The atmosphere was nothing short of gloomy as the Golden Deer class finally came within sight of the illustrious dwelling of House Varley. The secluded valley that made up their surroundings was drenched with an endless torrent of cascading rain, further impeding the group's march while Bernadetta gazed down upon the dark manor she once resided in with a look of unbridled dread. The crackle of lightning striking down from behind the elaborate structure hardly helped matters either, making it seem more akin to the lair of a demon than a nobleman's estate.
"You should really watch your step there, Bernadetta!" a booming loudly warned, urgently pointing to the girl's feet as she lingered precariously close to the edge of the rocky trail they were traversing. "I know we're all feeling a little under the weather, but one slip is all it will take for you to lose your footing!"
"Er, right. Thanks, Alois…" Bernadetta hurriedly complied, returning the portly knight's words of advice with a halfhearted smile in gratitude. "I wouldn't want that to happen again…" she added under her breath, tightening her grip on her signature hoodie as she vividly recalled the incident that kicked off her unwitting journey through time.
Out of all the Knights of Seiros that could have potentially come along for the ride, the lilac haired recluse took some much needed comfort in Seteth's choice, even if the rest of the party had quickly grown tired of the warrior's ill-timed puns.
"Ugh, couldn't we all just slide down the cliff instead of following this stupidly complicated path? I'm sure it'd be a lot more fun that way!"
"Sure, as long as you don't mind getting skewered on one of those jagged rocks along the way." Lysithea rolled her eyes at the suggestion, not even bothering to ask why a certain Black Eagle student was accompanying them as she carefully eyed the enormous drop looming over the edge.
"This isn't a field trip, Monica. We're here on an official investigation." Byleth was quick to remind the ever-present, self-invited redhead as she curiously stuck her head over the edge of the ravine.
"I just wanna know what the guy who built this place was thinking when he placed such an elaborate mansion in the back of this obscure valley." Claude wondered aloud, draping a leather cloak above his head in a vain attempt to fend off the pouring rain as he scanned the eerily enclosed environment surrounding the Varley manor. With the towering rock walls surrounding the residence on multiple sides, the only direct path to the structure came in the form of an expanse of forest that seemed to stretch out far beyond the reach of the valley itself.
"It is said that this valley was once a place of great significance to Saint Indech. Or so I've been told." Flayn eagerly filled in the blanks, attracting a number of curious stares from her impromptu classmates with her explanation.
"Why yes, according to the accounts I've read, Saint Indech has been known to be an extraordinarily shy person in his life." Ignatz was quick to corroborate the young priestess's claims, his eyes lighting up in interest as he recounted his own knowledge of the saint's life. "As someone who spent most of his life in solitude, I can imagine this would have been an ideal point for him to take up residence…"
"Why yes, you are quite knowledgeable on the topic, Ignatz." Flayn earnestly congratulated the young artist for his efforts with a confirmatory nod. "Saint Indech was certainly the type of person who would go out of his way to avoid human contact… though with that in mind, I cannot help but wonder how his Crest managed to pass onto future generations…"
"That sure sounds a lot like someone we know, huh?" Monica lightly teased Bernadetta, who only continued to silently stare in the direction of her former abode in response.
"Still, I can't imagine this location would make it easy for Count Varley to conduct his business…" Lorenz aptly noted. "I can understand its significance to his family's Crest, especially as the Empire's Minister of Religious Affairs, yet if people can hardly move to and fro his abode…"
"Count Varley was never really fond of making public appearances, at least as far as I can tell." Bernadetta quietly theorized. "In fact, he was never exactly fond of visitors either. He'd always be in a worse mood than usual whenever anyone came along unannounced…" she instinctively shuddered upon recalling her father's distaste of uninvited guests before turning to Byleth with a pleading expression. "You know… I'd be willing to sleep outside if we were left with no other choice."
"Now there's something I never thought I'd hear from you." Claude rapidly blinked in surprise at the typically reclusive girl's abnormal request.
"Normally I wouldn't put much stock in where I go to sleep, but with all this pouring rain?" Leonie immediately questioned the young Varley's offer. "We'd all catch colds before the night is up!"
"Come now, Bernadetta. I'm sure your father will be more than willing to accommodate us all, even on such short notice. What sort of pour soul would he have to be to deny the Knights of Seiros and their entourage?"
"That's not what I'm worried about, Alois…" Bernadetta nervously giggled at the knight's joke out of politeness as her forward pace began to slow to a crawl. She soon came to a halt upon feeling the familiar comfort of her professor's hand on the back of her shoulder.
"We may have to rest under the roof of Count Varley for the night, but we are under no obligation to cater to his whims either." Byleth resolutely proclaimed, the tale of the unfortunate peasant boy who dared to befriend his companion still fresh in his mind. "Whether he likes it or not, we're going to need a temporary base of operations while we perform our investigation. Should he do anything to disrupt our activities, I can assure you the consequences will be dire." the professor slyly added, earning an eager nod from Monica in approval.
"Oh yeah, I bet he'd hate to find out what happens when he pisses off Rhea's favorite teacher!" the accompanying Black Eagle happily concurred, patting a hand on her violet haired schoolmate's back in a quick effort to raise her spirits.
"I guess that's a reassuring thought…" Bernadetta softly accepted with a weak smile, having made what peace she could with the inevitable reunion she was due to experience. "It's already too late to turn back. We might as well get this over with as soon as we can, right?"
Unleashing a deeply held breath, Bernadetta unhesitantly took hold of her professor's guiding hand and mentally steeled herself for her long awaited homecoming.
As large as the Varley manor appeared from a distance, the true scope of the residence only became clear when the Golden Deer class finally arrived on the premises proper. Like an oasis hidden away from the world's eye, the grounds were covered in a remarkably well kept array of shrubbery and stone tiled floors. An elegant fountain lay in the middle of the manor's courtyard, acting as a beacon of sorts amidst the drizzling rain falling down upon its surroundings.
"This is a pretty nice place you've got here, Bernie." Monica casually whistled in admiration of the young Varley's past home.
"It's not really that impressive…" Bernadetta promptly dismissed the redhead's praises, paying little heed to her past surroundings as the group gradually made their way through the courtyard. "I've already had more than my fill of this place." the violet haired recluse darkly muttered to herself, hanging her head low while she proceeded to hurriedly drag her professor onward.
