"Okay, I'd like to go with you too."
Bai You nodded vigorously.
Odette walked at the back, without saying a word.
Liyue.
She knew that place.
Rosalyne had mentioned to her before that Liyue was the oldest of the Seven Nations, and that the Rex Lapis was the most difficult of the Seven to deal with.
She recalled that half-second before Rosalyne left.
His gaze lingered on her profile for half a second.
Half a second.
So short as to be almost negligible.
But Odette knew that the woman had a reason for everything she did. She wouldn't look at anyone for even half a second without a reason.
What happened in that half-second?
Odette closed her eyes, suppressing the thought.
"... Odette." Columbina's voice drifted from the front, "What are you thinking about?"
"It's nothing," Odette, pulling herself out of her thoughts.
The five people walked to the end of the square.
Further down is City of Mondstadt's main street.
Bai You's stomach growled.
Her face flushed instantly, she clutched her stomach, and shrank behind Varesa.
Varesa smiled.
Are you hungry?
"... just a little bit," Bai You whispered.
"Come on, let's go buy some food." Varesa took her hand and walked towards the bakery on the street.
The bakery owner was displaying freshly baked bread at the entrance, steaming hot and the aroma of wheat wafting down half the street.
Varesa bought five whole-wheat loaves of bread and a bag of honey biscuits.
Bai You took the bread, took a bite, and her eyes crinkled into a smile.
"Delicious."
"Eat slowly, don't choke." Varesa wiped the breadcrumbs from the corner of her mouth.
Sandrone took the bread, glanced at it, said nothing, and ate it silently.
Columbina took a bite and said with a smile, " Mondstadt bread is softer than Snezhnaya's."
"Perhaps it's because it gets quite cold in Snezhnaya."
Odette put the bread in her bag but didn't eat it.
"Aren't you going to eat?" Columbina looked at her.
"I'm not hungry," Odette said.
But her stomach, quite uncooperatively, let out a growl.
Varesa burst out laughing.
Odette blushed slightly, a rare occurrence for her.
She took a piece of bread out of her bag and took a bite without any expression.
Goth Grand Hotel.
The five people entered the lobby and then returned to their respective rooms.
Varesa pushed open the door, Bai You walked in, put her bag on a chair, and then collapsed onto the bed.
"I'm so tired," she mumbled, burying her face in the pillow.
Varesa smiled, walked over, and sat down on the edge of the bed.
"I walked all morning, of course I'm tired."
Bai You tossed and turned on the bed, finally rolling into a starfish shape, staring blankly at the ceiling.
"Varesa," she suddenly cried.
"Hmm?"
"Are we really going to Liyue?"
"If you want to go, I'll go with you." Varesa walked back and sat down on the edge of the bed.
"You can leave whenever you want."
"Really?"
"Really?" Varesa laughed. "But Odette and the others should be heading back to Snezhnaya, so it'll probably just be the two of us going."
"Well, that's true. We'll go after we see them off from Mondstadt."
She rolled over, facing Varesa, her eyes curving into two crescent moons.
"Okay."
Bai You asked a question, Varesa answered with "Okay."
No matter what you ask, the answer is always "okay".
Bai You laughed even harder, moved further into the bed, and patted the spot next to her.
"Then you should lie down for a while too."
Varesa looked at the small empty space she had photographed and smiled.
She took off her coat and lay down next to Bai You.
The bed wasn't big, and the two of them sat very close together.
But Bai You wasn't nervous at all.
She snuggled closer to Varesa, found a comfortable spot, and rested her head on her shoulder.
The sunlight shone on the two of them, making them feel warm and cozy.
" Varesa," Bai You whispered again.
"Hmm?"
"Does the lake in Chenyu Vale really smell like tea?"
"Really."
"So, when we get to Liyue, should we go to Chenyu Vale first?"
"Okay, Little Bai You."
Bai You closed her eyes contentedly.
