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“Don't wander too far, Klee.” Jean called out to the little girl sprinting off after receiving the permission to explore. An amused smile teased her lips at the sight of the child hopping about while running, only to spin her small arms for balance when she noticed something shiny. It was a good idea to bring Klee along on her trip out of Mondstadt. Keeping her in solitary confinement - or grounded as Kaeya liked to call it - only seemed to make the pyro knight even more prone to build bombs and blow up things. After all, out here with huge swaths of open space, there's time for her to resolve any potential accidents that could occur.
So while Klee was still in her line of sight, she took out her notebook and made notes. The environment outside of the city walls don't change all that often, but every now and then, they'd need to do a full check to ensure that areas remain safe since they were based on periodic travel information. It wouldn't do for hilichurl camps to suddenly be present in routes that they recommend to traders or tourists. Even adventurers of lower rank used these notes to guide their path, avoiding areas with samachurls or mitachurls.
Quickly writing in shorthand about the notable things around Springvale on the way to the Dawn Winery - she'll cross check it later with the official maps, she gradually walked up the grassy path between the two dirt roads, sketching and marking things as she went along. She stopped upon reaching the base of the Archon statue, reviewing the information to make sure she didn't miss anything or made incorrect notations.
She had just placed her things back when she heard the telltale sound of Klee’s tiny bombs exploding. There wasn't supposed to be any monsters in this area. Whipping her head following the noise, she quickly sprinted towards the tiny wisps of smoke coming from below the hill’s edge. She dove down, readying her sword and vision to deal with any threats.
Her blue eyes widened further at the sight below her. Little Klee flat on her butt staring up in fear at the adult staring down at her. Diluc. Jean would recognize that shade of red anywhere. Unsummoning her blade, she opened her glider for a beat when she was one foot from the ground, riding the rebound and allowing her land into a jog towards the two.
“Klee!”
The girl in question immediately stood up and ran past the stern adult, going to Jean and hiding behind her legs, one eye peeking out to the side to observe the red haired man.
“Good afternoon, Si - um, Diluc.” Jean greeted her former superior - receiving a nod in return - before twisting and crouching to address the Spark Knight. “Klee, what happened? I heard an explosion.”
“Umm….It was an accident.” Klee mumbled against her leg. “I saw a shadow and got scared.”
“You threw a bomb at Diluc?” Jean turned to scrutinize the man in question if he was hurt in any way. Aside from the slight singe at the left edge of his coat, he seemed fine.
“I'm fine.” Diluc crossed his arms defensively at the assessing gaze. Jean opened her mouth but didn't manage to get a word out when a tug at her cape pulled her attention back to the small child.
“Klee’s sorry!” The fire red eyes shined with unshed tears, her speech reverting back to third person whenever she was emotionally stressed. “Klee didn't mean to throw it! Please don't punish me!”
Jean gave a heavy sigh and placed both hands gently against Klee’s shoulders.
“We'll discuss this once we're back in the city. If you want to continue exploring, you'll have to promise me not to use any of your bombs. The route we're taking is often used by people. We can't risk any of your treasures causing rockslides or potholes.”
During the entire sermon, Klee went from tearful to excited and then she nodded vigorously to agree with the rules. As long as she didn't have to go back to Mondstadt immediately.
“No more bombs. I promise!” With that, she tried running off again but braked - almost dislodging her hat - when Jean called her out again.
“Are you forgetting something?” The acting grand master tilted her head towards Diluc at Klee's confused face.
“Oh!” Little feet padded forward until she was right in front of the other pyro user, gulping slightly when she peaked up at the serious look on his face.
“Umm….” Klee hesitated for a bit, fingers grasping at her dress, but glancing and seeing the expectation on Jean's face made her push through her fear. “I'm sorry I threw a bomb at you.”
Klee waited for the older man to react, unnerved at the silence. All her apologies usually got an indulgent acceptance or further reminders not to go too far. But the serious, assessing expression leveled on her only made her more jittery.
“Be careful not to blow up anything at the Winery. If you want to use your bombs, do it at the lake.” The deep voice was so unexpected following the stifling atmosphere that Klee blinked fast, mind quickly processing the words. Once she understood, she turned to her guardian, the question obvious in her expectant face. When Jean gave a sigh and nodded, a cheerful grin bloomed on her face.
