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3rd of the Guardian Moon, Imperial Year 1180
I was buttoning up my collar and getting ready to leave my room when I heard it. I looked up towards the wall where my desk was against. It was a soft noise coming from the room on the other side of that wall, but the sound was unmistakable and my stomach knotted in discomfort.
The sounds of quiet sobbing.
I stood up slowly and swallowed thickly, staring at that wall. I fidgeted slightly where I stood. What do I do? Should I knock on her door and check on her? Or should I leave her be? But even if I go over there, what could I possibly say to her?
I looked towards the doors to my room warily. Perhaps I should go get His Highness and have him look in on her. I remember him mentioning that he checked up on her a few days ago in Jeralt’s—
I winced involuntarily as my own thoughts recited the name. It was hard to believe that Jeralt was gone, murdered by one of the “students” he’d saved. His loss was felt by everyone at Garreg Mach; I’d certainly seen a fair share of soldiers openly sobbing in corridors.
And as he’d been Professor Byleth’s father, she obviously felt his loss most of all. But this was the first time I heard her crying from her room.
As I stood there wondering what my best option was, I heard a sharp knock at my door. “Dedue?”
I immediately snapped to attention at this voice and raced to the door. I opened it up and straightened my posture. “Good morning, Your Highness.”
”Good morning, Dedue,” Dimitri greeted me. His face was a little pale but he was wearing a wry smile as he held up a lance snapped in half in both hands. “I was wondering if I could have your assistance with this. I broke my Steel Lance practicing at the Training Grounds earlier. It amazes me how much I forget my own strength sometimes.” He laughed a little. “I don’t want to buy another one, but I only have six Smithing Stones. Do you have four Smithing Stones I might be able to take to the Blacksmith?”
”Yes of course, your Highness. Please come inside.” I quickly waved Dimitri into my room and dragged my desk chair up for him to sit in. “Just give me a moment and I’ll get you the Smithing Stones.”
”I can trade you with—”
”There is no need, Your Highness. Whatever of mine you need, it will always be available for you.”
Dimitri ducked his head forward a little and shook his head, but when he lifted it he was still smiling. “I’m grateful to you, my friend.”
I knelt in front of the drawers along the wall as I looked for the Smithing Stones he needed. I hesitated for a moment before gathering my nerve. “Your Highness?”
”Dedue, I have asked you multiple times to call me by my name.”
”You Highness,” I said insistently. “How much did you sleep last night?”
”Pardon?” Dimitri sounded confused. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye and saw that he wasn’t looking at me. He had a faraway look on his face, as though he were struggling with the answer. I pressed my mouth together, and wondered if it was the right time to broach this subject. It bothered me when he kept things from me because I was his retainer. My life belonged to him, and I needed him to trust me unconditionally. While I didn’t expect him to tell me all of his secrets, the fact that he struggled to answer such a simple question was worrisome.
Should I press him about it or leave it be?
In that moment though, I found my supply of Smithing Stones in the bottom left drawer. “Here they are,” I said reluctantly. I stood up and turned around to face him with the four Smithing Stones. Dimitri looked grateful and stood up as well. “I am in your debt, Dedue. Thank you so much.”
”Not at all,” I reassured him, shaking my head.
On the other side of the wall, Professor Byleth let out a loud, gasping sob. Dimitri’s head snapped around so quickly that I was instantly worried that he had strained a muscle in his neck. I looked towards the wall, feeling uncomfortable in my own skin. The volume of her voice had suddenly increased, and now we could both hear her grieving as clearly as though she were crying right in the room with us. Based upon the proximity of her voice, she had to have been sitting or laying on her bed while she sobbed.
I looked at Dimitri, and couldn’t help but grimace. He was staring at the wall with a haunted expression on his face. Professor Byleth groaned in anguish in her room and he winced as though he was dealt a blow. After a moment he walked over to the wall with a hand reached out. His fingertips almost touched the surface but then he stopped himself. “...How long has she been crying?” I heard him ask, his voice quiet.
