Lysithea has been eavesdropping on Ingrid and Dorothea's conversation from the back table in the library. Unofficially, and mostly in her mind, she referred to Ingrid and Dorothea as the trash twins. Her derogatory terms were far less creative after that one. There was, the Blue Lion Sluts and her favorite, the fucking whores of the Blue Lion House…but the last one was a mouthful, so she typically stuck with trash twins. She was shocked by their conversation. Ingrid had received her first contraceptive shot from Mercedes…a contraceptive shot. Which, in Lysithea's mind, was basically admitting that you were fucking your boyfriend…a lot. It got worse, Ingrid learned about the shot from Dorothea, queen of the sluts, who had a boyfriend she was fucking! She even had her first shot on February 20, Felix's birthday! Such. A. Whore. It wasn't moisturizer! It was nevermoisturizer! Dorothea's skin had been beautiful for months because she was getting this shot and that was the side effect. Dorothea was doing this long before anyone even realized that she was in a legitimately committed relationship with Felix. She had played her cards very well and now she had passed the wisdom to Ingrid. Lysithea was left out completely. Once again, she felt small, insignificant and she was about to go ballistic. Neither Ingrid or Dorothea expected a complete meltdown in the library today….

"UUUGGGHHHAAAGGHHH!" Lysithea screamed, sending her book and papers across the room. Ingrid and Dorothea jumped up, scared shitless by her actions. "I CAN'T DEAL WITH THIS ANYMORE!" she screamed, clearing her table of anything else left and reaching for anything else in arms reach. "I CAN'T TAKE IT! IT'S NOT FAIR! I AM…SO…FUCKING…SICK OF THIS! YOU TWO ARE SUCH FUCKING SLUTS AND I…I…I AM SO FUCKING JEALOUS THAT IT MAKES ME SIIIIIIICK!" Lysithea screamed, finding a dictionary and sending it across the library also. Dorothea and Ingrid watched in horror. Thank the Goddess no one else was around. Lysithea started to cry. Ingrid exchanged nervous glances with Dorothea. After all, this was the same mage who knocked Dorothea in the face. Lysithea slumped down into the floor and sobbed. "It's not fair…" she whined, attempting to dry her eyes.

"Craaaaazy..." Ingrid lipped.

"Wh…what's not fair…Lysithea?" Dorothea asked tentatively, scared to death that she may get her lights punched out or get assaulted with the history of the Knights of Seiros.

"Everything!" she cried. Ingrid put her hands up, not knowing what to do next and too nervous to make any rash moves.

"What do you mean?" Dorothea pressed her.

"I just…what did…what did you two do…to get everything?" Lysithea got out before sobbing nearly uncontrollably. Ingrid searched for anything to hand over, coming up empty handed.

"Hey, what are you talking about? C'mon. you need to pull yourself together a little. We can't follow what you're saying." Ingrid said as calmly as she could, deciding to trust her instinct that she and Dorothea wouldn't be knocked unconscious only to be found by Linhardt at Goddess only knew when. Lysithea sniffed and sobbed, her tears running off her face. She tried to regain some composure as Ingrid gingerly got into the floor beside her, quickly motioning Dorothea to join her. Lysithea shamelessly wiped her nose on the back of her hand. She shook her head defeatedly.

"You two just…you have everything. Everybody takes you seriously. You…you get to be friends with everyone I want to be friends with." Lysithea whined. "You…have…you have these mature, invested, relationships…and…and I don't have any of that…" Lysithea sobbed. Before Dorothea or Ingrid could react, Lysithea went on. "…Lorenz and I have been talking but he pays no attention to me! It drives me crazy! And…and I hang out with Marianne and Bernadetta and Linhardt! They…they're so…they just don't want what I want anymore! And your House! You're both in a talented House! I worked my ass off and I still didn't get recognized! I'm so sick of being invisible and unimportant to everyone!"

"Here." Dorothea said, reaching her arms out to Lysithea who was clearly overwhelmed by…everything. "You are important. You are a talented mage. You are an asset to your House. And Hubert? Hubert has a tremendous amount of respect for you as a mage." Dorothea tried to soothe her.

"Then why didn't I get recruited? Why am I stuck where I am?" she wept. Lysithea was still sore about being overlooked during the recruitment period.

"Because it's where you need to be! Without you, your House would have an aching gap to fill." Ingrid chimed in. "It's not that the other Houses didn't want you. And Lysithea, you need to work on your attitude. You can't fly off the handle the way you do. You don't keep your emotions in check."

