Chapter 15: Never Stick in the Crazy
17th August 2010, Pendragon, Aries Imperial Villa,
So, after beating up my uncle Victor, I found myself having to repair my home. The bullet holes from where Auntie Mari had shot him were too numerous to simply ignore—too many to patch up and pretend they had never existed.
Which brought me here, lounging inside Auntie Mari's villa like I owned the place. Oh wait! I actually owned this. As for where Auntie Mari had taken V.V's body? I hadn't the faintest idea. Some questions were better left unanswered, especially when the answers involved my father's brother and my aunt's bloodlust.
Some things you just don't want to know.
But watching Marrybell play with Corn in the very garden where Lulu and Nunna once ran around, a strange sense of nostalgia settled in my chest. The same flowers, the same trees, the same warm sunlight filtering through the leaves—everything was the same, yet nothing was the same at all.
I wonder how they're doing.
Well, I was sure Ange would protect them from any dangers. That girl had a mean streak a mile wide and a mobile suit that could level a city block. If anyone could keep two kids safe in a war zone, it was her.
"You're spacing out again," Euphie's voice broke through my thoughts.
I turned to find her sitting beside me, a cup of tea in her hands, her eyes studying me with that gentle concern she always wore.
"Hmm…" I let out a low hum, not quite ready to answer. "I just miss Lulu and Nunna, that's all." I offered her a small smile, the kind that didn't quite reach my eyes.
"I miss them too." Euphie's voice was so tiny, so fragile. She stared into her teacup like it held all the answers. "I wonder how they are doing."
"I'm sure they are doing fine, Euphie." I reached over and patted her head, the way I always did when she needed comfort. Her hair was soft beneath my fingers, and she leaned into the touch like a cat seeking warmth.
She's worried. Of course she is. Lelouch was her favorite brother—not that I'm jealous or anything.
Okay, maybe a little jealous.
"Brother!"
"Bell!" I catch the girl as she dives into my arms, her small body colliding with mine with all the force a ten-year-old can muster. "Did you have fun with that scary 'old' lady?"
"I'm only 20, you bastard!" Corn's voice trails from behind Marrybell, sharp and indignant. "And I'm only 2 years older than you!"
"But my age doesn't start with 2 yet, right?" I smirk at her, adjusting Marrybell on my hip so I can properly enjoy the way Corn's eye twitches.
To think I'm 18 now. Time flies so fast.
"Are you looking for a fight, Egg?"
That made me react immediately. "Bring it on, Porn."
"Okay, you two!" Euphie steps between us, her hands raised in that diplomatic way she has. "There's a child here."
She's right. But also, she's no fun.
"Bell, whatever you do, do not take after that bad lady, alright?" I point at Cornelia, making sure my expression is as serious as possible.
"Un!" Marrybell nods eagerly, her tiny fists clenched with determination.
I can see a vein popping on Corn's head. She's always been easy to read when she's angry, which is most of the time when I'm around. I turn to face her, letting my smirk widen just a fraction. "Heh."
Still got it.
Before she can retaliate, I notice a maid approaching us, her footsteps hesitant as if she's unsure whether to interrupt. We stop our usual banter, the tension dissolving into something more formal.
"A guest has arrived, Your Highness."
A guest? I wasn't expecting one.
Meh. I don't want to leave here. This garden is nice. The tea is good. Marrybell is happy.
"You should go, brother," Euphie nudges me from the side, her voice gentle but insistent. "You shouldn't keep a guest waiting."
Well… when Euphie says it, I believe I should, right? She has that effect on people—making you want to do the right thing even when you'd rather be lazy.
With that in mind, I set Marrybell down carefully, letting her tiny feet touch the grass. She looks up at me with those big eyes, and I pat her head once more for good measure.
"I'll be back soon," I promise.
"You better," she says, trying to look stern but only managing to look adorable.
I leave Marrybell with the sisters and walk back inside to meet with the guest.
-----x-----
As soon as I walked inside the room, a woman immediately stood up and greeted me. "Good evening, Your Highness."
She's a woman in her mid-thirties. Red hair, blue eyes, and a smile that looks like it was practiced in front of a mirror for hours. Who the hell is she?
How dare she interrupt my time with Marrybell?
"Please sit." Even if I don't want to, I have to be polite because this could be an important meeting.
"I didn't know I'd be having a guest, Lady…?" I politely ask her name, keeping my tone neutral. No need to make this awkward.
"Ah, please forgive me." I don't like it. "My name is Carly Disel."
I really don't like how she acts. It's as if she considers me beneath her.
"Then, Lady Disel," I start, leaning back in my chair. "Can you please tell me the reason why you arrived at my villa a day after a shooting case happened?" I narrow my eyes.
