TN: And we're back! sorry for the week long hiatus, it was not intentional since I had to get my right leg in a cast after tripping 3 floors down a stairwell (like an idiot ://) and be unable to use my PC setup upstairs BUT I should be OK now.
Anyways, Thanks for Arcanic Madness, WeissAkumu and WolfWTF for becoming as Supporters!
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Night enveloped the entire city, moonlight spilling over the grand structure of Hotel Debord, draping it in a layer of silvery glow.
At this moment, several people stood at the hotel entrance—it was Paimon, Chiori, and Eloffe, who had just finished dinner, along with Navia, who had generously treated everyone to the meal.
Paimon contentedly rubbed her belly, which was puffed up like a little ball from overeating, letting out satisfied sighs from time to time.
"Wow! I'm so full… thank you so much for the treat, Navia—burp~ I feel like my stomach's about to burst. I don't think I can even fly anymore!"
Beside her, Chiori gently touched her slightly rounded stomach. She and Eloffe had also thoroughly enjoyed the lavish dinner.
However, seeing that it was already quite late, Chiori felt it was time to head back. She smiled and bade Navia farewell.
"Then I'll take Eloffe back to Chioriya Boutique first. Thank you again for the meal, Navia."
With that, she led Eloffe and prepared to leave.
Navia waved enthusiastically at them and called out, "No need to mention it! Goodbye—let's hang out again sometime!"
At this moment, Paimon lifted her head and gazed up at the deep, mysterious night sky. A bright moon hung high above, dotted with a few twinkling stars. She spoke casually.
"Hmm… since dinner's over, does that mean we all head home now?"
No sooner had she finished speaking than she seemed to think of something. She turned toward Navia with a look of concern and asked carefully, "Um… Navia, do you want us to walk you home? It is already dark."
Navia chuckled softly, shaking her head as she waved her hand gracefully. "Hehe, no need to trouble yourselves. I'm not some timid child—I'll be perfectly fine going home on my own."
Suddenly, Navia's lively expression stiffened.
"Besides…"
She didn't finish her sentence, her gaze drifting involuntarily toward a corner of the street not far away.
Seeing this, Paimon's curiosity was instantly piqued. She hurriedly followed Navia's line of sight.
But the corner was completely empty—nothing unusual at all.
Paimon turned back in confusion and asked, "Navia, what are you looking at?"
Navia snapped back to her senses.
A trace of panic flashed across her face, but it was quickly concealed as she replied calmly, "Oh, nothing—just looking around. Oh, right, are you all planning to watch the trial tomorrow?"
As she spoke, she deliberately observed everyone's reactions.
Hearing this, Shao Yun pondered quietly.
With Yanfei handling everything, he figured there wasn't much he could help with even if he went, so he answered casually, "Well… I'm not sure yet."
"Maybe tomorrow I'll take Lumine and Paimon out for a picnic instead. After all, we've already done everything we could. Watching the trial probably won't make much difference."
Navia's expression instantly turned awkward.
She clearly hadn't expected Shao Yun to be so indifferent about attending the trial. She nodded stiffly and replied, "I see… alright then."
Still, a hint of disappointment lingered unmistakably in her eyes.
Lumine, who had been quietly observing from the side, noticed the subtle change in Navia's expression.
An idea struck her, and she smiled as she said, "Who knows what tomorrow will bring? Let's not decide too early. Maybe we'll change our minds and go watch it after all."
Navia smiled faintly and replied softly, "Mm, that's true. Then I won't keep you any longer—get some good rest!"
As they watched Navia's retreating figure, Paimon frowned and muttered quietly.
"Don't you think Navia's acting kind of strange today? It feels like she's hiding something… Should we follow her secretly and take a look? Maybe we'll find something interesting!"
Shao Yun quickly reached out to stop the eager Paimon and volunteered, "I'll go instead, Paimon. You and Lumine head home and wait for news. Leave it to me—I won't mess this up."
With that, he swiftly headed off in the direction Navia had gone.
Meanwhile, in a narrow passage between two apartment buildings, in a hidden corner few people ever noticed, Clorinde stood concealed, hardly daring to breathe.
But in the end, she couldn't escape Navia.
Navia suddenly appeared before her like a phantom, startling Clorinde so badly that her whole body jolted.
She quickly steadied herself, took a deep breath, and forced herself to remain calm.
Feigning composure, she asked, "Navia… how did you find me?"
Navia fixed her gaze on Clorinde, her expression indescribable.
After a moment of silence, she slowly explained, "I noticed you yesterday. I felt like someone was following me, so when I turned around, I saw the brim of your hat—you didn't hide it well enough."
Clorinde recalled the events of the previous night and shook her head helplessly. "I thought I hid myself well…"
Navia shook her head gently as well, concern and confusion flickering in her eyes as she asked softly, "Alright, let's put that aside for now. Clorinde, tell me—how are you feeling? Are you unwell anywhere?"
Caught off guard by the sudden question, Clorinde froze, momentarily at a loss.
She blinked her beautiful yet confused eyes and asked, "What do you mean, how am I feeling? Navia, what are you getting at?"
Navia crossed her arms, her expression both concerned and complicated.
Leaning in slightly, she lowered her voice. "If it were the usual you trying to track someone, you wouldn't have exposed yourself so easily."
