Notes:

HI GUYS! I'M BACK!

First of all, I want to say thank you for supporting this story. I'm so grateful that I can share this story with fellow Levihan enthusiast (and with fellow period/historical/victorian AU fan!). What started out as a silly thought of mine was received very well by all of you! So, once again, thank you so much for commenting, favoriting, and following this story!

This chapter is brought to you by LunaAzul788, my awesome proofreader!

Let's raise the curtain for the start of act 2!

P.S I made Pinterest Board for this story! If you are a visual person like me, I think you'll like it! pin()it/5HBk426 (change the parentheses into dot)

DISCLAIMER:
Shingeki no Kyojin / Attack on Titan belongs to Hajime Isayama

ACT II
A QUANDARY

CHAPTER 12: SUNDAY

It was Sunday, the day after the party.

Levi woke to the sight of a serene and dark manor, a much-welcomed need since yesterday's whole-day festivities. He had given most of his staff a full day off and expected that the manor would be particularly empty for most of the day. His reasoning dictated that this Sunday should be a rest day for everyone, wishing that nothing will ruin this day.

His Sunday.

The sun had barely emerged from the horizon when Levi already donned the custom black suit. He acquired a bouquet of daisies and a small bottle of gin that Mrs. Weiss had left for him in the kitchen the night before then made his exit through the grand doors of the manor.

As he emerged from the front, he was instantaneously greeted by the dewy and cold aroma of the late summer dawn. A whiff of wind teased at his ascot, and he fixed himself and started his way. One by one, left then right, colourful trees came into view as he strolled through the damp grassy path. Hidden within their glistening leaves, he saw the robins and heard their melodic chirping. They seemed very chatty this morning, but it didn't bother him. Instead, listening to them sing brought him a sense of joy—an all-too familiar feeling which reminded him of a certain someone.

He was alone on that road that morning, and he thanked the universe for that.

He continued with his usual route, stopping at the view of an elaborate concrete edifice on the top of the tallest hill in Trost. The structure was small and rectangular with a tower in the front. On the top of the tower, there was a cross.

As the Sunday Service wouldn't begin until later that day, Levi silently wished that he wouldn't meet anyone there.

But then. . .

It turns out, there was a pastor—one whom Levi couldn't remember the name— standing near the church's door.

Oh, of course.

Levi sighed, the last thing he needed right now is someone boring his mornings with drones relative to his itinerary for his eventual visit to heaven or to hell.

He pretended that he didn't see the pastor, and at the same time hoped the pastor didn't see him, as he sprinted across front and toward the back of the church.

He paced his way to a large churchyard that was filled with grass, white wildflowers, and headstones. He watched momentarily as two older men took from one headstone to another, seemingly trying to clean the area. He nodded briefly at them, a meagre yet acceptable gesture of hello, before walking further to the back.

He arrived at an area surrounded with iron fences medium in height and dull to the eye. But as he walked further, two angels made from marble welcomed him inside. The angels, despite showing visible signs of greying, were still very much in great condition. Near where the marble angels posed was a gate with a plaque that read Ackerman in faded gold letters.

Levi slowly pushed the gate open as if he was worried that even the smallest creak would disturb the people that were resting inside. Ten or more headstones could be found laying on the grass, and even with that many headstones, the land was not crowded. There was still room for more.

For him.

Levi approached one particular headstone and gently rested his hand against the hard surface of the stone. He placed the bouquet of daisies onto the ground and smiled.

"Happy birthday, Ma," he said, kneeling down beside the grave. "How are you? Did you like the party? I think everyone had a really good time… so did I, astonishingly."

"You know, Ma, there were a lot of things that happened yesterday." Levi took a dry leaf from the grave and threw it on the side. "Mike brought his fiancée, Nanaba Linton, to the party, and he said that they will marry this autumn. They both are incredibly bizarre and nastily in love with each other; I'm sure they got nothing to worry about."

He began attending to the dry leaves that settled around his mother's gravestone as he continued his narrative. "I also invited Mikasa's friends. Remember Eren and Armin? They were pains in the ass but Mikasa loves them, so I guess I had no choice." Levi smiled at himself as he remembered the catastrophe that the three of them caused at the food tent yesterday. "But, I'm sure you would love them, Ma."

