"Mom, about Fred..."
As soon as they returned to their home with just the two of them, Athrun couldn't help but speak up.
"There's no danger, don't worry."
"Your father has looked into it."
Lenore shook her head with a smile, gently pushing Athrun as she spoke softly.
"Athrun, go take a bath first."
"Okay..."
He didn't believe Fred's earlier words were just a slip of the tongue.
After all, the other party didn't behave like an ordinary twelve-year-old Natural at all.
Both in mentality and ability, he was no less than a Second-Generation Coordinator.
Hearing such a person utter those words had made the hairs on Athrun's neck stand up even before they sat down for dinner.
That person was terrifying.
Who knew if he was aware of their identities?
But seeing that his mother seemed to genuinely trust Fred—though still with some doubts—Athrun held back his words.
Watching Athrun's retreating figure, Lenore's originally gentle and lightly arched willow-leaf eyebrows faintly furrowed.
She hadn't lied; with such a suspected spy so close to them, Pat had naturally investigated.
And he was still under surveillance.
But the other's behavior was too regular for a twelve-year-old child.
Every day, he was either reading in the library or working out in the gym.
The most suspicious was the maintenance work at Copernicus.
As a neutral city, Lunar City Copernicus naturally handled its own maintenance.
Fred was even a member of the Copernicus maintenance volunteers, often taking the Mistral outside for maintenance tasks.
Normally, students joined this volunteer activity just to earn credits.
But as a top student, Fred had already broken the school's record for credits.
That reason simply didn't hold up.
However, they had planted someone in Fred's maintenance group and hadn't seen him meet with anyone.
Instead, his maintenance speed seemed to be racing against himself, getting faster each time.
From his clumsy beginnings two years ago to now, he basically completed each maintenance task at a pace that put seasoned technicians to shame, then left immediately.
In Lenore's view, though puzzling, the boy was probably honing his ability to control the Mobile Armor.
And it was indeed effective.
Lastly, of course, was his research work in Cosmic Botany. As a Natural, he showed no fear among their group of Coordinators.
Their side was mostly scholars, and upon realizing he wasn't there to idle but had genuine skills, Fred quickly integrated.
With such a perfect demeanor, it seemed he was destined to inherit his father's political assets, become a key figure in the Atlantic Federation, and bring honor to his family.
And now, this future heavyweight was telling her he wanted to break the Council Nation's ban to perform Reverse Genetic Engineering on the Seed?
Was he crazy, or was she?
"Could he really be a spy? Or..."
Given Fred's seamless interactions with Coordinators and her impressions from daily interactions, Lenore was reluctant to think that way.
But if not, then... could Fred really be one of them?
Lenore was technically neutral, but at this moment, her heart was stirred.
As Fred's teacher, coupled with the countless surveillance data on Fred, she probably understood the young man's potential better than even his own father.
If someone like him was dedicated to promoting the coexistence of Coordinators and Naturals, it could indeed influence the future direction of the world.
"It's too early to talk about these things now."
"At least he probably means no harm."
Lenore stopped overthinking and turned her gaze to the report in front of her.
Just as Fred had said, they were preparing to conduct reverse engineering.
They had just tacitly excluded Fred from the process.
In a way, it was for his own good.
Sooner or later, their intellect would break through the Council Nation's blockade.
Thinking this, Lenore tightened her grip on the report.
...
Meanwhile, in a single apartment not far from them, Fred was looking at his father on the screen with an awkward grin.
"Smiling? How can you still smile? What was the point of kicking that person for no reason..."
"That guy was bullying a child, and an eight-year-old at that!"
Fred spoke with conviction, chest puffed out.
"This time, they were in the wrong."
George paused, then sighed.
But the world wasn't that simple.
"Still, you're just a kid yourself. I managed to cover for you this time, but what if..."
He wasn't blaming his son—he was just afraid that if something happened in the future, he might not be able to protect him.
His position, to be honest, wasn't that high.
There were plenty of people he couldn't afford to offend.
He was proud and happy that his son had such a strong sense of justice, but the world was clearly descending into chaos.
In a chaotic world, integrity would only lead to hardship, or even put one in danger.
"Enough! Stop it!"
"Little Fred was just standing up for what's right! That guy had no excuse! I say we should file a complaint with the Copernicus Management Committee!"
A beautiful red-haired woman, hands on her hips and pouting, took up half the screen, dissatisfied.
That was his mother, and also Flay's mother.
But according to the original storyline, Flay wasn't supposed to have a mother.
Perhaps his presence had altered some trajectory.
After all, in his previous life, Fred had seen plenty of movies and novels about the butterfly effect.
And it was a good thing she was alive.
Watching the two of them bickering and flirting on screen, Fred's mind began to wander.
Near the end of his previous life, though his parents tried to hide it from him, he could still hear them arguing outside his hospital room.
By then, he was already emaciated, little more than skin and bones, and their arguments often ended in tears.
He felt he had failed them, leaving the heavy burden to his younger brother.
There were too many regrets, too much remorse.
That was why he cherished this second chance all the more.
Treasure every minute, every second.
"By the way, little Fred, your sister will be starting school at Copernicus in a few days."
"And I'll be going with her~"
Once George and the woman had finished their back-and-forth display of affection, their mother, Heather, chimed in.
The corners of her lips lifted slightly, her expression naturally cheerful.
As for Fred, his usual composure shattered. His mouth hung slightly agape, a look of shock on his face.
"Why so sudden?"
"You know how clingy your little sister is with you. She's grown up now, and so have you. Just let her go."
"Perfect timing—I'll head upstairs and cook for you all."
Heather blinked her sapphire-blue eyes.
"Mom... do you even know how to cook?"
Fred's lips twitched as he couldn't resist teasing.
"How rude, little Fred! Your mother has been practicing hard! I'm going upstairs to improve your meals!"
"Hey, you! Back me up here!"
Heather gave George's shoulder a firm slap.
"Yeah, yeah..."
Fred met George's "you're on your own" expression and swallowed the compliment he was about to give.
Is... this really going to be okay?