Archive of Our Own

Jean took a deep breath in, exhaling sharply before returning to her workload. She withdrew another sheet of paper from the gargantuan stack next to her that seemed to have no end. Dipping her pen into the inkwell, she lowered the tip to the page and began to write down yet another set of signatures and initials.

Sun shone through the windows, with the occasional breeze coming through. Though it would frequently disturb whatever organization she tried to keep, it seemed to be the only thing to relax her during her long, arduous work hours. That, and a cup of tea.

She absent-mindedly read over the land deed sitting on her desk. A repair order for the windmills in Springvale. In other words, nothing new. She lowered her pen to the page, and with a mindless scribble, she signed her name onto the bottom of the page. However, at the last stroke, her pen caught, leaving a nasty tear on the document.

She huffed out a sigh and tossed her pen onto its stand. She lowered her head into her hands and closed her eyes, rubbing her temples. Though most of her job was desk work, it never seemed to get any easier. Quite the opposite, as a matter of fact. The past few weeks she had made more mistakes than she had made in the last year. Whether it be careless penmanship, or neglecting to read between the lines, events like this had almost become a daily occurrence. 

“Jean?”

The door to her office creaked open. In walked the ever familiar librarian, holding a cup of tea.

“Good afternoon, Lisa.” Jean greeted. She only looked up momentarily before hanging her head in her hands once again.

“Is something the matter?” 

“Work. The usual, really.”

“Hmm… Come take a seat with me, then. A small break couldn’t hurt.”

Lisa sat down on the couch at the far end of the office and patted the seat beside her. Jean looked back up, down at her papers, and back up again. She stood up and lumbered over to Lisa, crashing onto the couch.

“Ooh, you took rather little convincing.” She commented. Instead of replying, Jean simply rested her head back, followed with another deep sigh.

With her focus now off of work, the familiar burning in her chest returned. Sitting next to Lisa hardly helped with it. She did her best to take in the moment. She listened to the breeze and the sounds of the town outside of her window while pacing her breaths, but no matter what, it didn’t ease her like it normally would.

“Care for a cup of tea?” Lisa asked. Jean blinked a couple of times before lifting her head back up from the back of the couch.

“Please.” She replied shortly. She caught a glance of the librarian’s face once again. A soft smile and a caring demeanor.  Lisa sat her cup of tea down on the table, stood up, and left for the breakroom. Her heart skipped a beat as the burning in her chest came to the front of her attention once again.

The Acting Grand Master was hopelessly in love with the librarian. She felt this way from the moment she met her and through the years of time the woman had spent by her side. However, she never quite had the heart to tell her. She regretted not taking advantage of her youth, as she was now hopelessly busy with her duties as the said Acting Grand Master. Though, she did her best to convince herself that it was okay. Sometimes people weren’t meant to be together, and that was the way the world worked. She had hoped the feeling of lovesickness would go away sometime soon, but she had been hoping for that since the two met. It seemed like no matter how hard she tried to swallow her feelings, they would always come right back up at the worst times.

Lisa returned from the breakroom, carrying a teapot and an empty cup. She sat down next to Jean, filled the cup, and carefully handed it to her. She shakily took hold of the cup and raised it to her lips.

“It’s been wonderfully quiet as of late, wouldn’t you say?” Lisa commented, lifting her cup from the table beside her. Her voice made her heart race.

“Y-Yeah, I suppose so…” Jean replied, fumbling her words.

“So, what have you been up to as of late?” Lisa asked.

“Well, you know… work.” Jean replied sheepishly. The only respite she had from the torrential downpour of paperwork was her early morning runs with Amber. She had started dragging Lumine out with them however, which drew the focus away from their early morning chit chat and more towards Lumine’s insatiable clinginess to Amber.

“You know you need to balance your work and your life. If you stay too focused on your work, you’ll begin to neglect other things that are important to you.”

Jean was indeed neglecting other things that were important to her, but whether paying attention to them would make any difference was anyone’s guess.

“... I suppose so.” Jean replied, taking another sip of tea.

“It’s been a while since we both had breakfast at Good Hunter. Would you like to meet there tomorrow morning?”

Jean thought for a moment. She was caught between a rock and a hard place. On one end, Lisa brought her feelings that no one else ever had. While the chances of them getting together seemed impossible, the sheer happiness she brought into her life was more than enough for her. However, on the other end, Lisa also brought a heavy sense of regret. The regret of her not being more forward with her emotions earlier, perhaps in a time where they could spend more time together. A time where there weren’t stacks upon stacks of paper wedged between her and her personal life.

“Jean?” Lisa called. Jean blinked and looked back towards her. She clearly had become more lost in thought than she anticipated.

“I-I think… Well…” Jean wanted to accept the invitation, but she also wanted to refuse it. The two emotions pitted themselves against each other in the most fundamental of ways. Lisa looked at her with concern.

“I think you need to take a break, especially if you’re struggling to decide on this. Please meet me at Good Hunter tomorrow morning, it’ll be my treat.” Lisa insisted. With just that much more direction, Jean was almost backed into accepting. 

“Okay, then…”

The burning in her chest only grew the more she spoke. Lisa’s look of concern turned back to the same comforting smile. She took another sip of tea and rested her eyes.

“I’ll be looking forward to it, then.” 

Jean finished her tea. She had expected it to soothe her negative feelings, but it only seemed to make everything worse. Her chest grew tight as she put her cup down and stood up from the couch.

“Well, I think I need to get back to work.” She said. “Thank you for the tea.”

“Oh, so soon?”

“I have a lot of papers to get through, as I’m sure you can see.” She added, walking back to her desk. “Please close the door on your way out.”

Lisa sighed and took a sip of her tea before standing up from the couch. She took the pot and filled Jean’s cup once more, setting it down on her desk.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Jean.” She waltzed out the door and quietly closed it, leaving Jean by herself once again.

She took a few deep breaths following her departure. The tightness in her chest, however, seemed to stay. She brought her attention back down to the torn document on her desk and finished her signature. She set it off to the “completed” pile of documents and brought down yet another piece of paper from the stack, attempting to read the lines upon lines of text.

Though, try as she might, she couldn’t process them. Her mind was in a completely different place with Lisa’s short stay. It had always been this way. Lisa would occasionally pop in for a small chat, maybe to hand her more documents or to recommend a book, and would be off once again. From that point on, Jean’s focus for the day would be ruined.

This time was different. She had of course always felt the physical repercussions of her sense of regret and longing towards Lisa, but they seemed particularly strong on that day. Whether it be the rare occasion of Jean actually letting her care for her, or the invitation to breakfast was anyone’s guess. That, or, the ruthless monotony of her job for the past few days.

She stared down at the page as longing seemed to fill her lungs. There was a knot in her throat and her heart burned. She so desperately wanted Lisa for her own, but… the time for such an action had passed. She was an adult. The Acting Grand Master of the Knights. She couldn’t possibly have time to manage a relationship on top of all of her duties.

She shook her head and focused back on the page in front of her. Thinking too hard about the past wouldn’t help her with the amount of work she had to do. She lifted her pen once again and forced herself through the paragraphs of text, signing it off.

Jean worked late into the evening, with the only sound in her office being the shuffle of papers and the occasional breeze. The burning in her heart and the knot in her throat remained throughout the day, not letting up for even a moment. She did her best to use the papers as a way of diverting her attention from it, but they were simply too mundane to truly hold her attention for even a moment.

At any given opportunity, Jean’s mind wandered back to the librarian. Her beautiful green eyes. The rose stuck into her hair. Her reassuring smile. Just thinking of her made the longing she felt that much heavier. It was almost choking.

Yet another breeze blew through the window, ruffling the papers beside her. She coughed a bit and looked up from the desk.

Eleven o’ clock. She rubbed her eyes and yawned. She was no stranger to working late, but the conditions of this particular night only seemed to drain on her more. She wanted to sleep right then and there at her desk, with the half-complete stack of documents sitting next to her. 

She rubbed her eyes once again and stood up from her chair, almost falling over. Her legs were stiff, and the draining feelings of longing stuck to her like glue. She cleared her throat, and with a sigh, walked towards the doorway. She looked back at her desk, and dreadfully gazed at the ever-present stack of papers that would be waiting for her tomorrow.

Well, at least she was getting breakfast with Lisa tomorrow. Though, her feelings on it were a mix of reassurance and remorse, and thinking of it only seemed to bring more pain. Maybe, had she confessed to her a few years prior, it would have been a date instead of a simple meeting between two friends.

The tightness in her throat and the burning in her chest had followed her home. It seemed like there was no escape from it, except for finding what little distractions she could to take her mind off of it. She laid down in her bed, and shut her eyes, doing her best to focus on her work for tomorrow. Though, every now and then, the leafy green-eyed librarian would creep her way into her thoughts.

The morning came with Jean hopelessly staring up at the roof. Though she was exhausted from the day prior, she was hardly able to catch a wink of sleep. Instead, she stared at the ceiling for hours, trying her best to calm her mind. This all quickly failed as she saw the sun begin to rise through the window.

Over the course of the night, the tightness in her throat turned to a faint itchiness. The burning in her chest remained, but thankfully, it didn’t grow more intense as the night passed.

She spent all night with Lisa on her mind. The care, the impromptu invitation to breakfast, it all drove her mad. Of course, it hadn’t always been like this. Jean had done well in holding back her love for her, but as of late, the monotony of the work day seemed to be bringing her repressed feelings back to the spotlight.

She sat up from her bed and cleared her throat, staring at the wall for a little bit before pushing herself onto her feet. She rubbed her eyes and groaned. That had to have been the worst sleep she would ever get. Or, well, lack of sleep, for that matter.

While she was getting her arms into her top, she heard a knock on her door. She tossed on her shirt carelessly, along with her leggings. Though she would normally hang her laundry out to dry before going to bed, she had neglected to do so. A combination of lovesickness and long hours of monotonous work was never kind to the Acting Grand Master. 

She stumbled down the hallway towards the door and swung it open. There stood Lisa, unusually spry for someone with her sleep schedule.

“Ah, good morning, Jean.” She greeted, with the same reassuring smile. Jean nearly choked at it.

 “G-Good morning…” She replied. Her voice was raspy and coarse. Lisa raised an eyebrow concernedly. Jean hardly ever dropped her well-spoken act, even when she was sick.

“Are you sick? You weren’t working late again last night, were you?” Lisa asked. Even though she knew that the question had no semblance of romantic intent, it still stung her. She wished it was romantic.

“Oh, uh… Yeah, I was.” Jean replied, with a sheepish smile. Lisa frowned and shook her head before unpromptedly stepping into her home.

“You wouldn’t mind a hand, would you?” She asked. Jean choked up.

“No, no… I think I’ll be fine, don’t worry.” 

“Are you sure?”

“Mmhmm.”

“Well then, can I wait inside while you get ready?”

