Race Against Time

Why Her?

"Promise me you're done...promise me you're done..."

The music venue was dead silent as Claude finished strumming on his guitar. His last song was somber and beautiful, his smooth voice filling the building with so much emotion. It was a simple, sad song...that completely entrapped everyone there.

Byleth was speechless. She was definitely going to need him to record this song for her.

I will lay down by your side...

Well, she wasn't surprised that his voice was already beginning to echo inside her mind, but that was awfully quick. After a moment, everyone began to applaud, the solemnness gone from the venue.

"Thank you," Claude smiled before walking off stage. That had been his last song before ending, and he went backstage. Byleth patiently waited in their signature spot for him to return, fiddling on her phone. In an attempt to try and shake the song out of her head, she flipped to his newly founded Youtube channel, @claudevonriegan. She couldn't help but laugh at his name.

He may be a brilliant singer, but nicknaming for websites was definitely not his forte.

Much to her surprise, his subscriber count had already gone up by a hundred from the last time she'd checked it. After going on a streaming service, he'd pretty much...blown up everywhere. It helped that they plugged his channel during his venue sessions, but even without that, people were finding his video left and right. He had only had the video up for about a week and a half, and he had fifty thousand views! For his first video, that was incredibly impressive.

Byleth was so proud of him. He'd been rather hesitant, and Byleth had had to coax him into it more before he finally agreed. Now, here he was, getting so much love for his brilliant singing. Byleth couldn't be happier for him.

"Ah, it's you again. I thought you would be the one to get him off of this musical business. Instead, you're encouraging him. I guess I was wrong about you."

Byleth turned to see the white haired girl from the bar once more. After a moment of fuzziness and blanks drawing up in her head, Byleth finally remembered her name; Edelgard. The other boy, Dimitri, wasn't there this time. Byleth crossed her arms.

"He's an amazing singer," Byleth responded defensively, not really in the mood to argue. She had been having such a good time, and Claude had been too. She really didn't want Edelgard to sour his mood. "And he's having an amazing time. It would be best if you left, he has no business with you."

"On the contrary. You see, his father is falling ill. Extremely ill. He could die soon...and no one will be there to uphold the company," Edelgard replied calmly, an elegant and refined aura around her even as she spoke about such a morbid event. "All of that hard work, gone...he knows there are corrupt people within Leicester who will seize the company and drive it into it's grave..." Byleth looked down at this, knowing that Claude wouldn't want any of this. She couldn't help but be selfish and want him to stay here and sing, but Claude would be mortified to hear this... "But sure, if you're certain it's not his problem, I could just leave."

"...Wait," Byleth responded before Edelgard could even think about turning around. "I understand that you need him. But what about what he wants to do? This is his ambition."

"Don't be silly. He wants the business just as much as he wants to sing, if not more. He's just hiding it from you. He never spoke of singing before. He was always as excited about taking over the companies as us. He has always wanted the company, but he had a recent falling out with his father," Edelgard shook her head. "So he chose to leave and sing instead, in defiance. However, his father is ill...Claude will see his path, and then he'll forget about all of this singing nonsense."

"That's not true!" Byleth knew just how much passion he had for singing, there was no doubt about it. "Maybe that's what you see, but you're wrong. He loves this."

"Perhaps he does," Edelgard replied. "But being a CEO will grant him power. Power to change the world. To remove the corruption, change opinions...It's the same thing I want, but I can't have it until I receive aid from Claude," Edelgard's voice hardened. "That's why I'm sorry I have to crush his other dreams like this. But people need him at Leicester so that the world doesn't suffer for it!"

"...Is that really what you think, Edelgard?"

Claude appeared from behind the white haired girl, who was taken aback by Claude's sudden appearance. Byleth pursed her lips together. She had hoped the conversation would remain between the two of them, but unfortunately he had heard everything. She didn't want him to be dissuaded from his singing...

"Claude, don't listen to her," Byleth tried to stop him, but he remained quiet. Edelgard seized the opportunity to speak once more.

"It's what I know. Claude, Adrestia and Faerghus need you. Leicester needs you, too, if your father is truly ill," Edelgard reminded them. Claude's green eyes shifted downward, his grin nowhere in sight as a deep set frown overtook his features. "I would suggest handing the company over to me again, but I frankly don't have as much control over Adrestia as I thought. This isn't about control...this is about changing the corruption. I know you're ambitious...go to one meeting, and you'll see what I mean."

"Claude, you can't."

"No, I can't..." He glanced at Byleth's phone, which was still open to the youtube channel. He'd gained another three followers as they spoke. "I'm so happy here..."

"And there are thousands suffering because of your father, and your own inaction," Edelgard countered. "Is your happiness so important that everyone else should suffer?"

"Claude-"

"My father won't be there?" Claude said tensely, and Byleth felt her lips part in disbelief. He wasn't giving in, was he...? Edelgard nodded in confirmation to his question.

"He's ill. The Gloucester lineage is holding down his end, but you know just how that will end..."

"Claude, she's guilt tripping you," Byleth frowned. She wasn't about to let him be swayed so easily...He didn't want to go back, he was happy here! She needed him to be selfish, as horrible as that sounded. "You can't sacrifice your happiness like this!"

"...But I have the power to change the corruption, Teach," Claude said softly, a saddened frown on his face. He may have wanted the company before, but Byleth could tell he'd been having fun in this new life. "One person is...nothing."

"No," Byleth immediately disagreed before looking straight into his beautiful emerald eyes. Her next words tumbled out of her mouth before she could even think to stop them. "You're my everything, Claude."

"Teach..." He looked taken aback, and he was left speechless. She could tell he had been about to relent, but her words had stopped him. Edelgard scoffed.

"Fantastic. Now two people's happiness will be put over everyone else," Edelgard placed her hands on her hips in irritation. "I'm wasting my time here, clearly. If you're interested, the meeting is on the twentieth of the Garland Moon."

She turned on her heel and vanished into the crowd. Claude just stood there, dumbfounded. Without even thinking, Byleth grabbed his hand and pulled him down into the booth. The slight jerk of his head was the only sign of surprise from him, but he didn't complain. Their hands remained conjoined comfortably between them.

"She's just trying to get inside of your head."

"But...what if she's right?" Claude asked softly, a look in his eyes. It was the same expression as when Byleth had first caught him singing. That look of panic, of being caught like a deer in the headlights... "Teach, what if I am the only one who can save the three companies?"