“It started a few moments before you arrived,” I confessed, my tone just as quiet. I hung my head ashamedly.
Dimitri didn’t say anything to that. When I raised my head, he had finished reaching out and pressed his hand to the wall. After a moment, he leaned forward until his forehead was pressed beside it. I moved over to his side but I couldn’t see his face through his bangs. Finally he spoke. “Dedue?”
”Yes, Your Highness?”
”How do I help her?”
I stared stunned at him. He continued speaking in a low voice. “I made an oath to her that I would do anything to help her avenge Jeralt. I let her know that I was available, if she needed someone. But...” his hand clenched into a fist against the wall. “But my oath and my reassurances aren’t enough to take away her pain! She’s on the other side of this wall, crying all by herself! I want to be there with her, to ease her grief, but I’ve already offered myself to her and it wasn’t enough! What more could I possibly say? What more can I possibly do for her? I feel so helpless because I don’t know what to do!”
Not once did his voice rise above a whisper, but I heard the anger and the pain in his voice. I stared at him stunned, struggling to find the right words. With the way he was poised against the wall, he looked ready to tear the wall down to get to Byleth (which he could possibly do with his incredible strength).This was a side of Dimitri that I wasn’t used to; a side I had never seen in him before.
The side of a man who was deeply and desperately in love.
He’d never confessed it to me, and I knew for certain that he hadn’t said anything to the Professor, but I had seen how he treated her and I had seen the changes in him due to her influence. I saw the changes in his body language around her, the flow of his words when he spoke to her. The changes in his vocal inflection towards her compared to everybody else. Even from the moment she first entered the Blue Lions classroom as our Professor, I knew that she was different to Dimitri.
I even remembered the moment that I realized that he was in love with her. After we had rescued Flayn (and Monica) last Horsebow Moon, Dimitri had come to me so excited and full of joy that I couldn’t help but smile back at him. I had thought that he was happy that Flayn had been returned safe and sound, but the words that came out of his mouth shocked me.
”She smiled! Professor Byleth smiled!”
Seeing him so excited about our usually emotionless Professor showing emotions, and the vivid details he used to describe the beauty of her expression, I knew in that moment that the reasoning behind his treatment of the Professor was that his admiration of her had evolved into love. However, because he was quite keen on hiding things about himself the only other person I was certain knew what Dimitri’s feelings were for Byleth was Felix (because Felix was always very keen about any changes in Dimitri). Since I suspected that Dimitri did not want to reveal his feelings to the Professor, I knew he could be reassured at least that neither Felix nor myself would tell her. He could trust me with that at least.
But because I’ve never dealt with Dimitri in pain in love because of his beloved, I felt ill-prepared to help him in this regard.
”...How about this,” I said finally, reaching out to put a hand on his shoulder. “Go to the Marketplace and get your weapon repaired at the Blacksmith. Then go and see the Traveling Merchants.” I reached into my own pocket and pulled out my wallet. “Tomorrow is Ingrid’s birthday, right? Would you mind doing me a favor and purchase a bag of Chamomile tea for her present from me? You still have to purchase her birthday present too, isn’t that right Your Highness?”
Dimitri slowly nodded. “I was going to buy her the book Legends of Chivalry. I overheard Sylvain mention earlier that he was getting Ingrid a new pair of riding boots, and I think he also said Felix spent 1,000 gold on smoked meat for her present this morning. But—”
”Keep yourself occupied for the time being,” I told him. “I’m going to go to the Dining Hall and prepare a meal for Professor Byleth. When I’m finished, you’re going to deliver the meal to her.”
Dimitri looked up, his eyes wide. “D-Dedue, I can’t do that! I can’t have you go to such trouble, and then present myself as though I made the meal!”
”If it makes you uncomfortable, then certainly tell her that I made it. But you should be the one to bring her the food, Your Highness.”
