In the capital of Orb, He Kui had been here before, but the Asaha family's mansion was definitely a place most people from PLANT had never entered.
At this moment, He Kui was staying here under Cagalli's guidance, with a legitimate reason.
His identity was that of an orphan, suffering from ultraviolet light sensitivity, which required him to wear sunglasses. Cagalli, feeling pity for him when she saw him outside, took him in to raise him.
In simple terms, that was how it was.
The initial identity was something He Kui had sorted out himself, while the latter was provided by Cagalli.
Uzumi perhaps had grown accustomed to his daughter's eccentricities and did not intervene much.
Of course, it could also be because he was very busy.
"By the way, what has your father been busy with lately?"
According to his original memories, Uzumi should have already passed away by this time, and Orb would have been taken over by the Atlantic Federation.
However, the current reality was that ZAFT had suppressed the Atlantic Federation.
If it weren't for Creuset's disturbances, the Atlantic Federation would likely have been beaten back to their homeland under their several nuclear-powered machines by now.
"I don't know; he doesn't tell me."
Cagalli was equally frustrated, staring at the political books in front of her.
He Kui began to understand why Cagalli wanted to run away.
Although many people viewed Cagalli's life as beautiful, she wanted to know more—understand each country's stance, comprehend the world, and grasp the nature of war.
In fact, considering her age and referencing Lacus, Uzumi should have already taken Cagalli to familiarize herself with domestic affairs.
But Uzumi was conflicted; on one hand, he wanted to hide her in a place where even Kira and the other citizens wouldn't recognize her. On the other hand, he tacitly allowed Cagalli to go to the Dawn Desert.
In He Kui's view, Uzumi probably wanted Cagalli to figure things out for herself, at least to demonstrate some qualities of a leader.
However, Uzumi likely did not anticipate that he would run out of time so quickly, not being by his father's side, and thus failing to learn the intricate dynamics of Orb's internal families, which led to him being caught in a terrible situation.
"If you want your father to keep you by his side, you need to persuade him."
He Kui said.
But would this count as interfering in his domestic affairs? It shouldn't, right?
He was just being considerate, helping to mend their father-daughter relationship while also nudging Uzumi to cultivate Cagalli's development.
At this moment, Cagalli leaned slightly more towards PLANT, and since she was of legitimate descent, having her rise to power would be better than having someone from the Zala family.
"Cagalli should just directly tell her father about her determination to protect this country."
He Kui had observed the relationship between the two over the past few days and was now acting as a strategist, guiding the young girl.
"…"
Cagalli fell silent upon hearing this.
"Does Cagalli not have the determination to protect this country?"
"Of course I do!"
"But is your father's approach really correct?"
Cagalli retorted loudly upon hearing this.
"Cagalli, learning isn't about completely imitating someone; it's about surpassing them."
"Since you believe your father's methods are wrong, shouldn't you absorb his insights and inherit his ideals instead?"
He Kui patiently responded to the girl's questions one by one.
"It's just..."
"There are so many people who love you; others will recognize you too."
"As long as Cagalli shows the courage she had when she joined the Dawn Desert."
He Kui spoke very seriously.
Aside from her distrust in Uzumi's methods, Cagalli was afraid of many things, most notably the lack of recognition from the public.
This included the citizens and other families.
And there was also her own lack of confidence in her abilities.
"Then I'll try it the next time I see him."
Hearing He Kui's determined words, Cagalli was unconsciously persuaded a little.
Just as the two were still talking, there was a sudden urgent knocking at the door.
"Miss! Are you in there!?"
The familiar voice of the plump maid rang out from outside the door.
"What's wrong?"
Cagalli exchanged a glance with He Kui before standing up to open the door.
"It's good that the miss is still here. I heard there was a terrorist attack in the port area; please don't run around."
The maid sighed in relief upon seeing Cagalli.
"What terrorist attack!?"
Upon hearing that Orb had been attacked, the girl quickly pressed for details.
"I don't know the specifics, but according to the police, it seems Blue Cosmos attacked a Coordinator job placement agency."
"...Them again!"
Cagalli gritted her silver teeth, her fists tightening even more.
This was already an unknown number of recent terrorist attacks in Orb.
There was no way around it; the previous confrontations between Orb and the Atlantic Federation had thoroughly offended the other side.
Moreover, as a nation where Naturals and Coordinators coexisted, Orb was more susceptible to infiltration.
It was likely intended to create panic among the Coordinators, and the effect was indeed very apparent.
"Don't worry; I'm right here."
Cagalli quickly said, her eyes darting.
"Yes, Little Six, you need to keep an eye on Miss Cagalli!"
The maid looked at Cagalli with some doubt before shifting her gaze to the girl sitting on the floor, who had recently been favored by Miss Cagalli.
"Okay."
He Kui couldn't help but smirk at the maid's name for him but nodded nonetheless.
Not long after, the maid left, and Cagalli turned to He Kui.
"You want to go out, right?"
"Yes!"
Cagalli nodded vigorously.
"There might still be people who need help out there."
"Do you think Cagalli is a superhero?"
He Kui asked, not very pleased.
"You don't even know the situation; how can you help them? And rescue operations will naturally have professional rescue teams."
Upon hearing He Kui's words, Cagalli's head drooped low.
"But even so, I still want to take a look!"
The previous terrorist attacks had not occurred within the capital circle when Cagalli learned about them; they had already made the news. But this time was different.
This attack happened right near them.
"I'm not saying you can't go, but you can't go as a bystander."
He Kui said as he stood up.
"What do you mean?"
Cagalli asked, her eyes widening in confusion.
"Go find your father."
He Kui opened the door to the room and turned to smile.
With such a significant incident, Uzumi would surely have a lot of work to do, and he would need to inspect the situation. This was a good opportunity for Cagalli to persuade Uzumi to step forward.
This major news could also slightly alleviate the current panic in society.
As long as Cagalli's attitude was a bit more resolute and she presented herself as more mature, Uzumi would likely agree.
He couldn't possibly be planning to take in a son-in-law, could he?
Moreover, the door was not locked, which allowed Cagalli the freedom to slip out, indicating a lot.
Since Uzumi had not restricted Cagalli, he was merely waiting.
Waiting for the day when Cagalli truly matured, no longer rushing forward blindly, but learning to think from a leader's perspective.
"Find Dad?"
Cagalli's expression was very complex upon hearing this.
"Take that step; I will accompany Cagalli."
He Kui said, extending his round little hand towards Cagalli.
(End of Chapter)