Chapter Seventeen: A New Administration

It was the first meeting of the new Viceroy's Administration, and there was silence.

Princess Cornelia had not officially announced her presence as of yet. She'd arrived silently, come into the Viceroy's Palace, and immediately gotten to work. The first thing she'd done was look through the schedules. From there, she canceled several appearances. A number of superfluous personnel were given their walking orders.

And now she was looking over all the information Clovis' staff had for her on the insurgency in Area 11. It was simultaneously utterly pathetic and ironically useful. And that was worrisome. The people Clovis had employed had been meticulous in manufacturing his image.

Clovis was to appear the perfect Prince, cultured, civilized, kindhearted, and stern. And in that regard, they had done a fairly good job. Many of the worst rumors and accusations made against Clovis had been spun. He'd always been able to keep control.

On the other hand, details of the threat posed by the JLF were almost nonexistent. Apparently, Margrave Jeremiah dealt with all of that. He hardly ever sent reports to Clovis.

Thus the civilian administration and the military establishment were wholly disconnected. And Jeremiah had been so busy fighting the JLF that he was hardly in charge at all. A Lord Kewell had been in nominal authority, but he wasn't even in Tokyo at the moment. A general idea of what the Margrave wanted to be done was given, and people got it done or were fired.

But what Jeremiah had wanted to be done was funding his military campaign. A worthwhile end, but even Cornelia knew victory in war wasn't everything.

It wasn't Gottwald's fault, in the end. Clovis had obsessed with appearing the perfect ruler. But he hadn't actually done much ruling. So long as people were content with his rule, he didn't care how things got on. They already suspected that vast amounts of corruption infested the administration. It had probably gotten worse since Clovis left.

And yet, Clovis's insight into how to control the masses' thoughts was of more value.

Which told Cornelia the thing she had suspected but didn't want to voice.

The game had changed.

"...It's no good, gentlemen," said Cornelia after a moment.

"What do you mean, Princess?" asked Guildford.

"Our standard tactics aren't going to work here," said Cornelia, shifting through papers.

"With respect, Princess, we have not even begun to operate," said Darlton. "We're already conducting investigations into the news channels. Once we've uprooted some of the corruption-"

"I understand that, Darlton," said Cornelia simply. "But there's no playbook we have that will be able to counter Zero's efforts. He has tailored his entire strategy to fight us. That's why Clovis lost. He was a reasonable administrator, but he always followed the playbook.

"Zero is familiar with how we do things.

"If we initiate a purge, he'll have people on hand to report it—people who are not doing anything illegal. If we arrest those people, that gets caught on the footage, and it goes viral. We take a few photographers off the streets and suffer an immense defeat.

"Moreover, most of Zero's agents have no actual connection to Zero. All you need to do is grab a camera and take a picture of something the masses won't like. Then you sign your name Zero. Zero isn't so much a person as a ghost. So even if we find him and shoot him, the problem doesn't go away."

"Fine, just kill them all," said Luciano, who Cornelia had insisted attend the meeting.

"Excuse me?" asked Cornelia.

"Get brutal," said Luciano. "Track down everyone who has been taking pictures and have them shot en masse. Enact new laws that make what they are doing illegal. Crackdown hard, and break them.

"Hang people from street lamps. Make public spectacles of it all."

Luciano had done all of this in quelling the New York rebellion. It had ensured a terrified and bloodstained peace in the broken streets. But Euphie had reminded Cornelia that nobody in New York would ever forget what was done there.

It could cause a thousand rebellions later.

"That's monstrous, Luciano!" said Gino, who Cornelia had not wanted to invite. However, if Luciano attended, it would be an insult to Gino to not be given the offer. "A true Knight would never stoop to that kind of murder."

"Except all the times you stoop to that kind of murder, Gino," said Luciano flatly. "You do know that massacring women and children still counts even if it isn't on camera, don't you?"

"I have never gunned down women and children," said Gino.