Levi noticed that light started to illuminate the area. The sun's rays shone through the clouds, casting a streak of warm light to the gravestone, making it appears more brown than grey.

"As for Erwin, he's still got a stick up his ass," he chuckled as he took the last dry leaf from the grave. "Mikasa's governess was also there. I think she's made acquaintances with all the guests. Surprising how that four eyes nutter knows how to talk to different kind of people." He paused, pursing his lips. "Come to think of it, she is full of surprises."

The wind blew softly and he felt the warmth of it on his nape, eventually placing a hand over the bare skin. Someone superstitious would already have considered this was the soul of their departed mother telling them to spare no detail. Levi, while not quite prone to such, humoured the thought. "Well… we danced and, to be honest, yesterday she looked… she looked quite… decent," he stammered.

He threw a deep longing gaze to the name engraved on the stone. "I'm terrible at storytelling. I could only wish you were there, so you could meet all of them."

The wind returned and whiffed him right at the face, blowing the dark strands of hair away from his ashen face. Whether it was the dust from the breeze or the sudden weight in his heart and head, Levi felt his eyes begin to sting.

"I miss you, Ma."

Levi sat there under the long silence before he deciding to stand up and proceed with the rest of his visit. He brushed the dirt and grass off the sides of his slacks and approached the headstone next to his mother's.

He crossed his arms as he stood in front of the grave, smirking. "Hey, asshole," he called. "How's life in hell?"

He grabbed on the gin and twisted the metal cap but left it on the mouth of the bottle. He rested it against the gravestone at an angle, and the pungent liquid contents slowly poured out and into the mound of soil.

"Bet you're having a lot of fun down there." He scoffed, "You know, as much as I had thought that living with you is akin to living in hell, there were still a few likable qualities of you, counting your dreadful singing voice."

Levi tilted his head, "Maybe that's why I'm not scared of hell—or the concept of it. In a way, perhaps I should thank you then."

As soon as the rest of the clear liquid met the dirt, a woody and muddy piqued at his senses, even permeating the air surrounding them. It was as if he were transported inside a tavern. He fixed the bottle into an upright position near the headstone, a gesture that reminded him of his childhood. Whenever the old geezer had fallen asleep in his rocker, Levi would take the glass bottle from his lanky grip before it could hit the floor, and put it aside properly.

"You owe me a total of 67 bottles of this nasty concoction. I expect payment by the end of this. And I know just how much you hate unpaid debts."

Levi stepped away, not wanting to linger longer than he needed. Levi bid his silent farewell to the two gravestones, one with daisies and one with empty bottle, before leaving his family's last resting place.

He continued his journey deeper into the graveyard until he arrived at a small family plot that was surrounded with low stone borders. A big and tall weeping willow tree grew near the plot, shadowing the adjacent gravestones from the sun.

Like the plot of grassy land from a while ago, this one had several grey tombstones, sticking out like bamboo shoots from the ground. On one of the headstones, there was an inscription engraved: "A life so brief, a child so small, you had the power to touch us all."

Levi reached for his suit pocket and from it, took out a small rectangle tin box. He opened the lid revealing the content of a variety of little and colourful round sweets. He took one, the red one, and placed it on the top of the headstone.

"Hi, how are you? Did you have fun at the party yesterday?" The corners of his lips raised at the slightest. "You know, every time I see Mikasa, it always feels as if I'm watching you. I often find myself wondering what kind of woman you would grow up to be if you were still here."

Levi touched the surface of the headstone. "I'd imagine that you'd would grow to be someone fearsome, fiery, and that one day you would inherit your father's farm. I would visit and see you riding one of your horses around town, then you would spend most of your day playing with the farm animals. The worst thing about it is that you'd smell like dried hay, baked skin, and horse shit."

A soft chuckle left his lips as he gently rubbed the tombstone and tucked the tin away, shoving it back inside his pocket. He passed the tombstone and continued to his next and final destination for the day.

As he had done with the previous visits, Levi entered another family plot. Unlike the previous two plots, there weren't any fences, gate, or even stones to mark the borders. From the sea of so many gigantic and archaic headstones, Levi walked toward a simple marking of stone that stood out from the rest. A quote was written on the stone: "He had so many things he wanted to do, but had so little time to finish."

