Shao Yun drew a deep breath, his tone calm as he stated a fact.
"I married Lumine."
Noelle froze as if struck by lightning. Her body jolted upright, eyes wide with disbelief as she stared at him.
"What? Mr. Shao Yun and the Honorary Knight—married? When did this happen?!"
Seeing her agitation, Shao Yun gave a helpless smile and gestured for her to sit.
Realizing how badly she'd lost composure, Noelle panicked inwardly and hurriedly sat back down.
Then, full of confusion, she pressed, "I never heard about you and the Honorary Knight having a wedding… what's going on?"
To Noelle, marriage meant the cathedral of Favonius—but she'd never heard of such a thing.
Shao Yun patiently explained why he and Lumine hadn't held a formal wedding.
"To be precise, there was no ceremony. But it's already fact. You understand—travel doesn't leave time for such things."
"And then, Lumine's brother… all of that together meant we never held a wedding."
After listening, Noelle quietly sipped from her glass, letting the cool drink steady her heart against the weight of his words.
Unbidden, her mind filled with images of Shao Yun, Lumine, and Paimon together.
Watching the way those three lived as one, a sudden thought struck her.
Hesitantly, she asked, "So… is Paimon your daughter?"
At that, Shao Yun waved it off quickly. "No, no, you've misunderstood. Lumine and I made it official only after the Weinlesefest—before heading to Inazuma."
It wasn't strange for Noelle to think so. Without explanation, many might misinterpret Paimon's place by their side.
Even back at the Rite of Descension, some people had thought the same.
When Noelle heard that his relationship with Lumine had only solidified after the Weinlesefest, her expression faltered with faint disappointment.
"So… that night when I held you and cried—you and she hadn't… fully decided yet?"
She had thought herself too slow, missing her chance at his heart.
Shao Yun watched her carefully, then lifted his glass of dandelion wine and took a slow sip, savoring the bitter fragrance as it warmed down his throat.
After a pause to gather his words, he explained patiently, "It's not like that. Let me put it this way—when I first saw Lumine, I knew no other girl could draw me in as she did."
"Much has happened since. But I feel like the luckiest man alive. No one else could enchant me as she has. For her, I would kill. For her, I would die."
He noticed Noelle's eyes glistening as if she might cry, and he stopped short, asking softly, "Do you understand?"
Noelle's mind drifted back to the Weinlesefest.
The Lawrence family kidnapping Paimon. Lumine sobbing on the sofa.
Lowering her head, she nodded faintly, sniffing.
"I think… I understand."
Seeing she grasped his meaning, Shao Yun asked directly, "I've said my piece. Do you still want to say yours?"
Noelle wrestled with herself for a moment.
Then she lifted her head, fixing her gaze on him. "Yes. I don't want to leave it unsaid."
Placing her hand firmly over her chest, she let her feelings pour forth.
"I like you." Though her voice was soft, it rang with conviction. "Even knowing you're with the Honorary Knight—if I don't say it, I'll regret it for life."
She went on to explain why her heart had turned toward him.
"At first, I didn't realize when it began. But lately, I've come to see—it started here."
Looking around at the familiar wall top, she drew a breath. "Do you remember that day? You taught me to protect myself."
"When the hilichurl army was about to attack Mondstadt—you told the knights to send me back to the headquarters. Because it was too dangerous here. Because you cared about me."
Shao Yun nodded calmly. "I remember knocking you out. But you came back anyway—and saw things you shouldn't have seen."
He meant the Fatui's massacre of the Favonius knights.
Noelle recalled the night, continuing, "When I was at my lowest, it was you who comforted me. You who destroyed the Fatui and killed them."
Her voice filled with admiration. "Later, Captain Kaeya and Miss Lisa told me—you did it for me."
"Kaeya said he saw it in your eyes—that you wanted to protect me."
Finally, she spoke the words that had weighed on her.
"Ever since, whenever I think of you, I remember the way you stroked my head and soothed me. I think—that's what bards mean when they sing of love. So, I used the knight's exam as an excuse to invite you and the Honorary Knight here. I meant to tell you secretly… but she didn't come, and I thought…"
Shao Yun listened silently, then cut in gently. "I understand. But Lumine and I are already—"
Noelle interrupted urgently. "I know. I won't try to come between you. I just had to speak my heart."
Helpless, he let her continue.
"But now that I know you and she only made it official after the Weinlesefest—I have one question."
Her expression grew solemn. Her eyes shone with nervous hope.
Drawing courage, she asked, "Did you ever think of me the way you think of the Honorary Knight? Please, tell me the truth. I don't want lies."
Shao Yun's expression grew heavy. He lowered his gaze, choosing his words carefully.
"In my eyes, back then—you were like Klee. Innocent. Even if you'd cried in Kaeya's or Lisa's arms, they'd have done the same as I did."
He paused, then added, "Kaeya would've ruffled your hair and said, 'Troublesome, but what can you do when idiots don't watch their step?'"
"And Lisa would've laughed, 'Such pests… now they've made me angry.'"
"Would you have fallen for them too? You're only idealizing me."
Noelle shook her head fiercely. "I want your answer! Not what they would've done!"
Shao Yun met her insistence with blunt finality.
"I already have Lumine. There will never be anyone else. That's my answer."
Hearing the certainty in his words, Noelle whispered, "I see…"
Relief mixed with quiet despair settled over her heart.
Shao Yun offered no platitudes about finding someone better. He knew his love for Lumine was absolute. There was no need to disguise it.
Even if some demon could rationalize it away—love was not only reason. Humans were ruled by feeling.
To him, Noelle could be like Klee. But she could never be Lumine.
He looked at her steadily, his voice low. "Now that you've said what you needed—do you feel lighter?"
Her smile was forced, but her eyes betrayed sorrow she could not hide.
She tried to sound cheerful, but her trembling voice exposed her heart.
"Yes. Lighter."
Quickly, she shifted the subject.
"Let's eat before it gets cold. Cold food won't taste as good."
She stuffed her mouth hastily, hiding her pain.
"This is a victory feast, not a confession. Priorities, right?" she joked with her mouth full.
Watching her put on a brave face, Shao Yun felt the urge to comfort her.
But he stopped himself. To do so might only give her false hope.
So instead, he said flatly, "You're right."
The firmness in his tone froze her mid-bite.
Her bright eyes fell to her plate, where droplets sparkled like fallen rain.
But the skies were clear—why was it raining?
A strange feeling crept up her cheeks.
When she touched them, she realized—the rain was her own tears.
Startled, she wiped frantically with the back of her hand, grasping for excuses.
"It's nothing. Sand in my eyes. I'm not crying." She tried to sound steady, but her voice quavered.
No matter how she wiped, the tears flowed on.
Feigning composure, she muttered, "The wind's mischievous today—keeps blowing sand in my eyes."
Shao Yun thought of shifting the subject to Barbatos—how the god loved to tease maidens with tears.
But then he let it go. No one else was around. Let her cry.
"Cry if you need to. Growing takes time. You don't have to be an adult all at once."
Noelle froze at his words.
Then the dam burst.
Her tears cascaded freely, blurring the world around her.
No matter how she struggled for composure, she could not hold them back.
"I know all of this was one-sided… but I still can't help it—I just want to cry…"