"But look at how you were yesterday—you were completely distracted, like you were carrying heavy worries. That's why I was concerned you might be dealing with something serious."
She paused briefly, then continued, "I was curious at first, but when I read the newspaper today, I realized… you lost a duel yesterday. Is that why?"
Clorinde hadn't expected Navia to already know about it.
Still, she forced herself to remain composed and replied lightly, "Navia, you're overthinking it. Duels have winners and losers—it's perfectly normal."
"I've won plenty of times before. What's the harm in losing once? It doesn't mean I'll fall apart because of it."
Though Clorinde spoke with apparent ease, doing her best to hide her disappointment and frustration, only she herself knew how devastating the defeat truly was…
Having her weapon knocked away in front of a crowd—the humiliation was unbearable.
From yesterday until now, Clorinde had desperately wished that Shao Yun would have simply shot her then. At least that way, she could have preserved the last shred of dignity.
Seeing the tension still etched on Clorinde's face, Navia asked, "Are you really sure you're fine? Because you don't look convincing at all…"
Before she could finish, Clorinde shook her head sharply and cut her off. "I said I'm fine! Stop asking!"
"I'll walk you back to the Spina di Rosula. With Melus and Silver not around, it wouldn't be safe otherwise. Your safety matters!"
But upon hearing this, Navia rejected the offer without hesitation.
"No need. I'm not a child—this short walk is nothing for me. I'll be going now."
Navia refused so firmly not only because she believed she could manage on her own, but also because she still couldn't let go of the fact that her father, Callas, had died at Clorinde's hands.
Even though she knew there might have been hidden circumstances, the emotional barrier remained. The discomfort made her unwilling to continue the conversation any further.
And so, Navia turned and hurried away, disappearing beyond the alley before Clorinde could say another word.
Watching Navia's retreating figure, Clorinde let out a helpless sigh and silently gathered her scattered thoughts.
After finally steadying herself, she stepped out of the alley.
Who would have thought—she ran straight into Shao Yun.
Shao Yun hadn't expected Clorinde to emerge from the alley right after Navia. He had assumed she would slip away some other way…
Realizing there was no retreat now, turning back would only make him look ridiculous.
So, he braced himself, forced a calm expression, and greeted her with a smile.
"Hey, what a coincidence—we meet again!"
Clorinde's pupils shrank slightly as she stared at Shao Yun, disbelief written all over her face.
"It's you…"
She glared at him as if he were her sworn enemy.
Under that hostile gaze, Shao Yun felt a chill down his spine, though he still forced a casual tone and lied smoothly.
"Whoa, hey—don't look at me like that. I was just passing by to buy a few pairs of slippers."
Clorinde clearly had no interest in why he was there.
She brought up the shocking duel that had taken place at Poisson Harbor the day before.
"You humiliated me in front of everyone! As far as I'm concerned, you and I are enemies now—without question!"
Hearing this, Shao Yun thought to himself, Is this woman even more stubborn than Eula? I haven't even gone after the Hydro Archon yet—you should be grateful.
With that thought, he retorted bluntly, "At least your head's still on your shoulders."
"And who says you get to win forever? You've knocked weapons out of plenty of people's hands in duels before. So, it's fine when you humiliate others, but unacceptable when it happens to you? I didn't strip you naked and throw you into the street—what's the big deal?"
His words left Clorinde speechless.
If others could do it, why couldn't he? Was Clorinde really such a perpetual victor that she couldn't accept defeat?
Those words struck home, and Clorinde gradually calmed down, emerging from her anger and resentment.
She recalled duel after duel from her past—whether wielding a longsword or a firearm, she had disarmed countless opponents to claim victory.
Those memories surfaced one by one, drawing her into deep reflection…
Finally, Clorinde slowly raised her head and spoke with acceptance. "You're right. 'There are no relatives on the dueling field'—and we're nothing more than strangers."
"I lost that duel. There's nothing to complain about or cling to. This is the resolve a Champion Duelist should have."
Yet as soon as she finished speaking, she muttered softly, almost unconsciously.
"Still… the words you used back then really did capture exactly how I felt at the time…"
Taking a deep breath, Clorinde forced her turbulent emotions to settle.
She looked up at the night sky, where stars shimmered like gemstones embedded in black velvet, serene and mysterious.
Under the cover of night, Clorinde stepped forward, bowed slightly before Shao Yun, and expressed her gratitude sincerely.
"Thank you for setting me straight. Without your words, I don't know how long I would have been trapped in my own emotions."
Seeing her reasonableness, Shao Yun—out of that unspoken camaraderie between gunslingers—remarked with a hint of sentiment.
"Accepting loss is a virtue, second only to faith, punctuality, or cleanliness."
"Honestly, I quite like your straightforward nature. I've seen far too many people who can't accept defeat and only make a mess of things."
With that, Shao Yun turned to leave.
But just before departing, he added politely, "Maybe in a few days, if we happen to run into each other again, I could treat you to a cup of coffee."
"We could chat about how Teyvat keeps turning—haha!"
"But for now, I'd better head home. My wife and kids are still waiting for me."
Though Shao Yun's words were casual and half in jest, Clorinde etched them firmly into her heart.
She watched his retreating figure without blinking until it vanished into the vast night.
"A cup of coffee… hmm, I'll remember that."
===BREAK===
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