So I ended up writing this chapter. Whether or not there'll be more depends on future webtoon events or if the bunnies ambush me.

The house was out of guest rooms (well, there was the lab, but Ajussi and the others didn't want them sleeping there), so Ikhan and Shinwoo were taking the sitting room. "Do you think it's strange?" Ikhan asked Shinwoo as he lay there on the couch that was made up as a bed – sometimes being short… not being tall yet had its advantages. "That nobody's upset, or weirded out?"

"We knew all of this already," Shinwoo said, sitting down and stretching. "Remember? Tao explained, well, the important stuff." Union evil, nobles kind of vampires but not evil. "It's actually a relief. I was starting to get… you know, paranoid."

"Yeah, you nearly got arrested because someone thought you were stalking Suyi."

"Thank goodness for your uncle," Shinwoo said, shuddering. "I don't know what my Dad would do if he found out I was getting hauled in by the cops again. He might transfer me to a military academy or something."

Thank goodness they'd called the Chairman instead of Shinwoo's dad when they thought Shinwoo was breaking into the Chairman's house. "That would suck." Not just for Ikhan losing his friend, but Shinwoo having to get up at the crack of dawn, and who knew what else? And if there was hazing? Shinwoo didn't put up with bullies.

"I'd go crazy," Shinwoo agreed. "How am I supposed to look after you from another city or who knows where he'd send me? We didn't remember, but I knew you guys were in danger and I couldn't figure out what and it was driving me up the wall." He clenched his fists, then let out a breath and relaxed them."I kept getting so wound up I had to train even more to burn off the energy."

How was this a relief to Shinwoo? Ikhan wondered. He could grow fangs, and the Union was something out of cyberpunk, forget manhwa! There could be agents around any corner, with weird powers! But Tao had his camera net, that was something, and they could sense things now.

At least now they knew what to look for, and they had more ways to look. "Yeah," he said, taking off his glasses. "I guess this is less scary."

"You'll know if anything happens to Regis and Tao; I'll know if anything happens to Seira, Yuna and Suyi; and Rai…" Shinwoo frowned, ticking people off on his fingers. "Might not know if anything happens to the Chairman. Rai's sick, there's no way he'd want Rai to come bail him out."

"Right," Ikhan realized. He could tell that Regis and Tao were fine now, and that was good. "There's Ajussi, but Tao's keeping an eye on him. And everybody else." And he could talk to them too. Oh, right. "Regis?"

"Yes, Ikhan?" He could practically see Regis' concerned expression.

"I'm fine," he assured him, "but I think we should run an errand after school tomorrow. It'll help with Tao, I think."

"I would appreciate your assistance," was the formal reply, but he could feel that Regis really appreciated it.

Tao was really cool and Ikhan liked him a lot, but he also kind of worried about him. Now he knew why though, so he might be able to help? He could try anyway, when before he had no idea.

If being a vampire meant being more like Tao, Tao was really cool! Regis was his friend, too, so even though he was scared (or maybe the word was shocked) when he found out Regis was sort of like a vampire, he could only worry now in a theoretical way.

This could be really bad. He knew that the contract meant Regis could mind control him, so Regis could be making him think that of course Regis would never.

Except Shinwoo was right. "The Chairman didn't want us to remember so the Union wouldn't think that we knew anything, but we weren't as shocked as we should have been by DA-5. That could have given us away to the Union, and the Chairman's smart, he'd know that. Either he made a mistake," and how likely was that, "or he couldn't seal everything away." He'd need to look up all the ways the brain stored information, especially information on emotions? And major threats, that might rate its own category? In the morning, though.

"I was thinking about that, because of Ajussi." Shinwoo stretched. "Yeah, he put Yuna in danger, but he was a punk. I know punks."

"You are a punk," Ikhan muttered, and got a pillow thrown at his head for his trouble.

"If messing with our memories didn't make us forget friends and enemies, then why weren't any of us keeping an eye on Ajussi? But there's no way the Chairman would have made us trust him after he put us in danger."

"Ajussi's friend," Ikhan said sadly. Even worse than if Shinwoo died, he couldn't imagine it.

