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 - My brother's move, and the sudden visit from the military police.
The lunch break bell rang lightly throughout Ashford Academy.
Voices brimming with a sense of freedom spilled out from the school building, and the corridor leading to the cafeteria was instantly flooded with a wave of students. In a corner of the courtyard, a little removed from that clamor, Euphemia li Britannia sat alone on an old bench.
Her rose-pink hair, reaching down to her waist, swayed limply in the lukewarm breeze. Her face, which would normally be smiling and saying, "Oh my! How lovely…," was now twisted, desperately trying not to crumple entirely. Clutched on her lap was that brown notebook. Suzaku's diary.
She couldn't get yesterday out of her head.
The words she had blurted out while painting—"Please be my knight."
(*Isn't that like… a reverse proposal?*)
Muttering only in her heart, Euphemia held her head in her hands. The corner of the diary poking out of her pocket seemed to accuse her of what had happened yesterday.
She had to return it, she thought. She had to properly accept the feelings written inside—feelings that mirrored her own—and then apologize. For monopolizing it like that, for saying she would "confiscate" it.
But Suzaku was clearly avoiding her. Even today, the moment their eyes met during morning homeroom, he froze as if struck by lightning, then stood up and fled, his face bright red.
"[sad] Could it be… he's come to hate me that much?"
Her large violet eyes grew moist in an instant. She shook her head slightly, trying to rally herself.
(*No. That diary can't all be lies. Suzaku is a kind person. It's just that I'm a princess, and I made everything so complicated.*)
"[serious] Euphie. What are you doing in a place like this?"
At the voice that suddenly fell from above her, Euphemia let out a small shriek—"Eep!"—and jumped. Looking up, she saw her half-brother Lelouch standing there, his straight black hair ruffled by the wind. He was looking down at his sister with his usual slightly frowning, cool expression.
"[scared] Brother Lelouch!? H-How long have you been there!?"
"For a while. On my way to the cafeteria, I found my little sister muttering to herself, looking like she was about to burst into tears. I couldn't very well ignore that, could I?"
Having said that, he didn't sit beside Euphemia, but instead placed one hand on the back of the bench and surveyed the courtyard. A gaze that seemed to be searching for something, yet also seemed to see through everything.
"[whispers] …I saw the commotion in the student council room yesterday. Your 'slip,' those guys' abuse toward the Eleven—all of it."
Euphemia's shoulders jumped. The blood drained from her face.
(*He saw. Even my most embarrassing moment. Even when Suzaku was hurt.*)
Lelouch narrowed his deep violet eyes and continued.
"I can't stand to watch it. You, or Suzaku. Licking each other's wounds is your own business, but that won't solve anything. Much less, watching those hyenas gang up on a weak dog and do as they please—it's unpleasant to witness."
"[sad] Brother… what should I have done? I wanted to protect Suzaku. But I couldn't do anything. Because I'm a princess, it only made them say even crueler things…"
"Then first, I'll go quiet those noisy hyenas down a bit. Euphie, you stay here and cool your head a little longer."
Leaving only those words, Lelouch waved a hand lightly and left the courtyard. His back straight, his stride without a trace of hesitation, he headed toward the cafeteria.
Euphemia could only stare blankly at his retreating figure.
(*Brother… what are you planning to do?*)
---
The cafeteria was at its peak lunchtime fervor.
The smell of bread and soup, the metallic clatter of trays, the laughter of students—all mixed together in chaos. In one corner, occupying the best seats by the window, were Marcus and his cronies.
"[laughing] Man, did you see that Eleven's face yesterday! Made to kneel in front of the princess—he was a total dog!"
"[sarcastic] Yeah, and that terrified look when we called him 'Numbers' dog.' Why don't we just throw him in an actual doghouse?"
They had spread a small chessboard on the table and were engrossed in gambling. Marcus toyed with a chess piece, a filthy grin on his face. The surrounding students kept their distance, as if wanting nothing to do with them.
That was when it happened.
"[cold] Is that seat open? Mind if I join in?"
Lelouch approached their table without a sound and pulled out an empty chair. It was as if the very air had changed. The laughter of Marcus and his group stopped dead.
"[surprised] O-Oh… Lamperouge. It's rare to see you interested in gambling chess. Fine, I'll take you on. How much are we betting?"
Marcus flinched for a moment, but quickly regained his aggressive smirk. As the son of a noble, he prided himself on being an authority on chess. Even against the unfathomably brilliant Lelouch, he was sure he couldn't lose easily.
"[serious] I don't need money. Instead, if I win, you leave this place. And never bother Suzaku and Euphie again."
"[angry] Wh-What!? That's got nothing to do with you!"
"Fine by me. Not that I'll lose. But what if you lose? How about you get down on your knees and beg?"
Marcus silenced his friend with a hand and glared provocatively at Lelouch. Lelouch smiled faintly at that.
"If I lose, I'll owe you one 'favor' you can use however you like. Now, let's begin."
The game started in an astonishing silence. Marcus went on the offensive with his specialty, the Queen's Gambit. He was a top-ranked player even in the Britannian nobility's chess club. However, Lelouch's hands moved without hesitation, advancing his pieces as lightly as turning the pages of a book.
One move, then another.
By the seventh move, the composure vanished from Marcus's face.
By the tenth move, a cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
And then, the twelfth move—
"[cold] Checkmate. Your king cannot move. It seems this is over."
