Part 531: Chrom A

Oh, hello, Olivia.

Eeek! Chrom!

Practicing again?

I was just finishing, actually.

Oh? I was hoping that you might show me what you've been working on.

Y-you mean dance... in front of you? Ah ha ha! Hee hee! Hoooooo... N-no, I couldn't possibly.

But on the battlefield, you never hesitate to dance when called upon.

Yes, but... well, that's... different. The setting... The atmosphere... There's no time to think about it, or worry about it... I just... do it.

It amazes me that someone so shy could be such an amazing performer.

Your dances are really quite wonderful. I don't know how you can't see it.

Lord Basilio told me much the same thing. ...Albeit with different words. Something about charming the butt off a butterfly, I think?

Ha! That sounds like Basilio, all right. You and he go back a long way, right? How did you first meet?

...I owe him my honor and my freedom. Once, when I was with a traveling theater group, I caught the eye of a corrupt noble. He would have stolen me and forced me into marriage if not for Khan Basilio.

Hah, and here I thought Basilio more likely to carry you off himself!

Oh no, you have Basilio all wrong... He's not like that. Not really. He told me a khan doesn't need such tricks to find himself a partner. ...Actually, he was much cruder about it, but you get the idea.

Let me guess: it was something about his "big brown arse"?

Hee hee! I guess you DO know Basilio pretty well after all!

Hey, look at that!

What?! D-did I say something wrong? I did, didn't I?!

No, I just... I don't think I'd ever heard you laugh before. At least not in a nervous way.

Oh, geez. Did I really laugh?

Yes. ...It was actually quite lovely.

Oh, Chrom, you mustn't say that! Gods, I wish the ground would swallow me up right now!

Well, I'm sorry if I embarrassed you. But I enjoyed seeing you today. I feel like we're finally really getting to know each other... I look forward to our next conversation.

Oh, yes! Absolutely! Me, too!

(Chrom leaves)

I can't believe Chrom and I can actually talk to each other like normal people! Gosh, I was SO terrified of him at first.

But he's actually quite charming once you get to know him...