"Yes, you find it much more sporting to let them die in squalor in the ghettos," said Luciano. "Honestly, I think it's too good for them."

"Why you-" began Darlton.

"Enough," said Cornelia. Luciano's advice was a possible option and shouldn't be discounted without due consideration. Desperate times called for desperate measures. "Guildford, what are your thoughts?"

Guildford sighed. "Even we accept the idea that killing Britannians for law and order is acceptable, it would be a very stupid move. What little enthusiasm there is at our coming is that we'll be able to restore peace and security.

"Clovis never openly kicked down the doors of his subjects."

Cornelia nodded. "Alright then, here is our policy.

"We are to maintain control of the situation and use the absolute bare minimum level of force. Darlton, you will reign in the police and run the numbers. Find anyone you can who's taking bribes, prosecute them, get confessions, and put them in prison.

"I want as many corrupt officials as we can safely convict given a public execution. We'll want a lot of media coverage to focus the publics' ire on them. And this area must operate as efficiently as possible.

"Guildford, get in contact with Lord Jeremiah. Get briefings on the military situation. He hasn't been sending any reports here. As soon as we have secured our position here, we are going to crush the JLF. Their very existence opens up the possibility of a second front if the Chinese invade.

"Britannia has lost several colonies. It will not lose this one."

"I understand," said Guildford.

"Sir Weinburg, Luciano Bradley..." Cornelia thought about their possible uses. When the time came to attack the JLF, they could be useful. But for now...

"Yes?" asked Gino.

"Stay in practice," Cornelia eventually said. "When the time comes to conduct our campaigns, you'll be called on."

"Great, shore leave," said Gino in disappointment. "Fine, I've been meaning to check out Babel Tower anyway. I hear it's got some crazy hot chicks in it."

Cornelia looked to Luciano, who was balancing a knife on one fingertip. How had he gotten that in here? "Sir Bradley?"

"Yes?" asked Luciano.

"Our position in Area 11 is extremely unstable. It will only regain stability through the goodwill of our subjects," said Cornelia. "You are not to kill, hurt, or scare anyone without my explicit orders. Do you understand?"

Luciano thought about that. "...Who would you classify as someone?"

"Anyone," said Cornelia. "Including numbers. That last thing we need is a repeat of New York."

"What about the Knights of Ashford?" asked Guildford.

Gino laughed. "Oh, come on, what's the big deal? They're a bunch of schoolboys playing white knight. If we just go over there with a Knightmare frame-"

"The same orders apply to you, Sir Weinberg," said Cornelia, wondering what he was thinking. "The Knights of Ashford, as they call themselves, have not done anything illegal. There have been efforts to reduce their influence on the net by Schneizel. However, until those efforts succeed, our best defense is to ensure they have nothing to find."

"Princess Cornelia, what about Princess Euphemia?" asked Darlton. "She may be... an opportunity."

Cornelia looked to the scarred man in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"Princess Euphemia has no record to speak of," said Darlton. "Your status as the Witch of Britannia will inspire fear in our enemies. However, it could make it difficult to appeal to more tender sensibilities. However, Euphemia could be used to get the moderates back onboard.

"She certainly seems to fit."

"Where is Princess Euphemia, anyway?" asked Gino. "As sub-Viceroy, shouldn't she be here?"

"I don't want her to know about some of the things we have to do here just yet," admitted Cornelia sadly. "She's far too tenderhearted to deal with... all this."

"Don't want your precious sister to know you're a murderer, then?" asked Luciano with a laugh.

"Watch your tone, Luciano," said Guildford. "You are speaking to royalty."

"If you wish to shut me up, Lord Guildford, you may feel free to try at any time," said Luciano flatly. "You'll find I'm a master of homicide."

"Threaten another person on this council, and I'll have you shot," said Cornelia simply.

Luciano flinched at the statement, and he must have guessed that Cornelia meant it. Accidents could happen. While his status as a Knight of the Round technically protected him, he had a reputation. In this political climate, defending him would be political suicide.

