Yeah, grad school is hell. On the plus side, new chapter!

"Aaaaah! I can't do this! Nope! No way! No way ever!"

That was the conclusion Bernadetta had arrived at. And what other conclusion could there be? Somehow, in the span of less than a week, rumors and whispers had spread through all of Vallais, and they ranged from being completely false to strangely close to the truth. Some said that the cloaked figure was a spy sent by supporters of the late emperor. Others said that it was a diversion created by a band of thieves and miscreants with the intent to rob Varley of all its gold. And the worst ones? Those said that the cloaked woman was part of a sinister league of assassins—and that was the one closest to the truth!

And here was Bernie, finally done with her preparations, with her troops all organized, and her hands pulling at her hair as she wore deep grooves into the carpet.

"There's too many soldiers out there!" She screeched, pacing around the main guard house's viewing room. "And Jeanne invited some of the people! She says it's so I can 'calm their fears' when I send the platoons out, but how can they be calm if I'm not calm?"

"Bernadetta."

"I can't do this! Why did I ever think I could? Oh, I really am just useless!"

"Bernadetta."

"This is the end. The end of Bernie. Now I'm gonna be an embarrassment foreveeeeeer!"

"My ladyyy."

"Wha—" Bernie spun on her heel and turned to Yuri, who was staring at her with that annoying, knowing smirk on his face. "Yuri! I told you not to call me that!"

"Got your attention, didn't it?"

Bernadetta bit her lip and crossed her arms in front of her chest, wrinkling her war outfit. She and Yuri had both changed into their army clothes, with Bernadetta hoping it would make her seem more capable and professional, but it didn't make her feel capable and professional! It just made her feel like a fraud. She wasn't a commander, and she definitely wasn't ready to do this. Maybe if she just made herself as small as possible, Yuri would forget she was there. Yeah! Then she wouldn't have to make that really big and important speech to hundreds of people!

"You can do this, Bernadetta." Yuri walked over to her until he was standing at an arm's length away. "People respect others who know what they're doing, and trust me, you know what you're doing. I've seen your plans, and they're solid. All you gotta do is tell them that."

Bernadetta wanted to believe him, but what if he was exaggerating? Like he was the other day.

"If you weren't the count, I may as well scoop you up and give you a big ol' kiss."

He said that was a joke, so it had to be a joke. Right? Really, why would Yuri, gorgeous, handsome, kind, caring Yuri want to kiss her?

Though, she thought. Maybe a kiss from Yuri wouldn't be so bad...

Bernadetta shook the thought from her head. No. There was no way Yuri would ever wanna kiss her, so she may as well burn any idea she had about kissing him! It was just a joke, and this was reality. The reality where no one liked Bernadetta and there definitely wouldn't be anyone who'd wanna listen to a whole speech from her. "No one's gonna pay attention to me!"

"You're the count, Bernadetta. If they don't listen to you, I'm pretty sure Jeanne will go out there and twist everyone's ears until they do. And with how friendly she's been with my mom, I'm pretty sure she'll enlist her, too."

Bernie giggled into her hand. She had to admit, the image of Jeanne and Lilian twisting a tall soldier's ears was pretty funny, and it undid some of the knots in her stomach.

"You said that you're gonna speak from the heart, right?" Yuri asked.

"I have to!" Bernie cried. "If everyone is really out there, then they have to know I'm being honest. If I don't say what I really feel, how would anyone trust me?"

"Then trust yourself. And hey, if anything happens, know that I'll be right behind you."

Bernadetta looked up at him, at his calm and easy-going smile, and realized that as much as she was nervous, he seemed totally fine. Like he really did believe in her. "You'll really be there?"

Yuri shrugged a shoulder. "Well, I'll be inside while you're out on the balcony. Wouldn't want the people to see you with—"

"Nuh-uh!" Bernadetta launched herself forwards and gripped Yuri's arm as hard as she could. "You said right behind me, so that means right behind me!"

"Uuuuh," Yuri said. "I meant that more in a figurative—"

"Don't care!"

