Assessment: this is nothing but a trick. 

The mechanism is obvious: cherished hero and savior of Thellamie brought into contact with civilizational goddess and held... subdued? Captured? Merely manipulated? Uncertain and irrelevant. Witness testimony the only point. Goddess pulled into coma state via drug associated only with the Manor. Even if it is not widely known, minimal investigation will reveal it instantly.

Furthermore, a Civil Healer duels in front of said witness with the Mystery Builder. The moment a heartblade is drawn in response to threat, hidden camera within the room will capture sight, share with local authorities. Current identity compromised, proper name more firmly associated with with continued attempts on Civelia's life. 

Assessment: Light is nevertheless necessary to counteract current attack patterns. No intention of fight-ending blow, no commitment, but base allowance of heartblows will inevitably turn into loss/loss of capabilities at critical escape juncture. In short, the creation of one hero and one villain in the span of a single night.

Best course of action, maintain manifested heartblade shards inside the Architect Knight. Use remainder of blade as coverings on fingertips, tip of right boot, and left knee. Weapons enough. Only defense is permitted. Perfect parry, no assault. Deflect trailing flourish to maintain control of exit path. Raise knee to interpose weight of body against attempted theft of mask. Prioritization: protection of identity and prevention of greater messes.

I will not trigger this latest trap. I will not blunder again. I will capture her here and now and drag her sorrowful ass back to the Headmistress who will extract a full confession and I will be done. I will be finished. The world will right itself and this feeling in my chest will release. I will!

I...

...Should not have said anything before I left. I should have said more. I should have said it better. Why didn't I say it better?! There are literally thousands of alternative confessions and all of them would have been better than this useless weakhearted line walking I attempted. Now she knows. Now she [i]knows[/i]. She knows my horrible secret that I've kept hidden even from the other Aurorae. She knows that

Three finger block, spin. Single step back, capture fan between knee and, no. Miscalculated. Match spin, swing hand around. Failure to account for distance to wall? Not possible. Something is wrong. Why? Why why why why why? Why am I losing?! I'm better than she is! I'm supposed to be! I

...do not have a single romantic bone in my body. I am utterly incapable of charm or attraction, it is only my awkwardness and refusal to show flusterment in the face of maid aggression that earns me my reputation in the Great Game. A bluff mistaken for depth. A mask mistaken for a face. Silence mistaken for wisdom and courage and even beauty. And now she knows. Mayzie knows. Mayzie knows! I have no choice. As soon as I am free from this interminable [i]distraction[/i] I will return. I will apologize. I will rescind every word. I have to make her understand. It's so selfish. I am so foolish. I cannot believe I

Wheeling backflip kick connects with opponent wrist. Why? What purpose did that move serve? Use of incorrect foot, only plain boot on flesh. Adjust. Shake head. Apologize? No, never! Plant... no, fuck. Fuck it, I need my swords! 

"I am not here to trade words with you, villain. You have ruined everything. I am going to fix it. That is all there is to say."

I'm going to fix it, I'm going to fix it, I'm going to fix it, I've already had my breath, I proved myself in front of Hazel and that should have fixed everything that was broken inside of me. All that is left is to fix what is outside and that is why I will, why I will, why I will!

"WHY? AM I? NOT WINNING?? What did you do?! What did you hide, wretched fox?"

I am... jealous. There is nothing fun to be found here. So why does she get to laugh like that?