Chapter 307: Leave a brand first
"Wait, where did your boot go?"
Just as Yotsuba Mahiro was about to collect the final CG... no, conduct the final experiment, he noticed Monica standing with one bare foot on the floor.
Her pale, delicate foot paired with red nail polish was indeed quite alluring.
Women, even when held captive, never forget to groom themselves.
He glanced briefly without feeling the urge to hold and play with it, instead turning his gaze elsewhere to survey the room.
Finally, he spotted the black boot lying solitary on the floor not far from the bed.
"Tsk tsk, quite strong, aren't you? Managed to kick off your boot and send it flying that far," Yotsuba Mahiro commented without thinking.
Unfortunately, Monica no longer had any strength left to retort.
But it didn't matter - he didn't care.
He then performed some manipulations on Monica's spiritual body.
The girl who had been sitting on the chair suddenly stood up, swaying like a marionette as she moved to an empty spot on the floor near the tea table.
She didn't know what this man intended to do to her now, or perhaps she no longer cared.
It didn't matter anymore.
Let him do whatever he wanted - all she prayed for now was for this hellish torment to end quickly.
Until her hands lifted the pure white knee-length office skirt against her will, the already wet and translucent ice-blue fabric barely visible beneath. Then her waist, toned from years of training, twisted as she spread her honey-colored, incredibly sexy and powerful long legs left and right, pressing them toward the floor in a full split.
Yes, this was Yotsuba Mahiro's final experiment - to see whether spiritual interference could push a controlled subject to their physical limits.
He just hadn't expected Monica to accomplish it so effortlessly.
Thinking about it, it made sense - though Monica appeared delicate on the surface, she was genuinely one of the Knights of Rounds, even if she held the lowest seat.
The moment she achieved the full split, her long legs perfectly flush with the floor, the cold sensation made Monica shiver instantly.
Wet and cold - very uncomfortable.
But before she could even think of resisting, a heavy shadow already enveloped her entire body. Her lifeless eyes finally regained a spark of alertness, though not with their previous anger, but rather filled with boundless terror.
"You... what are you going to do now?"
"Take a guess?" Mahiro's lips curled into a somewhat wicked smile.
"You... you can't do this to me... You said if I cooperated with your experiments, you wouldn't do anything to me!"
"That's right, but did you actually cooperate?"
Monica's heart sank at his words.
"So, all your cursing has left me quite irritated."
With that, he grabbed Monica and instantly refined her!
....
....
As compensation, Yotsuba Mahiro personally cooked Monica a bowl of noodles.
The noodles were delicious.
The rich, milky white broth slid down her esophagus, filling her stomach and warming her entire body.
As if still craving more, a single drop of the thick broth remained at the corner of her lips in the end.
After watching Monica finish her meal, he left the room feeling quite satisfied.
However, just after stepping out into the hallway, he ran into C.C., who seemed to have been deliberately waiting for him there.
She leaned against the corridor wall with her arms crossed, still wearing a long black dress.
Her dark hair cascaded like a waterfall, flowing down to her slender waist.
Her figure was graceful and elegant, exuding a noble yet enchanting aura, with a subtle queen-like presence.
Yet, at the corner of her stunningly beautiful face, there was a hint of mockery.
"Had enough fun?"
"Not even close."
Yotsuba Mahiro spread his hands, his tone flippant and calm. "Just conducting a small experiment."
"Oh~"
As if deliberately drawing out the syllable, C.C.'s gaze swept over him and eventually settled near his waistband, as if something there had caught her attention.
"What are you trying to do?"
The look in her eyes made Yotsuba Mahiro's scalp tingle, and he subtly took two steps back.
"Hah."
C.C. let out a light laugh, one that seemed to carry a hint of derision, enough to irritate anyone.
"It's fine. After lying in bed for a whole year, it's only natural to have some pent-up energy to release—especially for a perverted brat like you."
She deliberately emphasized the last few words.
Now he understood—this woman was jealous.
Catching the implication in her tone, Mahiro couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and smile. "How about we continue? My energy hasn't completely subsided yet."
As he spoke, he stepped forward and tried to grab C.C.'s wrist, but she dodged him.
"Cut it out. I'm not your toy."
C.C. shot him a slight glare before shifting the topic. "So, what are you planning to do with that little girl now? Just keep her here as a plaything?"
"Of course not. I've already done what needed to be done. Next, it's time to send her back to Britannia."
Yotsuba Mahiro spoke candidly, but C.C. didn't grasp his meaning and couldn't figure out what he was up to.
Based on her observations and the past events she had discussed with Alpha, Yotsuba Mahiro was a petty person, the type who would repay even the slightest grievance.
Most people who had crossed him like Monica had ended up dead, or at the very least, severely punished.
Yet now, he was casually talking about letting her go—it felt somewhat unreal.