"...Point taken," said Luciano, and he put the knife away.

"Darlton, I want you to get me all the information you can on the Knights of Ashford," said Cornelia. "Depending on how things turn out, I may want to meet with their leader."

"Understood, Princess," said Darlton.

"This meeting is adjourned," said Cornelia simply.

Cornelia rose and made her way back to the royal apartments where she slept. Arriving back there, she shut the door and saw Euphie. The beautiful girl, no, beautiful woman, was looking out the window. Her hair was tied in behind her in curly waves that framed her adorable face. As Cornelia began to unbutton her uniform and throw it onto the bed, Euphie looked at her.

"So how did the meeting go, sister?" asked Euphie.

"As well as can be expected," said Cornelia. "Britannia has the chance for a fresh start here, so long as we don't botch it. This is why I need to get firsthand experience." Disrobing, Cornelia was now clad only in her underwear and went over to the closet. Out of it, Cornelia drew out a pair of shorts she'd ordered and a green tank top.

It was meant to be casual and was her size. Though as she donned it, she found the top to be a little tight around the chest.

"Um, sister, are you certain about this?" asked Euphie. "I mean, this seems like the sort of thing I'd do."

"I know, that's why I'm doing it," admitted Cornelia with a sigh. "Given the situation, it's clear that there is a great deal of unrest among the common people. We've obviously erred in some way as rulers, and no one is going to tell us why. Taking a brief walk seems like as good a way to get a sense of the streets as any.

"It's a calculated risk."

Then she noticed Euphie looked like she had been crying. Concerned, Cornelia moved forward and put a hand to her cheek? "...Is something wrong?"

"Well, it's just..." Euphie sighed. "I had to stop going to school to come here, sister. Now I'm just sort of in limbo here. I only talk with you and Guilford, and the servants and... I feel sort of trapped."

"It would be dangerous to keep living the way you did, Euphie," said Cornelia. "I didn't finish school either. I joined the military when I was seventeen."

"I know," said Euphie. "Still um, don't you feel bad about it?"

"No, why would I?" asked Cornelia with a smile. "Public education is worthless. If you want an education, go to a library and read some books. Or listen to books on history while en route in your Knightmare. A degree from high school is as good as a participation trophy these days."

"Nobody needs a participation trophy to get a job, sister," said Euphie.

Cornelia leaned in and kissed her.

Drawing her lips off Euphie's cheek, she brushed a strand of hair from in front of her face. "You're a Sub-Viceroy, and therefore only a few steps down from Empress. I don't think you have that problem.

"I need to go."

Euphie nodded. "Right. That um, outfit suits you."

"Cornelia realized how close they were standing to one another. Nodding, she turned and walked away. "I don't mean to make a habit of wearing it."

Still, she was glad Euphie thought she looked nice. It almost made baring her midriff and legs while wearing sunglasses bearable. Although the tank top bared a bit more cleavage than she'd have liked.

Cornelia made her way out of the Viceroy's palace, doing her best to look casual.

She was... less than successful if Cornelia was going to be obvious. A number of people looked at her strangely. Others pretended not to notice her, and a few leered openly.

Okay, obviously, her choice of outfit had been poor.

How to make this work?

Adjust alibi to be an out of touch noble attempting to blend in with normal society. That would instantly explain things and might cause people to humor her. The alternative was just going back, and Cornelia wasn't going to quit yet.

Her mind turned to Lelouch and Nunnally. She and Euphie had grown up with them, and Clovis had looked for them. And now both were dead. It had been a heavy blow, and Cornelia remembered crying her eyes out.

"Oh, Lelouch! There you guys are!" said a voice. "I was worried!"

Cornelia looked up and saw further down the plaza a tawny, brown-haired boy running to two others. The first was a beautiful, meek-looking girl with red hair. The other struck her at once, for he was the spitting image of Lelouch Vi Britannia. He had the same black hair and violet eyes, the same features now mature.

