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“Lumine, this is amazing!”
Lumine abashedly laughs at Amber’s excited squeal, cheeks dusted with pink as she leads her group of friends into her teapot. “Oh, this is nothing,” she says with a small smile. “I’m still going to renovate this from time to time.”
“No need to be humble, Honorary Knight. It must’ve taken a lot of time to build everything from zero,” Kaeya comments, walking leisurely to admire the small garden and water fountain in front of the mansion. Everything feels and looks so surreal that Lumine’s friends are undeniably awestruck by the sight. Even the usually stoic-faced Diluc is eyeing the vicinity with great interest.
“I had a few people helping me,” Lumine tells them, nimble hands unlocking the gigantic, wooden door, before gesturing to the sleeping teapot spirit nearby. “Tubby is one of them.”
As Amber gushes about how cute the floating creature is, the door is finally opened, revealing the warm interior of the mansion. They spend their time touring around the mansion with Lumine as their guide, exploring each room and chatting along the way. At one point, she offers them to rest in the guest bedrooms, to which Diluc gently refuses.
“Thank you, but we don’t want to trouble you any further,” he says. “We’ve been taking up your time with our visit.”
“Really, I don’t mind. It’s been a while since I had guests in my house.” Lumine then sighs guiltily. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t invite you guys sooner. I had important matters to take care of – “
“Oh, Lumine,” Amber pulls her into a brief hug and reassures her, “It’s really okay! Your priority comes first. Knowing that you’re fine is enough for us.”
Lumine gives her a grateful smile. “Thank you, Amber.”
“But still!” Amber adds, “I was so surprised to see you in Mondstadt today! I thought that I was hallucinating—I mean, it’s been months since we’ve last seen each other, right?”
The blonde nods. Admittedly, her trip to Mondstadt is quite unplanned. Since she and Paimon are still finding a way to sneak into Inazuma, the pixie suggested they should pay their Mondstadt friends a surprise visit. When they coincidentally met Diluc, Kaeya, and Amber at Good Hunter, somehow, they ended up conversing about a good hang-out spot, and that was why Lumine invited them into her teapot.
Of course, Paimon was so delighted to hear that idea. “Let’s eat lots of food in your teapot, Lumine! Paimon thinks that we should also invite Albedo, Barbara, and the others!” she said eagerly. “Oh! Paimon knows! To save time, why don’t you guys enter the teapot first? Paimon will join you with the others later!”
And that leads Amber to voice out her worry when they eventually settle on the second floor after their tour has come to an end. “Will Paimon be okay?”
“I’m sure she will,” Lumine replies. “Ah, maybe I should serve some snacks in the meantime. Does anyone want fruits? I can pick some fresh ones in my backyard.”
“We can help,” Diluc attempts to stand up from his seat, only for Lumine to pat his shoulder.
“Thank you, but you guys are my guests.” She laughs, urging Diluc to stay in his place. “I’ll be back in a second, okay? Feel free to walk around the house or read some books!” she exclaims, voice gradually becoming more distant. The echo of her footsteps then disappears as soon as the front door is closed.
A comfortable silence then envelopes the atmosphere between them. As much as Diluc hates to trouble others, he can’t help but pull out a random book from the nearest rack and relaxes with an exhale. Noticing this, a smirk finds its way to Kaeya’s face.
“Someone is already making himself at home, hm?”
Diluc flips a page and ignores the Cavalry Captain, to which Kaeya sighs.
“Ah, he must be so engrossed in his own paradise that he can’t even hear me.”
That slightly ticks Diluc off. “Do us a favor by shutting up.”
Seeing the widening smirk on Kaeya’s face, Amber just knows that it’s an absolute sign that he has no intentions of stopping to tease the redhead. She wonders if she should interfere now; there’s no guarantee that they won’t indulge themselves in a fight although they are very much aware that they’re currently inside of someone’s mansion.
However, before she could utter a word, the door is flung open.
“Oh, she’s back!” Amber announces.
