The next day.
Since they would be meeting with representatives who had come for peace talks, everyone needed to adjust their appearance accordingly.
Simply put, they had to dress for the occasion.
The first to finish changing was the pink-haired girl—a princess and the world's greatest songstress.
Possessing an almost superhuman beauty, Lacus wore an elegant white gown.
White silk gloves covered her slender, delicate arms, while the beautifully shaped legs beneath her knee-length skirt were wrapped in white thigh-high stockings. A pair of white high heels completed the outfit.
The sight of her immediately brought a particular description to mind:
A pure and sacred princess clad in white.
When Lacus noticed Kain staring, she offered him a faint smile—a smile so pure that even he nearly lost himself in it.
Some people described Lacus's smile as something that could make anyone who saw it feel happy. Kain now realized that description wasn't nearly as exaggerated as he had once thought.
For a moment, he really had felt that way.
Was it the result of her psychic abilities as a Coordinator unconsciously influencing him?
No. If any psychic fluctuations had been affecting him, there was no chance he wouldn't have noticed.
That could only mean Lacus was genuinely the most "dangerous" woman he had ever encountered—the one most capable of shaking his composure.
Speaking of which, a small patch of skin was visible between her long gloves and her dress. Did that mean she wasn't wearing the thin, bodysuit-like protective layer provided by A2's group?
She was.
A2's group had supplied versions that matched their skin tones, along with completely transparent models.
At that moment, another figure emerged, drawing Kain's attention.
It was the mature woman who had allowed him to drink straight from the source last night until he was thoroughly satisfied.
Not only had Murrue let him enjoy the substance directly from where it was produced, but she had nearly allowed him to devour her as well.
She had ultimately stopped at rubbing against him, however, worried that going any further might interfere with today's meeting.
Today, the mature woman had traded her military uniform for a long blue evening gown that left her shoulders bare. A high slit on one side revealed a seductive leg wrapped in sheer black stockings, and she wore matching black heels.
She had also added several accessories. A necklace adorned her neck, and earrings hung from her ears, making her already considerable beauty even more striking.
Right now, Murrue carried herself with the elegance of a noblewoman.
When she noticed his gaze, a faint blush appeared on her cheeks.
Kain also saw Lacus's expression become slightly unnatural when she realized he was looking at Murrue, as though she had just remembered something.
He knew the reason for that subtle reaction.
Lacus's psychic scan had reached Murrue's room during the night, which meant she knew what had happened between them.
"All right, we're coming out!"
Cagalli's voice rang out. A moment later, she emerged while pulling someone else along with her.
That person was Stella, who wore a one-piece dress with light purple as its primary color and white lace around the edges. Her arms were covered by cute, semitransparent lace sleeves.
Her legs beneath the skirt were wrapped in black stockings, and she wore blue loafers.
Kain, however, looked at Cagalli with mild surprise.
"What's with that look?" Cagalli snapped, glaring at him. "Is there something wrong with me dressing like this?"
"The only reason I changed into this is because I don't want to listen to my father's nagging. He keeps saying my usual clothes are too masculine, that I have no feminine charm, and that I'll never find anyone willing to marry me. I'm going to prove to him that I'm attractive too. Whoever shows up today might even be captivated by me."
Cagalli's final addition sounded somewhat narcissistic, causing her cheeks to turn red.
In truth, she didn't particularly enjoy wearing dresses.
However, the other women were all dressed in formal gowns. If she alone wore something resembling men's clothing, this man would undoubtedly pay even less attention to her.
Yes, she wanted him to see how she looked in a dress.
She wanted him to be captivated by her.
It seemed she had begun to develop feelings for him.
Cagalli would never admit it directly, however. It was far too embarrassing.
More importantly, she feared that confessing her feelings would immediately bring their romance to an end—because he might reject her.
Her own outfit consisted of a pink dress and white stockings. That didn't look too strange, did it?
Compared with Lacus and Murrue, her dress wasn't especially extravagant. She would have been too embarrassed to wear anything more elaborate.
"I'm sure everyone will be captivated by you, Your Highness," Kain replied, playing along with her declaration.
He received another furious glare in response.
Hmm?
The equipment had arrived.
Kain immediately retrieved it from his personal storage: five rings and five egg-sized devices.
"Are these the anti-psychic-intrusion rings made by A2's group?" Lacus asked curiously.
As a precaution for today's meeting, Kain had asked A2's group to develop equipment that could prevent psychic forces from invading the human mind.
He had previously given them anti-intrusion technology from his own world that had originally been designed to defend against AI attacks. Apparently, the same principles could also be adapted to protect human minds.
Now that the equipment was complete, they had sent it over.
Four of the five rings were meant for the women.
Lacus immediately recognized which one belonged to her. It had to be the ring with the pink patterns.
To ensure a proper fit, A2's group had carefully measured each woman's index finger, since that was where the rings were intended to be worn.
Each device appeared to consist of two rings fitted together, allowing the outer portion to rotate. Twisting it would activate or deactivate the protective system.
Wearing it on the index finger made it easy to operate by turning it with the thumb.
Among the remaining rings, the one with golden patterns was presumably Cagalli's. The brown-patterned ring belonged to Murrue, while the blue one was clearly Stella's.
The last ring was larger than the others and decorated with black patterns. That one was obviously Kain's.
Under normal circumstances, he didn't need to worry about psychic intrusion. If he had requested a ring for himself, there was probably another reason.
Their enemies might choose not to invade his mind and instead communicate through direct brain waves. If Kain didn't want to listen to them—or simply found their voices irritating—he could activate the ring and block them out.
As for the egg-sized devices, Lacus couldn't yet determine their purpose.
Everyone quickly put on their rings and began testing them.
Lacus attempted to invade their minds psychically, only to find her intrusion successfully blocked.
The rings couldn't hold forever, however.
A continuous psychic assault would gradually consume their stored energy. Once that power was exhausted, the wearer would be in trouble.
Still, Lacus estimated that even she would need approximately thirty minutes to completely drain one. Half an hour was more than enough time for the target to recognize the attack and retaliate.
Before receiving the rings, Cagalli and the others had already asked Lacus to attempt psychic intrusions on them so they could practice resisting.
As a result, even without the rings, they could rely on willpower alone to resist Lacus for more than ten minutes.
Once activated, the patterns on each ring emitted a faint glow. The two sections rotated in opposite directions, causing the upper and lower patterns to combine into something resembling an electrocardiogram.
One segment of the pattern even formed a small heart.
The glowing pattern also served as a power indicator. As the illuminated section gradually shortened, it showed that the ring's remaining charge was being depleted.
If the ring detected an abnormal intrusion, the pattern would begin flashing, warning its wearer that they were under attack.
The ring could also recharge itself by absorbing static electricity from the wearer's body.
Under normal circumstances, the static electricity generated by an ordinary person's daily activities would be enough to restore a full charge.
A2's group would continue gathering data based on how the women used the rings, then develop further improvements and upgrades.
The egg-sized devices were likewise meant to counter psychic manipulation.
The rings generated a barrier around the wearer's body, almost like coating them in an insulating membrane.
The egg-sized devices, on the other hand, produced an interference field over a limited area, disrupting and breaking apart any psychic intrusion within its range.
Now, all they had to do was wait for their "guests" to arrive.
(End of Chapter)
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