"Bernadetta, you really shouldn't be seen with me." Yuri tried to pull his arm away from her, but Bernie didn't let him. Holding onto him was nice, and it was already making some of her nerves fly away! "You—ugh—you need to think about what they'll say. If you have someone like me next to you when you make an official speech, your reputation could stink worse than an Enbarr sewer drain."

"I don't care what they'll say! There's no way I can go out there alone!"

"You've gotta be kidding me. Bernadetta, li—"

"They're ready for you, my lady."

Bernadetta jumped at the sound of Jeanne's voice. Thank the Goddess she was still hanging onto Yuri, who hadn't even flinched at the new voice. Slowly, the two of them turned towards Jeanne, who had just entered the room. "I see that the boy will be joining you."

Jeanne stared at Yuri for a moment, and Bernie felt how his muscles tensed up for a second before he sighed and hung his head. "I guess I am," he said.

Jeanne gave a small hum before turning to Bernie. She nodded at Bernadetta, and after Bernie made triple sure that she was still hanging onto Yuri, she nodded back.

Jeanne went to the balcony's door and opened it. With butterflies in her stomach, Bernie took in a deep breath and led herself and Yuri outside.

They were greeted by a sea of people. From their position on the second floor of Vallais' main guardhouse, she and Yuri had a full view of the Vallais plaza. It was small compared to the ones in Enbarr and Fhirdiad, but for a city as cramped as Vallais, the stone courtyard felt enormous. And it was packed. Really, really packed!

Directly in front of them were neat rows of soldiers lined up and standing to attention. All five of Bernadetta's battalions were there, and they were even arranged exactly as Bernie had wanted them to be. Just beyond them were groups of townsfolk, from local innkeepers to law students to priests to ministers to construction workers. They were chatting to each other in casual tones, but the instant Bernadetta had stepped onto the balcony, their words had lowered themselves to quiet whispers. To Bernadetta, it felt like anyone and everyone was here—and they were here to listen to her!

Yeah, Bernie was regretting absolutely everything!

Yuri tugged his arm out of her grip, and Bernadetta's heart did a somersault. She spun around to face him, but instead of retreating back into the guard house, Yuri stood a single step away from her. He glanced over the gigantic crowd before smiling at her.

"Right behind you, Bernadetta," he said in a very low voice. One only Bernie was meant to hear.

Bernadetta nodded. Yuri was there, and that was good, but she already missed the feeling of her arms around his. So before turning around, she reached out and took his gloved hand in hers. Yuri's hand was tense, but he didn't pull it away, even as Bernadetta stepped forward until she was pressed up against the balcony's stone railing.

"P-People of Varley!" She said, her voice bouncing off the tall buildings that surrounded the plaza.

Any whispers in the crowd vanished, and Bernie suddenly felt hundreds and hundreds of eyes bearing into her. She had the next words of her speech on her tongue, but she couldn't get them out! She couldn't. She couldn't!

Yuri's fingers curled themselves around Berandetta's hand. Bernie's heart skipped a beat, but not because the feeling was strange. Holding Yuri's hand felt… good. Really, really good! It grounded the nerves in her stomach, and as Bernadetta focused on the feeling of her hand holding Yuri's, she felt she was able to speak again.

"T-Thank you for c-coming today."

Ok, her voice was really shaky, but at least she could talk!

"A-As you probably know, there are rumors going around. About a league of evil a-assassins roaming Vallais. About monsters h-hiding in the night. I-I understand why you're all scared. We just ended a w-war, and e-everything is still strange. W-We're still figuring out how to live and h-how to keep each other safe."

The people were silent, so Bernie pressed on.

"I want—I want to tell you all that we hear your worries, a-and we're doing everything w-we can to uncover the truth! Our biggest priority is keeping all of you safe, and t-that's why we're here today! That's why I'm here today! I-I know I'm new to this. To being c-count, to being a leader, to everything! But I promise I will do everything I can to look out for my people.

"W-When I fought in the war, I-I was really scared." This was the part of the speech Bernadetta was most nervous about, and her voice wobbled with nerves. "There were battles and d-death and lots of s-scary nights, and all I wanted to do was come home. B-But I also wanted my h-home to be safe. I wanted Varley to be s-safe. Varley i-is my home, but it's y-your home, too! A-And if I had to go through the war all over again to protect Varley, even if it's super, super scary, I would! B-Because that's my job. And I'm going to do e-everything in my power to keep you all safe and happy!"

