Chapter 282: Kaguya and Nunnally
"Starting today, this will be your new home."
After dealing with matters at Mount Fuji, Mahiro brought Kaguya back to the student council club's villa.
Gently patting the girl's back, he saw her into the room.
"It might be a bit cramped, but make do for now."
"It's perfectly fine! The Chinese Federation has an old saying: 'Marry a chicken and follow the chicken, marry a dog and follow the dog.' As long as I can be with my husband, Kaguya is completely satisfied and would never complain!"
Kaguya had fully embraced her role as a wife. After entering the room, her sparkling eyes carefully examined every piece of furniture and the room's layout, filled with curiosity.
After all, this was Shadow-sama's residence!
No, she shouldn't call him Shadow-sama anymore—he should be called Mahiro-sama.
On their way back, Mahiro had properly reintroduced himself to Kaguya.
His appearance was no longer that of the silver-haired version either, having already removed the Parade's disguise and returned to his original, dignified appearance.
After all, he wasn't Lelouch—there was no need to hide his true face from those close to him. The external disguise was merely to avoid unnecessary trouble.
"You're back...?"
C.C. sat on the bed holding Cheese-kun. When she saw the girl enter, her sculpturally cold and exquisite face showed slight fluctuation, but quickly returned to its usual calm expression.
Her cherry lips parted slightly as she quickly ate the stretched cheese string.
"Ara, you must be C.C.-neesan! I'm Sumeragi Kaguya, Mahiro-sama's new wife! Please take care of me from now on. Let's work hard together for Mahiro-sama!"
Seeing C.C. eating pizza on the bed, Kaguya paid no attention to her rather inappropriate and revealing clothing. Instead, she happily ran forward to introduce herself.
"...What's with this overly familiar little girl."
C.C. ignored the girl before her and went straight to the source of the problem—Mahiro.
"She's from the Kyoto Six Houses. Starting today she'll be living here. But she can also be a playmate for Nunnally—otherwise Nunnally only has Sayoko to keep her company all day, how lonely. This way it'll be more lively."
As he spoke, Mahiro took off his coat and tossed it on the stool, then plopped down on the sofa.
"That's right, just as my husband-sama says! I've heard about Miss Nunnally's situation, so I want to help husband-sama and be of use to him."
Kaguya kept alternating between calling him "husband" and "husband-sama." Not only that, she specifically picked up the coat Mahiro had discarded, neatly arranged it, and hung it in the wardrobe.
"Oh~ I see it's not just about being Nunnally's playmate, is it?"
Seeing Kaguya's princess-like attire yet domesticated and obedient demeanor, C.C. couldn't help but tease him, saying meaningfully:
"You're really going further and further down the path of degeneracy."
"Thanks for the compliment."
Mahiro replied indifferently, and C.C. was already used to such responses.
So she changed the subject:
"Since she's from the Kyoto Six Houses, does that mean you've already killed those old men?"
"Hmm."
"Because the negotiation fell through?"
"Not exactly. I just took preemptive action by eliminating the person who raised the issue, to cut off future troubles."
Mahiro shook his head in explanation.
Although using violence to solve problems had negative consequences, violence would always remain the most effective way to resolve issues.
Even if it couldn't solve the problem, it could still eliminate the person who raised it.
"Fine, do as you please."
C.C. rolled over as if losing interest in the topic, her pair of straight, ivory-white long legs swaying on the bed.
"Speaking of which, what about sleeping arrangements? This bed probably can't fit three people, right?"
Hearing the question, Mahiro raised his eyebrows in surprise.
He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but C.C. seemed unusually talkative today, as if constantly trying to keep the conversation going.
She never used to care about such things before.
But Mahiro still explained:
"Definitely can't fit. I'll let you two have the bed, I'll sleep on the sofa."
"Eh? Husband-sama is going to sleep on the sofa?"
Kaguya blinked in surprise, "If we squeeze together, I think we could make it work..."
"Forget it."
Mahiro interrupted, "I'm no virtuous gentleman. If we really slept together, you two would be the ones suffering. Besides, I don't have that many spare bedsheets to change."
C.C. had perfectly demonstrated this point.
Sumeragi Kaguya: "???"
The inexperienced young girl clearly couldn't understand the meaning behind his words.
However, since this was an order from husband-sama, there was naturally no way to refute or disobey, and she could only accept it calmly.
Late at night.
Kaguya lay sleeping in what should have been his spot.
But in the darkness, C.C. suddenly opened her eyes. After confirming the girl beside her was sound asleep, she quietly lifted the bedsheet, gently placed Cheese-kun on the bed, extended her long legs, and moved with silent steps, feeling her way through the darkness.
Gradually, she arrived beside the sofa.
Mahiro was sleeping there with his eyes closed. C.C. flipped over and pressed down on top of him, her hands planted on either side of his head. The sleeping Mahiro suddenly opened his eyes to find C.C. staring down at him with her cold, emotionless amber eyes.
