We really don't have a lot of Annette I noticed.
Allow me to change that.
Enjoy.
A sword? No, he had plenty. Maybe a new quill? No, the church no doubt provided them regardless. Maybe a new coat? Nah, she doubt he'd ever wear it.
Annette was currently shopping for a gift for her new Professor, it wasn't his birthday or anything like that, yet ever since he started he had begun giving gifts to her and everyone else and she felt that he needed to be repaid somehow.
But that was the issue, what did the Professor even like? She knew next to nothing about him!
She sighed, giving up and walking away from the store's stall. A certain red-head frowning as she left.
"What's wrong Annette, couldn't find what you were looking for?"
Annette turned towards the ever eager merchant, shaking her head. "Sorry Anna, I'm trying to find a gift for the new Professor." She said. "And it's a little hard because I don't know anything about him."
Anna held her chin in her hand for a moment. "Hmm...Well, why not start by just asking the guy in question?"
Annette shook her head side to side quickly. "I-I can't possibly do that!"
"Why not?"
"B-Because it's embarrassing!"
"What? You students are really weird you know..." Anna sighed. "Alright then, have it your way. At the very least you could ask other people, like his father for instance."
Annette thought for a moment before nodding her head. "Yeah...I'll do that. Thanks Anna!"
"You're welcome! Now that'll be 15 coins."
"What!?"
"You wanna know more about Byleth?"
Annette nodded. The former mercenary captain set his book down on his desk, eyeing the girl carefully.
"You're one his students right?" Jeralt asked, Annette nodded.
"Annette Fantine Dominic of the Blue Lion's class!"
Jeralt continued to stare at the girl before nodding. "Well, as much as I would like to tell you about Byleth, I'm afraid I don't know all that much myself."
"What!? But you're his father!"
Jeralt chuckled. "Yeah, but even I have trouble knowing what goes on in that head of his." He said. "What's got you so interested anyway?"
Annette blushed lightly at the question. "W-Well, lately he's been giving everyone gifts, and I wanted to give him a gift to repay the favor."
"Giving gifts huh...He's still as direct as always..." Jeralt muttered to himself before returning his attention back to the orange-haired girl. "Well unfortunately I don't really know what all he likes either, for his birthday I usually just gave him a new sword, and he seemed fine with that."
"I see..." Annette responded, at least she knew he would like a sword if she couldn't find anything worthwhile.
"Sorry I wasn't able to tell ya much." Jeralt said, Annette shook her head.
"It's alright!" She said, before dismissing herself and walking out of Jeralt's office, shutting the door behind her.
As she turned to head towards the stairs, she was stopped by Hanneman.
"Annette, a moment if you would."
She turned towards the crest enthusiast., tilting her head. "What's up Professor Hanneman?"
"I couldn't help but overhear you and Jeralt's conversation about Professor Eisner."
"Professor...Who?"
"Ah, I meant Byleth, did you know Eisner is his last name?"
"I...Did not..." Annette said.
"Anyway, is it true you wish to know more about our newest Professor?" Hanneman asked, Annette nodding response.
"Well I've recently halted my crest studying to look more into him, and I must say I've found a wealth of knowledge." He stated. "For example, did you know he used to be called the 'Ashen Demon'?"
Annette's eyes widened, Ashen Demon? What kind of sinister name was that...
"They say he was called that because of his merciless fighting style, and the fact that he would cut down foes without a hint of emotion on his face." Hanneman continued.
Annette was terrified, someone as dangerous as that was her Professor? What was the church thinking? Having someone like that teach a class?
What should she do now?
Ever since then, Annette has been terrified of the Professor, she attended class regardless; but she always tensed up whenever he called on her. She would try to avoid walking by him whenever she saw him walking towards her, try to avoid any type of interaction with him. She didn't want to make him mad, she wanted to avoid that terrifying gaze of his.
And her fears only grew tenfold when she finally witnessed him in battle.
The mock battle did nothing to show his true battle prowess, and now that they were here in the Red Canyon she could see for certain just how deadly he was in battle, she could see what the Ashen Demon was truly capable of.
The rumors were true, what Professor Hanneman said about the Professor was spot-on. The way he cut down bandits without any hesitation, he didn't even give them a chance to beg for mercy; and the few that did he killed with no remorse.
When the battle was over he was covered in blood, his sword dripping red, everyone else's weapons were the same, but his was more so. And yet the fact that he was drenched in so much blood did not bother him, his face never changed. He simply congratulated his students and then they all returned to the Monastery.
