Chapter Text
Chapter 1
Dumb struck with the pure luck
to find you here.
The air tasted like ash and smoke. Small fires still lingered around the ruins of Remire, ones that Captain Jeralt’s knights and mercenaries hadn’t yet put out with the nearby sand and water from the humble river close by. Atop the highest dais that overlooked Remire, the one that Thomas – Solon – had been jeering at them on, Claude took a breath despite the poor air quality around him.
“What a mess…” he sighed quietly at the sight before him.
The House Leader of the Golden Deer could distantly see the rest of the deer and the transfers who had joined their class. They were aiding the folks of Remire who were collected for evacuation. The healers healed while others passed out water, blankets, and other supplies. Some who were well-intentioned, he knew, were probably trying and failing to offer small words of comfort.
Alongside Jeralt’s men, Claude had been running in out of the rubble. He helped Raphael, Leonie, and the other stronger members of their class carry back townsfolk who were trapped under debris and assisting those who were too injured to walk.
Honestly, they had all handled the situation much better than Claude expected them to. Maybe it shouldn’t of been surprising. They had come so far. Grew while facing trials together. Flourishing under their teacher’s guidance. He knew they were progressing quicker than the other classes.
Claude also knew that was why students like Felix and Petra had transferred – because they had known they would see results faster. Others had simpler reasons, like Sylvain and Linhardt, (to observe Byleth, just in different ways). Ashe had joined after recognizing their professor’s efforts to see them all succeed, despite the hardships they would inevitably have to face in battle. He still spoke with her about Lonato sometimes. Mercedes, Dorothea and Bernadetta had also taken enough of a liking to their professor that they had transferred at different points during the year.
To think they had started off as a rag-tag group of eight, mis-matched fawns, and now they had eagles, lions, and an ever-jubilant Flayn in their den. Sometimes the Ashen Wolves even joined them. Plus there was Cyril, who joined them now and then despite not being a student.
They all worked soundly together, despite their differences. Claude knew the exact reason why they were able to. It was thanks to the the once blank-faced women who unlocked their hearts and earned their trust.
Who was earning his. Desperately, he wanted to believe those feelings, but the ever-growing mysteries surrounding Byleth acted like a wall in his mind. A wall he could chose to climb over or not. She neither beckoned him closer, nor pushed him away. She was leaving the choice up to him, and Claude was grateful for it.
A gust of wind blew through the trees and the pungent smell of smoke brought his attention back to the dais.
Claude breathed outward, blowing the drifting smoke away from his face. Idly, he kicked at the dusk under his riding boots and turned around to survey the area around him.
There had to be something; some kind of evidence left behind by Solon and his goons. Evidence that would tell them… well, something! Anything! How long were these mages in disguise here, slowly poisoning this village? Solon must have been here pretending – as he had done at the Monastery – to be a kind, old scholar. But why? Why this village? What was this so called ‘experiment’ for? To simply sew and wreak havoc? And for what?
He nearly killed them all…
The revelation of Thomas’ true identity felt like too much and too little all at once. A small part of Claude had actually trusted the old man. Thomas had never tattled on him for staying up too late in the library, snooping for forbidden secrets about the church. He had even offered Claude and Byleth information one time about the Holy Relics. And yet…
I guess he really was just trying to stir the pot. But, why? He called Teach the ‘cursed Fell Star.’ What the hell does that mean? He kicked his boot against the ground again, deep in thought.
“There you are!”
Claude startled, his hand flying to the hilt of his iron sword before just as quickly falling back to his side. It was Hilda who jumped into his line of sight.
“Claaaude,” she whined, a slight note of irritation in her tone, “you can’t just go wandering off like that! I was starting to worry that those weirdos came back and kidnapped you or something! We still need your help with the townsfolk, you know? As a future leader, don’t you think you should talk with them?”
“Hilda….This isn’t even Alliance territory,” Claude said, running a hand through his hair.
He felt tired and exasperated due to the day, and didn’t really want to deal with trying to placate upset people too soon after they had lost their livelihoods. Any words he could offer would, in this moment, fall on deaf or angry ears. What was he even supposed to say? Action mattered now. Answers were what these people deserved.
“I’m a little too old to be kidnapped. And, believe it or not, I’m not done working.”
“Oh, is that right? I’ll bite then.” Hilda dusted off her ash-covered skirt and folded her hands neatly over each other. The faux picture of dignified innocence. “How is staring off into space and kicking up dirt ‘working?’”
