A/N: As an extension to the previous chapter's A/N about this story being original, there might be points in the story where the characters could be considered OOC if you consider their actions without context.

As a reviewer on ao3 pointed out in his chapter 5 review, I hope that I have dropped enough contexture clues to reason why they would behave differently because the situation is different compared to the original series.

However, it is not my intention to make the characters develop into completely different beings so if I am going too far, please feel free to let me know so I can take another look at how I want to execute the story.

Izetta's head jolts as her eyes open. 'Oh no, I almost fell asleep there,' she frets as she loosens her arms around Finé. Izetta's foot takes a reluctant step back in an attempt to signal to Finé to separate.

Finé lowers her arms as well, only to put them on Izetta's shoulders. "Let's sit down and talk, okay?" she coaxes. With a meek nod from Izetta, Finé looks around the room to see how barebones it is. She settles for the sitting on the bed, holding Izetta by the hand as they walk towards it.

As Finé sits down, she raises an eyebrow while looking at the bed. She uses her hands to press down on it, confusing Izetta who decides to sit anyway.

"Y-Your Highness," Izetta begins, causing Finé to look back at her with a sheepish smile, "How did you know that it was me? I thought the disguise was working. Even the Secret Service told me that everybody thinks it's a young man in the suit."

"It was working," Finé confirms, "I thought the White Agent was male as well so it couldn't have been you. But," Finé reaches out to place her hand over Izetta's, "The way you sent me off on that helicopter kept nagging at me. Although it has been many years, I began to think that it was you from how you behaved from before."

Izetta's face blushes brightly. With her eyes looking away, she stammers, "Y-You remember what I-I did from so long ago? I thought you would have forgotten about me by now, much less remember how I acted…"

"Oh, is that why you didn't just tell me it was you even after I returned to the palace? You thought that I would just forget about my best friend?" Finé teases.

Izetta's blush deepens. "I just thought that you would have many more important things to think about after I vanished…"

Finé smiles as she rubs Izetta's hand, causing Izetta to look back at her. "Silly girl, I could never forget about you. The times I spent with you were the most fun I ever had." When Izetta looks down again to try to hide her embarrassment, Finé changes the topic, "So, how are you changing your clothes so quickly? Is it some fancy new tech?"

Izetta blinks a few times, realizing that Finé is asking about how she swaps between the White Agent suit and normal clothes in a flash. "Oh, no, it happens when I turn my magic on and off."

Earning a head tilt from Finé, Izetta explains, "My magic started getting too strong. If I didn't make a conscious effort to supress my magic, it seeped out although I didn't mean to use it." With a laugh, Izetta recalls, "I only realized it was happening when I was butchering some meat and the handle got dented. I went to my grandma in a panic and she taught me how to build a barrier within that would hold the magic back entirely. When the barrier is closed, I don't have to worry about my magic coming out. After that, my grandma also taught me how to my clothes change when flipping the switch as well, a trick she used to disguise herself from her pursuers the moment she was out of their line of sight. She really taught me a lot while we were gone."

"Oh…" Finé trails off as she processes the information. "Your grandmother was an assassin…" Finé's hand tenses up as she remembers. "Right?"

"I didn't learn to assassinate, you can rest assured of that, Your Highness," Izetta guarantees her by placing her other hand on top of Finé's, "I will not use my powers to kill somebody. If anything, my grandma teaching me the about vital areas is where I shouldn't aim for so I can take the enemy down without endangering their lives."

Finé smiles as she remembers when Izetta broke through the vent in the fortress, taking down all the guards and scientists without killing any of them, all while she was in midair. "Well, who else knows about your identity?"

"When I came back, I went to the palace and let the Royal Guards take me in. They introduced me to the Secret Service so the Royal Service knows, in addition to the top people in the Secret Service."

"Does my father know?"

"Yes… He asked to see me right before I went to put on the suit for the first time." Izetta licks her lips as she relives, "He apologised with a bow for everything that happened to me and that I should feel no obligation to do this. Yet if I really wanted to, he begged for me to save you. I was really shocked, and still am."

Finé lets out a chuckle as she places her free hand on Izetta's, completing the stack of four. "With how powerful you've become, you can be a little prouder of yourself."

Izetta's cheeks turn red as she stammers, "M-Maybe… but…"

Rumbling interrupts their conversation. Izetta's hands recoil to her stomach as her blush deepens. "Ah… Sorry…" she mumbles.

Finé looks at Izetta for a moment before her face falls. "Oh, you should have said that you were hungry. Hold on a moment, I'll get a Royal Guard to bring you something," Finé fusses as she stands up.