Jean sighed and simply nodded in response. Whenever she would turn her down, a new request was always likely to follow, whether it be about tea or paperwork.

Lisa waltzed over to the couch and sat down, crossing her legs. Meanwhile, Jean returned to her room and took up a hairbrush, combing out all of the tangles in her hair. She would clear her throat from time to time in an attempt to dispel the itchiness that plagued it, though to no avail. Perhaps a cup of hot peppermint tea would help, she thought. Maybe it was good that she was going out that morning as, embarrassingly, she had been spoiled by the quality of what Lisa would bring her. Whatever she made couldn’t compare.

Her groggy mind returned to thoughts of the librarian as she combed out her hair. No matter what, she couldn’t seem to evade the idea of her. Her elegant stride, her light, rosy scent…

And at that, the burning sensation in her chest bloomed into a thorny pain. She winced at it and let out a cough, gripping her chest. Another cough, and she doubled over in pain. 

“Jean, are you okay?” Lisa called from the other room. Her voice only seemed to make it hurt so much more. One more cough, and something ripped through her throat. Out flew a singular petrified rose petal, with a dull purplish-red tint. 

The pain subsided ever-so-slightly, and a wave of confusion washed over her. A rose petal? 

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine!” She replied, her voice clearly having taken a hit. She let go of her chest and looked down at the floor, letting her arms fall to her sides.

What had just happened? Did she inhale something earlier? Maybe during her sleep? She gazed down at the purplish-red rose petal and thought for a moment. With a pang of fear, she tried to convince herself that she had inhaled it the day before. After all, that was the only explanation she had for such a circumstance.

She returned her view to the mirror, bringing her brush back up to her head. She shakily brushed her hair out while trying to calm her panicked mind. That had to be all it was. That was what was causing the tight and scratchy throat, it was just that rose petal. She would have a cup of tea afterwards, and it would relieve what pain was left. 

She put her brush down and tied her hair back, clearing her throat once more. She did her best to clear her mind of what had just happened and walked back out to the front, where Lisa shot her a concerned gaze.

“Jean? Are you sure you’re okay to go out today? That sounded pretty harsh.” She asked with as caring of a tone as ever. 

“Yeah, yeah… no worries. I think a cup of tea would help.” Jean replied, forcing a smile. Lisa saw right through it.

“You’re such a terrible liar.” 

The reluctance was clear in Lisa’s voice. She didn’t buy an ounce of the false security Jean tried to serve her. 

“We should get going, then. Breakfast won’t wait for us forever.” Jean encouraged. Lisa sighed and stood up, with Jean leading the way out of the door. The two made their way through the streets of Mondstadt, the sky overcast and the wind chilly.

The silence was painful. Lisa hardly fell for her bluff, and she was rightfully concerned about it. Though she wanted to probe, it would be unlikely for the conversation to go anywhere after the initial question. Lisa tailed behind Jean by a few paces, as Jean did her best to walk as normally as she usually did. Though, to Lisa, it was more than painfully obvious that something was wrong. Several years as roommates, and many more as coworkers made it hard for her to hide anything from the watchful librarian.

One more flight of steps, and the two reached the porch of Good Hunter. The two sat across from each other at the nearest table. In typical Lisa fashion, she sat down, rested her elbows on the table, and perched her chin in her hands, staring forward at Jean.

With a simple gaze into her eyes, Jean’s heart fluttered. The librarian seemed to be even more beautiful in the morning light. She expected the pang of regret to hit her any moment, but Lisa’s light smile told her everything would be okay. It was just them, and no one else. No work, no obligations, just her and the lovely woman across from her. Maybe a break was the right thing for her.

A waitress walked up to their table.

“Welcome to Good Hunter, you two!” Sara greeted, as joyful of a smile as ever. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you two together!”

Jean bit her tongue. Ouch. Lisa simply smiled and waved.

“What can I get you two started with?”

“Could we get a pot of peppermint tea?” Lisa asked. Certainly a change from her usual black tea.

“O-Oh, and a few biscuits with that.” Jean added. Lisa giggled.

“Sounds good! I’ll be right back with that!” Sara finished, rushing back to the stand. Lisa returned her gaze to Jean, a smug smile plastered across her face.

“So, you haven’t kicked the biscuit addiction, have you?” Lisa teased. Jean chuckled.

“Well… I suppose I haven’t. Maybe you should stop feeding into that whenever you bring me tea.” She replied, a characteristic light blush spreading across her face. Lisa would tease her just to see it.

“Hm? Expecting me to stop spoiling you ? I feel like you know me better than that.”

Jean rubbed the back of her neck. It had been a while since the two had talked in such a casual manner, now that she had thought about it. Her heart raced just looking at her, let alone from hearing her flirty quips. In her presence, it seemed like all of her previous pains and fears had washed away. 

Sara returned with a teapot and a couple of cups, setting everything down in front of the two. The plate with the teapot was lined with chocolate tea biscuits, and the pot itself was puffing with steam. 

“Thank you, dear.” Lisa mused in response.

“My pleasure. Is there anything else I can get for you two?”

Lisa looked over to Jean. 

“Oh, uh… I think we’ll be fine for now. Thanks.” She said. With that, Sara left once more.

“So, Jean, do you have anything planned for today?”

Her mind returned back to the stack of paperwork she had left the day before. She groaned at the fact that she would need to finish it all by the end of the week, however, her mind seemed to lead elsewhere. She hadn’t really thought about it, but breakfast wouldn’t last forever. At that thought, the stabbing pain returned to her chest, stronger than ever before. She winced in pain and looked up at Lisa. The same concerned frown had returned to her face.

“... Jean?”

“U-uh, yeah… I still have some work to do back at the headquarters…” She grimaced. Talking through the pain was difficult. With each puff of air, her breathing grew more strained. Lisa reached across the table and took Jean’s hand. Like water on a flame, the pain completely vanished, leaving behind no more than a shadow of what it was before. After a brief hesitation, Lisa spoke up.

“Jean…” She thought for a moment. “I’ve already asked you so many times, but I feel like you’re not going to tell me the truth, even if I ask again.”

Jean’s heart dropped. She wanted to tell her the truth, but that would entail disclosing everything else as well. She looked around for any explanation for the sudden bout of pain.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine… I just…”

“You can tell me anything. I don’t think whatever is happening is so bad that I’ll have to run away from you.”

“I’m just… I’m just really stressed about work, okay?” She replied half-truthfully. 

“If that’s so, would you like some help with it after we’re finished?”

Jean’s heart skipped a beat. The librarian sitting across from her was too kind for her own good.

“I would appreciate it.” Jean replied after clearing her throat. Lisa smiled.

“I expected that to take a little more convincing. I’m glad you’re able to accept my help.” 

Lisa put a cup in front of Jean and filled it up with tea. The aroma soothed her throat, and she lifted it, taking a sip. Setting the cup down, she was met with Lisa holding a biscuit out to her. She reached up to take it, but Lisa pulled it away.

“I don’t think I heard you ask nicely.” She teased. Jean laughed.

“Could I please have a biscuit, then?” She asked. Lisa nodded as her smile grew wider. She held it up to her mouth, and once again, Jean found her face flushed.

“Go on, take a bite.” 

Even though she was no stranger to Lisa’s teasing, this was certainly new. She wanted to take a bite, but she had her reservations. She was actually quite a bit flustered-- not that it was anything new to Lisa, of course.

“L-Lisa, people might get the wrong idea!” She protested. Lisa didn’t waver one bit as she waved the biscuit around.

“No one’s around. Come on then, take a bite!”

She reluctantly opened her mouth and took the biscuit from her hand between her teeth. Lisa giggled as she bit down onto it.

“That’s what I thought.” 

Jean wanted to protest, but she really couldn’t. After all, moments like these were only what she had dreamed of. Maybe she did have a chance with her, after all.

“So, what have you been reading as of late?” Jean asked, her mouth full. Lisa’s eyes lit up.

“Oh! I’ve been reading She Who Dared to Trespass. Have you heard of it?” Lisa asked.

“No, I don’t believe I’m familiar with it. What is it about?”

“I think you’d like it quite a bit. It’s a light romance novel about one of the few ronins who dared to resist Baal’s orders. Apparently it’s based on events that happened not too long ago.”

“Sounds interesting.” Jean commented, taking another sip of tea. “I thought you were more of an adventure-fantasy type of person?”

“Well, in all honesty, romance is a guilty pleasure of mine. Especially the disgustingly sappy stuff.” Lisa admitted. Jean nearly choked on her tea. She put it down, letting out a laugh.

“Really? Sappy love stories?” Jean asked. “I'm starting to think we should talk more often.”

“Why do you think I recommend all of those books to you? I see everything you check out.” 

Jean choked up. Oh, Lord, she had forgotten all about that. Lisa probably saw all of the gay fiction she would check out whenever she was free. Not just that, but she had a whole log of it. She hid her face. Lisa laughed.

“Don’t worry, that log is only seen by me, my dear dandelion knight.” Lisa finished.

Many sporadic conversations, biscuits, and cups of tea later, the two’s appetite was sated. Lisa’s smile drove Jean crazy. It warmed her heart to the very core, and in her presence, nothing else seemed to matter. 

“So, Jean, would you still need help with that paperwork?” Lisa inquired, twirling a strand of hair.

“Absolutely!” She replied, hardly an ounce of hesitation in her voice. Lisa looked up and down at Jean.

“Hm… maybe you should wash up before heading into the office for today. You wouldn’t want to elicit any concern from the other knights.” She suggested. Jean tilted her head.

“What do you mean?” 

“Your hair is still a mess, your clothes are all wrinkled… and it’s painfully obvious that you forgot to put on your corset.” 

Jean looked down at herself. It was pretty obvious that she had forgotten to do her laundry the night before, with her shirt and leggings stained with dust and the occasional discoloration from spilling tea onto herself. She sighed.

“... I suppose you’re right.”

She kicked herself for not paying attention to her chores the night before. Even if she was wrought with lovesickness, that was no excuse for a knight to skimp on her duties. Lisa stood up from the table and withdrew a small pouch of mora.

“I’ll go pay now. You get on home and wash up, okay? I’ll meet you at the office.” 

She turned around and walked to the counter, leaving Jean sitting on her own. Jean stood up herself and turned around, walking back home so she could hopefully clean up a little bit.

Her cheeks were rosy from her morning with Lisa, and the fact that she would be able to spend more time with her. Though, as she walked away, her smile fell, and the stabbing pain in her chest returned with a vengeance. As she approached her home, she was almost brought to her knees. She stumbled through her doorway and crumbled to the floor, taking sharp breaths that only seemed to exacerbate the pain.

Each inhale made her chest feel tighter, with something filling her lungs. She groaned in pain and clutched her chest. With one more breath, she broke into a fit of coughing. Try as she might, she couldn’t stop, not even for a single breath of air. 

