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

The Aftermath, Part 4

Part 4

When Wriothesley thought he was going to die at the deck of the Wingalet trying to save little Henry, all the things he wished he had time to experience flashed before his eyes. The touch of a lover, the warmth of your own flesh and blood squirming in your arms, to be free and to come home to a real family who would love you unconditionally - he wanted all of that with his mate, and more.

So he began asking himself, if nature had dictated that the Traveler was the one for him, did it really matter that she was seeing someone at the moment? Is it not possible that her feelings might change? This was the undeniable course of her relationship with the nameless, faceless man she had revealed to him.

And so that was what he decided to do – let nature take its course. He was going to chase what he desired and the bond itself will sever her connection with the lover.

If he was the type to give up so easily, then he would never have returned to his adoptive parents' house to do what needed to be done. The unspoken bond he had with Lumine would speak for itself. He knew it was the pull he'd been feeling around her and the tingling sensation he felt whenever their skin touched. Yet she never spoke about it. He could only assume that to bring it up was to acknowledge that they had had a deeper connection, perhaps something stronger than whatever she had with her lover.

As sly as it was - and he was no stranger at utilizing sly tactics - he decided it was time to make a move while the lover wasn't around. He was sure the man wasn't in Fontaine because her scent hadn't changed ever since he had met her at the Hotel Debord. There would've been a lingering scent of a male stuck on her if she met him often. Just the thought of it made his hackles rise. He shifted on the seat and the squeak it made sounded intrusive in the otherwise silent office.

He glanced at Lumine who was pouring over documents spread on the table at the left corner of the office. Paimon pointed at something on the paper, Lumine nodded and jotted it down with a quill over a long parchment. She stopped and caught the Duke staring.

"Don't stare," she mumbled, eyes narrow. "I know I look like I'm suffering."

Wriothesley chuckled.

Paimon said, "the Traveler isn't completely fluent in the Teyvat script yet, especially with deeper and older words so she may need Paimon's help in translating and encoding them."

"Right... But do we really need to do all this? Can't you give us a more practical job?" Lumine grumbled. "I can slay monsters for you!"

The Duke snorted. "There are no monsters in the Fortress unless you are referring to the psychopaths who end up here once in a while, but I take care of those myself. This place might be known as Coupon Town where hard labor is rewarded with coupons. But the real challenge comes from documenting all the materials, labor and costs that go to the Fortress. Neuvillette will need these to justify the budget that goes here, and we're full of backlogs. The recent flood pushed us even further and the deadline is coming."

"And that's why I'm here," Lumine said dryly.

"Yes," a playful smile crossed his lips. "To help me. Because that's-"

"-what friends do?" Lumine finished for him. "I cannot count how many times you've said that ever since we stepped in the office."

"Did I lie? Friends help each other. You said it yourself, clear as day, we're friends." In truth it was a job he could've easily assigned to Jurieu and Lourvine now that the Wingalet was no longer the priority, but he needed a reason to keep her close.

"And now I'm starting to regret it." Lumine turned to Paimon. "Is there a Teyvat word for abuse of friendship?"

Paimon scratched her head.