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“Diluc, I’m getting married.”
He almost dropped the bottle of wine he had in his hand, but saved it right at the last second. What was meant to be a peaceful dinner between friends had suddenly turned into his worst fear.
“When?”
Jean stared at her lap, her eyes reflecting guilt, shame, regret. “Next month. My mother arranged it.”
“Your mother arranged it?” Diluc placed the bottle on the table before sliding into the seat across from her. He could feel Elzer staring at the two of them from his desk. How did this happen?
“She did. She insisted it was time I got married and picked out an available suitor for me, for the good of our clan.” The acting grandmaster sighed as she thought back to the uncomfortable conversation. “If Mondstadt wants to have protectors in the future, it’s my duty to see it through.”
“How do you feel about all this, Jean?”
She gazed at him, heartbroken. “I don’t want to go through with it. You know how my mother is, however. There would be no convincing her. If anything, I would rather focus on work.”
He didn’t know how to respond. Jean was so tied to duty when it came to her home and more so to her family. If she felt there would be no convincing her mother, there would be no chance at convincing Jean either.
The rest of that dinner was spent in silence.
~~~
At one point, Diluc believed the red threads of fate were real, but life taught him otherwise and he became disillusioned.
Dreams were meant to be broken.
The preparations for the wedding became the height of Mondstadt’s daily news. As soon as the citizens found out, they took the necessary measures to ensure Jean had the best wedding ever. Only the best for their beloved acting grandmaster.
They were all surprised to hear, however, that Diluc would not be her groom.
Kaeya quietly observed as the citizens ran to and fro with decorations of all types. He had somehow been roped into helping monitor the progress while Jean continued to finish work back at headquarters. (“Kaeya, it’s for Jean!” Lisa had argued.) During this time, he noticed a familiar redhead continuously peeking up from his work to watch the preparations at play. The action bothered the captain and he soon found himself marching over to the bartender to give him a piece of his mind.
“What, my good sir, keeps catching your eye?” Kaeya asked in slight irritation.
Diluc blinked, not expecting Kaeya to suddenly approach him. “I was simply curious about the hullabaloo.”
“I thought Diluc Ragnvindr didn’t lie.” The statement shut up the redhead, much to Kaeya’s satisfaction. He folded his arms and glared. “Why is it that Jean is marrying a different man?”
“Her mother arranged it.”
“And all this time, you hadn’t mentioned anything to her?”
The bartender huffed. “Kaeya, I don’t want to bother her with her work. She works tirelessly to make sure Mondstadt is safe and secure.”
Kaeya’s eye twitched. “Is that really your reason? Last I recall, you were ready to tell her.”
“That was before Father…” Diluc coughed and covered his mouth with his fist. Evading Kaeya’s gaze, he continued. “This is not relevant to the conversation. Don’t you have something to do?”
“I want an answer.” The captain held out his hand. “Why have you not told Jean how you feel?”
“Because it’s not an option anymore.” Diluc glanced down at the table before him, his eyes now revealing the truth. “That was years ago. We’ve both moved on. We’re both busy. There’s no chance for us now.”
“You idiot.” Kaeya grabbed Diluc’s fur coat with a firm grip, forcing the redhead to look at him. “You know long Jean was waiting for you to return? She waited day after day for you, hoping for some kind of sign you were still alive, wishing you would come home safe and sound one fateful night. I know she still thinks about you even now. She sometimes makes remarks about how nice it would be to have you back with us, but she knows all too well it’s wishful thinking. She’s kept everything you’ve given to her and she’ll gaze at those things a moment before getting back to work.” Diluc sensed Kaeya wanted to hit him, but the bluenette held back. “You think she’s moved on? She hasn’t. Don’t be stupid.”
“But the engagement-”
“You’ve still got time to stop it.” He released Diluc from his grasp and shoved him. “She hasn’t gotten married yet, so stop floundering around. Go tell her the truth before it’s too late.”
The redhead stared blankly at Kaeya. “How?”
“Just tell her. Simple as that. You’re honest, so she’ll know you mean it.” Kaeya’s gaze softened. “I don’t want you to live with that regret.”
We both have too many.
The unspoken words struck a chord with him. After hesitating a moment, Diluc nodded and hurried off to Flora’s, intent on making his feelings known.
I won’t miss my chance again.
~~~
The rain, if only it could cleanse the corrupt souls of this world.
Diluc never had a good connection with rain. It often reminded him of the bad times, because it always came at bad times. His mother’s death. His father’s death. His fight with Kaeya. Rain never brought good things.
Lo and behold, it started raining before he headed to Windrise as well.
The archons truly do not wish to let me have my way.
Windrise was the one place he knew Jean could be found. That is, if she was there today. With her busy schedule, Jean could be anywhere else except here. That woman ran around Mondstadt from sun up to sun down. Diluc could only hope his gamble paid off.
He ran with all his might, quietly praying to Barbatos that Jean really was there, that he’d finally have a chance to tell her what he had kept hidden all this time. He needed this chance. He needed this chance to make things right. To have closure.
Let me be honest with myself.
When he arrived, his heart stopped. He couldn’t spot her at first. No sign of any living being could be found. Had he missed her? Made a mistake?
Then he made his way around to the back.
His heart stopped again.
Jean was soaked from head to toe, her uniform a mess and her ponytail undone. Her usual smile had faded, replaced with a broken expression and tears. She stared off at the cliffs of Mondstadt, lost in thought.
Gosh, she still looked gorgeous.
“Jean!”
She perked up and her hand flew to her sword, but she relaxed her stance when she realized it was Diluc who approached. “Diluc? What brings you here?”
He held out the flowers to her and met her gaze. “I…” Diluc bit his lip as his eyes glanced down at the bouquet. “I need to tell you this.”
Peonies for beauty.
“You’re beautiful in every way. Every action is graceful and thoughtful.”
Zinnias for respect.
“I admire your strength, your wisdom, your courage, your devotion. I always have.”
Cecilias for purity.
“You are truly pure of heart.”
Lilacs for youth.
“You have been since the days of our youth. I haven’t forgotten.”
And roses.
“Jean Gunnhildr, I love you.”
She stood stunned, the bouquet falling from her hands. Diluc pulled off his gloves, stuffed them into his pockets, then gently reached out for Jean’s hands and took off her gloves as well. He allowed himself a moment to enjoy her touch, to remember what it had been like to hold her hand in the past. Without another moment of hesitation, he kneeled on one knee, gazing up at her with hopeful eyes.
“Would you do me the honor of marrying me instead?”
“D-Diluc,” Jean began, her lip quivering, “this is much too sudden. I...I can’t marry you.”
“Is it because of the engagement?”
“No.” She gripped onto his hands as tears flowed once more. “It’s because I hardly know you anymore.”
His heart shattered. She had a point and he knew it well. Years had separated the two of them. They hardly knew what the other was like. Diluc knew for certain he wasn’t the same as the captain who once trained with her, but the thought hadn’t occurred to him until now. Was she even the same Jean he knew before he departed?
If he had simply reignited the flame sooner, would things have been different?
I missed my chance-
“But I still want to know who you are.”
Diluc’s eyes widened in surprise. Jean’s face now held her bright smile.
“If you’ll have me, I would like to know who Diluc Raginvindr is again.”
Rising to his feet, the redhead wrapped her in his arms and smiled in contentment.
“I’ll give all of myself to you.” He cupped her face, got lost in it, ate it all up in his mind. “And I’ll make it worth your time.”
“I hope you will.”
“I will.”
If the rain brought bad things, then the rainbows afterward reminded Diluc there were still good things in store for him.
Perhaps the red threads of fate existed after all.