“OKAY!” She was running off before even finishing the word and before they knew it, the two adults were alone, the only thing they could see was a tiny red thing in the distance.
“Are you sure she can use her bombs at the lake? They have quite a wide range, you know.” Jean walked in step with the Ragnvindr heir following the dirt path, clasping her hands behind her. It was rare for them to meet these days, even rarer to have any sort of conversation where other people weren’t around.
“I’ve used Dawn from the lake before. Even that range wouldn’t reach any of the winery’s vineyards.”
The blonde hummed at the response, falling silent. They continued on towards the winery at a leisurely pace, neither of them in any sort of rush. The acting grand master was just happy that there wasn’t any form of explosions (literal or verbal) happening around her. She could see the vineyards at the corner and fully relaxed, thinking today would be a fairly peaceful day. That was, until a loud boom followed by a geyser rose up in front of them causing water droplets to rain down on the area.
She dashed forward, terrified that Klee’s new experiment might have hurt any bystander or herself. How did she even get that far that fast? The distance from the winery to the lake would take more than a few minutes at least.
“Klee! Are you hurt?”
She dove through the smoke cloud and reached the coughing, wet, soot-covered girl in a mad sprint, kneeling in front of her to check for any burns or bruises. She gave out a huge sigh of relief when it seemed that the girl was perfectly fine, if quite a bit dirty.
“What did you do? Your explosions are normally not so big.”
“It’s an experiment. Sucrose and Albedo said that I could add some of the special oil they made so that it makes a bigger boom!”
The excited gleam on the girl’s eye turned to contrition when Jean asked if Albedo or Sucrose told her to only do experiments with their supervision. She was still chiding the young girl when Diluc finally reached them after checking to make sure that all the employees in the winery were all right, the smoke having been cleared by the gentle wind.
“Is she alright?”
“Oh! She’s fine. A little dirty, but unharmed.” Jean turned at the concerned tone and tried to reassure the winery owner. “I wouldn’t want to impose, but is it possible…”
“Both of you can freshen up at the winery.”
“Both?” The blonde questioned before looking down at her attire. It seemed that the dirt and dust from the explosion had settled itself on her clothing as well. “Ah...thank you. We’ll take you up on that offer then.”
Jean opened her arms out for Klee to hop on, ignoring the pout she received. She sternly reminded the girl that enough damage had been done and to behave for the rest of the day.
With that the three made their way back to the winery, causing some of the workers to double take at the trio. If it weren’t public knowledge that the Ragnvindr heir had been away from Mondstadt for the past few years and that the little girl was far too old to be their child, the grapevine would have exploded with gossip. Still, they did make a pretty picture stroding up the pathway leading to the main door.
“Sir.”
Adelaide barely managed to greet them when Diluc asked her to lead their impromptu guests to a room where they could get cleaned up. The head maid gave a quick bow and gestured for Jean to follow her, with Diluc mentioning that he'll wait for them at the seating area near the fireplace.
It was a while later that Diluc looked up from his discussion with Elzer, seeing Jean slowly come down the stairs. She'd forgone her military uniform and chose a simple white long-sleeved blouse matched with comfortable slacks. This was a side of the Acting Grand Master that wasn't often seen. Even knowing her for so long, she was so rarely out of uniform.
“Ah, Lady Gunnhildr,” Elzer stood up and greeted cheerfully, “It’s been quite a while. I hope you and your ward found everything alright?”
“Please, just call me Jean. And yes, Klee will be down soon once she's finished packing up her stuff and we'll be on our way.”
“So soon? You're welcome to join us for dinner and stay the night.”
“Oh, no, we already took advantage of your hospitality with no prior notice. We do have reservations back in Springvale.”
“Please, I insist. With the distance from here to Springvale, you'd be traveling in the middle of the night. With how young the child is, she might fall asleep on you halfway through.”
“Just stay. You can make your way back to Mondstadt tomorrow.” Diluc finally interjected before she could reject the offer again.
At the continued combined insistence of the two men, Jean finally conceded, promising to leave at the break of dawn.
