Talks and cooperation

"Geass."

Beatrice's lovely face betrayed her shock once more, and uncertainty flickered in her eyes, but she forced herself to remain composed.

"What a surprise. I never imagined you could dig this deep. It seems the world still thinks too little of you. No, perhaps even His Majesty has underestimated you."

Beatrice took a deep breath. Her gaze steadied, and most of her earlier anger faded. Looking Ask straight in the eyes, she continued:

"Ask V Britannia, you are even more outstanding than Schneizel."

"You flatter me, Lady Beatrice."

Despite his words, a hint of pleasure still showed on his face.

Nobles and royals alike called Ask "a rare genius," believing he could grow into a prince capable of standing alongside Schneizel. But that was all: standing alongside him. In their minds, Ask remained a little inferior to Schneizel. Apart from the nobles and royals who supported Ask, everyone considered Schneizel the most outstanding prince and the one most likely to inherit the throne.

Even within Ask's own camp, some members of the Pureblood Faction believed they should not confront Schneizel directly "for the time being."

They thought Ask was still young and needed time to grow.

Now, hearing the former Knight of Two and future intelligence director praise him so highly, he felt a rare surge of delight.

What was more, she had addressed him with greater deference, a sign that she was beginning to acknowledge him.

"No. Even Schneizel knows nothing of Geass. There is no question that you have already surpassed him in intelligence gathering."

Ask responded with a composed smile, his mind racing. Her praise had caught him off guard. He needed to consider her motives and whether his subsequent plans required adjustment.

In the time it took to smile, he had reached a conclusion.

"Then may we return to our earlier discussion, Lady Beatrice?"

At his words, Beatrice sat back down, lightly tapping her fingers against the table while propping her head on her other hand. He could not tell what she was thinking.

Ask quietly sipped his red wine, in no hurry either. Her behavior had left him almost certain that he could win Beatrice over and bring her into his camp.

The support of the director of the Secret Intelligence Bureau would be an enormous advantage.

"Could you tell me what your goal is?"

Beatrice stared straight at Ask, her gaze seeming to tell him that his answer would determine whether she stayed or left.

Rather than answering directly, he posed a question:

"Don't you think the empire is rotting?"

"Rotting? Haven't the nobles always been filthy and corrupt?"

Beatrice scoffed, with a touch of self-mockery. Her own family was no exception. No noble family could keep its hands clean.

"That isn't what I mean. I'm talking about the emperor."

"Oh?"

Ask's remark piqued Beatrice's interest, and she listened attentively.

"Lately, His Majesty's movements have been unpredictable. Very few people know where he is, not even members of the imperial family. Instead, he seems increasingly inclined to leave the empire's affairs to my two elder brothers while taking no interest in anything himself."

Ask paused, then continued:

"Such excessive secrecy suggests that whatever he is doing is extremely dangerous and would likely face tremendous opposition if made public. At the same time, his neglect of imperial affairs suggests that what he is doing does not take precedence over the empire."

"Whatever it is, he is gradually losing his right to be emperor. The royals and nobles beneath him are beginning to make their allegiances clear, while his own faction keeps shrinking. In the end, only the Knights of the Round will remain unwavering."

Ask called him "he," not "His Majesty," showing no respect for the emperor throughout the conversation. Monica, standing behind him, was long accustomed to it, but Beatrice was still an outsider. Monica felt it was unwise to expose his ambitions to someone outside their camp. Still, she trusted her sovereign completely. If she could not understand his intentions, she only needed to carry out his orders.

Beatrice watched Ask with interest.

"So you intend to usurp the throne? What chance do you have of succeeding right now?"

She had no qualms about saying something so treasonous. The views Ask had revealed were already enough to strip him of his status as an imperial heir and have him exiled to some remote region, or used as a political tool for the empire's benefit, just like Lelouch and Nunnally.

Nor was there any respect for the emperor in Beatrice's tone.

At her question, Ask gave a mocking smile and said:

"None."

Beatrice looked incredulous. His expression seemed to say, "You couldn't figure out such a simple answer?" Unwilling to be outdone, she mocked him right back.

"Heh, heh... hahahaha! I thought I was giving you enough credit, but it turns out I still underestimated you. You can say you have no chance of winning with such confidence? Just how shameless are you?"

Ask did not get angry. The faint, confident smile remained on his face as he continued at an unhurried pace:

"A single piece of secret intelligence can change the course of an entire war. Right now, the emperor and I are nowhere near equal in what we know. Add the strength of the Knights of the Round, and if I recklessly launch an offensive now, even the most intricate plan will only lead to death."

"Besides, the forces of my two elder brothers are watching from the sidelines, waiting for their chance."

"That is why I came to you, the future director of the Secret Intelligence Bureau. The resources at your disposal will become one of my most effective weapons."

Ask rose and slowly walked over to Beatrice. Meeting her eyes, he extended his right hand.

"Help me, Lady Beatrice!"

"With your help, sooner or later, this empire will be mine for the taking."

Beatrice was stunned.

It was not only the imperial presence Ask radiated, but also the pride and confidence on his face.

She had no evidence to support it, yet at that moment, Beatrice did not believe Ask would fail.

His presence and confidence, along with everything he had shown throughout their conversation, filled Beatrice with tremendous faith in him.

She stood and extended her left hand to clasp his.

"Then, for now, I will put my faith in you."

This was no passing impulse. As a former Knight of Two, she was not so easily swept up by Ask's imposing declaration that she lost her ability to think. She had made a calm judgment.

Throughout their conversation, she had been unable to see into the heart of this prince whom both she and the outside world had underestimated. He, on the other hand, had anticipated her every thought and action.

Originally, she had not intended to become entangled in this imperial maelstrom. She had been forcing herself to let go even of her hatred for Marianne, much less consider serving her enemy's child.

Yet Ask had given her hope unlike any she had ever known: hope for revenge.

Her targets were not only Marianne, but also Geass and Emperor Charles.

She had sensed it in this prince's eyes. When he spoke of his mother, Marianne, and his father, Charles, there was a coldness utterly unlike that of his younger brother Lelouch, along with... a faint, deeply buried disgust.

She did not probe that intriguing emotion. She merely tucked what she had sensed away in her heart.

Perhaps the path this prince intended to walk was closely "aligned" with her own...

"Then let us return to our earlier discussion, Lady Beatrice."