Camellia Love

[New chapter incoming qwq]

In the faint morning light, a hurried knock on the door jolted Baichen awake.

Kujou Sara's deliberately hushed voice came from outside. "Mr. Baichen, the Shogun has summoned you to the dojo at once."

Baichen scrambled out of bed and glanced outside. It was still dark, and even the lanterns under Tenshukaku's eaves were still lit.

Once dressed, he instinctively reached for the Kamisato Clan's earring, but stopped halfway. Ei had made it clear yesterday that he could only wear it for two hours after training.

Ei was already waiting in the dojo.

Instead of her usual kendo uniform, she wore a close-fitting black training outfit today. Her long purple hair was tied high in a neat ponytail. When Baichen entered, she tossed him a real sword with an unsharpened blade.

"Use this today."

The heavy metal felt cold in his hand, and Baichen nearly failed to catch it.

Ei frowned slightly. "You're holding it wrong."

She came over and adjusted his fingers. "A real sword has a different center of gravity from a wooden one. You need a firmer grip."

Her fingertips carried the distinctive, faintly tingling sensation of Electro, sending a slight shiver across the back of Baichen's hand.

When she finished adjusting his grip, Ei did not immediately step away. Instead, she stayed in position and guided him through a standard slash.

"Did you feel that?" Her breath brushed his ear. "The path of a real sword is more..."

Before she could finish, the dojo door suddenly swung open.

Yae Miko leaned against the doorframe, swinging the kagura bell in her hand. "My, my, starting special training so early? The Shogun really is strict~"

Ei's gaze turned cold in an instant. "Does the Guuji need something?"

"Just passing by~" Miko walked in with a smile, her gaze lingering on the real sword in Baichen's hand for a moment. "But since we've run into each other..." She pulled a bracer from her sleeve. "I brought the little one a present."

The bracer was black, with an intricate fox pattern embroidered on its surface.

Baichen was about to thank her, but Ei took it first. Electro flowed over the bracer's surface. "No traps."

"How hurtful~" Miko put on a heartbroken expression. "How could I possibly harm our adorable little Baichen?"

Without waiting for an answer, she seized Baichen's hand and put the bracer on him herself.

Pink strands of hair brushed his cheek, carrying the scent of cherry blossoms. "This little treasure can make your arms stronger~"

[Item obtained: Miko's Strength Bracer]

Ei watched coldly. "Finished?"

"Don't be so cold~" Miko stepped back a few paces, then seemed to remember something. "Oh, right, Yae Publishing House is holding a new book launch this afternoon. Would little Baichen like to come?"

Before Baichen could answer, Ei refused for him. "He has to study government affairs."

"What a shame~" Miko blinked. "Then I'll bring some snacks over instead.

"As she turned to leave, her skirt swept through a graceful arc. "And while I'm at it... there are a few things about that 'fragrance' I'd like to tell you in private~"

Ei's gaze sharpened instantly at those words.

Only after Miko's footsteps had faded completely did the restless Electro in the dojo gradually settle.

"Continue training." Ei's voice was colder and harder than usual. "Today, you'll learn the opening stance of the Inazuma school."

The training that followed was hellish.

Ei was several times stricter than usual, demanding that every movement be repeated dozens of times until it was perfect.

Strangely enough, Miko's bracer did work. Though Baichen's arms ached, they never gave out.

[Yae Miko's favorability +1%, currently 15%]

After training, Baichen was finally allowed to put on the earring.

The familiar scent of camellias immediately enveloped him, easing the aches throughout his body.

Ei stood nearby, watching his reaction, then suddenly reached out and pressed the bite mark on his right ear.

"How does it feel?"

"Much better..." The faint tingling of Electro intertwined with the fragrance, creating a curious balance.

Ei nodded thoughtfully. "Take it off yourself after two hours."

She turned to leave, then added, "This afternoon's government affairs lesson is canceled. I have to go to Ritou."

The news surprised and secretly delighted Baichen. It meant he could briefly escape the confines of Tenshukaku.

As if seeing through his thoughts, Ei stopped at the door. "You are not to leave Tenshukaku. And especially... you are not to see the Guuji."

[Raiden Shogun's favorability +2%, currently 49%]

Baichen spent the rest of the morning in Tenshukaku's library.

It housed histories and classics from all over Inazuma, many of them the only surviving copies.

Just as he was leafing through a treatise on elemental reactions, he heard soft footsteps behind him.

"Found you~"

The sweet voice made Baichen stiffen. It couldn't be her. Kamisato Ayaka should still be confined to her home!

But when he turned, he saw Sangonomiya Kokomi standing between the shelves, her long pink-blue hair gleaming like pearls in the sunlight.