As Elzer went away to speak with the maids to prepare a few more seats for dinner after Jean clarified that both she and her ward had no specific dietary requirements, aside from Klee's preference for any sort of fish or mushroom dishes, she made herself comfortable at the other chair in front of the fireplace, gratefully accepting the warm mug of cocoa provided by a passing maid.
Silence reigned for a bit with only the crackle from the fireplace and rustle of paperwork being heard. She lifted the cup to her lips to take a sip, eyes glancing at the redhead that was buried in letters and numbers. She didn’t realise that Diluc was involved in the management of the winery. With his shifts in the tavern and his nightly escapades - which everyone probably thought she wasn’t aware of, it was assumed that Elzer took over everything that had to do with the Ragnvindr business.
She lowered the mug and was about to broach the topic of Mondstadt's Darknight Hero, having to resist snorting at the novel-esque title, when quick footfalls on wood captured both of their attention. The sight of Klee jumping down the stairs made Jean anxiety grow. She knew how many bombs were in that little pack. The thought of them bumping together and exploding never stopped making her worry for the girl's safety.
“I'm ready!” Klee stopped right in front of Jean, arms wide, balancing herself from the run. However, the bounce and speed of her pace made the haphazardly worn hat fall off her messily tied hair.
Eyes twinkling with mirth, Jean placed her mug on the table, careful not to jostle the paperwork piled on it. With a short eye contact with their host who directed them to the chaise on the far side of the hall, she grabbed the hat and took Klee's hand, moving to help fix up her hair.
Pulling out a small comb from the pack, she directed Klee to sit in front of her, answering her rapid-fire questions while adjusting the strands to their signature hairstyle.
“We're staying here for the night and go back to Springvale tomorrow.”
“I'm not sure what we'll have for dinner. We'll see when it's served.”
“No, I think we've had enough adventure for the day, don't you think?”
Ignoring the pout directed her way, she folded up the hat, removed Klee’s gloves, and placed them carefully into the bag. There was no need for it when they would be indoors for the rest of the night.
The scent of cooked dishes slowly wafted through the room as Elzer came back accompanied by Adelinde and the other maids of the Winery. Jean and Klee walked over - or jogged in Klee's case - to the dining table, with Jean tapping Diluc to pull him out of his concentration on the papers, especially after seeing the warning that started to build in Adelinde’s gaze.
Once everyone was seated, Adelinde directed the other maids to set down the dishes and then bowed to excuse herself. Before taking their leave, one of the other maids, Hillie, brought a cushion for Klee so that she could reach the utensils on the table without having to stand on her seat.
“Fish and mushrooms! Thank you!” The loud exclamation followed the maids back and they had to hide fond smiles and giggles that got caught before the door finally closed. Jean hid a smile behind her hand as Klee dug in with gusto, lifting her eyes away to see the exasperated but resigned look at her previous superior’s face. The apologies that were building in her throat got stuck when he met her stare, sharing a silent amused conversation without the need for words.
Her shoulders slowly relaxed with the realisation that they weren’t irritating their host, finally able to focus on her own meal and hold small conversations with Elzer. It had been some time since she last spoke with the Wine Guild’s chairman, back when she wasn’t so busy and would frequent the noble’s social circle as expected of her status.
The topics discussed were tame: how the wine industry has been faring, how much or little she missed by not going to the parties sometimes held at the winery, the gossip that's been making its rounds across the region. Seeing the two men work in tandem, with Elzer handling the bulk of the conversation and Diluc simply making comments here and there, was heartwarming and heart wrenching at the same time. It was good that Diluc had someone who would help him carry the load of everything that landed on his shoulders at the wake of his father's death, but she couldn't help but wonder if Kaeya could have been that person if they didn't have that fall out all those years ago.
By the time Jean had placed her utensils down and was reaching for the wine, she felt a tug against her shirt. A glance down showed Klee, halfway through a yawn and rubbing her eye with the other hand. She indulgently lifted the girl, hands carefully removing the bands keeping the pigtails together as Klee buried her face against Jean’s neck.
