Chaldea. Home.
Rather, the new home Ruler, Lelouch vi Britannia, had spent a few months getting used to. Together, he and his Master Ritsuka travelled across space and time, through different Lost Belts and Singularities that revolved around many an aberrant plot. Not always was their journey an easy one, usually full of hardships and tragedy for simple people. And there were also those who didn't deserve terrible fates to fall upon them. However, this was a war of attrition and the entire humanity's future was at stake.
Sure, this wasn't his humanity to save. Yet Lelouch couldn't help but pity Ritsuka's human history that needed saving.
'Still, we managed to beat six Lost Belts so far. Ritsuka and Mash need some time off to collect their thoughts after the last one.'
Lelouch hummed to himself. He too could use some time off. Dealing with certain annoyances was easy. Enduring relentless ones was rather difficult and grated on his stoic albeit limited patience. A man can only do the daily grind for so long, after all…
Ruler trekked the halls of Chaldea's latest base of operations in the middle of the sea, sighing his woes away when, unexpectedly, he turned a corner and bumped into someone.
"Finally found you, Ruler!"
"Oh, my apologies—Er…" Lelouch stalled, eyes meeting Artoria's—well, the Lancer variant—as she stood before him clad in her silver and white armour. "Your Highness?"
"Mm. It seems Master and yourself have returned." She gave him a nod before concern overtook her expression. "Are you okay, Lelouch?"
"I… am." The Demon Emperor blinked. "There was no foreseeable issue in concluding the last mission."
"Ah… That is good. I'm glad you could all make it back safely."
For a moment, she stared at him. Not necessarily with concern, but more… relief? Lelouch didn't know what to make of this behaviour. "Er… Thanks."
"You are welcome. If you feel anything off, do not hesitate to be checked by our medical staff. And if you need someone to talk to, myself and the other Knights of the Round will always hear you out."
Before Lelouch could even say anything, Lancer Artoria had given him a warm smile and turned to leave. The former Emperor of Britannia stared at her retreating form not knowing what to think. Actually, no, he did know what to think about her suggestion. Kind a gesture as it was, he'd never go into Chaldea's medical department. The last thing he needed was to get killed while receiving 'treatment' from either Nightingale or Asclepius.
'Still, what was that about?' Shrugging, Lelouch headed for the recreation room.
***
While aiding humanity was a kind of fun all on its own, he couldn't very well keep up this pace without a break every now and then. And rather than risk himself in the medical ward, or entertain the Nobu horde, he might as well find a game to play.
In fact, a gang of rambunctious Servants were already there waiting for him, console controllers in hand as they had just finished racing one another.
"Oh, look who's finally here!" Clad in his favourite T-shirt bulging under the stress of his muscles, a belligerent redheaded King threw him his controller. "Ready to lose this time, self-proclaimed Kart Emperor?"
"You're welcome to lose to me once more, Crimson Conqueror."
Compared to solving the issues found in the Lost Belts, having a mindless game of kart racing was cathartic. Games in this world differed lightly from his own, but the novelty was in its simplicity. No need for too much strategy or manipulating the human nature. Just the exhilarating feeling of passing your competitors after you sabotage them with fruit!
"AH! That's unfair, Lelouch! How many times must you insult me with a banana!" Iskandar tried to get back in the race, but the delay put him two paces behind already. "Dammit! Arbitrary randomness be damned, I will seize victory today!"
"Come at me then, you big gorilla—Ah—AAAAAAAAH! Who threw the accursed blue shell—Waver!"
"You two spent too much time bickering. I was aiming for Tomoe Gozen, but you let yourself pass her too early." The older version of the coward that was once his age huffed as he kept his focus on the race. Though, no one missed the smirk on his face. "Consider it your mistake for pushing too far ahead, fool."
