• third person •
Avoiding any sort of creak, the head housemaid cautiously pushed the wooden door behind her shut, glancing around with shrunken pupils.
"Ahah, it stinks in there."
Adelinde jumped. She shot around, only to be met with the familiar butler of the winery within the empty corridor of the second floor. Her shoulders instantly fell.
Elzer's eyes closed with a smile. His head tilted.
Adelinde nodded, the corners of her lips turning up ever so slightly.
"All of them?"
"All of them."
Elzer folded his arms, his emerald eyes glistening. Adelinde tugged off her no-longer-white gloves, tucking a dirty blonde strand behind her ear.
"You've always been swift at getting the job done. You should get cleaned up quickly; the other maids are on a break."
Adelinde was about to nod once again.
The pair of them froze on the spot.
A creak erupted behind them.
Slowly, Elzer turned.
A blue-haired woman stared at the pair, blinking in perplexion.
They both sighed simultaneously.
"Master Diluc's asleep," Aila informed them simply. "I should get home soon."
"Ah, thank you–"
"Hold on," Adelinde interrupted.
Aila's eyelids fluttered.
An innocent smile plastered upon Adelinde's face. Elzer let out a disapproving but playful exhale, shaking his head.
"How about a meal before you go?"
•
"Funny woman," Aila murmured to herself as she finally began to approach the snowy lands. Her heels left a delicate trail in the white blankets behind her, puffs of her breath evident in the chilly air. "I know how you are."
Aila avoided a few hilichurls in the way of the path before her, before eventually, the sight of fire was finally in her view.
Rapidly, Aila approached the small camp, and lo and behold, of course her mentor was there. Aila's eyes lit up.
And then narrowed in remembrance of what had happened that morning.
The blond-haired alchemist raised his head upon hearing the shuffle in the snow.
"Aila?"
Aila's face reddened. She peeked into the lab, avoiding Albedo's gaze in shame.
Albedo instantly stood straight, a warm smile spreading across his lips. "Are you feeling better now?"
Aila nodded slightly. "I-I apologise. My reaction to your care was immature."
Albedo shook his head. "Come in."
Hesitantly, Aila did so. Albedo pulled out a chair for her within his small lab, but Aila only politely refused.
From what it looked like, many ingredients were spread across his desk, along with a few sheets: it seemed he was working on a new potion.
Albedo hummed, returning to his work.
"Your hormones are all over the place at this stage of your pregnancy. I think you should work on recognising what your true feelings are and what are the mood swings, so you don't beat yourself up over acting in a way you wouldn't usually. I don't mind at all."
Aila's gaze fell. "I suppose so..."
"So," Albedo glanced at her, his eyes warm, "is there something you need? Klee was upset that you had left, but I managed to cheer her up. Currently she's playing with Kaeya. She appears to be doing quite well already."
A nervous smile appeared upon Aila's face. "That's great. I'm here because... because I... well..."
Aila fiddled with her fingers, biting her bottom lip.
"I spoke to... the... the father of my child." Aila's pupils darted around. "He- umm... I know you reprimanded me about it but... I was... I was thinking that maybe..."
Albedo noticed her gaze falling upon the potions upon his desk. His eyebrows formed a straight line.
"I did a bit more research." He decided to hear her out. "The workings of violetgrass is based on intention: it doesn't inherently cause just any random memory loss. So I thought... perhaps..."
"You thought perhaps we could use it in this potion I have been making for you," Albedo finished.
Hesitantly, Aila nodded.
Albedo heaved out a sigh.
Albedo was the first person to know of Aila's pregnancy. It wasn't intentional, of course, but it was in fact Albedo who was the one who found she was pregnant in the first place. It was a few weeks after a banquet at Dawn Winery, and Albedo was aware she had gotten very drunk that night.
Aila had only just turned twenty those few weeks ago. Her parents were in search of a groom for her the moment that clock had struck twelve.
As Aila's mentor, the two often spent time together, along with other people under Albedo, learning different techniques of alchemy and the like.
