Her sudden request of Kain and Murrue was entirely serious.
Lacus believed that recreating what they had done might stimulate her unease, allowing her to identify its true source.
That left Kain even more speechless.
In many works of fiction involving psychic abilities, intense emotional stimulation could indeed trigger a mental breakthrough, allowing someone to display extraordinary power.
Lacus's request, however, was somewhat different.
In those stories, extraordinary abilities were usually awakened by powerful emotions such as love, anger, or jealousy.
Lacus did not seem to be seeking that kind of emotional stimulation. Judging from her explanation, she wanted to analyze what Kain and Murrue had done in hopes of uncovering some vital piece of information that would trigger her unease.
Moreover, Kain did not think Lacus was someone who would be overwhelmed by rage or jealousy after learning about their intimacy.
She simply wanted to examine their actions and extract whatever critical information might be hidden within them. Emotion had nothing to do with it.
To put it another way, Lacus was trying to solve a formula, one that might lead to the destruction of the world.
She had already discovered fragments of that formula hidden within several pieces of intelligence. However, those fragments were not enough to reveal the formula's true purpose.
Something about what Kain and Murrue had done might provide the crucial missing component. Combined with the other fragments, it could allow Lacus to understand exactly how this world-ending formula operated.
Would Kain refuse such a request?
Of course not.
He was shameless, after all.
There was also a unique thrill in knowing that Lacus was aware of what they were doing.
The real question was whether Murrue could accept it.
Her thoughts were undoubtedly in chaos. Lacus's request revealed that she knew what had happened that night.
Lacus naturally apologized to Murrue.
As for Cagalli and Stella, Lacus asked them to wait outside unless Kain and Murrue did not mind them learning the truth.
Kain did not care, but Murrue clearly did.
"Miss Murrue, I..."
"I'll do it, Lacus."
Murrue interrupted before Lacus could continue apologizing.
Lacus sincerely wanted to prevent some terrible disaster. Her request was not intended to humiliate Murrue, nor had it been made out of anger. She genuinely believed their intimacy might contain information capable of triggering her strange premonition.
It was difficult to understand, but Lacus's unease had begun at the same time Murrue and Kain were together. That meant there might truly be some connection.
Lacus had also said that Murrue might play an important, perhaps even decisive, role in the danger she sensed. She might be drawn toward a compatible individual.
If Lacus was doing this to save her, then Murrue ought to make a small sacrifice of her own.
It was only embarrassment.
If sacrificing her dignity could help avert a terrible crisis, it was unquestionably worth it.
"Mr. Kain..."
"I have no problem with it."
Of course he did not.
Murrue gave him a long, reproachful look.
She sighed inwardly. This meant Lacus would discover one of her secrets, the fact that her body could produce MR substance.
Given Lacus's personality, she would never mock her for it. Even so, it was deeply embarrassing.
Murrue took a deep breath and began preparing to recreate what had happened that night.
To protect Lacus from being directly exposed to anything inappropriate, they agreed that she would turn away and observe only the vague psychic resonance produced by their actions.
"Murrue, shall we begin?"
"Yes."
With her permission, Kain drew her close.
The two began recreating the intimate contact from that night, keeping the details concealed while Lacus concentrated solely on the psychic impressions it produced.
Even without Lacus watching them directly, knowing she was seriously monitoring their mental resonance sent an intense rush through Kain's mind.
At the same time, guilt began to grow within him.
Lacus's innocent concentration was devoted entirely to uncovering vital information, while he was secretly delighted to have a legitimate excuse to be intimate with Murrue.
The contrast filled him with guilt toward her.
"Lacus, has your unease grown any stronger?" Murrue asked hopefully, wishing they could stop as soon as possible.
"No."
Lacus shook her head.
The psychic impressions had not intensified her unease.
Why?
Had her deduction been wrong?
Wait. That night, she had perceived the scene through her psychic senses. Perhaps the impressions she was receiving now differed from what she had sensed before.
Lacus closed her eyes and focused more deeply on the pair's mental resonance.
Yes, the impression was now almost identical.
Yet her unease still did not intensify.
What was missing?
Lacus carefully compared the current psychic resonance with her memory of Dr. Yūko Kōzuki's broadcast.
Suddenly, she noticed an important discrepancy.
The intimacy she had sensed during the broadcast had progressed further than what Kain and Murrue were currently recreating.
That meant they had not truly repeated the same act.
"Miss Murrue, Mr. Kain, I think you may need to recreate the complete sequence."
"The complete sequence?"
Murrue did not understand at first.
Kain, however, recognized what Lacus had detected.
"Lacus, are you saying we need to go further?"
"Yes."
"D-do we really need to?" Murrue asked, thoroughly flustered. "That night, we only went this far. We never crossed the final boundary."
"You didn't, Miss Murrue?"
Lacus sounded slightly surprised.
"No."
Lacus became momentarily distracted by her answer.
A quiet burst of happiness rose within her.
So they had not truly crossed that final line.
No, this was not the time to dwell on that.
"Could it be that we need to recreate the Tai Chi position instead?" Kain suddenly suggested.
Part of him genuinely hoped it would help Lacus uncover useful information.
Another part of him was eager to repeat that particular form of intimacy while she monitored their psychic resonance.
There was also a contradictory hope buried within him. Perhaps learning what kind of man he was would make Lacus somewhat disgusted with him and persuade her to keep her distance.
"The Tai Chi position? What is that?"
Lacus tilted her head in confusion.
That night, once she realized what was happening, she had immediately withdrawn her psychic perception. As a result, she did not know what Kain and Murrue had done afterward.
"The Tai Chi position? That..."
Murrue's thoughts descended into chaos once again.
It referred to the intimate act that had followed after nearly all the MR substance had been extracted. During it, Murrue had reciprocated by drawing out the similar substance Kain could produce.
At the same time, Kain had also absorbed something especially extraordinary from her.
"I'm sorry, Miss Murrue..."
"Lacus, you don't need to apologize," Murrue interrupted her again. "If this can help you obtain the information we need, I can do it."
Compared with the danger represented by Lacus's premonition, this small sacrifice was insignificant.
After ensuring Lacus would sense nothing beyond the necessary psychic resonance, Kain and Murrue continued their experiment in private.
(End of Chapter)
[Get +30 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Zaelum"]
[Every 300 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]