If the genders were reversed, this scene would have been suggestive, but with C.C. doing it, the effect was the same.
At least, that's what Mahiro thought.
"What's wrong, Witch-sama? Coming to me in the middle of the night—are you feeling unsatisfied?" he said with a teasing smile.
In the past, this witch would definitely have rolled her eyes at him.
But this time, she just stared at him with a profound gaze.
"Alright, alright. Judging by your expression, something's on your mind?"
This time, C.C. reacted, giving a slight nod.
"Then let me guess... I'd say it's about a Geass Contractor?"
C.C.'s eyebrows twitched unnaturally.
"And it's probably not the current contractor, but someone from the past... probably someone named Mao, right?"
"How did you know..."
For the first time, he saw such an astonished expression on C.C.'s face.
Yet, Mahiro pointed to his own head.
"I've read your memories, have you forgotten?"
C.C.: "..."
What a man with twisted tastes.
But in truth, even without reading her memories, Mahiro would have known.
As for how C.C. knew—
She hadn't actually made direct contact with Mao; it was merely a sensation—a connection between the CODE and a Geass Contractor. She could sense that Mao had set foot on this land,
coming here in pursuit of her.
But as for his exact whereabouts, that remained unknown.
Still, it was only a matter of time before he found her, given his abilities.
"Mao's Geass ability is mind-reading. What do you plan to do?"
C.C. fixed her deep, penetrating gaze on him, seemingly craving an answer.
But Mahiro curled the corner of his lips and retorted:
"Shouldn't you be asking what you plan to do, soft-hearted Witch?"
The Witch fell silent once more.
C.C. had encountered that child nearly ten years ago.
After Mahiro's Copy Eye rampage subsided and he left the Britannian imperial palace, C.C. set out for the EU. However, she didn't stay there long before embarking on another wandering journey, arriving at the Chinese Federation.
Back then, she still retained her Witch's nature, searching everywhere for those with Geass potential—individuals who might fulfill her wish.
On a grimy street corner in the cold rain, wrapped in discarded newspapers, utterly alone, the child was shivering from cold and hunger.
She recognized his talent at a glance. In terms of pure ability, his potential was no less than Lelouch's.
Even across the long span of years, this child stood out as exceptional.
And his Geass was an extraordinarily unique existence—
Mind-reading.
To be precise, however, it was less like reading minds and more akin to perception. He could read the thoughts of every living person in this world, indiscriminately.
If there was anyone he couldn't read, it was C.C. Thus, C.C. was the most special existence to Mao.
"So, you lived with Mao all along?"
Perhaps already tired, C.C. had lain down beside him at some point, squeezing into the narrow sofa.
Mahiro savored the warmth and softness of the Witch nestled against him, but his tone carried a hint of jealousy as he asked.
"Are you jealous, brat?"
C.C.'s amber eyes glanced sideways, tossing out her usual sarcastic remark, though a careful observer might notice the smile at the corner of her lips.
"Tch, do you think I'd be jealous over something like this? You were just playing a motherly role, weren't you?"
"How untruthful you are."
C.C.'s eyes were filled with amusement.
Though his words seemed rational, after spending so much time with him, she knew this man's temperament well—this was the mark of jealousy.
To be honest, this feeling was still quite novel to her.
It wasn't jealousy provoked by her Geass influence, but rather jealousy over some trivial, ordinary matter.
"Alright, I've decided."
"Hm?"
Hearing Mahiro suddenly speak, C.C. snapped back to attention.
"I've decided—if that guy doesn't show up, I won't do anything to him. But if he dares appear before me or near anyone around me, he shouldn't blame me for being ruthless."
"A mind-reading range of only five hundred meters—if it were Lelouch, Mao's ability would indeed be troublesome."
But for Mahiro, it was merely delivering himself on a platter.
His magic could be cast over a distance exceeding a hundred kilometers.
Though there might be some inaccuracy, it could be compensated with wide-area firepower coverage.
In other words, anyone who provoked him would find no escape, even to the ends of the earth.
Seeing him so serious, C.C. couldn't help but sigh inwardly, her eyes gradually clouding with reminiscence, as if transported back several years.
If a person harbored a secret they absolutely refused to reveal, would knowing that secret allow one to easily dominate them?
If a person hated someone so deeply they wanted to kill them, would understanding their mind enable even a trivial remark to push them into committing murder?
If a person had an abnormal obsession, would comprehending that obsession allow one to design a simple trap and drive them to act on it?
Mao was precisely that kind of existence—one who could pry into others' secrets and act in extreme ways.
"That old man deserved to die."
The young boy said these concerning words with a smile.
"He already had a wife, yet every time he saw C.C., he'd think dirty thoughts. He was looking at my C.C...."
