Omniscius [Genshin Impact]

Part Fifteen

29: Thorns and Lingering Petals

He was a pretty guy. Ever since they met as children, young Soleil always thought the young Lord Kamisato was a beautiful person to look at.

He was like a masterpiece of an eccentric artist. Because instead of exhibiting masculine strength and manly characteristics, Kamisato Ayato was the embodiment of gentleness and grace. That was not something you could see in men all the time.

His figure was thin but firm like a swaying bamboo tree. He was flexible, but did not give in so easily. He had the skin as light as a budding Camellia in spring, and it was so fair that noble daughters were too shy to stand too close to him in fear of comparison.

He was beautiful. His long eyelashes that bat with his amusement or displeasure and the beauty mark just beneath the rosiest lips she has seen on a man were too beautiful to ignore.

Soleil had just finished lessons with the little lady and was on her way to her quarters. But on the way, she laid eyes on the young lord meditating atop the crystal-clear ponds of the estate. She came to a pause.

He truly was a person worthy of envy. He wore the plainest of robes even if it was not befitting of his status. Still, he made it look like the finest silk slithering above the lily pads where he sat in meditation. Both the guards and the maids could only stare in silence, awe-struck with either adoration or hidden enmity.

Even Soleil finds herself a little envious of his feminine grace. But when she remembers just how much his true nature contradicted his serenity, she was back to grinning like the Cheshire Cat watching Alice in Wonderland.

Ayato was like a flower made of diamonds. He was radiant and expensive. Fools would mistake him for breakable glass but only the wiser would recognize him to be adamant as diamonds.

His presence was truly distracting. However, Soleil always sees past any veil of deception. Slender shadows slithered in the waters, and her bronze fan would hide the smirk on her lips.

Nice try.

"M-Miss Soleil?" a retainer said in worry to find Soleil walking on her tiptoes towards the pond. Soleil turned to her and placed her finger to her lips with a cheeky smile.

"Shhh," she whispered and went back to creeping as close as she can to the shores of the pond.

"Miss...? Miss...!" a retainer worriedly whisper-shouted but Soleil only stifled a giggle. She dipped her hands into the water, making the tiniest of sounds.

But the ripples did not escape Ayato. His eyebrows rose as he hummed in confusion but he did not open his eyes.

"Curious," he muttered, his childish voice deepening at the stage of puberty. He turned his head slightly to his side as he listened carefully, hearing the whispers of a giggle.

His lips quirked. "What sort of mischief are you up to this time, So–"

"Boo!"

Ayato was cut off in surprise when he felt a splash of water on his person. He wiped his eyes as he opened them, watching as the retainers gathered around the cheeky girl in shrine robes.

"Miss, that was inappropriate of you to disrupt the lord's meditation like that!"

"Please be considerate next time. The young lord is not one to participate in petty games like this!"

"But he looks so serious. I thought he could use a bit of cooling off, hehe."

"This behavior is unbefitting of your status, miss. I will inform Guuji Yae of this indecency!"