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That woman.

With as much dignity as possible, Gilgamesh strode out of the shopping mall.

Or at least, with as much dignity as he could have after being publicly slapped and rejected no less, even though luckily the proposal had not been heard by anyone else.

How. Dare. She.

She had dared reject him after he had graced her with his attentions and had even lowered himself to ask to marry her!

Not only had she refused him – which was intolerable as it was – she had also physically struck him in such a degrading way. A slap. In public.

No one had ever dared do something like that.

So that left the question, why had he not punished her yet? Why had he not made sure that she suffered the consequences for her actions?

He loathed admitting it – but what she had done had been too unforeseen for him to react appropriately.

He did not care that it was probably going to be on every newspaper by morning, since the press could be dealt with later on. The worst part about this specific situation was that he would have to be at the Central College the following morning.

The same college she happened to attend.

At the very least, he could be pleased about the fact that it had already been arranged for Enkidu to be present as well.

Speaking of his friend, for once Enkidu's bubbly personality had been quieted. He had not said a single word, to him or anyone else, and Gilgamesh did not bother asking why, for he knew the reason.

It did not happen often that Gilgamesh Uruk was humiliated, in public or in private. Or rather, it did not happen, period. In private, his best friend could tease him, yes, but he was an exception. No one else had the right to do anything, and no one had ever dared do anything.

Well, to be fair, that wasn't quite true. There was a person who had dared talk back to him.

That woman. She had.

After all, wasn't that one of the reasons for which he had deemed her worthy enough of becoming his wife?

Yes. Arturia Pendragon. She was a part-time employee he had hired some time before. While always remaining respectful and polite in her tone, she had disagreed with him in the past, and she had always made quite interesting points in her arguments.

It certainly spoke of presumption, but against his better judgement, Gilgamesh had actually been intrigued by the fact that she stared straight into his eyes when speaking to him and never let herself be intimidated.

Brave. That, she certainly was.

After all, she had proved her bravery at their very first meeting, hadn't she?

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...

GILGAMESH (past)

...

Six months before

She was a short, small girl, and she seemed to be attractive enough. Her appearance was quite young, even though he noted that her eyes looked much older.

Gilgamesh observed her from a distance for several minutes before finding himself frowning.

He usually went through the CVs of all the applicants – albeit briefly – before their interview, but he did not remember this particular blonde woman, especially not one with such a strange lock of hair standing out on her head. And those eyes… he was certain he would have remembered those eyes. The colour was quite unique, a deep emerald, and the look in them–… He was, unfortunately enough, too far away to analyse it properly.

However, he had the distinct impression that he had seen her at least once before.

Perhaps… yes. Yes, that was it. He was certain of it now: she had been one of the interns during the summer months.

His eyes narrowed fractionally, in a manner that was imperceptible to anyone around him. If this girl had done an internship, it meant that she was still in school; then why was she doing an actual job interview?

Turning his head slightly inside the small dark room, he addressed one of his employees – the director of the local offices – who was overseeing the day's interviews with him.

His gaze did not leave the woman, who was on the other side of the glass, as he said sharply, "I had requested to be informed about all the applicants."

The man standing on his side gulped, even more wary than he already was, since his boss was speaking to him in such a hard tone.

"This… this girl is still in college. We– we did not truly take her into consideration–"

"Yet here she is, doing the job interview," Gilgamesh coldly interrupted him.

The man's nervousness noticeably increased.

"She is the one who requested it. Vehemently insisted, in fact…"

Gilgamesh narrowed his eyes, this time visibly, as he reluctantly tore his gaze away from the woman to stare at the man beside him. He had not hired this particular employee; it was one of the leftovers from the former corrupted council, from before he had taken over and purged the company, and he could clearly see why. Not only had this man not followed his precise instructions, he had let himself be bullied by a college student who wanted a job.

Gilgamesh stared the employee down, thinking rapidly. It was the 23rd of the month; there was a very simple solution to make sure his displeasure was known.

