Lena noticed the commotion of cars driving away, but the emotions were building up since the mission was too overwhelming to ignore. She knew the embarrassment would probably flood in later, but right now, the girl was just glad to get things off her chest.
Shin looked like he got slapped in the face, standing frozen in the same spot. He might have been a great warrior, but those instincts didn't overlap with social skills. The Undertaker didn't know how to handle the matter delicately. Seeing Lena so upset made him uncomfortable in the chest, but the accusations seemed unfair. He was only trying to take the burden off her, to give her space after what had happened.
"Lena, I meant every word I said that day. It's not about trust, it's about you overworking yourself. I didn't want to hide it forever, just to inform you when we have something solid. You coming over here is exactly why I avoided telling you." He tried not to sound accusatory, but Lena felt attacked anyway. She took pride in her work, clutching to it almost desperately. It allowed her to keep her sanity intact even in the worst times, letting her go forward despite the odds. Hearing it was a problem from Shin hurt her more than all the insults she had endured.
"You, the Grim Reaper of the battlefield, talk to me about overworking? Do you even hear yourself? Shin, for God's sake, stop treating me like a child! We are at war, but I have experience in dealing with it. I can handle work, what I can't stand is being kept in the dark about everything. I have the skills, which the Federacy should use in this fight. It's not like I'm asking to be sent out outside again." She was furious with him, the world, and most importantly herself, for getting in that spot in the first place. Vladilena Milizé, the de facto commander of the Republic army during the Legion Offensive, could do nothing more than to helplessly protest in front of the person, who caused this whole mess.
"I know you're capable. There is no better strategist than you in this city. But Lena, you neglect yourself in all that. I had two years to sort out some things, although most of the Eighty-Six still can't adjust perfectly. No matter what, I had the chance. You didn't. I was a fool for not asking earlier, but you've spent that time preparing for the upcoming fight. Without any assistance. Don't you understand? I want you to take care of yourself, your wants, needs, and maybe even professional help. I want to give you the choice they once offered to me." Shin said clutching his fists, unveiling the things he resented himself for.
Lena always put others first, wanting to fix this messed up world, doomed to fail. He was so enthralled by their reunion, finding out she was still alive, he overlooked the issues she might have endured. The Major he knew had always put on a brave face despite the struggles, just like he had hidden his despair from his companions.
"Give a choice? Shin, please, there was no choice to begin with. You had chosen for me, by withholding the information. And I wasn't alone. I had friends, and family, and even made a few new acquaintances in the process. We fought together, and we survived." A sudden headache hit her head, and she couldn't help but flinch. It always came unannounced, but now it had picked the worst moment possible. She didn't have any painkillers at hand, and it was hard to focus on discussion when every sunray burned her eyes. Her vision was blurred, and the unbearable pain pierced through her brain. Shin noticed Lena had gone silent, and her face seemed filled with agony.
"What's going on? Where does it hurt? Do you need anything?" The man, who was fearless while facing thousands of Legion, felt unbearably anxious seeing her like that. He recalled the moment she was lying on the ground lifelessly when he was faced with the dreaded perspective of losing her. Shin almost automatically came closer, so she could lean on him and covered the sun with his jacket. The girl didn't push him away, accepting his firm support silently. She calmed him down with a gesture, giving herself time to recover.
They stood like that for a few minutes, with her forehead resting on his shoulder for comfort. Shin didn't know what would help her, so he gently put his arms around her, to prevent Lena from falling. He was troubled, but pushing for answers right now wouldn't help. She eventually took a step backward, trying to look composed again.
"I'm sorry. It was only a headache, but it must have seemed very dramatic. I forgot to take painkillers." Lena smiled apologetically, hoping to brush it off.
"Does it happen often?" He was surprised it wasn't a one-off since he had never seen it earlier. It reinforced his belief that she should urgently go to see a doctor.
"From time to time, but it always goes away after a while. Nothing special, I knew many people struggling with migraines in the Republic." She shrugged, but he wasn't buying it. It was clear Lena was hiding this from him deliberately, as it was never mentioned in conversation.
"When did you last do your medical check-up?" Shin continued the interrogation, despite her unwillingness. He was firm on getting to the bottom of this, even if it meant treating her like a fussy child.
"Sometime before the mission, but I didn't want to bother Annette when she was loaded with work. I'll catch up with it soon since we will be almost roommates." Lena played it off cool, not wanting to worry him more.
"So a long time. See? That's what I meant. You neglect your health. Lena, don't get me wrong, I just hate seeing you get hurt." His voice trembled a little at the last part, but he didn't care. If showing vulnerability could change her mind, he didn't mind revealing his fears.
