Following my precarious contract with Kallen, a strange sense of equilibrium returned to my life at Ashford Academy.
She no longer actively avoided me. Instead, we shared the clandestine air of accomplices, exchanging furtive glances in the Student Council room away from the prying eyes of the others.
Yet, this peaceful facade only served to stoke the embers of my growing impatience.
I sat alone, scribbling notes into an old leather-bound journal. However, I found myself filling the pages not with grand strategies, but with the stark realization of my own current impotence.
'No Geass, and I lack the supernatural intellect required to fleece the nobility at the chess table...'
If this were the original Lelouch, he would have already amassed a fortune through high-stakes gambling against the aristocracy, leveraging those funds to weave an intricate web of intelligence. But I lacked that innate brilliance. At this moment, my only recourse was to wander the streets aimlessly, a passenger to the whims of destiny.
'This cannot continue. I am insufficient on my own. I need a powerful, fiercely loyal knight to act as my hand—a pawn that can dominate the board in my stead.'
In that instant, the face of a specific man surfaced in my mind.
Jeremiah Gottwald.
In the early stages of the original narrative, he was depicted as an incompetent fool, mocked by the derogatory epithet "Orange" and suffering humiliating defeats at the hands of Suzaku and Zero. However, his perceived ineptitude was merely a byproduct of a vacuum of information.
The sudden emergence of a masked terrorist, the incomprehensible power of Geass, and the arrival of a pilot like Suzaku whose skill defied all logic... Thrown into such an anomalous crucible with nothing but his convictions and raw martial prowess, he was bound to struggle.
He wasn't incompetent; the situation had simply rendered him powerless.
On the contrary, during the R2 era—once he received the support he deserved—he proved his worth ten-fold, commanding legions and demonstrating tactical genius. To be frank, compared to the ragtag rabble of Ohgi's resistance, his capabilities were on a transcendental level.
But his greatest attribute was his unwavering, absolute loyalty toward those he deemed his masters. For a man like me, currently stripped of the power to command the tide of battle myself, he was the ultimate chess piece. If I could secure his allegiance, he would offer up his very soul to fight for my cause.
The dilemma was how to approach him.
Option one: Utilize the Ashford family connections. However, asking Milly to facilitate a meeting would undoubtedly arouse her sharp suspicions. Option two: Command Sayoko to deliver a secret missive to lure him out. But that, too, carried immense risk.
Even if I met him now, I had no leverage to offer. I was more likely to be swept up in his pace and become his pawn rather than the other way around. Should he spiral out of control, the current "me" had no means of restraining him.
Calculations swirled through my mind, but none yielded a viable path. Even the original Lelouch at this stage could do little more than hustle nobles for pocket change. The Kallen Stadtfeld I hoped to recruit was currently part of a resistance cell that lacked even a single functioning Knightmare Frame.
In short, both I and the Ohgi group were utterly destitute.
"Sigh..."
I snapped my notebook shut with a sharp thud. Standing by the window, I gazed down at the students below—laughing and chatting in their blissful, sheltered ignorance. Ultimately, there was nothing I could do right now.
'Is my only option to simply... savor this school life for now?'
A self-deprecating smirk touched my lips as the weight of my helplessness settled in once more. 'Until I encounter C.C.... I suppose I should enjoy what I have to the fullest.'
I decided to shelf my half-baked survival plans and focus on the mundane present.
From that day on, a peculiar tranquility settled over the academy. Milly's penchant for chaotic events continued unabated, and my outsourcing system operated with such flawless efficiency that it gifted me with unnervingly idle days. However, the true metamorphosis was occurring between Kallen and myself.
One afternoon, in the hollowed-out silence of the Student Council room after most students had departed, I feigned focus on paperwork while stealing a glance at Kallen. She stood by the window, her back to me, lost in thought.
'Now is the opportunity.'
I rose from my seat and approached her.
"Kallen."
"...What is it?" she replied tersely, without turning around.
"Next weekend... should we go on another date?"
My direct strike made her shoulders flinch. When she finally turned her head, her face was flushed a deep, vibrant crimson—bathed in the dying embers of the sunset like a ripe apple.
"...I can't."
"And why not?"
"I just can't!" Kallen snapped, though her voice lacked its usual bite.
I stepped closer until our shoulders nearly brushed. The sweet, faint scent drifting from her sent my heart into a rebellious rhythm.
"...!"
Kallen looked as if she might boil over. She tried to recoil, but with one more step forward, I pinned her against the window frame. She desperately averted her gaze and stammered, "I-I have... things to do that day!"
'Things to do... No doubt Ohgi's business,' I mused inwardly, a triumphant smile blooming on my face.
"In that case, let me help you."
"I don't need your help! What could someone like you even do?"
"Didn't we agree to share our secrets?"
Kallen finally looked me in the eye, her resolve wavering as she muttered, "...This isn't the place to talk about that."
"Then we can discuss it over our date."
"Ugh...!"
Kallen bit her lip in frustration. Finally, she slumped in defeat and whispered, "...Fine."
A moment of victory. Emboldened, I leaned in and pressed a light kiss to her cheek.
