Bright yet gentle sunlight streamed in through the open window, carrying with it the boisterous breeze tinged with the scent of the sea.
It played with the girl's golden hair, shimmering under the sunlight.
Then, intermittently and mischievously, it patted against the girl's delicate, fair skin that seemed as if it could be bruised by a mere blow.
However, neither the cheerful sunlight nor the Wind Spirits that typically brought good moods could capture the attention of the girl half-sitting on the pristine bed.
Her somewhat dazed eyes remained fixed solely on the television positioned in front of the bed.
There, following her directive—she who had now become the pillar of Orb—the spokesperson was making a crucial declaration regarding the nation's future direction at the conference.
"From this day forward, Orb will join the Allied Forces and dedicate all of its national strength to combat the threat posed by the Coordinators of PLANT across the entire Earth Sphere."
After lengthy and elaborate official rhetoric, the essence of thousands of words boiled down to just this one statement.
The girl was never one for excessive formalities.
If not for certain unwritten conventions, she would have truly preferred the spokesperson to say only that much.
"Orb."
Having seen and heard what aligned with certain people's wishes, the girl picked up the remote and turned off the television.
She paid no heed to the scene on screen, where countless reporters, stirred by Orb's declaration, eagerly raised their hands in an attempt to question the spokesperson.
"Are you satisfied now?"
Turning her head, the girl directed her question at Wang Hu, who was sitting beside her bed peeling an apple.
"It's not about whether I'm satisfied, but whether you are."
Wang Hu popped the peeled apple into his own mouth, raised his eyebrows, and stared at the girl—Cagalli, the future hope of Orb.
"Orb has already been occupied by you people, and you still ask if I'm satisfied?"
Having narrowly escaped death, she was fortunate that the Kusanagi's build was robust.
Thus, even after enduring numerous Beam attacks and the entire Battleship plunging into the sea, she—being Orb's future hope—had no shortage of people aboard the ship eager to protect Cagalli.
So, with only minor injuries, the girl mustered enough energy to confront Wang Hu beside her.
"And is this how you visit a patient?"
Glaring at Wang Hu's chewing mouth, Cagalli added fiercely, "I want to file a complaint with the masters of your Bureau of Barbarian Affairs. Given my current status, I'm sure I can make things difficult for you!"
"If I were a bit more resolute, perhaps even the uniform you're wearing would be stripped off!"
"Hmm?"
Wang Hu responded indistinctly through a mouthful of apple. "Indeed, if you were more resolute, I might really be forced to retire."
"But soon enough, you'd see me again—only next time, I'd reappear before you as Orb's military supervisor."
"You!"
Cagalli gritted her teeth so hard they nearly shattered, her hands clenching the bedsheet until veins bulged. If looks could kill,
she was certain the detestable man before her would have been riddled with holes long ago.
But...
Half a cup of tea's time later, the girl was breathing heavily in succession, to the point where Wang Hu thought Cagalli might burst a blood vessel from anger.
Should he consider calling a doctor to examine her?
Releasing her grip on the bedsheet, Cagalli lowered her head dejectedly.
The bright afternoon sunlight and sea breeze filled the room, yet the girl on the bed was shrouded in sorrow.
If an artistically gifted photographer were present now, a single click would surely capture a masterpiece destined for immortality.
Unfortunately, the room contained only Cagalli and Wang Hu, and Wang Hu was clearly not one for such refinement.
Seeing the despondent girl, Wang Hu not only failed to comfort her but instead casually picked up another apple.
The knife then seemed to become an extension of his body, dancing nimbly across the apple as he peeled it into a long, continuous strip.
"Yes, the current Orb is practically a pet of your East Asian Alliance."
"From government offices to military ranks, your supervisors are everywhere."
"Dawn Company is under your control, the Mass Driver is in your hands, and even public opinion is shaped by your influence."
"With your overwhelming methods... heh, is this still Orb?"
Lifting her head to look at Wang Hu—who seemed utterly unbothered beside her, this victor Wang Hu—Cagalli's voice dripped with boundless resentment.
"When will you make Orb a part of your territory?"
"Isn't that good?"
Meticulously cutting the peeled apple into small pieces and arranging them on a plate, Wang Hu displayed unexpected tenderness.
"Here, say 'ah'~"
Skewering a piece of apple with a bamboo pick, Wang Hu smiled as he brought it to Cagalli's lips.
"You..."
One moment he was the epitome of an unyielding straight man, the next he could act with such gentleness.
Witnessing this stark contrast in Wang Hu, Cagalli felt an inexplicable flutter in her heart.
Two blushes instantly spread across her cheeks.
But Cagalli was still Cagalli—she snapped back to reality in an instant.
Furiously, she swatted away the apple Wang Hu had brought to her mouth.
"Stop with your hypocritical act!"
"I'm not falling for your tricks!"
Turning her head away, Cagalli refused to look at Wang Hu again, making it clear she would neither cooperate nonviolently nor violently.