"Sorry, we're late, Suzaku," said the boy. "There was a car crash, and we had to help the people out of a burning car."

"Is everyone alright?" asked Suzaku.

"Yes, everyone was fine," said the redhead. "A little bruised but otherwise unhurt."

Cornelia moved to stand beneath the shadow of a tree where she'd be less visible. Sitting down by a park bench, she watched as they neared.

"Kallen, are you alright?" asked Suzaku.

"Oh, I'm fine," said the redhead. "I'm just sort of worried about going into unknown territory. I mean, we've usually stuck to the safer areas."

Cornelia saw a kabab stand nearby and drew out her wallet. Moving forward, she made an order. "You, I want...

"A pork kabab, now. With everything on it."

Glancing back at the three of the name, she remembered the profile pictures from before. She'd seen the video footage at the Viceroy Palace Massacre. "Those are...

"The leadership of the Knights of Ashford."

Cornelia realized she had an opportunity to interact with these people. And she could do it without them knowing who she was. And yet, she was reluctant to approach the handsome, dark-haired youth. The memory of Lelouch...

No, this was duty. Paying for her kabab, Cornelia walked over to them.

Moving forward, Cornelia approached and wondered how ordinary people talked. It had been so long since her school days, and she'd never been social. "Um, excuse me. I would speak to you?"

That was a terrible way to start the conversation.

Still, it seemed to get their attention. Cornelia gazed into those calculating violet eyes. They seemed to be analyzing her, and she wondered what they thought. "Yes, who are you?"

"I am..." Cornelia thought of a nickname. "Nellie. I'm an off duty soldier from the military and nobility. I've been trying to be incognito."

"Good work," said Kallen in deadpan. "You look like-" Lelouch stepped on her foot. "Well, she does!"

"I was wondering if I could ask you some questions?" said Cornelia quickly. They'd bought it.

"Why are you interested in us?" asked Lelouch.

"Well..." Cornelia paused. "I recognized your faces from a number of news reports. I was wondering if I could talk with you. I'd like to get an idea of how things are going in this area without relying on the news."

Lelouch looked to his companions. "...Suzaku, Kallen, go on without me."

"What?" asked Kallen. "But we've been planning to do this operation for-."

"I'll discuss the details with you later," said Lelouch. "You're only looking at the Refrain dens anyway, and Suzaku has experience in the ghettos."

"I'm going to talk with her."

"There isn't any harm in telling someone a bit about the area," said Suzaku. "If you want, I could handle this."

"No, I'd rather it be me," said Lelouch.

"...Good luck," said Kallen.

They left, and Lelouch adjusted his collar. "Alright, I am at your disposal, Nellie."

"Well, for a start, I'm interested in what exactly you're doing," said Nellie. "Why would you be looking at Refrain dens?"

"The Knights of Ashford are doing an expose on drug trafficking in Britannia," said Lelouch. "The first step is making clear just what the human cost of drugs are. Starting with Refrain.

"She's also conducting an interview with a witness."

"Who is this witness?" asked Cornelia.

"A casualty of Refrain epidemic," said Lelouch. "She lost her son to Refrain overdose after one of her daughters was taken into sexual slavery. She was 'offered' a job at Babel Tower and never came back.

"As for the son, he was a successful businessman. At least until Britannia wrecked everything he owned. Forced to live in squalor and wait tables because of Britannian laws, he ended up turning to drugs.

"He died a few days ago."

"Hasn't there been some attempt to clamp down on drug usage?" asked Cornelia, horrified. She'd known it was a problem, but specific details like this put a new face on it.

"No," said Lelouch, blinking in surprise for effect. "Why would there be?

"The lives of elevens are worthless to Britannia. And a drug problem ensures the population is in no state to rebel or make trouble. As far as the settlement is concerned, a slow extinction is the best fate they could have."

"So there was no effort to control the spread?" surmised Cornelia.