"Kokomi?" Baichen closed the book in surprise. "How did you..."

"Shh~" She held an index finger to her lips. "I slipped in secretly." She winked playfully. "It really isn't easy to see you."

Kokomi wore casual Watatsumi Island-style clothes today, and her coral-colored eyes were brighter than he remembered.

She sat down beside Baichen without hesitation and took a small shell from her sleeve. "Here, a Watatsumi Island specialty."

Inside the opened shell were several translucent candies, giving off the fresh scent of the sea.

"They can quickly restore your stamina." She picked one up and held it to Baichen's lips. "Want to try one?"

The intimate gesture made Baichen hesitate, but when he saw her expectant gaze, he opened his mouth and accepted it.

The candy melted in his mouth, and a cool stream of energy immediately flowed through his limbs and body.

[Status gained: Watatsumi Energy Candy]

[Effect: stamina recovery speed +25%, lasts 3 hours]

"Is it good?" Kokomi asked, tilting her head as strands of pink-blue hair fell onto his shoulder.

Baichen nodded. "Thank you. But did you risk coming to Tenshukaku just to bring me this?"

"Of course not~" Kokomi took a rolled-up chart from her robes. "This is an elemental reaction chart I reconstructed from ancient texts. It might help with your training."

Unrolled, the chart detailed the effects of various elemental combinations and techniques for using them.

It was indeed just what Baichen needed most at the moment.

"Why are you so good to me?" Baichen couldn't help asking.

Kokomi's expression suddenly grew serious. "Because you're different from everyone else."

She lightly touched his chest with one finger. "There's... a starry sky in here."

The poetic description sent a jolt through Baichen's heart.

Just as the atmosphere grew delicate, Kokomi suddenly looked up, alert. "Someone's coming."

She quickly rolled up the chart and pressed it into Baichen's hand, then pecked him on the cheek. "Next time we meet, I'll take you to see the real starry sky."

Almost at the same moment, the library door opened, and Kujou Sara poked her head in.

"Mr. Baichen, there you are. Lunch is already..."

Her words broke off as her gaze fell on the chart in Baichen's hand and the traces of candy at the corner of his mouth.

Kujou's expression turned odd. "Did you... have a visitor just now?"

"No." Baichen forced himself to remain calm. "I was just studying elemental reactions."

Kujou looked around suspiciously, but ultimately did not press the matter. "Lunch is ready. Also..." She lowered her voice. "The Guuji is waiting for you in the back garden."

[Sangonomiya Kokomi's favorability +3%, currently 19%]

[Note: a mysterious invitation]

After lunch, Baichen hesitated repeatedly but went to the back garden in the end.

Sure enough, Miko was sitting beneath a cherry tree, a plate of delicate wagashi before her.

When she saw Baichen, she waved happily.

"Perfect timing~ The sakuramochi is fresh out of the kitchen!"

Baichen sat down across from her and asked warily, "What did you want to tell me?"

"What's the rush~" Miko offered him a piece of sakuramochi. "Try this first."

The sakuramochi was sweet without being cloying, with a faint cherry blossom fragrance.

Miko watched Baichen's expression with satisfaction. "Good, isn't it? It was made using little Ayaka's recipe."

At the mention of Ayaka, Baichen instinctively touched his earring. Miko's gaze immediately sharpened. "That fragrance... has it been growing stronger and weaker at times lately?"

"I think... it has happened a few times."

"Just as I thought." Miko's expression turned unusually serious. "That isn't ordinary calming incense. It's Camellia Love-a special fragrance that changes in strength as its user's emotions fluctuate."

She leaned closer, lowering her voice to a whisper. "More importantly, it can subtly influence the wearer's feelings.

"Little Ayaka gave you that because she wants you to miss her more and more, even when you're far away from her."

The information made Baichen go cold all over.

But Miko suddenly looked relaxed again. "Don't worry, though~" She produced a small sachet as if by magic. "Carry this with you, and it will neutralize the effects of Camellia Love."

The sachet was pale purple, embroidered with an Electro Mitsudomoe pattern.

Baichen was just about to take it when Miko pulled it back. "But... I have one little condition~"

"What condition?"

"Come stargazing with me tonight." She winked slyly. "They say you can see the most beautiful night sky in Teyvat from the tallest tower in Tenshukaku."

The request put Baichen in a difficult position.

On one hand, Ei had explicitly forbidden him from seeing Miko in private. On the other, if he didn't accept the sachet...

[Yae Miko's favorability +2%, currently 17%]

[Note: a sly invitation]

While Baichen hesitated, a commotion suddenly arose at the garden entrance.

Miko reacted swiftly, stuffing the sachet into his robes. "It seems our date will have to wait~"

The moment she dissolved into a flurry of cherry blossoms, the Raiden Shogun appeared at the end of the path.