"Your Highness, wait!" Izetta exclaims with an outstretched hand. Finé turns to look back at Izetta who looks down in realisation that she just raised her voice. "I… have dinner from the cafeteria. It's on the table," Izetta explains while meekly pointing at the plastic bag on the table."

Finé eyes over the bag. "Oh… why didn't you eat it earlier?"

"I thought I would eat after we talked. I didn't want to hold you up…" Izetta explains while rubbing her hands.

"Well, you're obviously very hungry so you should dig in now. At least fill your belly a little, we can continue talking while you eat," Finé placates her as she sits back down on the bed.

"O-Okay… Thank you…" Izetta utters. She shuffles over to the chair that she pulled out for Finé earlier to bring it back to the table. Izetta then sits down and unpacks the box of food. As the contents of the box are revealed, Finé frowns as her body shrinks back a little. The lumps of food look like mush and there is little to no smell. Izetta starts shoving spoonfuls into her mouth, unaware of Finé's reaction.

"Izetta, you don't have to rush yourself," Finé soothes, earning another blush from Izetta who slows down. Finé stands up and asks, "Can I use your toilet? It's the other room, right?"

Izetta whips her head around, nearly dropping food from her mouth. "Uh… sure… But it may be too dirty for you, Your Highness. I haven't got to scrubbing it yet…"

"I'm sure you're just making it sound way worse than it actually is," Finé giggles as she walks towards the washroom. "Take your time, okay?"

"Mhmm…" Izetta hums as she watches Finé go into the washroom. As the door closes, Izetta turns back to her food to resume eating. Then her vision starts to blur and her other hand covers holds her head. It is during this moment of quiet that her body catches up to her, causing a wave of tiredness to wash over her. While rubbing her eyes, she frets, 'I can't fall asleep now, Her Highness is in the room. Come on,' she pleads as she taps her cheeks, 'Stay awake.'

The door to the washroom opens which jolts Izetta's mind, chasing away her weariness. Finé comes over to where Izetta is sitting. She looks over Izetta's shoulder at the food as Izetta continues to chew, causing Izetta's heartrate to rise as well.

"Can I try some?" Finé asks nonchalantly.

"W-Wha?" Izetta sputters as she turns around. "This is not fit for somebody like you, Your Highness. How about asking your Royal Guard to bring you something that would taste much better? I can wait."

"No, I'm not hungry," Finé clarifies, "I want to see how it tastes. And you don't have to worry about me. I was treated horribly while I was kidnapped, this can't be worse than that."

"R-Right…" Izetta mumbles as she looks down. "Sorry… Here you go," she offers as she passes the spoon she was using over her shoulder to Finé.

"No worries," Finé reassures her. Finé scoops half a spoonful for herself. After putting it into her mouth, she passes the spoon back to Izetta who stares at it.

'Her Highness' lips… were just on this… Wait, what am I thinking?' Izetta snaps herself out of her daze with a few quick blinks, 'I'd better get back to eating and hope she didn't realize I was thinking something weird…'

Luckily for Izetta, Finé was not looking at her as Finé's eyes were up in thought. As Finé chews on the food, her face contorts. Finé goes back to sit on the bed as she swallows the lump, her eyebrows furrowing.

"Izetta," Finé speaks up and Izetta turns to look at her. "Do you have to stay here? Isn't it uncomfortable?"

"Uh…" Izetta trails off as she blinks a few times. "The Secret Service gave me this house to conceal my identity. I can get by, it's fine."

"This tiny place can't be called a house," Finé sighs, "All you have is a bed, table, cupboard and washing machine and there's almost no space left already. Your toilet is cramped and you don't have many toiletries in there. The food you eat is bland. Even your bed is hard. This place is only slightly better than where I was when I was trapped in that cell. Is the Secret Service mistreating you? Are they not even giving you money to get a better place even after all the work you've done?"

"N-No! That's not it at all!" Izetta sputters as she lets go of the spoon to wave both hands frantically. "I'm very grateful to them for giving me a secure place to stay, even if it does feel small. I don't use this place often, so I didn't think about changing it. And they did promise me a huge amount of money every week, I just haven't thought about using it. Actually…" Izetta mutters at the end, her hands shrinking back to her lap as she looks away.

"Actually?" Finé probes.