“You’re kind of the last person qualified to lecture me about work effort, Hilda. Besides,” he shot her smirk, “aren’t you avoiding work right now by finding me instead of helping the others?”
“I am not!” She shook her fists at him, quickly loosing her lady-like composure. A distant look quickly overtook her eyes. “I was really worried. I’m serious, Claude. What we saw today…”
Oh. “I know. Sorry.”
A moment of silence passed between them. His ears still rang with the screaming of the infected and he could feel where the fires had nipped his skin. His hands were burnt and blistered from the rescue efforts he helped with. The horrors from earlier were still too fresh in their minds. They couldn’t joke around like they usually did together.
“Anyways,” he broke the silence, “you’re all perfectly capable of handing out reserves to people without my supervision. I think Teach and Jeralt also don’t need my assistance in planning out our route back to the Monastery with the survivors. They’re pros at this, and in charge here – not me. I’m doing what I do best.”
“And what would that be exactly, von Riegan?”
For the second time, Claude was startled off-guard, this time by the sound of a rougher, deeper voice. Turning on his heel, he met Captain Jeralt’s tired eyes as he ascended the stone stairway, flask in-hand and an angry frown cutting across his face. Claude hoped that angry look wasn’t specifically directed towards him.
“Investigating!” he chirped back, the faux picture of unwavering confidence. “Snooping, searching, looking for clues. The thought of our dear old librarian getting away so cleanly without consequence isn’t really sitting right with me…” Claude couldn’t keep the bitter edge out of his voice as he trailed off.
Jeralt took a moment to take a swig from his flask, sighing as he screwed the top back on. “I get that you’re upset, kid, really I do. But this village is as good as gone. Those shit-heads probably burned away their evidence before we even arrived, if they were even dumb enough to leave any behind. So forget about it.”
The Captain certainly made a good point. Claude deflated. “That’s… you’re right, of course.”
Maybe the polluted air was effecting his critical thinking skills. Or maybe the fact that he hadn’t foreseen Thomas’ betrayal felt enough like a personal failure that it left Claude grasping at nothing in a desperate attempt to fix things.
He felt Hilda pat his shoulder sympathetically; a simple show of camaraderie that he appreciated.
“While you were up here kicking dirt,” Jeralt continued, “you missed another surprise guest.”
“I wasn’t just kicking– what?” Claude’s mind stumbled a bit, his head catching up to Jeralt’s words. I’m too tired for this. “Who?”
“The Flame Emperor.”
This time, Claude wasn’t surprised by the new voice that answered him, his eyes already trained towards the staircase as Byleth walked up to join them.
She looked livid. Angrier than he had ever seen her before. It was decidedly unpleasant.
“He disappeared as quickly as he came,” she said. “We missed our chance to capture him.”
Claude took another deep breath of the ashy air around him. “What did he want, Teach?”
Byleth gripped at the hilt of her legendary sword. “He said that he wasn’t a part of this calamity. That he hadn’t know Solon’s plans. He had the gall to ask me to join him, too. Said that the Sword of the Creator would help to prevent this from happening again.”
She glanced down at the Holy Relic she kept on her hip, her brows furrowing further in a manner that Claude understood as something more thoughtful than angry. That small change in Byleth’s expression was strangely enough to help him find his composure.
He was happy to question things with her. It was something he was good at, after all.
“And do you believe any of that?” he asked, striding up to his Professor. Hilda followed behind them, and the group of four all began their descent down the stairs. Claude matched his pace besides Byleth.
“Whether he was being truthful or not doesn’t matter,” she stated flatly as they reached the bottom, continuing down the ruined dirt road.
She ironed out her expression into something less severe as she met his eyes. “He’s still, at some capacity, in league with those mages. If he truly is an Emperor with any compassion, he would have never let Solon just do as he pleased in the first place. He’s obviously deranged. This Flame Emperor should have a stronger grip on his subordinates, including the Death Knight.”
“Speaking of,” she continued, looking up at where the aforementioned knight had been, “the Flame Emperor was there with him when they had kidnapped Flayn and Monica. Before the Emperor disappeared with the Death Knight, he said that he would ‘reforge the world.’”
She glanced back at Claude briefly, her face falling oddly neutral. “A bold statement to make from someone who lacks authority. What is he the ‘Emperor’ of? Just flames?”