Today she wore a stately, elegant battle haori, and had clearly just returned from Ritou.

The haori was made of fine material and was deep in color, complementing her bearing and accentuating her upright figure, like a cherry tree blooming in the dark of night.

When her gaze fell on the plate of snacks before Baichen, her amethyst eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a nearly imperceptible expression.

Baichen's heart tightened, and he hurriedly answered, "The Guuji was here..." His voice unconsciously grew quieter, as if he had done something wrong.

Ei seemed not to notice his nervousness. She merely walked a few steps closer, then suddenly bent down and leaned toward him.

Baichen could feel her breath brushing gently against his cheek, bringing with it a faint fragrance.

Then she took a small breath, as if sniffing for something.

"The smell of sakuramochi." Her voice was low and gentle, yet it exploded like thunder in Baichen's ear.

Baichen instinctively touched the corner of his mouth. Sure enough, a few sakuramochi crumbs remained there.

Ei's gaze followed his movement to the crumbs at the corner of his mouth. Her lips curved slightly as she asked with a faint, ambiguous smile, "Did she feed it to you?"

The question caught Baichen off guard, and his heart suddenly raced. He opened his mouth, only to find himself at a loss for words, unsure how to answer.

As he hesitated, Ei suddenly reached out without warning and gently wiped the crumbs from the corner of his mouth.

Her touch was light, as if the crumbs were a precious treasure and she was afraid of hurting him.

Yet her fingers also carried an irresistible gentleness, like a spring breeze brushing his skin and leaving a tingling sensation behind.

Baichen looked at her in astonishment, having never expected her to do such a thing.

But something even more shocking was still to come.

After gently wiping the crumbs from the corner of his mouth, Ei put the crumb-covered finger into her own mouth without hesitation!

It happened so quickly that Baichen had no time to react.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment. Everything around him blurred, and only Ei's action stood out with extraordinary clarity before his eyes.

Baichen stared at her wide-eyed and incredulous, his mind blank, unable to understand why she had done it.

Her action was so natural, so casual, as though it were the most ordinary thing in the world.

"Too sweet," Ei remarked mildly, her voice calm and gentle.

Her gaze settled on Baichen, and the corners of her mouth rose in a faint smile.

Yet that smile struck him like lightning, making him dizzy.

It was as if the entire world had turned upside down at that moment. Baichen lost control of his body and could only stare at her, listening to her voice echo in his ears.

[Raiden Shogun's favorability +3%, currently 52%]

[New reward unlocked: Electro Affinity (intermediate)]

A powerful surge of Electro energy suddenly rushed into Baichen's body, racing through his meridians.

Pale purple markings appeared on his skin, then quickly faded. Ei watched with satisfaction.

"You're progressing quickly."

She turned to leave, but stopped again. "I have documents from Ritou to handle tonight. You..." She paused. "You are not to go stargazing at the tower."

Baichen stiffened all over. How did she know about Miko's invitation? Ei seemed pleased with his reaction, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly.

"I know the fox's tricks all too well."

After those meaningful words, she turned and strode away without the slightest hesitation.

Her steps were firm and forceful, as if conveying an irresistible resolve to Baichen.

As she left, her battle haori snapped in the wind. The sound, like her words, lingered in Baichen's ears, drawing him into thought.

Baichen stood there in a daze, clutching the sachet tightly. Suddenly, it felt unusually heavy, even a little hot to the touch.

He could almost feel her presence within the sachet, a sensation both warm and distant.

Baichen gazed at the sachet in his hand, his thoughts gradually drifting away.

That evening, Baichen removed the earring as agreed.

As the fragrance faded, an inexplicable sense of emptiness washed over him again.

This time, he immediately pressed the bite mark on his right ear. The faint tingling of Electro came as expected, dispelling the discomfort.

[Warning! Withdrawal symptoms intensifying]

[Recommendation: Reduce the frequency of earring use]

He ate dinner alone in his room.

When the maid brought his meal, she included a small note: "The tower, midnight. Be there or be square~" It was unsigned, but the playful tilde was unmistakably Miko's style.

After much hesitation, Baichen decided to take the risk and go.

The matter of the sachet was too important, after all. Besides... deep down, he really was curious about that so-called "most beautiful night sky in Teyvat."

When the midnight bell rang, Baichen slipped out of his room.

He had long since memorized the night patrol routes in Tenshukaku. With the help of his newly acquired affinity for Electro, he could even briefly blend into the shadows as he moved.

[Skill activated: Basic Elemental Concealment]

[Effect: Presence -30% while moving in shadows]

The tower stood at the westernmost end of Tenshukaku, and reaching it required crossing a long aerial corridor.