"I had to remember that," Shinwoo said, looking up at the ceiling. "I had to get stronger, after that. Not letting anyone else die because I was too weak to protect you guys. And Rai's sick and he had to save us twice."

Rai, who sat there and stared at soggy noodles. Ikhan let out a sigh of relief. "Rai's a mind-reader, so there's no way. This can't be messing with our emotions; the Chairman wouldn't let it."

"Huh?" Shinwoo wondered, turning over to look at him.

"If we only trusted Regis and Seira with this because something was making us trust them, then what's Rai going to think? Remember when we begged him to save Tao and Ajussi?"

That took Shinwoo a minute. "No…?" So they hadn't gotten everything back?

Oh, right. "You were unconscious. But Rai's really sensitive! If someone was messing with our emotions, he'd think we didn't really like him, and there's no way the Chairman would let that happen."

"Ow, yeah." Shinwoo shuddered. "What's Rai doing fighting? He can't even handle video games. I have to get strong enough that I can tell him to knock it off." He yawned. "Can I have my pillow back?"

"No way! You threw it at me, it's mine now."

"Then I'll take yours!" Shinwoo lunged forward across the coffee table to snatch it out from under Ikhan's head.

Ikhan grabbed it. "Oh no you don't –" He pulled it back, away from Shinwoo, and heard the sound of tearing cloth. The pillow exploded, scattering white feathers everywhere.

"Who makes pillows with feathers anymore?" Shinwoo wondered, standing up. "Don't worry, it's my fault, so I'll go look for another pillow."

Yeah, it definitely was Shinwoo's fault, so he was the one who could clean it up in the morning.

Yuna and Suyi were sleeping over with Seira tonight, so M-21 and Takeo had brought up cots and put them in Seira's room, along with sheets, pillows, everything before going to bed themselves. Yuna really wondered just how much stuff the Chairman had under his house. The sheets didn't seem old, exactly, but they smelled like cedar.

"Hey, Yuna," Suyi said.

"Yes?"

"When the Chairman said we were going to have to forget what happened, he said that something happened to you guys that I missed?" Suyi asked her, and Yuna could also feel Seira's curiosity.

"Ajussi's friend died," she said. "Protecting us." Yuna had wanted to look after him: she'd remembered that, even without knowing what happened. He'd seemed so horribly alone, and she hadn't wanted M-24's friend to be alone. Not after he saved everyone.

That was why she'd forgiven Ajussi, even though Yuna had thought that she'd never forgive anyone for hurting Shinwoo.

"We should ask Ajussi," she told them. "We didn't really understand what was going on, and when we woke up, we didn't remember anything."

Seira nodded, as though that was to be expected.

"Since clearly I was in danger from the Union anyway, I would have liked to remember," Suyi said, annoyed. She folded her arms. "Not right now, not when he's upset, but I want to get back at the Chairman for that."

"There is a club," Seira told them. "For those who wish to punch the houseowner in the face, just once. They have masks and numbers."

"Don't think you're off the hook," Suyi told her, giving Seira an affronted look. "If he hadn't, you would have done it."

Seira nodded. "Regis and I are allowed in the human world by authority of the Lord. Regis is still a child, but if he doesn't learn to follow the regulations, it will reflect badly on him when he is an adult."

"Is that why you said you were Regis' chaperone?" Suyi asked.

Seira nodded. "Regis is interning: he cannot join the Central Order Knights as his parent did until he reaches his majority. I am his advisor and adult supervision."

"So if he didn't wipe our memories, and you didn't, it would have gotten both of you in trouble." Yuna could understand Seira not wanting Regis to get in trouble, and all of them really had thought this was the best way to protect everyone.

That got another nod from the noble.

"How are you related?" Yuna asked her. "If you don't mind me asking," she added quickly. They'd said they weren't, but they really acted like family, so was it something they couldn't tell the others because they were nobles?

"We are not related," Seira told her. "But our parents were very young when they made us, so they decided to assist each other with parenting. I believe it was Rousare's – Regis' parent's – idea, from observing the humans."

"So he's your step-brother?" Suyi asked.

That made Seira blink her red eyes. They weren't scary at all, just really pretty. "If he was adopted into Clan Loyard, then he could not be the heir of Clan Landegre."

"So not legally, but he's like a little brother to you." Suyi frowned when she saw Seira's expression.

