Chapter 285: Milly's Plea for Help
"Why did you come?"
"Is Mao... dead?"
C.C. ignored Mahiro's question. After confirming he was unharmed, she directly asked about the child she had once abandoned.
However, since C.C. didn't respond to his question, he naturally felt no obligation to answer hers either.
The two of them simply stared at each other.
Eventually, C.C. was the first to yield. She averted her gaze and turned away, breaking eye contact with Mahiro.
Her amber eyes reflected the distant sunset gradually sinking below the horizon.
"I adopted Mao when he was about six years old... At that time, he was an orphan who knew nothing about reading, writing, parental love, or concepts of good and evil."
Bathed in the sunset's glow, C.C., dressed in gothic Lolita fashion, softened her expression.
"The Geass power I bestowed upon him alienated him from humanity, so I took on the role of both friend and mother to Mao. Because I was the only human in his world, I was his everything."
C.C. suddenly began speaking about seemingly unrelated past events, but just as the Witch had come to understand Mahiro, he too understood what C.C. was thinking.
Still, he felt compelled to remind her.
"Mao is already dead, you know."
"I know."
C.C. suddenly turned her head. Against the backlit afterglow, her gaze appeared remarkably calm—devoid of sorrow, carrying only mourning for the departed.
After holding his gaze for a few seconds, she turned away again, looking toward the sky gradually being enveloped by night.
"I'm merely... bidding farewell to the past."
This was the first time he had seen the sentimental side of the Witch.
Mahiro felt no jealousy, no anger—on the contrary, he was pleased.
The fact that the Witch would mourn for a discarded pawn proved she wasn't as heartless as she claimed to be. She still retained human emotions.
Thinking this, Mahiro smiled and walked over to C.C.'s side, taking her hand.
C.C.'s body tensed slightly, instinctively preparing to resist, but when she turned and saw it was him, she relinquished all resistance.
Slowly, she relaxed.
Hand in hand, the two of them gazed at the distant sunset.
Had there been a painter present, they likely wouldn't have been able to resist capturing this beautiful scene.
If one had to find fault, only Shirley leaning against C.C.'s chest disrupted the perfect aesthetics.
And yet...
"This girl is quite a trouble too..."
That said, Shirley actually caused them no trouble, even after waking up.
She showed no panic or anger—only her eyes reddened slightly upon seeing him and Lelouch.
Lelouch had planned to use Geass on Shirley to make her forget these painful memories, but Mahiro stopped him.
Shirley herself remained highly wary of Lelouch.
She refused to forget.
Shirley chose to move forward.
When she returned to school classes the next day, Shirley had completely returned to her normal self. She didn't report them, and everything resumed like ordinary daily life.
The only thing that changed was her attitude toward Lelouch.
However, she did not treat Mahiro with the same cold indifference, behaving toward him as she would toward any ordinary teacher.
Apart from that, the smile on Shirley's face had vanished, replaced by a perpetually calm demeanor.
Though Milly and the others were concerned, they attributed this change to Shirley's grief over her father's passing and thus refrained from probing further.
As for Lelouch, he grew increasingly fanatical, plunging ever deeper into the path of establishing the Black Knights.
To better control the organization, after absorbing the remnants of the Japan Liberation Front and expanding its ranks, Lelouch reorganized the Black Knights.
Unlike the ordinary civilians in the Black Knights, the Japan Liberation Front had originated from the Japanese military. Although seven years of hiding in Mount Narita for terrorist activities had dulled some of their fervor, with sufficient motivation, these individuals still possessed excellent military qualities.
Seizing this opportunity, Lelouch applied knowledge from his past studies to disband and redistribute both the Black Knights and the remnants of the Japan Liberation Front.
On one hand, this dismantled the unstable elements within both groups; on the other, it allowed those with military training to gradually replace the civilians in combat roles, retaining only a few founding members.
The Black Knights were no longer the disorganized group they once were. After sacrifices, reshuffling, and rigorous screening, the organization now boasted a tightly structured hierarchy and class system.
ZERO became the absolute spiritual leader, managing the organization with meticulous order. Many had been brainwashed by Lelouch's charismatic rhetoric, turning into fanatical believers.
Coupled with arms transactions with the Shadow Garden, the Black Knights were now entirely different from their former selves.
Since their goal was to overthrow Britannia and the rule of the "Curly-haired Emperor," they had no choice but to take this path.
Even so, the Black Knights still had one fatal flaw—a shortage of talent!
Especially someone capable of assisting ZERO in commanding the entire army.
Although Kaname Ohgi had previously led the Red Moon Resistance, he clearly lacked the necessary talent for this role, particularly due to his indecisive nature.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so thoroughly defeated by Clovis, who was not skilled in warfare, in Shinjuku.
Thus, Lelouch prepared for the final step in consolidating the Black Knights.
"So, you're ready to make a move on Toudou?"
"Yes."
Inside the luxury travel vehicle, Lelouch, dressed in his ZERO attire, nodded solemnly in a manner reminiscent of Commander Ikari.
