All This Time

Judith Pt II

She finally caught up to the older woman, and shouted her name. Judith turned around, a surprised and bemused look on her face.

"Ah, Professor. I didn't expect to see you again. Why aren't you with Claude?"

"Well...Um..." Byleth scratched the back of her neck awkwardly. "I'm actually here to talk about him. Do you have a moment?"

"I suppose I've always got time for Claude and his shenanigans," Judith sighed, trying to hide how inwardly curious as to what Byleth had to say. "So, what do you need? Do you not like his beard? I keep telling him to shave it, he doesn't look like the boy I know-"

"What? No! I like it!" Byleth immediately exclaimed, and then blushed as Judith looked at her knowingly. "Okay, well, that's not what I'm here for. It's um...it's actually about the five years where I was gone."

"Ah...Well, what do you want to know?"

"How was he?" Byleth asked simply.

"Well, he was a wonderful strategist. He was able to keep them splitting ideals of the Leicester Alliance together, and displayed a unified nation to the Empire," Judith praised the boy she had known for so long with a proud smile on her face. "He was the main reason the Empire didn't attack us. They didn't call him the Master Tactician for nothing."

"That's...amazing," Byleth was in slight awe of his accomplishments. She couldn't imagine doing that much planning. "Um...How was he...mentally?"

"Mentally?" Judith's smile morphed into a slight frown. "Oh, dear. I don't know as much as I should about his stability, and that's my fault. But I was rather busy myself...Well, anyways. He would always talk about you. Even after five years, you were all that was on his mind."

Hilda said the same thing...

"Was he...okay?"

"Like I said, he portrayed a confident, poised demeanor," Judith sighed. "But I think he was struggling inside. I couldn't say for sure, I asked him multiple times, but he would always brush it off. Honestly, I couldn't say for sure."

"He was that good at hiding his true feelings?" Byleth paled, worried. If even Judith couldn't pry it out of him, then he really hadn't confided in anyone. He must have had been holding all of it inside...

"He always was. Don't tell him about this, but...I caught him one time with a...dagger in his hand, and a...suicidal look in his eyes," Judith sucked in a heavy breath, closing her eyes. "I...Didn't even try to stop him. I was in too much shock."

Claude...?

"Oh, no," Byleth fell to her knees, unable to hold herself up from hearing the noise. "C-Claude..."

"He didn't do it. Obviously. But he was crying...He kept muttering something, but I couldn't hear him..."

"It was because of me," Byleth could barely control her breathing. She was beginning to hyperventilate from hearing the news. "It's because I was gone...It's my fault. Claude, I'm so...I'm so sorry..!"

"...Professor, I couldn't help him," Judith said with a guilty look on her face. "When I came in and tried to help him, he brushed me away. I couldn't mention what he had tried to do because he wouldn't let me. Now that you're here, you're his saving grace."

"I'm the cause of all his problems is what I am..."

"No," Judith shook her head. "He loves you, and he doesn't care what he has to do if it means he has you."

Byleth remained quiet at this. She was still desperately trying to stop her panicked breathing.

He was so lonely without me...

Claude couldn't live without me

It's my fault

"...I need to go find Claude," Byleth swallowed the lump in her throat, trying to avoid eye contact. She stood, getting her balance shakily. "He's been suffering, and I haven't even noticed until now..."

"He's pretty good at masking his true feelings," Judith smiled softly. "Please, Professor. He's broken inside...and none of us can help except for you."

Byleth nodded, and then she abruptly took off in the direction of her room. She had a sneaking feeling that he hadn't gone to party like she had requested. When she opened the door, Byleth saw him looking around with a panicked look on his face.

"Oh, Teach! There you are," Claude ran his hand through his hair in relief. "You said you were going to sleep, and I couldn't find you. I assumed the worst, and-"

Byleth held her hand out for him to stop talking with a somber look on her face.

"Claude, we need to talk."

holy crap 2k??

ok like i said last time i have way more popular books but this one means the most to me ahhhh

i love you all thanks so much for reading ❤️