Omniscius [Genshin Impact]

21: It's A Shame He's Still A Bachelor

"To what do I owe the pleasure of having the respectable Master Diluc searching for me personally?" Soleil asked with a small cat smile.

"Before I can answer that, I need to make sure you are unharmed. Are you well? Do you have any wounds or injuries that need tending?" Diluc asked, scanning Soleil with his eyes for any problems.

"I'm fine, thank you. Why do you ask?" Soleil tilted her head. Diluc sighed in relief. "That's good," he said, crossing his arms afterwards.

"It came to my attention that the Fatui have been lurking in the outskirts of Mondstadt last night. I assumed they have been up to some...conspicuous affairs. I decided to investigate for myself when I caught sight of you escaping. I was under the impression that you were under attack, so I intervened," Diluc explained, "I have been searching for you since then."

"Oh. So you saw that," Soleil smiled apologetically. She felt her spine chill a bit at his words. Had Diluc arrived earlier...

"Your absence has also put the knights on edge. It seems that you've been gone for a long while," Diluc commented.

"I've been out," Soleil answered sheepishly, "I also wanted to walk back to enjoy the night scenery. Who knew I'd get into trouble? Ahaha."

"Regardless, what matters right now is that you are safe," Diluc's eyes roamed around the surroundings, "So you decided set camp here in Windrise? I cannot blame you. The view is certainly beautiful."

"Isn't it?" Soleil smiled. "It is. Still, we shouldn't stay here. We've both been out in the wilderness for a decent amount of time," Diluc uncrossed his arms and walked his path downhill, "Come. Let me escort you back to Mondstadt."

"Aw, how sweet of you," Soleil's lips quirked as she followed. "It's dangerous for you to wander on your own. You should bring someone with you next time. Now that I thought of it, where is Kaeya? Shouldn't he be with you?" Diluc suddenly frowned.

"Ah. I don't know. At the Favonian headquarters, maybe?" Soleil shrugged, smiling awkwardly.

"Tsk. And he rambles about being a custodian," Diluc grunted, "I should have a word with Jean and have her reassign someone else to watch over you. Someone more responsible."

"You worry too much. I can take care of myself, you know?" Soleil huffed, trying to catch up with Diluc.

"...Sure," Diluc answered, unconvinced as he walked.

"Can you slow down a bit? You're walking too fast. You might not be able to escort me back and accidentally leave me behind," Soleil called, resorting to jogging to catch up with the redheaded man in black.

They've walked a decent mile until they arrived at Mondstadt. Soleil was already panting lightly while trying to climb up the stone staircases. "Wait," she breathed, grabbing unto the hem of Diluc's fur coat weakly.

Diluc turned to her briefly, making an amused snort and stood by. Soleil caught her breath and wobbled towards the fountain, sitting by it. "You need to move around more often," Diluc commented.

"No, you were brisk-walking! How could I catch up?" Soleil frowned at him, breathing in and out.

"We needed to hurry to avoid any unnecessary confrontations in the wild," Diluc justified.

"Ah, whatever. I need to rest," Soleil shook her head, fanning herself with a hand. Diluc sighed and walked off, much to Soleil's surprise.

"...Did he just ditch me here?" she asked herself. Maybe he got tired of watching her complain. That almost sounds probable. Soleil smiled amusingly at the thought.