"Bernadetta, please slow down." Byleth urgently warned, awkwardly struggling to keep up with his student's hastened pace. "You'll only get us both hurt if you don't watch where you're going."
"You'd do well to heed your professor, young lady! You've only just returned to us, after all!" an elderly voice suddenly called out from the distance.
Surprised, the Varley heir froze in her tracks and looked up to find a lone figure rapidly approaching her direction, seemingly unfazed by the poor weather bearing down on him. Judging from the distinct black uniform and tailcoat jacket the man was wearing, he appeared to be a servant of the Varley manor. "Sir Rowan…?" Bernadetta's eyes promptly lit up in surprise as the newcomer dutifully presented himself to her with a respectful bow.
"Your eyes are still as sharp as ever, I see. Welcome home, Lady Bernadetta." the older gentleman greeted with a warm, inviting smile. "It's been quite a long time, hasn't it?"
"Y- yeah… I almost didn't recognize you for a second…" Bernadetta breathed a small sigh of relief, her tensions slowly fading as the remainder of her group promptly rushed over join up with her.
"I assume you two are already familiar with one another?" Byleth curiously asked, his interest fully piqued as he silently examined the aging butler standing before him.
"Well, yeah, I've known Sir Rowan since I was a child. He's served as the head butler here at the manor for as long as I can remember."
"Oh, is that so? You certainly seem like a respectable gentleman, and one with a pristine sense of facial hair to boot!" Alois heartily observed, taking note of the butler's greying, yet well-trimmed beard as he stepped forth to offer the man an enthusiastic handshake.
"Ah, it's a pleasure to meet a fellow connoisseur under such circumstances." Rowan enthusiastically concurred as he readily reached out his hand to return the knight's kind gesture. "But I must assure you, I am nothing more than a humble servant of the Varley family. I must say, you've managed to gather quite a lively group of companions, haven't you, Lady Bernadetta?" the butler keenly noted, his gaze slowly shifting across the Golden Deer students that had gathered around him while his young liege nervously fidgeted in place from all the attention focused on her.
"Yeah, that's one way of putting it…"
"Please, allow me to invite you all inside. I'm sure the lot of you must be exhausted from the extensive trip you took to arrive here." Rowan promptly turned around, gesturing to the manor's front door with an elaborate flourish of his hand. "I've also taken the liberty of preparing a myriad of hot drinks in advance to help warm your weary spirits. You'll surely need all the energy you can get on your upcoming investigation."
"We would be more than happy to oblige, Sir Rowan. It seems the services of a butler are just as meticulous I have been told." Flayn responded to the butler's dutiful offers with a respectful bow of her own. "I simply must repay you for your kindness."
"Uh… Flayn?" Claude tilted his head in confusion as the young priestess suddenly began to rummage through her own pockets with gusto. "What are you doing?"
"Are we not supposed to return the tireless efforts of our servants with a respectable monetary reward?" Flayn innocently asked, having retrieved a large handful of gold coins from her person. "I've been told this was a long-standing tradition in the Empire."
"Er, no. We don't exactly do that sort of thing around here..." Bernadetta awkwardly refuted her naïve companion's innocuous claims. "Who could have given you that idea?" the violet haired recluse curiously asked, to which Monica discreetly whistled a short tune in response. The redhead's attempts to brush off her manipulations didn't go unnoticed by Claude, who simply directed an amused smirk at the girl in response.
"Your generosity is greatly appreciated, but there is no need to lavish me with praise for something so simple. The satisfaction of his guests is all the reward a proper butler ever requires." Rowan was quick to humbly deny the emerald haired churchgoer's offer with a calm shake of his head. "Come now, you've all stood out in the cold long enough. Oh, and of course I will be sure to notify Count Allocer of your arrival at the earliest opportunity."
"Right… that's just great…" Bernadetta grimly murmured at the mention of her father, still gripping her professor's hand and silently rooting herself to the ground as the rest of her company eagerly made their way inside the mansion, leaving only herself, Byleth, and Rowan remaining after only a matter of seconds.
"Lady Bernadetta…" the butler's voice shortly cut into the silence the moment he noticed the girl's idleness. "Is something troubling your friend over there?" he asked, directing Bernadetta's gaze over to Claude, who had also stayed behind, his brow furrowed and gaze transfixed on the elderly servant for reasons unknown.
"Oh please, don't mind me." the Golden Deer leader immediately raised his hands up in innocence. "I couldn't shake the feeling that I knew you from somewhere, but it's clearly just my imagination. Come along, lovebirds, you can't stay outside forever!"
"Lovebirds?! Rowan, I swear we haven't done anything-" Bernadetta frantically opened her mouth to protest, only for Claude to take hold of her free hand before she could finish. Before the unwitting Ms. Varley knew it, she and the professor were forcefully being dragged into the manor in a makeshift conga line, much to the amusement of the servant witnessing the scene.
"I never imagined the young mistress would have changed so dramatically since I delivered her to the academy…" the Varley's servant noted to himself with a faint, yet knowing smile.
"Mm! These treats are delicious! I bet my little sis would love these if she had the chance to try some!"
"Ugh, must I remind you that we are in the middle of a nobleman's estate, Raphael? You should at least show some semblance of proper etiquette before the lord of the manor arrives to witness this display." Lorenz grumbled in frustration at the sight of his giant blonde classmate shoveling a plateful of cookies into his mouth.
"It's not a crime to enjoy sweets, Lorenz." Lysithea was quick to rebuke the young noble's loud complaints. "I, for one, am grateful for this opportunity to indulge in this generous meal." the tiny mage fiercely glared at her condescending classmate before taking a forceful bite out of the slice of cake in her hand.
"Careful, Lysithea. I could hear that heavy chomp from the other side of the table here. Bite any harder, and you're bound to crack a few teeth in the process!" Claude heartily joked at the expense of his youngest classmate, nearly provoking the mage into throwing her own cup of tea at her house leader in retaliation; a maneuver that was only stopped by the swift intervention of Hilda.
"Ooh, are we about to have a food fight? Count me in!" Monica gleefully rubbed her hands together at the prospect of plastering the nearest unfortunate soul with the biggest handful of frosting she could gather.
"What is this food fight you speak of?" Flayn innocently asked, understandably confused by the redhead's enthusiastic idea. "Are we to go to battle with these sweets as our weapons?"