"Hey," he greeted as he scooped a copper coin from his pants pocket and tossed it before catching it on his palm. "Tails," he noted aloud, opening his palm and revealing the silhouette of the current Queen. "Well, I guess this is the penny for my thoughts."

Levi knelt down in front of the gravestone and fiddled with the coin in his fingers. "You know, life has not been very bad lately—I actually enjoy it." He released a deep breath before continuing. "There's a lot I've been thinking about lately, and I find myself losing the courage to do the things I've got to do. Everything's just been so heavy—and I don't know why." He sighed again. "If only you were here, you would tell me what I should do."

Levi silently averted his gaze towards the grave, deciding to stay close for a few more minutes. "At least, I just hope I wouldn't fuck this one up." He stood up, took a step closer, and placed the coin on the grave, touching the stone one last time before taking his leave.

He returned to the manor expecting stillness inside the study; apparently, anticipating for such was far too ideal a supposition.

As soon as he opened the door, he was met with the recognizable locks of sleek black hair. The owner's face was turned away from his, sitting on his imported leather with a worn-out nutcracker soldier clasped between her hands, utterly and deliberately ignoring his presence. Instead, all her attention was drawn to the nutcracker, playing with its mouth and causing a rhythm of repetitive noises he found atrociously annoying.

Levi took a deep breath before closing his door. "Mikasa, how do you get in here?" he asked sternly.

She threw a quick glance at him. "I'm not telling."

Levi then noticed one of the windows was left open. Probably from there, he considered.

Soon enough, he could no longer stand the incessant cracking sounds. "Stop that—and put it back!" he demanded.

She didn't stop. Instead, she stared at him and fastened her movements, creating an even louder, more annoying sound.

Instantaneously, Levi snatched the toy away from her, giving her a nasty look before inspecting the toy and making sure that she didn't break it. Certain it was still intact, he returned the toy to its place on the shelf behind his glass cabinets, next to his collection of exclusive tea caddies and tea sets.

Mikasa grumbled in her annoyance, sinking even deeper into the chair. "You're a hypocrite, aren't you? You said you hate Christmas, but you also own a classic Christmas toy."

When he was finished with the task, he immediately returned his gaze to the young raven-haired girl. "Oh yes, I'm a fucking hypocrite. Congratulations on that keen observation. Now this hypocrite wants you to get your ass off his chair."

Mikasa spun herself. "I don't listen to hypocrites," she sassed.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and seethed. "You're so fucking annoying," he grouched. With a swift raise of his hand, he stopped the chair from moving and spun it so she was facing him. "What do you want?"

"I want to talk."

"Then stop acting like a brat and talk."

Mikasa rolled her eyes and grimaced.

"You better start talking," he snapped as he took off his black coat and hung it on the rack. "Before I kick you out of here myself."

"Fine." Mikasa finally decided to get off the chair and head to the fireplace instead. She placed her hands behind her, admiring the intricate details carved artistically on the fireplace jamb and mantel. Levi positioned himself on the opposite side of the room, leaning against the wall and noticing the sombre look on her face. There was a table that separated them, still, he could feel the shift of emotions in the room. She was avoiding his face.

"So?" he asked as he rolled his sleeves to his elbows.

Mikasa slowly lifted her gaze from the fireplace to him. "I want to go to school," she said simply.

Levi raised a brow. "School? What's school?"

"It's a place for people to study, didn't you know that?"

"That's not my point," he snapped. "So you're telling me that you want to enrol into formal school?"

"Yes…" Mikasa shrugged. "I mean, what else?"

"Why?"

"I just want to."

"What's wrong with your governess?"

"There's nothing wrong with Miss Hange!" she answered quickly. "This is purely my personal wish."

"So, you want to leave?"

"Well yes, that's one way to put it." Mikasa started to fidget as she played with her hair. "So, what do you think, Levi?"

He felt as if something had blocked the air in his windpipe, his chest suddenly tightening. It was puzzling why he reacted this way, although he already knew the answer to her question.

"No."

It was a brief answer, but it held a lot of weight—both for Levi and Mikasa.

Mikasa gaped at him in disbelief. "W-What? Are you serious?"

"I am," he answered firmly.

"I… I… What? Why, Levi?!"

"School isn't for you."