"Dammit!" Lelouch tried to pull back his lead. Waver passed him quite easily and Iskandar was still far behind having been caught in yet another banana trap. But their fourth competitor was happily humming to herself as her kart slipped through yet another shortcut, pulling a full lap's lead ahead of the pack. 'Here I thought I could use Waver's pragmatism to my advantage. Little did I know Tomoe Gozen of all people would delay in second place until the broken item was used… Dammit, perhaps I can still salvage second place!'
The heated games continued. The Last Place King vs the Cunning Emperor vs the Conniving Aide. All three of them had conspired to beat the Calm Oni Warrior. Though it started off fun with friendly banter, the master of the recreation room, otherwise known as Tomoe's Den, was apparently someone Lelouch couldn't underestimate. But then, stupidity reared its ugly head as the trio devolved into infighting and sabotage against one another. All the while, Gozen made another high score to beat her already impressive record.
It was a humiliating defeat. For all three of them to be swept off their feet by a woman who always insisted on 'moderation', despite being a rampant gaming addict herself, such was a shame that needed redemption.
"One more! Another round!" Iskandar was of the same mind.
"It's already late into the night, you oaf. We'd best turn in now." Waver Velvet thought otherwise.
It was Lelouch's turn to smirk. "You're just mad she beat you all the way down to second last."
"That's uncalled for, seeing as you fared no better yourself, 'Kart Emperor'."
"Oy, instead of bickering amongst one another, I wager we can at least beat her three-on-one!"
Both boys looked to the giant suggesting an unfair alliance before turning to the lone woman who beat them all. She was still beaming as though there was nothing wrong. "I'd welcome another challenge. That is if you'd have me."
That she smiled so innocently, as though beating them was child's play, that touched a nerve. Shameful alliance be damned, it synced the tired brain cell the three boys were sharing at the moment.
""Another round, it is!""
"No more." Lancer Parvati let her staff bonk the top of Iskandar's thick skull. Crossing her arms, she began to scold them. "You three again… you're setting a bad example for the children. Come now. Turn it down. It's already late and the kids need to sleep." There was much whining throughout the recreation room, however, she fixed a beaming, albeit threatening smile on everyone present, rare for the Kouhai of Light to act as the strict disciplinarian. "There will be plenty of time to play tomorrow. Come now, let's head on to your rooms. Nursery, Jack, Bunyan, Abigail. You too, Alexander. Come on, Kama."
Many of the smaller Servants meekly followed the big sister character out the hall without much of a fuss. Even the younger variant Alexander threw his older iteration a wry smile before taking his leave. That left the three boys and Tomoe Gozen. Actually, even Tomoe Gozen had long excused herself with just the trio left behind.
"Feh… Fine. Just us three again. No matter. We can all formulate a strategy to beat that game master woman once and for all."
"Leave it be, you big lug. There's no way you'd match Tomoe Gozen's mastery of the rec room."
"Oh? If you believe so, why aren't you letting go of the controller, Waver Velvet?"
"Because, your Highness, I too want to enjoy a game that doesn't devolve into a circus for once."
"So you say, but discounting the oni woman's skill, you've yet to actually enjoy a game against me." Lelouch readied his controller while Iskandar, sensing the competitive tension, joined in solidarity. "Ready to lose?"
"The better question, O Emperor, is—" Waver sat comfortably with an arrogant smirk. "—Are you?"
"Bring it—!"
"No one is bringing it." The television turned off, as did their gaming console as a certain someone they failed to notice enter had directly unplugged the devices. Staring down at them disappointedly was none other than another Artoria, Saber to be exact. "Lelouch, did you see the time? It is too late for games. Now go to your room."
"Eh? What—?! Aw, come on, Saber—!"
"Hush, King of Conquerors. I expected you to be more mature at your age, but it seems your lack of a proper parental figure has left you spoiled rotten. I trust your aide knows better than to let you off easy?" She gave Waver a stern stare, one he folded under with the decorum of a delinquent caught in the act.
"She… she's right, my King. We should go."