"I'm not emotional all the time…" Lysithea argued, wiping tears from her cheeks.

"You just launched, like, four books across this library. You've punched me in the face over not getting your way. I'd say those count as not being the best at dealing with yourself." Dorothea said.

"I just…I want to be taken seriously. I want friends who aren't…who aren't so timid and babified. I want a realrelationship! Not…whatever the fuck it is I have with Lorenz! And you two have all of those things. I…want to be you so badly." Lysithea unloaded everything on her mind. She didn't secretly hate Dorothea or Ingrid. She didn't even think they were slutty…she only wanted everything that she believed she didn't have.

"Lysithea, first…there's nothing wrong with the friends you hang out with. Don't abandon them or shun them away just because they aren't exactly where you are. They're your friends for a reason and they'll support you when no one else will. And Dorothea's right, you have to keep your reactions to things in check. You aren't a bad person at all. In fact, you can be pretty great to be around but nobody gets to see that because you're either trying to outdo someone else or just trying too fucking hard." Ingrid said.

"Yeah, and what's this with Lorenz?" Dorothea asked. Lysithea dried her eyes and began to calm herself.

"He just…I don't know. He doesn't pay any attention to me and then I get mad and then he pays even less attention to me. And the thing is, it's not his fault because I'm the one who has been tentative about getting too close! Damn it! See!? I'm such a baby!" Lysithea pouted.

"No you're not. You're just figuring it out. Do you really think that Felix and I were civil with each other when we first got together? We weren't! Lysithea, my first words to him were fuck you. Okay?" Dorothea laughed, causing Lysithea to smile. "The entire relationship process is everybody learning together. You have to have honest talks with Lorenz because if you can't be honest with each other, you have nothing." Dorothea said.

"She's right. You have to be totally transparent with each other. Sylvain and I have known each other for a long time but that didn't mean we knew each other as a boyfriend or girlfriend." Ingrid shook her head. "Believe me, I hadn't ever planned on sleeping with my best friend and I most definitely never planned on falling in love with him." As soon as the words left her mouth, Ingrid shot her eyes up to Dorothea and Lysithea. That was the first time she'd ever said that out loud.

"You…what?" Dorothea asked, having not expected to hear what just escaped Ingrid's lips. Lysithea gasped.

"You love him?"

"Oh shit…" Ingrid whispered. "I'm…yeah…I…am…totally in love with him…" Suddenly, Ingrid wasn't the only one in the room who needed to have an honest conversation.

Felix had been unusually quiet for most of the day. Even as he laid in bed, book in hand, he was quiet…until he launched it across the room. It startled Dorothea, not because he threw it, but because this was a reoccurring theme in her day. She learned that when someone launched a book across the room, something major was about to happen. "Felix…?" she began, not needing to finish her sentence. He sighed.

"I've been thinking."

"Okay." she said calmly.

"You. Me. You and Me." He answered vaguely. "There are some thing things we need to talk about." He said seriously. Dorothea looked up from her book.

"Is everything okay?" she asked, sensing Felix's serious tone.

"Yeah, yeah…everything's fine. I just…I really need you to pretend like you're reading or something because I can't look at you." Felix said. Not only did book launching indicate something big was coming; but when Felix couldn't look Dorothea in the face, he was about to confess something.

"Fine." She said, rather irritated and not wanting to deal with two crises in a day. She picked up her book again and opened it to a random page.

"Thanks." He sighed. "What is it…you love about me?" he asked. Dorothea didn't answer right away as she thought about his question.

"I love that you feel safe. When I'm with you, I know I'm safe to be myself, safe physically…emotionally. I love that you're so confident in everything you do. Even if you aren't actually sure of something, you make it seem like you are. I love that you don't care what anyone else says about you. That takes a lot of guts to be you. I love that you're sincere. For better or worse, you are always sincere."

"Hmm. Okay. You and I have been together for about six months. Why have you stayed with me?" Felix asked. Dorothea thought it was an odd question.

"Because…you and I are good together. Um…you make me happy. You push me to always be better. You hold me to a really high standard. You don't let me slack in anything. You recognize when I'm struggling and you always know how to make that better. For all those things, I love you." Felix smiled and nodded, though Dorothea couldn't see it.