"What?! What kind of reason is that?!" Mikasa stated, her dark grey eyes piercing right into his.

"I have my valid reasons," Levi exclaimed, nonchalant.

"Valid? By valid, you meant valid for you and only you?"

Levi was taken aback by her audacity but remained resolute. "I said no—and that's final."

"Are you out of your mind?!" Mikasa protested, her eyes intense with rage. "You were always like this, Levi. You tell me this then you tell me that but you never tell me why. You never explain anything to me! You always push me aside then expected me to simply obey you like some puppy incapable of thinking."

Levi's eyes widened and he almost took a step back. He shook his head. "That's not it! I'm telling you no because I'm being realistic here. You're just not ready."

"Why are you acting like you know me when you are barely here?!" Mikasa began to tremble and her voice started to shake. "I'm sick and tired of you telling me to not be such a baby, and yet here you are, still treating me as if I'm one."

"I'M NOT TREATING YOU AS ONE!" Levi raised his voice, startling Mikasa. Even he was surprised by his own sudden outburst. Levi cleared his throat before moderating his voice again and subduing his temper. "Sorry, it's just… as long as you're still living under this roof, you are still my responsibility. I have to make sure that you are well cared for."

"But, isn't this a good offer? When I leave, you'll have one less of a burden to take care of. You just have to pay the school, and you don't even have to visit me."

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" This time, he really raised his voice. "WHAT DO YOU TAKE ME FOR? SOME UNCARING, HEARTLESS BLIGHTER?!"

"YES!" Mikasa shouted. Her face was red and her eyes glistened as she stood rigidly, hands gripping her skirt. "I think you are a selfish, patronizing bastard with control issues."

Levi froze, his mouth slightly ajar. For a moment, he didn't know what to do or what to say.

Mikasa hesitantly continued. "I know that you'd rather attend those fancy parties than spend even a minute with me. I know you'd rather focus on your work than play with me. I know that you regret taking me in—"

"Are you kidding me?!" he barked. "I did all of those things for you—!"

"For me?" Mikasa intervened, scornful. "Do you think I'd believe that? Not a chance. In fact, I'm tired of trying to believe in you. I'm disgusted that I used to have faith in our relationship." Mikasa paused, feeling a sniffle prod in her pink nose. "For these past few months, I thought you've finally shown your true self—I actually believed that you truly cared, and I was glad that I was wrong about you. But that was before. It turns out I was right all along."

"Mikasa—" He wanted to say her name, clear and strong, instead his voice caught in his throat, and it came out more like a timid mumble.

Mikasa felt her shoulders slacken. She was tired of yelling. Tired of speaking to him. "You know what? I shouldn't have followed you that day. As I look at myself now, I feel that I would rather live in the streets or in some orphanage than with a guy—than with family—who pretended I never existed for two long years."

Levi's hands curled into fists, and he merely stood there, rigid as a statue.

Mikasa huffed another breath filled with fury. "Do you know who you are? You are just a man who's trying to play the hero by saving his little cousin, but in the end you are just a pathetic coward who just couldn't let go of his mother—"

"ENOUGH!"

A loud yell was heard inside the room. Mikasa stifled, hit with the realization of the words that she had just said. Levi could only stare at her, anger overwhelming his mind and senses. He had to get her out or he might do something he'd indeed regret. His eyes narrowed as did his brows.

"Get. Out." Every word was enunciated dangerously, making Mikasa shiver at the callousness of his tone.

Mikasa felt her feet heavy on the floor. Her eyes began to water, her face scrunched up as she tried her best to contain her emotions. However, in just a few seconds, as she chocked back a hiccup, one big fat tear streamed down her left cheek.

"I fucking hate you…" she muttered, filled with spite for him. She threw him a piercing gaze before storming out the room, slamming the door as loud as she could.

Levi could hear her sobs and fast steps moments she shut the door. She was gone, almost too quickly, leaving him under this icy and crushing air.

He released a much needed sigh before releasing the frustrations, gnashing his teeth and rubbing his hair furiously. His head throb from all the tension and there was nothing much to do about it. He pulled at his ascot and threw it to the floor before undoing the buttons on his collar, craving for some cool air to breathe in.

He heaved a euphoric sigh of relief—one short-lived, for as soon as he sighed a second breath, he felt that his chest hurt even more.

