Paradoxon [Kaeya x Reader]

5. Bitterness: The Taste of Wine

"Thank you for lending me one of your dresses!" Amber stood in front of the mirror and looked at herself wearing a long, red dress.

"Of course," you said. "My father packed nothing but fancy dresses, I don't even know what to do with all of them."

"Do I look pretty?" she asked with a light blush on her face. It took you a second to realize why she was asking that question, there was probably someone that she wanted to think she looked beautiful. Still, you decided not to pry.

"You look stunning and very cute," you reassured her, then took another look in the mirror at yourself to check if you were satisfied and grabbed Amber's hand to lead her downstairs again. A lot of people you knew where there, having fun already.

Except for Diluc, who looked like he wanted to vanish. A swarm of girls surrounded him while he desperately tried to hide his annoyance behind polite words. You saw through it even though you just saw the scene from afar, and you couldn't help but laugh a bit at his misfortune. Too bad he was handsome and rich.

Jean and her little sister Barbara were there as well. The Acting Grandmaster enjoyed a glass of wine (you almost couldn't believe she was celebrating instead of working for once), while her sister was surrounded by fans, just like Diluc.

Some other people you knew where Mona Megistus, a hydromancer with a notorious lack of money (probably enjoying the free drinks on this party) and the librarian of the Knights, Lisa, who was dancing with a man you didn't know.

And then, finally, you spotted the man you had been looking for all day. Kaeya was standing at a bar table in the back of the room, obviously with a glass of wine in hand. Next to him, also drinking, were two women you had seen before but didn't know.

To your surprise, Amber took the lead and walked straight up to their table. You followed her.

"I want to introduce you to a good friend," she started and walked next to one of the women, the blue haired one in an elegant black dress. "This is Eula, the Spindrift Knight." The she gestured to the other one, a nun who didn't seem to have changed into other clothes at all. "This is Rosaria, one of our nuns. And I think you know Cavalry Captain Kaeya already."

"I do," you stated with a small nod towards Kaeya. You could barely look at him without risking a massive amount of blood rushing to your face. He was wearing a white suit and looked unbelievably attractive in it. So you kept your sight on his face, which turned out just as bad. Just like the first time you had seen him, from the roof of this very building, his eye captivated you in a strange way while a flutter in your stomach increased this hold on you. You were unable to move, just staring at him, for what felt like an eternity to you and was probably just a second in reality.

You tore your gaze from Kaeya and looked at the two women, then introduced yourself to them. A situation of small talk arose, you got to know them a little bit, until Rosaria had finished her wine and decided to get another glass.

Amber started telling Eula about her day, and somehow you didn't fit into the conversation. You had no choice but face Kaeya and start talking to him.

He didn't waste a second. "I'm glad you finally made it to the Winery."

"I promised Amber I'd help her today," you explained your absence from the estate you were living in. "Have you been here the whole day?"

"I have been here since morning," he confirmed. "There was some important stuff to do. A meeting of the Knights and some other important people. It was exhausting. The whole day was annoying, until the moment you arrived here."

"Huh?" Your brain took a second to process what he had said, but the blood rushed to your cheeks without hesitation.

He just smirked (again, his smirk did so many things to you), so you decided to ignore his remark (and your heart beating like a drum). Instead, you focused on the other things he had said, "Why was the meeting here at the Winery?"