It hurt. It hurt so, so much. She wanted to wonder what was happening, but her attention was preoccupied with exactly two things: the pain and the coughing. With another cough, she felt something rip up her throat, causing her to gasp in pain. A shower of petals flew from her mouth, like confetti mocking her pain, but it was hardly the end of it. Her ears rang as she continued to cough. She felt like she was being suffocated as she let out another cough, and then, a new, ruthlessly painful feeling in her chest. With another wheeze, up came a rose bud, stem and all. The thorns tore at her mouth as she spat it out. Her head fell back as her vision dimmed.

She stared at the ceiling. She wanted to pass out then and there, but the thoughts of more time with Lisa kept her conscious. However, they also stung. What was she thinking? Spending more time with her didn’t entail a potential relationship at all. Why did she even try?

Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes, both at the pain and the sudden rush of truth. She shut her eyes and grimaced, continuing to take sharp breaths. Her chest felt hollow once again, but with that came a pit in her stomach. Though she enjoyed her time with Lisa that morning, it seemed to make her feelings of despair that much worse.

She completely lost track of time while staring at the ceiling. Every breath caused a warm pain to radiate down to her chest. After what felt like hours, she planted her hands onto the floor, shoving herself up into a seated position. With one final cough, three more petals came up. 

She shakily stared down at the floor next to her. Each and every single one of the petals she coughed up was stained with blood. The flower bud seemed to be leaking as drops of blood pooled underneath it, a grotesque strand of tissue hanging off of every thorn.

At this point, she could hardly comprehend what had just happened. She only pulled up blanks as she attempted to scrounge up a modicum of understanding. 

“J-Jean..?” A shy voice called out from behind her.

It echoed through her home, serving as a grim reminder that she never actually closed her door. She looked back through the doorway, only to see the chief alchemist’s assistant nervously staring down at her. She coughed once again, but thankfully, nothing more came up. The two stared back at each other for a moment, with Jean trembling on the floor. Sucrose was petrified like a deer caught in headlights, her hands clasped together in front of her chest.

“Sucrose, is something the matter?” Albedo called. Jean’s heart stopped. Of course, at a moment of weakness, two of her coworkers had to see her. Sucrose pointed into the doorway at Jean and shook her head. Albedo stopped, standing next to Sucrose, and he turned his head to see the Acting Grand Master. A grim frown spread across his face, and Jean felt like she could pass out on the spot. As if right on cue, she fell backwards once more, revealing the flower and blood-speckled floor next to her. 

“Please take a sample of the petals on the floor, and take the bud as well. I can carry Jean back to the shop.” Albedo told Sucrose.

With those final words, Jean fainted. Partly from the sheer pain she had just endured, partly from the mortifying feeling of her coworkers seeing her in such a state. Though, one last final thought hit her mind as her vision faded out.

She was keeping Lisa waiting.

“Mister Albedo, the results returned. They’re indistinguishable from any other rose petal.”

“I expected as much. Thank you, Sucrose.”

Jean woke to the muffled conversation between the two alchemists. Unfamiliar, rough sheets rested below her. A sickly sweet scent of chemicals filled the air around her. The disgusting metallic tinge of blood coated every inch of her mouth. She groaned and tossed over, only to hear the skittish rushing of footsteps over to where she was laying.

“M-Miss Jean, please stay on your back!” Sucrose begged, stumbling over her words. She gently rolled her back into her previous position. Albedo walked back over to the bed as well.

Jean lifted a hand to her forehead. As she slowly returned to consciousness, the pain returned. A remarkably new splitting headache had begun to plague her. She attempted to sit up, but she felt too weak to do so. Albedo wrapped an arm around her back and lifted her into a sitting position, with Sucrose readjusting the pillow to support her. It was quite easy to forget how strong the chief alchemist actually was.

“Master Jean, are you capable of answering a few questions for me?” 

Jean tried to speak up, but nothing came out. 

“I think she’s still getting over the medicine you gave her…” Sucrose interjected quietly.

Albedo stepped back and nodded. “Of course. My apologies.”

Jean opened her eyes, slowly but surely. She was laying down on a poorly put together mattress. It was no more than a bunch of towels and blankets stacked on top of one another, with a relatively low-sitting coffee table as its base. Next to her sat a small surgical tray, with a pair of bloodied forceps and a few rose buds, one in partial bloom. Otherwise, it seemed to be the same old alchemy shop that Albedo and Sucrose ran, with only a few accommodations made for her.

Behind the two, alchemical instruments puffed away. A distilling rig dripped a purplish-green fluid into a beaker, as well as emitting clouds of a sweet, floral smell. She tried to turn her body, but she gasped in pain as it felt like something stabbed through her chest. 

“I believe it would be in your best interest to stay put for now. Sucrose and I have been taking care of you, some of the treatments may leave behind residual pain.” Albedo stated. 

“Y-Yeah, I think I noticed…” Jean replied, her voice painfully hushed. “Why didn’t you take me to the church?”

She cleared her throat, but the pain and scratchiness taunted her once again.

“I’m aware of your relationship with Barbara. That, and I’m unsure the Church is equipped to handle conditions such as yours.” Albedo explained. Jean slowly nodded. Barbara would see most patients brought in, after all. If Jean fainted from Albedo and Sucrose seeing her, she would have died on the spot if it were her younger sister.

“So, Master Jean, are you okay to speak?” Albedo continued. “Time is of the essence here.”

Jean’s heart skipped a beat.

“I suppose…” Jean replied, doing her best to speak up that much more. Albedo stood up straight.

“So, how long have you been dealing with this? Pain, coughing up flowers, you know.” He asked.

“... A couple of days, maybe?”

Albedo scribbled the detail down into a notebook as she spoke.

“And when did you cough up the first petal?”

“This morning.”

“Did you meet with anyone, today or yesterday?”

“I met with Lisa for breakfast this morning, and she brought me tea while I was working yesterday.”

“Well, that makes quite a bit of sense, then.”

Albedo penned the rest of the details down into his notebook and sat it down on the tray next to him.

“So… what exactly is it, then?” Jean asked. 

“I’m almost certain it’s a case of Hanahaki, Master Jean. Have you read any romance books from Inazuma? It’s an especially common theme in their literature, as I’m sure you can infer from the name.”

Jean’s face flushed bright red. She immediately remembered the book she had read years ago, back when she was still a recruit.

“H-Hanahaki? Isn’t that…”

Albedo sighed and nodded. “Sucrose, may you please step outside? Master Jean and I have some private matters to discuss.”

Sucrose perked up and took a step backwards.

“Did I do something wrong?” She trembled, her voice wavering.

“No, the information is just sensitive. I’ll call you back when we’re finished.”

“U-Understood!” Sucrose replied. She scampered over to the exit and stepped outside, closing the door behind her. Albedo returned his attention to the weary Acting Grand Master in front of him.

“... Just so you’re aware, what we talk about now won’t leave this room.” Albedo reassured. Jean simply stared up at him.

“So, who is it? I’m fairly certain of who it is, but I would prefer to have you tell me. Just to avoid any miscommunication.”

“Is that really necessary?” 

Jean looked away from Albedo. She didn’t want anyone to know, even if it was required for some kind of treatment. She sat in silence, her face coated with an embarrassed blush. She cleared her throat.

“W-Well, let’s just say… there’s a particular librarian that, well…” Jean stumbled over her words. She didn’t want to get to the point.

“Lisa?” Albedo asked bluntly. “It’s quite obvious from the flowers, as well as your history with her.”

“Our ‘history?’”

“Ever since I’ve arrived in Mondstadt, I’ve seen you spend every Windblume festival with her. It’s not surprising to those with a watchful eye.”

“... Was it really that obvious?”

“I can tell you that many of the knights think you two are already dating.”

Jean hid her face behind her hands. She thought she had done a good job at hiding everything, and that everyone thought her relationship with Lisa was purely platonic, as much as it caused her pain to think that it was just that. Though, according to Albedo, no one was convinced in the slightest. She felt a mix of excitement and stress.

“As a matter of fact, Kaeya was worried that you both weren’t spending as much time together as of late. Though, I believe we are getting off topic here.” 

Jean nodded, her face still buried into her hands.

“How long has it been since you fell in love with her?”

If the pain wasn’t going to knock her out again, it definitely would have been the questions the alchemist was asking. She didn’t even want to bear thinking about it. The amount of time since she met Lisa, and how little progress she had made in confessing her true feelings, seemed to choke her. She coughed a few more times, and Albedo rested a hand on her back.

“I know it hurts. Please try your best.”

With another wheeze, out came another shower of flower petals. Albedo firmly patted her on the back, and with another cough, out came a bloodied rose in full bloom. She grimaced in pain, and she wanted to yell out in agony. The only thing keeping her from doing so was Albedo and the presence of his skittish assistant outside.

Albedo took the bloodied rose and carefully set it down on the surgical tray. Tears flowed down Jean’s cheeks as she clenched her jaw.

“T-three years…” Jean replied, just barely managing the two words. Albedo nodded solemnly.

“... I see. And you just started showing symptoms a few days ago… I have to say, I’m quite surprised. You must have done a great job with hiding those feelings away. Presumably you have faltered as of late?”

Jean nodded. Just the admittance of that filled her chest once again, causing her to hack up two more roses. Though, this time, the tightness stayed. At that point, no matter how many flowers came up, more would bloom to take their place.

“That would explain why your case seems to be progressing so quickly.” Albedo observed with a grim frown. “Sucrose and I may be able to buy you some time to potentially sort everything out. Or, well… to say your goodbyes, at least. Have you talked to her about your feelings yet?”

Jean shook her head, and she looked back up to Albedo fearfully.

“S-Say my goodbyes?” She asked, her breathy voice wavering. Albedo stood up straight and steeled his nerves.

“You’re aware that Hanahaki takes the lives of many people with it, right?”

“N-No, I’m not! I thought it just, like, went away or something! That’s what happens in those novels, right?”

Albedo cleared his throat. 

“I fear it doesn’t. Not without the love of the other.” He replied. His voice had taken on a grim tone. “If you haven’t told Lisa how you felt, the next couple of days may be the best time to do it. Or, you can arrange a trip to Liyue Harbor. Baizhu, the pharmacist of the city, is well versed in the treatment of illnesses like this. While Sucrose and I can help, we can’t stave off the spread of Hanahaki forever. Baizhu may be more knowledgeable in that area. Whether or not he has a cure is a different question entirely, though.”

Jean thought deeply about the two options, holding back a few more coughs. 

“... and, well, if Baizhu isn’t able to help, from what I hear, there is a prestigious funeral parlor in Liyue as well. They can help deal with everything… after the fact.”

Albedo’s reluctance to reference her potential death only seemed to bring the weight of the situation down on her more. She thought about the two options. On one hand, she could speak to Baizhu, and he would hopefully have some kind of treatment available for her. On the other hand, she could pour her heart out to Lisa, and hope that she felt the same way back.

