"UNHAND ME YOU…YOU…KIDNAPPER!"

As Caspar carried the small girl down the halls, Bernadetta screamed loudly, so loud it felt like anyone in the monastery could hear. Thankfully nobody seemed keen to stop them since they also knew how Bernadetta liked to make big deals out of things that weren't.

Even so, it would've seemed a little suspicious at how Caspar was taking the shrieking and squirming girl out of the monastery entirely and into the plains beyond.

Bernadetta just kept screaming and screaming until Caspar finally stopped and put her down. Even then, she kept screaming with her eyes closed for a while until Caspar started calling her name.

"Bernadetta. Bernadetta! HEY, BERNIE!" He flicked her forehead, and she finally stopped. She jumped at his flick and quickly looked around.

"Wh-Where have you taken me?! What are you gonna do with me?! Kill me?! Bury me here where no one can find me?! Or are you going to-" The girl suddenly cut herself off however as she looked out at the view. They were standing near the edge of a cliff, where the plains and forests stretched out beneath them, the setting sun shining across the land and casting brilliant colors across the sky. Her eyes went wide as she looked at it all, at the beauty of it all. "Wow…"

"I told you it was a nice spot," he said as he walked up next to her, hands on his hips. "Next time you should just trust me, we're housemates after all."

"M-Maybe next time don't just pick me up and start running!" Bernadetta cried. "I'm pretty sure you even bumped my…" She trailed off as her face reddened, realizing what she'd been about to say.

"Your what?"

"N-NOTHING!" Bernadetta quickly shook her head and tried to change the subject. "Th-This is a beautiful view, though."

"I agree. And that's coming from someone who doesn't even have an eye for that kind of stuff like you or Ignatz," Caspar said, and Bernadetta exhaled deeply. She could see herself painting this, even if it would be hard to get the beauty of the different colors of the sky correct. It was something she'd be willing to give a try, though.

"Do you know…other places like this?" Bernadetta eventually asked, and Caspar put a hand on his chin as he thought it over.

"I think so," he finally said and took a step towards her. "Mind if I-"

"A-Ah…is that really necessary?!" she asked, and he shrugged.

"It would be a lot faster," he replied. Bernadetta whined a bit before sighing.

"A-Alright," she said and held out her arms. Caspar smiled as he swooped her up, and began to run. "H-HEY, WATCH THE ARM!" Bernadetta cried as her face burned. Caspar had no idea what she meant, so he just kept running.

Bernadetta wasn't sure how much time had passed by the time he stopped, but she certainly felt a bit dizzy when he set her down, and she had to momentarily lean on him for support as she waited for the world to stop spinning.

When it finally did, she looked around, and once again felt her breath get taken away as she took in the sight before her. It was a pristine lake that stretched for what felt like forever. The clean blue water reflected the sunlight in a way that was magical to the eyes. Birds flew around as swans rested on the water, gently floating on its surface. Bernadetta let out a gasp as she took it all in.

"This is a spot I like to go whenever I need to think or practice by myself," he said. "I find the purity of it all to be a nice relaxing environment."

"I-I see…" Bernadetta said and found herself slowly sitting down. The air felt so much cleaner here than back at the monastery, especially compared to the inside of her room. It felt…peaceful. She felt herself relaxing as, just for a moment, she felt calm.

"Hey, Bernadetta?" Caspar suddenly asked. "Can I ask you a question?" His voice startled her back into the moment, making her jump.

"S-Sure."

"Why don't you like to go outside?" he asked, and Bernadetta froze up. She was about to either lock down completely, or give some quick, false answer, but she thought back to what her professor had said to her, and she sighed. She wrapped her arms around her knees as she brought them to her chest.

"I was…basically trained to be scared of the outside world," she said after a few long moments. Caspar raised an eyebrow as she continued. "My father tried to train me to be a perfect housewife…with really…questionable methods." She shuddered at the memories. "He basically ingrained in me that going outside too often was a bad thing…that I could get snatched away by someone with bad intentions. He taught me to always stay inside, under the protection of my partner." She sighed. "And I guess it worked. I'm…terrified to leave my room."

"I…I see," Caspar said. "That's definitely not something that's easy to break, that's for sure." He looked out at the water as he spoke, and Bernadetta could see there were some memories in his own eyes. But before she could ask about it, he sighed. "Well, now you've got all of us." He turned to look at her and smiled warmly. "We're all here to help you! Me, Edelgard, the professor, everyone!"

"I-I know…" Bernadetta said, and she felt a smile creep across her face, as well as a light blush. "Thank you."

"If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask, alright?" he said, and Bernadetta paused for a moment.

"Then…there is one thing," she said, and he raised an eyebrow again as she cleared her throat. "Can you…um…take me here more often? Just whenever I need to…get away a bit?"

"Of course! It would be my pleasure!" he said.

"A-And another thing," she said. "Please…don't show this to anyone else. I want this to be just for us." Caspar smiled.

"A secret place just for the two of us, huh?" he asked, and she nodded. His smile grew wider, and he gave her a firm nod.

"Sounds good to me! Maybe we can even train together here!"

"L-Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves!" Bernadetta cried, but she had to admit, she felt relief at his words. The idea of having such a serene place, secret to only the two of them…

It sounded like a wonderful idea.