"I... I'm sorry. You're right, I got caught up in work. I've always felt the Republic was my responsibility, but I gave this country too much of myself. Funny to admit that only after renouncing my citizenship, but it was a kind of one-sided relationship." The girl sighed, looking up in the clear sky.
"It's over now. Don't let it hold you down. You have Annette, Charlotte, and us. We're here to help. I'm here to help. Just say a word." Shin's eyes looked at her lovingly, and she had no immunity to those scarlet jewels.
"Thank you, Shin. You don't know how much it means to me. I'll stop putting it off and do a proper check-up. I'm sure Annette will have everything ready by tomorrow." She promised wholeheartedly, moved by his words.
"I'll try to tell you everything, but if you start overworking yourself again, be prepared for an intervention. I won't let it go!" His usual serious face came back, and Lena couldn't help but smile. To her, he looked cute trying to scold her.
"Sure, sure. I'll be a good girl from now on." She said playfully, blissfully unaware of how it might sound. Shin's ears got a bit red, but the girl didn't notice.
"Your first assignment is to get a dress with the girls. Ernst plans a celebratory banquet next week, he'll pay for your expenses. Think about it like a bonus." The boy didn't mention that he was the one who gave him that idea. He hated balls, but since Zimmerman wanted to do it anyway, why not let Lena have some nostalgic fun? Imagining her in a proper dress, like during those banquets when they were apart, made him feel an unfamiliar thrill.
"Gosh, it has been so long since the last time I've been to one. Annette will be over the moon. She loves playing dress up with me. My role is being the doll." Lena recalled her mother, who took great pride in getting her ready. She regretted complaining every single time, and not giving her a proper mother-daughter bonding moment. Now it was too late to change it.
"The theme is "colorful". The man has a great sense of humor, but I doubt Mrs. Primavieré will appreciate the idea. It'll be in the Little Castle Complex, to boost the morale." He said with a smirk, imagining the politician's enraged face.
"It's where we'll be living from today! How convenient. Maybe I should invite Anju and Kurena for a girls' night out? Even Frederica could join. Shiden won't be here on time, but the girls' shopping spree sounds like a nice bonding experience. Usually, we don't interact much privately." She knew Kurena and Frederica harbored some animosity towards her, but it wouldn't change if she stayed still. Since the opportunity presented itself, she wanted to use it wisely.
"There might be some reluctance, but I'll take care of that. They could use socializing, besides the other Eighty-Six." The two conversed a bit about mundane things, to avoid sparking another argument. After some time the cars were called back, but the words exchanged between them had remained a mystery.
August 1st Republic Year 357 (Stellar Year 2138)
31 days until the Start of the Legion War
The dreaded moment came not long after, as Zelene Birkenbaum came back home the following evening. The servants seemed unaware of her schedule since the manor was a mess following the Mistress's sudden appearance. Elizabeth had hoped she wouldn't have to see her eye to eye, but contrary to her wishes, she was immediately summoned to Zelene's office.
The room was cold, fitting the owner's character, making a chill crawl down Liz's spine. It wasn't adorned with many ornaments, so the walls looked empty. The only furniture present was the giant oak desk, a chair behind it, and a sofa next to the door. The chandelier gave off a dim, bluish light, adding to the strange atmosphere.
"I've heard you've been causing quite a trouble." Zelene looked intimidating in the black suit, like a mafia boss ready to kill an unruly subordinate. Her crimson eyes reminded Liz of a predator, despite hers being the same colour. The girl started sweating, thinking if she was already caught. She tried not to show it, but the anxiety was getting out of control.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Elizabeth tried to play it off cool, but even she admitted, her voice didn't sound natural. Her aunt raised a brow in response, clearly not believing in her answer.
"Oh really? Hunger strikes, locking yourself in a room, arguing with the employees. Does that sound like nothing to you?" She listed some of Liz's offences, delivered to her by the servants. Elizabeth was pissed they snitched on her for even the smallest things, but she already suspected earlier that this place was full of enemies.
"It's…. it's not what it looks like…. I-I can explain!" Liz tried to plead earnestly, still not sure of how much the woman knew. Hundreds of excuses were running through her mind, but none of them sounded plausible.
"No need, child. I've already heard what had happened. I should've banned that bastard the day he approached you." Elizabeth was confused by the last statement, not understanding her aunt's intentions. If Zelene decided to eliminate Will for his knowledge, Liz needed to warn him immediately. She had no doubt the evil woman had some methods to take care of inconvenient witnesses.
"B-ban him?" She tried to play it off like she knew what they were talking about, hoping the conversation would lead her aunt astray. Maybe there was a way to protect him by taking the blame, but she needed to know, how much information Zelene had.