"I suspect there are those who even profited by the trade among the nobility," said Lelouch. "There are some parts of society who stood up against it, of course. But they quickly fell out of favor. Ethical people tend to be corrupted or destroyed in this sort of society.

"Some people do believe in human rights. But they aren't willing to act.

"What happens to the numbers isn't their concern. That's why Britannia herds the numbers into different settlements. It keeps them out of sight and mind unless they're working service jobs."

"Surely those working in service jobs are visible," mused Cornelia.

"You mean like the man you got that kabab from?" asked Lelouch.

Cornelia blinked. "...You knew I was there?"

"You don't last long taking pictures of the ghettos without paying attention," said Lelouch. "So, when was the last time you thanked the help? Do you even notice them?"

"I appreciate their assistance, of course," said Cornelia, not liking the question. "But class distinctions exist for a reason."

"Then what are you doing out here?" asked Lelouch.

"...Trying to blend in," said Cornelia, feeling like she was losing control of the conversation. "I'm interested in getting a greater understanding of public sentiment."

"Did you consider just asking the kabab vendor what he thinks?" asked Lelouch.

"No, why would I?" asked Cornelia before she could stop herself. Glancing back, she saw the man and wondered if she was out of earshot. "He's an eleven and would not be in a position to know anything."

"...You're very sheltered, aren't you, Nellie?" asked Lelouch in deadpan.

He was just like an adult version of the Lelouch Cornelia had known. Then it checked what he had said. "Sheltered?!

"I'm not-" She cut herself off. "What do you mean?"

"Think about this for a minute," said Lelouch. "You asked me because I was part of the Knights of Ashford. But my organization has a clear political agenda, and anything I tell you will be colored by that.

"That man over there does not care nearly as much about it as us. That makes him an unbiased source."

"What kind of information could he possibly have?" asked Cornelia.

"He spends his entire day having people buy stuff from him," said Lelouch simply. "They're often in groups and talking to eachother. Sometimes they talk to him. And on the main street like this, just about anyone could walk by. That means he hears when someone is afraid of getting laid off. He hears people ranting about some controversy.

"And he's almost always beneath notice. You didn't even acknowledge his existence until I forced you to.

"Ordinary people are not dumb. They just aren't interested in the power plays of the elite until it affects them personally. But if you can make them think of political events as part of their concern, you can channel them to rewrite the map."

"I hardly think recent events are a positive outcome," said Cornelia. She reminded herself that this was an enemy.

"What happened to Britannia was inevitable," said Lelouch simply.

"How so?" asked Cornelia, wondering how he could say that. They'd been conquering the world two years ago.

"There is no moral defense that can be made of Britannia's actions," said Lelouch. "Perhaps some of their intentions are good, and there are good actors in Britannia. But in the end, it was a system of endless brutality that existed only to benefit the privileged.

"So long as they went unchecked, they would only continue to decay and degenerate. Sooner or later, they would have rotted away.

"The propaganda could suppress people's minds.

"But it couldn't change them."

"Is not the entire point of propaganda to change someone's mind?" asked Cornelia.

"Of course not," said Lelouch. "The truth can change someone's mind if argued in a rationally coherent fashion. A man who is in the right need only argue the truth, and he will convince people. It's self-evident.

"In contrast, propaganda is not based on argument at all, but jargon. They show dramatic shots and attractive young women in skintight jumpsuits. It distracts the mind and focuses people on a stream of senses. And that leaves them disposed toward whatever message the news station puts out. But no one is actually convinced of anything.

"At best, it gives them a general idea that everything is well, and their efforts serve a greater good.

"Britannia was very, very, good at propaganda. They can make brutal massacres appear like divine judgment.

"But in order to lie well, you have to believe your own lies. So the propaganda of Britannia became more and more detached from reality. The grain of truth around which every good lie is made degenerated.

"The world presented by the news never existed. It's merely a figment of their overactive imagination. Even if Britannia conquered the world, they'd control an entire planet of people. People that hated them.

