ミ 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 | 𝘒𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘩 彡

𝟎𝟓

"Tatsu?" you whispered, hoping he was nearby. "Tatsu?" You sighed, closing the book and went towards the center of the library.

You spotted the blonde man staring at your cat, who was sitting on top of one of his books. The blonde held out his hand, wanting to pet the cat, but Tatsu swatted his hand away.

"Tatsu." Your feet quickly moved towards the man's table. The cat turned his attention away from the blonde and towards you. You gently pat his head, scratching behind his ear. "Apologies if he caused any trouble," you said to the man.

"He was no trouble at all, although I am a bit upset he did not let me pet him."

"He can be like that around new people," you replied. "When he first met Diluc, Tatsu did not like him. It was not until recently that he showed affection to Diluc."

"Oh, if you are free, please sit, Princess Y/N," the blonde chirped.

"Thank you uh-" your voice trailed off.

"Sir Kaveh," he smiled. His ruby eyes seemed to shine in the library's lighting.

"Well, Sir Kaveh, it's good to finally put a name to the face," you said as you sat down in the chair across from him. "And there's no need to be so formal right now. Just Y/N is fine."

"Then just call me Kaveh."

"Alright," you nodded. "I'm surprised you aren't on the outing with Diluc and the rest of the other guests."

"Well," Kaveh started. "I was told not to come since they brought many from the Knights of Favonius with them."

"Ah," you responded. "So you're a knight. From which kingdom?"

"I'm Prince Alhaitham's personal knight, not that he needs any protection." He rolled his eyes at the mention of his prince.

"Skilled with some sort of weapon, I assume."

"Yeah, his mouth," Kaveh huffed, earning a laugh from you. "It's true, and he has a bad temper!"

"In the times I've talked with him, he didn't strike me that way," you mused. The blonde leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest in the process.

"Just you wait. His snarky nature will rear its ugly head before we leave Mondstadt."

"If you say so," you laughed. The blonde felt his lips curve upwards as he heard your laugh.

"What were you reading?" you asked once you regained your composure.

"I wanted to learn more about Mondstadt's architecture. I've found your kingdom very captivating, Y/N."

"Do you know of Mond's history? It will make understanding the architecture a bit easier."

"I do," Kaveh nodded. "I'm just fascinated since it's nothing like we have in Sumeru, especially the windmills."

"If I didn't know any better," you smiled, "I'd say you strike me as an architect, not a knight."

"Well, it's been a dream of mine," Kaveh said sheepishly. "The only reason I didn't pursue it was because my family needed the money, so they pushed me to be a knight. Studying architecture is something of a past time for me."

You leaned forward in your seat. "What's the architecture like in Sumeru?"

"Well, there aren't too many towering buildings, aside from the Akademiya. The architecture though is optimized for our two different biomes – desert and forest. If we're talking about preferences, I do prefer the forest," he sighed. "Have you ever been to Sumeru?"

You shook your head. "No, but it sounds beautiful. I almost went to meet with Prince Alhaitham a few years ago, but he came to Mond."

"How come I didn't meet you when he came to Mond?" Kaveh asked. "I accompany him everywhere."

"When he came several years ago, it was for diplomatic reasons. We usually don't involve our knights in those sorts of matters, including you and Kaeya. Even if he did bring you, you we might not have met." The blonde nodded at your words.

"Kaeya is quite the individual, isn't he?" Kaveh muses. "In the short time I've been in Mondstadt, he's managed to drag me to the tavern at least four times."

You rolled your eyes at the mention of your friend. "Typical Kaeya behavior."

"If Kaeya ever came to Sumeru, I think he'd enjoy our taverns a bit too much," he laughed. "Our bartenders like to add spices to the drinks for a little extra kick."

"Now you make me want to visit Sumeru." The blonde's eyes lit up in surprise.

"Didn't take you as the type to drink," he remarked playfully.

"I don't drink often," you said. "Really only for special occasions, or to sample the winery's newest drinks before they get released to the public."

Kaveh furrowed his brows. "What connection does the Dawn Winery have with the royal family? I've noticed it's relatively close to the castle."

"It's a part of Mond's history. In the past, many nobles believed that wine should be a commodity only enjoyed by those who can afford it. My family created the winery so our citizens could enjoy high quality wine at an affordable price, and all the revenue from the winery gets directly invested in the interests of our people to provide them with a better life."

"That's incredible," he said in awe. Kaveh propped his elbow on the desk and rested his head in his palm.

"We hope to keep things this way in the future." The blonde nodded.

"This was a very pleasant chat, Y/N. I do hope to see more of you while I'm still in Mondstadt, but I should be taking my leave." Kaveh gets up from his chair, closing the book he started. "I want to rest up since Alhaitham and I are using the castle's practice facilities tomorrow. Even when we're away from home, Alhaitham wants to practice his swordwork."

A mischievous glimmer shone in your eyes. "May I come along?"

"I'll have to ask Alhaitham, but I see no reason why you shouldn't," he replied with wide eyes. "I didn't know you were proficient in any weaponry. Diluc never mentioned it when he was in Sumeru."

"Well," you said sheepishly. "He doesn't know. I still haven't told him since he's been super busy. I plan to sometime soon, though."

"You're secret's safe with me," Kaveh laughed. With that, he gathered his things and left the library, leaving you and Tatsu to the table and Miss Lisa, who smiled from watching the entire interaction from the second floor balcony.