In the halls of Ashford Academy, a single accidental discovery sparks chaos in the heart of the Britannian Empire. Princess Euphemia li Britannia, beloved by all for her gentle smile, picks up what she thinks is a study notebook in the student council room—only to find it's the private diary of her secret crush, Kururugi Suzaku.
Before she can stop herself, her eyes land on words that make her heart pound: Suzaku has been in love with her from the very first moment they met. But before she can
Code Geass: The Princess Who Fell for Her Rival - Milly's exquisite antlion trap and the creeping sneer
The classroom, just after morning classes had ended, was filled with a sense of release and clamor.
Outside the window, the cherry blossom branches, their buds still tight and unopened, swayed in the wind. Only a few hours had passed since that morning. And yet, to Euphemia li Britannia, it felt like something from the distant past.
(What do I do, what do I do, what do I do)
Slumped over her desk, she let out a small groan. Her rose-pink hair slipped softly down her cheek, and even the gesture of tucking it behind her ear seemed somehow absent-minded. Inside her pocket was that worn, brown notebook. Suzaku's diary. The entirety of his heart.
(I have to return it. But what kind of face should I make when I do? Do I tell him I read it? Or do I just hand it back without a word?)
The more she thought, the more tangled her mind became. Her heart had been beating an uneasy rhythm since morning, and even when she tried to take a deep breath, she couldn't seem to draw it in properly.
"[whispers]Hah... Why, of all times, does it have to be now..."
Her sigh was absorbed into the grain of the desk.
—Because, in that diary.
"Today, too, Euphie was sitting in that seat."
That's what was written. And that wasn't all. That her smile saved him, that she gave him a reason to come here—words so sweet, so direct, and so terribly painful they felt like they might stop her heart.
(Suzaku, too, felt the same way)
That fact spread a gentle warmth deep in her chest. But at the same time, it terrified her. She was a princess, and he was an Honorary Britannian. If anyone were to find out about these feelings, it would be Suzaku who got hurt.
"[whispers]Honestly, if only... I could just talk to someone about this..."
It was just as she murmured that to herself.
"Talk? What's this? Sounds like something interesting?"
Pop.
From the shadow of the desk, a flash of golden hair appeared. A girl with abundant blonde hair reaching her waist, tied in a half-up style with a large ribbon. Her bright sky-blue eyes sparkled with curiosity. The large emerald ring on her left hand reflected the light from the window, flickering brightly.
"[surprised]M-Milly, the President!? How long have you been there!?"
Euphemia nearly jumped out of her chair, hurriedly pressing her hand against her pocket. The feel of the diary was definitely there in her palm.
"How long? Just a moment ago. You were slumped over your desk so amusingly, Euphie, I was just observing."
Milly Ashford. The student council president of Ashford Academy, and the universally acknowledged number one provocateur of the school. A mischievous smile on her face, she sat down in the seat next to Euphemia.
"[surprised]Observing...?"
"So, what's got you so troubled? Could it be—about Suzaku?"
Bullseye.
Euphemia's face turned so red it seemed like it might make a sound. Her large violet eyes darted around in a fluster.
"[scared]N-No! That's not it! It's not like that, um, this is, it's just..."
"Ohohohoho! It is, isn't it! Now this is getting interesting!"
Milly let out a loud laugh and snapped her fingers. Her sky-blue eyes narrowed like a cat that had found its prey.
"Actually, I saw Suzaku in the hallway just a bit ago. He was walking in the strangest way—"
Milly stood up and began to deliberately hunch her back, mimicking a timid, nervous walk.
"—just like this, all 'Um, I'm looking for Her Highness Princess Euphemia, do you happen to know where she might be, ah, no, it's not that I have any particular business, it's just something I wanted to check, ah, but never mind, it's fine, I'm sorry,' completely incoherent!"
"[scared]Suzaku was... like that..."
"And on top of that, the look on his face! He looked like he was about to die. Pale as a merchant being chased by debt collectors—ah, he's in the lobby right now."
Milly pointed down from the window.
Euphemia found herself standing up and rushing to the window. Near the fountain in the courtyard. A tall boy with unruly dark brown hair swaying in the wind stood there, looking lost. It was Suzaku. Every so often, he would glance back at the school building and let out a deep sigh.
(Suzaku... is looking for me...?)
Her chest made a tight, squeezing sound.
"[gentle]Hey, Euphie."
Milly's voice suddenly turned gentle. When Euphemia turned around, Milly was looking straight at her. The teasing color from moments before had vanished from those sky-blue eyes.
"Cupid of love, descending right here."
"[surprised]Huh...?"
"Listen. I absolutely hate adults who talk about love in terms of family status or social standing. You and Suzaku, regardless of all that, care for each other. Isn't that the most precious thing of all?"
Saying that, Milly flashed a fearless grin and pulled a microphone from her pocket. A small mic for school broadcasts, reserved for the student council president.
"[excited]Alright, from here on, it's a presidential order. We're going to repaint the student council room walls with a fresh coat! Emergency call for special deep-cleaning volunteers!"
"W-Wait, President Milly!?"
Before Euphemia could stop her, Milly switched on the school broadcast.
'Announcement to all students! Starting today, we will be carrying out a grand repainting of the student council room walls! We're recruiting volunteers to help! It's not mandatory, it's voluntary, voluntary! ...However, Kururugi Suzaku. You are required to come. That is all!'
"[scared]Eeeeeeh!?"
Euphemia's shriek echoed through the classroom.
—And then, not even ten minutes later.
There was a hesitant knock on the door of the student council room.
"[scared]Um... It's Suzaku. President, did you need something...?"
His voice was clearly trembling. It was painfully obvious just how shaken he was on the other side of the door. It was no wonder. There was no way he could stay calm after hearing that broadcast.