What a terrifying man this Professor was, what was going to become of them? Was he going to try and make them into killers? Or was he going to order them around during battle with no care for their wellbeing? Those thoughts troubled her.
And she seemed to be the only one who knew, or at the least the only one who cared. Felix would keep challenging the Professor to duels over and over, and each time Annette grew more fearful for the boy's safety, what if the Professor goes too far one time? It was certainly possible.
The way everyone talked to him normally, with smiles on her face made her all the more worrisome, didn't they know they were talking to a cold-blooded killer? He never laughed, or smiled, or frowned or anything of the sort. Yet her classmates kept talking to him, as if he hadn't just slaughtered a group of bandits. Even Mercedes did not seem off-put by his cold personality.
Whenever Annette wanted to talk to Mercedes, she would usually find her talking to the Professor, she would watch from afar until Mercedes was done and then approach her friend. One day however, Mercedes spotted her before Annette had a chance to approach Mercedes.
"Annette? Why are you hiding over there?"
Annette jumped. "M-Mercie! I was looking for you!"
Mercedes looked at her friend for a few seconds. "Is everything alright Annie? You've been acting strange lately."
"Yep! Everything is hunky-dory!"
Mercede's glared at Annette. "Now, now Annette. You know better then to try and lie to me."
Annette slouched her shoulders and sighed. "You're right..." She straightened up. "I-It's the Professor...I'm scared of him..."
Mercede's gasped in surprised. "Scared of the Professor!? But why!?"
"I-I recently found out he used to be called a Demon...I didn't want to believe it, but after seeing him in battle...Well, I became ever more terrified."
"Well, his fighting style certainly is a little ruthless." Mercedes replied. "But that is no reason to assume the worst of someone! You should know better Annie!"
"I know, I know! It's just..." Annette started. "I heard all those things and then..."
"Go apologize to him!" Mercedes interrupted, pointing towards the direction of the classrooms.
"N-Now? But I-"
"Right now! Or else I won't be letting you have any of my brownies today."
Annette's eyes widened. "B-But your brownies are sooo good!"
"Then you better go apologize to the Professor."
Annette sighed and nodded her head. "You're right...I'll go apologize to him and clear this whole thing up." She smiled. "Thanks Mercie."
Annette turned around and walked towards the classrooms, Mercedes smiling to himself. "Thank the goddess, now the Professor won't be worried about Annette anymore..."
Annette knocked on the Blue Lion's class room's double doors, where she was greeted with a "Come in" by the Professor's voice. She took a deep breath and opened the doors, stepping through and turning around to shut them, when she turned around again to face the front she immediately froze in place from the Professor's intense gaze.
"Annette, I'm glad you stopped by." The Professor said from his spot at the desk, Annette gulped, approaching him.
"Y-Yeah..."
Byleth set his quill down and stood up from his chair, causing Annette to jump back a bit, he raised an eyebrow at her cautious maneuver.
"You seem awfully jumpy..."
"D-Do I?" Annette chuckled. "J-Just tired is all..."
Byleth frowned at Annette's poor attempt at deception. "Annette have I...Done something to offend you? I noticed you've been avoiding me ever since the year started."
"Thats...Sort of why I'm here..." Annette said. "You see, I've been scared of you..."
Byleth's eyes widened. "Scared?" Annette nodded. "But why?" He asked.
"I found out that they used to call you the 'Ashen Demon'." Annette said, wincing slightly for fear of her Professor getting angry.
The Professor became noticeably more depressed upon hearing his former title, his shoulders slouched and his expression became more solemn. "I figured that was inevitable..."
"You...Aren't mad?" Annette asked, standing up right. Byleth shook his head. "I tried to put that whole thing behind me, I should've figured one of you would stumble across it." He frowned even more. "And I hate that it made you scared of me, sorry Annette."
"N-No! Don't apologize! It was my fault! I shouldn't have assumed you were a bad person just from silly rumors."
"You're already forgiven Annette. Sorry I didn't notice your fear of me sooner."
"I've already forgiven you as well Professor." Annette giggled.
As the Professor and Annette talked and finally got to know each other properly, Annette found her fears fading away. Until they were nothing more then silly thoughts. She soon learned just how careless and naive the Professor could really be, and soon she began to wonder why she was even scared at all.
Bleh, this did not come out the way I wanted it to. Despite rewriting the whole thing 3 times it still isn't as good as I wanted it to be. Sorry.
On the bright side you can look forward to a new girl next chapter, and this is one that multiple people have requested.
Until next time.