"Oh, come on! Not you too!"
As the pair started a spat, Lelouch was then approached by the woman acting all… motherly? "That means you too, young man. It's way past your bedtime."
"But—But your highness—?"
"None of this 'highness' business, young man!" Artoria pointed her finger at him with the cadence of a strict parent. "Look at yourself, you look so thin and pale. No wonder your strength attribute is so low. You will go to your room and get sleep right now, mister. And tomorrow, we'll have you start exercising."
"… HUH?!"
"I asked Master ahead of time to see if you were free. Since you all just came from solving yet another issue and will not be deployed for a while, I and the others thought it best that we give you some attention as well." She held her palms in his. "For missed opportunity's sakes, we haven't spent time as a family much. What with all the missions we're on."
Lelouch paused. He considered. He concluded. And the first thing to come to his mouth was "EEEEEEEEEEEH?!"
"You heard me, young man. While I may not have acted as an appropriate ancestor, I still have the humility to know where I am wrong and to put effort in correcting it. As my progeny, I will ensure you grow up to be a well-respected and learned individual, be it with the sword or otherwise."
"But—Wait… Huh? I'm…" For a full thirty seconds, Lelouch stammered. He ignored the buffoons off to the side as they started chortling in laughter while trying to sort out this predicament. "Wait, what about Mordred? Aren't you her father?"
Crossing her arms, Saber contemplated before coming to her own conclusions. "Indeed. It's best we include her too."
"Not that! I'm not your son!"
"You need not put it so crudely, Lulu." Lelouch's face twitched as Saber Artoria of all people cupped his cheeks delicately. "We are family. And as one of your many parental figures, I ask you to obey and head to bed. Tomorrow, myself, Mordred, and the rest of our extended family will be doing some familial excursions. Don't worry. We've taken into account that you aren't the most physically exertive of us, so we will match your pace. Now. Bed."
That she gave him a peck on the forehead should've felt demeaning. That she pulled his head down to reach it as she was shorter than him got Iskandar guffawing on the couch with Waver looking away with a smirk. Lelouch could not but curse them under his breath as he trudged on to his room.
"And make sure you head to your room, young man." Saber added with an uncharacteristically motherly tone. "Don't think about heading to that crimson vixen. While you two were allowed your time in the past few weeks, we, out of concern for your wellbeing, have decided to step in and limit the bad influence on your life."
When Iskandar fell flat on his back to start heaving on the floor with howling laughter, Lelouch was tempted to stomp back in and knee the oaf in the nose. But with Saber crossing her arms and urging him on, Lelouch had no choice but to march off to the opposite direction of Maou Nobunaga's room.
Hopefully, this was a one-time thing. But the use of the word 'we' had him on edge.
'Don't tell me… they're all in on it?' He shook his head, not wanting to assume the conspiracy to be true.
***
Lunchtime in Chaldea was a chaotic affair.
The best cooks (sometimes secretly) of the age would show their skill and charm your tongue in ways unimaginable. On occasion, there would be food fights born from flaring rivalries between Servants. Usually, the kiddos would kickstart them. Still, through conflict and camaraderie of one's taste in gourmet, bonds would be tested and forged. Where one can speak candidly and eat wholeheartedly was a place to always be fun and lively, after all.
It was during those times that Lelouch found most of his enjoyment. The food was great, the company especially was nice. It wasn't like his old home, but that was comparing apples and oranges. He could enjoy both equally.
Though, today was special as the master chef Archer EMIYA was on duty and cooking up a storm.
A wonderful chef to partner with the wonderful atmosphere. If only the various Nobus of the Gudaguda clique of Servants would calm down as they tried conversing/feeding/feeling him up during the meal. It's not that he wasn't used to Maou Nobu's affections. Quite the contrary, he'd come to expect them after they'd formed the habit. It was the various other Nobus that often overwhelmed him.