Professor Byleth’s voice started quieting down again, her sobs softening. Dimitri looked towards the wall again. His eyes were stricken and he was frowning deeply. Finally he nodded. “I appreciate you doing this for her, Dedue. I will repay you for this.”
I’m doing this as much for you as I am for her. But I didn’t say that out loud. I handed him over the coins from my wallet. “Chamomile tea is 1,000 gold right? That should be enough.”
Dimitri nodded as he accepted my money. “I’m sure Ingrid will greatly appreciate receiving a gift from y—”
”Actually,” I gently interrupted him. “I think it would be best if you didn’t tell her that the tea leaves came from me. She may not drink them if she knew that I bought them.”
A look of sadness crossed his face briefly, and I was moved by his empathy. He nodded but reluctantly. “I am sorry, my friend. I wish I could change her feelings towards you.”
”That isn’t something you need to worry about. That is something I must do myself.”
”Still...” he shook his head before looking back at me. “What meal do you plan on preparing for the Professor, Dedue?”
”Onion gratin soup,” I said, relieved that he changed the subject. “That’s the meal she usually orders for the two of us whenever she shares a meal with us.”
”That’s an excellent idea. And the soup naturally warms you on the inside. Hopefully the warmth will serve to comfort her.”
”That is what I hope too.”
Because classes had been cancelled for the week due to Jeralt’s death, the Dining Hall was full of people. Everyone was talking in hushed voices. I heard Jeralt’s name come up multiple times in different conversations. More than one person was crying where they sat. I approached the Head Chef. “Excuse me, may I borrow the kitchen for a little while?”
”Eh?” She looked surprised by my request. “I’m sorry, but—”
”I wish to prepare a meal for Professor Byleth.”
”Oh, of course!” Her demeanor completely changed and she waved me over. “Please, take as much time as you need!”
”Thank you.” I moved around the counter and into the kitchen. I was given the space I needed to start making preparations. I’ve prepared onion gratin soup enough times that I can have it ready in fifteen minutes. With any luck, I’ll have it finished when His Highness is finished with his business in the Marketplace. I’ll fillet and fry the trout while the onions boil. I’m fairly certain kitchen still had several full wheels of cheese the last time I cooked with the Professor. I have the best results with Gouda with this recipe though, so hopefully I can still find some.
Focusing on this task kept my mind clear and didn’t allow it to wander to unpleasantness. I was deeply worried for both Dimitri and the Professor because they were both hurting from tragedies, and because of these tragedies they were very much alone. Not entirely alone, because they both had close friends who cared for them deeply, but alone in the sense that they lost their families to senseless murders that they personally witnessed. I knew that they could possibly come together, united with their mutual tragedies, and come out stronger.
Or worse.
Oh good, they do have Gouda. I forced my thoughts on this alone and returned to my station with a wheel of cheese.
”Oh my goodness! That is the most divine scent I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing!”
The overly eager voice didn’t startle me, but the cheerful tone was welcoming given the situation at hand. I allowed myself to relax as I glanced briefly over my shoulder. “You have my thanks.”
Flayn was tapping her hands on the counter rapidly, and was almost jumping up and down where she stood. She was smiling so brightly that I almost reflexively smiled back at her. “Chef Dedue! Your talents in the kitchen never cease to bring tears to my eyes! I hope you will forgive me for imposing, but I must quite passionately request of you that I join you at the stove and partake in the beauty of your culinary prowess!”
I blinked once. Then twice. “Excuse me?”
Flayn launched herself over the counter. Due to her height she shouldn’t have been able to glide as well as she did, but she did. She landed gracefully on her feet at my side, and immediately fixed her eyes on the trout I was frying. “Oh, that trout looks absolutely perfect! I am quite envious of the person who will be blessed with this meal! Or are you blessing yourself with this feast, Chef Dedue?”
”I’m making onion gratin soup for Professor Byleth,” I told her.
