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A few days later, Maltyie, Ava, and Aya went to an underground lab below the military HQ. Formerly known as the underground factory, it was rebuilt and further revamped to facilitate the C.U's military scientists and engineers. Combined with cutting-edge equipment and technology, those people working there produced various weapons for its country.
Project Aegis spearheaded C.U's military might, and with such power, decades-long war pillaged innocent people of their own countries. Still, times had changed, and with the succession of yet another new C.U's Ruler brought about extolling changes.
Test subjects contained inside the lab had been freed and taken care of, desisting the Project Aegis as a whole.
"Your Benevolence, welcome!" greeted Klaus as he walked towards Maltyie. The other scientists including Alicia were busy working in the background, more specifically on methods to reverse Hope's Aegis to its normal, dormant state. Their swollen eyes didn't deter them, obstinate on the end goal of this project even if they had to sacrifice their sleep.
"Your progress is admirable, Klaus," said Maltyie when she and Ava halted. "Please get some rest, all of you."
"Mommy!" Hugging Alicia was the first thing the girl would do when she came down here."Don't work so hard. Maltyie even said so."
Aya prodded her mother when she continued milling the documents on her table. Eventually, Alicia relented when Ava sidled up to her. The fourteen-year-old girl mentioned how she and Alicia's daughter would attend school starting tomorrow.
"Take care of Aya for me, Ava," said Alicia.
"I will... don't worry. Also, I just remembered something. I'll come over tonight as well, so—"
"Keep the door unlocked, yup. By the way, the two of you'll be in the same class, right? That'll make things easier."
Maltyie approached them with a graceful gait and coughed. She had been planning to use her authority to keep Aya and Ava together, unseparated during their school years. By doing so the duo could become accustomed to their environs quicker, deadening any furtive thoughts clouding their young minds, and adapt to their new life easier.
Any bullies trying to harm her precious buds would surely suffer from it, even if Maltyie had to flout a few rules to get her way. Speaking of which, Ava and Aya could take care of the bullies themselves, but just to not exacerbate unnecessary future problems, Maltyie had to watch them, carefully.
"Head Scientist Alicia, and Head Scientist Klaus," called Maltyie. "Tell everyone here to take some days off. I don't want you people to sacrifice the time with your family for this project. It's a top priority I'd foisted on all of you, but doing it without any rest isn't in the protocol. As such, continue the project four days from now. I want staffs to leave the lab today by 1700. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Your Benevolence!"
The emaciated-looking scientists hurried to finish bits that could be finished quickly. Orders by the C.U's Ruler were absolute, and any objections would be ignored, usually.
"Hello, hard-working people!"
"Ava, Aya... Good morning."
Caesar and Lily responded to Maltyie's summons, heading down to the underground lab to meet her and the other three C.U-affiliated Aegis Users. Catching up to the duo was Miranda, bored and unamused at the turn of events.
"Ah, thank you for coming," greeted Maltyie. "Caesar, or should I say, Kurt Holm... Lily Angove, and Miranda. Welcome, former Aegis Users."
"Sis, technically I'm still Caesar. See this mask?" Caesar tapped at his Aegis mask—designed to appear like a soldier's mask, with two angular horns on its forehead area. "And, we're not former Aegis Users. The correct phrase would be former soldiers."
"Haha. Indeed, Kurt."
"Don't call me that, please, Onee-chan."
"...What did you say?" Maltyie raised an eyebrow at him.
"N-Nothing."
"Anyway, I'll just go straight to the point. Do you three want to come back to being soldiers of C.U? If you do, then a specialized force only for Aegis Users will be established immediately. Unlike the C.U's Aegis Squad my father set up, this one will be led by one of the Users."
"Huuuh?!" Including Ava, the Aegis Users present were nonplussed by Maltyie's announcement. Why wouldn't they? As it was before, Aegis Users were to serve the country's leader without compromise. And now, Maltyie herself had changed this very system with her own words.
"One more thing, this specialized force will be independent. Meaning, if I propose a mission for them, they have all the rights to refuse it. The Aegis Users don't have to participate and they will be no punishment whatsoever. Independent, true to its name."
"What the... Are you still asleep, Sis?"
Wham!
A metal-edged file found its mark on Caesar's head and he groaned in pain. Incredulous as his expression was, Maltyie stood next to him with the said file in hand.
"Agatha already resumed her position as a general. How about it? You'll not languish under my authority. Freedom is all yours, Aegis Users," said Maltyie.
"I don't mind. I need to eat and to eat, I need money," said Miranda, veracity in the words she spoke.
"If Caesar..."