"Yeees, it's open!"
When Milly answered brightly, the door opened with the creaking groan of its hinges.
The complexion of Kururugi Suzaku, standing there, was that of a dead man.
His large emerald-green eyes wavered as if trying to escape something. His unruly dark brown hair, too, was disheveled, not in its usual carefree style but as if he had run his hands through it over and over. With cleaning supplies and paint cans in both hands, he looked far more unreliable than when he stood on a battlefield.
And then, his gaze—caught the rose-pink-haired girl, frozen just as rigidly in the center of the room.
It was Euphemia.
"[scared]............"
Their eyes met.
The air froze solid.
(It's Suzaku. It's Suzaku. Suzaku came.)
The same words spun round and round in Euphemia's head. The diary in her pocket felt much heavier than it had before.
(It's Euphie. It's Euphie. Euphie is here.)
Suzaku was desperately fighting the urge to run away. She had read his diary. He had no idea what she thought of him now. Even facing her was terrifying.
"Alright, alright, that's enough! Save the passionate gazing for later!"
Milly clapped her hands together, cutting in.
"From now on, you two are going to repaint this entire wall with pure white paint! Here, use those paint cans and brushes over there. Work up a good sweat of youth!"
"[scared]W-Wait, President, this is..."
"[surprised]Come on, Euphie, don't just stand there spacing out! Ah, I'll be standing watch outside. To make sure no one disturbs you!"
Saying that, Milly gave Suzaku a firm push on the back, forcing him into the room. Then, she swiftly closed the door.
Click.
From outside, came the sound of a key locking.
"[laughing]You two play nice now! Call me when you're done!"
Only Milly's amused voice echoed down the hallway.
A heavy silence descended upon the student council room.
The late-morning light streaming through the window dimly illuminated the dusty room. Brushes leaned against the wall, paint cans pried open. The sharp smell of thinner stung the nose. And the two of them, standing frozen, separated by a distance of about two meters.
"[whispers]Um, uh..."
"[whispers]Er, well..."
They opened their mouths at the same time, and closed them at the same time.
(Now. I have to do it now. Return this, to Suzaku.)
Euphemia gripped the diary inside her pocket. Her fingertips were trembling. Her heartbeat was so loud she wasn't sure if she could even hear her own voice properly.
(But how? Do I say, 'I read it, I'm sorry'? Or do I say, 'I feel the same way'?)
Just thinking about it made her feel like her face was about to burst into flames.
Meanwhile, Suzaku's mind had gone completely blank for an entirely different reason.
(The diary. This morning, she was holding that diary. She definitely read it. Euphie knows everything.)
Thinking that, even standing there felt agonizing.
"[scared]Um, Euphemia... Your Highness. About, this morning..."
Suzaku forced the words out.
At those words, Euphemia's heart leaped.
(This morning. He means the diary. Suzaku brought it up himself. Then, this is my only chance.)
"[scared]Y-Yes! About this morning! Um, Suzaku, I, this, yours—"
Euphemia gathered her courage and tried to take the diary out of her pocket.
But Suzaku, as if to cut her off, bowed his head deeply.
"[scared]I'm sorry! That, um, it's not what you think! It's just a memo, or scribbles, really! Please, please don't worry about it!"
"[surprised]Huh...?"
"[scared]So, the contents of that notebook, really, it was just a momentary lapse of judgment!"
Suzaku's voice sounded like he was about to cry. Something inside his heart was screaming. No, that's wrong, those are my true feelings. But that's exactly why she shouldn't have known. He couldn't cause trouble for her, a princess.
His desperate denial.
It pricked Euphemia's chest like a small thorn.
(Not what I think? A momentary lapse?)
Those words written in the diary—that her smile saved him. That she gave him a reason to be here. A love so earnest, so painfully sincere. And now, he was saying it was "not what she thought."
(That can't be true)
Euphemia felt a surge of emotion, surprisingly strong, welling up from the pit of her stomach.
"[angry]It's not wrong!"
Her voice was louder than even she expected.
Suzaku flinched, his shoulders trembling.
"[scared]I read it! Your diary, all of it! This morning, when I was cleaning here, I found it, and then I dropped it, and when I tried to pick it up it opened, and then—"
The words wouldn't stop. As if spilling out all her regret, all her guilt, everything.
"[crying]I'm sorry! I knew I shouldn't read it, but, it had 'Euphie' written in it, and I just, I couldn't help—"
Suzaku just listened, dumbfounded. She had read it all. Then, there was no making excuses. All of his feelings had been discovered by this noble princess.
(It's over)
Suzaku closed his eyes, as if resigning himself.
But Euphemia's next words went far beyond anything he had imagined.
"[crying]So, so, I also! I also, about you—!"
At that point, her tension exceeded its limit.
(I also, hold you dear)
That's what she was supposed to say. That's what she had come all this way to say.
But what flew out of her mouth were completely different words.
"[crying]——I want you to become, my knight!!"
...Huh?
Euphemia clamped her hand over her mouth.
(What did I just say?)
Knight? A princess's knight? She hadn't intended to say anything like that, not even a little. This was a confession of love. So why "knight"?
The room fell into a deathly silence.
Suzaku stood rigid, eyes wide open. His emerald-green eyes were vacant, as if staring at some incomprehensible universe. His mouth opened and closed in meaningless motions.
"[scared]K-Kni... Knight...?"
His mind, too, had gone completely blank.
(Knight? A princess's knight? Me? Why? No, more importantly—what did that mean? We were talking about the diary. Why did it suddenly turn into talk of knighthood? Could it be that, knowing my feelings, she's telling me, as a princess, that I am nothing bu
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