A light round of whispers made their way around the hundreds of townspeople, and even from the guard house's balcony, Bernadetta could make out the tone and cadence of their words. There was no sarcasm, no derision in their words. There was a heft amount of surprise though, and Bernie could work with that!

"Soldiers of Varley!" Bernadetta tightened her grip on Yuri's hand, and it gave her a new surge of confidence. "You are here b-because we need to protect and serve the people, a-and I need you all to step up. Things are different, but we can't ever forget the reason why we're here: to serve the citizens of Varley!

"But that doesn't mean we can j-just boss people around. We're here to work for the people, not against them! I don't want the people to be nervous with us—they're nervous as it is! So t-try to talk to them. T-Try to see what their real problems are. But if t-they say they don't want to talk, then that's ok, t-too! People go at their own pace, you know?

"A-And when you're talking to people, b-be calm and patient with them. Firm, but a-also gentle. If we don't do that, then how will anyone trust us? H-How can we do anything that helps the people we're meant to protect?

"S-So do your best!" Bernadetta commanded. "We're here to safeguard others, but we're also here to help them! So—So!"

Yuri gave her hand a squeeze.

Bernadetta squeezed back.

"So we're going to do everything we can to help! Ok?"

"Yes, Lady Varley!" The troops chorused, their many voices ringing across the entire plaza.

Bernadetta gasped. They were listening to her. They were really listening to her!

She turned to look at Yuri, who was smirking! After giving her hand another squeeze, he raised an eyebrow and jutted his chin towards the crowd. "They're awaiting your orders, Lady Commander."

"Right!" Bernadetta turned back to the plaza and looked down at the first group of soldiers.

"Hedgehog company!" She called out. "You're i-in charge of patrols! And not just the inner city! I want more patrols looking at the outer areas. If the people in outer Vallais aren't safe, then no one is! Y-You're also in charge of directing Owl company and H-Hawk company, They listen to your orders!"

"Yes, Lady Varley!" Hedgehog, Owl, and Hawk's soldiers replied.

"Ox company!" Bernadetta turned to them. "You guys are in charge of escorting and protecting the construction workers! We're b-building a new hospital in rural Varley, and there better not be any b-bandits intimidating them or s-stealing from them!" And at last, Bernie turned her attention to the fifth group. "Bird company! Before heading off to your platoons, c-come inside to receive your official Varley uniforms and p-papers!"

"Yes, Lady Varley!" Ox and Bird replied.

"Good!" Bernadetta said. "Your c-commanders have your platoon assignments. Go—I mean, a-all companies dismissed!"

The soldiers dispersed, and their footsteps echoed around the courtyard. But their noise paled in comparison to the loud gossip that spread amongst the townspeople. Bernadetta was already terrified by the amount of Vallais citizens that listened to the speech, but as she caught bits and pieces from her city's loudest gossipers, her nerves shot through the roof!

"Gotta say, the count's been stepping up," a man said.

"She even talked," came the voice of a middle-aged woman. "In public! But who's that man with her?"

"I think I've seen him around. Mysterious, that one. But not as mysterious as the count's sudden appearance."

"I know!" Cried a younger man. "I thought she'd be hiding away after she showed herself in town last week."

Someone else burst out a hefty laugh. "Maybe this is what the Bear of Varley is like when she's finished hibernating!"

Before Bernadetta could blush any further, she spun around and bolted into the guardhouse, tugging Yuri along with her. "The Bear of Varley," she muttered under her breath. "What do they even mean by that?!"

And Bernadetta might've been imagining it, but she thought she felt Yuri squeeze her hand again.

She led the two of them through the Vallais guard house, down a spiraling staircase and through three sets of well-secured doors, until they finally reached the building's storage room, where Yuri's group was gathering up their papers and Varley tunics to throw over their clothes.

"B-Bird company!" Bernadetta called out.

Eighteen of Yuri's people looked over at them. More specifically, they looked over at their conjoined hands, and they all grinned from ear to ear.