"Well, you see-"
"Don't even think about it, Monica! Especially not here!" Bernadetta loudly warned before the Black Eagle student could even begin to fill Flayn's head with any more shaky ideas. With a simple look, she signaled for Leonie to physically restrain the mischievous imp to ensure that she could not start any chaos within the confines of the dining hall.
"It warms my heart to see such a healthy spirit among your new companions, Lady Bernadetta." Rowan lightly chuckled as the girl in question comfortably huddled herself up in a distant corner of the dining hall alongside Byleth and Marianne. The gathered Golden Deer students had certainly taken a quick liking to the manor's hospitality, enjoying a much deserved refresher whilst Alois and the knights spread out across the premises to begin collecting information for their upcoming mission.
"I guess that's one way of putting it…" Bernadetta awkwardly joined in on the servant's quiet laughter in acknowledgment of her class's unique oddities. "I know you probably weren't expecting me to come back with a class full of Alliance students, but they're all really good people deep down."
"Indeed they are. In fact, Bernadetta's always seemed more at home with them than her fellow Adrestians." Byleth readily concurred with his pupil's evaluation of her schoolmates.
"It's not that I hated any of my old classmates, mind you, it's just-"
"Come now, there should be no need to worry about the status of your friends so long as you've found a place where you can safely belong with them. I'm sure your mother will be glad to hear of this news as well." Rowan calmly reassured his young liege with another welcoming smile as the rest of the class continued to enjoy their meal.
"I can only hope so…"
"Speaking of your mother, I've gotten rather curious…" Marianne quietly spoke up, her gaze faintly directed at a large portrait hanging in the center of the room. The man bore a long mane of violet hair a shade darker than Bernadetta's, complete with a few loose strands falling along the right side of his face and a thin layer of facial hair surrounding his lips. With his elegant lavender longcoat and sharp pair of silver eyes, it was apparent that the man was an important figure to the Varley manor in some form. "Would I be correct to assume that man in the painting is your father?"
"Actually, that would be my Uncle Abel." Bernadetta shortly corrected the blue haired priestess. "I can't exactly blame you for mistaking him for my f… for Count Varley, though. The two of them were actually twin brothers, after all."
"Ah, yes. I have many fond memories of serving under Lord Abelard. He was… an eccentric individual to say the least, yet he was truly among the kindest souls you could ever hope to meet. He even happened to be the mind responsible for the brew of tea you're enjoying right now." Rowan nostalgically reminisced with a yet unseen expression of wistfulness.
"Yeah… he never came to the manor very often, but I always looked forward to his visits as if they were my own personal holidays. He'd always arrive bearing all sorts of unique gifts from throughout Fódlan, and he'd often inspire me with tales of fantastic heroes and his own travels across the continent…"
"Ah, yes, I can scarcely forget the time Abelard went as far to as to set up an elaborate play for one of these tales. He'd cast himself as a brave knight protecting the sorceress Bernadetta from a fearsome dragon… although the dragon actually turned out to be quite real in the end."
"Heh… that was an experience I can never forget." Bernadetta timidly scratched the back of her neck in recollection of the dramatic event.
"Wow… your uncle sounds like a wonderful person, Bernadetta. I think I'd like to meet him personally some-day." Marianne quietly commented in admiration, to which the violet haired recluse lowered her gaze sadly in response.
"Unfortunately, I'm afraid it will be quite impossible for you to meet with Lord Abelard. He has… long since passed from this world, years before Lady Bernadetta arrived at the academy." Rowan regretfully informed much to Marianne's visible distress.
"I- I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to dredge up any painful memories for you-"
"N- no, it's okay…" Bernadetta swiftly interrupted the remorseful priestess before things could escalate any further. "These aren't painful memories at all. I like looking back at the times I spent with my uncle. I always had better memories of him then… well…"
"The two of you were exceptionally close, weren't you?" Byleth calmly observed, receiving only a silent nod in response.
"Lord Abelard had all the qualities of a fine leader. He was selfless, knowledgeable, outgoing…" Rowan began to recount, adopting a deeply nostalgic expression as he looked up to the portrait of the noble he once served with pride. "I can only imagine whether he'd still be here if he decided against giving up his position for his brother all those years ago…"
As if on cue, a heavy series of footsteps were suddenly heard approaching the dining hall at an uneven pace. With a loud gasp of dread, Bernadetta immediately recognized the source of this sound and hurriedly stood up to hide herself behind Byleth's overcoat in fear.
A large, imposing figure slowly hobbled into the dining hall with an expression of pure apathy that quickly shifted into one of disgust the moment he laid his piercing silver eyes upon the rowdy schoolchildren occupying his dining hall.
"Hmph. Are these children the ones responsible for disturbing my peaceful rest? Ridiculous." the man quietly grumbled in a low, gravelly voice, his every step exuding a commanding presence as he slowly sauntered into the room. He came garbed in a drab, grey waistcoat surrounding a thick, black undershirt bearing the signature violet wings of the Varley family emblem. Indeed, it was clear to everybody present that the disgruntled nobleman standing among them was none other than Allocer von Varley. His hair retained the same length and shade as that of Abelard, albeit significantly more unkempt. Perhaps as a means to differentiate himself from his brother, his face was completely clean-shaven, and the back of his hair was neatly tied up in a simple slipknot ponytail.
The noble's presence seemed to exude an intimidating aura that caused the young students under his gaze to momentarily freeze in their tracks as they returned his stare with a mixed variety of different looks of their own. Adding to this effect were the deep, shadowy circles forming beneath his eyes, a few shades darker than even those of Marianne.
"Am I to believe that my foolish daughter abandoned the class of her homeland for the murky riffraff of the Alliance?" Allocer loudly monologued to nobody in particular. "For Indech's sake, half the class is filled with basic commoners!"
Perhaps driven by the uncomfortable grimaces of his fellow classmates, Lorenz awkwardly cleared his throat and stood from his seat in an effort to offer a hand in greeting to the head of the household. "You must me Count Varley, correct? My name is Lorenz Hellman-"
"Yes, yes, I know who exactly you are." Allocer hurriedly interrupted the Alliance noble with a tone of thinly veiled annoyance. "I recognize the son of Count Gloucester all too well. It seems that fop's atrocious attempt at a hairdo still persists to this day. The man always was a hotheaded braggart." the count visibly glowered, callously refusing to even notice the younger noble's offer of a handshake as he walked past him, leaving Lorenz to linger in place, his mouth agape with an expression of irritation and offense.