Sucrose was the second person to find out. Or, the second person to realise.
Both Aila and Sucrose were being taught by Albedo that day. Neither of them could ignore Aila's random bouts of sickness, and eventually, she had simply fainted.
When they approached her about it, she rebuked the thought instantly, though the terror that shook in her pupils was all too obvious.
So Albedo took a test or two.
And she was pregnant.
Aila didn't stop crying that day.
She begged him. On her knees. She begged him to create something that would rid her of all and any symptoms of pregnancy so that her parents would never find out.
"I can't kill it. I can't kill it!"
She repeated that sentence many times that day.
And since then, only three people other than Aila herself ever knew. Albedo, Sucrose, and of course, the father, a secret only Aila knew.
It was hard to refuse such desperation. Such fear.
"Are you aware of the risks behind this?" Albedo felt his throat close, finding it difficult to say what he really wanted to say.
Aila nodded eagerly. "But- but I'm sure, if it's your intention-"
"One wrong move and this could easily kill the baby, Aila."
Aila's breath hitched. Her hands trembled, her feet stumbling back.
"Aila..."
Albedo turned. Her eyes were already brimming with solemn tears.
"Do you know the reason I have been struggling with this task?"
Aila's fists clenched.
"Your symptoms are just your body trying to regulate itself. It's just trying to adjust to something different. If I rid you of your symptoms, your body won't be able to cope with the baby."
"Aila," she refused to look at him, "you're still young. You're fresh out of your teenage years, and you haven't been given the time to mature. I can always give you something to terminate your pregnancy if you know you can't go through with it."
"You know I can't do that," Aila sobbed. "I can't do that."
"Why? The baby isn't anything at the moment. It's not a living, breathing being. It's not even a baby yet. Aila. You're not going to kill anything–"
"You don't understand!" Aila bawled. "I can't- I can't be like them! You don't—" Aila fell to her knees. "I'm not like them. I'm not like them!"
Albedo crouched down before her. "Like who?"
To his surprise, Aila's head fell into his chest. Her tears soaked his clothes, her speech becoming unintelligible bawls.
"Can you terminate the pregnancy and me?" she cried. "I don't want to live. I don't want to do this anymore."
"Aila..."
Albedo couldn't find the words to say.
He sat in silence upon the concrete floor, bristle wind and icy shards of snow roaring outside, Aila's sobs only continuing and never stopping.
As her mentor, he felt responsible for her and how she felt. But as her friend, he just felt utterly useless at this moment.
Without warning, Aila sat up, sniffling, rapidly wiping her tears with her gloved hands.
"S-sorry."
Not a second passed before she had stumbled to her feet.
"I-I- I need to get back to my house." Aila sniffled once again, beginning to walk away. "Never mind it. Just forget anything I told you to do. It doesn't matter anymore."
"You won't use the violetgrass, will you? Your mind isn't in the right state to make the correct intention... if we ignore everything else I told you."
Simply, Aila shook her head.
"It doesn't matter anymore," she repeated. And that was all.
Aila left, without another word.
•
"M-Miss Aila, your parents have been waiting for your return–"
"Then I'm leaving."
Aila turned back around.
"W-Wait!"
Bai grabbed Aila's wrist. To Aila's surprise, she tugged her back into the mansion, yanking the door shut behind them.
Aila ripped her hand from her butler's grip, her eyebrows furrowing.
"They saw you in the window." Bai's gaze fell. "You have been instructed to go to the living area immediately."
"I don't want to," Aila cried softly. "I don't want to see them."
"There's... there's a guest- two guests, Miss Aila. It won't just be them."
Aila could feel her eyes tearing up again. Gods, she was too emotional now to see anyone.
Her lips trembled, her feet frozen.
Aila stared at the tiled floors as bony fingers caressed her cheek, delicately wiping away her tears. Bai brushed her hands ever-so-gently through her pale blue hair, fixing it flawlessly, adjusting her purple hair clip her sister had given her so long ago. Aila's eyes fluttered shut as she could feel Bai's gentle breaths radiating upon her.