Varesa turned her head to look at her face, which was so close to hers.
Varesa reached out and tucked a stray hair behind her ear.
The movements were very light and slow.
Bai You didn't open her eyes, but the corners of her mouth turned up slightly.
The two of them lay there intimately.
Odette's room was at the other end of the corridor.
She put her things away and sat down in the chair.
She thought of Rosalyne.
She then thought of her training.
It's been a long time since then.
She hasn't had any serious training since she started going on vacation with these people.
"It's time to go back," she whispered, looking out the window.
Snezhnaya has returned.
Back to that icy, snowy place, back to the training field, back to Rosalyne's sight.
Where is Rosalyne now?
She obtained the Anemo Gnosis, completed His Majesty's mission, and should have returned to Snezhnaya by now.
Or is she still in Mondstadt?
Odette didn't know.
She had no news of Rosalyne.
After they parted ways in the square, it never happened again.
She clutched the Burning Amber that Rosalyne had given her tightly.
The edge of the pendant was digging into my palm, and it hurt a little.
It seems she needs to return to Snezhnaya as soon as possible.
She turned around, walked to the center of the room, and stood still.
Then I started practicing.
The movements were very standard and steady.
But only she knew how much weaker her wrist was than before.
She gritted her teeth and sped up.
Sweat trickled down his forehead and onto the floor.
She didn't stop.
Sandrone and Columbina's room was in the middle of the corridor.
Sandrone pushed open the door and sat down in a chair. Columbina followed her in, closed the door, and looked at her with a smile.
Are you angry?
"No." Sandrone turned his face away.
"Then why do you look so grumpy?"
"... I get annoyed just looking at you."
Columbina smiled, walked over, and hugged her from behind.
Sandrone's body stiffened.
"Let go."
"I won't let go." Columbina rested her chin on her shoulder.
"Sandrone, shall we talk?"
What did we talk about?
'Let's talk about Rosalyne.'
Sandrone fell silent.
Columbina's voice softened.
"She got the Anemo Gnosis," she said.
"According to the plan, she should have returned to Snezhnaya. But we haven't received any news from her yet."
"... So what?"
"So," Columbina paused, "Shouldn't we go find her? Meet up with her, and then... leave?"
Sandrone remained silent for a moment.
She didn't continue.
Sandrone knew what she wanted to say.
The Rosalyne in private is quite different from the " La Signora." she appears to be on the outside.
"... Going to see her is fine, but the tea party probably can't be held; Odette seems to have a big conflict with Rosalyne."
Sandrone said slowly, "But what if she has already returned to Snezhnaya?"
"Then let's go back to Snezhnaya," Columbina said.
"Anyway, we should head back now. His Majesty will need my Kuuvahki to help complete a plan in a while."
" Kuuvahki?" Sandrone turned his head to look at her.
"Hmm." Columbina nodded, her smile fading slightly.
"I'm not entirely clear on the specifics of the plan; His Majesty only said that he would need me when the time comes."
Sandrone looked at her without saying a word.
"And what about you?" Columbina countered, "Did His Majesty give you a task?"
"I've given it to you," Sandrone said, "But no rush."
Then Sandrone suddenly sighed.
"But Bai You," she said, "I heard His Majesty didn't give her any tasks."
"Hmm." Columbina nodded.
Sandrone continued:
"Her position Harbinger was more like a... nominal title. His Majesty didn't even assign her any work."
"Oh, I'm so envious." Columbina buried her face in Sandrone's back.
Sandrone remained silent.
But that's what she thought too.
Bai You, that little girl, looks a bit silly.
Every day, besides eating, I just follow Varesa around; I don't have any missions.
But Sandrone suddenly remembered the Doctor's fate and instinctively shrank back.
"Perhaps His Majesty has other grand plans," Sandrone said.
"Maybe," Columbina smiled.
"Never mind. Let's go find Rosalyne first, and if we can't find her, we'll discuss the next step."
"Hmm."