"I've done a background check on William Lambert, and I curse myself for not doing it sooner. How could someone like THAT roam freely on our property? This is a failure of our security system. You should never have been involved with someone like him in the first place. In hindsight, just looking at him should've been enough clue what kind of vermin he might be." Zelene seemed agitated, unbecoming to the image Liz had of her. The girl was appalled by those words, which transformed her helpless fear into fuming anger, directed towards her aunt.
"How could you even say that? Do you truly have no heart? I knew you were a bitch, but bloody hell, that is low even for you. Hating on disabled people? What's next, kick a puppy club? Do all nobles truly think others are beneath you for any fucking reason? I hate myself for feeling even slightly disappointed in you." Elizabeth yelled at her, as the frustration building up during the past weeks poured up all at once. She was too tired of this cat-and-mouse game, draining every bit of her sanity. If she was about to be killed, so be it.
"What? I have no clue what you're talking about. This mansion was built to guest people far less mobile than him, I don't care about that. I meant he is from the Republic, a hostile nation. We have to be careful, the security let this foreigner go around here as he pleases, but he is our enemy. Not to mention how he hurt you emotionally." Zelene was perplexed by her niece's accusation. She knew many war veterans who were so badly injured, they could never dream of going outside again. A wheelchair seemed mild in comparison to many of their conditions, but she respected them immensely nonetheless.
"What? THIS is what the whole thing is about? Seriously? I know he is from the Republic, he told me himself. I never thought it would be an issue since you have a whole other foreigner from a hostile nation parading here in plain sight. Or did you already forget about it? Please, stop being such a hypocrite. We had a small disagreement, but William and I have made up already. If you want to ban him, then be fair and let me go too. Because who knows, maybe I'm an assassin sent by the Roe Garcia by your logic." Liz sneered at the absurdity of her aunt's claims. If she made those ridiculous claims, it meant she had no idea about their venture. They were safe.
"Elizabeth, listen to me. The political situation is tense, we have to be careful. I'm not doing it out of spite. You might not be aware, but I work for the Imperial Family. There are dangers constantly lurking in the shadows, and I can't dismiss them just because. The Empire has many enemies, and even inside the nation is divided. You might have been oblivious to it in your hometown, but now it's your business too." Zelene lectured her, but the teen rolled her eyes. The woman had little patience after exhausting few days, making it hard to give a long explanation.
"Yeah, because you threaten all your neighbours left and right. No wonder everyone is pissed. I'm not digging into your job, so why that stuff should concern me?" Elizabeth didn't give a shit anymore, deciding a direct approach was the only way left to go. She probably already had stomach ulcers from the stress, so all she wanted was to spare at least a part of her body.
"Because you're my niece. Because you're Birkenbaum. Those with spies might know of our… disagreements, but assassins or kidnappers might not. You have to be vigilant about your surroundings if you want to stay alive. The mansion is the safest place in the country, but even I can't guarantee full protection. Can you at least listen for Carl's sake? He wouldn't want his daughter to die in vain." The girl felt weird when her aunt mentioned her Dad's name. They had never talked about him, but it was clear Zelene had loved him dearly. Enough to take his offspring under her wing.
"I'm tired, aunt. I'm so fucking exhausted. Every day here is like a living hell. I can't go out, I feel like an intruder, and my sole friend is getting banished from my life. I can't go on like that. If you have even an ounce of love for me, no, even sympathy would be enough, please, let me see Will. It's the only thing I ask for, you can treat it as a delayed present for all my birthdays." There was no strength to uphold any dignity left in Elizabeth when she had fallen to her knees and started weeping pitifully. Her life was already in the drain, and she was not even eighteen. It was too much for her teenage self to handle.
"...I can partially understand, but I cannot let him in again. There is, however, a way to reach a compromise. Mathilda delivered invitations to her birthday party, and I know the crowd that'll come. You can take the boy and meet him there, on a neutral ground. But he must agree to the full body search and a tracker bracelet for the meeting. Safety precautions." Zelene took pity on the sobbing girl, even though her reason was against it. From what she was told Elizabeth's mental state was extremally fragile, and there was no telling of what she might do in desperation.
"Thank you. Thank you so much!" Liz knew it was irrational to be grateful to the murderer standing in front of her, but now Zelene was the one who held Elizabeth's fate in her hands. Hating her was a separate thing from appreciating her mercy. She had thought the woman was a robot with no feelings at all, but it turned out that even the Cold Witch knew some compassion.
"I know what you think about me, but I'm a human too. Now go, get some rest." Zelene said with an enigmatic look, almost as if she had read Liz's mind. Elizabeth quickly went back to her room, feeling extremely conflicted. The animosity was still there, but the new side of her aunt made her wonder if Zelene Birkenbaum was truly an irredeemably wicked person.