A change of mindset

The Lawrence Clan handled matters with remarkable efficiency.

In mere moments, the clan members had packed up every valuable they could take with them.

As for the thousand-year-old stone sculptures, ancient ornaments, and heirloom decorations they could not move, they simply offered them all to Ye Xuan as gifts of thanks.

Any one of these objects was an antique steeped in a thousand years of history and could fetch an astronomical price anywhere in Teyvat.

Ye Xuan could not be bothered to inventory them one by one. He simply had Ronova open a space and store every treasure inside, quickly and cleanly.

On Mondstadt Bridge, an atmosphere of farewell quietly spread.

Eula stood at the end of the bridge, saying goodbye to her parents, who were about to leave for distant Liyue.

"Eula, are you really not coming with us?" Her mother looked at her daughter, her face full of reluctance to part.

"With Ye Xuan in Mondstadt, no one will dare lay a finger on me." Eula shook her head gently, her tone certain. "Amber will escort you the whole way. You and Uncle must take care on the road."

Beside her, Amber immediately patted her chest in assurance. "Don't worry, Eula! I'll get your parents to Liyue Harbor safe and sound!"

Schubert glanced at the moon's position in the sky and spoke at the right moment. "A brief separation now is for a peaceful reunion later. Let's not delay any longer. The sooner we reach Liyue, the safer our clan will be."

Eula's parents said no more and turned to board the carriage that had been waiting for some time.

The procession slowly set off. Schubert followed for several steps, but ultimately could not resist looking back at the girl standing at the end of the bridge. He urged in a low voice, "You must take care of your own safety."

Those few words made Eula freeze slightly, a sense of unreality stirring in her heart.

It had been so long.

Ever since she had grown up, her uncle had never spoken to her in such a gentle tone again.

The last time he had cautioned her like this was when she had first received her Vision as a child, young and naive. Back then, the Lawrence Clan had regarded her as the hope of the entire clan.

Memories sealed away for years suddenly came surging up.

Eula answered softly, "I understand, Uncle. Take care of your health too. Don't overwork yourself."

"Good, as long as you understand."

Schubert nodded, turned away for good, and led the Lawrence clan members into the distance.

Quiet soon returned to the bridge.

Ye Xuan turned to look at the girl beside him and asked, "How do you feel?"

"Relieved."

Eula let out a long breath, and all the heaviness that had accumulated in her expression over the years faded away.

The shackles of her family, the world's prejudice, and the undeserved infamy that had weighed on her for so many years were finally lifted completely at this moment.

She turned to Ye Xuan and said sincerely, "Thank you."

Ye Xuan raised an eyebrow. "Hearing a thank-you from the renowned Spindrift Knight really is a rare occurrence."

"It's the Spindrift Knight!" Eula corrected him at once, puffing out her cheeks slightly in defiance. "Stop making up nicknames for me. What do you mean, 'Vengeance Knight'..."

"Oh? Making up nicknames?" Ye Xuan drawled. "I'll remember this vengeance."

Eula rolled her eyes at him. Her gaze shifted slightly, and she remarked softly, "Why do I feel like you've become a different person?"

"How have I changed?"

"You're... much gentler than before."

Eula openly voiced what she felt.

The Ye Xuan before her had shed his usual scheming, difficult manner. His handsome features were composed, his demeanor gentle and relaxed.

Paired with his exceptionally striking face, he actually looked rather like an elegant young gentleman, far more pleasing to the eye than before.

Ye Xuan chuckled. "Don't get sentimental just yet. I guarantee my next words will wipe that happiness right away."

Eula froze. "What?"

"The bet."

Those two simple words instantly froze the gentle smile on Eula's face.

She suddenly remembered the bet she had made with Ye Xuan.

In the end, she had failed to overturn the people of Mondstadt's deeply rooted prejudice against the Lawrence Clan. From beginning to end, she had lost utterly.

Having lost the bet, she had to pay the stakes...

At the thought, Eula's ears instantly reddened. Somewhat embarrassed, she pleaded quietly, "Could we... not do it in front of the mirror?"

Ye Xuan looked down at her and said, "Beg me."

"I'm begging you." Eula promptly lowered her head and yielded.

"All right. I'll reluctantly agree."

Ye Xuan was in a good mood. Then he changed the subject, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "By the way, want to try the new power I awakened today?"

He now possessed the Twelve Talismans. The Rooster's power allowed him to move objects at will and fly through the air.

Before Eula could react, a gentle force had already enveloped her body.

Her feet abruptly left the ground, and her entire body floated into the air.

The sudden weightlessness startled Eula, making her heart jump. Her limbs instinctively flailed, her panicked appearance looking just like someone struggling in the water.

Watching her helpless floundering, Ye Xuan chuckled and reached out to take her hand firmly.

The next instant, the two figures rose into the air and flew slowly around the entire City of Mondstadt on the evening breeze.

As she gradually grew accustomed to floating, Eula's tense body slowly relaxed.

Looking down, she took in the whole familiar City of Mondstadt beneath her. The scattered houses, flowing rivers, and verdant, wind-swept fields of flowers had all shrunk into miniature, a sight both novel and breathtaking.

This view overlooking her entire homeland was a wondrous experience she had never had before.

Even when Ye Xuan brought her back down into the mansion's courtyard, Eula's eyes still shone with a longing for more.

They pushed open the door. The room had already been tidied until it was spotless, with all the rubbish cleared away by Ronova.

She was lying on her stomach on the bed, toying with the Star Wand and examining it from every angle, seemingly pondering just what secrets this toy-like thing held.

"Ronova, this Star Wand is used to form a contract with a pure-hearted girl, and you have to recite a special incantation too. I remember the original went like this."

"Key that hides the power of the stars, reveal your true power before me. Sakura, who has made a covenant with you, commands you-release the seal!"

Ronova twirled the Star Wand between her fingertips, her brows knitting slightly.

"I can't sense any resonance of a contract. Could it be that my heart isn't pure enough?"

A mischievous smile curled Ye Xuan's lips.

"Could it possibly be that purity isn't the issue, but that you stopped being a young girl long ago?"

Ronova's gaze turned cold, and she hurled the Star Wand straight at Ye Xuan.

Ye Xuan raised his hand and caught the Star Wand securely. The instant his fingertips touched its shaft, a miracle suddenly descended.