Her expression immediately became sullen, and some of the shine left her eyes. She closed her eyes and her face twisted up in pain. “I am so sad for her. I know the pain she is experiencing quite well, and it is the worst and most unimaginable pain.” She sighed. “And quite sadly, despite knowing how she feels I am at a loss as to what to do to help her. You are most kind to gift her this feast in her time of need. I am quite certain her heart will fill with joy when you bring this to her.”
”I’m preparing the food and His Highness will deliver it to her.”
”Oh, Dimitri will be bringing this to her?” She opened her eyes to look at me quizzically. “How very thoughtful of you to prepare a meal for the both of them.”
”You misunderstand me. I’m only cooking for Professor Byleth. His Highness is simply bringing the food to her when it’s ready.”
”Oh, but would it not be better for Dimitri to have a serving so that he may eat with the Professor?” Flayn asked me. “My father once told me that when he made meals for for my mother and brought them to her, he always made enough portions so that he may eat with her. While offering the Professor food is a wonderful gesture, would it not be sad that she would be left to eat alone?”
That...is an excellent point. I suddenly felt very foolish and I looked at the one trout I was frying, and the onions I was boiling. I had only enough for the serving size of one person, and if I doubled the portion size now then nothing would be cooked at the same rate. “I...may have acted in error,” I conceded.
”Oh, you will let me help you yes?” Flayn quickly brightened again and shoved her large sleeves up her arms dramatically. “If you will be the maestro, Chef Dedue, then I will be your attentive student! I must insist with all of my heart in helping you with this task!”
I was glad for my natural stoicism, for otherwise I probably would’ve blanched at her words. To say that Flayn lacked cooking talents in the kitchen was quite an understatement. The meals she had a habit of preparing were downright unappetizing and inedible. I had agreed to teach her how to cook a couple of moons prior, and while I always greatly admired her enthusiasm for learning she had a lot of difficulty with following directions. The only person I was aware of who could eat her meals without complaint was Dimitri, however his ability to stomach her food had less to do with politeness and more to do with the fact that he, quite tragically, couldn’t taste any food he ate.
Wait...that’s it!
“I have already started on the Professor’s portion,” I told her. “I will help you with preparing His Highness’s portion.”
”I am quite ready!” Flayn cheered. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that her shout startled the Head Chef and a few other people nearby. “I will make the greatest onion gratin soup this kitchen has ever seen!”
It was...difficult, as always, working with Flayn in the kitchen. I slowed down the progress on Byleth’s meal so that I could time it to be ready with Dimitri’s portion. Flayn as usually was eager to get started. So much so that she dumped Dimitri’s onions into the pot without washing them. Or removing the skin from the onions, even. She did better with filleting the trout at least.
“I had chosen Gouda for the Professor’s soup,” I told her. “Would you like to use Gouda for His Highness’s soup?”
Flayn made a face slightly. “I had thought that cheddar had a more aesthetically pleasing color to it, however I will gladly follow your advice and use Gouda.”
”After we add the trout to the onions, we’ll need to carefully apply the Gouda to the top and then transfer it from the stovetop to the fire below.”
”Oh, like this?” Flayn took her bowl of Gouda and promptly dumped the entire contents on the top of the soup.
I stared at her for a long moment in silence, once again thankful for my natural stoicism. “I...do not believe you have added your trout yet, though.”
”Oh no!” Flayn cried out, looking at her soup with alarm. “You are quite right! How could I be so careless?!”
”Do not be alarmed. We can fix this easily.” I checked on the progress of her trout and nodded to her encouragingly. “The trout is ready to be added to the soup, so we’ll do that now before we transfer the soup to the fire.”
”M-My meal can be salvaged?” Flayn asked hopefully.
I nodded. “If I felt this meal unsuited for His Highness, I would tell you so. Now, here...”
Once Flayn’s soup was properly prepped we simultaneously moved both soups into the fire. She bent over as I knelt down to push my soup in...and that was when I noticed it out of the corner of my eye. When she moved to stand up, I gestured to her to stop. “I mean no offense,” I told her. “But I wanted to point out that your hair is disheveled. I thought I should warn you in case you wanted to fix your hair before standing up.”