Toudou Kyoushirou, a former lieutenant colonel in the military and Suzaku Kururugi's kendo instructor, had earned the title "Miracle of Itsukushima" for his resistance against Britannian forces seven years ago. By recruiting him, the symbol of Japan's last stand against Britannia, the Black Knights could gain the support of all Japanese people yearning to resist Britannia!
This would also provide more pieces to maneuver on the board.
"But if you want Toudou under your command, you'll have to rescue him from the execution ground."
That's right.
After Major General Katase perished alongside the liquid Sakuradite at the docks, Toudou had been captured by Cornelia and was awaiting execution.
"It's fine, I've already planned it out. While the Knights of the Rounds are unable to mobilize..."
"While the Knights of the Rounds can't move, you plan to have Kallen pilot the Guren Mk-II to pin down Suzaku Kururugi's Lancelot, then abduct Toudou? Not a bad plan..."
Lelouch interrupted.
He clenched his fists tightly, sneering as he enunciated each word: "This time, I'm going to utterly destroy him!"
The look in Lelouch's eyes was resolute and serious; it seemed he had truly made up his mind.
However, what surprised him was the change in Lelouch.
After all, in the original story, Lelouch loved Suzaku Kururugi beyond measure. Many times he could have killed Suzaku, but he let him go every time.
He even fantasized about having Suzaku become Nunnally's knight.
Could it be because of his own influence that Lelouch had changed?
How could that be? Someone as exceptionally good-natured as him, a rare find even with a lantern, how could he twist someone toward a worse direction?
It definitely wasn't his fault.
"Alright, since you've decided, that's good. It saves other troubles. I recall the Four Holy Swords pledged their loyalty to you on the condition of rescuing Toudou Kyoushirou, right? Using them along with Kallen, dealing with a single Suzaku Kururugi should be a piece of cake."
Mahiro crossed his legs, swinging one as he analyzed.
This was indeed Lelouch's line of thinking.
But just then, a message came through on his phone.
"Milly?"
Mahiro took out his phone, slightly taken aback seeing the contact name.
After reading the message, the smile on his face turned subtle. He looked up and said to Lelouch:
"Sorry, I can't keep you company tonight. Do your best on your own."
"Teacher?"
Hearing this, Lelouch immediately looked up.
After all, Mahiro was a part of this operation plan, but now...
Just as Lelouch was about to stop him, Mahiro's Shinkirou had already activated. Before he could even speak, the other had vanished.
"This is troublesome now..."
A gripping, harmonious symphony resonated through the concert hall.
This orchestra truly lived up to being the national symphony orchestra dispatched from Britannia. Whether it was the first violins carrying the main melody or the supporting French horns, cellos, and oboes, they all played with emotional depth. At least for Milly, who was no music expert, the performance was flawless.
If one were simply appreciating the performance, they would surely be enthralled.
Probably everyone present felt the same.
But unfortunately, Milly currently had no interest in listening to the symphony at all.
The first movement ended, and a somewhat quiet atmosphere settled before the second movement began. In the dimly lit private box, Milly stole a glance at the person beside her.
Contrary to her expectations, that person wasn't asleep. The eyes behind the glasses were even filled with interest, but Milly couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't listening to the music; rather, he seemed to be looking at something else through the orchestra.
Lloyd Asplund, the next head of the Asplund family, also the heir to an earldom, belonging to the Special Dispatch Technical Division, with the rank of Major.
This was all Milly knew about this man.
Of course, the most important thing was that this man was still her arranged marriage partner, or one could call him her fiancé.
Although the two of them had barely met a few times, her parents—the heads of the Ashford family—had forcibly pushed her into this situation, privately deciding her lifelong matter without her consent.
Today, they had even pressured her into meeting with Lloyd.
After getting into this Earl's car, she had expected him to take her to some high-end restaurant or similar dating spot, but instead, he ended up bringing her to tour a military base.
Thinking about it carefully, it made sense...
This man simply didn't care about things like fiancées or arranged marriages.
Otherwise, why would he bring Miss Cécile along?
That's right.
It was Cécile's idea for Lloyd to take Milly to the concert, but the problem was that Cécile was forced to come along as well.
During conversations with this Earl, his topics never strayed from his female subordinate, which often made Cécile wear an apologetic expression.
If not for Miss Cécile's inherently kind nature, she would have suspected this Earl of having some ambiguous relationship with his subordinate.
However, such a "date" was truly torturous for Milly.
So, during a brief bathroom break, she sent a text message to Mahiro-sensei, hoping he could rescue her from this predicament.
"Mahiro-sensei... I hope that promise still holds..."
Milly prayed inwardly.
"Of course it's still valid."
"Huh?"
Milly, who was washing her hands at the sink, suddenly heard such a response and thought she was hallucinating.
But when she looked up, she saw that familiar figure reflected in the bathroom mirror.
Young, handsome, with that ever-present smile on his face!
"Ma-Mahiro-sensei?"
"Yes, indeed."
Seeing the reflection in the mirror and hearing the voice respond again, Milly covered her mouth in excitement, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Hey now???"