"Don't you think it's rude to leave a man hanging when he's actively trying to be polite?!" Leonie loudly protested, but her words evidently fell on deaf ears as Allocer didn't even seem to register the young huntress's remarks in his mind. Instead, he simply chose to continue along his path until Lysithea angrily stood out to block his way with a look of frustration.
"Would it kill you to at least pretend to hear what she just said?" the short-statured mage hotly questioned, her hands firmly crossed around her chest as if she were scolding a child. "It's because of people like you that the nobility has such a bad name!"
"Do you truly have any grounds to speak of nobility, Miss Ordelia? I'm frankly amazed your family still has any influence left to go around after your little scuffle with the Empire." Allocer nonchalantly remarked, eliciting a pained grunt from Lysithea in response. "They must be truly desperate to rely on an unsophisticated child to regain their stature." As the young mage hung her head down in trepidation, the head of the manor opted to circle around her with his hands neatly folded behind his back.
Having heard enough of the count's insults to last a lifetime, Byleth indignantly set out to speak with Allocer himself, with the aggressor's daughter hesitantly following shortly behind, tightly clinging to her professor's back in a desperate effort to minimize her own presence.
"I know you think you're better than us lowly schoolchildren who know nothing of the world around us, but all I see is a pot whining to a gallery full of kettles." Monica loudly taunted the count before Byleth could manage to close the distance to him, standing with one defiant foot raised onto her chair and bearing an unamused, yet mocking expression. Though Count Allocer didn't turn to face the redhead for a response, the brief twinge in his eye made it clear that her words managed to strike a nerve nonetheless.
"Do none of your companions know how to properly hold their tongues, Bernadetta?" the nobleman calmly asked, slowly turning to face Byleth with a furrowed brow. "Get out from behind that human shield of yours! You look more pathetic than usual." Allocer aggressively demanded, his gaze fiercely transfixed on the trembling figure of his daughter with a look of pure disgust as she nervously stuck her head out from behind the safety of her most trusted companion.
"I…" Bernadetta quickly opened her mouth to speak, but the words simply refused to come out, no matter how much she desired to speak her mind.
"Bernadetta can do as she pleases, and I will not tolerate your flagrant disrespect for my students." Byleth sharply spoke up in the younger girl's stead as they both closed the distance between themselves and the displeasured nobleman. The two men stood at similar heights to one another, and while the count appeared to be taller by a single breadth, it hardly stopped the professor from returning his fierce stare with a seemingly tranquil, yet furious look of his own.
"And just who are you supposed to be, exactly?" the count curiously demanded, to which his daughter quickly forced her eyes shut in response. Though Byleth hardly seemed to show any visible reaction to it, it had become abundantly clear that Allocer's breath was imbued with the faint, yet horribly pungent scent of overaged wine. It took no shortage of self-control for Bernadetta to resist the urge to vomit the moment the smell invaded her senses.
"I know your memory has been lapsing in recent days, but this would be Professor Eisner, your daughter's professor and the primary instructor of the Golden Deer house." Rowan swiftly stepped in to explain the situation, to which the count raised a single eyebrow in newfound amusement.
"Ah yes, I remember hearing about this common mercenary Lady Rhea plucked out of the gutter to serve as a last-minute substitute…" Allocer noted, too deep in thought to react to his servant's unsubtle jab towards his memory. "Tell me, Professor. What sort of sob stories has my daughter been spewing to garner sympathy for herself?"
"Please stop…" Bernadetta quietly pleaded in a voice too soft-spoken for her father to notice.
"She's told me enough to know exactly what sort of a man you are." Byleth calmly retorted. "I'll only ask this of you once; you are to stay as far away from my students as humanly possible during our time here. I will not stand for any further harassment against them."
"Oh please, are you truly so gullible as to believe every word out of that girl's mouth?" Allocer confidently asked, letting out a short chuckle at the professor's audacity to make demands of him. "What I do with my daughter is my business, now stand aside."
"If she's you're daughter, shouldn't you be treating her better than this?"
"By…" Bernadetta quietly muttered as she placed a hand to her racing heart. Deep down, she was starting to feel a strong urge to shout, yet a light whimper was all her voice could mutter at this point.
"You seem surprisingly keen on defending a girl you've only known for but a few passing moons at best." the count amusingly remarked before taking up a more serious expression. "She's always been a cursed child, you know. I don't know what she's done to beguile you so thoroughly, but know that she'll only lead you to your death if you continue down this path."
"No… no, that's not…!" Bernadetta distressingly blurted out, this time loud enough for her father to faintly pick up on.
"Alec, I think that's quite enough for tonight-" Rowan sternly spoke up, only for his master to quickly silence him with a firm gesture of his hand.
"Come now, Rowan, I'm simply relieving the young professor of his disdainful ignorance. And we still have important matters to discuss on top of that." Allocer indifferently defended himself as his gaze returned to the hunched over figure of his daughter. "Are you done making a fool of yourself, Bernadetta, or has your time at the academy been nothing but a waste?!"
"I've learned more from my experiences at Garreg Mach than I'll ever learn from you." Bernadetta bitterly spat back, briefly dumbfounding her father with her sudden display of boldness.
"Hmph. I see you've at least grown some semblance of a spine while you were away." the count reluctantly observed. "If you've truly learned anything from that academy, then you had best put it to use in the aid of your mother. You've kept her waiting for far too long."
"I know… and we're all here to help her, along with everyone else who's suffering from the plague. You should at least show some gratitude that so many people are willing to offer their assistance for a land that's not even their own."
"Gratitude?" the count repeated, sporting an offended expression as he dramatically raised a hand to his left shoulder. "You lot should be grateful I allowed you to step one foot under my roof! Were it not for the circumstances at hand, I would have had them all tossed out into the chilling rain outside."
"Like you've done to me so many times before?!" Bernadetta challenged, her own temper slowly flaring up with each word.
"Hold your tongue, girl. I will not tolerate you spitting lies in my presence."
"Alec-"
"No, Rowan. This girl is in dire need of relearning respect." Allocer swiftly cut in before his butler could more than a single word in. "You and my brother were always too soft on her, and look where that's gotten him. I will not have my only heir drag our family's name through the dirt."
