I'm in another world, and I start out transformed into Lancelot.

"A request?" Lelouch's voice rang out.

Its hoarse breath, like that of a dying beast, strangely possessed a sharp clarity and steady rhythm that cut through the air.

"Okay." He didn't utter a single extra syllable; the two words were like iron blocks chiseling into the ground!

Immediately afterwards, his left hand, which had not been restrained, moved like a venomous snake that had broken free of all its restraints.

With a "snap," he clenched the silver feather that had been resting beside his blood-stained palm tightly!

It didn't matter that the sharp feather pierced his wound, which had just been healed by Supa! Blood instantly stained the base of the feather!

But that was no longer helpless bleeding! It was the sealing of determination, the imprint of a contract!

He used his own blood as ink to weld that "key of destiny" to his palm!

He looked up abruptly, and in his deep purple pupils, all the calm mask that belonged to Zero shattered completely.

What is revealed is an almost insane, absolute will called "Lelouch vi Britannia" rising anew from the ruins after a raging storm!

"How far can you go?! Is staying completely secret the absolute limit?!"

"Orange's own recognition core! Can it be forcibly awakened during the transfer process?!"

His questions were precise and incisive! He didn't ask about methods or the costs involved! He went straight to the heart of the matter—could they forcibly awaken Ju Qing's remaining human consciousness?!

Especially—his loyalty and guilt towards Marianne!

Yuffie and Suzaku were stunned speechless by his sudden outburst and the terrifying question that went straight to the heart of the matter.

Forcibly activating a weapon modified by the cult?! This is practically detonating a nuclear bomb!

Melsin's vertical, molten gold pupils were met with Lelouch's almost soul-burning roar.

Suddenly, an unprecedented, intense brilliance appeared, like a golden star leaping in the center of lava.

It wasn't surprise, but rather... an extremely pleasant appreciation that finally caught the expected reaction!

"Oh?" Her slightly drawn-out tone was replaced by absolute excitement, replacing any trace of languor.

The voice, however, became even lower and more seductive, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue in the ear of its prey—a deadly whisper.

“Wake me up…what an interesting and daring little request…” Her fingertips gracefully touched her lips, which were covered by a thin veil.

"To help a mechanical doll, bound by multiple curses, rediscover a little bit of itself..."

His pupils were like precise scanners, locking onto the incomprehensible, mad obsession in Lelouch's eyes.

That absolute understanding of the meaning of "Marianna's" loyalty to Ju Qing! She knew what he was betting on!

"Hmm~ I can say yes~" She shrugged lightly, as if she were opening a bottle of soda.

Melosin tilted her head, her molten gold vertical pupils like burning liquid gold, locking onto Lelouch's burning ambition in a purple abyss:

"How's it going? The newly appointed little gardener?"

She deliberately used the metaphor of Euphemia's "garden" to place Lelouch in the position of the guardian of Euphemia's will.

Her tone, however, was filled with the sweet allure unique to fairies, tempting mortals to sign forbidden contracts:

"Should this slightly noisy but very effective seed be planted for you? Right now... immediately? Right now?~"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Sunlight streamed in at an angle, dividing the space.

On one side, Melusin casually throws out a terrifying proposal that could ignite Schneizel and the core of the Order.

On the other side—the blood droplets from the blood feather tightly clenched in Lelouch's palm spread a glaring dark red across the carpet.

Without the slightest hesitation, those purple eyes burning with icy flames didn't even glance at the dumbfounded Euphemia and Suzaku again.

He stared intently into those molten gold vertical pupils, as if trying to see right through Melusin's soul!

From between his blood-stained, sharply defined teeth, a single, resolute syllable exploded out with unwavering force, leaving no room for negotiation:

"--kind!"

Chapter 34 Princess Euphemia's Passionate Confession

The deep night enveloped the land.

The uproar that had swept through the empire during the day, enough to overturn the course of the game, has finally subsided.

Only the silent glow of the stars and moon flowing outside the window remains, along with a suffocating stillness under immense pressure and countless unresolved thoughts.

Euphemia lay on a canopy bed covered with light purple brocade quilts.

The ticking of the antique clock in the room was exceptionally clear in the deathly silence, as if striking the taut strings of her heart.

Her eyes were tightly closed, but her eyelashes trembled like the wings of a startled butterfly. Images flashed repeatedly through her mind:

Lelouch's palm glowed with a piercing crimson light, and the cold, resolute word "Seed!" roared forth...

The astonishing proposal casually uttered by Melusin from her vertical pupils, which seemed to flow with molten gold and could pierce through fate...

And then there's... that silver figure bathed in the warm sunlight by the window, a presence that she both revered and longed to be near...

An invisible chill seemed to spread from her fingertips to her limbs, and she curled up like a fledgling bird seeking shelter in a storm.

However, the spacious and soft bed only brought a deeper sense of emptiness.

Finally, as if sleepwalking, she threw off the covers, stepped barefoot onto the cold carpet, and silently walked to the window.

Melusin was leaning back on the carved chaise longue by the window in her usual languid manner.

The starlight and moonlight streaming in through the window bathed her in a flowing layer of silver frost.

“Melushin…” Yuffie’s voice was so soft as if she was afraid of disturbing the moonlight, with a hint of the timid nasal tone that was barely perceptible for someone her age.

Melusin's silver eyelashes trembled very slightly, and her molten gold vertical pupils slowly opened in the darkness.

The drowsy state of sleep was undisturbed, clear and cold like an ancient, frozen pool.

"Your Highness Euphemia?" Her voice was still clear and crisp, but strangely it carried a softness that seemed to smooth out wrinkles.

Euphemia did not answer immediately.

She simply stood there quietly, her hands nervously twisting the hem of her silk nightgown, which appeared exceptionally slender and frail in the moonlight.