Yuri immediately slipped his hand out of Bernadetta's, and even though Bernie knew that her face must've been as red as a Noa fruit, she straightened her back and summoned her most commanding voice. "I have a special mission for you!"

A tall, wiry man let out a fiendish laugh. His name was Eric, and if Bernadetta remembered correctly, he had also been working under Yuri for at least six years. "Hope it'll be somethin' interesting. Whad'ya got?"

"W-When all of you are in your groups, keep an eye on the other soldiers," Bernadetta said. "Yuri wants to make sure there aren't any leaks among the guards, b-but I also wanna make sure they're all doing a good job! If any one of them goes out of line, o-or if they're abusing their position, then you have my permission to arrest them!"

Eric and the rest of Bird company stared at Bernadetta with wide eyes. "Us? Arresting guards?"

"Yeah!" Bernadetta's voice echoed across the room, and she immediately lowered it. "I-I mean, yes. Yuri said I could trust you, so I'm trusting you with this. But if you think it's too dangerous to confront them at that moment, then you contact Hedgehog company. They were my battalion in the war, and they can set up special hearings in the Vallais tunnels. So if there are any evil guards, you can arrest them there!"

When no one answered her, she turned away from Eric and stared at the floor beneath her boots. "I-Is that ok?"

"Hahaha!" Eric screeched, and Bernadetta looked up to see that he and everyone else was grinning again. "More than ok, Lady Bernadetta." Eric turned to the others and waved a lazy hand at them. "You heard her. You have your mission, now head off to your groups!"

After a round of disjointed whoops and hoorahs, Yuri's teams filed out of the storage room, and Bernadetta let out a sigh of relief. Finally, she was done!

"Huh," Yuri drawled. "Didn't expect you to use my birds for that."

"Ah! I'm sorry!" Bernadetta screeched. "I know you said I could use them but I should've—"

"That was a compliment, Bernadetta," Yuri said, and his smirk widened. "My birds may not be the best at following nobles, but you gave them a reason to follow you."

"I did?"

"Keeping an eye on authority while looking out for the common folk is kind of our specialty. Basically, you just gave them the job they're best built for. Well, the best legal job." Yuri's tone turned serious. "You trusted them, and I know that they'll make good on that trust."

"Really?"

"You have my word."

Heat rose up in Bernadetta's cheeks. She had the sudden urge to reach out and take his hand again, but the speech was done now, and Yuri could think she was being too clingy. So instead, she pressed her hands together and whispered, "T-Thank you."

Yuri smiled, and it was one of his honest ones. He opened his mouth to say something, but a set of voices echoed in through the open doorway. He and Bernadetta shared a glance, and they went to see who was there.

They followed the voices until they reached the guard house's small foyer. There was Jeanne, looking serious as always, but there were also three people chatting with her. The three were wearing travel-friendly clothes, and one of them had light pink hair tied up in two high ponytails.

"Hilda!" Bernadetta cheered as she rushed into the foyer.

"Bernie!" Hilda met her halfway, and the two shared a quick hug. "I'm so happy to see you again."

"Same here!" Bernadetta bounced on the tips of her toes. "How are you? How was your trip? Are you tired? If you want, Ican have someone make you tea when we get back to the estate!"

Hilda giggled into her hand. Unlike the other two, her clothes were in pristine condition, with no stains or bits of mud in sight. "Now, now, Bernie. I'm perfectly alright. Though, some tea wouldn't hurt. Right, Baltie?"

"Hell no!" Said a deep voice. Bernadetta turned and found herself staring up at Balthus, who looked like he'd somehow gotten even bigger since she last saw him! Was it more muscle, or was Bernie somehow getting shorter? "After gettin' all the way here, I think a solid cup of tea would be just what I need. Hey, Boss! Good ta see ya!"

"Likewise, Balthus." Yuri stepped forward, and the two of them shared a quick one-armed hug and slapped each other on the back. "I hope your journey here went well."

"It went alright," Balthus said. "After your scout found us in Daphnel, we high-tailed and booked it right here. It was pretty good cardio for me and Armand."