Just as Baichen was about to reach it, an unexpected figure blocked his path-Kujou Sara!

"Mr. Baichen," she said expressionlessly. "Where are you going so late?"

Baichen froze, his mind racing. "I... couldn't sleep, so I wanted to look at the night view."

Kujou's gaze fell on the sachet in his hand, and her expression grew complicated. "Did the Guuji give you that?"

Seeing that he couldn't hide it, Baichen had no choice but to nod. Unexpectedly, Kujou stepped aside to let him pass. "It's windy at the tower. Don't stay too long."

Her unusual attitude surprised Baichen.

But Kujou lowered her voice and added, "The Shogun actually knows you're coming... She just wants to know what you'll choose."

After saying those meaningful words, she slowly turned around, as if the whole world had gone still with her movement.

Moonlight poured over her like water, illuminating her pair of white wings. Their feathers gleamed faintly silver in the moonlight, like something out of a dream.

Baichen stood there in a daze, watching her retreating figure grow more distant, an indescribable feeling rising in his heart.

It was a complicated mixture of loss and relief, as if the string of the kite in his hand had suddenly snapped, sending it drifting into the distance while he could only watch it go.

After that moment of distraction, however, Baichen took a deep breath, stepped forward, and slowly pushed open the tower door.

The hinges creaked, the sound especially clear in the quiet night. Baichen climbed the stairs one step at a time, each step feeling as though he were walking on cotton, a little unreal.

When he finally reached the top of the tower, Yae Miko was already standing there quietly, like a beautiful statue.

Her long hair fluttered gently in the night breeze, complementing her magnificent attire and giving her an intoxicating air.

Today, she had changed into a starry-blue shrine maiden outfit, and her long pink hair hung loose, fluttering gently in the night breeze. When she saw Baichen arrive, she clapped her hands happily.

"I knew you'd come~"

"About the sachet..."

"That can wait~" Miko pulled Baichen over to the railing. "Look at this first!"

Following the direction she pointed, Baichen saw a sight he would never forget: countless stars formed a brilliant galaxy across the pitch-black night sky, while Inazuma's thunderclouds churned beneath it. Purple lightning and starlight shone against each other, like a miracle.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Miko leaned against Baichen's shoulder, her voice gentle. "Every time I see a night sky like this, I wonder... what's it like beyond Teyvat?"

The question sent a jolt through Baichen's heart.

Miko seemed to notice the change in his emotions, but she didn't press him. She simply leaned against him in silence.

After an unknown amount of time, she straightened up and took a small bottle from her sleeve. "Here. This is what can really neutralize 'Camellia Love.'"

The bottle contained a pale purple powder that gave off an aroma similar to the sachet's.

Miko explained, "Mix a little into your tea and drink it every day. After three days, it'll completely counteract the earring's effects."

"Why are you helping me?" Baichen couldn't help asking.

Miko's expression suddenly turned serious. "Because..." Her fingers brushed gently over his cheek. "I don't want to see you become someone's puppet either."

Her answer warmed Baichen's heart. Just as the atmosphere turned warm, Miko suddenly gave him a sly wink. "Of course, if you insist on repaying me..." She pointed at her lips. "A goodnight kiss would be nice too~"

[Yae Miko's affection +3%, currently 20%]

[Key item obtained: Antidote powder]

[Effect: Gradually eliminates the effects of the "Camellia Love" fragrance]

It was already late at night when he returned to his room. Baichen had just closed the door when he sensed a familiar fluctuation of Electro-Ei was sitting on the edge of his bed, playing with the sachet in her hand.

"Did you have fun?" she asked calmly.

Baichen's heart nearly stopped. "Ei... I..."

"I did not come to demand an explanation." Ei stood and tossed the sachet back to him. "The Guuji was right. 'Camellia Love' does indeed require an antidote."

She walked a few steps closer and suddenly pressed her hand against the bite mark on Baichen's right ear.

Electro surged into him, several times stronger than usual, bringing a tingling rush of pleasure. "But remember, my mark is the most effective antidote."

After those possessive words, she turned and left, leaving behind only the lingering traces of Electro in the room and Baichen's wildly pounding heart.

[Raiden Shogun's affection +4%, currently 56%]

[New reward unlocked: Electro Resistance (Advanced)]

Outside the window, the stars still shone brilliantly. Baichen rubbed the two marks on his earlobe, feeling the Electro energy flowing through him.

The system panel flickered before his eyes, displaying the changes in each affection level and the rewards available for exchange.

In this female-dominated Teyvat, Baichen seemed to have become the focus of a contest among the various powers.

And with the Romance System fully activated, that contest would probably only grow fiercer...

What would the outcome be...?