His tone was cold and firm as he spoke, his eyes narrowing even more dangerously, "Be aware that the last day of this month will also be the last day you are employed in this company."

The man's eyes became large, completely astonished.

"But sir…! You can't–…!" He realized what he had said when Gilgamesh's eyebrows rose just a little, and hurried to correct his grave mistake. "I did not… I meant only… only that… after years of faithful service…"

Gilgamesh was completely unimpressed.

"I will not waste any words about the faithfulness of your service – but since you mentioned such a thing, it should mean that you are more than qualified to find another position. Nevertheless, it will not be in this company. You have proven to be incapable of complying with easy and precise requests of mine, and you have let that young girl give you orders."

He looked at the man with contempt. "You are not fit for covering the position of head of this office. This was the third different location you received in my company. I perfectly recall how you failed the other two as well." The man did not dare say a word. "On the last day of the month, come by my office at eight in the morning to settle the matter of the cleanout. That will be all – you are heartily invited to make yourself scarce today."

The blond man took a few steps towards the glass, observing the room where the woman was still being questioned. He then turned around and looked at the vice director, since the former director had at least had enough sense to leave the room straightaway.

"I'm not going to overlook this blatant disobedience to the directives I gave. I had specifically ordered to be consulted for every job interview – now I have no choice but to take part in this one myself."

The vice director seemed confused; he was obviously wondering about the reasons why Gilgamesh was not kicking the young woman out immediately. However, he understandably did not dare question him, and that was definitely for the best. His boss's crimson eyes gave him a last, stern look before exiting the room.

Gilgamesh, the CEO of Uruk Enterprises, was very strict with the people he hired and employed. He made sure they knew that each and every one of them was replaceable, and yet demanded nothing less than perfect work from them; however, at the same time, he was fair in that sense, because he then generously rewarded them accordingly. Aside from that, he was also adamant about hiring only the best for his companies – but the best in terms of capabilities, not of school of attendance, grades, political position or nepotism.

The blonde woman in the room in front of him was a college student; she was certainly aware of the prestige of his company – after all, who wasn't – yet she had insisted upon being interviewed anyway. That meant that she was either incredibly foolish – and if that was the case, he would humiliate her as she deserved – or incredibly capable.

He had every intention of finding that out.

"Call the interviewer out."

He was going to lead the interview himself. He was the only one who would judge this woman's character and her competence, or lack thereof.

And, since he now had the opportunity to do so, he was going to find out what kind of emotions those eyes of hers were able to express, too.

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He ended up hiring Arturia Pendragon as a part-timer. He had seen that she was in fact capable and, somewhat reluctantly, had acknowledged to himself that she was worthy of having an opportunity in his company.

He had also ascertained that her eyes were quite striking.

That did not mean, however, that he would be making things easy for her, since she had after all bullied one of his employees into letting her take the job interview. It was true that it was one of the lowliest of his personnel – actually, former personnel – but that alone was not enough to overlook the offence.

During her first few weeks of work, he watched her like a hawk – albeit, a very handsome hawk – ready to use the slightest excuse to criticize and even threaten to fire her. But, to his initial surprise and then hidden amusement, she went through that trial period quite admirably. While she wasn't flawless – something that he was forced to admit was largely due to her lack of experience – he was unable to find any real fault in the work she did.

Through his observation, he noticed that she seemed very motivated. He knew little about her family and her personal life, so he did not know the specific reason for her dedication to that job… and, in all honesty, he did not care.

It was beneath him, anyway.

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However, as months passed, Gilgamesh could no longer spend time focused on that sharp little employee of his, because the pressure from society and the media was starting to become a troublesome nuisance.

Only because he was just past his mid-twenties, society had presented him with a completely senseless and almost surreal requirement.

He was very conscious of the fact that – sadly – idiocy was a distasteful yet prominent feature found in abundancy among people, but such a request was simply beyond preposterous.

Enough was enough. They had had foolish demands in the past, too, but this particular one crossed the line.

For some inexplicable reason, they wanted him to get married.