“Tuckered out now, is she?” She met Elzer’s gaze, watching the kind green eyes suddenly twinkle with mirth. “You probably should take care that Lady Amelie never sees you with Klee. I heard she’s been on the prowl for a wife for her son.”
Fingers paused from carding through the ash blond hair of her ward as she digested that advice, mentally remembering who’s who in the upper echelons of society.
“But isn’t Stefan…”
“Quite young? Has no interest in marriage? Leaving Mondstadt soon to travel? Yes to all those. It still doesn’t stop his mother from trying. At this point, everyone knows he’s just indulging her to gain more connections for his tailoring business. All the young ladies in court were often seen wearing his creations after one of the soirees his mother holds. Though I believe he might start getting desperate and invent a fake relationship soon to get her off his back.”
A series of restrained giggles escaped her lips at the idea, being careful not to jostle her sleeping ward. Unbeknownst to her, Elzer had glanced slightly towards the winery owner to see his usual deadpan gaze soften slightly at the sight of the knight’s relaxed demeanor. Well, might be time to poke the dragon a little bit.
“What about Lady Frederica? She herself had gotten married quite early, if I recall. Is she not nudging you to find someone?”
Only Elzer noticed how Diluc slightly stiffened and his gaze laser focused at the young lady in front of them. Jean, on the other hand, blinked at the unexpected question. Her mother had brought it up before but more of a passing comment here and there than any actual concern. She said as much, mentioning that her mother had also been more of an outlier than a rule for the Gunnhildrs.
“Most of my ancestors tended to serve for some time before settling down so I don't believe my relationship status will be of any importance for some time. Plus, with everything...” She trailed off, gaining a pensive look in her eyes. The criticisms lobbied at the Knights the Favonius had spread far and wide, turning what was once Mondstadt’s greatest asset into something of a laughingstock. Grand Master Varka tried, but he was always more for action than politicking. Hence the reason why Jean worked to build the reputation locally while he went on that expedition as a showcase of their strength. Hopefully, once re-established, the legacy they pass down would not be so easily thrown away by those that come after.
She returned back to the present when Elzer apologized for bringing up a sensitive topic upon seeing her troubled visage. She waved off the concern, continuing the previous conversation.
“Marriage was never a forefront in my mind, but maybe one day…” A hopeful and tender smile grew as she rested her cheek against a sleeping Klee’s hair. Her eyes glanced up to meet the two men’s perusal, receiving an understanding nod from Elzer then froze at the intense - almost burning - stare from Diluc before he blinked and it was gone. Still, the snapshot of that made her tilt her head back down, half burying her face into her ward’s hair, a soft, becoming blush lightly dusting her cheeks.
However, the slight movement made Klee whimper before snuggling back into her arms, giving Jean an excuse to leave the table and bring the child to the guest room so she could sleep properly, blatantly ignoring the pair of eyes following her steps.
“What was that about?” Diluc finally spoke up once their guests were out of earshot, gaze still lingering at the empty space where Jean disappeared off to. Though Elzer was known for being able to control the room and lead conversations, rarely did he engage in small talk. Every sentence often had an underlying goal. It reminded him of Kaeya, much as he was loathed to make that comparison.
“Just a little bit of chit chat. And confirmation.” The heavy emphasis on the last word made Diluc finally face him, prompting an explanation. “Madame Susanne from the Lawrence family was asking Lady Frederica about the amount of proposals Miss Jean received.”
Diluc's brow furrowed. Madame Susanne was a generation above. It would have made more sense if it was Eula’s mother Charlotte who was seen discussing these things with Lady Frederica. Plus, there was still a lingering stigma with being associated with the Lawrence family. Nobles rarely let go of grudges even generations later. Were they plotting something again? With the Fatui slowly gaining influence in Mondstadt, every single person in the noble houses would need to be carefully observed.
“The Madame was likely checking to see if Miss Jean would be affianced soon.” His employee continued, absently twirling his wine glass. “In spite of everything that’s happened, she's still considered one of the most eligible ladies right now. A lot of families won't want to make any promises until it's confirmed that she's off the market.”
