The door was pushed open.
The seventh the Marionette, Sandrone, barged in and said loudly and angrily:
"The tea party was prepared long ago, why are you late again?!"
"Didn't I say yesterday that I'd be preparing a tea party to see Rosalyne off as she leaves for Mondstadt tomorrow? I even reminded you to come then."
"Sorry, I forgot," Columbina replied softly.
"Alright, alright, just come on, I'm really annoyed with you."
After she finished speaking to Columbina, she intended to turn around and leave.
But his gaze fell upon Bai You's well-behaved little face.
"Isn't this the newly appointed Harbinger? What's he doing in Columbina's room? Oh well."
Sandrone paused for two seconds, then awkwardly added a sentence, a stiff invitation tinged with a strong sense of arrogance.
"... You come too."
Bai You paused slightly, then pointed to herself. "Me... can I go too? Am I not really suitable...? I'm new here..."
Sandrone turned his head away from her, speaking in a flat, perfunctory, and awkward tone:
There's nothing inappropriate about it.
No one will deliberately make things difficult for you.
"You two hurry up, stop dawdling."
Even though it was an invitation, she put on an arrogant act, as if to say, "I'm just letting you know casually; I don't want to meddle at all."
Columbina chuckled softly, then gently chimed in, "Go on, Bai You. Let's all sit together, get to know each other, and it'll be easier to get along in the future."
"All right."
"Looks like I'll have to wait a little longer to see my sweet and soft Varesa, sigh."
Bai You then stood up with Columbina, brushed the bread crumbs off her skirt, and followed the two out of the house to Sandrone's private lounge.
After a while, they arrived at the door of the lounge.
The lounge in Sandrone is elegant and cool, with clean and tidy furnishings, featuring only simple and sophisticated decorations, exquisite tea sets, and a table full of delicate tea snacks.
Two people had already arrived inside.
Rosalyne, La Signora in fiery red with an air of haughtiness, sat sipping tea, her eyes and brows conveying the dignified and arrogant air of someone about to embark on a mission to Mondstadt the next day.
Beside her sat her cold, elegant, calm, and sharp the Knave, Arlecchino, sitting quietly with a calm and reserved gaze.
As the three entered, two pairs of eyes simultaneously fell upon them.
"Hello!" Bai You greeted them politely and well.
Rosalyne nodded slightly, her arrogance undiminished, as a response.
Arlecchino's gaze swept gently over her, and she nodded slightly, her expression calm.
Columbina and Bai You took their seats, and the atmosphere instantly became wonderful.
Meanwhile, at the Snezhnaya Palace Martial Arts Corridor.
Tartaglia is standing side by side with the first the Captain, Capitano.
The Captain stood solemnly in heavy armor, his aura calm and stern, his eyes beneath the armor extremely cautious.
"Are you sure it was a one-hit kill?"
Tartaglia still feels a sense of awe and admiration when he recalls the terrifying force of that punch that pierced through him and sent him flying out of the palace.
"Absolutely true."
"I thought she was just an ordinary little girl, so I deliberately held back, didn't use any special techniques, and let her make three moves at my mercy. I thought I was just playing around with a child, but then—"
"But back then, I felt that even if I unlocked the Foul Legacy, the ending would be pretty much the same."
He shook his head with a wry smile, his eyes filled with a seriousness that defied conventional wisdom.
"One move pierced through the palace wall, blasting me thousands of meters away across the snowfield."
"Her power system is more like a deeper, more ancient Light Realm Power."
"I lost completely, without any chance of escape."
The Captain remained silent for a long time, his murderous aura growing increasingly heavy.
" Her Majesty the Tsaritsa's addition of a twelfth seat is no trivial matter."
"These twelve seats, though young and seemingly delicate, are actually one of the Empress's newly added trump cards for Snezhnaya."
"Its future combat power is immeasurable."
After discussing Bai You's strength, Tartaglia changed the subject and brought up Rosalyne's mission to Mondstadt the next day.
"Speaking of which, Rosalyne is setting off for Mondstadt early tomorrow morning to retrieve the Gnosis."
"As colleagues, it is our duty to go and see them off."
The Captain nodded slightly. "That's how it should be. I happen to have some official business to discuss with her."
"I remember she would always be in the lounge in Sandrone before each long mission."
Tartaglia said with a smile, "Let's go and see."
The two walked side by side, quickly heading towards the lounge.
The door to the lounge was gently pushed open again.
Tartaglia entered first, followed closely by the tall and imposing the Captain, Capitano.
As soon as the two entered, they could see who was inside.
Columbina, sitting gently and quietly, devouring her dessert; Sandrone, holding a cup of tea; Rosalyne, proud and beautiful; Arlecchino, calm and aloof.
There was also Little Bai You sitting obediently in the corner, taking small bites of tea and snacks, with a well-behaved and innocent look on its face.
Arlecchino was the first to react. She rested her chin on one hand and held her teacup in the other, and said:
" Capitano? I was just about to come see you after the tea party."
Upon suddenly seeing the room full of colleagues, the Captain paused slightly, his aura softened, and he spoke in a low voice:
"Please excuse me for interrupting you all. Rest assured, I will not discuss any work-related topics at the tea party. We can talk about it later."
"The ' The Captain ' is quite sensible, unlike that unruly last-place seat holder—no, the previous last-place seat holder," the La Signora said, standing up.
"Hey, stop staring at me and picking on me the moment you open your mouth, okay? Or are you planning to give me the eighth seat today?"
"Hmph, you think you can take me on?"
The proud Sandrone, hearing their nitpicking, calmly raised her eyes and said:
"Hey, if you want to fight, go outside! I don't want to clean anything at the tea party except the cups!"
Tartaglia smiled sheepishly and said:
"I wanted to bring the Captain over to say goodbye to Rosalyne, but I didn't expect her to be so ungrateful, taking it out on me the moment she arrived."
The Captain then spoke up:
"It all started because I needed to meet with Rosalyne to discuss some business, and Tartaglia suggested we look for her here, so we came together."
"But Tartaglia and I were unaware that this was your tea party, Sandrone. We apologize if we have disturbed your private time, and we will leave shortly."
Sandrone raised his head. "Tsk, whatever. A few more people bothering me are no big deal, I'll accept it. Since I'm already here, I'll have some tea before I leave."
"It's perfect timing that Bai You is here too. This tea party serves as both a farewell and a welcome, so please all sit down."
Tartaglia looked up at the Captain and said, "See? I told you not to be so polite."
The Captain placed his hand on his chest and thanked him, "Thank you very much."
Columbina and Bai You kept their heads down: chewing, chewing, chewing~
Many readers are probably preparing to start school in the next day or two.
You can report for duty first and learn at your own pace. I'll continue to give you time off.
Learning requires patience and time; haste makes waste.
Wishing everyone a happy new semester!