"You've already done that yourself." Bernadetta piercingly remarked, causing yet another unnatural twinge in her father's eye.
"After all I've done to raise you into a respectable woman, is this how you thank me for my tireless efforts?"
"You've hardly raised me at all, you bastard!"
"Lady Bernadetta, please calm down…!" Rowan urgently pleaded, only for his words of caution to go ignored once again.
"I see how it is… you and that professor of yours have poisoned each other's minds." Allocer sternly noted, his gaze shifting back to Byleth with an unreadable expression. "Don't think I haven't noticed how attached my daughter has gotten to you, mercenary. With my position, I could have you taken away from her in-"
"Don't even think about laying a single hand on him!" Bernadetta furiously snapped, having finally gathered the resolve to step forth and look her father dead in the eye; an effort that was swiftly met with a sudden impact to her cheek from Count Allocer's open palm that sent her collapsing to the floor onto her hands and knees.
Instinctively, the lilac haired girl forced her eyes shut and remained frozen in shock for a few brief moments from the abrupt sensation of pain.
"Whoa, whoa, Teach! Think about what you're doing for a sec!" the familiar voice of Claude suddenly rang through the back of her mind to snap Bernadetta out of her stunned state. When next she opened her eyes, she was aghast, but not overly surprised to find her own blood slowly dripping down from her cheek onto the floor below.
A short glance behind her would reveal the frantic figure of Claude reaching out to physically restrain Byleth, whose hand was hovering dangerously close to the handle of the Sword of the Creator.
"Look, Teach... I'm every bit as pissed as you are, bit this is the last place you'll want to start a scene in!" the Golden Deer leader urgently whispered into his professor's ear in a desperate effort to calm him down.
Utterly mortified by the situation, Bernadetta slowly attempted to stand herself back up, but she quickly froze in her tracks when she looked up to find her father menacingly looking down on her with his hand raised high above his head. This time, however, the count's motion was brought to a grinding halt by the intervention of Rowan, who adeptly circled around his master to seize his hand in a strong vice-like grip before forcefully yanking him away from his inured daughter as if he were disciplining a child.
"Rowan-"
"You should know better than act so barbarically in front of guests, Alec." the butler sharply interrupted, choosing to ignore the obvious wince of pain on his master's face. "Think for a moment. What would Lord Abelard think about this if he were still here?"
"Do not speak my brother's name, Rowan…" Allocer solemnly requested, his voice falling uncharacteristically quiet as his butler continued to maintain a crushing grip on his hand.
"Then I must ask that you compose yourself this instant. And get some more rest. Goddess knows you're in dire need of it." the servant insistently requested as Byleth slowly knelt down to help the count's daughter off the floor.
"I dunno about you, but I'm feeling awfully tempted to slit this guy's throat on the spot." Monica subtly murmured in the professor's ear, having gathered by his side in a concerted effort to help her friend back on her feet.
"That's not exactly helping, Monica…" Claude sighed in disapproval, quickly stepping in to restrain the redhead in a preemptive measure to prevent her from following up on her threat.
"You'll have to get in line first." was Byleth's cold reply while he hurriedly reached into his pockets for a small handkerchief to wipe the blood dripping from the astoundingly deep scratch mark running across his student's face.
"Very well, then…" Count Allocer reluctantly agreed to his butler's wishes as his hand was finally released from the elder's iron grip. "Get one of the maids to clean up this mess, Rowan. And Bernadetta!" the nobleman loudly alerted his still recovering daughter. "You are to come along with Sir Rowan at once. It's time to meet with your mother."
Silently, Bernadetta complied with the man's request with a pained nod, though not before turning to Byleth with an imploring expression. Without the need for another word, the professor readily took his companion's hand allowed her to lead the way to her destination.
"Now just where do you think you're going?" Allocer was quick to question Byleth's decision to come along for the fated meeting.
"Is there another issue I should be aware of, Varley?" the teal haired professor instantly shot back with another fierce glare.
"This is a family matter, mercenary. You have no place in it whatsoever."
"Well, he's family to me." Bernadetta defiantly spoke up, prompting a loud apathetic scoff from her father in response.
"Hmph. Completely preposterous…" Allocer wearily shook his head in disapproval. "Fine, then. Do as you please. I just want you out my sight as soon as possible..." the nobleman bitterly remarked before one of the manor's maids arrived to escort him out of the dining hall.
"Come along, then, both of you." Rowan let out a tired sigh as he watched his master awkwardly hobble out into the halls. "We'd best not keep Lady Theresa waiting for much longer."
The trek to Countess Varley's chamber was shrouded in uncomfortable silence as the triad of as Bernadetta nervously followed her faithful servant through the familiar halls of her old dwelling. Having Byleth literally in tow certainly was certainly a boon to calm her racing nerves, but it still did little to halt the whirlwind of dark thoughts bouncing around in her mind.
"I… can hardly apologize enough for my master's behavior earlier." Rowan's remorseful voice eventually broke through the silence surrounding the triad as they neared the end of their lengthy route. "Count Allocer has grown much more agitated than usual since the day his day his wife grew ill."
"You have nothing to apologize for, Sir Rowan. I'm not the type to place guilt onto others for the actions of their superiors." Byleth unhesitantly spoke up to reassure the aging butler.
"I certainly appreciate the positive sentiment, Professor Eisner…" the servant returned the younger man's words of kindness with a faint smile of gratitude. "But I'm afraid that couldn't be any further from the truth. At the end of the day, I only have myself to blame for the man my master has become…"
Bernadetta simply breathed a heavy sigh of apprehension upon hearing the butler's lament. Truth be told, she knew very little of her father's past, other than the fact that Rowan had known him and her Uncle Abel since they were children. It certainly stood to reason that the nobleman could have been a vastly different person in ages past… yet the thought that her father could have once been a kind man like her uncle only served to spark a light feeling of rage within the young Ms. Varley, as she'd only ever known the count as a cruel tyrant who'd dedicated himself to ensuring her everlasting misery.
Her attention was soon drawn in by a faint, stunned gasp from Byleth, whose gaze was focused on a seemingly innocuous wall off to the side. A single glance in that direction would reveal a rather sizeable indentation on a wall right next to an old, worn down door loosely hanging open on its equally eroded hinges. It was a sight that brought back many bad memories for Bernadetta.