His lips thinned at the implications of treating Jean like some piece of meat. But that was the realities of their world. Being born in their families meant that a lot of their choices were tied to their family name more so than who they were as a person. Adding the fact that Jean also holds the titles of Acting Grand Master, Dandelion Knight, and Lionfang Knight meant that her every action is dissected to the most minute detail. Unlike him, her future was never something that she could independently decide.
“Leaving Mondstadt in the height of the Stormterror crisis - even though it resolved the issue in the end, had far more consequences than I had considered. Unfortunately, any future endeavours that would require my attention would have to go through official channels. Regardless, it was nice working with you again, Si-I mean, Master Diluc.” Blonde hair glinting under the moonlit sky. A straight back carrying the weight of an entire region's expectations. Fading footsteps echoing in his ears. That night was the last serious conversation he had with Jean before he heard news of her collapsing from overwork. How much of that work was overcompensating for the criticisms brought on by him selfishly choosing to accept her assistance?
“I'm going to check on the wine in the cellar.” Unwilling to continue back down memory lane, he pushed himself up from the table signaling the end of the conversation.
Green eyes followed the dark form of his master, the corner of his lips twitching upward. He wondered how long it would take for Diluc to realize that he always went to the cellar whenever he was trying to escape his problems, as though divining an answer from the barrels of alcohol. Regardless, the dour young adult does often swiftly deal with the matter after a few moments of ruminating so there wasn't a risk of things stewing and exploding in their faces.
‘Would you have approved of where our paths took us?’ Crepus had always wanted the best for his sons and those who had the privilege of growing up in the vicinity of the Ragnvindr family.
Footfalls made their way across the upper floor, the light tread slowly stopping upon seeing the slightly open doorway leading to the balcony. One hand lifted to bury itself in a messy red mane, curious as to why this was left open. Adelinde would be quite cross with the amount of dust that could come through.
He went to close the door when he was greeted with a vision. The bright glow of the full moon highlighting a figure dressed in silk blue, long blond hair hanging loosely from its usual tight ponytail. His hands twitched as the sight harkened back a memory long ago when he was young, spying his father wrapping loving arms around his mother and resting his chin against her shoulder.
Whatever recollection he was stuck in dispersed when Jean turned around, freezing him with that sapphire blue gaze that squinted at his silhouette before widening in recognition.
“Diluc?” An uncertain mumble started before she realised where she was. “Ah, sorry. I was just…”
“It's fine.” He strode forward to join her in the small balcony, taking the empty space beside her after she shifted a bit. “Did you find everything okay?”
“Yes, everything is fine. I was just wandering around. It's rare for me to have this much time on my hands and somehow my feet led me here.” Her head tilted up to meet his eyes briefly - he didn't realize how short she was compared to him without her heels - before she turned to look at the vineyard, fingers pushing strands of her hair back behind her ear while her eyes trailed after the small anemo crystalflies that flitted in between the vines.
“Delegation is a thing.” Was the only response that Diluc gave. It's reflex at this point, providing both advice and criticism with every line regarding the Knights of Favonius. And though he wanted to take back the words, the amused exhale from Jean stopped him.
“Maybe. But I want to be of service to the people…” She leaned forward against the railing, resting her cheek against her crossed arms.
“...while I still can.” The words were mumbled into her arms, half hoping that he either didn't hear it or would ignore it. The heavy weight of his questioning attention on her showed that he did and that he wanted answers.
“Didn't Elzer tell you?” This really wasn't a topic she wanted to air out. Responsible as she is, this one she buried with an ‘if I don't acknowledge it, then it doesn't exist’ mindset.
“You knew?”
“Mother tried to hide it. I think she didn't want me to worry about these things since I'm so busy with the knights.” Sighing, she raised herself from the railing, solemnly watching the workers pack up for the day below. “But Eula mentioned it to me as a precaution. It at least shed a light on the number of families suddenly deciding to stay at their city townhouses and receiving invitations for lunch or dinner.”
“They're being bold.” The rumor mill would have exploded the moment Jean was seen dining with any specific person of a high enough ranking, no matter how innocuous the meeting. The tightness in his voice made her want to turn around but she knew if she did, she'd just clam up or change the topic.
“Yeah. Soon I'd have to make my choice. That's why I'm trying my best now. So that whoever takes my position in the future will inherit a better, brighter Mondstadt.”
