[He nearly laughs at himself, realizing how long he'd taken to mention it, not even in passing. It's really been one of those anomalies where his heart remains largely closed off. Even now, part of him aches.]

Ah, yes. Not long after... everything, she came into my ward. Most of her family was at Pendragon.

[There's so much more to mention that Jeremiah can't think of where he could start, save the reason why he'd been the one to step in. The second he thinks of mentioning Geass, the thread of their shared idolatry at once comes to mind, and it nearly stops him physically in his tracks. Jeremiah knows he'll tell Cornelia someday, but even he doesn't think he has the full picture of what happened to Lady Marianne anymore. The thread he could follow to learn, however, only fills him with dread.

So he lies. By omission, the only way he's any good at it, but a lie nonetheless.]

Her memories had been overwritten by Geass. Many times, for years, to the point that she couldn't trust her own recollection of things. She took photographs to compensate.

[Neatly enough, it brings him to his point, his chest heavy as lead.] For her, I may have simply... disappeared without a trace. I hate the thought that our time together could feel just as much like a fabrication when she'd finally reached more stability in her life.