Kallen's suspicions

Kallen took the Shinkansen back to Stadtfeld Manor alone. Her birth mother would remain with Ask for a period of withdrawal treatment to free her from Refrain's control.

She knew that this also amounted to leaving a hostage behind.

As for that final, inconceivable demand, it had taken her nearly half a day to agree to it. By the time she headed home, it was already dark.

She had spent a long time thinking there and asked plenty of questions. Throughout it all, he had shown extraordinary patience, answering her every doubt.

Becoming Ask's dog effectively meant becoming a mole planted within the Black Knights, allowing him to better control the organization's movements in the future. All of this was for the sake of factional struggles-or so Ask had told her.

She could more or less guess that he seemed to intend to make the Black Knights a sacrificial pawn in those struggles.

Of course, that wasn't what concerned her. What she cared about was whether he could deliver on his promises.

Only after talking for quite a while had she become convinced that a "special administrative zone" was achievable. It would simply require Ask to pay a certain price.

And naturally, he would recoup that price from her.

Under Ask's step-by-step guidance, a spirit of self-sacrifice gradually took shape in Kallen's heart-

For the Island Nation, for my mother, any price I pay will be worth it!

And so, Kallen ultimately chose to accept that blatant demand.

Of course, that didn't mean she had lost her judgment. If he showed any sign of going back on his word...

Kallen wanted to say she would "take him down with her," but she realized she simply couldn't do it.

Especially after learning what her mother wanted, she couldn't disregard her safety.

In other words, there was nothing she could do...

"Heh. In the end, I still fell into the enemy's trap..."

Kallen gave a self-deprecating smile.

He was a prince, an exalted prince-and one who wielded real power. Destroying their organization would take no more than lifting a finger and issuing an order.

Not to mention that he had one of the Knights of the Round at his side.

Even so, she wouldn't let him do whatever he wanted with her.

It would be best if he kept his promises. But if he broke them, she would tell Zero everything she knew, even if it meant being killed.

Even if that accomplished nothing...

"Haah."

Kallen let out a long sigh and tried not to think about any of it. The more she thought, the more keenly she felt her own powerlessness.

Still...

Judging by their conversation today, this prince had made a surprisingly good first impression on her, almost changing some of her preconceived notions about Britannia's imperial family.

He had been willing to talk patiently, shown neither discrimination nor prejudice, referred to her as a person of the Island Nation, and made so many promises...

He was also very handsome, with a far more composed bearing than those arrogant, overbearing nobles and royals. His manner of speaking was so gentlemanly that people instinctively wanted to trust him before even exchanging a word.

Someone like that couldn't be a bad person, no matter how you looked at it...

That was what Kallen thought.

It could have been an act, but if it really was, it was almost too convincing.

She thought that was unlikely.

Although she couldn't understand whether a factional struggle was worth going to such lengths, she wasn't in his position and naturally couldn't understand his thinking. She was at least self-aware enough to recognize that.

All that mattered was that he kept his promises.

Besides, on some unconscious level, she was willing to trust him for now.

Late that night, Kallen lay exhausted on her bed, thinking about what she would do next.

This was her first time doing anything like going "undercover," and she couldn't help feeling uneasy.

If it had only meant betraying Zero, that would have been one thing; she had already done all she reasonably could for him. But now she also had to hide it from her comrades.

Honestly, she wasn't very good at lying.

But she had no way back now.

Besides, she had already resolved to sacrifice herself in exchange for the Island Nation's future.

Before she left, Ask had given her a phone equipped with an anti-surveillance chip so they could stay in contact. Even so, she would have to make sure she only used it when no one was around.

Kallen lay looking upward and fiddling with the phone, murmuring to herself.

"Come to think of it... Ask seemed to know a lot about Zero..."

She had vaguely sensed that during their conversation.

But if she took that feeling as a starting point...

"Zero is actually a pawn put forward by a faction of the imperial family opposed to Ask..."

She sucked in a sharp breath!

Kallen gasped, stunned by the thought that had suddenly occurred to her!

Jeremiah's sudden decision to let them go when they rescued Suzaku Kururugi, the single-handed assassination of Prince Clovis, and everything else...

All those actions seemed to have a complete explanation now!

It made so much sense-and it was terrifying!

Even war had become a tool of factional struggles, and they could kill a prince just like that!

This was beyond Kallen's comprehension!

I can't keep thinking about this!

The more of the truth someone knew, the sooner they died. That much, she understood.

She squeezed her eyes shut, emptied her mind as best she could, and drifted into a deep sleep... like hell she did!

She couldn't sleep!

Unlike the anxious Kallen, Ask was perfectly at ease.

He lay on a soft bed with his eyes half closed, leaning against a springy cushion, while a blonde girl in front of him demonstrated her culinary skills.

She was Milly, the daughter of the Ashford family, and Ask's little maid.

To ensure the family's survival, the head of the Ashford family had been forced to attach himself to Ask's faction and send Milly to his side.

By now, this young lady had been trained to obey almost his every whim.

Of course, that was only in comparison to how she used to be.

As he enjoyed Milly's cooking, Ask suddenly said:

"Speaking of which, there's a student at Ashford who's quite fond of you. I hear he's even pursuing you?"

-!

At those words, Milly, who was busy stir-frying a sausage, paused with her mouth open. After freezing for two or three seconds, she found a moment to reply:

"Yes, but he isn't pursuing me. He just has some feelings for me, that's all."

She knew hiding it would be pointless, so she simply admitted it, hoping only to end the topic as quickly as possible.

Ask answered with an amused chuckle.

"A young heiress whom others can't win over despite all their devoted efforts, yet behind closed doors, this is what she's like... Heh. What an interesting plot."

"..."

Milly didn't answer.

She had seen plenty of things like this.

She knew that the friend who had feelings for her might become a toy for Ask's amusement, but there was nothing she could do.

For her family's sake, she couldn't resist.

Whoosh-

The sausage was scorched, leaving a pale white mess, like milk. After swallowing it, she was sent back to her room, while Ask settled down to sleep peacefully.