Inside Ruola's room at Dawn Winery.
Adelinde, the Head Maid, had cleaned it for the fourth time. She didn't let anyone else help, cleaning by herself, wiping the already spotless ornaments again and again.
Adelinde had been working here since Ruola was very young; she had watched Ruola grow up little by little, seeing her become more and more beautiful.
At that time, Diluc didn't quite know how to take care of girls, so she handled many things.
In Adelinde's heart, Ruola was more than just the young lady of her employer's family.
Adelinde had already prepared the raw ingredients for many of Ruola's favorite foods, just waiting for her to come back so she could cook for her.
But now, there would never be another chance...
She had only returned from Mondstadt City yesterday, and she would always subconsciously come to Ruola's room to clean for her.
Adelinde's gaze suddenly fell on a photo frame by Ruola's bedside. It was a drawing Ruola had made when she was ten, depicting Lord Crepus, Diluc, and Ruola.
The drawing was not perfect, but Lord Diluc and Miss Ruola loved it very much at the time, so Lord Diluc had it framed and placed in Ruola's bedroom.
Adelinde caressed the drawing, sighing repeatedly in her heart.
What a good person Miss Ruola was! Why did fate have to play such a trick on her?
"Ruola, I hope you can be happy over there too, eat well, sleep well..."
Adelinde suddenly heard a sound from downstairs. She put down the picture frame and went down.
"Lord Diluc, you're back?"
"Have you not rested at all?"
"I can't sleep."
It would be dawn soon, but Adelinde wasn't sleepy at all.
"Lord Diluc hasn't eaten yet, has he? I'll go prepare it now."
"No need, you go rest."
Adelinde didn't leave. She looked at the haggard Diluc and finally couldn't help but say:
"Lord Diluc, I think Ruola would definitely not want to see you like this either."
Diluc was slightly stunned, suddenly remembering that whenever he stayed up late, Ruola would come to urge him to sleep, always saying that early to bed and early to rise was good for health.
"I understand. Go down and rest..."
Seeing that Diluc had truly listened, Adelinde also left the place.
After Adelinde left, Diluc took a shower, and then, as Ruola had said, he obediently went to sleep.
By the time Diluc woke up again, it was already night; he had slept for an entire day.
After a simple wash, Diluc called Adelinde, Elzer, Connor, and others, entrusting them with the full management of the winery's business. These people were Diluc's long-time employees, trustworthy.
"Lord Diluc, where are you going?"
"You don't need to concern yourselves. Just do as I've instructed."
After Diluc left, the few of them exchanged glances, and finally, Adelinde spoke:
"Let's do as Lord Diluc said. Miss Ruola's departure has been a great blow to Lord Diluc. We just need to do our part."
---
Diluc went to the cellar.
This was his other cellar, not the one Ruola had emptied.
Looking at these precious vintage wines he once valued, Diluc truly thought, if Ruola could come back to life, no matter how much wine she wanted to move, he would find it for her!
Diluc moved a box from the corner and opened it. Inside was a set of clothes, a vibrant red.
Crimson Witch of Flames!
Diluc changed his usual easy-to-manage low horsetail into a high horsetail that was more convenient for action. Dressed in the Crimson Witch of Flames, he looked like a messenger in the night.
He hung his sister's Vision on his other hip and left Dawn Winery as night fell, embarking on a path with an unknown future.
On this journey, either Malice would die, or he would perish!
---
At the same time, in the Player World.
The official Genshin Impact website, which rarely released information, suddenly published a piece of news, along with an illustration.
It was a picture of Diluc wearing the Crimson Witch of Flames and holding the Wolf's Gravestone Claymore.
As soon as the image was released, its views quickly surpassed a million.
This was because, below the illustration, there were a few small lines of text:
His sister was harmed by the Abyss. He finally stopped compromising, donned this attire, and became a messenger in the night, determined to avenge her!
Netizens, who were already attacking mhy over Ruola's death, saw this image and immediately shifted their focus, all flocking to the comments section below the picture to discuss.
: "Don't think this will make me forgive you! Give me back Ruola!!!"
: "Go, Brother-in-law! You must avenge Ruola and destroy that scoundrel!"
: "So Grandfather is this handsome? Forgive me for misjudging him before."
: "I knew it! How could Diluc, who collapsed like that after Ruola's death, do nothing? Now he's finally here!"
: "Good! I'm going to use this skin to kill that scoundrel!!!"
---
It's hard to imagine how much mhy would earn when this outfit went live, given such immense popularity.
---
Teyvat, Mondstadt.
Many people attended Ruola's funeral, but Diluc was the only one absent.
After Ruola's death, Noelle had kept herself locked at home.
Slowly, she seemed to understand what Acting Grand Master Jean had said she and Ruola had always lacked. Before, she couldn't see it or realize it, but on the night her good friend passed away, she finally understood.
Paimon held a Windwheel Aster in each of her small hands.
When she was with Ruola, she had said she loved Windwheel Asters because they only grew in windy places, and windy places were where Mondstadters loved to be most.
Paimon still hadn't recovered. Every time she thought of Ruola, she would secretly hide away and cry, then reappear before Lumine with red eyes.
After the funeral, Lumine and Paimon left Mondstadt City.
Mu Qingge returned to Liyue the day after she left the church that night.
"Traveler, when Paimon sees that hateful guy again, Paimon will bite it to death, even if it's just with her mouth!"
Lumine forced a smile. When she saw that guy again, she wouldn't let him off either!
"You two, interested in a chat with me?"
"Dain?"
Lumine looked at Dain, saying nothing.
"Apologies, I was battling the Abyss at the time and couldn't break away."
"You said, Abyss?"
Now, Lumine had an immediate reaction when she heard those two words. The Abyss, they killed Ruola!
They killed her good friend!
"Lastly, I want to ask you one thing: Is the Abyss truly related to Aether?"
This time, it was Dain's turn to be silent. After more than ten seconds, Dain finally spoke:
"Aether, he is now the Prince of the Abyss."
Lumine's hand, resting by her thigh, clenched into a fist.
"When you were fighting that guy, I found Aether and asked him for information about that guy. Unfortunately, Aether did not give me a direct answer."
"Afterward, I used special means to track that guy's movements and set an ambush near Stone Gate. Unfortunately, that guy escaped. Its abilities are indeed very strange, and it's no wonder it could evade the Anemo Archon's perception."
"I'm just telling you what I know. As for whether that guy is related to Aether, it still needs to be verified."
Lumine looked at Dain seriously:
"I want to see Aether. Do you have a way?"
"I don't know his current location, but his Abyss Herald subordinates are most likely in the ruins where you previously saw the inverted statue."
"Good, let's go now!"
From Lumine's reaction, Dain knew what she was thinking. Aether's eyes had been blinded by hatred, and perhaps his sister was the last person who could help him.
.
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