Captain Beidou Is a General?! (beiguang)

15: The Lie

Ningguang waited for the agent to respond. She clutched her hands into a fist on her left side, out of Keqing's view.

"To tell the truth, I have been keeping my eye on you lately." The agent finally spoke.

So... she knows about me? The lady widened her eyes to express shock. However, it seemed like Keqing thought that the reason why the lady reacted that way was something else. So then the agent bursted, "oh no!" She scratched the side of her neck."Not in that way...! I don't have any romantic feelings for you..." She looked away.

It took a while for the lady to realize what she meant. All she did was nod right after. There was a brief and awkward silence and Keqing was still not meeting her eyes with Ningguang's. The lady decided to be the first to break it. "Then...?"

Keqing cleared her throat and met her eyes with the lady to tell the truth. "You know... ever since you came back from the field, something about you was just different." Her tone was serious and low. "It's like you came back a little bit different—as if—I don't know, you witnessed something and then you're suddenly...I can't explain.."

Ningguang was partly relieved that the agent didn't know the real truth. Yet, she knew that she was still vulnerable because Keqing could collect the pieces and put them together. She kept quiet and continued to listen to the agent speak, as their gazes started to feel tense. "... Something happened, right?" She could see that Keqing traced her eyes, back and forth. "That's why that day you suddenly were clueless about our mission...? You were in a state of shock?"

The lady made a small gulp. Is she going to find out...? I was indeed shaken when I first entered this world... I knew nothing back then... Ningguang broke eye contact and stared at the ground. "... no. I've been starting to slowly forget about things lately."

She lied.

When no response came out of Keqing, Ningguang continued, "and I've been getting weaker by the day. Maybe I'm sick, I don't know." That part was the truth. She couldn't explain why she suddenly had episodes of feeling weak. It slowly felt like it was getting worse each day.

"Agent Ningguang..." Keqing touched the lady's right arm. "... why aren't you telling the general this? She can help you get treated."

Should the lady lie again?

Yes.

"There's no use--it's too late. It's almost my end." She heaved and furrowed her brows. More and more, the lady's fist on her left clenched tighter and tighter; with each lie feeling guilt. "And my last wish is to be alone waiting upon my death." And when I disappear, it will be right after I return to the wardrobe and leave this place for good. There doesn't seem like there's an actual duplicate of an 'agent Ningguang' here anyways, there was no sign of her here. Perhaps I am her and my entire body just replaced her in this world... I don't know... I will be pronounced dead. She knew the consequences.

She then felt Keqing crawling closer on the bed and she rested her head against the lady's arm, as she continued to hold onto it. It looked like she was begging her. "What the... how did this suddenly happen... other than the general, you're the strongest person I know... I can't believe this." Ningguang felt bad for the agent. Her entire life is at risk now that she lied. There could've been better paths to follow, right?

But the lady chose the path of a liar.

(No no... this will mess up the entire story—! Just, why on Teyvat did she do that?!)

Keqing gripped onto her arm tighter. "Do I tell the others?"

"No need." Ningguang sighed. Her heart was racing.