"That… would be the mark I left after you know who threw me into this wall headfirst…" the lavender haired girl timidly explained, causing Rowan to grimace in shame the moment he took notice of the makeshift landmark.
"And… that door…?" Byleth reluctantly asked, staring into the mysterious darkened room that lay beyond with an uncomfortable expression on his face.
"I'd… rather not talk about that room." Bernadetta shared in her professor's discomfort with a quiet whimper. "That mark in the wall was probably the least of my worries, though. I could go on all day about all the ridiculous punishments I was dealt for all the little mistakes I've made over the years… but Sir Rowan was always there to help pick me up along the way too. He was almost more of a personal doctor than a butler to me at times, and I'm still grateful for that."
"I can't say I'm proud to bear such a title, but I can hardly deny its accuracy either." Rowan hesitantly admitted. "Since you've brought the topic up, may I ask how the scratch on your cheek is feeling before you come to face your mother? Just say the word, and I'll patch that right up for you."
"It's okay, you don't need to do that. The pain's stopped a long while ago."
"So I see. In which case, your mother's chambers should be just down the hall from here." The butler calmly informed as he prepared to stroll off in the opposite direction. "Professor Eisner. If you should ever need my assistance, please don't hesitate to ask, and the same goes for the students under your care. I can hardly thank you enough for looking after Lady Bernadetta and furthering her growth in my absence."
"Think nothing of it, Sir Rowan. I've only ever done my duty as an instructor and nothing more."
"I certainly admire your sense of humility, Professor. I'm sure Lord Abelard would have loved to meet with you if he were still around." Rowan happily imagined. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll need to go check up on Count Allocer."
With no obstacles remaining to delay her reunion with her mother, Bernadetta let out a quiet sigh as Rowan promptly disappeared into the manor's labyrinthine halls.
"I can certainly understand if you're nervous about this."
"Well yeah, it's been at least seven years since I've last seen her… I hardly even know where to begin." Bernadetta shakily confirmed her companion's thoughts as she shyly lingered in the middle of the hall, twiddling her fingers in anticipation. "I really meant it when I said you were like family to me, you know. Introducing you to my mother is like… well…" the violet haired recluse attempted to explain, her cheeks flaring up as she failed to find the proper words for herself. "N- never mind that. I can always just make everything up as we go along… it wouldn't be the first time for me."
"Heh. It's perfectly alright if you don't know what to expect from the future, Bernie." Byleth coolly advised as his shorter companion hastily dragged him down along the length of the hallway. "All you need to do is speak from the heart, and I'm sure the right words will flow naturally to you. Though I do realize how ironic this sounds coming from someone who lacks heartbeat…"
"Thanks, By… I really don't know what I'd do without you." Bernadetta gratefully murmured as the pair swiftly closed in on the elegantly designed door leading to her mother's personal chambers. "Heartbeat or no, you were still the most wonderful soul I've ever met."
With her mind fully set and her accompanying pillar of resolve standing tall, Bernadetta confidently opened up the door to her mother's chamber. The scene awaiting her within, however, was nothing short of unexpected.
"M- mom…?" the young Ms. Varley exclaimed in surprise once she set eyes on the frail figure of Theresa von Varley weakly sitting up at the back of her bed with a small book in hand. Clothed in a simple light blue nightgown, her deep, golden eyes immediately lit up in surprise the moment she heard her daughter's voice.
"Oh, Bernie… is that really you…?" the older woman hopefully asked, a warm smile spreading across her lips as the visiting pair slowly entered the room. The countess's condition was undoubtedly poor, but her overall appearance was just as Bernadetta last remembered her… albeit with a single, massively apparent exception.
"Yeah, mom. It's been far too long… and your hair…" Bernadetta muttered in surprise, her eyes widening in shock at the sight of the long, deathly white strands decorating her head where a more vibrant display of bright violet used to reside. The implications of which were nothing short of horrifying to Bernadetta.
"Yes, this was certainly an unpleasant revelation for me too. I'm not even half as old as Sir Rowan yet…" Theresa heartily joked at her own condition before taking notice of the teal haired professor at her bedside. "Oh? And just who is this young fellow supposed to be?"
"I would be Byleth Eisner. Professor of the Golden Deer house, which as you may have heard, your daughter had decided to transfer to earlier in the school year. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Varley."
"Let's just say he's someone very special to me…" Bernadetta shyly added, eliciting a knowing smile from her mother in response.
"Ah, I see, I see... My, just look at how you've grown, Bernie…" the countess proudly remarked as she eagerly looked over her daughter from head to toe.
"D- do you really think I've grown that much?" the younger Varley nervously asked. "I'm sure I've still got plenty of room left to develop…"
"Well, the fact that you've stopped slouching so heavily should at least speak volumes for you, shouldn't it?"
"Yeah. I guess that counts for something... I've even made some friends too while I was at it."
"Oh, that's wonderful news, Bernie. I'm glad to hear you've been expanding your horizons like this- or expanding your horizontals, as your Uncle Abel might put it." Theresa slyly added with a nostalgic chuckle, only for her smile to quickly fade when she finally took notice of the prominent scratch that had formed across Bernadetta's cheek. "Oh no… don't tell me you've gotten into another scuffle with your father, Bernie…"
"Miss Varley, your daughter wasn't responsible for this." Byleth immediately spoke up in his companion's defense as she fell into a brief bout of stunned silence at her mother's words. "You can ask anyone who was present at the scene, even Sir Rowan, and they'll all tell you that your husband was the one who instigated this."
"Even so, you should know better than to do anything to provoke your father's anger, Bernie." Theresa lightly scolded, much to the younger girl's further humiliation. "Allocer has been especially on edge as of late… with my sickness and the horrible plague rolling over our territory, he's been up to his nose in all sorts of plights for the longest time."
An unexpected feeling of disappointment washed over Bernadetta as she solemnly forced her eyes shut with a dismayed sigh. How was it that her mother could show more concern over her husband's everlasting anger issues over the blatant fact that he'd directly harmed her once again…?
"Well then, is there anything you can tell us about this plague?" Byleth promptly asked, having quickly taken notice of his companion's inner distress. It was nothing more than a haphazard attempt to change the subject to something less personal, but it was all he could do to ease Bernadetta's emotional burden at this point.