Claude huffed a single laugh. Was she making a joke? Was she cheering him up?
He smiled at her as she looked back at him. Maybe it was his imagination, but her eyes looked to brighten up a bit at the sound of his laughter.
“Good one, Teach! Though, I’m not laughing at your reasoning at all. I actually agree with your logic. You can’t work in-step with a murderous bad guy and then claim that you’re not so bad yourself, even if you weren’t directly involved.”
Claude threw his hands behind his head, recounting his theories before continuing, “We don’t know if the Flame ‘Emperor’ is actually the one calling all the shots. I’m pretty sure he just gave himself that prestigious title. You know, for the intimidation factor.” He smiled Byleth’s way again as she took in his words, looking at her feet as she thought them over.
At least now that furious expression she had been wearing was gone, and he was glad she was making the effort to reign in her wrath, if anything for the sake of the class.
Though Claude couldn’t blame her for feeling so angry. Remire had been important to her and Jeralt to some degree as mercenaries. A familiar place to return to for warm food, a roof over their heads, and a rest from traveling. They had known these people. He was glad to distract her from those bad feelings with his signature questions and theories. And Byleth always humored him.
“Perhaps you’re right… that may be true. Admittedly, I never questioned it until now.” She raised her head and stared at Jeralt’s back. The Captain wandered off to his nearby units as they reached the entrance where everyone was gathered.
“But still,” Byleth said, “we know they share some goals. The ‘Emperor’ had some sway over the Death Knight after all, and Solon mentioned Flayn and her blood earlier as well. It’s possible that they’re at discord with each other.”
“That could be true,” Claude nodded. “It’s frustrating. We hardly have knowledge about any of the members of this nefarious little group. What could be their overall goal–”
“UUUGGHH, you two!” Hilda groaned from behind them.
Both Claude and Byleth turned to the girl, who stretched her arms high above her head, rolling her neck. Claude could hear it crack a bit.
“Let’s save this sort of talk for later, okay? This seriously isn’t the time for theory crafting. Not that you two aren’t great at it, but we really need help figuring out our route back to the Monastery right now.” Hilda batted her eyes a little too sweetly, an action that both her targets were immune to. “We took the quickest route to get here, but now with all these people…”
Leave it to Hilda to keep others on task, Claude thought to himself.
“You students don’t have to worry about the route back.” Byelth replied, her attention snapping to their meager caravans.
It wasn’t enough to escort everyone. In their haste to arrive, they had no time to prep for an evacuation.
Byleth eyed the forty or so villagers collected for a moment before continuing, “I want you both to continue handing out emergency supplies and figuring out who can walk and who can’t. The injured, the young, and the elderly need help into the caravans. Others too tired to walk can ride with the Captain's units.”
She returned her sharp blue eyes to Claude’s for a moment. “Claude, check in with the rest of the class when you get the chance. See if they noticed anything of note during the fight that might give us some answers. I’ll continue to think over our talk. We’ll meet later.”
“You got it, Teach.” He saluted a goodbye and ignored Hilda’s groans as he followed her back to their classmates.
It was going to be hard journey back to their temporary home. But Claude felt he could think more clearly now thanks to his discussion with Byleth. They certainly didn’t have answers yet, but his Teach had the strange ability to reset his mind so he could see things from a clearer point of view. Like a fresh breath of air.
◊◊◊
World domination. ‘To reforge the world.’ That’s their goal.
That had been Byleth’s answer for Claude once they had settled back in at the Monastery. Briefly, he had thought she was trying to make another attempt at a joke. Yet, it made more sense than he liked.
It’s a broad answer, but they seem like people with some pretty broad ideas. Kinda like me. Except forced domination through violence is the opposite of what I want. I certainly don’t want to sacrifice innocent people as an experiment.
Claude raised his head up, focusing on the present scene before him. He sat on one of the benches in the courtyard outside the House classrooms. The cold air of the winter moon made him shiver. While it didn’t snow at Garreg Mach, it was still cold enough for long, puffy cloaks over winter uniforms.
Despite the chill, the participants for the White Heron Cup pranced and twirled about in the courtyard. He could only assume the exercise kept them warm.
Why did the staff have them practice outside?
Included amongst the participants was Hilda, who had just completed a rather impressive mock-performance. She grinned widely at Byleth, who in turn smiled pleasantly back.
