Chapter 08: Chicanery
What did this woman mean?! A trick? A ploy?! Did her mother care about this relationship at all? The question bit inside the corner of her inner mind. Restaining herself, Natsuki barely held her tongue as she glared at the President on the opposite side of the desk. Her dearest mother was an absolute piece of work to contend with.
"Natsuki, ple-"
"Don't give me that shit! Don't you even care about me anymo-"
"-Of course I care!"
"Then show it!"
By now, the two Krugers were practically screaming at one another. Wincing beside the youngest of the duo, Shizuru landed a hand atop Natsuki's shoulder. "Na-"
"No." Throwing the woman a cold stare, Natsuki exhaled a distressed breath a moment later. "Sorry." Rubbing her thumb and fingers along both temples, she leant into her wheelchair's armrest. Why. Why. Why was her mother always like this?
"The meeting has already been postponed. The Chief of Staff's flight from Artai was cancelled. I only found out a moment ago." The President shrugged casually. "I wanted to speak to you about an important matter anyway."
"Well?" What could her mother possibly want this time?
"I have had the Kruger Estate researching nanotech." Receiving stapled documentation from her desk's drawer, Saeko nervously fiddled with its corner. "I didn't want to disappoint you if the research failed—but we've had positive results lately. This was the reason for the nanomachines last year in case the research worked." Offering the younger Kruger the paperwork, the President took to staring at the office carpet.
What is she talking… about? Natsuki's frustration was getting the better of her as she glared at the documentation now in her grip. Wasn't it illegal for her mother to interact with their business during her Presidency? What even was this thing anyway?
The cover was pretty generic. It was one of those hexagonal spheres that scientists were obsessed with for some reason—and blue, because of course. Flipping the page, she was greeted by a wall of text in pure jargon. Instead of remaining baffled by the contents, green eyes landed onto the images.
There was a blond man who she swore she recognised. He was shirtless, and sat on a medical bed as a woman injected him wi—wait. "I thought men couldn't use nanomachines?"
"Yes and no. An Otome's nanomachines are very different compared to the type we have created in the labs." The President said matter of factly.
"Is it that he does not have male chromosomes?" Shizuru suggested, leaning towards Natsuki to see the paperwork also. Her eyes immediately leapt to the blond who she recognised: King Yuuichi? To her surprise, he had what appeared to be a prosthetic arm.
"He does, but we're still studying why the nanomachines accept a male vessel." It wasn't quite understood why the Otome's nanomachines refused men in the first place. Saeko wished she could study Garderobe's type. She could only begin to imagine how powerful Fumi Himeno's creation was. Glancing at Shizuru for a moment, Saeko mused. "Prosthetics imbued with nanomachines have been found to produce neural signals to the brain. The subject can basically move the fake arm as if it was his own—strangely enough he has full sensation too."
Lifting her gaze to her mother, Natsuki's anticipation began to rise. Was this what she thought it might be?
"Paralysed subjects were also tested. By injecting the nanomachines directly into their spines, we managed to cure their paralysis. It's a long road to recovery, but... We're going to get you walking again, Natsuki."
She, what—really? Natsuki stared.
"Would you like some time alone to think?" Shizuru murmured.
"I… think so." The Kruger made a move to turn her wheelchair around. Her mind was an internal battlefield right now.
"Oh, by the way, Natsuki." Saeko piped. "We have an official date for your and Shizuru's Master ceremony-"
"-Give me a break!"