It was Sunday and Hange had overslept. She woke up later than she usually does. It was already a little past the breakfast time.

There was something mysterious in the air that morning. She woke to a very quiet manor, which was a bit jarring to the euphoria of yesterday's party.

She knew that most of the servants got a day off, which explained why the hallways that were usually occupied with cleaning maids were empty and silent. No sound of boots clacking against the floor were heard that day, not even the usual gossip that the maid often whispered to each other during their duty could be heard.

There was nothing but silence, as if the whole people in the manor vanished in one night. Even the air felt colder that day, which was weird considering that they are still in the middle of summer.

It was very odd.

Hange gradually made her way to the dining hall, her light steps sounding very loud in her ears. Even though it past the breakfast time, she expected that the dining room would still be occupied with a grouching man and a sweet little girl. Because usually, they would stay a little longer after breakfast to have a chat or just to be around each other in silence.

But when she arrived, she was met instead with empty chairs and an equally empty table. Hange noticed that for a room that was supposedly being used a few moments ago, it was way too clean. There was no lingering smell of foods in the air, and when she touched the table, she felt that the table was too cold and dry. In the end, she concluded that no one was there before her.

Hange mentally noted this in her List of Bizarre Things That Might Happen on Sunday.

Something is definitely off.

Her reverie was cut short by the sound of the doorknob turning. Hange turned her head towards the kitchen door and saw a flash of silver white locks. "Mrs. Weiss!" she called, approaching the old housekeeper. "Did something happen?"

"Ah, Miss Zoë." The housekeeper greeted in her usual stern voice, but Hange could hear a hint of exhaustion from her voice. "What do you mean by that?"

Mrs. Weiss was wearing her classic black dress, indicating that she didn't took a day off. Well, she is the one who oversaw the whole domestic affair in the manor, of course she still works. Even at yesterday's party, she was on a full work mode. If there's someone who could rival the master's no-nonsense approach in life, it would be this woman.

"Well it seems the two Ackermans were not having their breakfast today. Which raised a few questions as they never miss their meal, right?" Hange paused and she glanced around the room before whispering. "Also, the manor was different than usual, it's too quiet, don't you agree? Isn't this just odd?"

Mrs. Weiss scrunched her face, an expression Hange might not have ever seen on her before, and she looked at the governess. "Well, you certainly are a good observer, Miss Zoë." Mrs. Weiss pursed her lips before she explained. "Master Levi decided to skip breakfast because he has urgent work that needs to be done for the day. Meanwhile, Miss Mikasa simply refuses to leave her room. Nifa is with her right now as we speak."

Hange's eyes widened. "What? What happened to Mikasa?"

Mrs. Weiss shook her head. "I can't say for sure."

"I see…" Hange said in hushed tones. "I think I'll go check on Mikasa then. Thank you for telling me that, Mrs. Weiss. See you later!" She sprinted out of the dining room.

To get to Mikasa's private room, she had to pass through the study. As soon as Hange slipped past through those closed oak doors, she felt an abrupt shudder course throughout her entire body, cold and tense. Only one thought came to mind.

Oh no!

Hange climbed the stairs on the left wing, and she immediately recognized the familiar soft mumbling of a girl's voice, and as she walked closer to the bedroom door, there was also a muffled sound of crying.

Nifa was rasping her knuckles against the door with her right hand and was holding a tray carrying two slices of bread, some ham, some bacon, and a warm cup of tea with her left hand. "Miss Mikasa, are you okay?" She spoke louder, "Miss Mikasa, you have to eat. Please, could you please open the door, Miss."

"Nifa," Hange called, stopping next to her by the door, brows furrowed with concern. "What happened?"

"Miss Hange!" Nifa exclaimed, relieved at the sight of her. "Miss Mikasa locked herself in her bedroom and she has been crying since early this morning."

Hange gasped. "Why?"

Nifa bit her bottom lip. "Miss Mikasa went to talk to Mr. Levi this morning, and the next thing I knew, she was already running to her bedroom. Poor thing's eyes were breaming with tears." Nifa looked around them before lowering her voice. "…I think they had a really big argument."

Hange opened her mouth in shock and yelled, "THEY WHAT?"

Nifa immediately shushed her. "Not so loud, Miss!"