Flayn, who sat beside him, jumped from her spot and cheered.
Claude was surprised, and slightly relieved, that she sat in his company. When he had tried questioning her after their return, she bolted. The Flame Emperor and Death Knight had been after her blood specifically. But, he wouldn’t pressure her for answers. Everybody had their secrets, and if Flayn was so apprehensive to share, she probably had a good reason not to.
Byleth had told him to lay off, and Claude found himself agreeing. Interrogation was the wrong route to take. He was sure it had something to do with her crest anyway. The blood of a previous saint.
“Oh! That was an absolutely stunning display!” Flayn bounced in place, clapping. “Just beautiful! Do you agree, Marianne?”
Marianne, who was quietly watching on the opposite side of the bench, shrunk a bit at the direct question. However, she recovered quickly and nodded her head, “Y-yes! Of course! You were perfect, Hilda.” In response, Hilda preened.
“It’s fun to see you actually try your best at something for once.” Claude chimed in, shooting his friend a teasing wink.
“What do you mean?! I’m always trying my best!” She stuck her tongue out at him and moved on to light stretches. Hilda looked a bit silly stretching in a very puffy, very pink winter coat. One she had made herself, no doubt. She really could be a miracle worker when she wanted to be. Claude was actually glad Byleth had chosen their resident slacker to represent the Deer.
He glanced over to his professor hoping to catch her eyes, but she was now in a rather one-sided looking conversation with Manuela, who was chattering enthusiastically about something. A new lover probably.
It was a good quality of Byleth's to let other people talk her ears off. She was an utter pro at listening. But did she even find this subject relatable? Probably not. She was far from a romantic. Understandable considering her rougher than average childhood and her former inability to really show emotions. He doubted she ever had a serious relationship with anyone, let alone a casual fling like Manuela often had.
Claude couldn’t help but to want to ask Byleth about it anyway. For… reasons. Reasons that had been slowly blooming in some deeper part of himself over the time he had spent with her. He found he wanted to know her, and not just her secrets. Claude wanted to know her hobbies, her favorite foods, the books she read, and her opinions on strategies. Plus there were her budding emotions and feelings he wanted to see.
He couldn’t trust her if he didn’t know her, right?
Claude wanted to climb over the wall built of Byleth’s mysteries, and simply see her for what she presented herself as. A comrade. A friend. Somebody who genuinely didn’t know the answers to her own secrets. Unlike with Tomas, Byleth’s good intentions always seemed sincere.
No. They are sincere, aren’t they?
“You all seem to be enjoying yourselves.”
The group of three on the bench turned to see Edelgard, hand on her hip and a tight smile on her face. Maybe it wouldn’t look so forced if it wasn’t directed at Claude.
“Why, good afternoon your Imperial-ness,” he greeted, giving her his own practiced smile alongside a mock bow.
Edelgard hated that nickname and he knew it. She dropped her smile, and scowled at him.
Claude barreled on, “Is the lovely lady fancying a bit of stroll? I’m afraid the courtyard is in use right now. Unless you’re here to dance?”
“No. If you put those cunning eyes of yours to any use, you’d see that Ferdinand is representing the Black Eagles for this competition.” She replied, quick witted and icy-as-ever. A perfect match for the weather.
Flayn ignored the passive aggressive taunts between the two House Leaders, (or maybe she just didn’t pick up on them – it was hard to tell with her sometimes), and clasped her hands happily. “Then are you here to cheer him on? We have been watching Hilda, and – oh, I do not mean to boast in her place – but she is quite the competitor!”
Edelgard smiled kindly at the jovial girl and shook her head. “I think Ferdinand would be insulted somehow if I cheered him on. I’m simply waiting for practice to end. I have a tea date with the Professor.”
An uncomfortable sensation twisted Claude’s gut. The Professor. Meaning Byleth. She calls it a date, huh?
“Oh?” He found himself responding, despite his self-preserving instincts shouting at him not to. It was a foolish thing to overact about.
He overreacted anyway. “Finally making your moves on Teach, are you? Isn’t it a little too early to be buttering her up for a dance at the Ball?”
Edelgard went red at his question in either anger or embarrassment. Or maybe it was both.
Before she could respond though, the stomping of boots caught their attention, and Dimitri stopped before them. He had been practicing amongst the others for the competition, close to their bench. Claude grimaced at that fact he wasn’t wearing his winter cloak. He wasn’t even wearing his regular armor, instead opting for a simple long-sleeved shirt.