Seira sighed and told them that, "Regis would not appreciate being compared to Rael."

"Rael?"

Seira sighed again. "He is the only 'younger brother' we know. He proposed to me as soon as I became legal, and after I was forced to make it clear several times that he was not my type, he threw a tantrum and had to be placed in confinement."

"I wouldn't want to be compared to him either," Suyi said, nodding. "Ugh, I remember when I had creeps talking about what they'd do as soon as I was legal." She leaned forward. "How hard would it be to beat up that guy?"

Yuna stared at her.

"We need to start thinking about it!" Suyi said in her defense.

"Rael has inherited a soul weapon." Seira shook her head disapprovingly. "My teacher may have been correct in his assessment of the previous leader of the Kertia Clan." She looked at the wall behind Seira. "Rael carried you here after you were poisoned, and Sir Rajak assisted us against the Union Elders. The houseowner offered them shelter while they recovered as thanks – it is not safe to leave or return to Lukedonia while injured, the Union has set up ambushes near our borders in the past."

Yuna looked around and asked quietly, "So he could hear us talking about him?"

"I am more concerned about Sir Rajak's feelings. He was a friend of my parent's, and Regis' as well. Rajak must be happy that Rael helped Regis and the other children in their battle against the Union, and then tried to save the lives of humans by carrying you here."

"So Rajak's gotten his hopes up that his brother's grown up a bit and you don't want to crush them," Suyi summed up.

Seira nodded.

Yuna wanted to ask if she was related to Rai, but probably not. Oh, "Does Rai have any family?"

Seira looked thoughtful. "I do not believe so. If he had a clan, the Lord would have reinstated them when he returned."

"Reinstated?"

"A clan is not a clan without a clan leader to speak for it before the Lord and ensure the clan upholds the honor of the nobles. While I live, Clan Loyard is still a clan, despite only having two members. While Lagus Tradio lives, the family of Claudia Tradio is not a clan, despite having dozens of members." She frowned. "I would have to ask Sir Gejutel if the Lord was considered part of the clan of the Previous Lord before she ascended as Lord."

"When he introduced himself to our class, Rai said that all of his name was both his personal name and his family name," Yuna remembered. Did that mean he didn't have a clan name like Loyard, because he didn't have a clan?

Seira looked thoughtful. "The Lord's name is similar to his. Perhaps the houseowner will know. We will have to ask him about how you could defeat Rael when he behaves inelegantly again. Takeo has gained several new powers from our contract, but the houseowner asked him not to draw on it for power, so I do not know how much power it can give you."

"Why didn't he want him to use it?" Suyi wondered.

"The houseowner is still stabilizing Takeo. He was concerned that my power could interfere with that process in unexpected ways."

Oh, that made sense. Yuna nodded. "We're not enhanced humans. Maybe if we use that power, he can see if it's safe for Takeo? Or maybe not," she realized, "if he's still worried after having a contract for so long."

Seira looked thoughtful. "The houseowner would not use Rai's power lightly. The use of that power could harm him, or Rai. Perhaps that is why he is so concerned, even if my power does not compare to the Noblesse's."

"Rai's power is harmful?" Did it hurt him to use it? "Is that why he's sick?" Because he used it when he fought Jake, and then DA-5 to save them?

Seira nodded. "The Noblesse's soul weapon is his own blood and noble soul. When he uses them, he uses them up. The Chairman does not think he has much strength left."

"Seriously?" Suyi demanded, pale, as Yuna stared in open-mouthed horror.

Then saving them from Jake, and saving Tao, and… for their sake, Rai… And she'd let them make her forget what Rai did for them! Even that it happened, so she didn't even have a chance to make sure it didn't happen again? "Poor Rai…" They had to do something!

It wasn't exactly rare for Suyi to have to get up and shower and put on make-up when the sun wasn't even out yet. But today, she wasn't awake this early because there was a photo shoot or audition or interview or anything else she had to get ready for.

Was this what it was like to be a morning person? Did they get to wake up feeling refreshed every day?

Suyi wouldn't have thought that getting turned into sort of a vampire would make someone a morning person, but apparently.