On the face of it, just confessing to the librarian was the easier option. Though, the emotional hurdles to doing it seemed to dwarf her. Dozens of questions bombarded her mind. What if she didn’t feel the same way? That would entail her death anyway, right? If she didn’t feel that way, would she feel responsible for her after she died? Even if she didn’t love her back, the two, at most, were the closest of friends. Three years, two spent living together.

Her stomach turned at the thought of it. If she didn’t feel the same way, she would bear the guilt for her death. She would attend her funeral bearing some sense of responsibility for the untimely demise of her best friend. Or, would she even attend? Would the pain be too much for her?

Jean clenched her jaw as tears started to pour down her cheeks once more. She gently sobbed at the implications of her options. The thought of Lisa having to bear the tremendous weight of her death broke her heart.

All the while, Albedo stared sympathetically. He held out a handkerchief as Jean broke into yet another fit of coughing. As more petals came out, they seemed to be tinted a deeper purple, as if reacting to her sorrow. A few more blood-spattered flowers later, Jean took the handkerchief and wiped her eyes. 

“I… I think…” She mumbled. “Liyue. I think that would be the best option.”

Albedo hesitated, as if he wanted to question her decision. “... I see. I can organize the journey. For now, I’d request that you spend time with Lisa, Klee… those dearest to you, in case Baizhu isn’t able to help.”

The uncertainty of the situation made it that much harder to think about. The fact that she wouldn’t know of her future until they made the journey to Liyue Harbor plunged her heart into ice. She wanted to be hopeful for the future, but at that point, it all seemed lost.

“In that case, though, it would be wise to take the treatment that Sucrose has made to ensure that you will have the time to get to Liyue. She’s had it brewing since you came in.” Albedo continued. Jean nodded somberly. 

“Once that’s done, you should be able to get around with much less pain than you have experienced. Though it’s temporary, I believe it will make things much easier for you for the time being.”

Albedo turned around and slowly walked towards the door. The situation seemed to take a physical toll on the two. He opened the door.

“Sucrose, you can come back now.” Albedo called. 

“O-Okay!” Sucrose replied. She sounded like she had been startled. With a pitter-patter of steps, she rushed back into the shop and right over to the alchemy table. She bent over and looked into the flask under the condenser, seemingly forgetting to pay any mind to Jean. She turned a dial on the burner underneath another flask next to it.

“Is everything ready?” Albedo asked.

“W-Well, I fear that we might not have enough yet… maybe just a few more minutes?” Sucrose replied. 

“That’s okay, no rush. Please take your time.” Albedo instructed. It seems like he was the only thing tethering Sucrose down to the earth, otherwise she would jump at any little thing. Jean couldn’t help but giggle at it, even under her grim circumstances. Sucrose’s ears twitched and she looked over her shoulder nervously.

“W-What’s wrong?” She fidgeted in place. Jean waved her hand back and forth.

“It’s nothing, don’t worry.” She said, choking back another chuckle. Sucrose shyly looked back to the workbench with an embarrassed frown and continued to observe the solution drip into the flask below the condenser. 

Meanwhile, Albedo pulled up a chair at his desk and drew a piece of letter paper from the drawer. He took a pen, dipped it and ink, and started writing. Every word seemed to carry its own weight as he drew across the page.

Though, just sitting irked Jean. She tried to stand up, but as she turned her torso, it felt as if something stabbed her through the chest once again. She gasped, and an audible sigh came from the other side of the room.

“Master Jean,” Albedo said, not even breaking his focus from the page, “you need to rest. Please stay laying down. I know you are inclined to work, but you are in no position to do anything other than laying down right now.”

Jean laid back once again, staring forwards at the wall. Her thoughts slowly returned to the coming days and what they entailed, and with that, she thought again of Lisa.

Her reassuring smile. Her caring demeanor towards the overworked Acting Grand Master. Her refreshing, floral scent. Her gentle teasing. Her… offer to help her with work.

Guilt struck her right in the gut. The orange-tinted light shining through the windows indicated it was late in the day. She wanted to jump up and rush over to her office right then and there to meet her. She wanted to apologize profusely for being so late. But most of all, she wanted to be with her once more.

She lurched forwards as the pressure in her chest reached a breaking point. Sucrose looked over to her, and back to the serum. She panickedly removed it and set it down on the bench beside her.

“M-Mister Albedo, it’s ready!” She called nervously. Without an ounce of hesitation, Albedo calmly stood up from his chair and turned around. He walked across the shop to Jean.

“Sucrose, please prepare the bud while I assist her.” He ordered. Sucrose took the bloodied rose bud from the tray and took it over to her workbench. She set it into the flask, the stem dipping into the solution.

Meanwhile, Albedo gently massaged Jean’s back as she readied to burst into another fit of coughing and hacking. With one deep breath, an onslaught started. Deep, chesty coughs echoed throughout the room. She coughed and hacked, but it seemed like nothing was coming up. Despite that, she couldn’t stop. One cough after another, the pain grew.

The fit continued for minutes, with Albedo gently patting and massaging Jean’s upper back. All the while, Jean choked on the flowers that had bloomed inside of her chest. She couldn’t possibly bear it anymore as her vision blurred.

“Jean, you can get through it.” Albedo encouraged. The dropping of her title seemed to add to the sincerity of it as the Acting Grand Master went completely lightheaded. With gentle encouragement from the alchemist, and unbridled determination from her, one last cough brought up a single stem speckled with blooming violet roses. The size of it even seemed to surprise Albedo, who blurted out a hushed “wow.”

Jean doubled over in pain. Being the largest flower she had hacked up yet, it brought untold pain upon her throat and mouth. She cried out in agony and curled up onto her bed as the familiar tightness returned.

“Sucrose, is it ready?”
Albedo looked over his shoulder at his assistant. Just as he did, the bud burst into full bloom, elegantly large petals springing from it. It seemed to be the perfect flower just then. The stem seemed to pulsate, eager to plant its roots into whatever it touched.

With a shaky hand, Sucrose extracted the rose with a pair of tweezers and brought it over to Jean. Albedo gently rolled her over onto her back.

“This might be a little bit uncomfortable. Hold tight.” Albedo said. He motioned for Sucrose to plant the rose into her chest, and with a shaky, nervous movement, she drove it right in. Roots spread right out all the way through her chest, and Jean writhed in pain. Albedo pinned her down by her shoulders.

In a split second, it was over. The pain in her lungs and her throat melted away as the purple rose intertwined with her body. The bud sat proudly on her chest, displayed almost like a piece of jewelry. For the first time in days, she took a deep breath with little pain, if any.

Albedo let up on her shoulders and offered her a hand. Taking it, he helped her up. Thankfully, the pain was much more bearable now. Not entirely gone, but not the agonizing piercing feeling she had once felt.

“How do you feel?” Albedo asked. Jean took another deep breath.

“Much better.” She replied. Her voice was noticeably clearer. She looked down at her chest at the newly planted rose. It seemed to release all of the horrendous pain into the air as an ironically sweet scent.

“Master Jean, though you may feel better now, please be aware that this is temporary.” Albedo informed. Jean stopped in her tracks. The relief made her almost completely forget the fact.

“Ah, uh… Yeah… Understood.” Jean replied, her voice wavering.

“In the meantime, I will be organizing our trip to Liyue Harbor. Bear in mind that Baizhu may not have what it takes to save you.” He continued. “Please use your time wisely.”

Jean nodded solemnly. Though she initially felt like it would all be alright from then, the future was not exactly as clear cut as she hoped. She stood up from the bed and stretched. Sucrose seemed to be cautiously proud of her work.

Jean took one more deep breath and followed with an unsteady step forward. A few more paces, and she felt a little bit more confident in her walk. She put her hand onto the doorknob and turned it.

“Ah, and… I believe you will be taking the next few days off.” Albedo stated bluntly. “After all, paperwork wouldn’t quite be the best way to spend your potential final days.”

“Final days....”

The words struck deep. All of the days she had taken for granted, sitting at her desk and filling out endless stacks of papers all seemed to be a waste to her. If she knew things would come to this, she would have maybe asked for help. With that, her attention turned back to Lisa. She choked up. She looked back over to the two alchemists once again.

“Thank you. Thank you so much. I… I won’t fail you two.”

Albedo chuckled sheepishly. Even under such circumstances, Jean’s sense of duty didn’t seem to waver one bit. She opened the door and strutted out, shielding her eyes from the sun. She proceeded to walk through the streets at a brisk pace, the librarian being the only thing on her mind.

She hoped that Lisa hadn’t done too much on her own. It wouldn’t have been kind to shift so much responsibility onto her. However, the other half of her hoped most of the work was done. There was so much she wanted to do.

Conflicting emotions swirled inside of her. She wanted to believe that the pharmacist would be able to save her, but she also wanted to treat the next few days with utmost seriousness. She wanted to pretend that life would continue on as usual, but she didn’t want to risk missing a minute with Lisa.

She stared at the floor as she walked. What direction should she go? She wanted some kind of certainty, some kind of assurance that she was making the right decision. She lamented to think of it, but perhaps that just wasn’t in her cards.

“Jean?”

She looked up, but by then, it was too late. She knocked right into Lisa, the two bumping each other’s heads on one another. Jean stumbled backwards, and Lisa looked down, rubbing her forehead.

“O-Oh, Lisa, I’m sorry!” She apologized. Lisa looked back up and lowered her hand.

“A bit lost in thought, are we?” She asked. As usual, she hit the nail right on the head.

“Uh, yeah…”

The two awkwardly stared at each other for a moment.

“... So, did something happen?” 

“You could say that, I suppose…” Jean murmured. She didn’t exactly think ahead on how to deal with the impending torrent of questions. Lisa looked her up and down. Her clothes were more raggedy than the morning before, and the purple rose sat proudly on her chest. At the very least, she seemed to be more spry than she was earlier.

“I think you have a lot to explain. Perhaps we can continue this at the headquarters? Long chats without tea make me feel sick.” 

Lisa hardly gave her time to respond. She took her hand and started to walk her back to the headquarters. Whatever it was, she was unlikely to take no for an answer.

Lisa withdrew a key and unlocked the door to the headquarters. She swung it open and led her in. The hall was only lit by the dim orange light of the sunset. Lisa led her straight to her office. With that, a surprising sight met her eyes. Her desk was perfectly clean, not a loose sheet of paper in sight. The wood shone with a fresh polish, and the chair was tucked in. All that rested on it was her pen on its stand and an upright hourglass. She would often put it on its side to ignore the work time restraints the librarian would attempt to put on her.

Lisa sat Jean down at the head of the table. She took the tea set and wordlessly walked out of the room.