"Lady Lily, you need to decide for yourself," Caesar straightened up his posture and looked at Lily, standing at his right side. "As for me, I want to come back. With the freedom we have, I don't see why not. At the same time, I can keep an eye on Hope whenever I like."
Caesar waved at Ava, and she returned the gesture. It didn't seem odd to Ava that Caesar had stopped calling Hope, 'edgy blond teen'. This trivial matter was nowhere in her mind.
"I'll join in as well," Lily said softly.
"Great!"
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At the HQ's hallways, Lily's incessant badgering managed to catch Caesar's attention. He was reading a novel so any outside noise was obstructed from his mind, completely focused on every word his eyes laid upon. As for Lily herself, she wanted to ask Caesar about the house they would live in from that day onwards.
"Our house... The one that Maltyie give to us is not far from here, isn't it?" asked Lily.
"That it is, Lady Lily. Oh, wait, is there something else bothering you?" said Caesar, tilting his head a bit as they walked.
"Us going back to the military... Do you think it's the right choice? We can still change it and do something else."
Caesar rubbed his chin. "That's another option we could take. But, I want to keep watch on my Sis here, and since she herself doesn't have power over us once we join back, I don't see why her offer should be refused outright."
"...If Caesar said so, then I'm okay with it," said Lily with an exultant smile.
"Lady Lily, you need to decide for yourself. I'm not always available to point things out for ya'"
Lily nodded slowly at his statement. There was nothing wrong with what Caesar, her most trusted partner, said at all. In fact, she knew what it meant to take control of what matters most in her life, but her feelings for Caesar overcame everything. This surreptitious feeling never left her chest, and this was why the lady would do almost anything to ensure her bond with Caesar never ceased. Though to Caesar's knowledge, Lily didn't know this herself.
They both had lunch at an infamous cafe a few kilometers away from the HQ and then went shopping at a resplendent mall. They didn't buy much, except for the ingredients for a meal they wanted to have for dinner. After scouring through several grocery stores for meatballs, the Lily and Caesar pair made their way to a large house with striking lapis lazuli blue color.
"Woah! What are those? Wait, don't answer, Lady Lily. I'm sure that's—"
"A car. Polished, as if newly bought. Ah, my mistake... It is brand new..."
Caesar wiped his hands all over the charcoal black car's bonnet, enraptured by this gift Maltyie had given him. Of course, the key itself would be sent to the front door the next day, so the parked car wouldn't be usable until then.
"Caesar... actually, there's something I want to tell you," said Lily once they got inside the house.
"I'm listening... after we cast aside all these stuff we bought!"
The exact moment Caesar finished, Lily hugged him from behind. She wrapped her arms around his body, unwilling to let go.
"..." Caesar went stiff after what Lily did. Having known her for the longest time, he felt weird, nervous even from this. Lily showed her gentle side to those she trusted and bared her fangs against those who she deemed as an enemy. But right then, Lily was acting fairly strange even for someone that knew her for so long.
"I know, Caesar. I know... about how you feel about me," whispered Lily. "I was foolish to not know this before, but it's different now..."
"You like me, don't you?"
These words struck Caesar hard and he flinched. Deep inside, Lily's heart throbbed the fastest it'd ever been in her life. Confronting the man that brought her to the outside world for the first time, with this hidden feeling she harbored, it was hard for Lily to see him in the eyes.
Caesar didn't want to deny it. Did he have a reason to? Lily's question was a fact in itself, he knew this all too well. Confused, embarrassed— an eclectic mix of emotions swirled inside his chest.
"I-I... I do like you, Lady Lily. It didn't occur to me before for the first couple visits I did when you were still a test subject for Aegis. But, I developed feelings for you," confessed Caesar.
"I see..."
Lily let go of him, and when he turned to see her, the man's eyes opened wide.
Tears fell from Lily's pair of yellow eyes— her smile made Caesar's heart fluttered uncontrollably. The girl he confessed to was happy from the words he said, the confession he'd been keeping to himself for years let loose for her to listen. Caesar hoped to discard this feeling he had for Lily, but this turn of events prevented it.
"C-Caesar... I..." Lily held a hand over her chest. "T-The truth is, just like you, I fell in love when you start to visit me back then. But I didn't notice this until now. Your sister, Maltyie revealed that you have feelings for me, and then I knew, I feel the same way as well."
My sister, Maltyie, of course! Caesar wanted to go back to the HQ to have a word with her, but it didn't happen. With the two confessing their love to each other, the feeling of acceptance budded in their heart.
And so, on that day, Lily announced to their neighbors about her boyfriend, which abashed Caesar like no other.