Their Separate Schemes

At dusk—

"Honestly... I can't stand you. How did you end up in a place like this?"

Talia called out, irritation in her voice.

Durandal, leaning against the terrace railing, immediately burst out laughing. "Haha, did I give you a scare?"

He turned around, and an unusually mischievous look appeared on his face.

The moment Talia saw that smile, the love she felt for him warmed her chest.

Instinctively, she could only return it with a helpless, bitter smile. "Yes, of course you did—though never mind. It wasn't the first time you'd frightened me."

She knew Durandal was in such a good mood not merely because he could see her at the ZAFT Base in Diochia.

Durandal was staying at the military guesthouse here, and she was not the only person summoned to see him.

Even so... sigh, once you boarded a pirate ship, there was no getting off.

"You looked well. I heard you performed brilliantly. I'm very glad."

Durandal walked over and spoke warmly to Ray Za Barril, who stood at attention beside Talia.

Ray normally showed almost no expression, but he suddenly smiled with childlike delight, as though overwhelmed by the attention.

"Gilbert..."

"It had been a long time since we'd properly gotten together like this."

The tall Durandal bent slightly, and Ray unexpectedly stretched out his arms like a child and wrapped them around his neck. Durandal hugged him tightly in return.

At that moment, Ray's expression was incomparably peaceful.

Seeing the almost fatherly look on Durandal's face, Talia could not help feeling a faint ache in her heart.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the three sat down around the tea table on the terrace.

"Could it be that the Atlantic Federation had made some move?"

The instant Talia sat down, she questioned Durandal beside