Her silence was unnerving. There was no sense of gentle teasing or clever quips to calm Jean, let alone to help her take her attention off of the situation at hand. She stared back at the hourglass. All of the sand had settled at the bottom. She fidgeted in her chair, attempting to find any position to make her feel at least a little bit comfortable.

The librarian returned, a piping hot tea tray in hand. Off to the side was a platter of ever-so-familiar chocolate tea biscuits. She set it down onto the table and took a seat next to Jean.

“No eating these all at once, okay? I want one this time.” She teased. It hardly sounded natural, though. It was as if she took the obligation to lighten up the situation a bit, but didn’t actually commit to it. Jean stayed dead silent as Lisa poured her a cup and slid it over to her.

“So,” Lisa said, looking up at her, “what happened?”

Jean rested her elbows on the table.

“Well, I wouldn’t say it was too much, really--”

“You have a flower growing out of your chest. I wouldn’t necessarily say that’s ‘not too much.’”

Jean bit her tongue.

“Please be honest with me. Even if you think you’ll make me worry.” She instructed, taking a slow sip of tea. It wasn’t often she would see Lisa like this.

“... I, well… I’m a bit sick.” She muttered. Lisa set her cup down with a clank.

“Jean,” she said, “for the love of the Seven. ‘A bit sick?’”

Jean choked up. It seemed this time around, Lisa wouldn’t let her downplay anything.

“Okay, well… quite a bit sick, then.” Jean replied awkwardly. Lisa sighed and nodded.

“I assume the flower has something to do with that?”

“Mmhmm. It’s… a small treatment that Sucrose made, actually. It’s supposed to lighten up my symptoms so I can keep working.” She continued. A half-truth.

“I see.”

Lisa took a biscuit off of the tray, taking a slow bite out of it.

“Perhaps you should take the next few days off. To get some rest. I know you’re not big on that, but...”

A brief silence made its way between the two. Every time Jean would start to speak up, it felt like her throat would close right back up.

“A-About that…” She choked out. “Albedo told me that there is a proper treatment. It’s made by a pharmacist in Liyue Harbor.”

Lisa sighed. “Baizhu, I assume?”

“Yeah.”

She sat up straight in her chair and lifted her teacup once more.

“It’s been a while. Perhaps he and I can talk with one another when you get your treatment.” She stated. “Is a trip in order?”

“Albedo said he’d be planning it.” 

Lisa raised an eyebrow. “And not you?”

“Albedo wanted me to rest, too.” She replied.

“Well, at least I’m not the only one who knows what’s good for you.” 

The cheeky remark fell completely flat. Jean sat still in front of her tea, not touching it once. Meanwhile, Lisa was on her second cup and had eaten almost half of the biscuits. The room dimmed as the sun fell past the horizon. With the passing of an uncomfortable silence, Jean spoke up.

“... Would you like to meet for breakfast again?” Jean asked. Lisa smiled, the weight of the situation seeming to lift ever so slightly.

“Of course, Jean.”

The next morning came, and with it, Jean found herself with a new rose blooming on her chest. It was a bit smaller than the one that Sucrose had put in, though it grew in close proximity to the large one. Though it was dazzlingly beautiful, it only reminded her of the time she lacked. She sat up in bed, feeling a light, prickly pain just underneath the two flowers. It wasn’t anything like what she had experienced previously, thankfully, but it was enough to motivate her to go forward with her day. 

For the first time in what felt like ages, she sifted past her work clothes in her dresser. With it came a light feeling of guilt. Though she hardly ever took days off, and Albedo promised to take care of her work, she couldn’t help but feel like she was skimping on her work. Even under the limited time she had, she felt obligated to use what life she had left in service of those in Mondstadt.

She shook her head. No, she couldn’t just use her time like this.

“After all, paperwork wouldn’t quite be the best way to spend your potential final days.”

Albedo’s words from the day before rang in her head as she drew a summer dress from the back of her closet. It was still wrapped in brown paper, completely untouched. She had told herself she’d wear it some day when she had the day off, but that day never quite came.

It had been a gift from Amber, after a long, taxing expedition which had left her completely exhausted. Now that she thought about it, that was the last true day off she really had. Not that she wanted to take one, no, but she was almost physically incapable of working.

She could remember the broad smile on the outrider’s face as she held it out to her.

“Welcome back, Jean! We missed you so much!” She had said, as loud and kind as ever. She smiled at the memory, taking the dress back over to her bed and tearing off the paper.

“We missed you so much!”

It hurt to think of. She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye as she dug through the paper, the rose sitting in her peripheral vision. What would become of the Knights if she passed? She had absolute faith that all of her officers would continue on with their work, but she feared mostly for the morale of those she worked with. Amber, Klee, Kaeya… Diluc, even, as cold as he seemed.

Most of all, though, there was Lisa. Would she be able to get on well without her?

All the more reason to cherish the moments she would have with her. She swallowed her tears and returned her attention to the new dress she had just unwrapped. 

A white, cotton dress with a beautiful array of dandelions embroidered towards the bottom. It struck her more as art rather than as actual clothing at that point. The sheer detail in the embroidery and the painstaking effort it must have taken astonished her.

Another small wrapped package was sitting in the remains of the dress’s wrapping. With another short unwrapping, she couldn’t help but chuckle and smile fondly.

It was a small doll. Amber’s Baron Bunny holding a tiny, faithful recreation of Dodoco. Whatever it was, she probably had to convince Klee to let her get that close to observe that level of detail. She felt a little bit sad to have not opened the package earlier, but after all, late was better than never.

She sat the plush on her bedside table, right next to her lamp. With a bittersweet smile, she picked up the dress and looked at it for a moment. She carefully put it on.

Looking in the mirror, she couldn’t help but be amazed at it. At the bottom, a few embroidered dandelions. A gentle breeze appeared to blow the seeds free, with an elegant cloud just off to the side. It stopped just past her knees, and it had a soft cotton layer just between herself and the embroidered linen. 

A familiar, gentle knock echoed through her home. She almost jumped at the opportunity to go open the door, quickly walking down the hall. She swung the door open.

“Good morning, Jean.” Lisa greeted. The same line would never get old to her. 

“H-Hey!” Jean replied. Her heart would race every time their gazes met.

She looked her up and down, and a wide smile spread across her face.

“I see you’ve finally found an opportunity to try it on?” She beamed. Jean nodded.

“Well, you know… since I’m taking the next few days off, and all…” She replied.

“I’m glad you’re taking your off time seriously, then. I’m sure you’re aware how much I value mine.” 

Jean stepped aside.

“I’m almost ready to go. You can wait while I do that.” She said. Lisa shook her head.

“I don’t think we’re going anywhere, dear. Come on, take a seat. I’ll make breakfast for you this time around. After all, you always made it for me back then.”

“Are you sure? That sounds like a bit much…” She said.

“It’s fine. You’re sick, aren’t you? You probably shouldn’t be walking around town if you need rest.”

Lisa confidently stepped into her home, passing Jean. She looked back at her with a familiar, soft, caring smile.

“And, by the way, you look lovely, Jean.” She said. “Amber did an amazing job with that dress. I’d love to see you wear it more from here on out.”

Jean’s heart skipped a beat. The tone of her voice, the way she looked at her; it all made her want to faint on the spot. Lisa waltzed into the kitchen, leaving Jean standing by the doorway, red in the face. That kind of attention from her drove her mad.

She followed the librarian into the kitchen, sitting at the table just across from the stove. Lisa dug through the cupboards, drawing assorted ingredients and appliances.

“It’s just like old times, wouldn’t you say?” She stated. It seemed to strike at Jean in a bittersweet way.

“I guess you could say that… maybe if I were the one cooking.” Jean replied. Lisa giggled.

“I promise I’ll make you something good.”

With the clattering of dishes and the rustling through the cabinets, Jean couldn’t help but be enamored with the librarian in front of her. She seemed to move with the utmost of confidence, measuring ingredients, pouring, mixing, turning on the burner. She almost knew that, whatever it was, it would probably be delicious.

With a sizzle of a frying pan, a delicious scent filled the kitchen. A light, fluffy, sweet smell. Jean fidgeted in her chair impatiently. Despite the amount of time they had known one another, she had never actually seen her cook, let alone tasted anything she made. It would always be some kind of take out that she had, whether it be back when they were still roommates, or when she had taken the position as a librarian. 

With a few minutes of cooking, she brought a plate over to Jean and set it in the middle of the table. On it sat a decadent stack of pancakes with a side of assorted berries. It was definitely not a one-person meal to be sure.

“Noelle ended up giving me the recipe for the pancakes she makes the other day.” Lisa said. “I figured it might be a nice time to try to make them for you.”

She drew a couple of forks and knives from the drawer and set them down on the table. Jean simply looked on.

“I… have to say, I’m a little bit surprised…” She said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you cook.”

“In all truthfulness, that’s because I’m not entirely fond of cooking. The amount of time it takes, the clean up afterwards… it’s all a bit of a drag.” Lisa replied, sitting down. “However, I’m fine with putting the work in for you, Jean.”

Jean couldn’t help but smile and giggle a little bit. The special treatment made her feel bubbly inside. She cut a piece of the pancakes and put it into her mouth. Just as she started chewing, she started to choke up. She paused for a minute.

“F-Flour…” She muttered, her mouth full. Lisa tilted her head.

“Is something the matter?” She asked. Jean shook her head and kept chewing, eventually swallowing it all down.

“I think it’s, well… Wonderful.” She said half-truthfully. The fact that she had cooked it for her was the only thing that tasted good about it.

“Lying isn’t a very knightly thing of you to do.” Lisa teased. “Don’t worry, if I did something wrong, I won’t be hurt.”

Jean looked away from her and back down at the stack in front of her.

“Well… I wouldn’t say it’s awful… you just kind of went overkill on the flour.” Jean admitted. Lisa shrugged.

“It was worth a try, I suppose.” She said nonchalantly. “I was simply following what Noelle had told me to do.”

 “Extra flour?”

“Mmhmm.”

“... I think she uses extra baking powder, actually.”

Lisa paused. “Oh… I see.”

Jean choked back a laugh. It was a little bit enjoyable to see the librarian like this for once, considering she was always teasing Jean herself. A tiny bit of laughter slipped out, and Lisa looked at her.

“Is something funny?” She asked sarcastically. Jean only laughed that much more.

“W-Well… It’s just… I really expected this to taste really good!” She said.

Lisa smiled and shook her head. “Sometimes the faith you put in me surprises me too.”

Jean smiled warmly and cut herself another piece. She stuffed it into her mouth, doing her best to pay no mind to the mouth-drying characteristics of the dish.

“If you don’t like it, you don’t have to keep eating it, you know.” Lisa assured. Jean shook her head and chewed through it.

“I don’t think I’ve ever eaten anything you made, so I at least want to finish this.”

Lisa sighed with a smile. “As dutiful as ever, I see.”