"This is your younger brother, currently in our custody."
"I assume you wouldn't want to see your own flesh and blood suffer too much."
As the apple rolled on the floor, Wang Hu ignored it and instead pulled a photograph from his breast pocket.
"The rescue team found this in your pocket after fishing you out."
"Don't worry, everyone involved has been silenced. No outsiders will know."
"What?"
Hearing she had a younger brother, Cagalli's defenses shattered as she whipped her head back around.
Her gaze fixed on the photo in Wang Hu's hand, she recalled what her late father had given her before their departure for space.
Could it be that what Wang Hu held was exactly that?
"Younger brother?"
Snatching the photo, Cagalli examined it carefully.
The image showed a woman who had just given birth, her face radiant with warmth as she cradled two swaddled infants.
From their hair color, Cagalli quickly deduced that one of them was likely herself.
But one question remained: although Uzumi's wife had passed away long ago...
Cagalli didn't have many memories of her nominal mother either, but the woman in the photo definitely didn't match the mother she remembered.
"Who is this woman?"
As she voiced her question, Cagalli flipped the photo over and saw the handwriting on the back.
"Cagalli and Kira?"
The single line struck her like a thunderbolt, draining the light from the girl's eyes.
If this photo truly represented the truth her father had given her...
Did that mean she wasn't really the daughter of the Asuha family, nor Uzumi's biological daughter?
"I'm not lying to you. This was indeed found on you."
While speaking, Wang Hu retrieved a document from the bedside cabinet.
"The East Asian Army's upper echelons investigated this. Would you like to see it?"
"Give it to me!"
With so many recent events piling up, Cagalli's emotional fluctuations became increasingly pronounced after this series of blows.
She snatched the leather document folder from Wang Hu's hands, pulled out the materials inside, and scanned through them rapidly.
After finishing, the girl collapsed as if completely drained, like ashes after a fire has burned out.
Leaning against the headboard, she stared blankly at the ceiling with wide eyes.
"What should I do?"
A long, long time passed until the sun set in the west and the room grew dark.
Cagalli murmured to herself, unclear whether she was asking herself or Wang Hu, who had been sitting beside her all along.
"About Orb, or about your younger brother Kira?"
Rising at just the right moment, he made sure his gentleness appeared unmistakably in Cagalli's line of sight.
Having waited so long precisely to gradually break down the girl's psychological defenses, Wang Hu asked softly.
Without speaking, Cagalli's eyes shifted and settled on Wang Hu's face, close enough to feel each other's breath.
"I understand. Let's talk about Orb first."
Reaching out to pat Cagalli's head, and seeing she showed no resistance,
Wang Hu took advantage of the situation to embrace her, then whispered in her ear.
"The upper echelons won't make your Orb part of the East Asian Alliance. You can retain all the rights of a legitimate independent nation."
"After the war ends, the East Asian Alliance will withdraw quickly, just as we proclaimed before the war."
However...
Even after the East Asian Army withdraws, Orb can never return to how it was before.
It was as if a comb had been run through the country inside and out several times.
From top to bottom, every part of Orb would bear the imprint of the East Asian Alliance.
One must understand that the methods of the millennia-old East Asian Alliance are not something the upstart Atlantic Federation can compare to.
Silent permeation is the highest form of influence.
But there was no need to explain these matters to the girl in his arms.
"Really?"
Wang Hu's words lifted Cagalli's spirits somewhat.
"Yes, truer than true gold."
Stroking Cagalli's golden hair was like petting a dozing lioness.
Wang Hu continued soothing her emotions.
"As for your younger brother Kira, since he's living well now—"
"With a complete family with both parents, and a beautiful girlfriend from a prominent family—"
"And with his future being limitless within our military, there's no need to tell him the truth."
"It would only bring him unnecessary trouble."
"Not tell him?"
Cagalli seemed somewhat unwilling to accept this after reading the materials in the document folder.
She held a slight attachment to the last blood relative she had in this world.
"Hmm, I think it's better not to tell him."
"He still has feelings for Orb. Didn't you see? He didn't participate in this battle for Orb either."
"If you tell him the truth, just imagine—what would his reaction be?"
"Could it affect his future and prospects?"
Slowly instilling his will into Cagalli, Wang Hu appeared so considerate and heartfelt.
His tone was completely that of having her best interests at heart.
"I understand."
A glimmer of light returned to her eyes. Ahead was the promise of Orb's smooth restoration, behind was the concern for her blood-related younger brother's future and prospects.
Cagalli convinced herself—for Orb, for her brother.
I must endure, no matter what happens.
If it's for Orb and for my brother, then do I matter?
Even if I become no longer myself, it would still be worthwhile.
He smiled slightly and released Cagalli.
Wang Hu retreated into the shadows of the room, watching the girl before him who now somewhat resembled her Second War-era self.
"I am Wang Hu, not Yuna."
"Perhaps that is the best news for you."
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