Who is Playing the Love Development Game in Gundam

As the main speaker concluded his long speech, most of the audience, barely listening, finally burst into applause. The elderly gentleman, supposedly a senior clan elder from one of the families, carefully made his way off the stage with the applause fading behind him.

With the banquet officially underway, Mr. Winslet moved toward the other attendees to network, particularly with several officials in business and research fields. Glasses clinked, and the scene took on a lively and luxurious air.

Before Lasse could lead He Kui over to meet the twins, a flamboyant young man approached them. He was admittedly handsome, but his affected manner made He Kui cringe inwardly.

Realizing immediately that this was a flirtation attempt, He Kui could hardly hide his impatience. The choice to create Aegis as a female was purely strategic: a smaller frame provided concealment, and a feminine appearance often lowered others' guard. But as a seasoned flirt himself, He Kui could spot this young man's intentions a mile away.

"That's the young master of the Seiran family," Lasse whispered to He Kui. "He's probably trying to flirt with me. Can you help me keep an eye on him, Aegis?"

"Sure," He Kui replied quietly. If the Seiran family would go to these lengths to climb the social ladder, they were indeed shameless. Seiran hadn't even waited for Lasse to say another word before bowing and extending his hand in an invitation to dance.

"Miss, may I have the honor of a dance with you?"

"…"

"No, thank you," He Kui replied bluntly. Seriously? He was wearing a mask—was this guy just ignoring that?

Initially, He Kui had considered extracting information from Seiran, but he quickly dismissed the idea. With so many people here, there was no need to bother himself with such unpleasant company.

"Uh…"

Seiran's face fell at the abrupt rejection. Wasn't this supposed to be a smooth move?

"If this is because of that misunderstanding on the island, then—"

"No, I'm just not interested."

Seiran started to protest, but fell silent at the chill in He Kui's tone. This wasn't simple indifference; it was disdain.

"Master Seiran, harassing a lady is hardly the behavior of a gentleman," came a voice. Gina Sahaku had arrived, his presence imposing.

"Oh, I know you! You're one of the twins!" Lasse said excitedly.

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Lasse," Gina replied gracefully, his demeanor leagues ahead of Seiran's. The idea that the Seiran family could one day wield substantial power seemed like a calculated ploy by the Atlantic Federation.

"Miss Aegis, I presume? I've heard of you," Gina said.

"Greetings, Mr. Sahaku," He Kui replied calmly.

Meanwhile, Lasse frowned slightly, clearly annoyed at her "sister" stealing her spotlight. Not to be outdone, she added, "I hear the Sahaku family oversees military affairs. I look forward to working with you someday, Mr. Sahaku."

"If Orb ever has its own mobile suits, I'd love to pilot one! I adore mobile suits!" she added enthusiastically.

Gina's face darkened slightly at this. He Kui understood why—the sentiment of "loving mobile suits" could feel twisted to those from PLANT, who associated these machines with anything but joy. For them, mobile suits represented survival, not entertainment.

Gina's expression softened, and he replied to Lasse's comment. "We don't possess mobile suits, Miss Lasse. And with your father's resources, I'm sure he could secure one for you if he wished. After all, he's profiting handsomely from the war."

Lasse's eyes widened at Gina's words. "My father is not a death merchant!"

"Sister, you don't think so, do you?" She turned to He Kui, looking for support.

"I believe Mr. Winslet has no intention of profiting from death," He Kui replied gently. "Otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen to settle here with Miss Lasse."

Seeing he had spoken too harshly, Gina nodded in agreement. "My apologies, Miss Winslet."

"Mhm," Lasse replied, her mood restored.

Gina smiled. "Miss Winslet, would you honor me with a dance? As an apology?"

"Yes, I'd like that!"

As Gina led Lasse to the dance floor, He Kui scanned the crowd for other potential sources of information. But before he could make a move, another unexpected guest approached.

"Aegis, I apologize for my brother's rudeness," said Mina Sahaku, approaching with an air of poise, her gaze sharp even in an elegant gown.

"Not at all, Miss Sahaku," He Kui replied.

"You seem to know us already," Mina replied, her tone probing. Even with her refined appearance, her gaze held a steely edge.

An interesting woman, He Kui thought to himself, curious if she might even possess a skill.

He chuckled softly. "Who wouldn't know of the illustrious Shadow Clan? Your influence has helped Orb maintain its strategic position in global politics."

Mina's face grew serious. If this Aegis knew the extent of their influence, then Pallas's reach was likely greater than they had suspected.

"What brings Pallas to Orb?"

"The Atlantic Federation may be planning to attack Orb," He Kui replied smoothly.

"What are you implying, Miss Aegis?" Mina asked, masking her surprise.

"Of all the mass drivers in the world, Orb's would be the easiest for them to acquire. Capturing it would also serve as a message to bring other neutral nations under their control."

Through the mask, Mina couldn't see his face, but there was certainty in his voice.

"They're still occupied in South America."

"Yes, but they have the resources to split their forces. Orb, without mobile suits, would be easy to overwhelm. Unless… you already possess mobile suits, or perhaps even a Super Coordinator?" He Kui added, his tone unchanging.

Mina's expression wavered. Had Lord Uzumi already disclosed the Super Coordinator's identity to someone from Pallas? But did even the Sahaku family know about this? Relations between the Asuha and Sahaku families were not particularly warm.

"A Super Coordinator?"

"I have no intention of causing harm to Orb," He Kui continued. "But if you plan to hand me over to the Federation, I'd be forced to reconsider."

"We wouldn't think of it, Miss Aegis. You are Orb's honored guest," Mina replied, now more cautious.

Moreover, from what they had learned, Aegis had been active in South America, aiding the South American Union against the Atlantic Federation. If they turned her over, it would be a risk, especially since her calm demeanor suggested she was well-prepared for any scenario.

In that case, Mina realized it was better to let her stay hidden here in Orb.

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