"What is that?", Adelice asked, staring at the outfit and maskwith wide eyes. Lelouch quickly walked around the bed and slammedthe suitcase closed. Adelice stayed staring at him with her wideblue eyes. "That's why you didn't want me to pack for you....because you thought I would find this....", she whispered.
"I was trying to protect you.", Lelouch said, turning his eyesup to hers. Adelice crossed her arms over her chest. "Protect mefrom what? The truth?", she asked, anger shooting through hereyes. Why would Lelouch lie to her like that?
Of course she didn't agree with any of this but this was the firsttime that she had ever felt betrayed by him. Angry tears filled hereyes as she crossed her arms tighter over her chest. "So you liedto me?...", she asked, a single tear falling down her face.
The pain in her heart was intense as she looked at Lelouch. "Iwas going to tell you eve-", he started to say. "When?!",Adelice asked, wiping the tear off her cheek. Lelouch's eyes fell alittle, he hadn't expected this strong of a reaction from her. "Whenthe time was right...", he answered back, feeling guilt run throughhis veins like poison.
Adelice rolled her eyes and stared at the now closed suitcase. "How long has this been going on?", she whispered. Lelouch ranhis long fingers through his hair, letting a little bit of it fall inhis face as if he was trying to cover up his shame and his lies. "Since Clovis' death...", he admitted, watching her reaction.
Adelice eyes flashed dangerously. "You killed him...", shesaid shakily as more tears threatened to fall from her watery eyes. "How could you?! I know the man wasn't exactly a saint but... hedidn't deserve to be murdered... much less by you! ...His ownbrother.", she yelled, feeling hot tears fall down her face andonto the floor.
Lelouch stayed silent as Adelice crossed her arms over her chestagain. "...What makes you think you have the right to takepeople's lives into your hands and play 'God'?", she whispered. Lelouch sighed a little and shook his head. "I'm not trying toplay 'God' much less-"
"Yet you killed him ...you knew how upset I was and yet youcomforted me and pretended like you didn't know anything. You wipedmy tears... when you were the one that caused them in the firstplace... and not only me.. Nunally too.", she whispered softly.
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"Why?", she asked softly. Lelouch stayed silent as he watched more tears fall, a deeper frownforming on his face. "Why would someone do something sohorrible?", she asked, speaking of Clovis. He gently tucked astrand of hair behind her ear. "I don't know.", he whispered.
Adelice wiped her eyes with the backof her hand. "It... It isn't true .. what they saw on the news? That Suzaku killed him?", she asked, her voice cracking a little. He pulled her close and cupped her cheek. "Of course not.
They'll find him not guilty, Suzakuwould never do something like that. They just made a mistake", heassured her, wiping more tears away. She nodded slowly. "I'm gladto see he's still alive...", she whispered, resting her head on hisshoulder as the funeral started.
She couldn't bare to watch as theyspoke kind words about Clovis and showed his coffin adorned withbeautiful flowers. She could feel Lelouch's gaze rest on her as sheclung onto the TV remote tighter, making her knuckles white againwith her strong grip.
Lelouch took the TV remote from her,gently prying it from her hand and turned it off. He ran his fingersthrough her hair. "Did you want to spend the night again?", heasked softly, kissing the top of her head. He felt her nod into hisshoulder.
"Please. I don't want to be aloneright now.", she answered. He smiled and let her stay nuzzled intohis shoulder, running his fingers through her hair until she fellasleep.
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"I can't believe that you lied to me...", she said, biting theinside of her cheek. He had not only lied to her, he had lied toNunally as well. For once, she was grateful that Nunally was out ofthe house and didn't have to hear them fighting or find out aboutthis horrible discovery.
She could never and would never want to explain to Nunally thetruth of what really was going on. "Clovis begged for his life.",Lelouch whispered, making Adelice turn her head up to him insurprise. "..What?", she asked, not exactly sure if she hadheard him right or perhaps she just didn't want to hear what he hadsaid.
His voice had sounded so cold as he said that. That was not thevoice of the man that she loved. That wasn't Lelouch's voice... thatwas Zero's voice. "He begged with the same tongue that he used toorder the death of countless elevens. What a weak man.", Lelouchanswered. Adelice shivered at his words, it was the same voice thatZero had used.
There...there was that cold voice that she wasn't use to hearing,coming from his mouth. It was something she hadn't been expectingand something that she definitely didn't like. Adelice stared atLelouch. This was definitely not the same man that she knew when shewas little. The same 'Lelouch' that she had fallen in love with.
"So killing him is justified then...?", she said, letting herarms fall to the side. More tears fell as she remembered hisfuneral. The flowers covering his coffin and the big picture of himholding a rose. "It was something that needed to be done...", hewhispered back.
"...And you caused Suzaku to be framed.. and almost killed. Your best friend was almost killed because of you.", she saidcoldly. She couldn't believe at all how he was actually trying tojustify his actions. I mean for goodness sake Suzaku practicallydied because of Lelouch's crazy idea of Zero.
This was beginning to be too much. She could barely even look atLelouch now that she knew he was the one that had killed Clovis. Theman that she loved was a murderer. Murder was never the answer foranything.
"No! That was an accident!", he corrected her quickly. Adelice bit her bottom lip and turned her eyes away. "I didn'tknow they were going to blame it on him. I never would haveimagined.", he whispered.