Yuri raised an eyebrow and turned to the last member of the group. It was Armand, and despite the chilly weather, his hair was matted with sweat, and his face was flushed like he'd just come back from a really long run. "I couldn't just let a lady as pretty as Hilda walk!"

"Hey, that's my 'pretty lady' you're talkin' about!" Balthus roared, to which Hilda smiled—though not before rolling her eyes.

"It's good that you got here ok," Bernadetta said. "Oh, and you're guests here! That means that if there's anything you need, you can just tell me. Or Jeanne. She's really good at running the estate."

"I'll keep that in mind." Hilda winked at Jeanne, and after a moment of surprise, Jeanne nodded her head. "That was a great speech, Bernie. Your voice was shaking a bit, but still. I never knew you could sound so commanding! Everyone's talking about it!"

"Really? They are?" A terrible thought struck Bernadetta. "Oh no! Oh, they probably think that I sounded so stupid. Or scary? Can I sound scary? Oh, did I make everyone think I'm a terrible person? Oh no, I've just ruined everything!"

"Bernadetta, breathe." Yuri was by her side in an instance, rubbing a large hand up and down her back. "That's right. Breathe in, out, in, and out."

Bernadetta followed Yuri's instructions, breathing in and out, until her heart calmed down and she didn't feel like tearing her hair out.

"See? Much better," Yuri said easily. "And look, I'm sure everyone thought you were great. In fact, why don't we go ask?"

If Bernadetta's heart hadn't stopped before, it definitely stopped right now.

"What?"

"Hell yeah!" Balthus cheered. "You got this, Bern. All ya gotta do is go up to them and talk! The rest of us can start heading to the estate and wait for you there."

"But I'm no good at talking! And I've already talked a lot today!"

"That you have." Yuri sighed. "Look, how 'bout you just talk to two more people. Maybe you'll exchange brief pleasantries and leave it at that. Or maybe you'll start fostering that trust with the citizens you were talking about so much."

"… Why do you always have to be right?"

Yuri smirked. "Just give it a shot, will ya?"

Bernadetta pouted and looked away. She knew Yuri was right and that she should at least give it a shot, but she didn't wanna go alone! Even when she did her speech, Yuri was right there with her! Wait. If he was with her then…

"Ok," Bernadetta said, latching onto Yuri's arm once again with all the strength in her body. "But you're coming with me!"

"Hey, I never saaaid—"

Bernadetta was already out of the guard house and dragging Yuri along the courtyard. She ignored Jeanne's surprised face and instead turned her attention to the people still milling about the area. It was mid-afternoon, which meant that most of the townspeople had likely returned to their usual day jobs, and that meant that there were only a handful of groups still milling about the area. Without the soldiers, the stone courtyard looked a little bare and empty, which was better for Bernie. Still not the best, but way, way better!

Bernadetta quickly spotted a group of two off to the sidelines and hauled Yuri with her. He was protesting, saying something about people seeing her with him, but Bernie didn't listen to any of that. She was too focused on marching up to the pair and ignoring everything else around her. So before she could think about what she was doing, or the dozens of people who were probably looking at her, she walked up to the group and stammered, "H-Hi!"

The two people, a man and a woman, immediately pressed their fists to their chests and bowed.

"M-My lady!" The man stammered.

"Good afternoon, Count Varley," the woman said in a low and quiet voice.

"Ah, y-you don't have to be so formal." Bernadetta felt her cheeks flush, and she tightened her hold on Yuri's arm. He'd already squirmed out of her grip on the balcony, and Bernie wasn't about to let that happen again! "I just wanted to talk and, um, see how you're going!"

"Us?" The woman asked, sharing a looked with the man beside her. "But… you don't know us."

Bernie fidgeted and took in the pair; anything to keep her from making accidental eye contact with two complete strangers. She found that they were young, around Bernadetta's age, and their appearances were really similar. They both had light brown hair, calloused hands, and simple outfits with dirt sticking to the hems of their pant legs. They were also well-built, particularly around the arms, and Bernadetta could even see the definition of their muscles beneath their long-sleeved shirts.

"Well, no, but—um, you're a citizen of Varley, right? That means I should, uh, talk! And s-see how you're doing!"