Idly she wondered if all morning people were vampires as she walked – not stumbled, walked – down the stairs, stretching. She was going in search of coffee, that was normal, but she didn't really need coffee? She just felt like having a cup. And not even because of the caffeine addiction she had to break every time she got a few days off, because the coffee didn't work as well if her body got habituated to it.

Automatically she went to hit the light switch, but she didn't need it. Well, that was good, that way she didn't have to wake up Shinwoo and Ikhan.

Seeing a note on the coffeemaker, she frowned, picking it up to get a closer look at it. Who wrote it? Tao, probably. It wasn't like the chairman's coffeemaker was hard to figure out, but the two nobles who came from Lukedonia might not have seen one like this before. Maybe Master was how you addressed a clan leader?

Suyi shrugged and put the note back, intending to ask Seira about it later. Picking up her coffee, she heard someone coming down the stairs and turned around to see a gawky blond staring at her. She could sort of sense that he was one of the two nobles in the house she hadn't met, but she had no idea if this was the one Seira liked or the creepy one, so she just raised her eyebrows. She didn't want to say, 'Good morning,' when Shinwoo and Ikhan were sleeping in the next room, so she ventured a wave when he still didn't say anything. Maybe he wasn't sure how to address her or something?

Regis and Seira cared a lot about what the proper thing to do was, but when they weren't sure Seira would often remain quiet while Regis tried to bluff with 'I know what I'm doing,' or 'whatever I'm doing is obviously the elegant thing because it's me doing it.' Maybe this one was shy, or still recovering from the fight last night?

Or maybe not all nobles were morning people, who knew. As the awkward silence continued she thought she saw his cheeks darken a little, embarrassed. Before she could point him at the coffee machine he just vanished.

What was that all about?

After Ikhan was woken up by the Chairman's reaction to the feathers, the Chairman forced a smile on his face and said he wanted to look them over and make sure they wouldn't accidentally pull on Seira or Regis' power and break things (more things: Ikhan felt really guilty about the feathers, he should have picked them up while Shinwoo was looking for a pillow even if they were supposed to go right to sleep). He said they could go home and get whatever they needed before they came back to the house after school, so Ikhan didn't think stopping at a store with Regis should be a problem. Ikhan had looked up the optimal store and gotten directions before class got out, so this shouldn't take long.

"So you think that Tao had a clan, or family… before?" Ikhan asked, digging through the bin.

"I was young, but I remember that it was… difficult, to go from a house that was full to one that was not. If he went from a house that was full to one that was noisy, because no one there had the slightest bit of consideration for other people?" Regis scowled. "Seira said that Takeo had no family, if we believe Dr. Aris. Takeo wanted a family, but Tao may know what he is missing without a clan."

"Huh," Ikhan said thoughtfully. "That something that might help to narrow down who Tao used to be."

"He said that Dr. Aris changed his appearance as well as his genes, and he does not have his original mitochondrial DNA. But M-21 is already searching for the names of his comrades, and Tao and Takeo are comrades." So M-21 would find Tao's name, surely, and of course Regis and the others would help. That wasn't the issue. Regis stared at the one he'd just pulled out of the bin, holding it out for Ikhan's examination. "This one seems to have electronic implants?"

"No," Ikhan said firmly when he saw the monstrosity Regis was holding up. "Tao can build his own 'electronic implants' if he wants them."

Regis was staring at the thing and definitely seemed to agree with Ikhan that it was a monstrosity, but he thought the whole thing was probably absurd but what did he know about humans? "Tao could build the entire thing from scratch, I'm sure. He shouldn't have to rewire a gift to make it appropriate." Dubiously, he pushed the big red button.

Ikhan winced and covered his ears as Regis looked around, utterly mortified that he'd set off this noise. He looked at Ikhan for help, holding the thing as far away from him as possible.

"Don't worry, it'll stop soon." And the store had to be used to this kind of thing happening, so Regis shouldn't feel too embarrassed, although Ikhan knew how Regis felt about making noise.

Regis set it down carefully like a bomb that might go off a second time if jostled wrong.

As the cashier rang up their purchases, Ikhan wondered if there was some way to get them gift-wrapped before they left the store, or something. Someone his height shouldn't walk through town carrying things like this, especially when they were bigger than usual so he'd look even smaller! "Do you have any big paper bags?" he asked hopefully. "Or opaque plastic bags?"

