Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem Three Houses, all rights to the owners.

Insert something intelligent here.

He must have done something wrong, but for the life of him he can't think what. He can't even remember any dates he might have gone on, or any flirting that might have gone particularly poorly.

So why is the Professor having a meal with him? The last time she was nice to him in any way, it ended up with him being dangled off a cliff after she stole all of his stuff. She didn't request his presence, nor has she said anything, she just sat down next to him during lunch without a word.

Somehow he's more wary now than he would have been if she'd acted like her normal self and… he doesn't know, held a dagger to his throat or something, jumped down from the ceiling, something.

Sylvain watches her from the corner of his eye as he eats, waiting for the moment she pulls a dagger or does that something like she usually does.

But she doesn't. Through the entire meal she doesn't. When she leaves, Sylvain ends up feeling like he must have missed something, like there was a test he failed.

He ends up looking over his shoulder the entire rest of the day.

###

"That's a nice painting."

Ignatz freezes for a moment, then lets out an explosive sigh. "Monica, please sto- oh, uh, Professor!" The boy's voice rises in pitch from surprise when he turns around to not see the person he expected, and not with her face only an inch away. "I was expecting someone else!"

"So I guessed." The lady blinks. "Is her training going well?"

"Y-Yes! She's a natural! I'm not sure how much my training is actually helping, she probably surpasses me already…" Ignatz admits, and leans back slightly to put some distance between her face and his.

"She sneaks up on you often?"

"Yes." He sighs. "She seems to find it funny. I think she enjoys startling me more than she actually cares about my tutoring."

Byleth tilts her head. "Is she rude? Do I have to 'talk' with her?"

"N-No! Nothing so bad!" Ignatz says hastily. "I just think she's a bit bored with me is all. Not really her fault."

Byleth's eyes narrow ever so slightly. "I see."

Ignatz silently crosses his fingers that the professor doesn't confront Monica. It really isn't a problem.

"Your painting then, is it going well?"

"I- uh- yes?"

"You aren't sure?"

"No, i-it's fine." He stammers. The professor is showing an unusual amount of interest today, it's honestly a bit nerve-wracking. Is she judging him? When she's been nice to other people it's usually because she's about to show how she could kill them. Should he be worried? "Everything is fine."

"I see." She blinks. Her fake smile doesn't match her neutral tone, and it's honestly starting to creep Ignatz out. "And it wasn't fine, you'd tell me, right?"

"O-Of course."

"Good." She pulls her head away, turns around, and walks off.

Ignatz lets out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. The Professor has always been intimidating, but today more so than usual. Did he do something wrong? Did Monica do something wrong? Is something wrong in general?

"Another sunset huh?"

"Ack- Pro-! Monica! I didn't see you-"

"Well obviously, or you wouldn't be surprised!" She grins. "What's up with the Professor?"

"She was just asking about my painting and your training."

"And you told her it was going well, right?"

"Of course!" Ignatz nods. "You're really good! Maybe already better than me…"

"Do I even need to keep being tutored then?"

"Probably not…" Ignatz admits reluctantly. "You'll have to take it up with the professor though, she's the one who requested you be tutored, and you'll probably need to demonstrate you're capable with bows as proof."

"Pff, I can do that."

"Probably." Igatnz agrees, with a small bit of internal reluctance. He enjoys being able to help someone, so not needing to tutor her anymore will be a bit saddening. That and just having someone to talk to was nice. Due to his introverted hobbies and the loud personalities of the rest of the Golden Deer, he doesn't really have anyone he talks to on a regular basis except her and maybe Raphael.

"I'll do that then!" She smirks. "Then you'll have me off your back, right?"

"Th-That-! I never said-"

Monica snorts and skips back a step. "You're quite easy, aren't you Ignatz?"

"Easy? What do you-?"

"See ya! I have to discuss something with Edel. I'll find you in the afternoon at the usual time. Maybe for one of the last lessons!"

Ignatz watches with mild sadness and confusion as she strides off. "It seems she's quite eager to be rid of me..."

###

Bernadetta yelps when a hand suddenly lands on her shoulder. She tries to bolt, but the hand is strong and holds her in place. The lavender-haired girl slowly turns around, looking fearfully up the person restraining her.

That person, of course, is Byleth. The woman smiles down at her student with her usual fixed smile. From Bernadetta's perspective though, especially with her overly active imagination, you could mistake the smile for a leer.

"Bernadetta." The older woman says calmly. "You're late."