Try as his other non-Nobu friends might, there was very little they could do to intervene in the carnage that was Nobu hell. And the occasional appearance of a Nobbu hiding under his legs, but that was neither here nor there.
At the very least, not all of the Gudaguda Servants were beset upon him, thankfully.
Chacha gleefully enjoyed her chocolate desserts without bothering anyone. Mori gorged on bloody meat, ensuring not to leave a mess or let it splatter anywhere. The same could not be said with the many Nobus bearing down on Lulu with a spoon or chopsticks holding food from their own plates. It should be noted that said plates were being covertly raided and reduced to nothing by the random Okita looking to get one over the Nobus too busy elbowing each other for his attention. Lelouch cringed slightly when she gave him an approving nod at being such a good distraction that he refused to acknowledge her antics. Lastly, Nobukatsu, contrary to his sisters and family, sat respectfully while giving Lelouch a side glance. Lelouch would give him a grateful nod when he caught the young man looking, though it was often returned with a somewhat silent glare.
Perhaps he didn't say anything because the lad deferred not to ruin the moment? Lelouch wasn't certain, but he at least respected one of Nobu's family to behave appropriately during mealtime.
(Little did Lelouch know that every time Nobukatsu glared his way, it was out of jealousy of the affection the young Ruler was showered with.)
Truly, lunchtime was chaos incarnate. But it was good chaos. Fun even. Which was why Lelouch's smile slowly died, as did the enthusiasm of the many Nobus, when someone cleared her throat loudly behind his back. Obnoxiously at that.
Stood behind him was the scowling yet indifferent expression of a Saber Artoria, Alter this time.
'Why is she even here during lunch?!' Taking in the woman who would've normally been hounding EMIYA, viciously might he add, for more food, Lelouch stood up and tried a diplomatic approach with one of the more volatile of the Artorias. "Is there something I can do for you, Your Highness?"
Her response was to hesitate. Or perhaps it was a bit more of an internal struggle. She looked to him, then to the paper bag in her hands. Slowly, she pushed it into his hands before fidgeting, and by that, he meant really, really resisting, to let it go. But she did, shoving it in his chest and retreating a stride backwards.
"Eat it."
She said, sounding more defeated than he ever heard her before. Then, she took a step back. Then another. Then she about-faced and immediately walked right back into the kitchen. Much to the surprise, or maybe not at all, of everyone present, her loud voice could be heard demanding more food and fast.
Lelouch's eye twitched at the scene before he took a look at the paper bag in his hands and opened it. Hidden within was the sole thing no one expected Salter of all people to give away freely.
A tasty, juicy-lookin' borgar.
Lelouch was sure he heard Emiya faint in the kitchen when the man tried to take a peek his way. Maou Nobunaga stared at him then to the rarest gift history ever saw a Salter give to another. She only had this to say:
"Are you cheating on me?"
"""US!"""
The Demon Emperor ignored the clamoring voices of the other Nobus shouting to be heard. He himself was taken aback by this. All he had was a sigh and quip.
"That would have been a more logical explanation than whatever is the true reason. Seriously, what is going on with—"
"Lelouch..."
"Huh?" Lelouch turned around when he felt a hand brush his shoulder. A Mysterious Heroine X Alter suddenly appeared. Lelouch was confused. Every Nobu was confused. No one had any idea what was going on except for the Artorias. So he swallowed hard and pressed forward. "Yes?"
A balled fist was pushed in his face. Because she was shorter than him, it was just shy of actually punching his nose. Putting an open palm under it, she then dropped something he caught. He was left to eye a single piece of candy before having to look at the blank stare of Berserker.
She was now motioning for him to come closer.
"Er… Here?" He lowered his head but she motioned a little more vigorously. Lelouch's eye twitched again. But he assented and bowed a little lower. "Like this?"
Standing on tiptoes, she met his confusion halfway and reached over to give him a head pat. It was a gentle one but made awkward by the audience around them.