"Eek!"
Kallen let out a startled shriek and shoved me away. 'Ah, not again!' I screamed internally as her irresistible strength sent me careening backward. Just as I braced for impact, someone caught my back. My head landed against a soft, plush sensation, accompanied by a familiar, refreshing fragrance.
'This scent... Shirley?'
"Lulu! Good heavens, are you having another dizzy spell?!" Shirley shouted, supporting my weight. Sensing an exit, I decided to play into the scenario to hide what had just happened with Kallen.
"Ah... it was just a brief moment of vertigo..."
"Oh, you poor thing! Quick, lie down!"
Shirley practically dragged me to the sofa and offered her lap. In the blink of an eye, I found myself cradled in Shirley's lap pillow.
"Wh-What do you think you're doing?!" Kallen cried out, visibly flustered by the scene.
Shirley's usual sunny disposition vanished instantly. Her expression shifted into something chillingly cold as she fixed Kallen with a glacial stare. "Kallen, Lulu collapsed because of you. I'd appreciate it if you were a bit more careful with him."
It was a razor-edged voice I had never heard from Shirley. While her words spoke of concern for me, her tone was a direct challenge—a declaration of territoriality against Kallen.
"What? Because of me?" Kallen snapped back, refusing to back down.
"Hmph. Anyone would think you're the Vice President's personal nurse. We have a rest area in the council room; is this display really necessary?"
"Lulu's anemia is severe. He needs to rest immediately and comfortably in situations like this. Don't you even know that much?" Shirley forced a sweet smile, but her eyes remained utterly joyless. She gently stroked my hair, casting a triumphant, mocking smirk toward Kallen.
Caught in the crossfire of this feminine sparks-flying battlefield, I lay on Shirley's thighs, praying for this literal hell to end quickly.
Kallen bit her lip and glared at us for a moment before a sharp, knowing grin touched her face. "Fine. I'll see you at our meeting place then, Vice President. I hope Shirley's 'nursing' doesn't make you late."
She emphasized the word "meeting" with heavy intent before humming a tune and sauntering out of the Student Council room with poise.
"Wait... Lulu, a meeting? What meeting? What did you promise Kallen?" Shirley asked, looking down at me with eyes swirling with jealousy.
I closed my eyes and thought, '...I'm doomed.'
My harem master plan was descending into an uncontrollable shuraba—a scene of total carnage. Resting on Shirley's lap, my mind raced frantically. 'I've failed. This is a total disaster.'
Kallen had successfully driven a wedge of doubt before vanishing, and I could feel Shirley's gaze burning through me like a magnifying glass in the sun.
"Lulu? I'm waiting. What 'promise' did you make?" Shirley's voice was hauntingly soft. Her hands moved to my shoulders, pressing down firmly so I couldn't move. "Lulu, you're still dizzy. Just stay still. And answer me. What meeting?"
This was an interrogation, plain and simple. I needed an alibi, and I needed it now. Student Council business? Impossible—Shirley was a member. A personal engagement? That would only lead to more questions about why she wasn't invited.
Then, a flash of inspiration hit me—my ultimate cheat code to overturn this hellish situation in a single move.
"Ah...!"
"Lulu! What is it? Are you still unwell?"
Shirley's concern flared up, and she tried to ease me back down. I took her hand instead, gazing out the window at the encroaching twilight with a voice full of simulated urgency.
"Nunnally...! The time I promised Nunnally...!"
Shirley's interrogation halted instantly. "A promise to Nunnally?"
"Yes... I haven't been feeling well lately, and she's been so worried. I promised her I'd be home without fail for dinner. If I'm late... it will only feed her anxiety."
I crafted an expression of profound regret and brotherly devotion. It wasn't entirely a lie; Nunnally truly was concerned about my health. As a maneuver, the 'Nunnally Card' was peerless.
The jealousy and suspicion drained from Shirley's face, replaced by a deep sense of guilt and worry. She began to fuss over me, a complete reversal from her previous cross-examination.
"Oh no! Then you have to go! Nunnally is waiting! I shouldn't have held you up for so long. I'm so sorry, Lulu!"
She hurried to help me up, her movements now fueled by a desperate haste. I leaned slightly against her shoulder, playing up the part of the fragile convalescent.
"Forgive me, Shirley. I truly appreciate your concern, but..."
"Don't be silly! It's my fault! Go, quickly! Give Nunnally my best!"
I gave her a look of silent gratitude and made my swift exit from the Student Council room. "Get home safely, Lulu!" Shirley's voice echoed down the hall behind me.
As I reached the safety of the corridor, I let out a heavy sigh of relief.
'Whew... Sorry, Nunnally. I've used your name as a shield once again.'
A momentary pang of guilt struck me, but I rationalized it as a tactical necessity. As I walked back to the Clubhouse, I replayed Shirley's possessive glare and Kallen's provocative smile in my head. My peaceful life was indeed spiraling toward a theatrical abyss.
'Now, all that's left... is the date with Kallen.'
I scratched my head, beginning the grueling mental work of planning how to survive the upcoming weekend.