Varesa looked down at her, her tone tinged with surprise:
" Mondstadt? You mean Mondstadt, the land southeast of Snezhnaya, known as the Land of Wind?"
"Mmm." Bai You nodded.
As she finished speaking, a few thoughts slowly raced through her mind.
I've heard that Mondstadt's cider and aged spirits are famous throughout Teyvat.
Since Bai You came to this house, the diet has become lighter, with warm soup and desserts for every meal. The spirits in the wine cabinet have been sealed, and it has been a long time since I tasted strong liquor.
On second thought, the theater has been showing the same old plays over and over again lately, with no new scripts to keep an eye on. Life has been pretty leisurely, so going out for a walk wouldn't hurt.
So she smiled slightly and said in a light but firm tone, "Sure. If you want to go, I'll go with you."
Bai You's eyes lit up instantly, like they were filled with scattered stars. "Really?"
"Why would I lie to you?" Varesa lightly tapped her forehead with her fingertip, her tone tinged with amusement.
"It's most convenient to go by water, why don't we take a boat?"
"It's much more comfortable than traveling by land over mountains and valleys, and you can enjoy the sea view from the deck—just be careful not to catch a cold from the strong sea breeze."
"Or we could swim there, wait... there's still the Odette..."
"Okay!" Bai You turned around and ran towards the window on the soft carpet, her skirt swaying gently.
I'll go ask Odette if she's going.
She ran to the window, clung to the edge of Odette's armchair, and bent down to get closer:
"Odette Odette, Voyanisa and I are going to take a boat to Mondstadt, why don't you come along? We can see the sea from the boat."
Odette pressed the thick book on her lap down, her tone flat and even:
"Sorry, I don't want to go."
"Why?" Bai You's face fell, and she shook the chair, her fingertips gripping the edge.
" Mondstadt is so much fun! I heard there are mountains full of dandelions, and we can even go see the sea!"
Varesa then walked over slowly, stood beside Bai You, her gaze fixed on Odette, and spoke in a calm tone:
"Is it because of Rosalyne? I heard she left for Mondstadt a while ago."
Odette's fingertips hovered over the ink on the page, her brow furrowing slightly, but she didn't deny it.
"Hmm. I don't want to run into her, too much trouble."
" Mondstadt is so big, it's not that easy to run into someone there," Bai You quickly advised, counting on her fingers.
"She did her business, we did ours. We went outside the city to see the windmills and pick dandelions; we never even bumped into each other."
"Yes," Varesa replied gently.
"You know Rosalyne, she doesn't like going to crowded places, she mostly stays at the base, you won't run into her."
"It's good to get away for a while; it's better than training and reading every day."
Odette shook her head, her fingertips closing the book's pages—a light but resolute movement, her tone flat and leaving no room for negotiation:
"No, I wasn't really planning on going anyway. You two go ahead and have fun. Just remember to bring me back a bottle of Mondstadt's famous aged cider."
Bai You wanted to persuade her again, but when she opened her mouth, she saw that Odette's expression was already firm, and her eyes revealed a cold indifference that said "no need to say more".
(I'll still go in the end)
Varesa gently patted Bai You's shoulder, shook her head slightly to indicate that she should stop trying to persuade her, and then said to Odette:
"Alright, we won't force you. You'll be gone for about a week, not too long. We'll bring you some aged wine when we get back."
Odette nodded slightly, turned the book back to its pages, her gaze returning to the paper, and said softly, "Yes, go."
Bai You leaned against the chair and looked at her for another two seconds. Seeing that she really didn't waver, she pursed her lips with a hint of regret.
She tugged at Varesa's sleeve and looked up at her. "So when are we packing?"
Seeing her impatient expression, Varesa couldn't help but smile.
"What's the rush? We'll book tickets for the morning after tomorrow; we'll have enough time."
Bai You was about to nod when she heard this, but suddenly paused and gently patted her forehead.
Oh dear, I almost forgot something.
She wrinkled her nose, looked up at Varesa, and said with a hint of annoyance.
"I almost forgot, I also have the status of an Harbinger now. I should at least report to Her Majesty the Tsaritsa."
She had been living such a comfortable life, spending all her time indoors like a cat basking in the sun, that she almost forgot she still held an official position.
Varesa raised an eyebrow slightly upon hearing this, then curved her lips into a smile that reached her eyes:
"I almost forgot about that. Well, it makes sense, considering your job as Harbinger is quite easy."
"I don't know why Her Majesty the Tsaritsa agreed to make you an Harbinger; I only found out later that you have many strange abilities."
"I always thought of the Harbinger as someone high and mighty, but after spending time with the kind Columbina recently, I've realized that 'Harbinger' is just an external title."
"Not to mention that new Harbinger who always snuggles into my arms while sleeping at night."
Bai You blushed instantly, her ears burning hot, and she couldn't utter a single rebuttal for a long time.
Varesa paused, looking at her, the smile fading slightly. She decided not to tease her anymore and added gently:
"Then let's go this afternoon. I'll go with you to the Snezhnaya Palace. I'll wait for you outside so you won't be bored by yourself."
"Mmm!" Bai You nodded, her shyness dissipating, and she smiled again.
"I'll go this afternoon and be right back. If everything's alright, we can board the ship on time the day after tomorrow."
Varesa gently brushed aside the stray hairs that had been ruffled by the wind from her forehead, her voice soft and gentle:
"Okay."
The snow lessened a bit in the afternoon, and the vegetable soup simmering in the kitchen was still steaming.
After a quick lunch and some chatting, Bai You and Varesa prepared to leave.
"Have you packed everything?" Varesa leaned against the closed door frame, her fingertips twirling the sash of her cloak, a hint of a smile in her eyes.
"Okay, okay, let's go."
Bai You turned around and nodded.
Varesa chuckled softly and stepped forward to adjust the fur collar of her cloak.
"Let's go, while the snow is light, let's go and come back soon."
The two walked out the door side by side.
As they walked to the Snezhnaya Palace, the guards at the gate, who had recently undergone new training, recognized Bai You, bowed, and stepped aside to let her pass.
" Water Nymph " Lord, please come in.
Waaaaah... I suffered a crushing defeat! I messed up the Tighnari, Tighnari at full health, and my weapon went wrong too.
I hope everyone has good luck and doesn't have bad luck like me.
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I'm off to grind some quests now, and I need to get the Wraith weapon first. I'll update again tonight.