Marianne mumbled a quiet hello and Flayn offered a much louder one.
“Good afternoon Marianne, Flayn. Claude.” Dimitri turned his haggard gaze to the Golden Deer leader. He had bags under his eyes. If he was tired though, he refused to show it in his current demeanor. “Do leave Edelgard alone. We all look forward to sharing some time with the Professor, after all. It’s rare us other House Leaders ever get the opportunity.”
“You don’t need to jump to my defense, Dimitri.” Edelgard said curtly, despite the way she noticeably relaxed at his intervention. Her face returned to a normal color and she flipped her hair. “Though, you are correct. I simply wish to have a cordial chat with her. As always Claude, you seem to be trying to twist things to sound more scandalous than they actually are.”
“Am I?” He shrugged his shoulders and threw his cold hands behind his head. “It was simply the first reason I could think of as to why you’d want to speak with her.”
Claude wasn’t lying, not really. Edelgard’s crush on Byleth was obvious, at least to him. But he wasn’t about to let on how much his gut reaction had guided his taunts either. He was just glad nobody seemed to pick up on his small, jealous reflex at the mention of a date.
Nope. Nobody had to know about that. The feeling had been an unwelcomed surprise to himself. Like Dimitri, he hoped to convince the others around him that he felt just fine.
And so, he leapt onto the opportunity to change the subject. “By the way, you look beat your Prince-liness. Not much beauty sleep lately? Nervous about the competition?”
Dimitri frowned. “You sound like Dedue.” He quickly glanced in Byleth’s direction before looking down at his boots. “And like the Professor,” he added quietly.
Instead of the prickling jealously he felt earlier, Claude simply felt pity.
Dimitri had a point after all; the other House Leaders could never hope to build a report with Byleth like he could. She wasn’t the teacher of either of their Houses, and they couldn’t transfer like the others. They had responsibilities as leaders that inhibited them from reaching out.
In this moment, more than anyone else, it seemed Dimitri needed Byleth's ears to bend.
Claude was beginning to realize how lucky he was that she had chosen the Golden Deer. Struck by the fact she stood by his side. He could get as close to her as he wanted. And he needed her for his plans.
“I’m just… tired,” Dimitri sighed. “I woke up with another headache. Probably because I didn’t wish to represent the Blue Lions in this competition. But Professor Hannemon was adamant that it should be me.”
“Um, if I may…” Marianne spoke up, a surprise to everyone in their little huddle, “Perhaps you should go rest, or eat something warm. It’s rather cold outside. There’s the possibility you’re catching a cold, since, ah – well…” She pressed her hands together firmly and bowed her head.
It was a nervous tick, Claude had come to understand, that when Marianne lost her confidence she fell into a praying position. In a fluid motion, he swung his arm across the back of the bench around Flayn to reach her shoulder. He gave it a gentle squeeze.
“What our dear Marianne here is trying to say is that you’re not exactly dressed for the weather. Plus, you’ve got some pretty angry looking bags under your eyes.” Claude motioned to his own face with his free hand.
To his side, Edelgard huffed. “It’s true. You look like hell.”
“Indeed…” Flayn agreed.
Dimitri rubbed at his eyes. “Do I? Well, I apologize for worrying you all. But I’m fine. I just need–”
He cut himself off from the excuses he was about to make as Byleth, finally free from Manuela and having dismissed Hilda, marched up to them. “Oh Goddess… Hello Professor.”
“Dimitri,” she started sternly, “I see you haven’t listened to either me or Dedue.”
“Professor, please,” Dimitri all but whined, “I had to be out here to practice. And I–”
“And you had plenty of time between our last chat and practice to get proper rest.” Byleth dropped her stern glare into something softer.
While her face didn’t change significantly, Claude knew the subtle shift could still be recognized clearly by everyone gathered. She was getting easier to read.
“I’m not sure what you’re after Dimitri, but…” Byleth took a second to find her words before she went on, “if you continue to push yourself like this – if you keep ignoring this problem – you will fail. At whatever it is you’re trying to achieve. You need rest.”
Claude felt an uncomfortable realization hit him like a ton of bricks.