"After I… saved the royal children…" Izetta struggles to get out, "Many countries sent me, or the White Agent… rewards…" Izetta reaches out to her phone, unlocking it and fumbling around with an application before a number display shows itself on the screen. Izetta turns the phone to Finé as she continues, "This is how much… I have… I don't even know what to do with it all…"

Finé gawks at the amount. Despite seeing countries transact by the billions before, seeing a single person have this much in their bank came as an absolute shock.

Izetta puts the phone away as her face colors red again. "I tried to ask them to take it back, but they said that since I didn't want to meet anybody, it's the least they could do. I even asked the Secret Service to use it for themselves but they insisted that I've earned it." Izetta looks back at Finé, rubbing her head, "So they aren't taking advantage of me, I swear."

"Then why don't you get a bigger place with the same security? Or at least treat yourself to good food and get a comfortable bed? You could even stop being the White Agent now and just enjoy the rest of your life in peace."

Izetta looks down at her hands in her lap. "You're right, I could…" she muses, "But I don't want to." Izetta turns back up to look at Finé with resolve burning in her eyes, "I want to make this world a better place for you. If it wasn't for you, I would be dead."

Finé blushes and scratches her cheek with a finger. "I… I didn't really do that much…" she lets out, still taking in Izetta's proclamation. "But you saved my life as well, so you don't have to do anything for me. I never expected you to."

"But now that I can pass on the hope you've given me, I want to keep on being the White Agent and save those crying out for help. By continuing to help others, I want to make the world a better place where everybody can be happy." Izetta's gaze softens as she looks around the room. "So I don't need more than this, I only come back here to rest between missions."

"Hmm…" Finé deliberates as she leans forward. "Then how about you come and live in the palace?"

Izetta's body jumps as she whips around to look back at Finé. "W-What?! Huh?!"

"I'm completely serious," Finé declares, "As you said, the Royal Service and my father already know who you are. As long as you don't show up as the White Agent in the public sections where we have meetings with ministers and whatnot, you'll able to walk around freely. Not to mention, even a room in the palace is already bigger than this place so you'll have much more room to yourself. While you're gone, the Maids will clean your room for you and wash your dirty clothes. I'm sure they can even take your suit back here for you if needed.

"Whenever you come back, you can be served a warm and delicious meal. There are Chefs in the kitchen throughout the day, feeding the Guards and Maids that work even in the wee hours. Sometimes I find a bath to be relaxing after I've showered so you can do that as well in your room. Finally, you can sleep in a soft bed." Finé takes a breath as Izetta gradually loosens up, "So what do you say? At least this way you can recharge properly until the next mission."

"Well… I…" Izetta falters as her hands squeeze her lap, "Do I… deserve all that though…?"

"Of course," Finé asserts as she walks over to Izetta, "You're the White Agent, the person who saved us all." Izetta's face turns red as her eyes look down. Finé smiles as she places a hand on Izetta's shoulder, "You deserve the best for being the best. The palace might even be too little for you." When Izetta mutters incoherently to herself, Finé rubs her shoulder and encourages her, "Come on, let's get your stuff packed. Your grandmother can move in as well, so give her a call."

Izetta tenses up, earning raised eyebrows from Finé who feels it from Izetta's shoulder. "Oh… my grandma…" Izetta utters with melancholy, "Has passed away…"

"Oh no…" Finé gasps as her hand recoils, "I'm sorry."

"No, I'm okay now," Izetta assures her. "I should have realised it when she was teaching me how to use magic while we were gone. She hadn't been teaching me when I started, but then she suddenly used magic everyday to guide me. When she collapsed, I finally learnt that she had been using her lifeforce to augment her magic that had dried up years ago. I cried that I wouldn't have wanted her to teach me if it meant losing her as well, but she told me that she had nothing left in life other than to help me achieve what I wanted."

Finé leans in to hug Izetta who gratefully returns it. "I was really loved by my family, even if we were not related by blood. I am eternally grateful to them. I strengthened my internal barrier with the overwhelming emotions I have towards them so now even when I get emotional, my magic won't slip out. Even after they've passed, they're helping me to live the life I want." Despite Izetta saying that she was okay, she feels her eyes moisten as she recalls everything.

Finé rubs Izetta's back as she comforts her, "And now you're strong enough that you won't lose anybody else."

"Mhmm…" Izetta trembles. They stay in each other's arms for a while until Izetta taps Finé's back, signalling that she had calmed down.

"How about you put on your suit?" Finé proposes, "I'll open the door to ask the Royal Guards to help you pack and clean up. Then you can move in immediately."

