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She knew the moment he said he's one of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers that she couldn't (shouldn't) trust him.
(Trust is a strong word, she shouldn't even consider working with him or accepting his help —is that really help or just him using her for his plan?— in the first place. But she did . She did accept his help. She trusted him..when she shouldn't have.)
He told her he's "kind of a bad guy" and that somehow makes her trust him (even just a bit).
(Is it his honesty? Does it count as honesty when he does deceive her in the end? When he does deceive her from the start until the end?)
(That part is true though, he is a bad guy.)
He told her he'll help her.
She should've known it's just a ruse, a plan to use her as a pawn for his grand plan, or for the sake of Her Majesty, the Tsaritsa like they all said.
But she trusted him. She willingly walked upon the path he created, as his pawn. She did found what the fatui are trying to do, all of those Sigil of Permissions, Ekaterina eavesdropping her, the battle.
They wanted Rex Lapis' gnosis.
Just like they took Venti's.
She should've known. After all, the fatui's goals are the Seven's gnosis.
She should've known..but why does she still going into the way he wanted?
The path he created for one of his pawn, not his friend, not his Ojou-chan (Does he ever think of her as his ?), not the Traveler , but just a pawn. A mere pawn, a disposable pawn.
Yet, she willingly walked on that path.
Because she trusted him.
..No, that's because she trusts him.. when she shouldn't have.
No matter what, the die is cast.
. . .
He knew the moment he tells her he's one of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers, he won't get her full trust or any of her trust at all.
Turns out she did trust him.. when she shouldn't have.
He thought she won't trust him at all, she shouldn't. Not after what Signora did to Barbatos on Mondstadt.
(He heard that she befriended Barbatos, she befriended an Archon. And the said Archon got his gnosis stolen by Signora —one of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers, one of his coworkers— and Signora also insulted and kicked the Archon. He wonders just how did she trust him so easily —is it really easy?— when his coworkers hurt her friends.)
He knew she is different but not like this . He doesn't think he can trust someone (or even their acquaintances) if they hurt one of his precious people.
If someone hurts his family..his baby brother..Teucer... He doesn't think they will leave alive after he's done with them.
So how does she did that? Trusting him, a cunning man who would use everything and everyone for the sake of Her Majesty, the Tsaritsa.
Heck, he did use her on his plan, deceiving her, pretending to befriend her..but she trusted him.
He couldn't help but notice her trust after she willingly goes with the Sigil of Permission he gave her. He could've given her a fake and she won't know until the adepti denied her (or even raged because she brought a fake).
They didn't even know each other that long when he gave her the Sigil of Permission. But she trusted him, and he repaid that trust that she gave easily with deceits, lies, manipulations, betrayals .
He shouldn't have to pretend to befriend her. He doesn't deserve that trust, he doesn't deserve being her friend (not even a pretend one).
She deserves better.
He shouldn't have cared about her, he's the 11th Harbingers. They aren't supposed to care about each other.
She's the light, the mysterious Traveler, the Hero of Mondstadt, and now Liyue's hero as well.
He's the darkness, the one who does the dirty works, the ruthless killer, the cunning man even his coworkers are wary of, a finely honed instrument of war, all for the sake of Her Majesty, the Tsaritsa.
They can't be together.
It's just impossible.
She's a thorn on Fatui's side.
And he's an enemy she should defeat for the sake of the world.
But, those times they spent together..makes him feel like them being together is possible. Makes him hoping that somehow, he can be together with her, he can be there to support her while battling, covering her back, being on the same side as her.
Not being on the opposite side where any wrong move can result in either of them gone forever.
But that's just another daydream he must forget before he reached Zapolyarny Palace, after all, he shouldn't think about their enemy in front of Her Majesty, the Tsaritsa.
In the end, she's still the hero, and he's the villain.
No matter what, the die is cast.