Setting down his piece, Lelouch declared in an icy voice. A stir ran through the crowd of onlooking students.
"[scared] I-Impossible… in only twelve moves…?"
Marcus stared at the board, his face turning bright red as he began to tremble. Lelouch, in a tone as if delivering a lecture, began to explain to the audience.
"On your fourth move, you should not have advanced that pawn. That is the most foolish move in basic chess, a mistake even a beginner wouldn't make. Next, on the seventh move, forcing the bishop exchange was a bad move. Why destroy your own defensive wall? And finally, the tenth move—that queen sortie is equivalent to what we call a 'pass' in shogi. In other words, you made three fatal mistakes in this short game. Is this mere carelessness? Or is it the result of a noble education that, far from sharpening your thinking, has completely emptied your brain?"
The entire cafeteria fell silent.
Lelouch was smiling pleasantly. But his violet eyes were not smiling at all. Marcus's lips trembled, and he tried to say something back, but no voice came out.
"[serious] Foolish art thou, Marcus. As promised, vacate that seat."
Their faces twisted with surging humiliation, unable to bear the surrounding mockery and curious stares, Marcus and his group literally scrambled out of the cafeteria.
Lelouch immediately rose from his seat and, as if nothing had happened, took his tray and left for another table. So that neither Suzaku nor Euphemia would realize what he had done. He had merely swept away an obstructive wind.
---
Returning to the courtyard bench, Lelouch sat down next to his still-downcast sister, this time properly.
"[gentle] Euphie. I've chased off the hyenas. Things should be a little quieter now."
"[surprised] Huh…? What did you do, Brother…?"
"Nothing much. I just played a game of gambling chess in the cafeteria."
Euphemia still didn't know anything, but she sensed that her brother had done something for her. Clutching the diary tightly once more, she began to open up to him, bit by bit.
That Suzaku had been avoiding her since yesterday. That she had seen his diary. That even knowing his feelings, she had used her position as a princess and hurt him. That even though she loved him, she didn't know how to approach him.
Lelouch listened to it all in silence, without even nodding.
"[crying] …I just… I just didn't want Suzaku to hate me. My kindness… it always has strange timing, and it just goes in circles. I'm always just causing trouble for everyone…"
At last, a tear spilled from Euphemia's large violet eyes.
When she had finished speaking, Lelouch opened his mouth for the first time. His voice was cold, yet tinged with a certain sadness.
"[cold] Euphie, I don't want to see a little sister who only ever needs protecting. Your kindness, if misapplied, becomes a weapon. Yesterday, when you couldn't say anything back, the one hurt most was Suzaku. If you rely on being a princess and remain someone who only ever receives protection, then that kindness of yours is nothing but weakness."
The words were a blade.
Euphemia choked, as if her chest had been deeply gouged. Lelouch didn't stop.
"You always hated being a princess, yet when it mattered most, you couldn't use that power. That's just dependency. If you truly want to protect Suzaku, then stop being a little sister who only gets protected. Move, on your own."
It was a quiet declaration, yet one that felt like it was crushing her heart directly.
(*No. I just…*)
She tried to argue. But the words wouldn't come. Because everything Lelouch said was exactly right. Even when Marcus and the others had insulted Suzaku, she had only felt sad and angry, unable to utter a single word to defend him.
Seeing his sister's trembling shoulders, Lelouch lowered his eyes for just a moment. As her brother, this was the utmost cruelty—and the greatest move he could make for her.
"[sad] …Go, Euphie. Suzaku's afternoon practical training starts soon. Tell him what you want to say, this time with your own mouth. He's probably waiting for your words more than anyone."
Euphemia roughly wiped her tear-streaked face with both hands. A warmth spread deep within her heart. Different from sadness, a stronger, more powerful heat was being born in her chest.
She slowly rose from the bench. The diary she clutched felt heavy in her hand.
"[serious] …I'm going. This time, I'll tell Suzaku properly."
"[gentle] Yeah. Go, Euphie."
Lelouch murmured softly, watching his sister's back as she ran off. That back, unlike when she had been hanging her head moments ago, possessed a trembling yet straight strength.
---
(*If I remember right, Suzaku should be preparing in the martial arts hall's equipment room before afternoon practice.*)
Desperately recalling fragments of a casual conversation from before, Euphemia ran through the school corridors. Her face was dead serious, her long rose-pink hair streaming behind her. She desperately fought the urge to trip at the worst possible moments.
Her heart pounded loudly. She was scared. Terribly scared. What if he hated her? What if he wouldn't accept her?
(*But I can't stay like this. Just as Brother said, I can't just keep being protected.*)
The long connecting corridor leading to the martial arts hall.
It was the moment she turned the corner.
"Euphemia… Your Highness!?"
The one walking toward her was none other than Suzaku. He was in his gym clothes, carrying a shinai bag under his arm. Confronted by Euphemia's breathless, desperate expression, he stopped in surprise.
"[surprised] What's wrong, in such a rush? Did something happen!?"
Euphemia stopped right in front of him and, with trembling hands, took the worn brown notebook from her breast pocket.
"[serious] This."
Seeing the notebook held out to him, Suzaku's emerald-green eyes widened. The blood drained from his face, and his lips trembled slightly.
All of his secrets were in there.
"[scared] Th-That's…"
"I read it. Suzaku. From beginning to end, all of it.
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