"Dee, we're…we're going to have to leave the monastery this year. That time will be here sooner than we think." Felix said seriously. Dorothea looked up across the room from her 'reading'. He was right. Graduation would eventually be imminent which meant everyone in the monastery would go their own way. Dorothea could feel her heart race. She suddenly realized where this conversation was going. "I, um…I need you to…are you…" Felix sighed, because he couldn't find the words. "Do you think…maybe…fuck…" he mumbled the last part. "Well, I want you to think about marriage!" Felix said irritated. "…to me! Like, you and me…married. You marrying me. You and I…Husband and Wife…Duke and…and Duchess. I need you to think about it. And if you know right now, that…that I'm not…what you want in a husband then just say so. I wouldn't blame you because you put up with so much bullshit from me, Dee. Goddess! I'm making you pretend read because I can't even say all this to you face! Only a dumbass fuck does that! Why the fuck would I even think I have anything you need or that you even want to…" Dorothea chucked her book across the room. May as well go three for three on the book throwing today. She rolled over and took Felix in her arms, pressing her lips into his to shut him up. It worked. She kissed him repeatedly, each one a little deeper and a little longer than the one before. She pulled her lips away, leaving her palm on his cheek.

"I would absolutely be your wife." She said. He words weren't what Felix expected, granted he didn't exactly have an expectation.

"You…you would? You'd be my wife? You don't have to say that just because it's what I want you to say." Felix said, snaking his arms around her.

"You've taken my heart…my patience…my virginity…not in that order. "Dorothea smiled. "Take my hand too."

"Damn it! I don't…uuuggghhh…" Felix was so pissed at himself. "I don't want you to think this is my proposal, okay? Because if…if it was…wow is it a shitty one. And I would say fuck no if I were you. Because I…definitely suck at this. Now that I know you would actually marry me…" Felix paused because it all hit him at once. "Shit…you would actually…marry me." Felix shook his head and pulled Dorothea in against him before rolling her over and pinning her underneath him. "You're so stupid…" he said, kissing her. "You could do so much better." He mumbled against her lips. Dorothea laughed and slipped her leg over his, working her hands underneath his shirt. She broke their kiss long enough to pull Felix's shirt over his head. She let her warm hands, caress his shoulders, sinking her lips into his again.

"Mmmm...how about you give me a preview?" she asked between their kisses, pushing Felix's hips into her.

"Of?" Felix asked, pushing Dorothea's shirt up around her armpits.

"Our wedding night…" she said before tangling her tongue with his.

Edelgard watched carefully as Linhardt and Caspar engaged in a practice spar. For the past month, she had been avoiding 'the talk' with both Hubert and Petra. What she had been doing, was far more dangerous: she had been telling each of them what they wanted to hear. Edelgard was in a precarious and risky position because at any given minute this teeter totter she was on could topple. Edelgard had successfully convinced Hubert that she wasn't seeing someone else and she had convinced Petra that she, 'just needed more time'. For whatever reason, Petra bought it. Maybe it was because Petra was more into Edelgard than she had originally intended on being. Whatever the case, Edelgard's convoluted plan had worked...until it started to make her a little crazy.

She watched the mock battle before her in disgust, making notes. "No! No, no, no…that's all wrong! Do it again!" she not-so-subtly snapped. Caspar and Linhardt stopped and re-positioned themselves, beginning the practice drill once more. Caspar made the first move, Edelgard studying his form. She observed Linhardt, stoic and elegant in his movements. Of all the mages, his form was most fluid and easy on the eyes, like a dancer. They completed their pass and looked to Edelgard for her comments. "Again!" She called. The two sighed and took their places once again, preparing to repeat the pass made at one another. Caspar altered his form, choosing an overhead attack rather than a lateral. Once again, they looked to Edelgard for her approval. "Again!" She hissed. Both Caspar and Linhardt sunk in their shoulders, taking their places again. Linhardt went through his ritual movements and began to cast a spell but stopped, looking to Edelgard.

"Do you have any suggestions?" Edelgard sighed, feeling restless and impatient.

"Linhardt, your spell casting is as weak as…" Edelgard was interrupted.

"Edelgard, Petra needs to speak with you. She's in your classroom." Ignatz interrupted as he passed through the courtyard, slinging his bow gear over his shoulder. Edelgard rolled her eyes.

"Thank you. Be right there. Alright. Keep practicing. I'll be back." Edelgard threw her papers down and took off. She stomped toward the classroom, not truly caring what or how long Linhardt and Caspar worked just as long as they worked on something. Once inside, sure enough, there was Petra, standing alongside the wall as if she had planned to lure Edelgard away from her session. "What!?" she spat at Petra.

