What should have been a simple introduction ended with Athrun making an excuse to leave with John after just a few minutes of conversation.
The entire exchange lasted no more than five minutes, yet Luo Shu couldn't help but tease Lacus:
"Being this nervous isn't like you, Lacus."
Lacus sighed softly, explaining helplessly:
"Because I didn't want unnecessary misunderstandings."
Childhood friends, a bond forged by their fathers, the son of her godmother...
The sheer number of buffs stacked on Athrun Zala made him seem like the inevitable future husband in everyone's eyes.
And that was precisely what Lacus found most troubling.
She didn't care about Athrun—because she knew all too well how indecisive he was.
But she cared about Luo Shu's opinion.
After all, she knew full well that given Luo Shu's personality, he would never allow someone with such an ambiguous relationship to remain by his side.
That was why Lacus had repeatedly emphasised the nature of their relationship before, making her stance clear.
However, just because she had clarified her position didn't mean Luo Shu would let her off so easily.
"So, Athrun is at a level that could cause misunderstandings?" Luo Shu said with a smile.
In an instant—
Thud!
It was as if a giant "DANGER" sign had lit up above Lacus's head.
The girl, who had just relaxed, seemed completely unprepared for Luo Shu to hit her with such a fatal question. Her face froze in shock, her gaze even turning slightly dazed.
Seeing Lacus like this, Luo Shu couldn't help but laugh heartily:
"Scared already?"
"If I asked you who you'd save first—me or Athrun—if we both fell into the water, wouldn't that give you an even bigger headache?"
"Hypothetical questions like that are meaningless."
Lacus looked at Luo Shu with a mix of amusement and exasperation, her tone helpless yet fond:
"If you really want an answer, then I'd say I'd save you first."
"What if it were me and Uncle Siegel—"
"My father was the runner-up in a swimming competition once. He wouldn't need me to save him."
"Hypothetically, if he couldn't swim."
"Luo Shu." Lacus suddenly raised her voice, her expression full of grievance as she stared at him. "Are you deliberately trying to tease me today?"
"Not at all." Luo Shu denied it outright, but the grin on his face clearly said otherwise.
Seeing this, Lacus felt a headache coming on.
Especially when Luo Shu kept asking those pointless questions that somehow still felt like traps.
She couldn't help but feel that even just hearing such questions—let alone answering them—was enough to contaminate her otherwise rational mind.
To purge the contamination, she decided to be even more direct:
"Because our fathers are old acquaintances, Athrun and I have known each other since we were very young."
"But even so, we've met fewer than twenty times in total."
"Perhaps my father and Uncle Patrick have entertained the idea of a union between us, but neither of us has ever considered it in that way."
"Even Aunt Lenore has reservations about it."
Hearing Lenore's name, Luo Shu raised an eyebrow in surprise:
"So Mrs Zala doesn't want you as her daughter-in-law?"
Was Mrs Zala's standard really that high? Even Lacus didn't meet it? Or was there another reason?
In response, Lacus simply smiled faintly:
"Because in Aunt Lenore's eyes, such a marriage would only turn Athrun—who lacks strong opinions—into my plaything."
"Ah." Luo Shu suddenly felt there was some truth to Lenore Zala's perspective.
Athrun Zala was the type whose indecisiveness was obvious at a glance.
Someone like that, paired with a wife who was too strong-willed, would undoubtedly be led around by the nose.
'So she prioritised her son's happiness over political alliances?'
Just as Luo Shu was marvelling at this, Lacus added softly:
"By the way, before I turned twelve, I spent most of my time living with Aunt Lenore."
"I suppose she didn't want the things she taught me to be used against her own son, did she?"
'Bloody hell, so she's the child she personally trained... No wonder she's unhappy.'
Luo Shu instantly grasped the hidden meaning behind Lacus's words.
Although a daughter, Siegel Clyne had always raised Lacus as his heir.
And in this process, such notions naturally influenced Lenore Zala's educational approach.
Under these circumstances, Lenore had likely been steering Lacus towards becoming a political powerhouse.
So that's why Lenore objected to Athrun and Lacus uniting?
Because she knew all too well the monster she'd personally nurtured, and didn't want to sacrifice her own son?
Come to think of it, Lacus's past is rather complicated.
With her mother passing early, she was raised by Mrs Lenore Zala, who couldn't see her own son at the time.
Meanwhile, her father, Siegel Clyne, joined forces with Patrick Zala to start a revolution in their original world, even establishing their own separatist regime.
Now in this new world, both Siegel and Patrick remain influential.
One used marriage alliances to join an American arms conglomerate, establishing the precursor to the SDS and laying the foundation for Lacus.
Patrick appears to have taken the political route, having recently become a state senator.
These two were comrades in their original world, and after crossing worlds due to the Abyss's influence, they remain allies.
Their relationship oddly reminds Luo Shu of Naruto and Sasuke...
Ah, no wonder Mr Siegel felt comfortable letting Mrs Lenore educate Lacus.
A mix of Hinata and Sakura?
As Luo Shu silently mused about Lacus's complicated paternal relationships...
Lacus deftly changed the subject:
"Luo Shu, earlier you mentioned getting Councillor Carlisle to approve the proposal at the small meeting... Does that mean you plan to meet with Councillor Carlisle yourself?"
Hearing this, Luo Shu nodded slightly in confirmation:
"Indeed."
"If this Carlisle truly is our enemy, then this presents an excellent opportunity, doesn't it?"
"Know thy enemy to win every battle."
Lacus chuckled at this: "And perhaps collect some hair follicles while you're at it? Or have Raziel mark him? To maintain strict surveillance and prevent Councillor Carlisle from slipping control?"
Luo Shu massaged his temples in exasperation:
"If you've already guessed, no need to spell it out!"
"You're still as cautious as ever."
Lacus smiled gently before saying in a warm tone:
"I'll arrange your meeting then."
"Much obliged."