Byleth, while dense in some ways, was infinitely wise in others. Of course Dimitri was beating himself up over his own guarded goals and feelings. Ones he couldn’t divulge. Just like how Claude couldn’t speak of his and Edelgard couldn’t speak of hers. Even someone like Flayn kept secrets. Everybody had them, after all.
Meanwhile, Byleth cut to the heart of the matter; gave the best advice she could think of in the clearest way she could word it.
You won’t win if you succumb to this darkness inside you. The darkness everyone can see behind your eyes. The reason Felix calls you a ‘boar.’
“Professor… I,” Dimitri looked like he was about to argue again, but he stopped himself as he met her more gentle gaze, “I understand. I’ll try to take it easy… today.”
“Please see that you do.” Byleth left it at that, turning her attention to Edelgard. “Have you been waiting long? I can take you to my room now.”
“Your room?”
The question fell from Claude’s lips before he could stop himself. He had the urge to slap his hand over his mouth, seeing it was working faster than his brain today. Once again, he overreacted to something so mundane.
Byleth rightfully looked at him as if he had grown a second head, tilting her own ever so slightly. “Yes? It’s too cold to host tea parties in the gazebo. I’ve been using my room instead.”
Something in his expression must of revealed his train of thought, and sharp as she was, recognition flashed in her eyes. “Ah – I suppose that sounded more inappropriate than intended. You didn’t know I had a student-teacher appointment with her after all.”
Edelgard approached Byleth’s side with a sly smile, looking a little too proud of herself in the moment. “Actually Professor, Claude did know I was here for a tea da– appointment with you.”
Claude squinted her way. Don’t think I missed that.
“He’s just stirring up trouble, as per usual,” Edelgard concluded.
“Ah, really?” Dimitri asked, shuffling awkwardly on his feet. “I must admit, I got the wrong impression for a quick moment as well.”
Thank the stars for Dimitri!
“Gee Edelgard,” Claude smirked, “I knew you had a ‘tea date’ with Teach, but that doesn’t mean her suddenly inviting you to her room doesn’t sound– how would you put it? Scandalous? Kind of improper looking to the outsiders looking in, if you ask me.”
Struck by a wicked thought, he continued, “Or did you meet her here in this crowd deliberately so everybody could see you two strolling to her quarters together? How titillating for you.”
Edelgard had the grace to drop her smug grin, opting instead to look away.
Claude could only grin. Caught you.
“Okay, that’s enough,” Byleth said, giving Claude a stern look. “This is on me. I should have worded my invite more clearly. I’m sorry if I gave any of you the wrong impression.”
“I’ll apologize too, Teach,” Claude added with a smile.
Byleth was a natural peacekeeper as much as she was a natural warrior. He, however, couldn’t help but be a shit-stirrer.
At least towards people who actively called him one.
“I’m sorry, Edelgard, for teasing you,” he gave her another exaggerated bow. “I know that our lovely Teach isn’t doing dubious things behind closed doors with any of us students. After all, I’ve been alone with her in her room plenty of times, so I would know.”
The speed at which both Edelgard and Dimitri swung their heads in unison to look at him with shock… oh yes. This teasing was worth it after all. He pretended to not see Byleth shoot him another warning glare.
“As have I!” Flayn quickly added, now obviously aware of the tension in the air between the House Leaders. “My brother never provided the Professor with a proper office after all. Her room really is a common meeting place for appointments with us students! Right, Marianne?”
“Hmm? Oh! Of course!” Marianne straightened her back, picking up on Flayn’s plea for assistance. “I meet with her there often to discuss many things. About class and missions, and for tea, and… you know…”
Byleth nodded at the girls. “That’s right, and so,” she gave Claude another pointed look before motioning Edelgard to follow her across the courtyard, “I will see you all later.”
She was obviously tired of this conversation. Claude stifled a laugh. He’d have to actually apologize later for causing a commotion, not that his Teach would hold a grudge against him.
He liked to think he was her favorite after all. Scheming and teasing included. Claude could recall all the times she smiled when he would recount his pranks to her over their own one-on-one tea parties. Byleth even agreed with him sometimes that his targets had it coming to them.
All incidents he confided to her were never reported either. It was endearing that she trusted his judgment enough to let him run loose, knowing full-well that his pockets were full of potions and poisons.
She won’t betray me. She’s not like Thomas.
He’d have to invite Byleth to one of their own tea dates soon. In Claude’s mind, the wall of her mysteries didn’t seem so daunting to climb anymore.