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“And where do you think you’re going, Bernadetta?” he asked in his usual smooth yet terrifying voice. He was so calm all the time, and yet he still reminded her of a snake. A particularly venomous snake.
She whirled around, pressing her back against the wall so that no one could sneak up on her from behind, then tucked a strand of purple hair behind her ear. “Umm, class is over?” she more asked than said, keeping her eyes on him and the entire room at the same time. “So I’m going back to my room. If that’s okay with you, Hubert!” She added the last part very quickly.
Hubert frowned, then turned in the seat and leaned on his knees, putting his hands up near his mouth. “You said you wanted to speak to me, which I found odd, but now is as good a time as any. I was going to go eat before returning to Lady Edelgard’s side for training. Would you like to come with me to the dining hall?”
“I umm…” Bernadetta said, looking around and hugging her books to her chest even tighter. “Well, I don’t really… eat,” she said.
“I find that hard to believe. You are a person, last I checked, and therefore need to eat.”
“I mean! I don’t eat around others!” Bernadetta said. “It’s okay! We can talk later! Much later! Or never! I’m sorry!” she shrieked and bolted out the door, and Hubert leaned back in the seat, watching her retreat.
“How odd,” he said.
“Not unbelievable though.” Dorothea said, turning from her seat in front of him where she had been eavesdropping. “Poor girl is scared of everything. I’m surprised she can hold a conversation with you.”
“Hmm. Well, she did wish to speak to me, and it seemed important enough that she willingly approached me. Well, after stalking me for a few minutes.”
“I didn’t think anyone had the guts to stalk you, of all people.” Dorothea said, gathering her things and standing, moving to stand beside him. “You had to have known she was there. It’s you.”
“I’m a bit embarrassed to say that I didn’t notice her at all, at first. She can be stealthy when she wants, and unlike everyone seems to think, I neither know everything nor do I have eyes in the back of my head.”
“That sounded suspiciously like a compliment. You’re not getting soft on me, are you, Hubie?”
He snorted. “Don’t be preposterous. I do know how to be kind or give compliments. I just don’t see the purpose or advantage in them.”
Dorothea looked over at him. “You seem plenty kind to Edie and Bernie.”
He stood. “That is because being kind to Lady Edelgard is my duty and my station, and because if I weren’t kind to Bernadetta, I fear she might have a heart attack. Honestly Dorothea, do you have nothing better to do, or is eavesdropping and gossiping your sole occupation?”
Dorothea smiled. “Don’t be a bitch, Hubert. However, if your offer for lunch is open…”
He shook his head. “I would, but I need to see what it is Bernadetta was after. Perhaps another time.”
Dorothea nodded. “Enjoy that. I’ll go pester Petra instead. She wanted to learn some music. We can do it over lunch. See you later, Hubie~” Dorothea said, then headed out the door. Hubert sighed and picked up his things. A late lunch then. He’d stop by Lady Edelgard’s room to check on her on the way and drop off his things to give Bernadetta a chance to calm down, then he’d go see if she was okay.
*****
An hour later, he knocked on the door. “Bernadetta, are you in there?” Hubert asked. He was surprised when the door cracked instead of her talking through it like usual. A single purple eye peered at him through the door.
“I am,” she said. “What do you want?”
He resisted the urge to sigh. “I was hoping that we could get to the heart of whatever it was that you wanted to talk about, considering you approached me over it.”
She chewed her lip, then shut the door in his face, and he put his hand to his chin, then was dumbfounded when it swung open entirely. “Come in, I guess,” she said.
Very curious, but he’d been wanting to see her room for awhile. Now was as good a chance to assess her as a threat as any. He smiled, then stepped into her room, and she closed the door behind him and locked it.
It was very homey here. She had made an effort to make the space hers, unlike everyone else that had just thrown their things in and spent little time in the room. She had a few bolts of fabric in the corner, quite a few plants, and there was a sewing station set up at the far wall with all the bits and bobs she’d need. She walked past him and grabbed a teddy bear from a chair, sitting on the bed and hugging it. He felt that not only would sitting next to her be a revolting sign of trust, but it may also send her into a catatonic state, so he took the newly vacated chair and moved it a bit closer and across from her, then sat in it, leaning on his knees.
“So what is it that you’d like to talk about?”
She hugged the bear a bit tighter. “I’m not sure how to start.”
He leaned back and crossed his arms, also crossing a leg over his knee. “We have time. I have no urgent matters.”
She swallowed. “So umm, before you judge me, I’m writing a book,” she said, and he raised an eyebrow. “Have you ever… umm… Have you ever felt a romantic attachment?”
He smiled. “An odd question. May I ask what your book is about, and why it gives you the privilege to pry into my personal matters?”
She looked down at the bear. “Well, it’s umm… It’s about a shy girl. She is scared of everyone and everything, and she walled herself away because she was treated very poorly,” she said, rubbing the bear’s head. “But against her wishes, she still has to go out. Every day she has things to do, and while she’s doing that, she meets a dashing rogue. He is terrifying and… scary at first. But when she gets to know him, she is able to see past his own walls after a while, and she sees the heart inside of him. She sees that he can be warm and kind, and that despite his harsh appearance, he also wants to be liked,” she said, then pet the bear’s head harder. “And she resonates with that, because she doesn’t want to be a recluse forever, and little by little, the rogue helps her open up.” She glanced at him, then back down.
“I see,” Hubert said, rubbing his chin with his hand. “And you think that because I too am scary, I may have insight into this character? This rogue.”
“More or less,” she said. She was very different here. And he was surprised at her bravery. He knew what this was about now, but honestly, he had never expected anyone to feel this way, let alone Bernadetta, of all people. There was more to her than he thought, it seemed. She was very brave when she needed to be, and his respect for her grew.
“Well, I can say that I’ve had romantic prospects from time to time, but very little time to devote to them. My time is almost always spent in service to Lady Edelgard, and that puts a damper on things. Many assume my devotion to her is pining, in a way. That couldn’t be further from the truth however. I am her vassal, and not her equal. Because of that, I will never be worthy of being her husband.” He lowered his hand, leaning on his knees again. “But if I were this rogue, as you put it, I would say that working with the girl, making her realize that she doesn’t have to be shut away all the time, that in itself is a type of love and devotion. It may be that he shows his interest this way because other forms of intimacy are complicated for him.”
Bernie looked up at him, frowning. “Even if she were to always scream and run away from him?”
He shrugged. “Different tasks are hard for different people, but fears can be conquered, and if she were ever afraid, all she would have to know is that there is a dashing rogue at her side that would fight the Goddess to keep her safe.”
“I… I see,” Bernie said.
“So, does that answer your question?”
She nodded. “I think it does.”
He smiled. “Then would you care to join me for lunch? I hear the Goddess doesn’t frequent the dining hall this time of day.”
She smiled. “I think I’d like that. Thank you… Hubie.”