A few breaths of silence flowed under the starlight. Finally, she raised her head, her amethyst eyes glistening in the moonlight.

Looking at Melusin, she held a plea that transcended master and servant, even beyond the contract, fragile yet stubborn:

"...Tonight...can I...stay in my bed?" she whispered, mustering all her courage.

As if afraid of being rejected, she hurriedly added, with a touch of willful shyness: "...I'm...I'm by your side."

Melusin's gaze lingered for a moment on Euphemia's slightly pale face and her tightly clenched fingers.

Deep within those molten gold vertical pupils, a faint, almost imperceptible halo seemed to flash, like a warm current silently surging beneath the surface of a frozen lake.

She didn't speak. She simply rose with utmost elegance and composure from the soft couch covered in silver frost.

Under the moonlight, her figure, like the most exquisite silhouette, moved silently and naturally to Euphemia's bedside.

The fairy's beautiful face turned to the apprehensive princess, and she nodded gently, her movements as slow and graceful as if accepting a flower in the morning dew.

The soft, fragrant bedding was quietly lifted by a corner.

Melusin gracefully lay down on her side, on the outside of the luxurious bed that belonged to the imperial princess.

A delicate location that both protects the entrance and doesn't excessively intrude on private spaces.

Her long, silver hair flowed like a galaxy, casting an eerie halo on the dark satin pillowcase.

Like a deer granted permission, Yuffie, with a mixture of cautious excitement and indescribable relief, quickly slipped inside.

The cool silk quilt instantly revealed the presence of another body, devoid of the warmth of an ordinary person.

Rather, it is a strange, clear, and subtle fragrance, like the intertwining of cold jade and moonlight.

She couldn't help but move closer, like a young animal seeking shelter, almost pressing her body against Melusin's beautifully curved back.

In the darkness, only their soft breathing mingled. Moonlight streamed in through the window, outlining the smooth, graceful lines of Melissa's neck.

“…Melushin.” Euphemia’s soft call broke the thin veil of silence.

The voice carried the soft, muffled quality unique to bedding, and an unprecedented, almost exposed vulnerability.

“…I…I’m a little scared…” She paused, as if organizing the most precise words to express that indescribable emotion.

"It's not that I'm afraid of danger... it's that I'm afraid of..."

She tilted her head slightly, looking at the silver hair so close to hers, glowing faintly even in the darkness: "...I'm afraid I'm not strong enough..."

A faint light shone in his purple eyes, a sense of powerlessness he had suppressed yet could not ignore when faced with the earth-shattering decision during the day.

"...I fear...my light...is insufficient to illuminate the road far enough...especially...especially when those...shadows I once thought were warm...have all turned into twisted thorns..."

This was the first time she had so frankly revealed the cowardice and confusion behind her "ideals".

Cool fingertips landed very gently and rhythmically on Euphemia's forehead, which was resting on her silver hair.

"Princess Euphemia's courtyard was not created for the eternal daylight of burning oneself to illuminate the whole world."

Melusin's voice was as soft as if she were reciting an ancient lullaby, without any condescending instruction, only a peaceful statement.

"It only needs to protect those buds in its small space that are willing to grow towards the light."

This precise comfort, like a sweet spring, silently nourished Yuffie's parched and anxious heart.

Her fingers groped in the darkness for Melusin's hand at her side, but the hand did not respond and clench.

However, he did not pull away, quietly letting the princess's slightly sweaty and warm fingertips carefully cover the back of his hand.

The moment their skin touched—Euphrates' body trembled slightly.

The pent-up emotions that had been building up all night were like a spring tide bursting its banks, impossible to contain any longer.

She buried her face even deeper into the small gap between Melousin's neck and the pillow, her nose filled with that unique and reassuring cool fragrance.

The voice carried a muffled sob and the purest fervor, like a believer offering their only heart to a deity:

“…Melushin!” “Even…even if the whole world is plunged into darkness!”

Her arm carried an irresistible force, transcending the boundaries between master and servant for the first time.

Like vines entwining around the only pillar, they tightly embraced the fairy knight's slender yet powerful waist.

Even if... only a tiny spark of light remains! Even if... even I myself am no longer sure of my direction...

"—I will only allow and trust you! Let me be your sword! Let you be my shield!"

"Only you! It can only be you! My will is your will... You... are my last, only... truth and direction!"

This is an undisguised entrustment, a declaration that transcends the contract between ruler and subject, and a trust that completely surrenders one's soul and beliefs!

Melusin, who was being held tightly in an embrace, seemed to freeze for an extremely brief moment.

It wasn't resistance or bewilderment, but rather a fleeting perception of this overly pure and heavy emotion.

Then, the hand that Yuffie had been holding slowly turned over and gently covered the back of Yuffie's hand that was wrapped around her waist.

Without a word, his molten gold vertical pupils resembled two tiny, quietly burning cold moons in the darkness.

The beautiful lip line seemed to curve into an extremely light arc, yet it seemed to contain countless stars falling and lingering aftertaste.

She could clearly "see" the pure white soul of the princess in her arms beating violently, and that burning determination even slightly soothed her constant, icy essence.

The dragon's instinct for love overwhelmed reason and took the lead.

She lowered her head, her touch so gentle, like moonlight kissing the petals of a newly opened violet...

He pressed his lips to Yuffie's burning forehead. The touch was almost imperceptible, carrying a strange, cool, electric sensation.

A silent covenant was crowned in the darkness.

The moonlight, like water, flowed quietly over the pink and silver strands of her hair.

The bed is like a small ark, sheltering it from the storms of the outside world, carrying a princess's most fervent vows and a fairy knight's gentle and profound silent protection.

The "final truth and direction" have already settled deep within each other's souls.