Let's see how she handles this.
"Ah! It's related to that, actually." She opens her bag and hands me a letter. "His Majesty wanted me to teach you how to shoot firearms," she continues, her voice perfectly even.
I opened the letter. An imperial seal. So this is real.
"According to what His Majesty said, pardon my crude words, but." She coughs into her hand, and I notice the gesture feels almost rehearsed. "That child of mine punches like a girl. Teach him something that doesn't require punching."
I can feel my eyes twitching.
That… is exactly how my father talks. But there's an unnecessary line mixed within. Something about it doesn't sit right.
"That's the reason, Your Highness." She smiles. Fake. That's a fake smile. "His Majesty even recalled me back from the front line to teach you."
Hmm.
Even Father called her back from the front line. She even had a direct audience with the Emperor. Nobody meets with Father unless… Father knows this woman personally.
"I see." I nod, keeping my expression blank. "Then, I'll be counting on you."
This time, I can see her mask slip—just a fraction. A flicker of surprise in her eyes before it disappears.
"I… thought you would be hard to handle." Okay, fuck this woman.
"You were personally ordered by His Majesty, so I have no reason to refuse," I shrug my shoulders. "And as you know, I'm under house arrest. So, the training will be inside this villa. Please bring the necessary equipment." I let out a short huff.
"Yes, Your Highness." She stands up and gives me a polite bow, but I notice her eyes linger on me for a moment longer than necessary. Calculating something.
"Now, off you go." I shoo her out of my house.
I don't think I can handle this woman. She might even be harder to handle than V.V.
She pauses at the door, turning back with that mask of a smile firmly in place. "I look forward to our lessons, Your Highness."
"I'm sure you do."
The door closes behind her, and I exhale slowly.
What was that?
Welp! Back to my sisters, I guess.
-----x-----
17th August 2010, Pendragon, Aries Imperial Villa, Benedict's Temporary Bedroom,
"You've met Carly, I guess?" Auntie Mari, still in Lady Anya's body, asks from beside me, her small frame barely visible under the blankets.
"You know of her, I believe?" I answer her question with another question, keeping my eyes fixed on the ceiling.
"Hmm… how should I say?" She shifts beside me, and I can feel her gaze on my face. "She's both my best friend and rival." A pause. "She was better at piloting Knightmares than I was, though."
"Even better than Auntie Mari?" That caught me off guard.
I don't think I've ever heard of her in the anime. And that Carly woman looked too important to be a mob character.
"Yup!" The girl/woman smiles cheekily, and for a moment, she almost looks her supposed age. "I was also the one who told Charles to make her your teacher."
Of course you were. Because why would anything in my life be simple?
"But you should be careful of her, Ben." Her voice shifts—lighter now, but no less serious.
I turn my head. She's staring into my eyes, and there's something there I don't see often. Something cold. Calculating. The woman who survived the battlefields. The woman who clawed her way to the top.
"Never, ever, get attached to her. And never, ever, let her attach to you."
The words hang in the air like a blade.
"I… see."
To get this reaction out of Auntie Mari, this Carly woman must be pretty dangerous. Or pretty broken. Probably both.
"Now, let's sleep, Ben!" She pulls the blanket up to her chin, her expression shifting back to that playful, childish mask.
"Stop trying to sleep with me in Lady Anya's body, Auntie Mari." I deadpan, not moving an inch. "Now, get up and go back to Lady Anya's room."
"Boo!" She sits up, pouting in a way that would be cute if I didn't know what lurked beneath the surface. She nudges me once—playfully, possessively—before finally slipping out of the bed.
I watch her small silhouette pad toward the door, her bare feet making no sound on the cold floor.
"Carly…" I mutter to myself once she's gone.
I hope I can survive that woman.
Who the hell am I kidding? Unless she has a Geass, she won't be able to kill me for good anyway.
Probably.
The thought should comfort me. It doesn't.
Welp! Time to sleep.
I close my eyes, but sleep doesn't come easily. Not when I can still feel Auntie Mari's warning echoing in my skull, and not when I know that tomorrow, I'll have to face the woman who made even the Flash wary.
What did you get me into, Auntie Mari?
And why do I get the feeling you're enjoying this?
-----x-----
Author's Note:
So, the last time I updated this story was over three years ago. Three years and eleven days, to be precise. As I've said before, I won't be dropping any of my stories. They were just... taking a break.
So! Back to the story! Carly is from the Lost Stories mobile game. I wanted to find a teacher for Ben, but I didn't want to create an OC, so I added her. No, this won't be the Lost Stories timeline. Carly just... happened to be here. Carly is a nutjob, I'll say that much. Maybe a little cannibalistic?
You can read 5 extra chapters on my P word link. It's /Zimrence