0. What is Thales plotting? Will the capital be all right? If another impostor—
1. Hmm? Who's there?
2. Lady Edelgard? Is that you?
3. Bernadetta? What are you doing here at this hour?
4. Oh! Well, I was maybe sort of hoping to hole up [cdb]here for a while.
5. This is one of my go-to spots when I want to be alone.
6. In that case, I apologize for intruding.
7. Oh, it's really not a big deal or anything.
8. Um, Lady Edelgard? Is everything all right? You seem, well, kind of down.
9. If something's bothering you, I'd be happy to listen. If you don't mind talking to me, I mean.
10. Thank you, but I wouldn't know where to begin. Once the emperor starts rattling off her many woes, [cdb]you're likely to be trapped here forever.
11. Um, actually, that isn't what I meant.
12. Then what did you mean?
13. Do you remember that time you told me how my [cdb]curse was lifted?
14. And then you started to say that yours was, too?
15. Well, I've been worried that curse has been eating [cdb]away at you the way mine did with me.
16. Is that why you're here all alone in the middle of the [cdb]night?
17. Ngh...
18. I wasn't expecting you to see right through me quite [cdb]so easily.
19. But you're right. Something is eating at me.
20. There is an enemy I thought I'd fought and beaten, [cdb]which I believed freed me from my curse.
21. Alas, that was wishful thinking. My enemy is still [cdb]alive—and worse yet, he is not alone.
22. That sounds terrible. But I know how that feels— I've been struggling, too.
23. If I stay outside too long, I end up being seized by [cdb]this...panic that makes me want to hide away again.
24. I guess I'm still learning how to deal with it.
25. That's how life is, Bernadetta. We all bear our scars, [cdb]but the only thing we can do is keep going.
26. The idea that nestling up to someone and being kind [cdb]will make all of their pain disappear is nothing more [cdb]than fantasy. That's simply not how such things work.
27. It's a mean ol' world, that's for sure.
28. But that's no reason to despair. After all, what are [cdb]we fighting for but a world in which people are no [cdb]longer left with scars like yours and mine.
29. A world in which the people who wish to stand out [cdb]can do so, while those who remain on the sidelines [cdb]have their choice honored as well.
30. That is the future we're building together.
31. Do you really think we can do it? Because if you do, I'm going to fight right alongside you, and then [cdb]celebrate by locking myself in my room!
32. I'd say that's perfectly acceptable, so long as you've [cdb]taken care of the things you need to do.
33. Aww, but doing things is the hard part! Stop being so [cdb]difficult, world!