一 To Live A Thousand Lives Of Karma! Σ(っ °Д °;)っ

Ch. 14 - Memories You Can't Return To | Ⅲ

"Master Diluc..?" Adelinde called once she stepped into the bedroom. It was a mess inside, yet she couldn't bring herself to scold the young master. As much as he was hurting, she too as well was hurting.

Diluc didn't answer as he stood up and walked past Adelinde. He needed air; he needed something to distract himself. But his steps hesitated, Diluc noticed the door, it was their room.

He was standing in front of that room. Fuck..

Adelinde's voice resounded behind him. It was shaky, sounding ashamed of something. "I'm sorry, Master Diluc," Her eyes noticed the way he turned back slightly, she continued. "I.. I promised to be a model maid but.." Adelinde blinked rapidly.

"I can't bring myself to clean their room.. Each time I try to.." Adelinde couldn't hold it in. "My legs go weak.. It hurts.."

Diluc watched his maid unprofessionally sob, but he can't bring himself to correct her. Instead, he stared with a silent invitation and Adelinde wipes another tear away. "Let's.. Let's go visit them."

It was a silent walk, through the centre of Monstadt and into the quiet grounds of the Cathedral. Diluc remembered that they only went here once. Even when he planned so many more visits, it all had gone to waste now.

They turned the corner and meet a familiar face. Well, two. Kaeya turned around at the new presences and Klee followed soon after.
Adelinde greeted them silently before she knelt down beside the headstone.

But Diluc continued to scrutinize Kaeya, whilst Kaeya held a bitter expression. They both knew it wasn't a good time to have a heated stare down, but they had their reasons.

"Kaeya? Can I give them my present now?" Klee's question caught them both off guard, and Kaeya fumbled for a moment. "Ye- Yes, of course. You worked hard on it, Klee."

She smiled lightly and placed the drawing next to two bracelets. She doesn't question about those though.

"It's Kaeya, Diluc, Adelinde and (Y/N)!" She described, pointing to the little figures on the paper. Diluc felt a lump in his throat. "Holding hands like one big family!"

God.. Diluc almost collapsed right then and there.

And Kaeya hated that he noticed and turned his head away, his bottom lip trembling. "Klee.. Jean will be looking for you. Better get going, hm?" He said, holding himself up with the most fragile of wills.

Klee bids farewell swiftly, leaving the adults to wallow like children who had their favourite thing snatched away.
Diluc stared at the drawing, where the little red-head held the squiggled hand of the little one beside him. He wished he could feel their hand on his again, see their smile again, hear them yell 'Dilu' again..

He wanted his child again.

Holding out a hesitant hand, Kaeya placed it on Diluc's shoulder. But Diluc rejected it immediately, his eyes shooting up with a fiery glare that the brother knew oh-so-well.