”My hair?” Flayn asked, confused. She quickly smoothed her hand over the area that had caught my attention and squeaked in alarm. She fixed her braid and snapped to her feet. I slowly stood up as well, noting that she was wringing her hands in distress. Her eyes darted around frantically but she looked everywhere but at me.
I knew it was best to be tactful and directed her attention back to the soups. “We’ll need to watch carefully for the cheese to bubble. Once the cheese bubbles, the soup will be done.”
”Yes, of course,” Flayn said, watching the soup carefully. I glanced down at her and saw that she moved carefully to not cause her green braids to shift too much. After a moment I knelt down so that I was at the same level as her to watch the soups.
”Dedue?”
”Yes?” I kept my eyes on the soup.
”I must requested most wholeheartedly of you that you forget what you had seen and that you not mention this to anyone.”
I looked at her again, but she was watching the soup. Her wore a concerned expression on her face, and I chose my next words carefully. “If I’m to be perfectly honest, I do not know what it was I saw. So I would not know what to say to anyone anyway.”
”I implore you not to tell anyone about this. This includes Dimitri.”
A squirm of discomfort settled in the pit of my stomach. I opened my mouth briefly and then closed it sharply before answering. “You are asking me to deliberately hide a secret from my liege, Flayn. I owe him my life and I’ve pledged my life to him. If he were to ask me about this, then you must understand that I cannot lie to him.”
”I—”
”However,” I pressed on, keeping my tone low and gentle. “If he does not bring it up to me, then I see no point in bringing it up to him.”
Flayn’s features slowly relaxed. She forced a smile and nodded to me. “I will accept that then. I cannot imagine that Dimitri would mention something...like this anyway if he were not aware of it. In turn, I will be more careful about it.”
”Hmm.” I looked away then and back at the soups, the steam rising from the top. I was glad I had enough foresight to assign different colored bowls for Dimitri and Byleth. Byleth’s bowl was brown and Dimitri’s bowl was white.
But my mind wandered back to Flayn’s words...and her concerns.
I do not understand, but it’s not my business. I was not sure what I was seeing, but now I’m certain that she is concerned over her ears, and is hiding the shape of them.
Admittedly it wasn’t the first time I noticed her...secret. After we had rescued Flayn from the Death Knight last Horsebow Moon, the Professor had asked me to carry Flayn back upstairs. Sylvain had volunteered to carry Monica, but Byleth and Mercedes instead helped her upstairs. In hindsight, it was tragically ironic that Byleth had done so much to help the person who would later murder her father.
I remembered how small Flayn was, and how light she felt when I picked her up into my arms. When I had lifted her up initially though, the side of her head brushed my cheek. I had felt a deliberate poke against my cheek and it took me by surprise. I was walking behind the Professor and Mercedes, and Flayn looked so small in my arms that the others behind couldn’t see her. But when I looked down at her I saw her earlobe poking out from between the strands of her hair.
An earlobe that was pointed at the top.
From the position of her head against my chest, I don’t believe anyone else noticed. And when I later took her to the Infirmary her head rolled in such a way that her ear was once again covered by her hair. If anyone had noticed, no one mentioned it (and Dimitri had been so focused on the Professor’s smile that I knew that he didn’t notice).
I knew the shape of her ear was unusual, and the fact that she took meticulous care to hide it indicated to me that she didn’t want anyone to know about it. I could emphasize with her about this because I knew there were times that I wanted to hide away who I was, but my position in life made this impossible.
But my life is fulfilling regardless, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.
”Oh!” Flayn squealed. “The cheese is bubbling! That means that the soup is ready, is it not?”
I couldn’t deny that her enthusiasm and joy was infectious. I could even manage a smile at that. “It’s ready.”
Dimitri was done with his shopping when we met up with him outside on the landing that connected the First Floor Dormitories and the Dining Hall, tray ready with the two bowls of onion gratin soup. The kitchen had also insisted that we take a loaf of bread for Professor Byleth to have as well.