The two were quiet for a bit as Jean ate her way through half of the pancakes that Lisa had served her. As choking as they were, she couldn’t help but get some kind of enjoyment from them. After all, it had been made by the librarian herself. The one she so dearly loved. The first meal she had ever cooked for her, and… probably her last.

A chill ran down her spine as she set the fork and the knife down on the table. She looked up at Lisa and her heart fluttered once more. Though she feared deeply for the future, being around her made her feel like everything would be alright. Their eyes locked and they stared at each other for a moment.

Oh, how she wanted to tell her how much she meant to her. How much she wanted to yell out how much she loved her. How she wanted to jump out of her chair and fall into her arms. How she wanted to spend endless amounts of time on dates and see the world with her. How she wanted to grow old with her. 

She took her eyes off her leafy green eyes and looked away, followed by a light cough. She bashfully stared down at the floor.

“T-Thank you, Lisa…” She muttered. Lisa’s soft smile met Jean’s eyes once again. 

“I have to say, I really didn’t expect you to eat that much of it…”

“How couldn’t I?”

“You said you didn’t like it, didn’t you?”

“Well… it wasn’t that bad. Certainly not as bad as Amber’s cooking.” 

Lisa blushed lightly. “Ah, Jean… You don’t have to flatter me.“

Jean coughed once again, a familiar scratching presence at the back of her throat. She nearly jumped out of her seat but did her best to choke back the petals.

“I’m being honest. It’s not that bad!” She reassured, her voice hushed. Lisa rubbed the back of her neck. She rested her eyes for a moment.

“Well, if that’s so… you owe me breakfast next time, right?” Her characteristic smugness returned. Jean chuckled.

“Fine.”

She hoped there would be a next time. She took a deep breath, and with the exhale, up came a few petals into her mouth. She almost jumped. She pointed at her throat wordlessly, and Lisa seemed to immediately understand. She nodded. Wordlessly, Jean ran over to the bathroom.

She bent over the bin, opening her mouth and spitting out what petals had already come up.　The veins in the petals were filled with a deep red, similar to the blood in her own veins. With another cough, more petals came up. She was thankful that it was just mildly uncomfortable as opposed to agonizing, as it once was, but a sense of dread sprouted in her heart.

One more wheeze, and out came the rest of the petals. It looked as if a shower of them had fallen into the waste bin, creating a thin layer.

She hoped there would be a next time. That the pharmacist from Liyue Harbor would be able to save her, and that she could return home to have breakfast with Lisa another time. To spend more time with her, to talk about cheesy romance novels with her.

She stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. Another bud had appeared beside the rose. Though tiny, it was clearly destined to grow into one of similar size to the new one she saw in the morning. As her mind slowly walked its way back to the heart-consuming dread she felt the day before, she swung the door open and walked back to the kitchen.

“Is everything okay?” Lisa asked. She was still sitting at the table, seemingly dozing off. Jean couldn’t help but smile. If there was one constant, even during all of the craziness that the past couple of days had entailed, it was that the librarian was always inexplicably sleepy.

“Yeah, it’s fine… just a sore throat. Do you need a nap already?” Jean asked. Lisa shook her head.

“Just resting my eyes, that’s all.” She yawned and looked back up, sitting up in her chair. “Is there anything else you’d need for today? I don’t want to keep you awake if you need to get some rest.”

If there was one thing she really felt like she needed, it was more time with her. Though, she certainly wouldn’t have said that aloud. 

“Don’t you have duties of your own to attend to?” She asked. Lisa chuckled.

“Of course I do. However, I’m sure the library will get on just fine, whether I’m there or not. Little Ella does a wonderful job of keeping the patrons in check.” 

Part of her wanted to chastise her for not attending to her duties, the other was selfishly happy that she took the time off to be with her. She sighed.

“Well, maybe we can both go to the library. I had some books I wanted to check out, anyway.”

Lisa looked up.

“Shouldn’t you rest instead?”

“I don’t really think that would help that much.”

Lisa sighed. “Do you really think that or are you trying to get out of taking a day off?”

“I don’t think Albedo would let me work, anyway. He’s probably in my office right now. Come on, you can tend to the library, and maybe we can talk some more.”

The explanation seemed to be enough for Lisa as she stood up and walked towards Jean. She looked over to the mess she had made in the kitchen.

“Would I be able to clean this up later, then?”

“Of course.”

The two walked over to the doorway, and Jean kicked on the dormant pair of flats that had been sitting by the doorway for months. She fidgeted in them, trying to get them to fit just right. Just as she put her hand on the doorknob, she remembered something.

“Oh! I need to tie my hair up, I’ll be right back.” She said.

“Are you sure? You look really nice with your hair down… it’s been so long since you’ve worn it out like that.” Lisa commented, right as Jean started to turn around. She stopped in her footsteps.

“You really think so?” 

“I wouldn’t have said anything if I didn’t.”

Jean thought for a moment.

“If you say so, I guess…” 

She turned back around and opened the door. A breeze blew through, highlighting the unfamiliar feeling of wind blowing through her hair. The two stepped out and started making their way over to the library.

Just as they walked into the main street, a deafening shout echoed through the air.

“Jeeaaaannnn!”

Amber pounced right onto Jean, wrapping her arms around her from the back. She almost fell over from the sudden hit.

“Not so rough, now.” Lisa scolded, looking back on the two. Amber looked almost inseparable from Jean as she uncomfortably squirmed in her embrace. After a few moments, she let go and backed off.

“Sorry, it’s just… I didn’t see you yesterday! Where were you?” Amber whined. “Also, the dress! You’re finally wearing it!”

Jean turned around to face the feisty outrider. 

“Uh, I was… busy, yesterday.”

“I figured that, you’re always busy!”

Lisa chuckled. “Now, Amber, perhaps it would be best for you not to probe your superiors about their matters.” 

Amber shrunk back. “A-ah, you’re right… Sorry.”

She rubbed the back of her neck nervously. Not to worry, though, as the same contagiously bright smile returned to her face mere moments later.

“But, Master Jean, you look amazing! I think the little rose you’re wearing around your neck really ties it all together. It matches Lisa, too!” Amber said excitedly. She bounced up and down in place. Jean couldn’t help but smile and blush.

“Well… thank you for the dress. I’m glad I finally got the chance to wear it.” She said. 

“You should wear it more! I’m sure you can make some exception for yourself, right? You’re the Acting Grand Master!” 

Her stomach dropped.

“I-I’ll try to…” She said under her breath. The answer seemed to be enough for Amber, who lunged into her yet again for a hug. Lisa quickly intervened and nudged the two apart.

“Well, Amber, Jean has a day off today. Is there anything you need?” Lisa asked. Amber chuckled sheepishly.

“No, not really… I just wondered where you were yesterday, that’s all.” She admitted. 

“In that case, once again… thank you for the dress. I’ll be at the library with Lisa if you need anything.” 

Amber nodded. Just as the two turned around, she spoke up again.

“Oh, Jean! Do you want to go for another run after tomorrow?” She asked. With a knot in her throat, she nodded. The two continued their walk down to the library, a pit having formed in Jean’s stomach. She repeated to herself that she would be back, she would be able to go for another run with Amber, but it didn’t feel all that convincing.

The two walked into the Knights headquarters, and with a sharp right turn, to the library. Though, before they even entered, there seemed to be a loud confrontation going on inside. Lisa opened the door with a sigh and stepped in, looking over the banister.

Eula and Kaeya stood over a map of Teyvat spread over the table. They bickered back and forth, pointing down to different routes on the map now and then.

“Why the hell would you want to go through Dragonspine of all places? Are you trying to freeze her to death before you get her there?” Kaeya nagged. Eula gritted her teeth.

“Of course not! The main roads around the Stone Gate have a strong treasure hoarder presence. It would be better to go through somewhere just a bit colder rather than risking being attacked.” She retorted.

“Yeah, and? We’ll have some of our most skilled knights on board with us. Entire parties of them hardly stand a chance against one of us, let alone four.”

“So, if the wagon gets damaged, would you volunteer to carry Master Jean all the way down to Liyue, then?” 

Kaeya grunted.

“You two,” Lisa said, her voice deep and imposing, “enough. Have you both forgotten that this is a library?”

Kaeya almost jumped at her voice. Eula stay put, crossing her arms.

“Ah, yeah… Eula, we should quiet down.” 

“You were the one raising your voice at me.” 

“Oh, come on.”

The two lowered their voices, continuing to argue. What had been a heated debate had turned into what more sounded like two mice arguing with one another. Lisa smiled and turned back around, taking a seat at her desk.

“So, is there anything in particular I can help you find?” 

Jean thought for a moment. “Do you have any recommendations?”

Lisa quietly slid Jean a book, taken from one of the drawers of her desk. “I feel like you’d enjoy this in particular.”

She took the book from the desk and sat down in the empty chair next to Lisa. The librarian gently pulled Jean close to her, allowing her head to rest on her shoulder. She smiled and cracked open the book, with Lisa sitting idly by.

“Are you going to read something?” Jean asked.

“Hm… I think I’m ready for a nap, actually.” 

Jean chuckled. Lisa rested her head in her hands and slowly shut her eyes. Though she knew that she probably shouldn’t sleep on the job, she couldn’t help but find it comforting in a sense.

She was halfway through the book when the door to the library opened. Albedo peeked around the corner, and as he saw Jean with Lisa, he smiled.

“I need to see you in the office. Not to take you two apart, of course.”

He spoke softly so as not to wake Lisa up. Jean looked over to her and set her book down onto her desk, standing up. She reacted ever-so-slightly to it, but it wasn’t enough to really wake her. As a matter of fact, not much was capable of waking her from her slumber.

She followed Albedo back to her office and closed the door. Meanwhile, he picked up a few sheets of paper from the desk, looking down at them.

“I must say, you have quite the mental fortitude to deal with all of this work.” He commented. “Regardless, we should be all set to go tomorrow, which is probably for the best. According to Sucrose, tomorrow night is when the rose will start wilting, which means the Hanahaki will begin to spread from where she stopped it.”

Jean gulped. “I see… I thought I would have had a bit more time.”

“I, too, wish we had more time to prepare. However, that is all that Sucrose can do without permanently affecting your physique. She suggested to me other ways of getting us more time, but… they don’t seem pleasant.”

“So… are we all settled with the Millileth?”

“I sent a memo to the Qixing alongside a caravan of travelling merchants this morning. They should arrive in Liyue later tonight, and assuming they hand the note off, we shouldn’t have to deal with Millileth security clearances.”

“How’s everything going to play out tomorrow?”

“We’ll likely depart sometime around five o’ clock in the morning. Kaeya, Eula, Lisa, and I will all be coming along to ensure your safety.”

“Lisa?” Jean asked concernedly. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? What if, you know… the pharmacist doesn’t have a cure…”

Albedo looked back down at his papers nervously. A touchy subject, for sure.

“Well, if you have a change of heart… and you want to talk with her… that may be your last hope of survival.” 

