The first chance she got, Byleth hurried out of the room to get some air.
She'd never realized just how many male students there were at the monastery. Not until practically every one of them asked her to dance. The professor enjoyed the close proximity of men, and the opportunity to have a good drink was a good bonus. But even she had an upper limit. Being in the centre of attention was truly exhausting.
"Ah, here you are. You left in such a hurry."
In the door to the ballroom, there stood Edelgard. Apparently, Byleth's exit wasn't nearly as stealthy as she hoped.
"I needed a break," replied the teacher as the princess approached her. She looked lovely in the traditional uniform with red accents on her legs and shoulder.
"I don't blame you. It must be hard to be the life of the party." When Byleth said nothing, the girl added, "Honestly, I find it surprising that you didn't put people in place for constantly bothering you."
While the comment wasn't totally out of place, something inside her professor clicked. The thought that some of the students she danced with might not live to attend another event made her angry and defiant.
"I was glad to see all the happy faces of the people having fun and enjoying themselves. Who knows when another opportunity will present itself."
"The Garreg Mach Ball is an annual event," informed Edelgard with a soft smile. "I would say you'll probably have to wait until next year."
"Unless the Death Knight and the Flame Emperor destroy this place or kill us all. They wouldn't throw another ball then, now, would they?"
Byleth's words were followed by a deafening silence. The woman couldn't even hear the music coming from the ballroom.
"Yes," said Edelgard, visibly uncomfortable. She took a step back. "Well, I'm heading back to my date. Have a good night, Professor."
Not in the mood to bump into more of her students, the professor went for a short walk around the monastery. She was angry with herself for driving the Black Eagles leader further away. Without meaning to, the woman was punishing the girl for the crimes she hadn't yet committed.
Still, Byleth was unable to stop herself. The memories of her previous life were becoming a burden.
Without her conscious intention, Byleth's legs led her to the Goddess Tower. Every resident of the monastery was gathered in the ballroom, so this place was now dark and deserted. It made the woman feel a little uneasy, although she couldn't shake off the feeling that she'd been there before.
Byleth looked out the window to gaze at the night sky. She recalled her talk with the gatekeeper about the tower's legend. Apparently, if a man and a woman make a wish here, it is supposed to always come true. When the nice young man asked her who she'd like to go with, she told him that no one came to her mind. This was obviously a lie. There was someone she hoped to meet, but she dismissed it as being highly implausible.
The sudden footsteps made the professor jump. She hastily turned to leave when her eyes lied on the silhouette hiding in the shadows. For a moment, the woman could have sworn she saw a glimpse of blonde hair and a blue tunic.
"You're here, Professor!" a female voice greeted her.
When the student came to the light, Byleth recognized the visitor. Dorothea's beaming smile was contagious, and yet the teacher could hardly conceal her disappointment.
"Don't be silly," said Sothis, making her presence known for the first time this evening. "This could not have been him."
Undeterred by the lack of reaction, Dorothea asked, "You're here because of my letter, right?"
Confused, the woman asked, "What letter?"
The girl's eyes widened when the realization hit her.
"You didn't get it? Then this is just… a coincidence?" Dorothea's face fell and lit up again almost instantaneously. "That is so cool! It's as if destiny had brought us together."
"What an incurable optimist," muttered Sothis while stifling a yawn.
"What was in that letter?" said Byleth, ignoring both of them.
"You won't let me change the subject, will you?" asked the student with a sigh. "Okay then, I'll tell you. It's no secret that you caught my eye from the moment you arrived at Garreg Mach almost nine moons ago. So, I was wondering… have you already found a special someone?"
The professor blinked. She had no idea what to say.
"That's a rather personal question, don't you think?"
"Don't worry," stated the girl, dismissing her objections. "I won't tell anyone. I simply wanted to find out whether you're available before getting to know you better."
On the spot, this turned out to be a very awkward conversation. It was never easy for Byleth to tell someone she was not interested in a relationship. Thank the Goddess, she was saved the displeasure.
"You don't need to answer. I can already tell there is someone you're sweet on."
Suddenly, Dorothea seemed to be in a hurry.
"Well, still, I don't regret telling you. I mean, if I hadn't come here today, you might have never found out, right?" she said with a wink.
The girl's parting comment gave Byleth an idea.
"I know what you're thinking," said Sothis in a reprimanding voice. "This is not a good plan."
But Byleth didn't listen. She hurried down to reach her classroom. From the teacher's desk, she took out a piece of parchment and began to write. After putting the letter into the envelope and sealing it, the teacher headed to the students' dorm.
During her work as a professor, Byleth delivered many letters. Her first delivery was a love letter to Rhea herself, for crying out loud! Still, she would feel unusually self-conscious about handing this particular one. It contained a message that was very important to her. Watching the recipient read it and react to its content would make her uncomfortable, maybe even embarrassed.
"Having second thoughts, are you?" Sothis interrupted, startling the woman. "I'm telling you, nothing good will come out of this."
Slightly irritated with the Goddess's lack of support, the woman knocked on the door. For a few long seconds, she listened to her pulsing blood, hoping that nobody would answer.
Luck seemed to be on her side.
Byleth let out the breath she was holding. So, Dimitri wasn't home. Good. She didn't know if she'd have the guts to hand him the letter in person. She slipped it under his door.
Author's note: I messed up the timeline, so you can pretend the last two chapters are swapped.