(Chapter 27) Lou
After steering clear of the blush-inducing topic, Anna mounted the horse that Louise had gifted her—a horse she was destined to ride no matter what.
She watched as Louise hummed a cheerful tune, slipping the surcoat she had given her over her armor.
Although it was slightly oversized, surcoats weren't particularly demanding in terms of fit. It draped casually over the armor, secured with a belt, and whether it was too big or too small, it looked about the same.
"How does it feel?" Anna had never worn a surcoat over her own armor, mainly because she couldn't afford one.
Her scholarship had barely covered the cost of her low-grade armor, and a surcoat wasn't exactly a necessity.
In an era where surcoats were more decorative than functional, noble knights were eager to use the finest fabrics and most expensive dyes to create lighter, more extravagant surcoats.
If not for the royal restriction on purple dye, these nobles would likely have painted their surcoats, crests, and even their rooms in various shades of purple.
If the kingdom lifted its ban on purple dye, it would probably turn into a purple kingdom within half a day.
But that's beside the point. Upon hearing Anna's question, Louise's face lit up with a blissful smile:
"Anything you give me, Senpai, is the best!"
"R-really?"
That feels a bit exaggerated...
Although Anna was also quite pleased with the surcoat produced by the simulator.
The fabric felt high-quality to the touch, the deep blue dye was exceptionally vibrant and hard to come by, and at first glance, the patterns seemed painted on, but upon closer inspection, they were all meticulously stitched...
The surcoat had no sense of heaviness, instead feeling quite light, yet it didn't come across as cheap. There were no loose threads anywhere...
The more she thought about it, the more she realized how high-end it was... Is this the hallmark of master craftsmanship?
‘No, no, I mustn't forget the main task.’
Anna suddenly remembered something she hadn't yet discussed with Louise and quickly snapped back to attention.
"By the way, Louise, last night..."
Then, just as it had unfolded in the simulator, Anna recounted the "vase incident" from the previous night and shared her suspicions about Lana.
"Senpai, you suspect that Lana was following you...?" After hearing Anna's description, Louise's expression immediately turned serious. "I understand. I'll have someone I trust investigate Lana. Please rest assured, Senpai, I will give you a proper explanation!"
"Thank you, Louise," Anna nodded.
"...One moment."
Frowning in thought for a moment, Louise suddenly said this to Anna, then removed the gauntlet from her right hand.
On Louise's right index finger was a rather inconspicuous ring. She gently twisted it, and Anna noticed a slight "ripple" in the space beside them.
Then, a male elderly figure dressed in a butler's tailcoat suddenly appeared out of thin air, standing nearby.
Louise dismounted and approached him.
"Miss, what are your orders?"
Without any unnecessary greetings, the old butler bowed his head, awaiting Louise's instructions.
"...Investigate Lana. Find out what she's been up to these past few days." Facing the butler, Louise's usual soft and playful demeanor was entirely absent. Now, she appeared every bit the proper noble.
"Yes!" The butler nodded, then vanished in a flash.
Louise remounted her horse, her smile returning as she faced Anna.
"Louise, who was that just now...?"
Although Anna already had a guess.
"That is the most loyal guard of the Latimir family," Louise explained briefly. "He is also a C-rank assassin."
"A C-rank assassin... That's quite intimidating." Anna hadn't expected Louise's butler to be a C-rank assassin...
"Butler Grandpa... He only looks intimidating," Louise shook her head. "If you spend more time with him, you'll find that he's actually a very gentle person."
"A gentle person, huh..." Recalling the stern, cold-faced old man who seemed capable of freezing the air around him, Anna found it hard to associate him with gentleness.
"At the very least, Butler Grandpa's reliability is beyond question," Louise said with a smile. "If even he can't be trusted, then there's no one in the Latimir family who can be."
"If you say so, then I feel reassured."
"Mm, I will definitely give you a proper explanation, Senpai." Louise, now wearing her gauntlet again, gently tugged at the slightly oversized surcoat.
"By the way, Senpai."
"What is it?"
"Since we've exchanged gifts now... Does that mean we're friends?"
"What are you talking about?" Anna found the question amusing. "Haven't we been friends for a while now?"
"...Really?" Louise's face suddenly broke into a mischievous grin. "But I remember, just a few days ago, Senpai was still using formal language with me, not treating me like a friend at all. At most, you saw me as a junior."
"That was because I was required to be respectful to you, not because I actually wanted to be so formal."
"Eh... Is that so? But I actually quite liked it when Senpai used formal language with me..."
"You liked it when I used formal language with you?" Anna didn't believe that for a second. Just last night, Louise couldn't stand her overly proper noble speech.
Though whether it was truly proper was just Anna's personal opinion.
Looking at Louise, Anna couldn't help but smile: "Well then, Lou, do you like it when I use formal language with you?"
"Lou... What kind of nickname is that!?" Hearing this strange nickname for the first time, Louise nearly fell off her horse.
"What's wrong? It's just a simple nickname," Anna said with a mischievous grin. "Don't like it?"
"N-no, it's not that I don't like it... It's just a bit unfamiliar..." Louise's face turned red. "Lou... Lou... It's not a bad nickname, I guess..."
"So, do you prefer me calling you Lou, or Miss Louise Latimir?"
"Huh!?"
Seeing the teasing smile on Anna's face, Louise realized she was being toyed with and pouted in annoyance:
"Stop teasing me, Senpai!"
"Well, it's only fair since you've teased me so much before, isn't it?"
"That's different!"
"How is it different?"
Amid their playful banter, the sun shone warmly overhead.