"We offer gift-wrapping services, but there's an extra charge and it'll take some time."

"Please," Ikhan said, relieved.

"These are for you," Ikhan said, holding out his parcel.

"Ooh, what did you bring me?" Tao asked, hovering over the parcel and looking up at Ikhan for permission before snatching it and ripping through the paper.

Regis' horrified eyes followed the scraps of paper as they flew through the air, some towards the entranceway and some… towards… the seating area, where Raizel's cup of tea… His instincts screamed at him to grab them, but Regis was also carrying a parcel and he couldn't just drop a gift on the ground!

Thankfully, he wasn't the only one who saw the threat: as Tao exclaimed over his present Takeo vaulted over the peninsula separating the kitchen from the seating area and lunged for the paper, apron flaring out as he rolled, landing on the couch as Tao snatched the second parcel from Regis' frozen hands.

Lightning-quick, Takeo grabbed all the pieces of paper thrown his way out of the air as M-21 snapped out of his own frozen horror at the sight of Tao's insanity and ran to gather up the paper that littered the entryway.

"It's the color of your hair!" the enhanced human exclaimed, putting the bear that was in the first parcel on Ikhan's head and cuddling Regis' gift now. "If the horse had little black marks it'd be perfect!"

Ikhan's head was whipping around, looking back and forth from M-21 and Takeo, and he had to hurry to grab the bear to keep it from falling off. Why did he look confused? He'd seen enhanced speed before – even noble speed, when Regis fought Krans.

"Tao, you…" The frustrated growl came from Takeo. Takeo was very patient with Tao, but that scrap had nearly landed in Sir Raizel's tea!

Tao blinked at him, looking as confused as Ikhan.

"What are those?" M-21 wondered.

"Stuffed animals," Takeo said, staring at them. He wasn't angry anymore, but Regis could still hear his heart beating faster than usual – he hadn't quite recovered from the near-catastrophe yet. "They're presents for children and younger siblings." After a moment of silence, he said, "I never bought one for Teira: there was always something else when I was in a position to get her something, and I could only conceal so much volume."

"They squish down, look!" Tao said, holding out the horse to Takeo and compressing its middle in a way that would kill a real horse. "I can bring them to work and put them on my desk."

"As though the rest of the security department doesn't already think we're totally unprofessional." M-21 leaned forward and shook one of the larger scraps of wrapping paper in Tao's face. Tao paled.

"You can carry them," Regis told him. Obviously he couldn't let Tao carry him around in those cables of his, it was inelegant, but according to Ikhan, humans gave these stuffed animals to children who needed something to cuddle. It was true that Tao was much happier when…

Tao's arms wrapped around Ikhan and Regis, squishing them together.

When he did that. Regis waited hopefully, and when Tao pulled back a little he could see the stuffed animals on Tao's shoulders, secured by his cables. Good, they seemed to be acceptable.

"You guys are the best!" Tao declared, squishing them together again. "You guys, and Takeo, and M-21!" Regis found himself pressed between Ikhan and Takeo as Tao roped in his comrades.

"You made me drop some of the paper! Let go of me so I can pick it up before –" M-21 froze when he saw Frankenstein; when they saw him freeze, everyone else became aware that the houseowner's aura was right there. Before, he had concealed the noble energy within him, but since Tao and Takeo had contracted he sometimes made it possible for them to sense him. Tao and Takeo liked knowing where he was.

So did Regis, for that matter, but he didn't like knowing that Frankenstein was in this room with them, looking at the mess from the wrapping paper. That Regis and Ikhan had brought into his home.

Regis wasn't the only one to rush to say, "I'll clean it up."

Suffer hilariously, Rael.

All these long-haired people with calm noble auras... And then of course there's Rai.

Tao's already made the masks, and he's got suits down as of recent chapters, but in this 'verse he's definitely making more plushies. He needs a purple snake and silver wolf because he can't let Takeo and M-21 feel left out, and Frankenstein is definitely a lion, although Frankenstein would probably need to conceal that he's unhappy about being represented by a male lion since, well… Male lions aren't likely to adopt cubs, let's just put it that way.