It was not said explicitly – they would never dare do such a thing – but they had been hinting at the fact that at his age, it was expected of him to 'settle down', to give the idea of someone who had a solid private life.

It was not just coming from the unknown, inferior people, either; even Iskandar – Iskandar, of all people! – had told him the same.

Gilgamesh found it simply ridiculous. He was not interested in getting a wife.

His work was the most important thing; anything else was just a distraction. His business was successful, but it needed monitoring to be kept successful. He had created an empire, but empires – as unlikely as it sounded for his case – could fall, unless one did a constant job to keep them stable and working. And expanding, too.

That meant effort. That meant time.

Anything else different from that was completely irrelevant, and to be frank, quite beneath him as well. He gave his time and his dedication to those who deserved it, and a potential wife was most certainly not on that very short list.

What was being suggested infuriated him, as none of the people that composed society was anywhere close to his level. None of them was worthy of judging his life or even just attempting to do such a thing.

Nevertheless, he had the misfortune of living in the same society as those mongrels.

It was not like he had no choice, nor would it be vital for the good of his business; he was too superior, too successful to ever be forced to give in to anyone's demands. But it seemed that, in this matter at least, Iskandar was right.

In a world of deceit and first-class appearances under the public eye, the personal image did have some importance. Not his looks – he knew he always presented himself impeccably in that department without any true effort – but the status of his private life was a different matter.

Still being a bachelor, especially such a rich one, was for some reason frowned upon.

Gilgamesh was however too clever not to see that having a wife would both relieve him of an irritating pressure and elevate his social position, while the announcement of a marriage would give a boost to his already famous name. As foolish as he may think it to be, people in his position who valued family were held in a socially higher regard. He couldn't care less about what people thought, but it would indeed be favourable for his business, and about that, he did care.

It was definitely not something he needed, but it would reap several benefits.

Once he had reached that conclusion – and it took, admittedly, quite some time – the other, much more important matter, was to find a suitable candidate.

It was true that at those 'social gatherings' – Enkidu preferred describing them as 'viper's cradles', and Gilgamesh silently agreed – countless women had been keen on throwing themselves at him. Of course, his ruthless reputation preceded him, and none of them had had the nerve to literally 'jump' at him. Yet.

But he had the unpleasant sensation that they would soon become desperate and overcome their fear of him in hopes of getting his attention through any possible means.

None of those lowly beings were worthy of his time, that was more than obvious – but it was undeniable that they could soon become a problem.

The best way to solve both the issue of the social condemnation of his bachelorhood and the shameless horde of husband-seekers was to, well, get married. It was best if he just got himself a wife, so that all the others who thought they had a chance would finally back off.

In theory, it was decided easily: he needed a spouse. Which meant, a woman who was not too boring and he could tolerate having around.

He recalled having mentioned in one of the very few interviews he had participated in – Enkidu had basically forced him – that he would have preferred his 'ideal woman' to have a degree in the field of business or economics. He also wanted her to speak fluently both English and Japanese because, even though he currently resided in the US, his company had two main venues and the other one was in Japan.

Not only would the person he chose have to meet those standards, but also – and more importantly – not disgrace his image as the Golden Businessman.

He needed to find a wife, a suitable one. And soon.

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...

MAIN (present)

...

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Following the instructions she had received on the phone, Arturia found the wing in which her sister had been hospitalized. Standing in front of the door of the hospital room was her crying nephew, next to two nurses who were attempting to console him as he tugged at their sleeves trying to say something, and he looked quite frightened.

It was rare, incredibly rare, to see Shirou upset. He was a sometimes quiet but always happy child, and witnessing his tears tugged at something inside Arturia. She stalled for a second in her motions, but then sprinted forward anew.

"Shirou–…!" she called breathlessly.

The little redhead immediately looked up at her, and his tearful smile was like a ray of hope for Arturia's anguished mind.

"Auntie Ria! Auntie Ria…! They won't let me see mommy! Please, let me be with mommy–!"

