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"Siesta," I said the next morning. I had been up since dawn, looking for the maid. She had returned the same time as Louise and I had, and for the last few days she'd been looking at me with the same wide eyes she had given me the first time I put Guiche in his place. I was hoping they would wear off eventually like they had before and had been giving her space. Unfortunately space was no longer an option.

"Shirou," she said happily, and then saw my face and her expression turned to worry. "Shirou! Are you alright? You look exhausted." She flounced over quickly, abandoning the mop she had been using on the floor in a heartbeat. With one hand covering her mouth in concern, she lifted the other to hover around the dark bags under my eyes. "What time did you get to bed?"

My eye twitched at the word 'bed'. "Oh. I got to bed fairly early actually." Got to bed, yes. Got to sleep? Not quite so easily. "Listen, Siesta, I have a fairly important question."

"Oh?" she asked, her eyes widening in surprise, and then a blush started to spread on her cheeks. I could almost see the thought process. Trouble sleeping plus important question equals marriage proposal.

Normally I would feel a little regret for shattering her hopes so ruthlessly, but this was important enough to warrant me not caring for once. "In this world, are there such things as love potions?"

"Eh?" she asked, completely unready for my non sequitar. "Well, yes," she admitted, but then hurriedly shook her head. "But I would never dream of using such a thing on you! I don't care how often my cousin tries to get me to, it's illegal!"

Wait, what was this about a cousin? Eying the suddenly blushing Siesta who was covering her mouth with horror at having revealed that this was a potential option in her book I asked for confirmation about one part. "So they're illegal? You're sure of this?"

"Yes," she nodded, focusing on that part of her accidental confession gratefully. "Any potion that changes the heart or mind of a person is illegal. Even nobles aren't allowed to use them." Now looking at me curiously she finally asked the question that had no doubt been circling her mind. "Shirou, why are you so curious about these kinds of things all of a sudden?"

Without another word, I turned around. There, firmly attached to my back in a bear grip that I wasn't certain I could break was Louise. She was too busy nuzzling my back while blushing and occasionally emitting kittenish mewing sounds to be paying too much attention to her surroundings.

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6154638/10/