The White Agent gets out of the pod and steps into the secret passageway to the palace. As Izetta taps the screen at the side to send the pod back to the central hub, she still cannot believe what is happening. 'Command even happily told me to go ahead and live in the palace. I thought they would at least ask some questions but I guess since the Royal Service is connected to the Secret Service, there wasn't much to check. I still don't get why they sounded so relieved though…'

Izetta jogs through the passageway by herself, her luggage already taken by the Royal Guards ahead of her. This made it look like they were leaving separately instead of the White Agent leaving together with Eylstadt royalty which would have raised some questions if an outsider saw it. The Royal Guards at the gate see her approaching and open it to let her through. "The Princess is waiting for you further up," one of them informs her.

"Thank you," Izetta breathes as she passes them, picking up speed.

Izetta reaches Finé with her feet skidding. Finé giggles and beckons her to follow. "I hope you weren't waiting long, Your Highness," Izetta interjects as they walk further in.

"Not at all, I just came back from talking to my father about letting you live here," Finé comments in a carefree manner.

Izetta blinks a few times under the helmet. "Wait, you didn't ask him for permission before asking me to come? What if he refused?"

"Silly girl," Finé laughs, "He said he would be honoured to have you. You saved my life, there's no way he'll turn away my saviour."

Izetta feels her cheeks heating up again for what seemed to be the hundredth time today. As she feels glad that at least now Finé cannot see her face under the helmet, Finé stops walking and turns around to soothe Izetta, "We're in the palace now, you don't have to keep up the disguise anymore."

"Oh, right…" Izetta remembers as her hand goes to the back of her neck. Her suit disappears and her normal clothes come back, her shoulders falling slightly but she recovers quickly enough that Finé does not notice.

Finé smiles as they continue to walk. Minutes pass as Izetta takes in the sights of the palace. She could not remember the last time she saw something this grandiose, much less through her own eyes instead of through the helmet's visor. Despite her body feeling heavy after transforming back, she felt oddly refreshed now.

"Here we are, the dining hall," Finé brings Izetta out of her thoughts as she opens a regal door. A few people are sitting at the opposite corner, chatting as they have their own meal. "Lotte," Finé calls out, "Izetta is here now, can you serve her the meal now?"

"Right away!" a voice chirps. Izetta looks around and to her surprise, a childlike person who is much shorter than her scrambles around the table to set the cutlery and chair.

"Your Highness," Izetta interjects, "I know I said I wanted to eat something, but who is this?"

"This is Lotte," Finé explains as Lotte pulls out the chair with a bow, "She's a Royal Maid and will be your personal maid."

"Yes, I will be attending to your every need throughout the day, Lady Izetta. Please feel free to tell me if you need anything!" Lotte chimes in.

"W-What?" Izetta sputters, "I thought the maids would just help me clean up when I'm out on a mission. I didn't hear about having a personal maid, this is too much for me!"

"Nonsense, you deserve to be pampered," Finé waves off.

"Yes, you're the great White Agent!" Lotte chips in, "It is my greatest honour to serve the legendary figure that came back after years to save the Princess! Please, take a seat and I will get your meal immediately," Lotte offers as she gestures towards the chair.

Izetta looks towards Finé who only smiles back. With a defeated sigh, Izetta goes over to the chair. She gasps in surprise as Lotte pushes in the chair for her as well before scurrying off. Finé takes her own seat beside Izetta, giggling at her embarrassment.

Lotte soon returns with a plate of smoked salmon. Izetta's nose immediately picks up the delectable scent and her mouth starts watering unconsciously. "Here you go Lady Izetta, please enjoy," Lotte presents the dish in front of Izetta before stepping back respectfully.

Izetta picks up the fork and puts a piece into her mouth. As soon as her tastebuds register the taste, her eyes bulge out. Finé chuckles as she recognises what is about to happen. Izetta starts wolfing the food down, trying to get as much of the succulent fish into her mouth as possible.

"Ah," Izetta gulps as she remembers where she is. "Sorry, that was disgusting, wasn't it…"

"Not at all," Finé laughs as she pats Izetta's back, "I had the same reaction when I ate my first meal back home."

"Wha?" Izetta lets out in surprise. She turns around to see that nobody else is reacting to how she just ate, if they even saw it in the first place.

"It's true," Finé confirms. "Anyway, I should get back to my studies tonight. Take your time and just let Lotte know if you want more," Finé tells Izetta while Lotte acknowledges with a bow.

Izetta watches Finé leave the table before slowly turning back to her meal. She tries to eat slowly due to the embarrassment from earlier, but her hands and mouth move faster than her brain.

"Would you like seconds, Lady Izetta?" Lotte asks. Izetta looks down to realise that she has already finished everything.

