Genshin Impact | "The Eagle Solstice" | Alhaitham x Lumine

The Man with a Book, Part 1

Author's Note: This chapter has 3 parts. It references Wriothesley's Story Quest.

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Chapter 4: The Man with a Book

Part 1

After hearing Lumine's conversation with Paimon at the forest, Wriothesley saw her in a different light. It was as if a layer of her persona had been peeled away, and he was glad to see what hid beneath. As sly as it may sound, he was thankful he had eavesdropped at the woods or he would not have gained a deeper understanding of her character.

The Traveler hadn't lashed out to him for the sake of being righteous. She had her reasons and they were valid. Paimon was right when she suggested he might've handled the situation with the House of the Hearth differently had he known what Lyney and his siblings had been through. He always had a soft spot for children, especially the traumatized kind no different from himself.

So, when he first heard about the Beret Society and their questionable dealings, he thought it was the best opportunity to work with Lumine again, get rid of whatever awkward tension they had and rebuild their relationship. Lumine's meeting with Faissolle wasn't coincidental at all. He had arranged everything down to the minute details, short of being manipulative, but this was simply how he rolled.

Neither of them had brought up the argument they had as they investigated the Beret Society, but he knew it was the elephant in the room that needed to be addressed at some point. He was simply glad she did not avoid him and was willing to track the Society's leader with him.

His blood had ran cold when Dougier had pointed the gun at Lumine. He saw red and the next thing he knew he was strangling the man in the air. Wriothesley could've shifted right there or snapped Dougier's neck with his bare hands, but Lumine didn't need to see that.

Two days later, they had decided to meet up at the Coupon Cafeteria for a good meal.

He had revealed his roots as an orphan and what became of his evil adoptive parents, thinking it was only right that she learned more about him after listening to her conversation with Paimon at the woods.

"I don't really know what to say..." Lumine finally said after Wriothesley's anecdote. They had set aside their differences to investigate the Beret Society but she did not expect him to open-up to her. In fact, she didn't expect him to want to work with her at all. Lumine clearly remembered the argument they had, but it didn't seem to bother him. It made the guilt she carried heavier.

A part of him was disappointed that that was all Lumine had to say. Perhaps it was indeed too overwhelming. Or maybe telling her all that didn't help his cause. But he had already committed to this path, regardless of what anyone might say about it. And if she was to be his mate, it was only right he came clean from the beginning.

Witnessing how he handled the Society members, rescuing them and making sure they were all taken cared of, Lumine's impression of the Duke had completely shifted. Sure, he dealt with people in a harsher manner, but it came as a price of being the warden of the Fortress. She understood that the Duke was handling criminals on a daily basis, people like Dougier. It made sense he had grown weary of people he didn't know, like Lyney and his siblings. At the end of the day, the Duke wasn't a bad person. Yet she had treated him like one.

The two of them watched Avice and Faissolle amble away from the cafeteria, a small smile playing on the Duke's lips. The pair wanted to get married in the Fortress and he was to help them achieve that goal.

"I'm a little worn out," Lumine said after laying down her spoon, signaling the end of the meal. "I think Paimon and I should head back now... Thank you for the meal." She smiled warmly.