“Oh? That is fast—” Kaeya remarks, but his words die down in his throat the moment he lands his gaze on the figure below. Diluc, sensing that something might be wrong, follows his line of vision and immediately tenses at the sight that welcomes him.
Because the person who just entered the mansion is definitely not Lumine.
He is a ginger-haired young man, clad in a grey and red uniform. The guests can’t clearly see his face from the second floor, but it’s easy for them to spot the red mask on his head. Amber immediately narrows her eyes as her own suspicion arises within her.
“Is that…?” she whispers in hesitation, before glancing at Diluc and Kaeya for confirmation. Kaeya’s demeanor is calm as usual, but Diluc’s impassive expression is starting to morph into a frown.
“Fatui, huh?” Kaeya comments casually.
“A Harbinger,” Diluc spits out, as though saying it out loud is a huge sin. “The eleventh—the most dangerous of them all. Tartaglia.”
Upon hearing their words, Amber gapes and covers her mouth. “Wh-what’s someone like him doing in Lumine’s house?!” she asks worriedly. “Is it even possible to infiltrate a place like this? Lumine said that the only way to enter this teapot is through the realm dispatch, right?”
“It’s not that all too far-fetched,” Kaeya proposes slowly, “The Fatui has advanced technologies up their sleeves, and they’re very active in their researches. Invading an abode created by an Adeptus should be a walk in a park, considering that they are privileged enough to possess man-made Visions in their hands. However,” the blue-haired man then pauses, “It won’t hurt to also consider the possibility of your second guess.”
“My second guess…?” Amber blinks. “You mean…” she trails off, turning her attention back to Tartaglia on the first floor.
From the way he moves, he looks like he’s already familiar with his surrounding, a fact that is quite alerting to them. Tartaglia doesn’t seem to be afraid of getting caught, evident by how he carelessly discards his jacket and scarf to the sofa, as though he’s done such a thing countless times before. He waltzes himself through the living room like he’s memorized this place into his brain, even going as far as humming with each step. Tartaglia disappears to the other side of the house that can’t be seen from the second floor, but the trio can make out thuds and clangs of objects being placed or carefully dragged, followed by sounds of wet scrubbing.
When Tartaglia emerges back to the living room, there’s a wet cloth in his right hand, a bucket of water in his left hand… and an apron on his body.
The trio stares at him in disbelief, and Amber is the first one who breaks herself out of her shocked state. “Is he…” she wryly points at the figure who is now crouching down to wipe some dust from a rack. “… cleaning the house?”
“I can see that,” Diluc grumbles. “This must be some kind of ploy. I shall confront him before he brings harm to Lumine’s house, and – “
“Hold on,” Kaeya interjects with sheer amusement in his voice. “This isn’t something that we could witness every day, is it? Besides,” he snickers, “this is the only thing we need to prove our dear Amber’s prior guess.”
Amber gasps at Kaeya’s reminder. “E-Eh? You weren’t joking? You’re really considering it?”
“Of course.” The Cavalry Captain nods with an easy smile. “Not only is he familiar with the place, but he also cleans the furniture with his own will. Surely, it would be ludicrous for Lumine to hire a Fatui Harbinger as her house assistant.”
“So… you’re saying that…” the archer puts the small pieces of information into one big picture, “Lumine invited him herself because he might be well-acquainted with her!” she concludes. “And—and he must’ve visited this place before!”
Despite the glaring evidence before his eyes, the situation is too absurd and incomprehensible for Diluc. Stubbornly, he summons his claymore and glares at Tartaglia, who is now happily mopping the floor. “Something isn’t right. Lumine isn’t the type of person who would betray us. He might be the one who’s manipulating her—”
From beside him, Kaeya sighs. “Why, this is unlike you to be this impulsive. Picking a fight with a Fatui Harbinger under someone’s roof isn’t something that a guest should do in their first visit.”
Dematerializing his weapon, Diluc bitterly clicks his tongue, but the others can tell that it really pains him to refrain himself from swinging his claymore right here, right now.