It didn't bother MHX Alter none as she mumbled.
"You are a good boy. I'm proud."
It was a warm thing to hear. But surely, there was a better way to convey such things?! Berserker didn't seem bothered at all, parting with her candy and giving head pats though as she turned to leave. Calmer than Salter, but still just as mysterious.
Left with a crowd of Nobus staring at him and the departed Artorias, Lelouch couldn't help but mumble to himself.
"Did that Vortigern bag put me in some kind of sleep coma?"
***
The night was a time of rest. Relaxation. A moment to unwind and not be bothered with the stresses of the day. Whether it be through sleep or by some other means of de-stressing was left to one's discretion.
For Lelouch, or rather, his spouse, there was only one way to take one's mind off the many female Servants that had been hampering his day. And that was to be overwhelmed by the desires of another more prominent woman in his life.
Maou Nobunaga was not one to be denied.
She'd not had a chance to enjoy his company for quite some time, on account of all the missions and Lost Belts to deal with. Not to mention the interference from a gaggle of blonde lookalikes. Hence, she'd gone so far as to sneak into his room through the vent, lock and bar the door, before ultimately slipping into Lelouch's sheets to rip all his clothes off in the hottest cuddle session since his arrival to Chaldea. Lelouch was awoken partly naked under the sheets and already accepting that his mouth was to be half-consumed, half devoured by the spiciest snogging a gal from hell could give.
"Mmmm!" A smack went her lips as she pulled away for a second while pulling her husband's shirt over his head. "I missed you, Lulu. Did you miss me?"
"Every day of my life—Mmmph!"
She didn't spare him a moment to wax poetry. She loved the way he spoke romantically, the words he'd weave to get her pumped. But the lust within the Demon King was already riled up, wanting to consume him in a moment of passion. Thankfully, Lelouch was also into it, shutting up to reach over and give her plumpness a slap.
"Aaahnnn! You nasty little brat!" She reeled back a bit, biting his lower lip playfully.
"Want me to stop?" The hunky bastard teased, squeezing her rear where he'd left a mark. Nobunaga, ever the fiery lover, answered with her tongue invading his mouth. She was rewarded by another slap and an embrace that had the two of them rolling around and messing up his bed.
If she had her way, they'd have broken the bed already.
However…
DUN DUN
"Oh, what noooow!"
Lelouch's whining went unanswered for a good second until the door to his room was blown off its hinges with a crash. The barricade Nobu had dropped on it was turned into splinters as a blonde clad in a bunny suit strode in, badge in hand. The realization of who it was had Lelouch scampering for something to cover himself.
"This is the morality police! Hands away from the boy, you shameless vixen!"
"'Shameless'? Heh! Says the slut looking like a cheap cabaret stripper!" Nobu, least concerned with her nakedness, pulled away from Lelouch to challenge the newcomer. "And on whose authority do you try to arrest me? Did Kiara put you up to this, you hypocrite glutton?!"
"Silence, wench! You were allowed to corrupt the naive youth for too long!" Summer Artoria pulled out handcuffs. Where she was hiding that in her bunny outfit, Lelouch didn't dare wonder. "You are coming with me. That boy will have a bright future as king and shall not be ruined by you, you good-for-nothing delinquent!"
"Never! Fuck the police!" Nobunaga screamed before throwing Lelouch over her shoulders and kicking the bed in Artoria's way. Leaping through the smoke resulting from the destruction and chaos, she ferried her husband down the halls bridal style with an annoyed grimace. "Damn woman and her stupid, stupid family!" Said grimace turned into a smirk partnered with a wink as she whispered to her captive partner. "I'll steal Kiara's police uniform later, darling."
Lelouch won't admit he felt excited about that promise. Or about the fact that Nobu carried him away to her reality marble. Because hey, after a long day of being harassed by well-meaning yet confusing women, having a nice time with his wife inside the burning temple with a giant skeleton standing guard was a dream. T'was also a big break from being blue balled by blondes.
