Lydia returned to her room and closed the door behind her.
She patted the dust from her skirt, then turned and skipped over to the vanity.
The mirror, polished to a brilliant shine, clearly reflected her long, snow-white hair.
Lydia reached up and gently adjusted her bangs.
Gazing at the still-watery, large eyes in the mirror, she couldn't help but curl her lips into a smile.
"Tsk, still so pretty!"
She leaned closer, winking at her reflection. Even the faint pink blush at the corners of her eyes was perfectly visible.
Then, she deliberately puffed out her chest... though the effect was minimal.
Her skirt swayed gently with the movement, revealing two neatly arranged Visions hanging at her waist.
After meticulously tidying herself up, Lydia touched the Visions at her waist and sighed deeply.
Upon learning that the Traveler was about to arrive in Mondstadt, Lu Qiuyun had transferred her main consciousness into this body.
According to the System, this world's plot was linked to a game in another world.
Her carefully designed "grand debut" had been flawless.
She just wondered what her appearance would look like to the players.
"System, is there a function to connect to that world? Like live streaming, or letting me play the version of Genshin Impact that has 'me' in it?" Lydia asked inwardly.
[Reply to Host: This function requires Emotion Points to unlock.]
After learning how many Emotion Points were needed, Lydia glanced at the slowly accumulating total.
She sighed deeply again, like an old man weathered by the ages.
It seemed that for the time being, she wouldn't be able to gauge the players' favorability toward her.
Given her "non-combatant" status, Acting Grand Master Jean and the others would never let her join the adventure to the Four Winds Ruins.
Rather than sit bored in the cathedral, she decided to help the citizens repair buildings damaged by the hurricane.
If I build up more favorability, it might come in handy someday, right?
With this thought, she pocketed her two Visions...
...and once again found a new route, slipping out of the cathedral while avoiding the nuns' gazes.
Lydia expertly leaped down from the high wall and made her way to Wagner's blacksmith shop.
The ground was littered with scattered ore and forging tools, causing Wagner to sigh repeatedly as he squatted on the ground.
"Uncle Wagner, let me help you!" Lydia volunteered eagerly.
"Oh, it's you, Lydia! No, no, you don't have to!" Seeing her approach, Wagner quickly waved his hands and stepped in front of her. "You've already helped me so much before, and I haven't even properly thanked you yet."
Skipping prayer time was undoubtedly disrespectful to the Anemo Archon.
It was a well-known fact among the citizens of Mondstadt that the cathedral had such a "disrespectful" nun.
Yet, strangely, no one ever complained about this girl who "disrespected" the Archon.
This was because every time Lydia slipped out, she would claim she was just going out to play.
But in reality, whenever she encountered someone in need, she would always lend a hand, no matter how big or small the task.
Over time, Lydia's reputation grew.
And Wagner was one of the people she "visited" most often.
"Oh, it's no trouble at all!" Lydia rolled up her sleeves and skillfully sidestepped Wagner.
Before he could react, she had already started sorting the scattered ore into neat piles.
Working quickly, she found some rope and bundled the scattered tools together.
"You rascal, I don't know what to do with you," Wagner said with a helpless tone as he helped her.
Lydia just laughed and waved her hand. "Hehe, no need for thanks!"
Just as she was about to help straighten the shop's sign, she heard a familiar voice from behind:
"Lydia!"
Turning around, she saw Noelle in her maid outfit.
Noelle was carrying a bucket and a rag, her forehead smudged with dust—clearly, she had just finished helping someone else.
Seeing Lydia busy, Noelle joined the "battle" without a second thought.
With Mondstadt's two "little angels" working together, their efficiency immediately doubled.
Lydia held the sign steady while Noelle secured it with a hammer.
Lydia scrubbed the rust off the tools while Noelle polished the forging station until it gleamed.
In no time, the blacksmith shop was restored to its usual state.
"The Cat's Tail's cargo was scattered by the wind! Let's go help Margaret, okay?" Lydia suggested.
Noelle immediately nodded in agreement.