In the end, they are forced to watch the harbinger mopping and wiping the house for twenty minutes straight. Once Tartaglia is done with his cleaning duties, he goes back to the kitchen and produces multiple sounds of chopping, to which Diluc instinctively summons his claymore again (“That psycho must be chopping human flesh—!”), but fortunately gets stopped by Amber before he could do a plunge attack to the first floor.
As though mocking him, there is a distinctive sizzling sound from the kitchen, and in no time, a delicious waft of food permeates the air. It successfully draws a deeper frown from the redhead and a laugh from Kaeya who is obviously entertained by the situation.
As if on cue, the entrance door is then opened by the owner of the house. Lumine is holding two baskets of freshly-picked fruits and even some vegetables if one squints. They look heavy, but the Honorary Knight seems unaffected by the weight.
Once she closes the door, fast footsteps hurriedly approach her from the kitchen.
“Kroshka! Welcome home!” Tartaglia is all smiles and rainbows when he finally reaches her. Lumine, of course, is taken aback by his presence, and she doesn’t have the time to dodge when Tartaglia bends down to place a swift kiss on her lips. In an instant, a blush explodes on her face as she nervously glances to the second floor. On the surface, Tartaglia seems oblivious to her reaction and instead, takes the baskets from her hands. “Were you farming? Ah, I could make some Fried Radish Balls from this.”
“C-Childe,” Lumine stammers a bit, “Did you just arrive?”
“Hmm? Yeah, I think that’s pretty obvious, girlie.”
Lumine massages her eyebrows before asking, “And whose blood is that on your shirt?”
Kaeya doesn’t look like he’s surprised at all, Diluc’s face darkens, and Amber almost chokes on empty air. But Tartaglia merely shrugs in a nonchalant manner as he walks back to the kitchen. “No one important. I just got back from collecting debts, and someone was being a little bit too stubborn.”
“…”
Tartaglia cackles at the blonde’s unimpressed face. “Aw, don’t worry, pretty girl. I didn’t kill anyone today.”
“Today,” Diluc mutters darkly, earning a chuckle from Kaeya.
After a moment, Tartaglia’s voice echoes again from the kitchen. “Anyway, are you hungry? I’m making Calla Lily Seafood Soup.”
Eventually, Lumine sighs. “Is that enough for at least ten servings?”
In the middle of washing the fruits and vegetables, Tartaglia pauses. “Huh? I guess so, considering the appetite of your pixie companion… why do you ask?”
Briefly, Lumine locks her gaze with her seemingly conflicted friends—save for Kaeya—at the second floor and speaks loudly, “Let’s make a feast for dinner. I’ll help you.” Before Tartaglia could ask her why, Lumine continues sheepishly, “I don’t want my guests to starve, so…”
The Harbinger stays silent for a second, before giving her an indecipherable smile. “Guests, huh?” He makes his way to Lumine’s side and without warning, tilts his head upward to stare directly at Lumine’s friends. “You mean, those so-called knights who have been planning to murder me behind my back?”
Out of reflex, Amber takes one step back with a guarded stance. “He heard us!”
“Of course I did.” Tartaglia snorts, dark blue eyes becoming icier than usual. “The three of you weren’t even trying to tone your voices down. Shouldn’t have underestimated a Harbinger that much, don’t you think?”
“What arrogance,” Diluc hisses. “Honorary Knight, I don’t mean to mingle in your business, but what is your relationship with him? For all we know, you could be brainwashed!”
Lumine opens her mouth to answer, but Tartaglia’s response is faster. “Brainwashed? Hahaha, aren’t you thinking of me too highly now?”
“Shut your filthy mouth, Fatui—”
“Well, this filthy mouth could make your dearest Honorary Knight scream in pleasu—”
“STOP IT RIGHT THERE.” Lumine shrieks with a deep blush on her face, smacking Tartaglia’s arm, before taking a deep breath to compose herself, “Okay, Childe, do not say unnecessary things, and Diluc, please hear me out first.”