"The cost of occupation would be astronomical. We'd collapse in a few years.

"Of course, we'll never get that far, thankfully.

"All it took to destroy the illusion was an image or two that was shocking enough to make people interested. Once they started, they started doing their own research, the battle was over. And Britannians attempts to recover have only served to make things worse."

Cornelia found herself stunned. She'd been wholly focused on conquering territory and holding it her entire life. Yes, she'd tried to minimize costs, but she'd assumed grand strategy was handled well. Schneizel was very smart.

Then again, Schneizel wouldn't be trying to conquer the world if the Emperor hadn't ordered it. He deplored the violence.

The Emperor had no idea what he was doing. Had the Emperor considered how to consolidate control of an entire planet? Or was he simply indifferent to a question that would be someone else's problem once he died?

Emperor Justinian had nearly rebuilt the Roman Empire by force of arms. But it had only lasted a few years and destroyed the Eastern half that remained. Time to change the subject. "...How do you safely navigate the ghettos?"

"Local armed groups with no ties to the drug trade are only too happy for us to spread the word," said Lelouch.

Cornelia stared at him. Had he really just admitted to that. "You mean to say that you work with terrorists?"

"We accept the protection of local authorities, yes," said Lelouch. "And terrorists are the local authorities. Police stay out since we forced them to stop brutalizing the locals."

"You realize, Lelouch, that many among these people are fighting Britannia," said Cornelia. Was Lelouch genuinely treasonous? She'd assumed them to be teenagers who got carried away.

But he certainly seemed controlled enough to want to destroy things.

"Yes, and since I've been working, they realize that the best way to do that is to cooperate with me," said Lelouch. "Attacks have decreased massively by both sides. And Gottwald has been hitting the violent groups like a sledgehammer.

"These ones' haven't done much worse than hijack food shipments. And people are starving to death there."

"How do you know they aren't doing far more?" asked Cornelia with narrowed eyes.

"I don't," said Lelouch. "Not for sure.

"But I do know that if I did not accept their protection, I'd be shot dead in the street long before I could take even one photo. Besides, the nobles are working with the terrorists; why can't I?"

"What do you mean?" asked Cornelia.

"I said it before, didn't I?" asked Lelouch. "Many of the less moral nobles make a profit from the drug trade. Some look the other way or actively participate. Everyone knows it, but there simply hasn't been an investigation. And if you said it out loud, you'd get sued and slandered into oblivion."

"Do you have proof of this?" asked Cornelia. This seemed like something to address.

"Of course, we don't have proof," said Lelouch. "If we did, we'd have posted it a long time ago. Our full focus until now has been on the brutality of the police and military. Now that violence had been reigned in, we're changing strategies. That's why we're out here to raise awareness about Refrain.

"It's also why I decided to give you the time of day.

"The legal courts are bought and paid for and all but useless. So we put things into the court of public opinion, and that forces the authorities to do their job."

Cornelia realized she was looking at a revolutionary. A peaceful revolutionary but a revolutionary nonetheless. Here was a man who had considered all the angles of Britannia and decided the solution was terrorism.

But terrorism with a camera and well-meaning schoolgirls. Instead of shooting soldiers, he took pictures of their atrocities. Instead of trying to kill the nobility, he destroyed their reputation with the truth. "...So you have no faith in the legal system?"

"I have faith that if they are terrified they'll be lynched by outraged mobs, they may do their job," said Lelouch. "The government must be terrified of ordinary people. Only then can it be trusted to look after their best interests."

"You're a populist," surmised Cornelia. Why was he saying this out loud?"

"Recent events have made me far more sympathetic to democracy, yes," said Lelouch. "I was there, Nellie. I was there when Clovis massacred innocent and guilty alike for the sake of PR. And then he slaughtered the people of Shinjuku to cover up a mistress."

Cornelia decided how to adjust her strategy. "...What happened in front of the Viceroy's palace was an abominable blunder. No one denies that."

