The door to the lounge was violently pushed open.
Lumine rushed in, panting, her chest rising and falling from the exertion of running, her gaze frantically sweeping towards the golden back profile by the window.
"Aether..."
Her call abruptly stopped.
Because the figure turned around at the sound.
It wasn't Aether.
It was Dainsleif.
The excitement on Lumine's face vanished, replaced by disappointment.
"..."
Damn it.
I got excited for nothing.
"Lumine, you ran too fast..."
Paimon only flew in then, huffing and puffing. Seeing Dain, she paused, then her small face fell. "What the heck, it's just Dain. I thought..."
"Thought what?" Dain's voice was low, carrying his characteristic flat yet slightly mocking tone. "Thought the Traveler's dear brother, who is causing big trouble in the Abyss, suddenly had a change of heart and came to pick her up on a ship from Fontaine?"
Paimon choked slightly and puffed out her cheeks. "Hey! You annoying guy!"
Just as Paimon and Dainsleif were staring daggers at each other.
The atmosphere was tense, and a battle seemed imminent, when the lounge door was pushed open again.
King walked in unhurriedly, accompanied by Aeval.
His gaze calmly swept the room, lingering on Dainsleif for a moment before he understood—
Sure enough, it was this elusive, pretentious blondie who always spoke in riddles.
Seeing that someone else had entered, and noting their impressive aura, Dainsleif immediately adjusted his stance, slightly raised his chin, and resumed his profound and mysterious demeanor.
He cleared his throat and spoke in a deliberately deep voice, as if containing endless stories:
"This must be the Great Guardian of Fontaine. I am..."
"Ah! King!"
Paimon's attention was immediately diverted. She flew next to King, pointed her small hand at Dain, and said in a casual, "Let me introduce you to an acquaintance" tone:
"This guy who's always trying to look cool is Dainsleif. He's Lumine and Paimon's friend!"
Dainsleif: "..."
His half-prepared, highly impressive self-introduction was abruptly choked back by Paimon's simple and unadorned introduction.
The corner of his mouth twitched imperceptibly, and he inwardly clicked his tongue in annoyance.
Too slow. She beat him to it.
Couldn't the introduction have been a little more grandiose?
Like "Seeker of Destiny," "Watcher of Khaenri'ah's Last Line," or "A Glimmer of Light in the Abyss's Darkness"... even saying "A reliable ally" would have been fine!
"Friend"?
Introducing him so ordinarily, what's the difference between that and introducing the uncle who sells naku weed pancakes on the street corner?
Dain maintained his calm, poker face, but his eyes still betrayed a hint of frustration that his preparation was wasted.
Paimon was completely unaware that she had inadvertently crushed someone's desire to perform.
She floated in front of Dain, put her hands on her hips, and asked in her usual direct manner: "By the way, Dain, why did you suddenly run off to Inazuma? And on a Fontaine ship?"
Dainsleif composed himself, once again adopting the expression of someone "dealing with matters concerning the fate of the world," and his voice returned to its previous flatness, though a careful listener could still detect a hint of feigned profoundness:
"Me? Naturally, I came following the tracks of 'that Prince.'"
His gaze shifted to Lumine, meaning something specific: "His recent actions have been quite significant, and I managed to track him down. I happened upon the Fontaine fleet and hitched a ride."
He paused, looking at Lumine with a hint of inquiry: "As for finding you..."
"I wanted to confirm whether your brother had contacted you."
"It seems he hasn't?"
The sliver of hope that Lumine had just felt immediately dropped.
She pressed her lips together without speaking, just shaking her head gently, her fingers gripping the hem of her clothes tightly.
Although she wasn't physically hurt, a dull pain surged in her chest, as if it were blocked by cotton soaked in ice water.
She lowered her head, her golden bangs falling to cover her slightly red eyes.
What was she expecting anyway?
She knew the hope was slim... Dainsleif saw her reaction and let out an almost inaudible sigh.
He turned to King, abruptly changing the subject, his tone reverting to that probing profundity:
"So, regarding the new 'Moon' that has appeared in the sky of Teyvat..."
"Mr. King, do you know anything about it?"
King ignored him.
Dain's words were like wind brushing past his ears; King didn't even raise an eyelid. He walked straight past Dain, who was standing in the middle, and stopped in front of Lumine, looking down at her.
"Are you alright?"
King's voice wasn't loud, nor was it particularly gentle.
But that direct concern powerfully pierced the gloom in Lumine's heart, more effectively than any flowery comfort.
"Eh?" Lumine suddenly looked up, meeting King's focused eyes. Her cheeks felt strangely warm, and the painful feeling she had earlier dissipated by more than half. "I-I'm fine..."
"King."
Paimon slowly floated over, pointing her small finger at Dain, whose expression was a bit stiff from being ignored. "This Dain guy just knows how to annoy people. Just answer him so he'll leave!"
Dainsleif: "..."
The profound and mysterious aura he had carefully maintained cracked open.
Dain's mouth twitched slightly as he tried to salvage some dignity:
"The fate of the world is already decided."
"The essence of Teyvat cannot be arbitrarily changed, otherwise..."
"In short, I am merely concerned for you."
"Lumine, look, he's starting again!"
Paimon immediately interrupted, dramatically covering her ears and performing a somersault in the air.
"It's always 'world,' 'essence,' 'destiny'!"
"Can't you say something Paimon can understand?!"
Only then did King seem to notice that there was another person in the room. He turned his head, glanced at Dain, and said concisely, "Hm? What Moon? I don't know."
Dainsleif: "..."
"Pfft—"
Lumine, who had been feeling down, couldn't help but chuckle softly at Paimon and King's deliberate antics and Dain's defeated expression. The gloom in her heart completely vanished.
Seeing that Lumine's mood had finally brightened, Paimon secretly breathed a sigh of relief and immediately returned to her usual overly energetic self.
She spun around Lumine like a small top.
"Lumine! Lumine! Paimon is so hungry!"
"It's been so long since I've eaten your cooking!
"I want to eat your food!"
She flew in front of King, puffed out her small chest, and wore a triumphant expression: "King, you haven't tasted Lumine's cooking yet, have you? Hehe, this time, you should really look forward to it! Paimon highly recommends it—Lumine's food is the best in Teyvat!"
King smiled slightly, looking at Paimon's proud little demeanor, and nodded graciously. "Yes, I am very much looking forward to it."
"R-Really?
Lumine's cheeks were slightly flushed, and she waved her hand bashfully.
"Actually, don't get your hopes up too high."
"My cooking skills aren't that great."
"Most of it is just quickly cooked stuff from our adventures—as long as it fills us up."
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