Milly suddenly turned around and threw herself directly into his arms.
Today, Milly was wearing a simple yet elegant pure white evening gown, with bracelets and a necklace adorning her fair wrists and neck, topped with a noble-style sun hat. Her tall figure, long beautiful legs, and that gorgeous golden wavy hair completed the look.
The goddess admired by everyone at Ashford Academy had now thrown herself into his embrace.
Through the thin fabric of her dress, Mahiro enjoyed the faint perfume scent lingering around his nose, along with her warmth and delicate softness.
At the same time, he gently patted her back and comforted her:
"No need to cry, right? Could it be that Pudding Earl bullied you?"
"Pudding Earl?"
"Ah, that was a nickname given to Lloyd during his student days by the exchange student Rakshata Chawla. Now that I think about it, those two were really birds of a feather?"
"What kind of description is that?"
Milly burst out laughing, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes before looking up at him. Her pink lips, tinted with light lip gloss, parted slightly as she said:
"But, Mahiro-sensei, it's not that Mr. Lloyd bullied me. I'm just very excited to see you."
It wasn't just excitement—there was also deep emotion.
One moment he had just sent a text, the next he appeared right before her eyes—it was almost like Aladdin's magic lamp.
He probably used some kind of supernatural power, right?
For Milly, who always had quirky ideas, this wasn't an unacceptable setting.
"Is that so? Then let's go. Take me to meet the fiancé the Ashford family arranged for you."
"Huh? Teacher, aren't you going to change your clothes?"
Milly blurted out instinctively but quickly realized how rude her words sounded and hurriedly explained:
"Ah, I didn't mean anything about your current outfit, but rather the occasion here..."
"It's fine. It's just a set of clothes."
Mahiro smiled faintly and took a step forward.
The moment his foot landed, the Mahiro in Milly's eyes began to change.
Tap!
That was the sound of hard leather soles stepping firmly on the floor.
But today, Mahiro was wearing casual clothes.
When she looked again, the soft-soled casual shoes on his feet had somehow transformed into pitch-black hard-soled leather shoes, and this change was spreading—from his feet to his ankles, then to his calves.
A shade of dark red swiftly spread across his body, like flames.
In the blink of an eye, his casual attire had transformed into a deep burgundy suit.
Mahiro adjusted his collar slightly, turned to Milly, and said with a smile, "Let's go. Let's meet your fiancé."
Staring at Mahiro in his entirely new outfit, she was completely stunned.
Burgundy is a difficult color to pull off in suits.
But on Mahiro, it fit perfectly. The somewhat frivolous and nonchalant air he usually carried had completely faded away, replaced by a more mature demeanor.
Even though his face still looked young, the steadiness and maturity accentuated by the suit made it impossible to ignore him.
Lost in this captivating aura, Milly didn't even realize how she had left the restroom.
Yes, they had walked out of the restroom—Milly holding onto his arm, leaning close to his side.
As they stepped out, a young woman at the entrance gave them a bewildered look. She glanced at them, then at the restroom sign.
Though they looked like a perfectly matched couple, this was clearly the women's restroom, wasn't it?
"Miss... Milly?"
Noticing that Milly had been in the restroom for quite some time, Cécile had come to check on her. To her surprise, Miss Milly had emerged from the restroom with a man by her side!
Maintaining her politeness, she cautiously asked:
"Miss Milly, who is this...?"
"It..."
"Hello, I am Mahiro zi Britannia. But rather than that name, I would prefer if you called me Yotsuba Mahiro, Ms. Cécile."
Mahiro took over the conversation from Milly with a polite smile and introduced himself.
"You're that Mr. Mahiro?!" Cécile gasped in surprise, covering her mouth.
Having frequently interacted with Lloyd, she was naturally very familiar with Mahiro's reputation.
He was, so to speak, the person Mr. Lloyd could never stop talking about—or rather, the first-generation Knightmare in his possession.
Most crucially, according to Mr. Lloyd's speculation, this Mr. Mahiro is most likely that Shadow.
If that's the case, then...
Her gaze fell upon Milly, her expression growing even more astonished, as if she had stumbled upon some secret she shouldn't have known.
"Miss Cécile, are you surprised?"
Mahiro took a small step forward, positioning himself in front of Milly and blocking Cécile's line of sight.
"Ah... well... no, it's just... how could you possibly know..."
How could he know her name?
"Of course I know. Cécile Croomy, one of the developers of the Lancelot, assistant developer to Lloyd Asplund, military rank of lieutenant, birthday September 7th,
25 years old, height 177cm, blood type O, Virgo...…
"...?!"
As he continued, Cécile grew visibly flustered, her face turning bright red.
Because every detail he mentioned was completely accurate—she never expected him to know even her age, birthday, and blood type so precisely!
"Darling, this won't do. This already falls into the category of sexual harassment, you know."
Milly, temporarily acting as his girlfriend, kindly reminded him with a gentle smile.
Yet these words plunged Cécile into even deeper shock.
If Miss Milly and Mr. Mahiro are in such a relationship, then what about Mr. Lloyd...