"Hehe~ So Captain Jean and Barbara are the Prince of Snezhnaya's almost fiancées, huh?"
The awkward silence inside the Favonius Cathedral was finally broken by Amber's playful teasing.
"Barbara, the way you were so careful treating His Highness—doesn't it look just like tending to a fiancé?"
"Be honest now, did you already know about this?"
Amber stuck out her tongue, grinning mischievously.
Barbara, thin-skinned by nature, instantly flushed red.
"P–Prince Severin, your wounds have been fully treated."
She tried to maintain a professional demeanor, but her flustered hands betrayed her inner turmoil.
Severin knew this was his cue to leave.
"Thank you, Miss Amber, for escorting me," he said calmly.
"And thank you, Miss Barbara, for the treatment. Your warmth has added an unexpected charm to my visit to Mondstadt."
"You're too kind, Your Highness," Amber replied cheerfully.
"We're glad to have met you as well."
Severin paused at the doorway.
"But once I step outside, I am still the Prince of Snezhnaya—and you remain members of the Knights of Favonius."
"So please don't naïvely assume I came here to make friends. After all, Captain Jean's sword still owes me an apology—one I have yet to receive. No explanation was ever given either."
With that, he turned away.
His cloak fluttered behind him as he descended the steps, leaving only a composed, distant silhouette.
The Tsaritsa's attempt to force Jean into marriage had always been political—
a bid to strengthen Snezhnaya through alliance.
Jean's response had been fierce resistance.
Yet no one had ever asked him—the Prince—what he thought of the matter.
"Your Highness, I noticed you chatting pleasantly with Miss Amber and Miss Barbara, so we waited outside the cathedral. I trust you won't blame us."
Waiting at the foot of the steps was the Mirror Maiden, bowing respectfully.
"Based on our assessment, neither posed a direct threat."
She had been alerted the moment Severin returned to Mondstadt.
When she heard rumors that he might be injured, she rushed over at once.
Only after learning that Barbara, the church's deaconess, had personally treated him did she finally relax.
Behind her stood several Fatui operatives stationed long-term in Mondstadt.
The moment they saw Severin, they dropped to one knee.
"Your Highness!"
Their voices trembled with excitement.
They were merely rank-and-file members of the Fatui.
Without this visit, they might never have laid eyes on the Prince in their lifetime.
To the people of Snezhnaya, Severin's status needed no explanation—
A household hero.
The architect of reform.
The Tsaritsa's most trusted pillar.
The spiritual banner of the rebellion against the Heavenly Principles.
"Rise," Severin said lightly.
"This is not Snezhnaya. Formalities aren't necessary."
Many believed the Prince was approachable because he disliked pomp.
The truth was simpler—
he had once been ordinary himself.
"Your Highness," the Mirror Maiden reported,
"Adviser Anastasia has followed your orders and gone to receive the shipment. She is expected to return to Mondstadt by tomorrow afternoon."
"Anything else?"
"Yes. Acting Grand Master Jean presented a compensation agreement this morning when our delegation entered the city."
Her tone sharpened.
"The demands are outrageous—pure extortion. Mondstadt's 'freedom' is… enlightening."
Severin flipped through a few pages, then asked casually,
"Do you have a pen?"
"Y–Your Highness…?"
She hesitated, then handed him a feather pen.
Without pause, Severin signed the agreement.
"Those who pride themselves on being 'civilized' make unreasonable demands only to bargain later," he said evenly.
"If we ignore it, we lose the moral high ground.
If we negotiate, we fall straight into her trap."
"No matter how much the compensation is reduced, they still profit."
"Jean believes herself invincible," Severin continued calmly.
"So let me see whether her ambition is large enough to challenge Snezhnaya's bottom line."
"Some people will never understand—
that unreasonable demands are a privilege reserved for true power."
Mondstadt, Summer Dusk
Golden sunlight bathed the city in warmth.
A gentle breeze drifted in from Cider Lake.
The Good Hunter bustled with customers.
Laughter rang out from the Cat's Tail, where Margaret mixed drinks behind the counter.
Starlight shimmered upon Starfell Lake.
Couples whispered together atop Starsnatch Cliff.
Inside the Knights of Favonius headquarters, Jean stood by the window, arms crossed.
Mondstadt's peace filled her with quiet satisfaction.
That sense of fulfillment washed away the exhaustion of the day and gave her confidence to face whatever came next.
Her gaze drifted to the portrait on the wall—
The woman honored as the Lion of the South Wind.
Vennessa.
A faint smile touched Jean's lips.
"If Lady Vennessa were still here," she murmured,
"she'd praise how I handled the Snezhnayan delegation today."
"I'm curious," said Lisa, adjusting her witch's hat,
"how the Prince of Snezhnaya plans to respond to your compensation agreement."
"Simple," Jean replied calmly.
"If Snezhnaya refuses, we hold the moral advantage.
If they negotiate, we bleed them dry."
"And if neither works," she added,
"the Prince will come to me. Either way, we gain momentum."
As they spoke, a knock sounded.
The door opened.
Kaeya stepped inside.
"What's wrong, Kaeya?" Jean asked.
"You don't look well."
"The Fatui just returned something," he said wryly.
"The compensation agreement."
Jean and Lisa exchanged a glance.
"So they refused," Jean said decisively.
"Good. Kaeya, issue a public notice immediately—"
"He signed it."
Jean froze.
She snatched the document from Kaeya's hand.
At the bottom of the page—
Severin.
Her thoughts spun wildly.
Why would the Prince sign?
Did he think she wouldn't dare accept the funds?
Or was this some deeper scheme?
Concern crept into her chest.
"Lisa," Jean said at last,
"what do you think?"
The librarian of the Knights—
the once-in-two-centuries genius of the Sumeru Akademiya—
fell silent.
This time, even Jean needed her wisdom to decide what came next.
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