Arturia had composed her face enough to come closer without losing her mask of calmness. She absolutely had to be strong for her nephew. He was only five years old and his mother was ill; even if she herself did not know what was wrong with Iri yet, this was not the time to let her uncertainty show.

She wished she could take a deep breath, but she couldn't. Not in front of Shirou. So she simply extended her arms without a word, and the boy ran into her embrace without hesitation as she was more than happy to tightly hug him back.

"Shirou, it's all right. I'm here with you, and now we will see what we can find out about mommy," she whispered softly in an attempt to comfort him.

The boy sniffled and chose not to reply, leaving Arturia's eyes to land on the two nurses, who seemed relieved to see her there. She recognized one of them, as she had been the one to tend to Iri the last time she had been hospitalized, and the elderly woman smiled at her.

"It's good to see you here, calm and collected as usual," she said in an encouraging tone.

On the outside only, Arturia thought wryly, but the kind woman didn't need to know that. She probably didn't need to be told, either; she doubted she was particularly good at hiding her inner turmoil while holding her crying nephew.

"How is my sister?" Arturia asked, knowing that the nurses would be perfectly aware of what patient she was talking about.

Both of them however avoided her gaze, and she had to struggle with herself not to tighten her hold on Shirou instinctively. That was not a good sign.

The elderly nurse tried to smile, but it was quite a strained smile. A very tentative one.

"The doctors will be able to tell soon."

That meant that the medics were still inside the room with Iri, and that also meant that she was not going to be allowed inside either, since the examination could very well take hours.

She spotted a few chairs a little ways down the corridor, and moved to go sit down, placing Shirou in her lap. Never letting go, she cradled him to her for a while, before looking him in the eye.

"I know this is hard for you but, Shirou, could you please tell me what happened?"

The boy sniffled and nodded immediately. He was young, but he wasn't stupid, and he trusted his aunt. He had never refused to answer her questions, and he felt much safer now that she was there with him.

"Mommy… mommy was all right after lunch, at home with me, and helped me with homework, she helped me learn the names of the rivers. Then she made tea… and she fell down suddenly, in the middle of the room. I called her, called her, but she wasn't answering… so I did as you said and called the emergency number you wrote next to the phone." His eyes swelled with tears as he looked at his aunt. "I wanted to call you first, but you said to call the emergency, and mommy wasn't waking and I did-didn't know and–"

Arturia pulled him to her again, letting him burst into tears and holding him comfortingly.

"You did the right thing, Shirou. It's only thanks to you that mommy could get help immediately." She gave him a soft caress on the head. "You really did the right thing."

The boy's little hands fisted in her shirt and he held her tightly.

"But… but… what if it's not enough? Mommy wasn't moving and maybe…"

"Shirou." Her voice held strength and calmness, which she knew she didn't truly possess in that moment. "We don't know what happened to mommy yet. But know that you did the right thing in calling the emergency number without delay." Pulling him closer, feeling his forehead and detecting a hint of fever, Arturia murmured, "Try to get some sleep. We don't know how long we will have to wait."

The boy sat up straighter in an instant, stubbornly shaking his head.

"No! I'm not sleeping! I want to be awake for mommy!"

Arturia looked at him, her expression the most serious she ever got with him.

"Mommy will not be happy to see you tired. You should sleep, so that you'll later be awake for her."

Shirou stared at her, some stubbornness still lingering in his eyes, but his aunt's look was firm, and he slowly relented. However, his hands, still balled into fists, did not leave the woman's clothes.

Sensing his apprehension, Arturia pulled him to her again, making his head rest on her shoulder. "I'm not leaving, Shirou. I'll stay close."

Fresh tears spilled from his golden eyes, and they seeped into her shirt, polka dotting the fabric, but she did not pay them any heed.

"I just want to be with mommy…" Shirou murmured those last words before slowly drifting off into slumber.

The blonde woman kept her sleeping nephew close to her and remained rigid in her seat for the long hours of waiting, none of her troubled thoughts leaving her mind for even an instant.

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