Identity crisis? Not always.

[thekingsgambit]

The question was posed to me whether Lelouch suspects key people (Cornelia/Suzaku) of suspecting he's Zero. After pondering this and running through the facts and such things, I've come to the conclusion that he doesn't care.

This may seem confusing since he has his fit when Arthur steals his mask, panics about Cornelia catching him in episode 7, goes through Shirley's stuff to make sure she doesn't know and is extremely wary about C.C. running around. Despite this, when push comes to shove, Lelouch does not hide that well from those he knows. Lelouch freely uses information that Zero shouldn't be privy to around others such as knowing Cornelia would rather save her sister than capture him, reminding Suzaku that he was the one who killed the Prime Minister and stole the Japanese's chance to fight and his general Zero discussions with Suzaku. Not to mention his initial rescue of Suzaku and the way he speaks to him, just as Lelouch would. No doubt that set off warning bells in Suzaku's head as well. Then there are his direct actions: not shooting Euphemia and rescuing Suzaku in the first place.

Unlike some fans, I do not believe these are mistakes. But their nature is where things get complicated. Is it subconscious? Is it deliberate? Because Lelouch lies to himself constantly, a direct answer is not so available. But we have seen Lelouch's reactions to various people finding out and in none of these situations is that reaction one of surprise. Some might attribute this to Lelouch's arrogance and adaptability or simply acceptance because he realizes there's no point to talking his way out of this. But I also think it can be read that, in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter to Lelouch.

The exception is people who don't know him. Lelouch knows he needs an image and an identity to get people to follow him. It would be hard to convince the Japanese to follow a Britannian student. He also doesn't want to directly endanger the council/Ashford -- I truly believe he thought Ashford would be safe in 25; he trusted his Knights. Bad move. This also ties into my belief that Lelouch has people he *wants* to know. Whether that want is wholly intentional or not falls again into that fuzzy area. With Euphie, there is nostalgia he can't quite give up. With Suzaku, he wants him on his side; he wants him to understand why he does what he does. With Cornelia, and his family in general, it's more of a "VENGEANCE" thing. Cornelia, after all, understands that Lelouch is pursuing his path as a result of what happened to his mother. So I guess we can say the method worked.

Suffice it to say, Shirley is not one of these people he wants to know. Perhaps Lelouch wishes to protect her innocence. I also believe he doesn't want Nunnally to know because he doesn't want her mixed up in this. Same logic as the rest of the council. And when it comes to Kallen, he needs her steadfast loyalty in Zero because she is one of his most loyal Knights.

It's also important to note that in his conversations with Suzaku about Zero, he does nothing to distance himself from the topic. In fact, his reaction in the drama CD is all the more revealing with him closing down on Suzaku the second Suzaku says he'd rather work with Euphemia than Zero. The phone call in 23 is just indicative that Lelouch will honor Suzaku's choice. If it is his. This has much to do with the presence of Ore!Suzaku in that instance. Episode 25 is more of an outlier, as Lelouch was not in his right mind with Nunnally in danger and all.

So does Lelouch suspect people? Perhaps. Is he going to spend a lot of time covering his tracks? Probably not. Again, he is not about to confess his entity to the public at large. But if certain people figure him out, he's not likely to deny it either.