"Ah yes, that's exactly what your class has come to our land to investigate, correct? I'm afraid there isn't much I can tell you that you about my own condition that you haven't already heard from my husband's letter." Theresa disappointingly admitted. "Although it seems the other cases popping up around the land are far more extreme than what I have experienced. There have been far too many reports of people suddenly collapsing on the streets just the same as I had fainted in Enbarr. Stranger still are the cases of people disappearing without a trace for days at a time and suddenly returning to their homes as if nothing had happened to them. These are frightening times for all who reside in this land, and I fear they're only bound to grow worse as time passes on…"
"Do you have any idea what could have caused any of this…?"
"I'm afraid not… I certainly have my theories, but nothing concrete enough to lead to a definitive conclusion…" Theresa gravely admitted, falling into a brief loss for words as she began to clutch her chest in a mild fit of pain.
"If you can't answer that, then can I at least ask you a question of my own?" Bernadetta suddenly spoke up, a dark expression forming across her face as her mother weakly nodded in acceptance of her request.
"Yes, anything, dear… Anything at all…"
"Why does my so-called father hate me so much?" the younger Varley sharply asked, eliciting a pained grunt from her mother in reaction. "I've asked you this same question so many times since I was a child, and all you've ever done was make excuses for him. I know you're aware of all the things he's done to me over the years… so why did you allow my pain to go on for so long?"
"You don't know the full gravity of our situation, Bernie…"
"No, of course I don't know!" Bernadetta loudly snapped. "I'm tired of being kept in the dark, mother! Is there anything keeping you from simply telling me the truth?!"
"Bernadetta…" Byleth slowly reached out to calm his companion's overflowing emotions, but his words quickly fell on deaf ears as Bernadetta didn't even turn to face him.
"Your father has had a hard life… one harder than you could possibly-"
"So what?! Is that supposed to justify him shunting all his frustrations onto a defenseless little girl who'd done nothing to wrong him? Have you ever seen me looking to actively harm others just to take some semblance of revenge?! " Bernadetta furiously cut in, refusing to accept her mother's halfhearted explanations. "My birth was a crime to that bastard, mother! He's told me himself more times than I'd care to remember!"
"I dare not ask for your forgiveness, only your understanding… and I can only beg that you do the same for your father as well."
"What's there to understand about you leaving me to be tortured for years on end while you sit back and enjoy the cushy life of a noble without looking back?!" Bernadetta raised her voice even further, causing tears to start to stream down her eyes with every word she roared out.
"I understand the grievances that you and so many others have against your father, I truly do…" Theresa empathetically started. "Allocer can be rude, quick to anger, and horribly unpleasant to anyone who even slightly displeases him… but there is still a good man lurking deep within him!"
"You're delusional if think there's any semblance of goodness within that monster! I can't believe you'd still defend him after so long…" Bernadetta continued her long suppressed tirade, but her anger came to an abrupt halt the moment she heard a pained fit of coughing from her mother, who had grown too strained to even form another coherent word in reply.
Horrified with herself for failing to notice the signs of her mother's worsening condition throughout their one-sided argument, Bernadetta raised a hand to her mouth in shock until one of the manor's maids shortly rushed into the room to check on the countess's condition.
"I- I'm sorry…"
"Lady Bernadetta…" the maid urgently called out to the lilac haired girl with an alarmed expression that made it perfectly clear she'd caught wind of her argument with her mother. "I must ask that you and your guest leave right away while I tend to your mother."
"I understand. We'll leave you to your duty." Byleth was quick to comply, as he calmly took Bernadetta by the hand and directed her out of the chamber, all while the sole Varley heir dejectedly looked back at her mother's ongoing coughing fit with an expression of abject guilt.
Once the pair shut the door behind them, Bernadetta found herself hunched over in emotional exhaustion as she let out a deep, regretful breath.
"I'm sorry you had to see all of that, By… I just couldn't stop myself…"
"You've kept these feelings of resentment bottled up for far too long. The way I see it, it's only natural that you'd lose control of yourself like that." Byleth attempted to reassure his remorseful companion, as he placed a hand on her shoulder for comfort.
"You're right, but…" Bernadetta slowly shook her head in disagreement, but her thoughts were quickly cut short by the booming sound of heavy footsteps heading in her direction. Much to her terror, Allocer von Varley was rushing over to his wife's room with a single maid in tow, frighteningly unhinged look spread across his face as he stopped to look down on the pair lingering just outside the door.
"You two…" the count began to ask in a quieter voice than Bernadetta would have expected. "I trust you've discovered some sort of cure for my wife's condition?"
"I'm afraid we don't have nearly enough information on this disease to even consider a cure for it." Byleth calmly informed much to the nobleman's visible disappointment.
"Then you're just as useless to me as ever. Now get out of my way!"
Knowing better than to question the man's urgent demand, Byleth and Bernadetta hastily obeyed the order, allowing the count to angrily stomp past them and slam the door behind him with a furious grunt.
"…Let's just go, By; before someone else catches us out here." Bernadetta exhaustedly requested, her heart sent racing from the abrupt arrival of her father on the scene. Wordlessly, the professor agreed to take the violet haired girl's hand and walk her back down the hall they came from, with no real destination in mind other than to gain as much distance from her mother's chambers as possible, only coming to a stop after rounding several corners along the way.
Now confident that the room of her fateful confrontation was well out of sight, Bernadetta let out another deep breath and looked up to her companion with an understandably tired expression.
"Byleth… I want you to sleep with me tonight." she bluntly asked, causing her professor's eyes to briefly widen in surprise at the unexpected boldness of her request.
"Bernadetta… this can't be the best place for that sort of thing… not to mention-"
"No, no, no, I didn't mean it like that!" the lilac haired recluse hurriedly interrupted in a hasty effort to clear up her intentions. "At least… not just yet, anyway…" she slyly added to herself in a voice that went unheard by her alarmed companion. "It's just… I'd feel a lot safer if I could spend the night alongside someone I trust… and I want to be able to wake up to the comfort of someone I can feel at peace with…"
"Are you absolutely sure…?" Byleth anxiously asked, receiving a firm nod in response. I see… if my company will bring you any sort of comfort, then I'd be happy to oblige." the professor uneasily gave in to the girl's response, to which Bernadetta flashed a grateful, misty eyed smile in response.