”I’m glad I didn’t decide on getting Ingrid smoked meat for a birthday present,” he said around a small laugh. “It was completely out of stock. Either it’s very popular, or Felix cleaned out their stock! Oh, and I also got your tea Dedue.”
“Oh, tomorrow is Ingrid’s birthday?” Flash asked. Her tone had a hint of panic to it. “Oh dear...I am afraid that I do not have a present prepared for her!”
”Oh, hello Flayn,” Dimitri greeted her with a smile. “If you’re concerned about getting Ingrid a birthday present, you could cook a meal for her.” I couldn’t help but stiffen. “Ingrid loves most of the recipes available in the Dining Hall.”
Flayn ducked her head forward slightly. ”I would love to cook for Ingrid, however the few times I have cooked for her she has never managed to finish one of my meals.”
”Not finish a meal? Ingrid?” Dimitri looked completely surprised by this. He looked at me. “That is quite unusual.”
”How about this,” I said, looking at her. “Later I will teach you how to make pickled rabbit skewers. It’s a simplistic recipe that she will certainly enjoy for her birthday.”
Her face lit up, and I found my own spirits lifted when her eyes brightened. “That would be most wonderful, Chef Dedue! Forgive me for asking so much of you; not only with helping the Professor and Dimitri’s lunch, but also with Ingrid’s birthday present!”
”Our lunch?” Dimitri asked. “You helped Dedue, Flayn? How very nice of you.” He looked down at the tray I held and paused. “That’s two bowls of soup, though. Might I ask why you made two bowls of soup?”
”So that you may join her meal, Your Highness,” I told him. Dimitri immediately blushed, and once again I was thankful for my stoicism or else I may have chuckled at his expression.
”Yes, you must eat with her!” Flayn said earnestly. “The gesture of delivering food to her is wonderful, however would it not be awful were she to eat alone? And even if you were to sit with her, had you no meal of your own it would just be the Professor eating while you sit there staring at her! It would be most beneficial for you to not only sit with her while she ate, but to also eat with her so that she may find further enjoyment with her meal!”
”That...” Dimitri shook his head and ducked it forward, no doubt to cover up his embarrassment. “That is an excellent point. It would bring her greater comfort if I ate with her, rather than just deliver the food to her. Thank you both for going to such trouble to prepare a meal for the both of us.”
”Chef Dedue prepared the professor’s soup and I prepared yours,” Flayn said proudly, pointing out each bowl in kind. I was inwardly pleased that I wasn’t the one who had to tell him this. “Now, hurry on and deliver the food to the Professor!”
”Y-Yes, of course.” I carefully handed the tray to Dimitri. His expression looked quite nervous, though. “I do hope though that she is not upset with me when I bring this to her.”
”She will be flattered,” I reassured him. "And I'm sure she will be relieved to have the company." Especially if it is your company.
Dimitri nodded again, and he looked a little more confident. "Then I shall go. No need to follow me, Dedue; I will be all right by myself from here. However, I will credit the both of you for making this meal."
"Just let her know who made which bowl," I added a little too quickly.
"Yes, please do," Flayn agreed obliviously.
We both watched Dimitri turned and carry the tray off in the direction of Professor Byleth's room. I let out the breath that I didn't realize I had been holding in. Hopefully their dining together will help make them both feel better.
I felt a hand tug on my sleeve. I turned to look at Flayn, and she was looking up at me with a small smile. "You didn't tell Dimitri."
I knew what she meant and I coughed awkwardly. “I saw no point in bringing it up when he did not bring it up.”
”You will keep it to yourself then?”
I looked away. I knew what my response should be but I found myself hesitating. It took a moment for me to find the right words. I knew they would not be the words she wanted to hear, but I was going to say them anyways. “I mean no offense to you, but my loyalty to His Highness comes before everything else in my life. If he is not aware of...this, and that which you want to remain hidden does not serve as a threat to him, then I see no reason in disclosing this to him, Flayn. However, am I right in assuming that your kidnapping several moons ago is correlated to your secret?”
