Lelouch woke up in his bed with a slight headache from the battle last night.
At least he didn't have any new urgent notifications from either of his phones. At least that means the Black Knights made it out safely, he thought to himself as he got out of bed and did his morning routine. He then went to his computer to check on the Black Knights and confirmed they were okay.
The blinking tracker on Ohgi's device showed they made it to the backup hideout.
After shutting down his computer, he left his bedroom and walked into the main dining room.
Nunnally was already sitting down at the table, eating halfway through a small plate of buttered toast and fruit, her smile radiant, her eyes gleaming with violet clarity. They weren't closed, blurry, or seemingly lifeless. They were open, alive, and full of color. Her eyes had a brightness to them that outshined Lelouch's violet eyes.
"Lelouch!" she beamed as she saw him. "You overslept, brother."
"I deserved it," he replied, walking in with a faint smile. "So did you."
"I was too excited to sleep," she confessed, pouring tea into a second cup for him. "Everything looks different… brighter than I imagined. The world is a lot more beautiful than I thought."
He sat across from her, quietly watching the way she moved. The way her hands danced across the table with no hesitation. The way her head tilted slightly toward the open window to listen to the birds. She sat with such elegance befitting of a princess.
She bit into a strawberry and let out a little delighted hum. "I never knew food was so colorful! The birds. Oh! There was this bright little one with blue wings and a red throat that kept chirping at me. I think he liked me."
Lelouch chuckled. "He must have good taste."
She laughed, her shoulders shaking. "I even played fetch with the Ashfords' dogs this morning. Without any help at all. It feels so freeing being able to move around. I am still getting used to it."
Lelouch froze at that. His heart swelled.
He sipped his tea to hide the sudden sting in his eyes.
It was so easy to forget, amid his plans and revolutions, how simple joy could be.
"So," he asked gently, "what do you want to do with your first full day of freedom?"
Nunnally tapped her chin, pretending to be in serious thought.
"Go shopping," she said with a grin. "And you have to come with me. I need someone to carry the bags."
He raised a brow. "So I'm a glorified escort now?"
"You always have been," she teased.
He smiled and rolled his eyes.
They ate breakfast and Lelouch called a cab to a popular shopping district near them.
______
By noon, the siblings were strolling through the mid-level district of Tokyo Settlement. The shops were buzzing with students, couples, vendors shouting about limited specials. Lelouch thought it would be too much stimuli for Nunnally, but she surprised him by being so full of energy.
Nunnally walked just ahead, a spring in her step, stopping to admire every window, every storefront, every restaurant, and even simply just the sky. She pressed her face to the glass of a small music shop. "Look, Lelouch! Wind-up music boxes. They're so cute!"
She practically dragged him to a flower stall next. "These ones smell so much sweeter than they look, but now I can match the scent to the color!"
They shared ice cream in the park. Nunnally picked the flavor by its color this time. Her choice was strawberry pink. Lelouch chose chocolate out of habit. They sat on a bench near the water, she leaned against his shoulder and whispered, "Thank you, brother."
"For what?" he murmured.
"For giving me the world."
He didn't answer. Instead, he smiled and squeezed her hand to let her know he was there for her. He couldn't say anything without getting a bit emotional. He didn't want people to see him like that in public. Especially when he has a ton of enemies waiting to kill him if they found out his identity.
Once they finished their ice cream, they started walking around the city more.
As Nunnally admired a row of hand-painted paper fans outside a gift shop, Lelouch's gaze swept the street, observing all the people and their intentions. That's when he saw her. The last woman he wanted to see right now.
Villetta Nu.
She was half a block away. Dressed plainly in civilian clothes that blended in with the Elevens. Lelouch had to give it to her. She certainly made an effort, but it wasn't good enough to fool him. Not in the slightest.
Her posture was wrong.
She was too alert and tense. She also had a certain air about her. Something like that isn't easy to cover up. Villetta Nu was not a woman who was labeled some number. She was a Britannian through and through.
Lelouch's jaw clenched. His mind raced as he decided his next steps.
She was tailing them. Him. Meaning she still suspects him of being up to no good.
Nunnally turned, holding up two fans.
"Which one's prettier?" she asked out of curiosity.
"The pink one," he said without hesitation.
She smiled and turned back to the vendor.
Lelouch leaned down to her ear.
"Nunnally," he said softly, "I need to take care of something. A small errand. Will you be all right on your own for a bit?"
She blinked. "Of course. But, will everything be okay?"
"Everything's fine," he said, as he hugged his sister and ruffled her hair slightly without messing it up too much. He smiled at her. "I'll find you before dinner."
She nodded and handed him the fan. "Take this. As a bribe to return quickly."
He smiled and tucked it into his jacket pocket. "Deal!"
Then he turned and walked away casually. The crowd thickened and he started to move faster. He didn't need to look back to know Villetta Nu was following him. This is the second time he was interrupted spending quality time with his sister. Lelouch was over it.
He was done letting people stalk him without consequence.
He started leading Villeta down the road into the abandoned part of the city lost to the war.