The two of them then rushed over to The Cat's Tail.
Watching them bustle about, Margaret couldn't stop smiling. "With you two around, Mondstadt will recover much faster!"
"As a thank you, would you two dears like to stay for a meal?"
"No need, Margaret!" Lydia declined with a smile, walking alongside Noelle toward Good Hunter.
-
On the way, Lydia couldn't help but rant, "Noelle, you have no idea! Not long ago, I was out in the wild and got chased by a horde of Hilichurls for hours!"
"There were even a dozen Mitachurls chasing me with flaming axes! I was so scared... sob T~T."
With each embellishment, Noelle's eyes grew wider.
Goodness, she thought, have the monsters near Mondstadt really gotten this ferocious lately?
If Lydia hadn't told me, I would never have known!
It seems I'll have to patrol outside the city more often. I can't let anyone get hurt by these monsters!
"Lydia, you're so brave!"
"Even I would panic if I had to face hundreds of Hilichurls."
Noelle's praise was completely sincere, without a hint of doubt about the story's truthfulness.
"Those Hilichurls are so despicable! Noelle, next time, will you come with me to chop them all down?"
Gazing into Lydia's sparkling, expectant eyes, Noelle nodded. "Of course. I'll help you get your revenge."
At that, Lydia became so excited she instantly hugged Noelle's arm.
"Noelle, you're the best! I knew you cared about me the most!"
Lydia switched into full-on cuddle mode, nuzzling her head against Noelle's shoulder.
She clung to Noelle's arm the entire way, even skipping as she walked.
Noelle felt a little flustered by the nuzzling, her ears turning slightly red.
"Don't get so excited, be careful not to fall."
When they arrived at Good Hunter, Lydia specifically ordered the Sticky Honey Roast she'd been craving.
Her face was soon slick with grease, but she didn't forget to place a piece of meat on Noelle's plate. "You have to try this! Sara's cooking is amazing!"
Noelle smiled and accepted it. They chatted as they ate, their conversation flowing from good books to Knights of Favonius training. The atmosphere was warm and lively.
After finishing their meal, Lydia let out a satisfied burp.
"Noelle, can I sleep over at your place tonight?" she suddenly proposed.
Noelle hesitated, recalling the times Lydia had overslept at her house before.
Without fail, she'd miss morning prayers at the Cathedral and, without fail, get a lecture from Sister Grace.
Noelle couldn't help but remind her, "You're not going to oversleep again, are you? If you get scolded, I won't be able to help you this time."
"Don't worry, don't worry! I absolutely won't oversleep this time!" Lydia patted her chest in assurance, her eyes filled with anticipation.
Noelle couldn't say no to her, so she reluctantly nodded in agreement.
That night, the two lay on Noelle's small bed, chatting until midnight before finally falling asleep.
The next morning, Noelle woke up right on time and turned to call Lydia.
"Lydia~ Time to get up! If you don't wake up now, you'll miss morning prayers!"
Lydia mumbled a groggy reply, rolled over, and immediately fell back asleep.
Noelle shook her head helplessly and went to wash up first.
When she returned, fully dressed, she saw a small lump under the covers.
Lydia was wrapped tightly in the blanket, looking like a little dumpling.
She was sleeping soundly, a trail of drool at the corner of her mouth.
Noelle glanced at the time and sighed in resignation. "Sigh... She overslept again, just as I expected."
She knew that when Lydia finally woke up, another painful memory of a scolding awaited her.
But seeing Lydia's peaceful, sleeping face, Noelle couldn't help but smile.
Oh well, I'll let her sleep in a little longer this time.
I'll go plead her case with Sister Grace later. After all, we're best friends.
Noelle tiptoed out of the room.
-
Time slipped by. The sun climbed high into the sky, marking noon.
Lydia rolled off the side of the bed and, still half-asleep, squirmed her way into the living room.
The first thing she saw was the clock on the wall.
Her squinted eyes widened in horror, and a massive shout startled the birds on the roof:
"I—O—VER—SLEPT—!"