"I-I-I-" Bernadetta stammers frantically, glancing to her window which is now open. Of course she came in through there. "I-I was coming, I swear! I just slept in late this time! That's all! Don't kill me!"

"I won't kill you." Byleth says. Bernadetta swears she can see the woman's eyes crinkle in amusement, and it sends chills down her spine. "I promise."

"Something worse than death!" Bernadetta realizes, horrified. "Torture!"

"So, if you're not feeling up for class today, I won't force you to come, though I heavily encourage it."

"N-No, it's fine, I'll come, I'll come!" The girl yelps. Byleth's grip loosens for a moment, and she breaks free with a desperate scramble for her notes and quill case. "I-I-I'm ready, see? J-Just fine! I'm w-walking out the door now! Hahahaha…"

As soon as her professor is out of sight, Bernadetta makes a mad dash for the classroom. Somehow her teacher still makes it there before her, and is smiling eerily at her entrance.

###

"There you are Teach!" Claude shouts as he clambers up the side of the building. "Gah, geeze, how do you and Petra do this all the time…?"

"Practice." She replies calmly. "It took you long enough to notice me. I've been watching you for several minutes."

"That bad?"

"Better than most."

"Still not reassuring…" The boy sighs. "Welp, uh, so I have to talk to you about something."

"Hmm?"

"So people are starting to worry." Claude says slowly. "You've been acting a bit off lately, and you're kinda freaking everyone out."

"Off? How?"

"Well, uh, you're less… you. You aren't telling people how you could kill them, you're being nice sometimes, and just not acting like yourself." The boy explains hesitantly. "So… uh… you feeling alright?"

"Yes." She says flatly.

"Right…" Claude is still suspicious. "If you need help with something you can just ask, you know?"

"I have my own resources." She responds curtly. "I need not ask my own students."

"Ah, uh, right, the mercs." Claude coughs. "But still, if you need something…"

"I understand."

"Okay, as long as you know…"

###

"Petra."

"Yes Professor?" The girl says promptly, hiding the fact that she's startled. She didn't hear her teacher enter the room. She still needs to be more attentive apparently…

"Report."

The younger girl is confused for a second, but then understands. Her assignment, of course that's what she means. "I followed Claude through the day. He was somewhat of difficulty to keep tracked while hiding myself. However, I believe I did remain not detected."

"What did he do?"

"He visited his classmates mostly, but also spent time finding yourself. You both talked just after noon." Petra recounts. "I ceased following him after dinner, as I have work of my own to do."

Byleth nods. "Good." She stares for a moment, then says. "Petra, I have a question."

"Yes Professor?"

"Claude told me that I seemed 'off' today. Do you agree with that statement?"

Petra considers her response carefully. Is this a test, or does the Professor genuinely want her opinion? Honesty, she decides, is still the best policy. "Yes, you were different."

"How so?"

"You were more indirect today."

"Indirect?"

"Rather than your usual direct pointing out of problems, you said little today, and attempted to allow people to figure out what was wrong on their own."

"I see…" Byleth's voice is quiet. "Thank you Petra."

She strides out of the room through the front door, leaving Petra feeling like she missed something.

###

"It's not funny."

"It's hilarious!" Jeralt disagrees with a wide smile. "The one day you're not trying to scare the pants off them, they think you're testing them and get even more paranoid! You've conditioned them well Kid!"

Byleth grumbles under her breath and glares at her father.

"What? It's not like they're going to realize you've had a minor change of heart." Jeralt reminds her. "As far as they're concerned, you're just acting weird; which, with someone like you, is something to be wary of."

"They should be wary all the time." Byleth huffs. "Not just now."

"Come on Kid, even you aren't wary all the time."

"Wrong. I am always on guard." Byleth denies. "Constant vigilance is required for an assassin."

"I thought you'd decided to tune that down?"

"...almost always on guard."

Jeralt raises an eyebrow. "And what would Acrim think of that?"

"Do you want me to be on guard or not?" Byleth asks dryly.

The man shrugs indifferently, smiling. He finds this whole situation more funny than anything. "Your choice Kid."

Byleth continues to glower. She should have known better than to try and talk to her father… but then again, who else could she really say she trusts? A parent is a parent after all, provided they aren't awful… like Bernadetta's.

Hmm… maybe she should kill them. She'll ask Bernadetta about that, it might help her.

There we go. This chapter felt a bit more natural. Incorporating some of Byleth's minor changes from last chapter too.