"Y-Yes, of course!" The man looked over at Yuri but didn't ask about him.

"What he means to say is that we're happy to talk," the woman said, and she also kept glancing at Yuri.

"Of course you pick out the nervous ones," Yuri mumbled. Bernadetta couldn't tell if he was annoyed or not, but he'd stopped trying to free his arm, so Bernadetta took that as a win!

"Nice to meet you! I—Ack! I forgot to ask! Um, what are your names?"

"Right!" The man suddenly straightened his back, almost like a soldier. "I'm Julian, and this is my sister, Natalie. We're grave tenders at Vallais cemetery!"

"Woooah," Bernadetta gasped.

When she didn't say anything else, Yuri stepped in. "I believe that translates to, 'Wow! What an interesting job!'" He said in his high-pitched Bernadetta voice. "How long have you two been in that profession?"

"Five years for me," Natalie said. "Three years for my younger brother. Family apprenticeship."

"D-Do you guys ever see any ghosts in the cemetery?" Bernadetta asked. "Like, scary mean ghosts?"

"Yeah!" Julian said, bouncing up and down a little. "I-I mean, I thought I saw some, b-but Natalie told me it was just an illusion from the early morning fog."

Natalie shook her head, but when she spoke, she looked at the ground instead of at Bernadetta. "It's a bit overwhelming at first, but you get used to it. It's the family apprenticeship, and it took Julian a while to finally learn the ropes."

"But I did see a ghost!" Julian yelled.

Bernadetta gasped, and her grip on Yuri tightened. "You did? Where? When? Do I need to call the guards?"

"Maybe!"

"Oh boy," Yuri groaned.

"It wasn't a ghost," Natalie said as she crossed her arms. "It was just another body snatcher. We've been having issues with them for the past moon or so. They tend to pick up bodies that are destined for the potter's field, so there aren't families to complain to the estate."

"But that's still awful!" Bernadetta said."No one should get their bodies stolen, even when they're dead! Oh no, if that keeps happening, then their ghosts could haunt Vallais forever!"

"That's what I said!" Julian exclaimed.

"Right? Oh, I know! I'll station a couple of guards by the cemetery! That should deter them for a little while!"

"You'd really do that?" Natalie raised her eyebrows a little, and she glanced between Bernadetta and Yuri. "I mean, it's just a cemetery, and it looks like the guards have a lot on their plate."

"Yeah, but we don't want any ghosts to haunt us!" Bernadetta said. "And that's definitely what'll happen if we let body snatchers steal corpses."

Yuri laughed. "Of course you're worried about that. Rest assured Natalie, Julian. If the count has taken an interest in the security of your cemetery, you can be sure she'll actually send someone to guard it."

"I also wanna make sure you two are safe!" Bernadetta added. "You have an important job, and what if those body snatchers try to do something to you! I don't want that!"

"No way! Thank you!" Julian cheered, turning to his sister with wide eyes. "See? The count gets me! Now we don't have to worry about shady people in cloaks anymore!" His body tensed up, and he once again bowed to Bernadetta. "Oh, I-I'm sorry! I shouldn't be referring to you so casually, m-my lady!"

"No, no, no! It's ok!" Bernadetta bit her lip, and she felt Yuri's arm tense beneath her grip. "U-Um, did you say something about cloaks?"

"It's nothing, Lady Varley," Natalie said quickly. "My brother is just tired from the long nights at work."

"But Natalie, we—Ugh! No, uh, you're right. We shouldn't bother. You've already done more than enough for us by assigning guards. Thank—"

"Ah, wait!" Bernadetta shirked, and the two siblings froze. Oh no! Didn't she scare them? "I-I'm sorry. I don't wanna interrupt, or force you to talk, but I just, I-I mean…"

"What she means," Yuri said, saving Bernadetta from further babbling. "Is that she has a question for you two."

Bernie looked up at Yuri, and she saw that his usual smirk had vanished. When her gray eyes met his purple ones, Bernadetta could see how serious they were, but she could also see that they were patient. Not like her father's, which would get angry and frustrated when Bernadetta would fail again and again in their 'lessons'. No. Yuri's eyes were different. Yuri was different. He didn't chastise her when she started babbling. He didn't even ask the question for her! He was letting Bernadetta step up, even if she had to take her time.

