[Ah, so it was something he said! Or more specifically, the exact words written on her wrist. He can see why that might have shocked her a bit, though she's had plenty of time to get used to the idea, so why—
And then Edelgard continues, and all that elegance and composure goes straight out the window.
Her words are steel, her eyes are burning, and the certainty in her posture and voice spell it out just as clear as her words do - this is something she feels needs to be done. And were it about almost anything else, maybe he'd be carried away by that passion too. Edelgard has a tendency to inspire others, to rile them up and carry them with her. It's a wonderful talent on the battlefield, it will serve her well as Empress.
And yet here she is, saying something so entirely unbelievable that he almost wants to ask her to repeat it, because surely he's misheard—]
You... Why?
[It's confused and small, and not really the right question to ask. She's already laid out her reasons, and it isn't as though he needs it spelled out for him. They've all seen how horrid the nobility can be when it comes to crests. Sylvain and his brother are just one example of many. He doesn't have to really think about it to come up with plenty of examples of how terrible the reliance on crests has become. Isn't that a part of what he was looking for in a future wife - someone who would be able to pass a crest to his heir? He hadn't even seen anything wrong with it.
That thought makes him feel ill. Or perhaps it's all of this, the sheer magnitude of what Edelgard is saying. She intends to change the world by force, and she wants to do so by conquering all of Fódlan.
For a moment he allows himself to imagine it. What would her perfect world be like? Fódlan united under the Empire's banner, with no Alliance or Kingdom, without any reliance on crests... But she's mentioned the nobility as well. What would she do, remove nobility? How would the land be governed? Who would lead? The questions are overwhelming; he doesn't know where to start or what to ask.
He desperately wishes she would tell him it's a joke. He wants to leave and pretend he's never heard a word of this. Neither of those are going to happen. It isn't as though he can turn his back on something like this.
And then, on the heels of that thought - why? Why has she decided to trust him with this? If this is something she's been working on for quite some time - and he imagines it is - then why him? Why would she put her plans at risk for him, when he's a member of that nobility she seems to loathe, when he's already made it clear just how much that nobility means to him?
Maybe it's just his imagination, but it feels like the words on his wrist are burning.]
...Why tell me this? [It's soft and his gaze drops to where his hands are clenched on his knees.] I don't— I'm not sure I understand, Edelgard.
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And then Edelgard continues, and all that elegance and composure goes straight out the window.
Her words are steel, her eyes are burning, and the certainty in her posture and voice spell it out just as clear as her words do - this is something she feels needs to be done. And were it about almost anything else, maybe he'd be carried away by that passion too. Edelgard has a tendency to inspire others, to rile them up and carry them with her. It's a wonderful talent on the battlefield, it will serve her well as Empress.
And yet here she is, saying something so entirely unbelievable that he almost wants to ask her to repeat it, because surely he's misheard—]
You... Why?
[It's confused and small, and not really the right question to ask. She's already laid out her reasons, and it isn't as though he needs it spelled out for him. They've all seen how horrid the nobility can be when it comes to crests. Sylvain and his brother are just one example of many. He doesn't have to really think about it to come up with plenty of examples of how terrible the reliance on crests has become. Isn't that a part of what he was looking for in a future wife - someone who would be able to pass a crest to his heir? He hadn't even seen anything wrong with it.
That thought makes him feel ill. Or perhaps it's all of this, the sheer magnitude of what Edelgard is saying. She intends to change the world by force, and she wants to do so by conquering all of Fódlan.
For a moment he allows himself to imagine it. What would her perfect world be like? Fódlan united under the Empire's banner, with no Alliance or Kingdom, without any reliance on crests... But she's mentioned the nobility as well. What would she do, remove nobility? How would the land be governed? Who would lead? The questions are overwhelming; he doesn't know where to start or what to ask.
He desperately wishes she would tell him it's a joke. He wants to leave and pretend he's never heard a word of this. Neither of those are going to happen. It isn't as though he can turn his back on something like this.
And then, on the heels of that thought - why? Why has she decided to trust him with this? If this is something she's been working on for quite some time - and he imagines it is - then why him? Why would she put her plans at risk for him, when he's a member of that nobility she seems to loathe, when he's already made it clear just how much that nobility means to him?
Maybe it's just his imagination, but it feels like the words on his wrist are burning.]
...Why tell me this? [It's soft and his gaze drops to where his hands are clenched on his knees.] I don't— I'm not sure I understand, Edelgard.