"Well, I'm quite glad to see you too." Petra said, sarcastically seeing as Edelgard just popped off.

"I'm sorry! I'm running drill, Petra! What do you want?"

"That's not drill. It's just Linhardt and Caspar. They are only doing their daily passes. Leave them be. Come with me. I want you to join me in town, I have some errands to run. Edelgard was beyond perturbed. In fact, she was almost angry.

"You…you want me to go into town!? I can't go into town! I have a house to run, Petra! You have training to do. I…I have things to do today!" Edelgard didn't mean to completely overreact. The stress of balancing two half-assed relationships was starting to crack her. It was showing in the way she bit, not only Petra, but everyone else's heads off. She had already fought with Hubert that morning, though that wasn't entirely unusual. She screamed at Ferdinand about taking the last of the 'good' tea and even blew up at Mercedes over…drinking the tea that Ferdinand has so horribly taken. Clearly, Edelgard wasn't coping well. She couldn't be entirely blamed, however. At some level, she was genuinely conflicted over her feelings toward Petra and Hubert. Her history with Hubert outweighed her desire to pursue more with Petra. He intense, emotional response to Petra, outweighed her desire to stay with Hubert.

"I've done my training. I only wish to spend time with you. You act like you only avoid me." Petra said innocently.

"I'm not…I'm not avoiding you! I'm trying to…" Edelgard had a hard time finishing her sentence because in reality…she was kind of trying to avoid Petra. If she went into town, Petra would want to hold her hand. Edelgard wasn't ready to make things public. And, if Hubert saw her with Petra…shit…shit, shit shit…Edelgard hadn't expected Petra to become so needy. "I'm trying to…keep things in balance…" Edelgard said, unconvincingly.

"You've hardly been with me all week." Petra complained. She was unknowingly reverting to some of the same behaviors that ultimately separated she and Shamir. When Petra decided she really liked something, she had a tendency to let it consume her. No matter how much she told herself she had changed and grown out of it, old habits died hard.

"I'll see you soon, I promise. Let me finish my sessions this afternoon. How about tonight. I'll come by your dorm at say…" Petra cut Edelgard off.

"You will join me for dinner. We will go out. It will be nice." Petra insisted. Shiiiiit. That meant going into public…together…which they hadn't done. That was precisely why Edelgard had hidden Petra from Hubert so well. It didn't matter if she went into public with Hubert because everyone around her expected that…except Petra, of course.

"Um…okay…yeah." Edelgard said absently. "What time?" she asked, hoping that whatever time Petra would pick, Edelgard could magically come up with some ridiculous reason to see Petra later.

"You'll meet me at my dorm at 5:30." She answered. Edelgard felt herself panic. That time was when the most people would be out and about. She was already going to have to make it up to Hubert for fighting with him, but she had to follow-through with Petra or she would have two pissed off partners.

"Fine. I'll see you then." Edelgard answered. She started to walk away only to feel Petra's hand on her shoulder, spinning her around. Edelgard couldn't react. Petra's lips met hers, causing Edelgard to panic. What if someone saw that!? Her cover would be completely blown! She quickly pulled away from her. "I have to go…but I'll make it up to you." Edelgard said before scurrying away. She couldn't let this moment go any further than it already had.

"Where have you been!?" Shamir insisted as she threw a re-threaded bow at Claude. "I've been worried about you! You just take off for four days without telling anyone? What the hell!?"

"Sshhh…" Claude cautioned her, sitting the bow aside and putting his hands on Shamir's shoulders to lead her toward the open door of the wyvern enclosure. "Do you have time for a drink?" He asked.

"For you? Yeah. What's going on?"

"C'mon. Come inside." Claude said, grabbing Shamir's hand. "I've got to check on the eggs anyway." He looked around the enclosure, ensuring Seteth wasn't around.

"Eggs?" Shamir half-yelled. The few wyverns that weren't grazing in the fields were rowdy this afternoon, shrieking and squawking happily.

"Yeah! My wyvern laid three eggs. Come look!" Claude said, a bottle and two glasses in his hand.

"Why do you have vodka in here?" Shamir asked.

"Seteth and I drink together. He's a great guy and an even better drinking buddy. See!? Look!" Claude beamed, pointing to his wyvern's three eggs. Shamir gasped.

"Oh shit! Look at that!" She said, seeing as the eggs were under heat so that Claude's wyvern could be outside.