Jean’s heart skipped a beat. She hoped it wouldn’t have to come to that. She took a deep breath and continued on with her questions.

“And the other two? Are they aware of the circumstances?”

“Eula and Kaeya have been informed about your condition. Not the details of it, but just enough to know that it’s vital that we have you in Liyue by the evening.”

“I see. Thank you for covering all of this work, I’m terribly sorry that--”

“No apologies, Master Jean. I see you’re enjoying your time with Lisa, and that’s precisely what I told you to do.”

Jean chuckled and blushed. “W-Well… what can I say?”

The thought of her seemed to trump any other thought in her mind.

“Does she know about your plans to take her yet?”

“I have yet to tell her. I’ll likely do it tonight, when she has some free time. I don’t believe it to be wise to interrupt her… ‘relaxation time’ with work. Otherwise, that’s all. Feel free to return to reading.” 

The next day, Jean blinked awake. An unfamiliar sense of drowsiness was upon her, and the sharp pains had returned. Yet another rose had bloomed on her chest, though the color in the petals had slowly begun to fade away. Sitting up in bed yielded the pain she had felt just two days prior. She let out a long sigh as she slowly brought herself out of bed.

She opened her window and took down her uniform she had hung up the night before. Just as she got dressed, she looked at the clock on her bedside table. She hurried herself, haphazardly throwing on her leggings, her top, and her belt. She kicked on her boots, and as she walked out the door, she buttoned up her cowl.

She sluggishly walked down the street and out of Mondstadt’s gates. There, in the cold, early morning, stood the four knights appointed to her journey. Kaeya and Eula leaned on the side of the cart, and Albedo and Lisa stood around the front. 

“Good morning, Master Jean. Are you feeling well?” Albedo queried. Lisa simply stood behind him, seeming like she was about to fall asleep on the spot.

“I’m doing fine. Are we set to go?” She asked, doing her best to hide the pain she felt from simply speaking. Albedo nodded.

“We should arrive in Liyue Harbor by late afternoon. From there, we can get you straight to Doctor Baizhu. And, from there…”

Albedo paused and sighed.

“We can hopefully get you a treatment then.”

Baizhu had to have something to help her. She coughed lightly and nodded.

“Let’s get going.”

Eula stood up straight and nudged Kaeya’s shoulder. Jean stepped to the back of the cart and tried her best to step up into it, though she winced in pain and paused. Lisa gently helped lift her into the cart, and she followed. Kaeya tilted his head.

“Lisa, come on. You’re up front with us, too.” He said. Lisa looked over to him, not budging an inch.

“Don’t you think someone should keep an eye on her, in case her condition gets worse or she needs some kind of help?” 

“She’ll be right behind us the entire time. I think she’ll be alright.”

Albedo stepped up front and put a hand on Kaeya’s shoulder. Just like that, he knew that there was probably no arguing it. Kaeya sighed and shook his head, turning back to face the bridge. With a light spin from Eula, the motors on top of the cart started to turn, and the group set off.

Kaeya, Eula, and Albedo guided the cart with Jean and Lisa sitting in the back. Every now and then, Jean would cough. She did her best to hold down any flowers from coming up.

“Jean.” Lisa called sleepily. She gently patted her lap.

“What is it?” Jean asked, clearing her throat. 

“Come on. Lay down. I can hardly handle hearing you cough like that.”

Lisa reached over and helped to spin Jean around, having her lay down onto her lap. The cart was obviously too small for her. However, Lisa seemed content, smiling down at her and twirling a strand of her hair. Her eyes drifted shut once again, continuing to play with her hair.

“Jean… wouldn’t you say it would be a wonderful morning for a picnic?” She asked quietly. “Just think of it, sitting among the misty grass under the tree at Windrise… maybe watching the sun come up as well.”

Jean couldn’t muster any words.

“Perhaps, when we’re all back home, we should do that.”

Just from that alone, she felt a few more flowers bloom in her chest. At the same time, a rumbling anxiety took hold. Today was the day. Her heart raced. The pharmacist had to have something.

She wanted to stay by Lisa’s side forever. She didn’t want to go. No matter what, Baizhu would have something, she told herself. She would go home, and she would have a picnic with Lisa. She would go for another run with Amber. She would take Klee out to play for once.

She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and looked up at Lisa, who was already half-asleep. Baizhu would cure her. She wouldn’t have to leave Lisa behind. She wouldn’t have to leave Amber behind. She wouldn’t have to leave Mondstadt.

With a bittersweet smile, she closed her eyes. It would be alright. It hurt now, but it wouldn’t hurt tomorrow. Tomorrow, she would awake to Lisa’s sweet smile, and it would all be okay.

Her soft smile, her rosy smell. The feeling of the silk dress she wore below her head. Her endearing and contagious sleepiness. Her hands idly playing with her hair. She took a deep, erratic breath and sunk back into the librarian’s lap. Though the future seemed uncertain at first, she knew that she wouldn’t just leave her behind. It never ended like this in the books she had read, so why would it here?

The group arrived at the gates of Liyue. As expected, the Millileth didn’t interrupt them. Jean sat up and looked around at the harbor. The sunset tinted the entire city a beautiful orange. It was still very much active, with citizens walking up and down the streets and conversing with the many merchants that dotted the street. In Mondstadt, this was the time of day where most people would either go home or to the tavern.

Though she had travelled lots in the past, it had been a while since she visited the harbor. Mainly the result of work, of course. Seeing another city outside of Mondstadt or Springvale was refreshing. If only she had been there under different circumstances.

“Perhaps we should take a better look around tomorrow. Liyue looks quite nice.” Kaeya commented.

“We’re here to get Jean her treatment, not to sightsee.” Eula snapped back at him.

“Perhaps if we have time, we can take a look around.” Albedo said. “After all, we should allocate some time for Master Jean to rest before we go back tomorrow.”

An uneasy silence fell upon Albedo and Jean. Conversely, Kaeya would comment on every little thing he saw around the harbor. Eula just wanted him to shut up.

The pharmacy was just one staircase away. Albedo walked to the back and pulled the stop lever on the cart, jamming the motors to a halt. 

Jean looked up the staircase at the quaint little building and gulped. All of the anxiety she had pushed down earlier that day came welling back up. Lisa stood up from the cart, and in turn, helped Jean out. Just as her feet hit the floor, she couldn’t hold back her coughing any more.

Without any hesitation at all, she turned away and started walking off to the pharmacy. A harsh, painful cough rumbled through her stomach. Albedo had to rush towards her to make sure she didn’t fall over again.

“Please keep watch over the cart. If you need to, you all can get something to eat. We shouldn’t be too long.” Albedo instructed. Lisa crossed her arms.

“Is there a reason why I can’t accompany Jean?” She asked. 

“She said she wanted to keep the specifics of her illness private. Please keep watch over everything.”

As Jean continued to cough and hack, Albedo walked her forwards. Each step brought about more pain within her. Just as the two reached the entryway, she ended her fit. A ripping feeling came up her airway, and once again, came a fully grown rose. She jerkily reached up to her mouth and pulled it out, reeling in pain.

Meanwhile, the green-haired pharmacist stood watch at the counter. His eyes almost seemed to light up as he saw the flower come from Jean. 

“Ah, Albedo? Are you the Mondstadters we were expecting today?” He asked. His tone was soft, almost mockingly so. Jean nodded. Even after all of that, the weight in her chest hadn’t settled a bit. He stepped around from the counter and opened the small door that led to the back.

“Follow me, then.”

Albedo helped Jean to the consultation room. He hummed a little tune as he guided the two back. He motioned for Jean to sit down on a small examination table, and Albedo took a seat in the corner of the room. 

Baizhu shut the door behind them. He faced Jean, and immediately focused on the flower planted on her chest.

“Ooh, quite a unique way of dealing with the symptoms.” He observed, bending over to get a closer look at it. “I assume this was your work, Albedo?”

“It was my assistant’s.” He replied. Baizhu stood back up with a soft smile. 

“I’m glad to see you’re passing on the art of bioalchemy, then. However, back to the situation at hand.”

He leaned back on the wall to the side. “A case of Hanahaki, right? Given the coughing fit I heard from you, it must have progressed fairly far. How long?”

“... Four days.” Jean replied. Her voice had returned to being raspy and pained. Baizhu raised his eyebrow.

“Only four days? Interesting. You must care for whoever it is a lot, then. Is that right?”

“Mmhmm.”

“So, how long has it been since you first met her?”

She coughed again. “Three years.”

“Oh my. That explains your rapid development of symptoms, then. Did something happen as of late?” 

“Well… I always did my best not to think about my feelings…” 

“I assume that changed recently?”

“...”

“... I see. I must say, it’s quite uncommon for me to see a case such as yours.” He said. “Most people aren’t capable of choking their feelings back for that long.”

“Do you know if there’s anything we can do to treat it?” Albedo asked. Baizhu let out a deep sigh.

“I… was getting to that.” He said. “Though it isn’t a common affliction around here, people are at the very least still aware of it. So, they seek treatment the moment they start hacking up flowers. I usually have an herbal mixture in stock that’s capable of treating the early symptoms of it and stopping it in its tracks.”

“And for later symptoms…?”

Baizhu simply looked down at the floor at the question. He took his time in responding.

“Do you think you have a chance with whoever it is?”

Jean fell deep into thought. Lisa had been so kind to her over the past three years. Offering her tea every afternoon, covering for her work whenever she needed it, travelling all the way down to Liyue with her… but what if it was all just meant in a platonic sense? It was possible that she was just being kind, after all.

And if it was all in a platonic sense, what would happen if she confessed? If she didn’t feel the same way, she would die anyway. As well as that, she would surely feel some kind of regret for the passing of the Acting Grand Master, even if she wasn’t fully aware of her condition.

“... I don’t know if I want to consider that.”

Baizhu let out a deep sigh. 

“I’m… afraid there’s not much I can do, then.”

Jean’s stomach turned. 

“A-Are you sure?”

He nodded solemnly. “In the late stages, all there is to cure it is… as I’m sure you’ve heard, the true, unfettered love from the one you want. At the very least, I can prescribe you some pain medicine, so…”

His voice trailed off. It was clear he didn’t want to speak of her fate. In an instant, the anxiety that filled her turned to despair. The hesitancy of the pharmacist to talk about her impending death made her all the more uneasy.

All of that encouragement she gave to herself, and for what? She wanted to kick herself for convincing herself that Baizhu would have something, but her mind was preoccupied with Amber. With Kaeya, Eula, Albedo, Sucrose… with everyone she came to know and love in Mondstadt.

But most of all, Lisa. The leafy-eyed librarian with the purple rose in her hair. The one she loved most of all.

Though, in her time as a knight, she was aware of the cruel nature of the world, she had never expected to be on the receiving end of it. Severe illness was always something that had happened to other people, but not to her. Even when it did happen, there was always some kind of treatment, some kind of cure.