"It was not a blunder. The only mistake was that Clovis got caught," said Lelouch. "The same thing had been done countless times in many different Areas. It's why Britannia has been unable to control the civil unrest.

"Everyone is in the habit of using a hammer to handle every problem. They've got no practice with a scalpel."

"And how would a student know that?" asked Cornelia, feeling increasingly angry.

"I was here when the bombs first dropped on Japan," said Lelouch. "I had to walk through fields of corpses that Britannia made. Men, women, children, tired old men. I carried... nevermind.

"I know exactly what happens to the people Britannia 'enlightens.'"

"And so you chose to undermine Britannia?" surmised Cornelia.

"No," said Lelouch. "Britannia undermined itself by denying the people a means to express themselves.

"I was asked to do a report on the state of the Britannian settlement by my teacher. I chose to take pictures of the ghetto from afar and witnessed a massacre. When I got back, I realized that I would never be allowed to use them for a school report.

"So I posted them."

Everything clicked.

Cornelia stared at Lelouch in shock, opening her mouth. Everything made sense. "...Do you understand what you just admitted to?

"You're-"

"Zero," said Lelouch, smiling.

"Yes," said Cornelia, looking around. No one else was around. "What's to stop them from arresting you?"

"Me and twenty-five thousand others?" asked Lelouch, smiling. "People all over the world are taking pictures of Britannian atrocities. Zero is everywhere, a diabolical mastermind who engineered the downfall of an Empire.

"Even if I were to be arrested, proved to be 'Zero' and shot, what would the result be?

"Britannia would get one more dead body. I'd become a matryr, and the twenty-five thousand other zeroes would only get angry. They'd probably lose whatever loyalty to Britannia they had left. The gloves would come off, and you'd be even worse off."

"And so you feel comfortable destroying the superiority of our race?" asked Cornelia, staring. Her mind was rushing with confusion, and she realized she'd well and truly lost control. Worst of all, she couldn't come up with an answer to his criticisms.

"Britannia destroyed our superiority," scoffed Lelouch. "They chose to administer their territories in the worst possible way. All I did was show people how worthless their ideology really was."

Cornelia snapped. The destiny of Britannia, and he called it worthless?

She slapped him. Her hand struck him across the cheek, and he moved with the moment, not making a sound. "Have a care how you speak.

"You are speaking to an avatar of that ideology."

"An out of touch aristocrat with delusions of grandeur?" asked Lelouch.

"I am Princess Cornelia Li Britannia," said Cornelia, drawing off her sunglasses.

This was the part where everyone stared in awe. Where the knave who before was confident stammered apologies. Lelouch, however, looked unimpressed, and no one else was close enough to have heard. It probably was made less impressive by the outfit, but she drew out her ID from her pocket.

"I refer you to my last statement," said Lelouch. "Cornelia."

Cornelia heard no sarcasm in that voice. He was genuinely not impressed, knowing full well who she was. "...I have the power of life and death over you."

"If you didn't want to hear something I wouldn't say to your face, you shouldn't have gone incognito, Princess," said Lelouch. "Now, the way I see it, you've got two choices.

"You can storm off in a huff and disregard everything you've heard here and have me arrested. Or you can spend the rest of today with me. And I can show you just what is involved in the running of a Britannian settlement from a ground eye view."

Was he...

Trying to recruit her? Cornelia stared at Lelouch and reflected that there was little he could do to her. So long as she stayed within the main settlement, it would be safe. And she had survived dangerous situations before.

"...You don't scare easily, do you?" asked Cornelia, feeling very impressed.

"I'm on the Student Council of Ashford Academy," said Lelouch. "Once you go through a few of Milly's festivals, nothing scares you.

"Now, what's your answer?"

Cornelia considered that she had already learned a great deal to act on. But she was out here because the standard Britannian playbook did not work. And so she spoke. "...Lead on."

Lelouch did just that.