The ringing of the Ashford Academy clock tower echoed faintly through the courtyard, mingling with the faint chirping of early spring birds. The late morning sun spilled through the glass walls of the student council room, painting the floor with golden light.
Lelouch sat at the council table, a stack of paperwork in front of him. He wasn't reading it. Not really. His mind was still on the operation from a few nights ago: the base, the hostages, Suzaku's capture. He could still see the look in Suzaku's eyes when he had made the bargain: the tension, the disbelief, the reluctant submission.
It should have been a victory that tasted sweet.
Instead, it lingered bitterly, like unripe fruit.
He would have rather beat Suzaku fair and square in a Knightframe duel. However, due to the circumstances he had to use his manipulative tactics to win. He wasn't going to afford taking a chance of the Black Knights losing the resources they just acquired.
"Lulu~!"
Milly Ashford's singsong voice jolted him out of his thoughts. She was leaning across the table from him, chin propped in her hands, watching him with that knowing grin of hers. She seemed so bubbly today.
"You've been staring at the same page for ten minutes," she teased. "Either you're reading the world's most boring article… or you're plotting world domination again."
Lelouch gave her a lazy smile, his usual mask slipping back into place. "A little of both."
Milly laughed. "See, that's what I like about you. You never deny it outright."
Across the room, Rivalz rolled in on a chair, balancing a tray of coffee cups in one hand. He chuckled. "Careful, Milly. If Lelouch actually is plotting something, you'll be the first one recruited into his evil empire."
"Oh, please," Milly said, waving a hand dramatically. "If Lelouch were building an empire, I'd be the Empress." She threw Lelouch a quick, exaggerated wink. Lelouch rolled his eyes.
It was the kind of harmless banter the student council was known for, but it didn't stop her from catching Lelouch's subtle, faintly amused smirk. After all, Milly was quite attractive to him. Lelouch wondered for a moment how Milly would look like as his Empress.
By midday, the room was buzzing with the usual chaos. Rivalz was trying to rope Lelouch into another betting scheme, while Shirley fussed over the decorations Milly had pulled out for the upcoming spring festival.
Nunnally sat at the end of the table, hands folded neatly in her lap, a faint smile on her face as she listened to Shirley describe the bright festival lanterns. She still was in awe with her ability to see again.
"It sounds wonderful," Nunnally said softly. "I hope it's a warm night. I'd like to feel the air when everyone's outside. I want to see the beautiful stars as well. All the glowing lanterns will add to the atmosphere as well. It's going to be an unforgettable night."
"You will get to see the stars and it will one hundred percent be unforgettable!" Milly promised warmly. "And I'll make sure you have the best seat in the house!"
Lelouch's eyes softened as he watched the two of them talk. These moments: rare, fragile, untainted by the outside world, were why he fought at all. He would burn entire armies to keep this room, this peace, safe.
Even if it meant becoming the villain.
Later, when the meeting broke apart for a ten minute break, Lelouch and Nunnally took a walk around the campus gardens. The garden path was blooming faintly, pale petals scattered across the stone ground.
As they walked, Nunnally tilted her head slightly. "You've been quieter lately, Brother. Is something wrong?"
Lelouch forced a gentle smile. "Nothing you need to worry about. Just… a few games of chess I've been playing."
"With real people, I assume," she said knowingly.
He chuckled softly. "Something like that."
The breeze shifted, carrying the scent of the flowers through the air. For a moment, Lelouch let himself simply walk with her, letting the silence be enough.
When they returned, Milly was still there, flipping lazily through a folder. She glanced up at Lelouch, her eyes glimmering just enough for him to notice.
"You really should smile more when you're here," she said casually, as if commenting on the weather. "You're too handsome to waste it on brooding."
Lelouch arched a brow. "Is that a suggestion or an order?"
"Both," Milly replied, brushing past him with a playful nudge of her shoulder. "I like my vice president looking approachable. Even if he's plotting global conquest in his spare time."
He didn't answer, but she caught the faint curve of his lips as he sat back down.
For now, he would let the masquerade of Ashford Academy continue.
The pieces were already moving again, and the next phase of the game was coming soon enough. The capture of Suzaku, the take over of the base, all of it were puzzle pieces in Lelouch's final masterpiece.
Nothing was going to stand in his way and if it did, he would burn it to the ground.