With nary another word, Bernadetta eagerly took up the hand of the target of her affections and proceeded to guide him to the long abandoned, yet still familiar sanctuary of her old room.
Byleth laid wide awake during the early hours of the morning as Bernadetta peacefully slumbered just off to his side. He certainly wasn't expecting his trip to Varley territory to result in him spending the night on a girl's bed, yet here he was, curiously examining the sleeping form of the petite, violet haired girl sleeping next to him as he tried to to make heads and tails of their mutual situation.
"This is a rather compromising position you've found yourself in, is it not?" the incarnation of Sothis lying within the professor's mind amusingly spoke up. "In fact, I believe this sort of incident is a completely foreign experience to you as well. I can only imagine the look on Count Varley's face if he were to come across you at this very moment."
"I'm not so naive that I cannot connect the dots between Bernadetta's behavior around me. To be frank, I'm completely astonished."
"As am I. Just what in the world could this girl have possibly seen in you?" Sothis easily shared in her companion's confusion.
"I don't know how far this relationship went in her time, yet it's clear to see that I'm somebody more important than life itself to her..." Byleth analytically noted as he continued to watch over the girl's peaceful rest. "What I first thought of as a simple crush steadily blossomed into something much more sincere over time... she's grown so much more openly affectionate with me over the past couple of weeks..."
"I am obviously not one for romantic advice, but it is plain as day that the girl sees the Byleth she knew and loved within you, regardless of whether or not you share his memories or experiences."
"Indeed..." Byleth readily agreed with the Goddess's observations. "I cannot deny that I've felt a similar connection to her, yet it's not as clear-" the professor continued to reflect, but his train of thought was brought to a screeching halt by the sudden impact of Bernadetta's fists against his chest.
The lilac haired girl was clearly still asleep, and the impact was too light to have any chance of harming him, yet for one reason or another, Bernadetta had thrust her arms into Byleth's chest in a way that resembled a sharp stabbing motion... and tears were beginning to uncontrollably fall from her eyes as a result of it. Her breathing had advanced from labored gasps to sputtering sobs, and her face had adopted a heavily distressed expression as she slowly uncurled her hands from Byleth's chest.
"She's having a nightmare... I've never seen one so severe in my life." Byleth muttered aloud, clearly shaken by the girl's state of sheer distress.
"Don't just lie there like a lost puppy! Hurry up and rouse her from her sleep before her condition grows any worse!" Sothis urgently warned, to which Byleth unhesitantly complied by placing both hands on the panicked girl's shoulders and gently pulling her closer to his own body.
Within moments, Bernadetta's eyes shot open with a horribly anguished cry, and she instinctively wrapped her arms around Byleth's chest the moment she noticed his presence.
"You're still here... you're still here... you're still here..." Bernadetta frantically repeated to herself, clearly still rattled from the traumatic events of her latest nightmare.
"It's going to be okay..." Byleth soothingly reassured as he slowly ran a hand through his companion's fluffy hair. "That was only a bad dream, and nothing more. Nothing is going to hurt you under my watch."
"But it felt so real... and that's not what I'm afraid of..." the violet haired girl slowly shook her head in denial. "I've... always had these sorts of lifelike dreams for as long as I could remember, but they weren't always bad." Bernadetta shakily attempted to explain. "They were like flashbacks into all of my most cherished memories. I could re-experience small parts of my childhood, I could see my uncle again whenever I wanted, and I could even relive the memories I had of you in my old time..."
Bernadetta paused to let out another stifled sob, all while Byleth dutifully remained silent, fully intent on soaking up every last detail of her story.
"I really missed all the peaceful nights I spent by your side... the moments of passion, the little talks we had to take our minds off the events of each day, the sensation of waking up to find you staring right back at me..." Bernadetta's frown steadily formed into a nostalgic smile that seemed to send a metaphorical fist driving into Byleth's heart. "I don't know why, but my dreams just haven't been the same lately. I've been having so many nightmares, and I've seen glimpses of these strange memories that I know I've never seen before... I swear, I could never live with myself if I were to murder you in cold blood, especially with your own weapon..."
"If you're sure you've never experienced those memories, then they've never happened, and they never will happen." Byleth collectedly explained, in spite of the uneasy feeling he sensed as he listened to these experiences.
"I know, but..." Bernadetta let out another sigh of dismay as she looked over to a nearby window to find the slightest hint of morning light creeping into her room. "I'd give up anything to just... make the present stand still forever. If I could just stay like this with you... without worrying about the past or future... time always has a way of escaping me, no matter how desperately I try to hold onto it..."
"I'm afraid not even Sothis has the power to halt the flow of time permanently." Byleth sadly noted before coming to a sudden realization. "However..." With a comforting smile, Byleth promptly raised an arm into the air and filled Bernadetta's vision with a familiar flash of colors with a simple gesture of his hand. "I can certainly give you more time to rest."
Surprised, Bernadetta's gaze returned to her window to find that the sky outside had magically grown darker than it was just a moment again. Instinctively, the girl found herself overwhelmed with joy and leaned in to plant a sweet, grateful kiss onto Byleth's lips. "Thank you so much... I can't believe I never thought of this before..."
"I would call this a flagrant abuse of my power..." the Sothis within Byleth's mind began to comment. "But I suppose it was for a good cause. Just try not to abuse this newfound discovery too often. We still have a mission to accomplish, remember."
"Of course... yet it's certainly worth the effort just to see that radiant smile of hers..." Byleth mentally noted, silently gazing upon Bernadetta's face as she attempted to hold back a giggle.
"Heh. The Sothis in my mind thinks you're spoiling me." Bernadetta happily noted, sporting a more jovial expression than she had when she first woke up.
"Is that a bad thing, or-"
"Not at all. I'm enjoying this more than you could possibly imagine." the girl happily cut in as she found herself getting lost within the captivating sea-blue eyes of the man she loved. "Just... keep staring into my eyes like you always used to..." Bernadetta quietly requested as she gently ran a hand across Byleth's cheek.
Though a hard day's worth of work was sure to await the two of them the next day, the only goal on Bernadetta's mind at this moment was to relish every last second she had to spend with her fated partner. It was a goal that Byleth was more than happy to assist her with.
Hoo boy... my own indecisiveness (or straight-up writer's block) is never fun to deal with, but I can only hope I've managed to make something special out of this long anticipated chapter, especially on this special day of the year.