—And so, Mao killed him. Or rather, Mao drove him to his death.
It was his wife who actually killed him; she had long wanted to do it, and with just a little encouragement from Mao, the woman carried it out.
Then, the woman grew terrified, and with another slight nudge from Mao, she committed suicide.
However, this was only the beginning.
For C.C., Mao had done even more extreme things—starting with killing a few people, eventually turning an entire town into a ghost town.
Arson, murder, rape, robbery...
Mao used his ability to lure out the darkest aspects of people's hearts.
Though C.C. didn't particularly care about these matters—after all, she was a Witch. Over a thousand years, how many contractors had she formed pacts with? She had encountered all kinds of people.
How many had died indirectly by her hand?
Tens of thousands?
Hundreds of thousands?
Or millions?
C.C. could no longer remember. She only knew the number was vast.
"I really am an evil Witch," C.C. often thought to herself. If hell truly existed, she would probably be its first visitor.
But even as a Witch, there comes a day when she grows weary.
So she left Mao.
As a failed contractor, she should have exited the stage, but the Witch softened at that moment and spared Mao's life.
Unexpectedly, it was precisely this moment of weakness that led Mao to follow her footsteps onto this ominous land.
Mao, you'd better not come.
Otherwise, you might provoke the one demon king you should never cross...
Or perhaps, taking matters into my own hands would be the best choice?
"..."
Just as C.C.'s thoughts drifted far away, she suddenly arched her snow-white neck, her entire body involuntarily curling forward.
"S-stop it, you perverted brat! That little girl is still here!"
"What does it matter? Just keep your voice down."
"...Y-you really are a perverted brat after all!"
Stubborn protests mingled with seductive moans—while her words refused, her body remained honest.
Her soft, delicate frame trembled slightly, hot breaths washing over her neck, gradually disturbing the Witch's usually calm heart.
To prevent herself from making indecent sounds, C.C. actively covered her own mouth.
Unbeknownst to her, on the moonlit bed, the small figure lying under the covers with steady breathing had already flushed bright red.
The night passed without further words.
Early next morning.
"Good morning, Teacher."
"Ah, morning, Nunnally."
Entering the living room, Mahiro saw Sayoko cooking in the kitchen while Nunnally had wheeled herself into the living room alone.
"How unusual for you to wake up this early, Teacher."
The gentle girl in the wheelchair smiled, her expression blooming like a sunflower.
"Where's Sister C.C.? Isn't she with you?"
Sister...
Well...
Considering C.C.'s age, she could easily be Nunnally's ancestor, yet she was being called "sister"...
Mahiro nearly laughed but managed to hold it in, picking up a slice of bread from the table to eat.
"She hasn't gotten up yet, but that's perfect timing. Let me introduce you to a new companion."
"Eh? Teacher means a new friend?"
Just as she finished speaking, Nunnally heard a soft door closing sound.
Due to her lost eyesight, her hearing had become exceptionally sharp. Only after Mahiro completely left the living room and she heard the door close did she withdraw her sightless gaze.
This body was indeed inconvenient in many ways.
But Nunnally no longer grieved in corners like she used to.
Because she still had her elder brother, and her caring, affectionate Teacher. Even in this lightless world, she could still perceive that warmth. Though she couldn't see, she could still feel the presence of light.
Click
Not long after Mahiro left, the living room's automatic door opened once more.
But Nunnally let out a small, confused gasp.
Is... is that a girl?
The footsteps were light, and the newcomer brought with them an elegant, subtle fragrance that filled the living room.
Soon after, her slightly cool, small hands were gently held, as if pressed against someone's face.
It felt soft and warm.
"May I ask who you are...?"
"Nice to meet you. I am Sumeragi Kaguya. You must be Nunnally, the one Mahiro-sama mentioned, right? I'm very pleased to meet you."
"Eh? Ah, yes... Nice to meet you too."
Compared to Kaguya's enthusiasm, Nunnally seemed noticeably flustered.
However, it must be said that Kaguya was truly skilled in social situations. Even though Nunnally clearly felt confused and shy, she gradually began to relax under Kaguya's guidance.
"I'm already fifteen this year. How old are you, Nunnally?"
"Ah... I-I'm fourteen this year."
"Eh? In that case, I suppose I'm your older sister."
One was lively and charming, the other gentle as water—two girls of similar age quickly became close.
Mahiro, standing at the doorway, watched for a moment before turning to leave.
He had done all he needed to do; the rest could be left to Kaguya.
However, just as he had walked a short distance away, he heard Nunnally's exclamation from the living room behind him.
"Eh??? Wife? You mean you're Mahiro-sensei's new wife???"
"That's right. Just like Sister C.C., I am Mahiro-sama's wife."
"Eh??? Eh?!!!"
Hearing their conversation from the hallway, Mahiro stumbled and nearly fell.
What on earth are you saying to Nunnally?!