayashi Maki didn't argue—he scooped her up and sealed her lips. Only when she was nearly breathless did he let go.
Watching her pant, he grinned. "I warned you—call me insults again, and I'll kiss you."
"J-just go away!"
Louise finally burst into tears, flinging herself face-down on the bed, shoulders shaking.
"If you're not my familiar, get out of my room—go! I don't want to see you! Anyway, I'm 'Louise the Zero,' a useless failure everyone will laugh at…"
Seeing the noble girl's composure shatter and tears stream like rain, Hayashi Maki sighed, gathered her into a gentle hug, and stroked her hair.
"I may not be your familiar, but we did make a contract. From now on we're bound—family that can't be split apart. So I do have a reason to be in this room."
"Mm… what do you mean?" she sniffled, peeking up at him.
Hayashi Maki tenderly wiped the tears at her lashes and took her small hand. "Look at the back of your hand—that's the contract sigil. It won't vanish until death. You kept staring at me for a mark and forgot to check yourself."
Startled, Louise looked—and sure enough, a mysterious emblem was inked there. Her face changed.
"No—that means the sigil is on me. Doesn't that mean I became your familiar?"
Hayashi Maki nodded calmly. "Not a familiar—a follower. We're inseparable family. And in time… even closer."
Louise eyed him complicatedly. "Really not a familiar?"
People said familiars were lifelong companions—but to nobles, a familiar was still a tool, a dog.
"Of course not. Would you want to be my familiar? If you insist, I could amend the contract."
"No! I absolutely won't be your familiar!"
She shook her head like a rattle-drum, rejecting him at once.
"You can even rewrite contracts… L—Hayashi Maki, what are you?"
She'd almost said "lecherous dog," but his dangerous look made her change course at the last moment—finally using his name. It was the first time she treated him as an equal.
Playing with a lock of her pink waves, Hayashi Maki smiled. "See? You can say my name properly. Honestly, Louise—must it always come to this?"
"Urusei! Enough nonsense—tell me who you are!"
She slapped his hand away from her hair, eyes blazing.
He took her small hand again, fingers brushing the sigil on her skin; her embarrassed look made him unreasonably pleased.
"I'm a demon—a being who can grant your wishes. The one you called for: sacred, beautiful, powerful—the one who will protect you."
"Hah? A demon? Since when are demons sacred? You're obviously evil!"
She pulled her hand back with a pout. In her mind, he was far too indecent—barely acquainted and he'd already kissed and held her so many times, even fondled her hands more than once.
Called "evil," Hayashi Maki didn't get angry—he kept smiling, eyes roaming her cute face. Louise shifted uneasily, but his words stuck in her mind. She couldn't help asking:
"You said you could grant my wishes—what does that mean?"
Hayashi Maki flopped onto the bed and yawned.
"Exactly what it sounds like. You're called 'Louise the Zero'—being mocked because you can't cast doesn't sit well, does it? I can help you use magic normally."
He didn't mention Void Magic; no need to let the little lady get carried away. The Void was strong in this world, yes—but compared to his authority, it was nothing.
And Louise's Void spells took too long to chant; the most a familiar would get was a 'Gandálfr'—wielding any weapon. But a follower contract with him was different: when the magic seed he granted bloomed, it would grant the follower the power their heart desired most.
So fulfilling her wish was no problem at all.
Hearing this, Louise's eyes brightened—then she sniffed dismissively.
"Your name screams 'commoner.' Why would a commoner be able to help me use magic?"
~~~
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