Sucrose's panic

In Ellin's room.

Sucrose sat on Ellin's big pink bed.

She wasn't good at socializing, so this was the first time anyone had invited her home-and into their bedroom, at that.

After pulling her into the room, Ellin had lost herself in her work, picking up a pen and paper and sitting at her desk to write and draw in earnest, leaving Sucrose alone on the edge of the bed.

Feng'er had already gone grocery shopping with Ellin's mother.

The silence left the socially anxious Sucrose squirming, but fortunately, Ellin really was adorable. Even just watching her from behind was enough to lift her spirits.

And what excited Sucrose most was that this entire room was filled with Ellin's scent.

Of course, that didn't mean Sucrose had any strange ideas about Ellin. She was simply curious about her.

When Ellin had obtained her Electro Vision last night, Hermann had been overjoyed. So devoted was he to his daughter that he couldn't even wait until the following morning.

That very night, Hermann had climbed straight out of bed in his pajamas, thrown a coat over them, and dashed excitedly to the Angel's Share to brag nonstop to his drinking buddies.

Early this morning, Hermann had left the house with a piece of bread between his teeth, boasting to everyone he met that his daughter had obtained an Electro Vision.

Normally, no one would have believed something like that. But when they saw the two gleaming Visions hanging at Ellin's waist as she went out that morning, the whole city of Mondstadt had erupted.

By now, everyone knew that Ellin had obtained two Visions.

As everyone knew, a person could only obtain one Vision in their lifetime. Once its bearer died, the Vision would lose its glow.

Yet both Visions at Ellin's waist were shining, which was proof enough that both were genuine.

This had sparked Sucrose's intense curiosity.

Why can she have two Visions?

How does she withstand the power of two elements?

How does she control two different elemental powers?

Why did the gods give her two Visions?

What exactly makes her different from ordinary people?

These questions haunted Sucrose, leaving the intensely curious girl unable to even enjoy her lunch.

She stole a glance at Ellin and found her still engrossed in drawing, paying her no attention. Sucrose grew bolder.

Her eyes widened as she carefully examined... no! Measured every part of Ellin's body with her gaze.

But the more closely she observed Ellin, the more deeply the girl before her amazed her.

The girl sat quietly at her desk, her pen flying across the paper, looking thoughtful one moment and focused the next.

She never seemed to care that she was a girl, much less about maintaining any ladylike reserve.

At her desk, she sometimes held her pen between her teeth and propped up her chin, and sometimes grabbed at her hair in frustration. At times, she sat casually cross-legged; at others, she put one leg up on the chair, entirely unbothered by the little glimpse it exposed.

Yet somehow, she made Sucrose feel very comfortable.

Sucrose wasn't good at socializing or expressing herself, so she often worried that her words might be impolite and hurt someone.

That was why she dreaded talking to particular people with endless rules and etiquette more than anything.

But the white-haired girl before her was genuine, completely unaffected, and at ease with herself.

That ease wasn't the promiscuity of some trashy seductress. The white-haired girl was unpretentious, but she had principles.

In her, one could see an innocent exuberance, along with the natural freedom of someone who followed her heart.

Estimated height: 174.6 centimeters...

No excess fat around her waist. Clearly a very fit body!

Her skin is fair with a rosy flush, practically glowing red. Clearly, her vitality is exceptionally strong!

How does she take care of her hair...? It's as smooth as fine silk imported from Liyue!

Her legs have just the right balance of fat and muscle, too. Any more fat and they'd look chubby; any less and they wouldn't have that softness!

How can such a perfect creature exist? Why is every part of her body just right, as though the gods personally sculpted her perfect proportions?

Sucrose kept crying out inwardly!

Had Ellin known what was going through Sucrose's head, she probably wouldn't have been able to resist quipping, You really are a researcher. Even your descriptions are different from everyone else's. But I'm not a pig! Could you stop sounding like a butcher picking out a pig for slaughter?

Gasp! Is that...?!

Suddenly, Sucrose's eyes went wide.

Ellin had put one leg on her chair and rested her chin on her knee.

As it happened, Ellin had been drenched in sweat after training, so she'd taken a bath upon returning home. Now, she was wearing only a loose nightdress.

With that posture, her nightdress had slipped down to the top of her thigh, exposing a little glimpse beneath.

Blue-and-white lace, the same colors as a Cryo Slime!

The instant Sucrose saw that little glimpse, she shuddered as though an electric current had run through her entire body.

Then her blood pressure rose, and her little face flushed bright red!

But she quickly realized something was wrong with her and hurriedly shook her head, making her long, fluffy animal ears tremble along with it.

Sucrose, what are you doing, Sucrose? Get a grip! You're conducting research and observations!

After barely managing to calm herself, Sucrose remained alone on the edge of the bed.

Yet after Ellin's perfection had shaken her to her core, how could Sucrose possibly stay calm in a room filled with her scent?

Sucrose's lineage gave her a keener sense of smell than ordinary people. Now, with every breath, she felt Ellin's scent travel through her nose into her mind, eroding her reason.

All she could do was turn her attention to the room and study its furnishings. But when her gaze settled on Ellin's pillow...

Thump, thump, thump!

Her heart gave several violent beats.

I'm analyzing her scent. Yes, perhaps her scent will reveal what makes her different from other people.

Th-this is research... I'm only doing this for research!

Sweat beaded on Sucrose's forehead, her cheeks burning as she reached a trembling hand toward Ellin's pillow.

Who knew how much time had passed?

"Sucrose, sorry for the wait!"

"I've finished the drawing!"

Putting down her pen, Ellin turned toward the bed, only to freeze at what she saw.

The green-haired girl was holding Ellin's pink teddy bear pillow in her arms and taking a deep, forceful sniff!

"Y-you're... what are you..." Ellin stared blankly at Sucrose.

The teddy bear pillow slipped from her arms and fell to the floor...

In that instant, Sucrose felt as though she'd been struck by lightning and snapped back to her senses. "N-no, it's not like that! Let me explain..."

Ellin's eyebrows couldn't stop twitching. She gave a slightly awkward smile. "It's all right. I understand."

"No!! It's not like that! I was only doing research! It really isn't what you think!"

Sucrose cried out in anguish, tears glistening at the corners of her eyes!

In her entire life, Sucrose had only ever "observed" two people.

The first was Diona.

Curious about the structure of Diona's cat ears, she had spent a long time observing-stalking-her, only to discover the charms of cat-eared girls. She had therefore made herself a pair of cat-ear glasses, but she was too shy to wear them anywhere except at home.

The second was Ellin.

But it seemed that every time she observed someone, she awakened some strange trait within herself.

Because observing Ellin this time had awakened another strange trait in her.