”...Yes.” I could hear in her tone that she hadn’t wanted to admit this but did so anyways.
”Thank you for your honesty,” I said sincerely. “I in turn will be honest with you. If your secret does come to serve as a threat to His Highness’s life, then I will tell him the truth.”
Flayn winced, and she ducked her head forward. I was unable to hold back my next words. “But you should know that His Highness is a very good man. Even if I were to tell him your secret, he would only act in defense of you. It is not his wish to see unnecessary bloodshed.”
Flayn was silent for a long moment before she slowly nodded. “I believe you. And I trust you when you say that Dimitri is a good man. However, I will say that his behavior during the Remiere Calamity scared me deeply.” I flinched slightly at hearing that. “I have not seen ferocity of that nature since—” she quickly shook her head. “But I know in his heart that he is a good man. I know that if he were truly a monster then so many people would not follow him. That the Professor would not follow him. That you would not follow him.” She looked up at me again and smiled. “If you will keep this secret for me, I will be grateful to you. However if you’re put into a position where you must tell Dimitri, I will not fault you either.”
I nodded. “I’m glad you understand.” The words felt sharp in my throat though.
”Flayn?”
Flayn jumped slightly at this new voice and quickly let go of my sleeve, but I didn’t react as we turned around. “O-Oh, hello Brother!” Flayn said, rushing over to Seteth. “You just missed it! Chef Dedue and I prepared a meal for the Professor! Dimitri is delivering it to her now!”
”That was very thoughtful of the both of you,” Seteth said, but his tone was curt. “Flayn, I seem to recall that Lady Rhea sent you on an errand to replenish her supply of tea, did she not? That was an hour ago.”
”O-Oh my goodness!” Flayn squeaked. Her back was to me but I saw her raise her hands to her cheeks. “It completely slipped my mind! I am so sorry, Brother!”
I realized that Flayn must have been sidetracked from her errand by our cooking lesson and I stepped forward. Though I didn’t know about her errand, I shared in the responsibility of her forgetting. “The fault was mine, Seteth. I was preparing the Professor’s meal and gave Flayn a cooking lesson.”
Seteth fixed his eyes upon me. I saw the glare and the way his mouth thinned, and knew he was disapproving of me. But it wasn’t an expression I hadn’t seen before. “Thank you for admitting your part in this, Dedue. Given the extenuating circumstances I will let this slide. But the next time you decide to give Flayn a cooking lesson, you are to talk to me first.”
”Brother!” Flayn quickly protested.
”Now if you’ll excuse us,” Seteth said, ignoring his sister as he took her by the arm. “We’re going to complete Lady Rhea’s errand and apologize for the delay. Flayn?”
“If I may then,” I spoke up. “Flayn asked me to help her cook a birthday present for Ingrid for tomorrow. Would I have your permission to do this?”
Seteth pondered this for a moment before nodding. “I will supervise the both of you.”
”Brother, that is not necessary—”
”Flayn,” Seteth interrupted. “We are keeping Lady Rhea waiting.”
Flayn grumbled, but let Seteth guide her down the stairs towards the docks. As they rounded the corner Flayn turned and waved to me. “Thank you, Chef Dedue!”
I awkwardly waved back to her. With my task complete, I decided to head back to my room to retrieve my axe so that I could go to the Training Grounds to practice. As I entered my room though, I heard muffled conversations coming from the Professor’s room. I reflexively flushed, and hurried to grab my axe as I didn’t want to try to eavesdrop on them. As I left my room, I involuntarily heard Professor Byleth say, “This is delicious.”
”Yes, isn’t it?” Dimitri agreed. “Dedue and Flayn did a fantastic job. I love the way the soup warms you from the inside out. It sometimes feel like a warm hug.”
”...It does.”
I smiled at that, and closed my door behind me. Thank you, Flayn.