In The City Of Freedom

Dusty Chests

She was spotted still at the table, quickly sipping her tea and in her own little world. When she noticed Diluc staring at her, her eyes shifted back towards him, cookie crumbs situated on the corner of her cheeks.

Her eyes were alert and curious as she awaited his response. There was no sense of urgency, but the tension in the air was palpable.

'Noooo don't do this! I wanna listen to the conversation! Don't send me out don't send me out don't send me out don't-'

Diluc glances at Akemi then motioned towards the fields of Cecelia, signaling to her that he didn't want her listening in on the next part.

"Awwww! dang it!" She says as she quickly gulfs down the rest of her tea, then went running off to play in the garden of Cecelia out of earshot of the conversation.

_-_-_-_-_

The discussion continued for a while, yet Dilu couldn't help but feel as if Lisa knew too much about this without him telling her anything.

"You seem to already know a lot, was that also written in the report?" He asked.

"That's what happens when you rely on powers that aren't your own." Lisa sighs, the plam of her hand digging into her cheek as her gaze is aimed to the flower fields. "In this world, everything comes with a price... Is this why you left the knights of Favonius?"

Diluc found himself silently grimacing at the question, his thoughts inevitably drifting back to one of the many appalling events that had unfolded in the aftermath of his father's death. It was a painful memory, one he struggled to suppress.

"...That was for another reason." He says,

"I see..." Lisa raises an eyebrow and considers a different approach. Taking a sip of her tea, she looked over to the flowery fields for a moment, then turning back to the noble. "Well if that's the case, I have another question to ask you."

"Go ahead."

Lisa takes a deep breath, taking a glance over to the beautiful landscape before looking back to the man in a calm and composed manner.

"Have you ever considered that Akemi has physical past ties to the Fatui or Abyss?"

This question causes Diluc to tense up, processing the accusation with caution.

"What makes you think that?" He inquired, his tone sounding a bit more skeptical and guarded. If anything, he wanted to dissmis the idea, but he was willing to hear what the lady had to say.

"Well Akemi is quiet odd in general" She puts a finger up to her chin in thought. "But one main thing is her sudden appearance in Mondstadt, 2 weeks after you're father's death."

"Her appearance has absolutely nothing to do with my father." He stated firmly. "Leave it at that."

Lisa studied Diluc, a slight frown on her face. She knew her statement was bold but she didn't want him to end this so soon. "To add to that then, Akemi when she had appeared not only were the Abyss doing a ritual on her, but almost 4 years' worth of memories were erased. What if they had erased them for a reason? Like not wanting her to leak their secrets?"

"Yet you know that won't be the case, why bring it up?" Stated Diluc, his views on this clear as day.
It was barely noticeable, but Lisa could see how defensive the man was getting over this conversation.

And so, she continued with hercompeling argument. "Think about it. After you found her, she was kidnapped two weeks later by the Abyss once, then attempted kidnapping not long after." She smiled as she brought up the next part. "However, the even more intriguing part was when the Fatui then attempted it, 2 months after her appearance."