Yuri gave her a little nudge, and it was the last boost Bernadetta needed.

"Um, even if you think it's little, or not important, c-can you tell me?" She asked. "About the people in the cloaks. I promise you won't get in trouble. I just… We just really need to know."

Natalie and Julian looked at each other, and that's when Bernadetta finally recognized the emotion in their eyes.

They were scared. Really scared.

"After the previous count was put under house arrest," Natalie said, "we saw some people in dark cloaks wandering the streets in the inner district. I can't say for certain, but I think they might be our body snatchers."

"It's more than that!" Julian exclaimed. "I saw some of them go into the estate!"

Natalie shook her head. "But how's that possible? There's only one entrance, and it's always guarded!"

"Wait a minute," Yuri interjected. "You mean they entered the Varley estate? That estate? Aka the giant house that's guarded like an impregnable fortress?"

Julian, after a moment, whispered, "Yes."

"Do you remember their faces?" Bernadetta asked. "O-Or if they had weapons? Or chest armor?"

"I-I'm sorry, Lady Varley. I-I don't."

"That's ok! Um, do you remember anything else? Even if it's a tiny thing, it could help."

"Not much. Except, maybe—b-but… I…"

"Y-You don't have to be nervous with me," Bernadetta said. "I think I'm more nervous than you, and I'm the count!"

"Even during the speech?"

"Especially during the speech!" Bernadetta adjusted her arms around Yuri's, and it calmed her down a little. "Um, if you're nervous, then maybe don't think of me as the count. Just… Just think of me as Bernadetta! That might help!"

Julian's cheeks turned pink. "Lady… Bernadetta…" He said slowly. "Lady Bernadetta… I think I saw the people in cloaks get escorted in."

"E-Escorted? Into the estate?"

Julian nodded. "It only started happening near the end of the war. After King Dimitri took charge of the army. But after the battle at Gronder, I started seeing more of them in the early mornings. That's when my shift starts. I didn't mean to follow them, but they looked sketchy and I thought… I don't know what I thought. But I know I saw them get escorted in by the guards."

Bernadetta swallowed the aching feeling in her throat. "And after my fa—I mean, after the previous count got exiled… Did those people keep entering the estate?"

Name shook his head. "No, Lady Bernadetta. They didn't."

A familiar anxiety took hold of Bernadetta's chest. Her body shook, her knees felt weak, and she felt like she was a second away from screaming and bolting to her room.

"Thank you for the information," Yuri said. "You've done a great service to the count."

Bernadetta leaned onto Yuri, her gloved fingers pressing into his jacket, and made herself remember that she wasn't alone anymore. Yuri was here now. He was right here with her, like when they were kids, and he said he'd help her. And Bernadetta knew that Yuri would help. That's what he does. He helps, and that's how he gained the king's trust.

And it's the reason why Bernadetta was so happy they were together again.

"Y-Yes! Thank you!" Bernadetta said hastily. "Um, thanks for talking to me. Even if it was scary."

"Y-You're welcome," the siblings said, blinking like they couldn't believe what just happened.

"We'll be off," Yuri said, walking away from the pair and taking Bernadetta with him.

"Um, I hope things go ok now!" Bernie called over her shoulder. "I'll station some guards near the cemetery, and if you still have issues with body snatchers, let the estate know!"

The two of them strode out of the courtyard and back into the winding streets of central Vallais. This time it was Yuri pulling Bernadetta forward, but Bernie didn't mind.

"Entering the estate itself," Yuri muttered under his breath. "No wonder they hadn't spoken up before. They were probably thinking that they'd get retribution from a higher-up if they reported anything."

"They were so scared," Bernadetta whispered as they turned onto Cichol Lane, a small avenue that would lead them directly back to the estate. "Even the sister was scared. I think she tried to hide it, but I could see it in their eyes!"

"You know what this means, don't you?"

"Yeah… It means that my father was involved in this."

"I know this is your father, Bernadetta, but we need to look into this." He turned his head to her, and he had a strange look in his eyes.