Try saying that five times as fast.
***
'This is getting out of the hand… Now, it's all of them…'
Lelouch collapsed on a sofa in one of the many corridors of their base. Thoughts about all the recent events had him burying his face in his palms as he hid away from any of the iterations of the blonde King of Knights, buxom or otherwise. Hell, even Artoria Lilly was being way too insistent and nice today. He just managed to politely decline the offer to do horse-riding training with her as soon as he noticed one of the Knights of the Round stalking them.
While the most naïve of the Artorias could be innocent, he wasn't going to let himself get caught in another arduous training session led by any of the adult variants.
He groaned into his palms. "Ugh… Why are the Artoria-faces acting like this…?"
"Something on your mind, fellow Brit?" The young man lifted his gaze, expecting another 'empathetic' Artoria to come and hear him out. He let out a sigh of relief and a smile to match Rider Boudicca's own wry grin. "What's the matter? I can lend you an ear to hear you out."
"You don't have to, Lady Boudicca—"
"Oh come now." Sitting down on the bench a respectful distance away, the former Queen of Iceni sat back and crossed her legs. "A child of Brittania is akin to a child of my own. While we may not be of the same time or world, origin matters little to me."
"No, really… It's… It's just…" he heaved a tired sigh again. One that shifted nervously when he felt her hand tap him on the shoulder.
"Think of this as a chance to candidly vent your frustrations. As your elder, I will not push, but I can tell you need to let it out." The way she carefreely placed herself as an older sibling for everyone, especially Servants from Britannia, was put on full display with her warm smile. "Come on. Tell me what worries you so."
And so he did. He mentioned the odd behaviour of the Artorias to their seemingly obsessive need to dote on him so, if not outright control his life in Chaldea. Though a brief summary, he must've conveyed his frustrations well enough that Boudicca was studiously pinching her chin.
"Hm… In short, you believe they're being too overbearing?"
"Are they not?" He groaned in his hands, feeling a little lightheaded. "What makes this worse is that I have no single idea why they are acting this way. Do you have any advice for me?"
"On getting rid of them or making them slow down?"
"I…" Lelouch considered it for a second. "I just want them to take it easy. It's… It's just that I… haven't been cared for in a long time. I've grown used to being the one to care for my siblings. When they started to pull this stunt, I just felt… uncomfortable with it, is all…"
"Then, you don't mind their intentions…"
He didn't, really. It had been a long time since he'd been on the receiving end of such affection. He didn't dislike it. In fact, he'd welcome such kindness over animosity. But there was a limit, of course. It didn't help that such affection was not just being given by one Servant but multiple varying iterations as well as her underlings/compatriots in life. It was one thing to be treated well by King Arthur. It was a load of trouble to be doted on by the Knights of the Round, be envied by Mordred, and spoiled by all the adult versions of Artoria herself thrice over within an hour each. It's like they drew lots on who would care for him, but instead of spacing out their timing over the week, he'd been pelted by their affections for the better half of two days since he got back from Rayshifting. It was exhausting despite it being a break from all the missions.
Boudica nodded and confirmed his woes as he conveyed them to her. "Yeah, well, here's my advice. You ready?"
"Please. I'd welcome an escape to the madness."
"It's pretty easy, Lelouch. Just do nothing."
"Excuse me?"
The Queen gave him a knowing smile. One that, while warm, was meant to ease him into her impartial sisterly advice. "Lelouch, you already realize that all of them are just trying to make sure you are okay. They are worried about you. After everything that happened in the last Lost Belt, the entirety of Chaldea worried about the Servants who were there and the Master. Tesla and Edison are making sure Da Vinci is doing good. Both Lancelots have talks with Mash about her mental well-being every day. And as for Master. W-well," She coughed in her hand with a blush. "Myself and few other… like-minded compatriots… keep him company to make sure he is… satisfied in every way."