Adelice nodded her head slightly, at least he didn't want to harmSuzaku. "Does Suzaku know... who you really are?", she asked,wondering if Suzaku was also lying to her. They were after all bestfriends. "Of course not. You know his views on justice... hewould never agree with me.", Lelouch answered her.
Adelice sighed in relief... at least she could still trustsomeone. "With good reason.", she whispered back making Lelouchfrown more. This was the answer to her suspicions of why he had beengone some days or why he would be gone till late at night. Why hewould skip lunch and why she had to fill the empty space that he hadleft at home with Nunally.
"...You pointed a gun at me..", she said softly, feelinganother tear run down her face. "When I was with Euphie..", hervoice becoming softer as the realization hit her. "I wouldn't haveever pulled the trigger, you know that, Adelice.", Lelouch said,his eyes becoming hard and angry.
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"Is that the reason you killedClovis?", Euphemia asked, softly. "No.", he answered her,straight forward. "Then why?! Why did you kill my brother?!",she yelled at him. Zero stayed silent for a moment and then took astep forward.
"Because Clovis was an offspringof the Britannian Emperor.", Zero answered. "That reminds me...you're one of his children too..aren't you?", Zero asked as helifted up a gun and pointed at Euphemia. Adelice adrenalin kicked inquickly as she pushed Euphemia back with her hand and stepped infront of her, holding her arms out to both sides, shielding her.
"Adelice...", Euphemia whispered, surprised by her action,frowning a little. No one moved as silence fell over them. Adeliceglared at Zero who slowly lowered his gun. "You would give yourlife for each other.", Zero said, more to himself then to Adeliceor Euphemia. Adelice hands slowly fell to her side as she slowlynodded to his statement.
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"Why would you even do that? Were you trying to test how far Iwould go to protect my friends? What was the point of even pointingsomething like that at me?", she asked, shaking her head. She justcould not understand what was going on in Lelouch's head. All ofthis was complete madness. Why on earth would anyone think that thiswas a smart idea?
"I pointed it at Euphie, not at you.", he stated. Adeliceshook her head. "It doesn't change the fact that you didn't evenlower your weapon when I stood in front of her, shielding her.",Adelice answered. Lelouch frowned.
"And if my hand would have lowered? What would that say about'Zero'? If I would have lowered my hand instantly then Euphie wouldhave though you were in on The Black Knights. I didn't move my handright away because I didn't want to put suspicion on you. I did itto protect you. All the things that I do... keep you in mind. KeepNunally in mind. I do it to make a better life for both of you.",Lelouch said as he took a step closer to her.
Adelice, in turn, backed away a little bit. "Don't.", shesaid, not wanting him to come any closer. She barely trusted beingin the same room with him let alone him close to her. She felt as ifthe rope that had been binding the two had suddenly snapped and nowthe torn pieces lay on the floor. She didn't even want Lelouch......Zero to touch her.
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"Let go!", she yelled and rippedher arm from Zero's grasp. "Do not run. If you run out that hall,you will die. I said you two were safest with me. I will return youall safely. You have my word.", he said, not reaching for her armagain.
Adelice stayed still for a few moment and stared up at him, notknowing if she should trust this man. In the end, there wasn't muchshe could do. The building shook violently as it started to sinkinto the ground, the sound of the building shaking was hurtingAdelice's ears as she struggled to keep her footing.
Smoke started to rise around the room making her eyes burn. She could just barely make out the outline of Zero now as she heldEuphemia's hand. She watched as Zero grabbed something from insidehis suit and pushed a little device, making one of the windowsexplode. The smoke rushed out of the opening as she felt Zero put ahand on her back.
She winced at the touch of his hand, desperately wanting itaway from her as soon as possible. A shiver ran down her spine asshe though of the same hand that was touching her now was the samethat he had used to kill Clovis with.
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All the memories of that day came flooding back to her. It waslike a tidal wave had hit her and swept her off her feet. "Why areyou even doing this?", she asked, shaking her head a little. "What's the point of being.. 'Zero'?", she continued. Lelouchlooked up at her with eyes that looked drained over color, his skinpaler then usual.
"My whole life I've been dead. A corpse existing behind a falselife. A life in which I did nothing real. Day to day, I merely wentthrough the motions of living as if I were a zombie and I always hadthe feeling that I was gradually dying.", Lelouch said, not takinghis eyes away from hers.
Adelice glared at him. "Am I not real enough for you?! I'vebeen with you, here! Since the beginning! I never left! You orNunally!", she yelled. Lelouch flinched at her words. Adelicehardly ever said harsh words of any sort but this was the first timethat he had ever seen her this mad.
This was exactly why he wanted to tell her on his own time whenshe would accept it calmly. "How could you do something likethis?! Have you gone mad?!", Adelice said pointing at the Zerooutfit. "The world needs to change.", Lelouch said.
Adelice shook her head. "It can't change, Lelouch... you wouldneed a miracle... and no matter of costume or rebel group is going tochange that. What are you thinking when you put that on?! Thatyou're finally gonna get back at your father?! ... It can't be done,Lelouch! You're living in an illusion.", she stated.
Lelouch shook his head. "That's exactly what I use to think butnow that I have power, it is possible.", he said. Her ears perkedup at the way he said the word "power". There was somethingabout that word that sent chills down her back. "Power?... What doyou mean by 'Power'?", she asked, a sense of nausea filled herstomach.
"The power I gave him.", a woman's voice spoke makingAdelice jumped and turn to the doorway.
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End of Chapter 15