Jean: Kairo, can we talk?
Under the night sky, Liyue Harbor was still buzzing with life.
Lights blossomed one by one along the streets. Tea houses and restaurants glowed warmly. A faint blend of tea, wine, and spices lingered in the air. At the harbor, the stalls near Third-Round Knockout were still busy serving customers. Even at this hour, the streets showed no sign of going quiet.
After a satisfying dinner at a street stall, Kairo, Ying, and Paimon once again headed for The Pearl Galley.
Even though Zhongli wasn't there this time, the attendants still welcomed them with great courtesy.
"Master Zhongli's spending from yesterday has already been recorded in our ledgers. Please, make yourselves at home."
One maid gave a polite bow, her voice soft and warm.
The implication was obvious: Zhongli's name carried enormous weight here—and his guests were treated accordingly.
Paimon puffed up proudly. "Hehe, that's Zhongli for you!"
Ying smiled faintly at the splendid flower boat anchored on the sea. "Then we won't hold back."
Only Kairo's expression was… complicated.
Don't tell me this tab is going on Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's account again…
Tonight, The Pearl Galley floated quietly on the gently rolling waves. Brilliant lanterns hung from the eaves and railings, reflections shimmering like fallen stars on the sea's surface.
Inside, music flowed softly, and the stage bustled with a new round of opera and dance. Actors performed Liyue's ancient stories with graceful movements and powerful singing. Every gesture carried the unique charm of Liyuean opera.
The three of them found a seat by the window, sipped tea, and watched the performance in peaceful comfort.
Paimon munched on freshly served snacks, speaking through a full mouth:
"This is… too nice…"
Ying stared at her, exasperated.
"Liyue nights really are something else, but didn't you just eat?"
"I just want a little something to go with the show…"
Time slipped by quietly as they soaked in the music and spectacle. It was late at night by the time they finally left the flower boat.
"I can't believe Zhongli didn't show up," Paimon grumbled as she floated along.
"I thought he'd come again tonight."
On the way back, the streets of Liyue Harbor had calmed down. Some stalls were packing up, the air still faintly scented with food and smoke. The night was quiet save for the distant whisper of waves and the occasional murmur of patrolling Millelith soldiers.
Paimon stretched lazily, hovering in the air.
"Speaking of which, we've been out all day, but where did Fischl and Barbara run off to?"
She scrunched up her face.
"Their rooms are right next to ours, but we haven't seen them even once today…"
Ying smiled lightly.
"Don't worry. They're not children anymore."
Paimon thought for a moment, then pouted.
"Fine… I just hope they're not getting into anything weird."
Soon, they returned to the inn.
The stairway was silent. Moonlight slipped through the windows, tracing a pale silver sheen along the wooden floor.
Kairo stopped at his room door and reached for the handle.
His hand froze.
The door… was slightly ajar.
A faint frown appeared between his brows.
He pushed it open.
A soft, sweet fragrance greeted him. The air in the room had clearly been disturbed. The furniture was exactly where he remembered—but everything looked a bit more… arranged.
There were delicate snacks laid on the table. The bedding had been subtly straightened. A thin, silk blanket had been added on one side of the bed. The whole room felt warmer and more intimate than it had that morning.
Someone's been in here… and deliberately tidied up?
The inn staff would never be this… thoughtful.
Kairo's gaze shifted to the bed—and he froze for a moment.
Curled up beneath the blanket was a small figure, breathing evenly in what looked like deep sleep. Only long, golden hair spilled out from the edge of the quilt, glimmering faintly in the moonlight.
"Fischl?"
He called quietly.
There was no response. The figure under the blanket only stiffened slightly, but didn't move.
Kairo arched a brow and let out a tiny, helpless sigh.
With practiced ease, he lifted the quilt and slipped under it—then gently pulled the girl into his arms.
The body in his embrace immediately tensed up. Kairo noticed something was… off, but his hands were already moving on instinct, seeking a familiar "position" from the previous night.
"Ah—"
A soft, startled sound escaped the girl's lips.
