Byleth lead Dimitri in the direction of the Dining Hall. When they reached the tea garden, she chose the most secluded table for them to sit at. The place wasn't overly crowded, but the woman hoped for a little privacy.
Without giving it much thought, the professor selected a tea type from her set. She put the leaves into the pot of hot water, let it brew for a few moments, and then poured some into both of their cups.
Intrigued, Dimitri leaned forward to smell the hot liquid. His face brightened.
"Oh, Charmeline! It's my favourite. How did you know, Professor?"
A lump formed in Byleth's throat. The woman shared her tea time with the Faerghus prince more times than she could count. She remembered his preferred topics of conversations, the small jokes he threw in to lighten up the tension, and even the embarrassed look on his face whenever she caught him staring at her. The saddest thing was, she was a complete stranger to him now.
Doing her best to sound casual, Byleth said, "Lucky guess."
Satisfied with the professor's answer, Dimitri carefully attempted to take a sip of his drink. Still, it was way too hot.
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" he asked, sitting up straight.
The corners of Byleth's lips went up ever so slightly. Out of all her former students, he was the person she missed the most. She was sure she had many pleasant memories considering her time with the prince, even though she could not recall them all. Therefore, the professor reached out to the Blue Lions leader whenever she wasn't busy with her own house.
"I've just hired a new gambit of Seiros Mercenaries," said the woman, as she fidgeted with her teaspoon. "I wondered, what is your opinion on them?"
Dimitri smiled nervously as he started to explain.
"You see, Professor, I believe that the gambit you mentioned is…"
Unable to focus on Dimitri's words, Byleth's mind drifted elsewhere. Mere moments ago, while trying to build support with a new set of students, she realized something very important.
Out of the Black Eagle students, Byleth interacted the most frequently with Edelgard. In an attempt to get closer to the girl and make her open up, the two shared meals, collected pebbles, took part in choir practices, entered the weekly tournaments. Similar relations connected the professor with Hubert, Edelgard's right-hand man. When the woman taught the Blue Lions, however, her relationship with her house's leader was completely different.
While running after the other students to make them properly motivated or convince them to join her class, she never once ate lunch with Dimitri, not even once heard him sing. They fought numerous battles alongside each other, he saved her life in the Red Canyon. He always greeted her from the distance before she even saw him. Who knew exactly what to say when she grieved after the loss of her father.
The future emperor hardly ever avoided her teacher or made excuses to avoid talking to her, but she also never sought her out. Sometimes, Byleth was wondering whether her actions were welcomed or she was just a burden.
"Professor?"
Apparently, Dimitri finished answering the question, as he was looking expectantly at Byleth. The woman wished she listened more carefully to what he had said. She didn't feel like asking him to repeat himself, though.
Instead, a scene from last week came to her mind.
"My apologies. I was just remembering our cooking mishaps. Do you remember how I burned the fish?"
Dimitri stifled a chuckle.
"The whole frying pan caught on fire!"
"But you tried to eat it, anyway," said Byleth, slightly amused.
"Well, of course," replied her student, making a hand gesture for emphasis. "Something we put so much work into preparing was definitely worth a chance. It was a shame to toss it away."
"Something I prepared," the professor corrected. "Your vegetables were both edible and nicely plated, whatever's your friends' opinion on the matter."
Dimitri cringed inside at the unpleasant memory. It had been a long time since he saw so much contempt in Felix's eyes. Ingrid put away her plate in disgust, and Sylvain would laugh at him for days to come. Mercedes and Annette had more decency and simply commented on his beginner's skills.
"I must say, this was quite embarrassing." The young man drank most of his tea at once. It tasted wonderful. "Please, don't ask me to cook again, Professor."
If the prince didn't want to prepare food, the teacher surely wouldn't make him. Still, his wish made her plans a bit more complicated to carry out. The woman made a resolution to make up for the time she lost. She would make new memories: the ones they'd both remember. Yet, there were so little hours in a day…
She took a sip.
"Alright, I promise I won't."
Byleth regarded Dimitri for a moment. She wondered how he would do at choir practices.