It wasn't lost on him, her subtle tact. He didn't mind it. That was her business. This was his issue. "But this is still unusual. Even for a mere check-up from Artorias! I'm used to the horrors and tragedy of war. I don't need their help to deal with it because I'd already been mentally prepared and dealt with such before ever becoming a Servant—"
"Every past king and general in Chaldea has thought the same about themselves, Lelouch." Boudica sighed. "It doesn't mean that they aren't bothered in some way, shape or form. Understand that Artoria—, no. All of them, those who care, are trying to convey their worry as well as their desire to help. Think of their caring side as a familial touch. Motherly love or such. I'm sure you understand."
"Yeah, sure. If I ever had a normal mother to begin with." He scoffed, knowing better than to deny it but still a little confused as to how their actions could convey the intent when they bothered him 24/7. "How was I supposed to recognize it from the beginning? I'd believed my own mother was dead for years before I had learned the truth and resolved to kill her!"
Lelouch throwing his hands up in frustration was rewarded with a passing Nero shooting him finger guns. "Nice, UmU!"
The audacious Roman emperor then slapped his hands in a double high-five before continuing on. Boudicca could give the passerby only the briefest of frustrated sighs.
"W-well, know that their genuine affections will not lead to the same conclusion as your late mother's. While it may come off as persistent and careless, this is not just a new experience for you but the Artorias as well. While you aren't used to having a motherly figure so late in your life and the Saberfaces never had a kid they truly doted on like their own—"
***
Somewhere in the Chaldea, a certain Knight of Treachery suddenly felt the urge to cry. She bit back the tears and swung her sword down on her mock target that just so happened to have Lelouch's photo taped on the head-part.
She crushed the target with ease but swallowed her frustrations down as she greeted the rest of the Knights of the Round to join her in the training room.
Yet again, her father was nowhere to be seen.
***
"—in any case, Artoria just wants to show she cares. Unlike myself, that girl has led a far more difficult life as a leader than being a maternal component to a family. It's all duty with her in the past. For her first foray into familial compassion, she's doing better than most, no?"
"… Hm… I guess." There was truth to her words. And while Boudicca may not have had a happy ending for her old life, she did enjoy a time of happiness with her family. More so than can be said for the girl who pulled the Sword of Selection and thereby catapulting her fate away from the life of a wife and mother to one of an ideal king and leader. He could only imagine how hard it was for her to try and show affection when she barely showed any to her own 'son'—
***
In the distance, within one of the many training rooms, battle cries of frustration and anger could be heard from the brat that wailed on her targets until they were ground to dust. A single tear of her loneliness fell away, disguised as a bead of sweat as her comrades congratulated Mordred on beating her old record for strength testing.
***
Lelouch's shoulder sagged as he exhaled. "I suppose it isn't as bad as it could be. I just wish this is the last time they come busting down my room door. Can't I have a little privacy in my own space?"
"I'm sure that can be negotiated." Boudica gave a knowing smile. "Just keep in mind, they did all this because they care about your well-being. Even if they don't approve of who you sleep with, that doesn't diminish their love and affection for you, no?"
Lelouch didn't answer, but he had to admit. Maybe it wasn't too bad to have people who thought of you as family. Maybe, juuuust maybe, some of their positive influence would be good for him—
"Hey, junior! I heard these pesky Saberfaces were annoying! Where are they?! I'll cut them all to pieces for you!"
Mysterious Heroine X shouted as she appeared from around the corner, completely doing things on her own to show some love and care while simultaneously taking down the copycats that stole her face.
***
Author's note:
This omake might exist only because of Nero joke. I'm curious how many servants in Chaldea are actually proud to admit that they killed their parent/parents. Can Lelouch create something like the club "Patricide is Cool",? So many possibilities to consider…but anyway!
Special thanks to ReavesTheReader as always and until the next