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Hanging around with Edelgard and the Black Eagles had led to Lysithea learning a few of their quirks. Linhardt’s propensity for napping helped Lysithea recognise the signs of exhaustion in a face, well enough that even the expert makeup artist Hilda couldn’t fully conceal her bags from her. Lysithea took a seat beside her, an act so uncharacteristic of her that Hilda was well and truly alert.
“What is it, Lysithea?” Hilda asked.
“You’re not getting enough sleep,” Lysithea said simply. Hilda chuckled, rubbing vaguely at her eyes and disturbing her complexion.
“I guess that’s my cue to go grab some now before next period,” Hilda suggested. Lysithea had a hand on her elbow, and Hilda was surprised to learn that Lysithea could indeed keep her in place. Or at least slow her down considerably.
“When did you get so strong? You should be the one swinging my axe around!” Hilda teased.
“There are books heavier than you are, literally and metaphorically. Now you’ve got to tell me if you’re not getting enough sleep. We need to rely on some of us to serve as a frontline in life or death situations, and you’re on that thing,” Lysithea said. Hilda sighed dramatically.
“I don’t really want to tell you, Lysithea. And it’s because it’s you, specifically. I’ve already told the Professor, but she says there’s nothing she can do. And she tells me to live with it!” Hilda said.
“I’ve learned some things from going to the library and lingering around curfew. Some things. Maybe one of them could be useful to you? I should at least have the theory down,” Lysithea offered. Hilda hemmed about a little bit, before deciding Lysithea’s aid was more important to her than her friendship.
“Edelgard keeps making this racket next door. Every night, it’s the same thing. She screams, she moans, she talks. It’s like she’s being tortured. I can’t sleep in these conditions!” Hilda exclaimed. Lysithea realised why Hilda had been reluctant to share. As polite as it was for her to not mention this slight against Edelgard, it wasn’t as if Lysithea was unaware. The real problem to Lysithea was that Hilda had a tendency to run her mouth.
“So what’s your problem here?” Lysithea asked.
“Isn’t it obvious? Edelgard’s up to some sort of shady business in her room, and she’s keeping me awake with nothing I can do about it. Seriously, why is our Professor cozying up to those Black Eagles anyway? She chose the Golden Deer House, she should be actually looking after us Golden Deer?” Hilda asked. Lysithea chose to pretend as if this could not be construed as an insult to herself, on account of her visiting the Black Eagles herself.
“Then go tell Edie to stop,” Lysithea suggested. It sounded like a valid answer, even though Lysithea was well aware that if Edelgard was able to stop, she would have done so a long time ago.
“You can approach her all right, Lysithea, but that’s because you’re friends with her. There’s no way lazy me can approach little miss perfect princess and convince her to do anything so trivial… wait a second, did you just call her Edie?” Hilda said. Lysithea took a moment to register just why Hilda cared, and thus why she should.
“Do you think Edie and I have any sort of… uh, what do you think Edie and I share to elicit such a childish giggle out of you?” Lysithea asked.
“You know, I don’t entirely have it figured out myself yet, but only Dorothea calls Edelgard that, and those two have to have some sort of sexy history,” Hilda squealed. Lysithea couldn’t refrain from rolling her eyes.
“She’s Dorothea. She gave Hubert a nickname, she radiates that kind of aura around everyone, Edie only met her at Garreg Mach where such matters are banned, and Dorothea is kinda romantically interested in our Professor anyway. I know you’ve heard Dorothea’s gone and had her fun with all sorts of guys in the first few months, but once she set her eyes on the Professor, she hasn’t done anything of the sort to distract herself,” Lysithea elaborated.
“Your point?” Hilda asked.
“...I think you’re the one who brought it up! I dunno, but my point is, Edie is my friend and nothing more!” Lysithea insisted.
“You keep telling yourself that, sweetheart. And I’ll be sitting here, looking forward to the day you two change your mind on that one. Maybe then you can ask her to stop screaming bloody murder at one in the morning so I can get my twelve hours of beauty sleep,” Hilda suggested.
“Hilda, you’re crazy. I know I can probably blame the sleep thing for that, but I am not interested in Edie that way. She’s too proper… too smart… too fierce…” Lysithea said.
“That sort of talk is reserved only for naive little schoolgirls who don’t realise they have crushes. Trust me, Lysithea, you’re head over heels for Edelgard. You just don’t think you are,” Hilda insisted.
“Oh, please, like either of us are going to fall in love. We have duties to uphold, as the last heirs our Houses have-” Lysithea said, before Hilda had a hand on her arm.
“I know this story all too well. It’s everywhere in the romance genre of the library, I’m practically sick of it. I don’t know how a bookworm like you hasn’t at least heard of it, but trust me, I am going to get you to admit your feelings to Edelgard so you can share a romantic dance with her at the ball,” Hilda said.
“I guess I have no choice here. Very well, do as you wish, I guess you can throw this in with all the other lessons about my appearance and whatnot. But I’m not going to be doing this to get Edelgard to quiet down overnight. That’s not something I can do,” Lysithea said.
“You’re going to make Edelgard louder,” Hilda joked.