Kairo's eyelid twitched.
That voice… did not belong to Fischl.
Even the feel of her was wrong—softer, a little fuller, different in subtle ways.
He flipped up the blanket to look properly—and found Barbara staring back at him, her fair face faintly flushed, her brows pinched from the sudden pain and embarrassment.
She didn't say anything. Instead, she lifted her arms and shyly wrapped them around his neck.
Kairo: "…"
"So… what exactly is going on here?"
He stared at Barbara, feeling a headache coming on.
This setup was clearly premeditated. She'd been waiting for him.
This didn't feel like something Barbara would come up with alone.
"It was Fischl," Barbara admitted in a tiny voice, cheeks bright red.
"She said… you'd definitely like it if we did this."
Kairo: "…"
He pinched the bridge of his nose.
"No, what I want to know is, how did it even get to this point?"
"This isn't just a prank anymore."
Barbara lowered her gaze, voice barely above a whisper.
"Fischl told me… that your journey won't stop at Liyue. That you'll definitely move on to new nations someday. So if I don't seize the chance now, I might regret it forever."
She carefully studied his expression, eyes full of worry.
"I… agreed. If I missed the opportunity, I might never get another."
Her blue eyes shimmered with uncertainty.
"You… you don't like this? It's okay if you don't. I'll just…"
"It's not that I don't like it. It's just… sudden," Kairo sighed.
"You and Fischl… one dares to suggest, and the other actually does it?"
His expression turned a bit strange.
So this was the "gift" Fischl had been talking about yesterday? No wonder she'd refused to explain and just told him to wait.
Looking at the nervous Barbara, Kairo exhaled slowly.
At this point… retreating would probably carve a scar into her heart that would never quite heal.
She was still just a girl, no matter how strong she tried to act.
He gave her a reassuring look and gently pulled her closer.
The tension slowly melted out of Barbara's shoulders, replaced by a small, relieved smile. Her arms tightened around his neck, a faint tremble in her movements that spoke of both fear and anticipation.
For the rest of the night, words became unnecessary.
The details faded into the soft glow of the moon, the warmth of two people's closeness, and the quiet, hesitant courage of a girl who had decided to stake her feelings on this moment.
When everything finally calmed down and Barbara had fallen asleep, she lay quietly in his arms, her lashes trembling once or twice before settling.
Kairo looked down at her sleeping face and couldn't help but sigh softly.
"What a mess…"
He shook his head, closed his eyes, and let sleep claim him as well.
Outside the room, a figure who had been crouching near the door straightened up, a satisfied grin spreading across her face.
"Hehe… looks like everything went smoothly."
Fischl dusted off her skirt, eyes full of smug pride.
"Mission accomplished. Time to go to bed."
She slipped back into her own room with light footsteps.
The inn fell into true silence.
Morning light filtered through the window lattice, scattering golden patterns across the floor. A chill freshness clung to the air. In the distance, the cries of merchants and the horn blasts from the harbor announced the start of a new day.
Kairo slowly opened his eyes. His vision cleared—and he realized Barbara was already awake.
She lay nestled in his arms, blue eyes clear and bright, like morning dew. There was still shyness there—but beneath it, a quiet, resolute courage.
She didn't rush to move. Instead, she tilted her head slightly and smiled gently.
"Good morning, Kairo."
Her voice was soft and clear, like a morning breeze brushing against his ear.
Kairo blinked, then loosened his hold a little.
"You're up early. What are you thinking about?"
Barbara's cheeks colored slightly, but she quickly composed herself.
"I was… thinking about some things."
She edged a bit closer, her tone turning softer, almost like a secret just for him.
"Fischl was right. With someone like you… I think, if I don't hold on tight, I'll regret it."
Kairo's eyes flickered, taken aback.
Barbara's face reddened even further, but she didn't back away. She bit her lower lip, choosing her words carefully.
"Fischl also said… the earlier you leave a mark on someone's heart, the deeper the memory will be."
Her fingers brushed gently against his cheek.