"Sit down. They will hatch soon. Just two or three more weeks. Seteth and I are very excited." He said, pouring Shamir a half glass of straight vodka. He handed it over and poured his own glass.

"Seriously? It's 4:00 in the afternoon, Claude! Why do I need this much vodka?" She teased. He studied Shamir's expression.

"I have a feeling I'll be replacing this bottle by the time you and I are done here." He admitted, sitting the bottle aside and examining his own glass. Claude took a deep breath and looked at Shamir, fidgeting nervously on the stool near his wyvern's stall.

"What's with you?" Shamir asked. Claude swirled the vodka around in his glass and laughed uneasily, alternating his gaze between Shamir and his glass. Claude was rarely nervous about anything so his demeanor was concerning.

"Shamir. You and I know each other well, wouldn't you say? You and I are friends…good friends. Yeah?" Claude asked.

"Yes and yes." She answered. Claude took a deep breath and focused his attention out the open door, running his tongue nervously over his teeth. "Cheers." He said, holding up his glass to Shamir's with a shaky hand. Shamir took notice which only worried her further.

"Claude, you're really weirding me out right now. What's going on?" she asked, clinking her glass into his. Claude took a long drink, nearly emptying his glass in one gulp. He swallowed the clear liquid and felt it burn down his throat, wincing slightly as it hit his stomach. He blinked several times and watched Shamir take a reasonable sip.

"I slept with someone this weekend." Claude stated, his leg shaking.

"Okay?" Shamir said, shrugging it off. Her eyes widened. "Oh! Was it that hot guy you that hit on you that one time you went out with Catherine and I?" Claude laughed.

"No…no, it…it definitely wasn't him." Even as restless as he was, Claude still managed to flash his intoxicating smile. Shamir waited, taking another reasonable sip of vodka. Claude leaned in and shot big green eyes at Shamir. "Byleth…I slept with Byleth. And…it was wonderful and passionate and very, very hot and completely forbidden." Claude leaned back and exhaled heavily. Now that he had said it out loud, he felt better. If you were going to sleep with someone else's girlfriend and you needed to tell someone; Shamir was the pick. She, unlike most other people, wouldn't strongly react. Perhaps she didn't strongly react because it was Claude and she always had Claude's back.

"You slept with the professor? Otherwise known as, Dimitri's girlfriend?" Shamir stated.

"Shamir, I swear to you. This is not a hit and run."

"It's…not? Shamir asked. "This wasn't just…you taking advantage of a situation to get some from a woman who desperately needed to get some? Claude, please. I know you."

"Byleth is a good woman who has been insanely neglected physically and emotionally." Claude said, pouring more vodka.

"Exactly! And you're exploiting that." Shamir said, taking another drink.

"I'm not exploiting anything. Shamir, I've left everything up to her. I put the offer on the table and left it alllll for her to take…. or not." Claude said.

"Funny, how you chose the most vulnerable time to…so freely offer it." That was the thing about Shamir. She was a pro at calling Claude on his bullshit, or as others may call it, his great tactical mind. He laughed.

"Okay, yeah you got me there…I might have waited for the best time…to play Dimitri. But Shamir…she is…so hot…so…delicious…so damn beautiful. You should have seen her lying there like the goddess she is in my penthouse and…" that grabbed Shamir's attention.

"Whoa, whoa…stop…what do you mean my penthouse!?"

"I have a penthouse in the next town over. I've had it for a couple years. You should really come see it sometime. Hell, you and Catherine are welcome to stay." Claude raised his eyebrows at her and refilled her glass. Turns out Shamir was more shocked by Claude's adventures in real estate than she was his sleeping with the professor.

"Would you listen to you? And just how 'active' is this penthouse of yours?" Shamir asked, taking a much longer drink. Claude laughed again.

"It's not like that at all. I only want Byleth. I want her in my arms. And, I get to have 'er all to myself next week for five days. Five full days of worshipping her the way a real man should." Claude said.

"And when did you stop referring to her as Teach?" Shamir asked. There was that gorgeous-ass smile again.

"After I came in her mouth."

"Shit, Claude...whew..." Shamir nodded. "...you were right...we need more vodka..." At no point did Claude tell Shamir to keep quiet with this information. He didn't have to tell her. A good strategist knew who he could trust.