"N-No…" Izetta replies meekly, "Can you take me to my room?"

"Of course," Lotte answers as she helps to lift the chair out. When she sees Izetta reach out to the plate, she gently reminds her, "Just leave it there, Lady Izetta. Another maid will come and clear it shortly."

"O-Oh, okay…" Izetta concedes as they leave.

The pair walk for a while before they see a door with Royal Guards standing by nearby. The Royal Guards back away from the door with a bow as Izetta gets closer. Lotte opens the door as gestures for Izetta to go in. Izetta looks at them in bewilderment, finally deciding to go in when nobody reacts.

"The lights are here," Lotte points out as she flips the switch on the wall. The door clicks shut behind as Lotte continues, "The room is completely soundproof as well. Once the door is closed, the people outside can't hear what goes on here and vice versa so free feel to do anything you want." Lotte points to the corner of the room where there are two bags, one of them with a white sticker. "These two bags are for your dirty clothes. The one with the sticker has a spare White Agent suit now so when you change suits, just put the dirty set in the bag. The other bag is for your normal laundry. When you want them cleaned, just leave any of them outside the room and we'll take care of it."

"Wow…" Izetta marvels at how much and fast they have prepared for her.

"Your personal shower, bath and toilet are over there," Lotte motions to the other side of the room. "I'll let you explore those privately but if you need help, please don't hesitate to call me. Speaking of which," she pauses as she goes to the dressing table, "This phone has a direct line to me. Just press this button to call for me. Otherwise, it acts like a normal phone."

"Wait, I know you said you would attend to me throughout the day, but what about when you're sleeping?" Izetta interrupts with concern, "I could come back in the middle of the night and I wouldn't want to call you while you're sleeping."

"No worries," Lotte pacifies Izetta, "The direct line will be redirected when I am not available and another Royal Maid will attend to you. It shouldn't happen often though."

"Does… everybody who lives here get such luxurious treatment?" Izetta asks quietly.

"Hmm?" Lotte raises an eyebrow, "The Princess told us to treat you like how we would treat her and the King. Even if she didn't say so, we would have done so happily for all you've done."

"I-I see…" Izetta's gaze softens.

Seeing Izetta relax, Lotte proceeds, "Your luggage is over there, would you like me to help you unpack now?"

"Oh… actually…" Izetta trails off, "I'm feeling pretty tired right now. I'd like to just prepare for bed. Maybe tomorrow?"

"As you wish, Lady Izetta. Any time you want to," Lotte consents, "If your bed isn't satisfactory, we can change it immediately as well as bring you more pillows or anything else you want."

"Yes… thank you…"

Lotte goes back towards the door. "Oh one last thing," she recalls as Izetta looks at her, "Here is the lock for the door. You can lock it whenever you want some privacy. Don't worry about the soundproof room, if somebody outside wants to contact you, there's the doorbell as well as the phone. In cases of emergencies, the alarm in here will go off. If you have an emergency, you can trigger the hallway alarms with this hidden wall button. The guards outside will then break down the door to help you. The window over there will trigger the same alarms if somebody touches it from the outside while you have it locked."

"Ah, got it," Izetta acknowledges.

"Well then, please sleep peacefully and know that you're in good hands," Lotte concludes with a bow. She then exits the room and closes the door softly.

Izetta smiles to herself as she plugs in her phone at the table before going to her luggage. She unzips it to take out her bag of toiletries before heading to the toilet. She finds the light switch there and is amazed once again. The sink is full of other toiletries and even the shower and bathtub have a multitude of soaps and towels, not to mention how spacious it is. Izetta snaps out of her stupor, quickly opening her bag to brush her teeth.

After washing up, Izetta goes to flip the light switches again. A loud yawn escapes her as darkness falls. With a satisfied smile, Izetta flops onto the bed which her body sinks into. 'This feels so nice…' her half awake mind fancies as the comfort spreads throughout her. She crawls upwards to the pillows, letting her head be swallowed by its fluffiness. With a content sigh, she squirms over to drape the cosy blanket over herself.

Izetta's body curls up. Her hand reaches out to grab the other pillow, bringing it underneath the blanket for her to snuggle with. 'This is so soft, just like Her Highness…' Izetta grins as her eyes close, 'Oh, I'm having weird thoughts about her again…'

Izetta shuffles under the covers, getting even more cushy. 'But Her Highness has given me so much, more than I could ever think of. Maybe… Just maybe… I really can just take it easy for a while…' her mind finally gives out as her body completely surrenders to the bliss.