Had his personality changed during his coma?
C.C. studied his face but couldn't detect any clues.
"What are you planning?" she asked.
Mahiro raised a finger mysteriously.
If Alpha had been present, she would have recognized the meaning behind that smile in an instant.
How could he possibly tell C.C. that he had planted a seed of rebellion in Monica's psyche, one that would turn against Britannia when the time was right?
If he revealed it now, where would the surprise be?
"Tch, suit yourself."
C.C. tossed her long hair and turned to leave without any intention of lingering.
Yotsuba Mahiro paid it no mind, simply smiling as he turned and headed toward the room next to Monica's.
What was held there was Anya.
Like Monica, she was treated well, lived comfortably, ate quite decently, and was occasionally taken by Eta for some experiments.
But unlike Monica, when she saw him again, Anya showed no panic at all, only exuding a faint melancholic aura.
Her delicate face remained as expressionless as ever, and she even picked up her phone to take a photo of him.
"What are you doing?"
"Recording."
Perhaps feeling she had said too little, Anya added on her own, "Because I have no memories of the past, and occasionally my memory goes missing, I've developed the habit of recording."
It was unclear whether these words were meant for herself or for the person before her.
However, her tone was quite flat, as if she were talking about someone else's affairs.
Seeing this, Yotsuba Mahiro narrowed his eyes slightly.
He remembered now—this little girl before him, Anya Alstreim, the youngest Knight of Rounds, had been hit by Marianne's Geass, causing her memories to be blocked.
Moreover, every time Marianne's consciousness surfaced, Anya would also lose the memories from that period.
How pitiful indeed.
Suddenly, his interest in teasing Anya vanished entirely. Instead, he pulled over a chair and sat down opposite her.
"Well, listen, if I had a way to restore your memories, would you be willing to come to my side?"
"?"
Anya looked at him in confusion.
"Don't look at me like that. You just need to answer whether you accept or not."
"..."
The girl seemed to hesitate for a moment, but after a while, she nodded.
"If you can restore my past memories, I am willing to become your ally."
Admittedly, Anya cherished her title and position as a knight, but she cared more about her own memories, her own past, rather than being like a container that occasionally lost parts of her memory.
That feeling wasn't like living; it was more like being a manipulated puppet.
However, the moment she agreed, that familiar headache struck again, making her clutch her head.
And the aura around her changed as well.
A moment later, Anya released her head, as if nothing had just happened, and looked up. Her pupils glowed with the unique red light of Geass, and in a tone completely different from her earlier melancholy and silence—now lively and flippant—she spoke:
"It's been a long time, Teacher~"
"Marianne?"
Mahiro raised an eyebrow.
"Eh? I didn't expect you to see through me even when I'm like this, Teacher."
"Hmph, I've said it before—nothing can escape my eyes."
Mahiro sneered and added, "Also, don't call me Teacher. I can't possibly be the teacher of the great 'Flash' Marianne."
"Is that so? But I did learn from you and Miss Alpha for a while~"
Marianne, appearing as Anya, pressed a finger to her lips, putting on a deliberately cute pose.
Why does an old woman pretend to be a maiden?
He really wanted to say something like that.
That being said, while at Aries Palace, Marianne did study with him for a period, but that was only through Cornelia's influence.
Because Marianne was someone Cornelia aspired to chase after and become, Cornelia would always drag her along to observe during lessons.
It was during that time that Marianne ended up studying alongside them for a while.
But it was also during this period that he came to thoroughly understand this woman—far more than the original storyline ever revealed.
For her to suddenly address him as "teacher" and attempt to close the distance between them, she must surely have some ulterior motive.
Thinking this, Mahiro spoke up again:
"Just drop the act, Marianne. Why don't you tell me what you really want?"
At his words, Anya's expression stiffened for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure, even putting on a troubled look.
"Actually, it's nothing too serious. I just hope you'll be merciful and let this girl go—and don't restore her memories."
"And your reason?"
"Obviously, if you restore her memories, I'll disappear." Controlling Anya's body, Marianne puffed out her cheeks in a girlish pout.
As a Geass contractor, she knew all too well that restoring memories was equivalent to canceling the Geass—and her Geass ability was consciousness transfer.
In other words, the current Anya was a vessel carrying her consciousness and soul.
If the Geass were dispelled here, she would die instantly.
But she couldn't die yet. She and Charles's wish remained unfulfilled—their grand ambition to reshape this world was not yet complete!
"Hey, are you sure you won't come help me and Charles?"
"Help you with what? Help you slay gods? Help you create a so-called world without lies?"
He lifted his eyelids slightly, a hint of mockery in his tone.
Perhaps Marianne noticed, or perhaps she heard but didn't care—she simply continued to gaze at him with that same smiling expression.