Diluc’s focus never strayed from Jean, watching her fingers draw indiscernible shapes on the wood while she was lost in her thoughts. The wall isolating her from him palpable no matter how close they stood. His own hands clenched in frustration at the situation she was in. Though they may not see eye to eye on a lot of things, Jean didn't deserve to be chained by the archaic rules of “society”. After all, choosing one’s own path was what Mondstadt was supposed to stand for.
Maybe…
“If you ever need it, you can use the Ragnvindr name as an excuse to escape from their clutches.” The tentative start to the sentence strengthened by the time he finished the offer, sure that this will at least help alleviate some of her future problems.
The reaction was so sudden that he barely had time to step back to avoid being whipped in the face by her hair. His determined face a contrast to her incredulous one. They both knew what the proposal entailed. And the consequences that would come out of her actually using it.
“What.. I..” The breathy whisper belied her shock before she took a deep breath to calm herself.
“I’m grateful, but...I... can't ask you to make that sacrifice.”
It won't be a sacrifice. He bit back the words. This wasn't the time or place to bring up these things.
“Think of it as me using the family influence for the good of Mondstadt. The city can't afford to lose your skills simply because the nobles want you married off.” That it would also keep them from continuing to pester him with their daughters was a plus. Besides, he wasn't really that averse to the idea of people linking them together. It would open up doors of possibilities on both sides.
With his current height advantage, it was obvious that she was looking for a way to politely decline with how she moved her gaze to the floor. So he placed a hand on her shoulder to make her look back up at him.
“Don't worry too much about it.” His lips twitched at the turbulent storm clouding her usual clear eyes. Not exactly a full smile but a touch lighter than his usual expression. It was still enough to stun Jean to see it. “It's just a safety net. Use it when you need it. Leave it when you don't.”
Whatever response she was about to give was cut off by a sleepy voice mumbling ‘Master Jean?’ causing both of them to turn towards the doorway where Klee was leaning against, one hand raised to rub her eyes at the sudden brightness of the moonlight compared to the dimly lit hallway.
“Klee? What are you doing up?” Jean moved to kneel down in front of the girl, ignoring the shivers up her spine when Diluc’s hand slid off her shoulder to trail down the length of her arm.
“Dream. Woke up. You weren't there.” The answer was muffled against her neck as Klee immediately draped herself over the older woman, already drifting off to sleep. Rather than say anything else, Jean simply hummed a comforting tune and patted the child's back. She stood up and was about to bid goodnight to their host - more than willing to forget the previous conversation - when he pre-empted her.
“Jean.” Again, that determined tone left her tongue-tied. Add to that the moon's rays highlighting his dark, solitary figure. It was clear he wouldn't let her just ignore what they spoke about.
“Thank you, Master Diluc.” Was there truly anything else she could say at the face of such intent? “I'll be sure to keep your offer in mind when the time calls for it.”
With that, she gave a farewell nod and returned to the guest room, mind whirling with the possibilities. It would have probably thrilled her as a teen, all her dreams about romance, promises, and happily ever afters. However, she was older now. And her actions carried far more weight than she'd ever imagined. So she could never freely grasp the hand he held out, no matter how much it tempted her.
Still, some tiny part of her - the wistful, idealist remnant of her younger self - whispered in her ear.
Maybe someday.
Left alone after his guests went back to their room, Diluc turned back towards the horizon, his thoughts kept circling around a certain young woman. He looked down on his hand, wondering how he never realized how small she was compared to him. She was always larger than life, delicate shoulders lifting the weight of Mondstadt ever since she was granted the post that everyone knew she'd been doing behind the scenes.
Was there anyone to help her carry that burden if it ever became too much? The fact that he didn't have a definitive answer to that made him clench his fist in frustration.
There was only so much he could do considering he'd renounced his position years ago. Nothing would convince him to take the post again, not even for her. For as much as he told himself that his actions were done for the region's sake, the realisation that his motivations were not entirely selfless stung.
So he'd simply do his best with what he has now, watching over them - her especially - until the threats to Mondstadt are removed.
Then, maybe someday, he'd be able to grasp a brighter future with open arms.