The Harbinger snickers at her apparent embarrassment and crosses his arms, smugly waiting for her explanation. He could tell that she’s respected by her friends, and considering their difference in status, her words are more likely to be accepted than his own. But it’s fine; as long as she could silence them, it’s more than enough to appease Tartaglia.
Thankfully, Diluc decides to cooperate.
“Okay, let me just… reintroduce him. This is Childe, or Tartaglia. He’s an acquaintance of mine—”
“He kissed you,” Diluc points out while gritting his teeth.
“…” Lumine coughs into her fist. “Uh, alright, maybe we’re more than acquaintances, but—”
This time, Kaeya’s the one who interrupts her. “Ho? Didn’t he say that he could make you scream in plea—”
“FINE! Fine, Archons! You guys aren’t making this easy for me,” Lumine quickly surrenders in disgruntlement, before shyly glancing at the smiling harbinger beside her. Upon receiving a wider smile, she buries her burning face in her hands with a groan. Tartaglia seems to know what that reaction means, so he pulls her to his chest with a chuckle and strokes her head soothingly.
“There, there. No need to push yourself, malyshka.”
“I still can’t say it after all. Childe, you tell them,” she grouses, voice muffled by Tartaglia’s chest, but doesn’t attempt to free herself away from his embrace.
“If that’s what you want,” he cheerfully complies and shifts his attention back to the dumbfounded trio upstairs. “Sorry, my girlfriend isn’t used to announcing our relationship. She acted the same when we tried to tell some of her Liyuean friends.”
Despite having suspected this, Diluc is still displeased by the confirmation, which drives him to make a snarky remark, “That’s to be expected. Who wouldn’t hesitate to reveal their relationship with a manipulative Fatui Harbinger?”
Tartaglia’s smile turns cold. “Oh? It’s ironic how you’re trying to manipulate her into thinking that I’m the manipulative one here.”
Beside him, Amber is freaking out by the amount of tension between Diluc and the harbinger. “Err, um, I think we really shouldn’t provoke him that much…” she whispers.
“Miss Amber is right. Why don’t we become allies with him for the time being?” Kaeya suggests with an easy smile. Diluc snorts at this, clearly despising the thought of him being buddy-buddy with an enemy. “Oh, come on, Diluc. Think of it as a better way to keep an eye on the enemy from a close distance.”
“…” Diluc exhales heavily. It’s a logical argument; he could beat Tartaglia up if he happens to show his nasty, true side, even if just for a brief moment. He swears he will make that stupid ginger-haired man sleep with one eye open. “Tch. Whatever,” is what he settles to say as a sign of his acquiescence.
Lumine then calls them out, still casually leaning her back against Tartaglia. “Are you guys done yet?”
“All clear, Miss Honorary Knight,” Kaeya answers, already making his way downstairs. “About that promised big feast… are you still up to it?” he playfully inquires once he reaches the first floor.
“Right! We should proceed right away!” Lumine whirls her body to Tartaglia, who in turn gives her a nod.
“Whatever my princess orders, I shall oblige,” he winks and prances back to the kitchen, this time with Lumine by his side. Lumine lightly shoves him away, their back-and-forth resounding throughout the house. It’s only when Diluc and Amber are finally caught up with Kaeya that Lumine invites them to the dining room.
“C’mon, don’t just stand there. Have some snacks and fruits while we’re preparing everything,” she encourages, patting the long, wooden dining table. “I promise it won’t take long!”
In thirty minutes, Paimon would enter the mansion, complaining how Albedo, Sucrose, Barbara, Jean, and others are too busy to join in their little reunion. She would never expect the scene that would unfold before her: two Knights of Favonius, a winery owner, and the so-called savior of Teyvat dining ‘peacefully’ with the rumored notorious Eleventh Fatui Harbinger, who isn’t supposed to be there in the first place.
Of course, this nonsensical turn of events would prompt her to screech,
“T-TRAVELER! WHAT IS MR. MORE-MONEY-THAN-SENSE DOING HERE?!”