"W-Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Because I'm asking to investigate your father, the former count." Yuri sighed. "I'm gonna do it anyway, but I'd rather have your permission to do so."

Yuri's eyes were piercing, but Bernadetta wasn't scared by them. They were kind and clever and… Bernadetta trusted them. "Y-You have it."

Yuri nodded brusquely and squared his shoulders. "I'm gonna need all documentation regarding every guard rotation, every soldier, and every decree your father sent out. We need to find out who was stationed at the estate during the end of the war, and we need to question them before they figure out we're onto them. No, that's not enough."

Yuri's pace quickened, and Bernadetta had to run to keep up.

"They could've had conspirators aside from the guards," Yuri continued. "That means we're gonna have to look at every soldier, maid, cook, noble, minister, or what-have-you that served your father in Vallais. And we're doubling the efforts to find that list of guards our murdered priest was meant to leak. Someone here is a traitor, and I'm gonna sniff 'em out faster than they can think about getting their slithering hands on you."

Bernadetta sighed in relief. "Thank you."

"No need to thank me. They've already tried to get their way into the estate using me, so this is the least I could do."

"W-What do you mean?"

"Before I showed up, there were other people claiming to be Yuri Leclerc, remember? That's why you had Jeanne ask for the name I used when we first met." Yuri shook his head. "We have too few pieces of the puzzle to make sense of things, but they all lead back to you, Bernadetta. Someone wants near you, and I don't think it's for anything good."

"But you're here now, so it's ok!" Bernadetta said, letting her head fall onto Yuri's arm.

"…Yeah. It'll be ok, Bernadetta. We'll figure it out."

Soon enough, the two of them approached the estate's single entrance, and they were quickly waved in by the guards. Bernadetta tensed up as she went by them, but as the two of them began to stroll the long, winding halls of her home, Bernadetta felt the nerves in her system fall away.

"You know," Yuri said as they approached the main hall. "I heard that the count was exiled because of his involvement in the war, but I just realized that I never asked how you feel about that."

Bernadetta let out a long breath. "Relieved!"

Yuri's pace slowed, and Bernadetta looked up at him. Another strange look had crossed his face, but before Bernadetta could ask about it, the grand doors to the main hall burst wide open.

"Bernie! There you are!" Hilda exclaimed as she ushered the two of them into the hall. "There's a letter for you—delivered by a private messenger!"

"Really? Who's it from?"

Hilda shrugged."Not sure," she said as they all went inside. "But the messenger had a jacket with the symbol of the church on it, so I'm guessing it's from someone at Garreg Mach."

Jeanne and Balthus were already in the hall. In Jeanne's hands was a letter with a green wax seal, and Bernadetta let go of Yuri's arm to receive it.

"No one but me has touched it, Lady Bernadetta," Jeanne said. She looked over at Yuri, and Bernadetta was pretty sure was glaring at him.

"You know the gist of what's going on here?" Yuri asked as Bernadetta broke the seal and opened the letter.

"Yeah. Your scout filled us in," Balthus said. "Somethin' about finding a list?"

"Yeah. We confiscated some books and paintings from a dead man's home. We've been trying to find the list, but we have no clue where the hell it's hidden. Or if it actually exists."

"Books? Paintings?" Hilda hummed. "Hm. Well, if Baltie here is willing to help, I think I might have an idea of where to look."

"I'm always raring to go. Especially if it means I can help you out."

"Hilda really has you wrapped around her finger, doesn't she, Balthus." Yuri chuckled. "Don't keep us in suspense, Bernadetta. Who's it from?"

"It's from the professor," Bernadetta mumbled as she quickly read over the last part of the letter. "She says that she'll let Dimitri know what's going on and that she's…"

"She's…?" Yuri drawled.

Bernadetta reread the last lines and gasped.

"Jeanne!" She exclaimed. "Can you prepare the big dining room at the estate? Please? Oh, and we need to organize an escort! And we need to prepare another couple of bedrooms!"

"O-Of course, my lady," she said, blinking rapidly. "May I ask why you need so much so suddenly?"

The letter crinkled beneath Bernadetta's fingertips. "Because the Archbishop's coming."