At that moment, encouraged, Flay took a deep breath and continued.
"...And I also want to attend classes at Lacus's home~"
Hearing Flay's words, the other three felt as if they had stumbled upon some juicy gossip. They all held their breath, their eyes turning toward Fred in unison.
As everyone knew, this guy was a siscon.
Now that his little sister wanted to go with Lacus, how would he respond?
Would he end up hitting Lacus?
Thinking this, Athrun hesitated but still stepped forward a few paces.
Even though he was no match for Fred, he couldn't just stand by and watch his friend get beaten up here.
As for Fred himself, his thoughts at the moment weren't as twisted as others imagined.
After all, this was different from the initial proposal to send his sister to April City. He and Lacus did have a foundation of trust.
Moreover, the educational resources on Lacus's side were indeed more specialized.
Whether it was etiquette, politics, or other subjects, they certainly wouldn't be inferior in quality to what was available here.
Most importantly, Flay seemed to have been persuaded.
He couldn't outright deny Flay's decision.
After all, he considered himself not to be that kind of authoritarian guardian, and neither were the other two adults in his family.
After running through these thoughts in his mind, Fred finally spoke slowly.
"Have you really decided?"
Although somewhat frustrated that his sister had been persuaded so quickly, Fred still asked.
Now that his sister was older, her feelings had been conveyed—like him, she wanted to protect others.
It was highly unlikely that Lacus could easily sway her with something as simplistic as "protecting the world."
"Mhm~!"
Flay nodded vigorously upon hearing his question.
Even though Flay had only known Lacus for a day, well, girls are like that.
A sleepover, a night of chatting until dawn, and they naturally grew close.
She was deeply interested in the vocal lessons Lacus mentioned, the mentor who aspired for peace, and the various political courses.
Moreover, this gave her the idea that she might be able to help her brother in another way.
In Flay's eyes, Lacus wasn't a bad person. The fact that Fred had brought her home precisely showed her brother's trust in her.
As for Fred, looking at his sister's determined expression, he pondered for a moment before reaching a decision.
Although Flay had some talent for piloting Mobile Suits, at best, she might only reach the level of an ordinary Coordinator. In that case, pursuing multiple avenues of learning might not be a bad idea.
At the very least, she could learn about the world situation from Lacus.
Why was Flay so lost in the original storyline? Wasn't it precisely because she knew too little?
Lacus's education was undoubtedly top-tier, and broadening her horizons wouldn't be a problem.
"You can go, but only for one week each month."
"And you must share your course progress with me."
After careful consideration, Fred addressed both of them, though his gaze lingered more on Lacus.
"No problem~"
Lacus, who had anticipated this, nodded with a smile.
In fact, her conversation with Flay last night had genuinely surprised her.
After all, she hadn't expected this girl, Flay, to have such a clear goal of her own.
Helping her brother and family.
It seemed ordinary, but it unexpectedly resonated with Lacus.
After all, her efforts up to now have been precisely for her father, for the world, and for her responsibilities.
The two of them were somewhat similar.
Originally, she had indeed planned to invite Flay, but she intended to do so a few days later, just before leaving.
However, last night, the two of them had hit it off, and upon hearing Flay's inner conflict, she had directly extended the invitation.
And she genuinely wanted to help Flay.
If Flay felt close to Lacus because there weren't many girls her age to talk to here,
then Lacus was actually in a similar situation—she didn't have many friends, let alone close girlfriends.
Flay's presence was equally novel to Lacus at this moment.
"Flay, is that okay?"
Lacus turned to look at the girl behind her.
"Yes!"
Flay, who had also been prepared, was equally delighted.
Though it was only for a week, the fact that her brother had agreed was already enough to pleasantly surprise her.
Hearing Fred's answer, the other three were also quite surprised.
After all, none of them had expected Fred to send his sister away so easily.
"Then I'll come over for a week each month too—a mutual exchange~"
Lacus chuckled lightly.
This decision of hers was actually made on the spot.
But she really liked the atmosphere here and also liked the sensible Flay.
Plus, she had originally wanted to spend more time with Fred's side.
Coming over for a week each month wouldn't interfere with her studies, and some courses, like vocal training, could be practiced independently.
"Uh..."
Upon hearing this, Fred was momentarily stunned, his expression growing somewhat complicated.
Having Lacus come over...?
He didn't really mind, but it felt a bit awkward. However, if she came over so often, surely she wouldn't stay at his house, right?
Probably not, right?
The other three, upon hearing this, all looked in Fred's direction with tacit understanding.
Were they about to gain another classmate?
And a princess, no less?
Of course, the princess part wasn't that important, as they were all children of high-ranking officials themselves.
Still, they felt a bit awkward about suddenly having a princess as a classmate after more than a year.
"Brother~"
Seeing Fred hesitate, Flay immediately grabbed his hand, shaking it while acting cute.
"Alright."
Fred nodded in the end.
After all, it wasn't that much of a hassle.
And spending more time with Lacus had its benefits.
Not to mention, Flay truly lacked playmates.
Although Athrun and the others did take good care of Flay, they weren't girls.
"Yay~!"
Hearing her brother's words, Flay happily took the hands of her newfound close friend.
"Lacus, let's tidy up your room again when we get back~"
"Mm~"
"Huh?"
Listening to their conversation, Fred was momentarily confused.
So she really was going to stay at his house?
...
After finally arranging everything, Fred didn't waste any more time. He simply cleared his throat lightly, drawing everyone's attention back to himself.
"Alright, let's start the class."
Without giving them any more time to space out, Fred clapped his hands, pulling back their wandering focus.
Just as Lacus had mentioned earlier, her class involved sparring with Flay.
Meanwhile, Fred continued to fight with Athrun and the others.
"Three days apart, I hope you haven't fallen behind in your progress."
Facing Fred's familiar smile, Yzak wasted no time with words, immediately charging toward Fred's direction.
That fist, carrying a fierce gust of wind, cut off Fred's words.
This heavy punch had grown immeasurably stronger compared to when the two had first met.
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