That wasn’t the case, though. Not conventionally.

Tears started to roll down her cheek. She didn’t want to believe it.

“I’m sorry.” Baizhu finished. He could hardly look her in the eye. Albedo stood up and walked towards Jean, standing next to her. 

“Thank you.” Albedo said. He wrapped an arm around Jean. No matter what she tried, the tears just kept coming. 

“Do you need some time alone?” Baizhu asked. Albedo looked up and nodded. The pharmacist left the room wordlessly, leaving him and the sorrowful Jean. He did his best to act as a comforting presence for her, but he seemed to just make it all worse.

She wanted to do all of the things that she would normally do just one more time. Another run with Amber, even if she dragged Lumine along with her. Another morning with Lisa, no matter the quality of what she cooked. Another afternoon of tea with Eula, regardless of her uppity challenges of authority. Even another boring stack of papers-- at least that would mean she could see everyone after she was done.

All of the woes of her daily life fell to the wayside in the face of the future, or the lack thereof. Her heart hurt. Thousands of thorns stabbed into her chest. She broke into yet another fit of coughing, mixed with what sounded like sobbing.

Each petal that came up felt like a sick, mocking piece of confetti. The purple rose, Lisa’s favorite flower, was to be the malignantly beautiful cause of her demise. Every cough felt like it drove the thorns deeper into her lungs.

With a final cough, up came three beautifully blood-tainted roses. She wailed in pain as the thorns dragged through her airway, causing her to double over in pain. She wasn’t ready. She didn’t want her time to come soon. She didn’t want it to come ever.

Albedo gently massaged her upper back. His gaze remained averted from the wretched woman the entire time. He could hardly bear listening to her, let alone looking at her. Though he didn’t show it, he could almost feel the fear she felt.

Every tremble of Jean’s body took another petal from the rose on her chest with it. As opposed to the deep purple it had once been, it was a near-wilted gray. The leaves seemed to still hold a little bit of life within them, a bright yellow-green, though it was nothing compared to the rich tone they once held.

“... Jean.” Albedo spoke softly. “Would you like to get going?” 

She didn’t feel like she could move an inch. Dread and fear filled her lungs, seemingly feeding the pain within. Even thinking of moving seemed to flair up the agony she felt. Regardless, Albedo gently encouraged her with a little nudge every now and then. Eventually, she finally came to her feet. She wiped her eyes and sniffled.

“Are you ready to go?” He asked. Jean nodded, and wordlessly continued out of the examination room, Albedo following close behind. 

“Albedo.” Baizhu whispered. Just as he was about to step in front of the counter, he held out a small slip of paper to him while Jean absentmindedly walked out of the pharmacy. 

A coupon for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.

“Hu Tao is a… quaint person, to say the least. However, she does her job well. I would recommend that you pay her a visit sooner than later.” He said. His voice was hushed, almost not even wanting to talk about the possibility at all. Albedo stared down at the coupon for a moment and looked back up.

“I see. I’ll… keep her in mind, then.”

He continued on out of the pharmacy. The mainstay little zombie girl walked into the pharmacy just as he exited. She stared up at Baizhu’s face and tilted her head.

“What happened?” She asked flatly. He rubbed his face, trying to shake off what of the former conversation stuck to him.

“Nothing, really…”

“You’re acting weird.” 

“...  I’m just happy to see you back. Come on, let’s get you a cup of coconut milk.”

Outside, Jean and Albedo walked down the steps of the pharmacy. The second Lisa saw her, she knew something was amiss. She rushed up the stairs to meet her.

“What happened?” Lisa asked.

“Nothing.” Jean replied quietly. 

“Did he have a treatment?” 

By those words alone, she welled right back up into tears. She fell into Lisa’s shoulder and wrapped her arms around her. Lisa’s heart dropped.

“Jean…” She said, returning the embrace. Jean held her tighter at the sound of her voice. The commotion quickly drew the attention of Eula and Kaeya, who turned to Albedo for answers instead.

“Hey, what happened?” Kaeya asked, right as Albedo hit the base of the steps. He steeled his nerves.

“Baizhu couldn’t help.” He said, almost straining himself to say it to the two.

“What do you mean ‘couldn’t help?’” Eula asked. 

“He told us that we were too late. The treatment he has only works in the early stages of the sickness.” 

“So, what now?” Kaeya asked. Albedo simply shook his head and walked back to the cart. 

“How much time does she have?” Eula asked. Albedo turned his head.

“Look, I’m not the one to answer these questions. Please. I need some time.” 

As the two were left hanging, they looked back over to Jean and Lisa. She continued to sob into her shoulder, with Lisa gently rubbing her back. She knew exactly what had happened from her behavior alone.

“It’s okay, Jean… With just a little bit of research, I’m sure we can find you some help. It’s not over yet.”

The seemingly unfounded optimism only seemed to drive the pain deeper. She desperately wanted to speak up and to tell her, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t extinguish what little hope she could have salvaged from the situation. She cried harder, hugging Lisa tightly. She didn’t want to let go. Not then, not ever.

The soft embrace of the one she loved brought her no comfort. It hurt to think that, eventually, she would have to leave, but knowing it would happen so soon broke her. She truly thought that, if not having been cured, she would at least have more time with everyone-- with her-- but it couldn’t have been further from the truth.

“Lisa,” Kaeya called, “we’re going to go find an inn for tonight.” 

Lisa looked back, continuing to hold Jean. “Please give us a little more time.”

“We can come back once we’ve found something.”

She nodded, and returned her gaze back to Jean. 

“It’ll be okay…” She repeated. Though, even with the utmost conviction in her voice, it didn’t sound genuine. It sounded more as if she was comforting herself as opposed to her. It all made everything hurt that much more.

“Jean… is there anything you’d want to do tonight?” She asked softly, doing her best to take her attention off of the situation at hand. She could hardly respond through tears and coughs. Though, with what little willpower she had left, she answered.

“I… I want to rest… I’m tired...”

Jean woke up. Her throat burned, and her chest was rife with pain. A weight felt as if it sat on her very soul.

Kaeya had found an inn the day before. It wasn’t necessarily the cheapest, but the group didn’t seem to mind shelling out mora to get a place to stay. Though Kaeya and Eula had invited her out to get something for dinner, she turned it down.

She was exhausted, to say the least. Even as she woke up, there was a cloud of haze that hung over every corner of her mind. With a light cough, she slid out of bed and opened the door. 

She trudged out onto the bridge. She stared out towards the harbor. The street below was completely empty. Not a creature stirred. All that she could hear was the gentle crash of waves against the shore. She rested her arms on the walls of the bridge, the weight on her soul growing.

The uncanny feeling of peace mixed with an overall feeling of unease mocked her at every thought. If only she had taken her time just that much more seriously. She wouldn’t have slept through the journey to Liyue. She would have taken Kaeya’s offer for dinner. She silently kicked herself for her carelessness in the face of death. Her stubbornness in considering the fact that Baizhu might not have been able to help her.

A bittersweet tear rolled down her cheek. Perhaps that was simply the best she could do with her circumstances. Not the best, but… in some sense, it felt like enough. Perhaps the only thing worse than death was living knowing it was coming.

A tightness in her lungs drew her out of deep thought. A deep cough welled up in her chest. Upon letting it out, a shower of purple rose petals came forth, blowing off in the wind. It hurt more than ever before, but she was able to withstand it. All of her feelings felt dulled.

“Jean? What are you doing up?”

She slowly turned her head to face the librarian. She was standing just outside of the door. 

“Ah, Lisa…” She muttered. Another cough welled up from the depths of her stomach, and yet another cloud of petals burst forth, along with a few, small bloodied roses. She groaned in pain, and Lisa gasped as Jean fell to her knees. The jig was up.

“J-Jean!”

She rushed right over, kneeling down. Another wave of petals, and a tight feeling working its way up her throat. Lisa tilted her head up to face her.

“How long has this been happening?” She asked.

She tried to speak, but nothing came out. Another cough, another wave coated the floor beneath them. It had grown more gruesome, the petals coated with a thin film of blood.

"Jean, please. Talk to me." Lisa begged. Every sentence seemed to bring about another cough.

"Why didn't you tell me?" 

Another cough. Her throat grew tighter.

"Jean, please!"

Another. She fell onto her back. She could hardly take a breath.

"Jean!"

Her hearing washed out, and with it, her vision blurred. She could just barely make out a teary-eyed Lisa above her. She coughed again, but nothing came up. A thorny stem lodged itself in her airway, choking out what little breaths she could take. She could just barely feel Lisa wrap her arms around her, lifting her up to her face.

"Jean, please… tell me…" She begged, tears streaming down her face. One final breath.

“I love you, Lisa… Thank you...”

A bittersweet smile, hardly capable of voicing a single word. Falling limp in her arms, a gentle breeze took what little petals of the rose had left, blowing off in the wind alongside the gore-covered ones below her. Lisa clenched her jaw and held Jean closer, her heart feeling like it just broke clean in two. It couldn’t be like this.

“Jean… I love you too… Jean!”

No response. The other three had been awakened by the commotion, with Albedo peeking around the corner. He nearly jumped at the sight, despite his knowledge of what was to come that night.

Albedo rushed to her assistance. He knelt down, bringing his hand to her fingertips. A chill ran down his spine as he felt the disgustingly lukewarm feeling of death on them. He stumbled backwards, a pit emerging in his stomach.

Lisa stared down at her body, her entire world seeming to shatter in an instant. It took her entirely by surprise. She should have had more time, she told herself. She could have come back to the library, and she could have saved her.

If she had found out earlier, she could have had Jean live out the rest of her life with her-- as short lived as she expected it to be. She had always counted the time down for herself, but not for others. Not for Jean. She always knew that time was fleeting, but she believed it to be fleeting for herself only. A burning sensation came about in her chest. How could have she been so ignorant?

The wilted, petalless rose sitting on her chest drew mocking parallels to her situation. Mondstadt’s roses, a flower representing utmost secrecy. The secret that Jean had kept from her in fear of her worrying.

… or perhaps, the true meaning was the secret that Lisa would never be able to tell her. The secret that she too loved her. The secret that she feared for the former Acting Grand Master’s image among those in Mondstadt if she were to confess the truth. With the wilting of the rose, an indication that the secret would never be shared with the one most worthy of hearing it. The one who she wanted to tell the most.

Tears rolled down her face, falling onto her loved one’s chest. She expected every drop that hit the dead flower to bring it back into full bloom, to bring her back, if at least for a moment. She always thought she would have time to tell her, though it was time taken for granted. Her heart shattered under the weight of the truth-- the truth that she would never know.

With a hopeless epiphany and a gentle sob, out from her mouth came five more words.

“I love you too, Jean…”

… and, from her mouth, with those final words, came a single dandelion seed.