Bai was quite a few years older than Aila. For some reason, Aila felt comforted at moments like this.
Gradually, Aila's shoulders relaxed, as soft lips met her forehead. Her breathing fell slow, completely silent.
Now, she felt emotionless.
"I'll accompany you, Miss Aila," Bai whispered. "Don't worry: I'll stay right by your side."
"Alright..."
Aila followed Bai through the winding corridors, before, eventually, they halted at a large door. Bai tugged it open.
"Miss Lawrence has arrived," she announced, interrupting the conversation inside.
"Ah, the lady of the day! We have been waiting for a long time now!"
Aila stepped into the room, Bai following, closing the door after them.
Her eyes darkened with every passing second.
On one sofa sat her parents, maintaining a somehow cheerful glare at her, and across the small glass table, upon the other sofa...
The other sofa sat two men. One about her father's age. And the other at least ten years older than Aila herself.
"That's quite the stare you've got there, young lady, haha!"
Aila glanced at Bai.
Bai looked down.
"Where have you been all day?" Aila's father asked. "Ah, never mind it. This is Mr Noyer, and his son, Ignace. They own a tavern in Fontaine. I recently got into touch with Mr Noyer, and it turns out his son is looking for a spouse too! Isn't this so exciting!"
Aila didn't say anything. Didn't move. Didn't even blink.
Own a tavern? Might as well fucking marry me off to the Ragnvindrs at that point, no?
"Nice to meet you, Miss Aila."
Aila's pupils darted towards 'Ignace'. Average light brown hair, average brown eyes, average facial structure, average build: he was any other man.
Her breath hitched.
He's just any other man.
"She's a little shy," spoke Aila's mother at her lack of response. "She never talks unless she needs to! Honestly."
"That's no worry!" exclaimed Mr Noyer. "Marriage is a scary thing. It takes time to get used to!"
"How about," Mr Noyer continued with a beam, smacking his son's back, "you and Little Miss Aila go and get to know each other better, hm? A little alone time might help her open up a bit more."
Bai scanned Aila's body expressions. Her entire body was frozen, except her chest that she was desperately trying to calm, and her hands that shook violently behind her back.
"Ah, alright. How about it, Miss Aila?" Ignace questioned, standing up.
I don't have a choice. He's just another man. He's just another man.
Bai's shoulders jumped upon noticing the almost passive aggressive gestures of Aila's parents. Rapidly, she opened the door again, allowing the pair to leave.
There was one last desperate glance Aila could give Bai, before, of course, the door had been shut.
• • •
"Is this everything?"
The petit pink-haired woman nodded sheepishly, handing the few sheets of paper over to the tall lady before her. "Mhm. It's not a lot, unfortunately. But this is everything we have on Daiyu, including her old picture."
Eula flicked through the pages, before her eyes landed upon that very photo.
A young woman, with prominent cheekbones, and bright, silver hair in a sleek bob cut.
Eula's eyes narrowed.
She looks like a teenager in this picture.
"She's not anyone I recognise," Eula sighed. "Thank you, Yanfei. These will come into good use. I'll be sure to inform you too on any progressions we make on this case."
Yanfei grinned like the evening sun that settled upon them. "No worries. Next time we see each other, let's get a meal together!"
Eula sighed with a gentle smile. "Of course. But you must keep to your promise, or I will have revenge."
With a short giggle and a large wave, Yanfei began to go back on her way towards Liyue. "Of course. See you then!"
"Take care," Eula replied quietly.
She watched until the lawyer had disappeared into the pink-yellow horizon, before her hardening gaze dropped upon the sheets of the paper once more. Without realising, the papers began to crinkle within her grip as her yellow-purple eyes glowered upon the criminal's picture.
"Though, you; you are definitely someone I will have revenge upon."
• •
i have 4 exams left guys i am almost free omfg