Though Dimitri didn't openly discuss it, he was raised with the teachings of the Church of Seiros. He wouldn't call himself a devout follower but he believed the Church's message. It was such a pleasant surprise to the cathedral clergyman to see Dimitri at the alter for prayer and daily devotion. He hadn't been for months. Maybe it was the sweet kiss of summer that was finally starting to work on him. Dimitri had experienced a good week. A really good week. He had been out of bed four times. He managed to have dinner in the dining hall, he spent time at the training grounds and he even made time to have tea with Ferdinand. Mercedes doted and cooed over Dimitri at his most recent checkup. She engaged him in one of the first truly meaningful conversations in months while she trimmed up his very unkempt blonde layers. He wasn't quite ready for a step-down in medication and he was in no way over his afflictions. But, his attitude had most certainly improved. His motivation had improved. His skin looked a little brighter, his vitals were up and he was finally taking regular showers. As he sat here on his knees before the cathedral alter, he smiled, though reserved, at the clergyman.

Byleth had been trailing after him and his activities all week, ensuring that he didn't overdo it. His sudden activity could lead to an unexpected breakdown later. He had gone through the week without night terrors or anxiety attacks. Byleth, of course, joined Dimitri in the cathedral. As she knelt beside him at the altar, the clergyman before her, text in hand, she found her mind…distracted.

"It's good to see you Dimitri. I'd ask if you've been well, but I already know you have not. Please, allow me to bless you." The clergyman said, dipping his hands in the blessed waters before wiping his fingers over Dimitri's forehead. Byleth watched, not having a particular reaction, just observing how calm Dimitri appeared as the wet streak adorned his forehead. "Peace be with you, son of Seiros." He blessed Dimitri before opening his manuscript. Byleth didn't need to be blessed. Being blessed by Claude's hot breath, his eager tongue and his fine body was the only redemption she needed. Her mind wandered as she watched the clergyman prepare devotion with Dimitri. "Recite with me…" The clergyman stated. It evoked a soft smile from Dimitri because it felt like ages since he recited his devotion before the Goddess.

Had anyone else seen this moment, they would have been heartbroken over Dimitri's tender actions, so pure, so innocent…as if he were in the process of being reborn. Byleth was surprisingly despondent, though smiling with genuine fondness over Dimitri's interaction with the clergyman. Aside from that, she didn't much engage, and she hardly listened, instead watching Dimitri's freshly shaped, blonde layers fall in clumps around his face. She could see the dark blonde in the back and the lighter blonde that framed his jaw now that his hair was finally clean. Dimitri leaned back on his knees, placing a hand over Byleth's. Her eyes shot down to his warm palm over hers. His hands hadn't felt that warm in…she couldn't remember when. As she stared at his fingers, slowly moving over hers, all she could think of were Claude's hands. Ooooh Goddess…Claude's hands…they had been all over her. She had licked herself off his fingers, indulged in the way he fondled her breasts, and experienced nothing but content at how he drug his palm down her back, rubbing her shoulders until she slept. Byleth suddenly snapped to because the clergyman had asked something.

"I'm…" she cleared her throat. "I'm sorry…what did you say?" She asked the clergyman.

"Do you have any confessions, professor?" He repeated. Byleth glanced down at Dimitri's hand over hers and adjusted her focus to his bowed head. Confessions. Did she have any confessions? This probably wasn't the best time to confess the anger that had consumed her. It wasn't an ideal time to admit to all the tears she had cried over Dimitri's worn-down state. The clergyman likely didn't want to hear her confess about how bitter and hurt she felt or how Dimitri had said some horrible depression-induced things to her. That's what the church counselor was for. And right now? Right now, definitely wasn't the time to seek repentance for all pre-marital sex she had been having…. with Dimitri…well over ten months ago. That was practically self-erasing at this point. Sure, she could confess that she might have an attraction to another man…but she was on her knees in a cathedral before a clergyman. She could have been on her knees in a penthouse before Claude. Byleth smiled, almost pitifully, and focused her attention to the clergyman. She wasn't the first to do it…and she wouldn't be the last…

"No, sir. I have none." She answered, bowing her head. The clergyman nodded.

"Do you have any confessions, Dimitri?" Dimitri rose his eyes from the floor.

"I do, sir. I confess I have been a burden to my friends and to my beloved. I continue to be a burden because I am not yet well. I ask for forgiveness for my slothful behavior. I pray for the will to get better."

"The Goddess hears your repentance, Dimitri. You are absolved." The clergyman said. Dimitri and the clergyman continued their discussion but Byleth was stuck on Dimitri's words. He may have called her beloved…but Claude called her baby.