Kallen finally burst out laughing, and Cornelia immediately turned toward the front seat.
"Kallen Kouzuki, do you find this funny?"
Kallen's smile froze. Of course she knew Cornelia.
Not just because she was Britannia's Second Princess, but also because the Stadtfeld family had existing ties to the Empire's aristocracy. In the past, she had had to hide the surname Kouzuki and play the frail noble young lady at school. Now, she was wearing a pilot suit bearing a military rank granted by Great Han and had personally rescued an imperial princess.
That change should have been especially gratifying, yet the bastard behind her was still talking about fathers-in-law, marriage alliances, and international relations.
"I just think that sometimes, His Excellency the Regent really does make it hard not to laugh."
"So you also think this man is utterly shameless?"
"Well..."
Kallen suddenly faltered. Of course she knew the answer.
But just as she was about to nod, she remembered what Lin Cuo had done in Kashgar, in Area 11, and in Persia.
The formally recognized legal succession of Area 11's government-in-exile, the military manufacturing contracts, the schools, the army, and Celestial Balance Seven, which had actually been lost today rescuing imperial soldiers.
What he had done really could not be summed up with a simple word like shameless.
And so Kallen found herself beginning to explain on Lin Cuo's behalf.
"His private life really is a mess. He likes talking nonsense, and he often makes decisions for other people without asking. But at least he didn't refuse to rescue you because you were a Britannian princess. He played a major part in getting the Empire's wounded evacuated today."
Cornelia's gaze changed.
"So you're defending him?"
"I'm only stating the facts!"
"You seem very concerned about how other people judge him."