"You'll definitely travel to other nations later. You'll meet other girls, too."
Her voice grew quiet but firm.
"But I don't regret it. I just wanted to seize this chance… at least make sure you remember me."
Kairo looked at her, a complicated emotion rising in his chest.
This bright, gentle deaconess of the Church of Favonius—
in this moment, she was braver than most people he'd met.
She wasn't praying for fate to favor her. She was acting, taking control, even at the risk of getting hurt.
He sighed, then chuckled softly and ruffled her golden hair.
"You're bolder than I thought."
Barbara's face went scarlet.
"I-I'm not!"
She flailed a little, then quickly retreated, hiding under the blanket like a flustered little animal. Only the swirl of her golden hair stuck out.
Kairo couldn't help a quiet laugh. Beneath it, though, his respect for her grew a little deeper.
"Is this Kairo's room?"
A voice suddenly sounded outside.
Kairo's eyelid twitched.
That was Jean's voice.
Barbara's face went even redder. She clutched the blanket tightly and practically dove under it, burying her entire face.
"Yes, this is the room Mister Kairo is staying in."
That was the inn employee.
"If you need anything else, please let me know. I'll take my leave."
Footsteps faded away. Then came a polite knock at the door.
"Is Mister Kairo there? Are you awake?"
Jean's voice carried through the wood—gentle, but with a faint tension under the calm surface.
"I wanted to ask if you know where Barbara is. The staff said she and Fischl came here last night. I haven't seen her for two days now…"
Kairo: "…"
He glanced down at the very obviously present Barbara under his blanket.
He really wanted to say "no one's here."
But with the window still open from last night, all it would take was Jean checking the corridor or the courtyard to see he was clearly awake.
He couldn't pretend to be asleep.
"…I'm awake," he replied, after a moment.
"As for Miss Barbara—I haven't seen her."
He lowered his gaze again.
Barbara was frozen solid under the blanket, eyes wide, cheeks glowing like embers.
The image of Jean finding her walking out of his room flashed through his head. That would be… troublesome, to say the least.
"Is that so… Then, may I trouble you for something?" Jean continued, after a brief pause.
"I'd like to discuss a few things with you. About Liyue, about Mondstadt, and about the Fatui."
Stranded in a foreign nation, Liyue's political center swirling around her, Jean had few people she could truly speak to. In her mind, Barbara and Fischl were still children—not people she could lay heavy matters upon.
Only Kairo and the Traveler felt like proper sounding boards.
Kairo let out a silent breath.
If he refused now, Jean would probably feel even more isolated.
And she was Barbara's older sister.
He owed her at least a bit of help.
"Can we talk after breakfast?" Kairo suggested.
Jean answered without hesitation.
"Of course. I'll wait for you here."
Kairo: "…"
He had been hoping she'd go back downstairs.
Instead, she settled right outside his door.
"Do you happen to know which room Barbara is staying in?" Jean added, sounding like she'd just realized something. "I can wake her up first."
Kairo's eyelid twitched again.
If Jean went to Barbara's room and found it empty… then saw Barbara walk out of his room later… that would be impossible to explain away.
The only way was to make sure Jean wasn't anywhere near the rooms when Barbara eventually appeared.
"I'm not sure. You can ask the staff," Kairo replied, after a brief pause.
He met Barbara's panicked gaze under the blanket and then said:
"You can come in, if you'd like. You sound anxious. We can talk now."
"Then excuse me," Jean said from outside.
For a moment, the tension in her voice eased.
In this unfamiliar city, with its wary Seven Stars and looming divine ceremony, Kairo was one of the very few people she instinctively trusted to understand what she was facing.
Whatever strange tone she heard in his voice earlier, she didn't dwell on it. Right now, what she needed more than anything was someone to talk to.
Especially with the news she'd received from Ningguang, their talks of cooperation—and that mysterious "Star Rail Pass" in Fischl's hands.
She had too many questions and nowhere safe to put them.
And so, with a quiet click, the door to Kairo's room began to open.
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