Rosalyne returned to her chambers, completely disregarding the earlier encounter with Scaramouche.
"Lady Signora, fresh intelligence has arrived regarding Mondstadt."
"Hmph. Has Barbatos finally fallen?"
"Uh... well..."
"Just leave it here."
"Yes, my lady."
Rosalyne poured herself a glass of wine, sipping it leisurely as she scanned the report.
As she read on, she abandoned her wine, her full attention riveted to the document.
When she reached the name of the sole casualty in the battle, the iron wine glass in her right hand crumpled under her grip, its metal twisted beyond recognition.
"Aaaaaaah! Barbatos, you worthless wretch!!!"
In her fury, Rosalyne swept everything off the table, even overturning the entire thing.
"Worthless! Bastard! You good-for-nothing parasite who can't do anything but drink!!!"
Still consumed by rage, Rosalyne began smashing everything in the room. The shattering and crashing sounds made the Fatui guards stationed outside the door avert their eyes, focus inward, and remain utterly silent.
After her outburst, Rosalyne slumped back into the only chair that remained unbroken.
"Heh, I told you so back then. That Anemo Archon you worshipped was a complete bastard. She knew nothing, yet you refused to listen and argued with me. Look at you now..."
"Protecting Mondstadt? What utter bullshit! It was this foolish notion that doomed you all. This is all that drunkard's fault!"
After muttering to herself, Rosalyne sighed deeply.
"If only you had listened to me and come to Snezhnaya back then, you wouldn't have died. Sacrificing everything for Mondstadt... was it really worth it?"
Rosalyne tilted her head back, gazing at the ceiling. A single crystalline tear trickled from the corner of her eye.
-
Liyue.
Those close to Mu Qingge and who interacted with her frequently noticed that she had become withdrawn and melancholy after returning from her "vacation" as Kaiyang.
She threw herself into work, working overtime day and night, as if trying to make up for the time she had taken off.
But the truth was far more complex. Everyone could see that something was weighing heavily on her mind.
Finally, after she had pulled two consecutive all-nighters, Ganyu approached her on a stone bench on Yujing Terrace.
"Qingge, what's wrong? Is something bothering you? Would you like to talk about it?"
"Ganyu..."
Dark circles were heavy beneath Mu Qingge's eyes.
"I'm sorry for making you worry. I just... I feel so restless. I can't sleep."
Ganyu sat beside Mu Qingge and gently patted her shoulder.
"Talking about it might help. I might be able to help you."
"Ganyu... do you remember Rola?"
Ganyu pondered for a moment. "You mean that lively, energetic girl from Mondstadt who was with you during the last Lantern Rite?"
"Mm..."
"What happened to her?"
"She's dead. She died during the recent calamity in Mondstadt."
"What? How could that be..."
Ganyu knew about the Mondstadt calamity—a monster uprising supposedly instigated by the Abyss, which had even resurrected a powerful Fell Dragon.
That little girl... she died in that disaster?
No wonder, no wonder Qingge had been so despondent lately.
"I... I'm so sorry. She was so young, so full of life..."
"I told her I'd avenge her."
Ganyu hesitated, studying Mu Qingge. "But the Abyss is so vast... how can you possibly avenge her alone?"
Mu Qingge stood up.
"The Abyss has always been our enemy. I'm merely adding another debt to their ledger of blood."
What she truly wanted to kill was Malice, but there was no need to say all that. This explanation was enough.
"Thank you, Ganyu. Don't worry about me. I'll get some rest."
Ganyu reached out a hand, but ultimately remained silent.
-
Liyue, prison.
"Lady Mu!"
"Where is Childe being held?"
"Due to his special status, he's being kept in the innermost cell."
"Give me the key."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Key in hand, Mu Qingge strode toward the innermost cell.
-
Tartaglia had already been imprisoned for over ten days. As a Fatui Harbinger, how could he possibly endure confinement so meekly?
At first, he'd assumed Liyue was just making a show of things, but he never expected them to keep him locked up for so long!
He hadn't even heard of any Snezhnayan envoys coming to demand his release.
What? Has Snezhnaya abandoned their Harbinger?
Tartaglia refused to wait any longer. If he didn't act now, who knew how long they'd keep him locked up?
After several days of reconnaissance, he had finally decided to break out today!
Escaping the cell itself wasn't the challenge. At this hour, three guards usually arrived with meals, whom he could easily dispatch in an instant.
The real challenge lay in the escape route beyond the cell door. When he'd been brought in, he'd noticed the numerous Millelith guards stationed outside.
Tartaglia wasn't worried about the Millelith themselves, but rather the powerful enemies their alarm might attract.
If she shows up, it's game over.
Footsteps suddenly echoed down the corridor, and Tartaglia immediately tensed.
Just one?
Perfect.
He inserted the key into the lock, opened the door, and struck in an instant.
Mu Qingge never expected to see such a scene when she opened the door. She immediately dodged sideways, her small hand, clad in a fingerless glove, clamping down tightly on Tartaglia's fist.
Tartaglia: !!!
How could it be her?!
The moment he saw Mu Qingge, Tartaglia knew he was done for. He tried to retract his fist, but it was already hurtling toward her face.
"What are you doing?"
"Ahem, just practicing my punches. Been cooped up for so long—gotta keep the body from rusting, you know?"
Mu Qingge released Tartaglia's hand.
"You were planning to knock out the guard and break out, weren't you?"
Tartaglia: "..."
You know already, why ask?
But he didn't dare say that aloud.
"Lady Mu, we were once friends, after all. I've done many terrible things to Liyue, but it was only because I was serving my master. Besides, as an envoy from Snezhnaya, it's hardly proper for your nation to keep me imprisoned like this..."
"No, it's perfectly justified. Based on your crimes against Liyue, you only need to serve a few more centuries."
Tartaglia's face twisted into a grimace.
"Lady Mu, you know me. I'm not inherently malicious. The things I did were beyond my control. Look..."
He leaned closer to Mu Qingge's ear, lowering his voice. "How about you quietly let me go?"
Mu Qingge's lips twitched. You're trying this on me?
"Impossible!"
"Sigh, alright then."
Tartaglia suddenly stretched lazily and lay back on the prison bed.
"Then I'll just rot here... It's a shame I'll never see my younger siblings and elder brothers and sisters again. And some people will never find such a worthy opponent for a fight..."
As he spoke, Tartaglia covertly watched Mu Qingge's expression.
Mu Qingge's forehead creased with black lines.
"Alright, alright, just go."
"Huh?"
Now it was Tartaglia's turn to be astonished.
"You mean... you're letting me go?"
"Yes."
"You're just letting me go like that?"
"Are you going or not?"
"Going, of course I'm going. But... why?"
Mu Qingge didn't bother explaining. She had come to release him from the start. Capitano had already compensated Liyue handsomely for their losses, and as Tartaglia himself had pointed out, keeping him locked up indefinitely wasn't appropriate.
As Kaiyang, she had the authority to do this.
After repeatedly confirming that Mu Qingge wasn't joking, Tartaglia decisively left.
"Thanks. I'll treat you to dinner next time."