It wasn't disappointment, but rather...
"Little one, are you lost?"
Fred unlocked the private room door via the control panel and walked over to Lacus, crouching down halfway as he asked.
Indeed, even Fred had momentarily forgotten about Lacus's reputation due to her current appearance. The present Lacus looked only about eight or nine years old, her body noticeably smaller than Athrun and others.
She certainly appeared adorable, but viewing her as the idol and goddess from his memories was absolutely impossible.
He wasn't a lolicon.
Moreover, she was about the same age as his younger sister, making her feel even more sister-like.
Those slight thoughts quickly vanished.
However, it was indeed strange that Lacus would suddenly appear here by herself.
There were no Haros to open the door for Lacus now.
"Yes, I'm lost."
Lacus smiled cutely.
"?"
Listening to their conversation, Alec was speechless.
These two - one dared to ask while the other dared to answer.
What nonsense about being lost.
Only a true talent could get lost and end up here.
"Your man is quite good."
While Alec was still bewildered, a deep voice sounded from behind Lacus.
"...Chairman Clyne!"
Hearing the voice, Alec instinctively raised his gun in alarm, then immediately put it away with a frightened shudder.
Cold sweat instantly drenched his body.
Damn, had he just pointed his gun at one of the highest-ranking figures in PLANT?
"Mr. Clyne, Alec didn't mean it."
Fred looked up, showing no surprise as he slowly straightened up in front of Lacus.
Hearing Fred's words, Alec felt touched.
Fred was a good employer - even though he himself was the Natural, he still spoke up to defend him.
"He didn't know this young lady was your daughter."
"Pfft! Cough cough..."
Alec, who had thought he'd merely accidentally raised his gun toward the important figure, nearly cried upon hearing Fred's words, almost wanting to throw his pistol away.
This... had to be a joke.
He had pointed his gun at this important figure and his daughter?
If this got out, he'd probably be beaten to death by Clyne Faction supporters.
"Hmm?"
Meanwhile, Siegel raised an eyebrow slightly upon seeing how quickly Fred had figured out Lacus's relationship with him, then chuckled amiably.
"It's alright. Lacus ran off on her own, and we did arrive unexpectedly."
That door was bulletproof anyway - as long as it wasn't opened, no shots would hit. It was just minimal precaution, so Siegel naturally had nothing to mind.
As for whether Lacus was frightened...
If she scared that easily, she wouldn't be Lacus.
"That's right, uncle, it's okay~"
Lacus narrowed her eyes slightly, her smile still adorable.
"...Uncle"
Fred was the one who called him brother...
Being called "uncle" by such a cute girl depressed Alec, who silently took a step back.
Looking at the clearly somewhat mischievous Lacus before him, Fred's lips twitched slightly.
He suddenly remembered the radio drama from his previous life - what prank had Lacus played after hearing that Andrew was also watching Meer?
Before Fred could recall those vague memories from his previous life, Siegel had already taken over the conversation.
"Shall we sit down and talk?"
"Of course."
Following Siegel's words, Fred nodded in agreement.
As they spoke, the two soon arrived at the central position within the private room.
The setup resembled a conference room.
Fred and Siegel sat facing each other, while Lacus took a seat beside Siegel.
As for Alec, he was currently standing guard at the door with a pitiful, tearful expression.
Clearly, Lacus's earlier words had dealt quite a blow to this future gentleman of gentle demeanor.
"Do you know Lacus?"
Siegel didn't get straight to the point but asked instead.
Evidently, Fred recognizing the two of them first had caught Siegel's attention.
Although in the series he was a character who didn't last long, it was clear that someone capable of co-founding the Zodiac Alliance with Patrick and independently supporting a faction was no pushover.
"I don't, but I assumed Mr. Siegel wouldn't bring an unrelated child here."
Fred smiled.
"Hmm."
What Fred said made sense.
But not everyone could think that quickly.
Especially when faced with one of the highest leaders of PLANT.
In moments of shock, whether Coordinator or Natural, anyone would be stunned and freeze up.
Of course, considering the other party's background and experiences, such a reaction seemed only natural.
Siegel pondered this briefly before moving past the topic.
"I heard you plan to renovate the Central Terminal? Why?"
"For the safety of my family."
Fred's response was frank, and his gaze remained steady under the other's scrutiny.
"And what about assisting our research? That should run counter to your family's safety, shouldn't it?"
"The research is for future space travel."
"...What?"
Even someone as sharp as Siegel was taken aback by this.
He had expected Fred to voice grievances on behalf of Coordinators, but the answer was that simple?
"But if that's all, couldn't it be accomplished within Blue Cosmos as well?"
"Yes, but after what happened before, if I didn't come here, I'd only be exploited."
Fred nodded.
His words were half-truths—the false part likely being his reason for coming.
It was more complicated than they imagined, and it involved spoilers. Whether they'd believe him was one issue.
Who knew what ripple effects it might cause?
Moreover, this was one of his advantages, and he had no intention of revealing everything.
He had principles, but he wasn't a saint.
He simply did what he wanted, what he thought was cool, things that wouldn't keep him awake at night with regret.
On the other side, Patrick didn't refute this.
In fact, he knew there was truth in what the other said.
But his intuition told him it wasn't that straightforward.
Still... if it really was as Fred claimed, it would indeed justify letting him delve deeper into their research.
In truth, this test of having Fred renovate such a sensitive part of the Central Hub was not only a probe of his abilities but also of Fred's own actions.
That was why Patrick had made the trip.
So far, nothing seemed amiss.
"By the way, I have another piece of information."
"What?"
Hearing Fred's sudden statement, Siegel, who had been ready to wrap things up, paused.
"I heard a clone has come to PLANT through some illegal channel."
"He's a Blue Cosmos infiltrator, highly capable."
Technically speaking, he wasn't entirely wrong, though he couldn't be certain whether Creuset actually had connections with Blue Cosmos.
But that didn't stop him from exaggerating the claim.
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