"I'm sorry," Hange whispered aloud. "What argument?"

"I'm not quite sure—but I've noticed that Miss Mikasa appeared anxious all morning before meeting with Mr. Levi."

Hange narrowed her eyes as she listened to Nifa's explanation. The gears on her head spun, connecting the dots.

Oh!

Hange leaned in closer against the dark mahogany door. She knocked two times. "Mikasa," she called to her, but all she heard were the same muffled sobs from the other side of the door. "Mikasa, are you alright, honey?" she attempted once more, and she was received with more sobbing and sniffles.

Hange took a deep breath, letting out a sad smile. "Mikasa, did you have an argument with your cousin about the thing we've talked about a few days ago?"

As soon as she said those words, the sobs slowly begun to fade out.

"I don't know what happened, but his answer probably hurt you, right?" Hange continued. "I'm sorry to hear about that. It must be very difficult for you."

The room fell into silence.

"Your feelings are probably all over the place right now, and you must feel like you could explode from all of that emotion… It must be truly painful and confusing for you handling it all alone." Hange paused. "So, would it make you feel better to share it with me?"

From the inside, Hange could finally hear her shuffling about, and then there was the awaited sound of a click. The door opened, revealing the sorrowful face of the weeping Mikasa. Her eyes were wet, red, and puffy, and so does her cheeks, all from never ending stream of warm tears. Her hair was all over her face and her nose was pink and runny. She looked so pale and so frail that she might crumble at the touch of a finger.

Hange was about to say something until Mikasa flung herself to her torso and enveloped her arms around her into a tight hug. Hange was surprised but was quick to return the embrace. "Whoa, hey… it's okay Mikasa. It's okay."

Mikasa was in such a rage and felt so helpless in the woman's embrace, and somehow she felt so horribly lonely and far away from everything she understood and which understood her, that she pulled Hange even closer and burst into louder sobs. She cried so unrestrainedly that even good-natured Nifa was a little frightened and completely sorry for her.

Hange soothed Mikasa's head with long strokes of a hand, back and forth, whispering few words of consolation. There was something so comforting and really warm in her gesture which had a good effect on Mikasa. She gradually ceased crying and became quiet. Nifa looked relieved.

Slowly releasing herself from the embrace, Hange slid her firm hands on Mikasa's arms and knelt on her level, taking a good look at her. She smiled. "Are you feeling a little better?" Hange asked, wiping her tears away.

Mikasa swallowed hard and gave Hange a slow nod. She looked at the governess' pale blue dress and saw the streaks of dark marks that her tears had left. "I'm sorry I ruined your dress," she said between controlled sobs and hiccups.

"Ah, no worries. It's just a dress." Hange gently tucked away a dark strand of hair from the little girl's face. "Are you hungry? Nifa had come all the way to bring a tasty breakfast for you."

Mikasa glanced at Nifa whose smile had never left. When Mikasa finally agreed, the three of them walked inside the bedroom. As Mikasa sat on the bed and sipped on the warm tea, Hange and Nifa watched her from the side. The raven-haired girl had eaten half of her breakfast before she stopped to divulge all that had happened earlier that day. All that had happened inside the study with her cousin.

Hange was at loss of words. She could not believe what she heard from Mikasa. Nifa, while having her own thoughts on the matter, kept her silence throughout. Hange felt her heart clutched within her chest as she saw Mikasa shed a few more tears as she told them her story.

Hange had not expected that he would react the way he did. She was furious, yet even more so perplexed. A lot of explanations formed in her mind but nothing seemed plausible enough to figure this predicament. So, there was only one thing she had to do.

She needs to speak with him.

-Chapter 12 End-

Replies:

hipswaggcrimson: Here you go! Thank you for following this story!
LunaAzul788: HAHA! The last chapter was sure one hell of a ride, we got everyone meeting each other AND WE GOT THE ~spicy~ drama! I'm glad that you enjoyed it on your second read! Thank you!

Notes:

I'm very sorry...

*Not me watching a bunch of cemetery tour Youtube videos in a middle of the night for the sake of reference*
On the other hand, Happy Eid al-Fitr for those who celebrate it!
Once again, thank you for reading! Do share me your thought about this chapter!

I'll see you guys on the next chapter! (OH I CAN'T WAIT!)