"Yes, wouldn't that be wonderful? No more lies between people, everyone treating each other with honesty."
"It does sound wonderful."
Mahiro rubbed his chin and nodded in agreement.
"However, I refuse."
For a moment, hearing his agreement, Marianne felt a surge of joy—finally, she had pulled this biggest variable into their camp.
But the second half of his sentence sent her crashing back to reality.
She couldn't understand it at all.
"Why?"
"It's simple. The world without lies you speak of would be built on the lives of those I love. I don't like that."
"After all, I'm just a traveler, a passerby. What does it matter to me what happens to your world? Even if it were destroyed right before my eyes, what concern is it of mine?"
Mahiro's tone was light, and he deliberately accompanied his words with cheerful gestures.
But he couldn't fully conceal the cold indifference in his words.
Marianne's expression turned unpleasant at his remarks, even fluctuating unpredictably. The poised, almost artificial smile she wore began to falter.
But soon, as if struck by a thought, she smiled again and said:
"You're right, that kind of world was bought with C.C.'s life, but you surely know that death is C.C.'s wish, the goal of all Geass contractors."
"Mhm, well said. So, are you finished?"
Mahiro nodded along with the other's meaning, his tone devoid of any emotion.
His reaction momentarily flustered Marianne, sending an inexplicable pang of dread through her.
"What are you going to do?"
"Maybe... you should guess?"
A malicious curve formed at the corner of Mahiro's lips.
Seeing this, Marianne wanted to resist, to retreat her consciousness back into the depths, but in the next second, her body became completely immobilized.
The red light glowing in Yotsuba Mahiro's eyes seemed to cast a binding spell, pinning her within Anya's shallow consciousness.
"Why run so fast? Let's have some fun, play something interesting... come on out!"
With that.
The red light in Yotsuba Mahiro's eyes intensified, as if he had torn something apart, pulling a faint shadow out from within Anya.
That shadow looked completely different from Anya's appearance.
Thick, jet-black hair cascaded down to her waist, with a slight natural wave. She wore a light brown noblewoman's gown, her face adorned with a reserved, gentle smile, her delicate red lips slightly upturned.
That was Marianne.
Only when she realized she had been forcibly separated from her vessel yet felt no weakness did Marianne's expression change, turning to one of utter shock and bewilderment.
"The Geass was forcibly undone? No... that's not right, it hasn't been lifted. What have you done to me!"
Marianne no longer possessed the composure and calm she was known for; instead, she resembled an enraged lioness.
Gentleness was her disguise.
A mischievous, playful nature like a child's was her true personality.
But beneath both, Marianne was also an iron-willed War Goddess, even more extreme than Cornelia.
Otherwise, how could she have risen from commoner status to become the "Shining" Marianne, or earned her knight title at the age of 17?
Yet her anger seemed utterly adorable in Yotsuba Mahiro's eyes.
More like a little girl throwing a tantrum.
"I didn't do much. I just forcibly peeled you off Anya's spiritual body. You've occupied someone else's body for so long, you should pay some price, right?"
"For example, branding you with my mark or something. I think it'll be quite interesting when you meet Charles in C's World."
His words sent a chill straight through Marianne's heart.
Branded with someone else's mark?
This was what she could least tolerate. Though she came from common origins and was even rumored to have done anything to climb into Charles's bed, she paid no heed. One could say her loyalty to Charles surpassed everything, even at the cost of her life.
But now...
"This isn't good, is it?"
Marianne's attitude suddenly returned to calm, and that familiar, reserved smile once again graced her lips.
"I recall you're quite fond of my dear daughter Nunnally, aren't you? If you do something this terrible to me, Nunnally would probably never forgive you for the rest of her life."
"Moreover, my consciousness has long been intertwined with Anya's consciousness. If you do anything to me, Anya's consciousness will also be damaged. You wouldn't want to see that happen, would you?"
Her tone overflowed with goodwill, carrying both motherly care as if comforting a child and saintly admonishment.
It seemed as if everything was being considered for Mahiro's sake again.
"Save it."
Yotsuba Mahiro sneered coldly.
"First, stop pretending to be a caring mother in front of me - it's disgusting. If you truly cared about your children, you wouldn't have brought them into this world as test subjects, much less conducted Geass adaptation experiments on them."
"Second, what gave you the illusion that I care about whether Anya lives or dies?"
"Finally, no more words are needed. Come here!"
As his voice fell, the red light in Mahiro's eyes grew increasingly dazzling, transforming into what seemed like laser beams that instantly branded Marianne with his unique mark.
The moment the brand was carved, Marianne screamed in piercing pain.
It felt like a red-hot branding iron being brutally pressed against her lower abdomen - that kind of heart-wrenching agony.
Moments later, even through her clothes, one could see a glowing pink bat pattern.