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Ayaka sips on her tea while scanning the insides of Lumine’s mansion, eyes discreetly scrutinizing every single occupant in the room. They’re all Lumine’s friends from other nations, and Ayaka doesn’t even know why she was surprised when Lumine told her that these were only a quarter of the guests she had invited.
Of course, this is Lumine that they’re talking about. The mysterious, legendary traveler who single-handedly made groundbreaking history in every nation she stepped in. Strong, friendly, and absolutely gorgeous; she seems ethereal, almost out of reach, but she always makes sure to treat everyone equally. It’s one of her traits that draws Ayaka into her—deeper and deeper until she falls hard, despite knowing her zero chance of being with the traveler.
She was saddened at first. Her first friend, revealing that she has no intentions of dwelling permanently in Inazuma; her very first crush, stating that her only goal is to find her brother rather than a life partner… those subtle yet clear rejections were hard to accept. But Ayaka knows that she can’t be selfish. Even if her feelings have yet to subside, Ayaka soon realizes that she’s still lucky enough to occasionally meet the traveler. Seeing Lumine healthy and well—that’s what matters most to Ayaka right now.
She’s also lucky to be invited to this small party of hers. If it means that she could spend more time with the traveler, Ayaka is willing to momentarily put her duties aside and come here.
“Pretty popular, isn’t she?”
Ayaka is snapped out of her thoughts when a girl in red approaches her. Stealing another glance at Lumine who’s currently running around to greet every guest, she nods.
“She is,” she acquiesces with a soft smile. “Traveler—no, Lumine does have a lot of friends.”
“Mmhm,” the stranger nods. “It’s impressive that she manages to befriend lots of important people in many nations. Including you, Miss Kamisato.”
“Oh, I won’t consider myself as such,” Ayaka smiles politely. “My brother is still the one who handles basically everything.”
“I see. That’s the Head of Kamisato for you.”
Ayaka hums. “Pardon me, but I don’t think I’ve ever gotten your name…?”
“I’m Yanfei,” Yanfei says, extending a hand for a handshake, to which Ayaka reciprocates. “A mere legal advisor from Liyue. Excuse my rudeness for not introducing myself sooner.”
“No, no, it’s completely fine,” Ayaka says. “How did you know my name?”
“Shinobu told me lots of stuff about Inazuma,” Yanfei explains. “She’s—well, a part of the Arataki Gang. I’m sure you’ve heard of them.”
“Ah, yes. Itto and his gang are well-known in the city for their merriness,” Ayaka says with a small laugh. “In fact, my brother frequently hangs out with their leader.”
“Oh? That’s interesting.”
For a while, Ayaka indulges herself in a pleasant conversation with the legal advisor. Laughter and smiles are exchanged as they talk about their family, work, or culinary differences in their respective regions. Ayaka is so engrossed in her convo that she fails to realize that the guests have already doubled in quantity.
Thanks to Yanfei, Ayaka can now name foreign faces. Over there is Ningguang, the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing, and she’s in the middle of talking to a woman with an eyepatch—Beidou, if Ayaka remembers correctly. On the other side is a face that Ayaka recognizes—the author of “The Legend of Sword” who just recently paid a visit to Inazuma, Xingqiu. Beside him is a young boy named Chongyun, according to Yanfei. And the list goes on. Ayaka can’t possibly remember everyone at first glance, that much she admits.
Suddenly, a woman—a nun?—plops down on the sofa across Ayaka and Yanfei while downing her booze. “Oh, hey,” she greets, languidly shaking her mug. “Want some?”
Yanfei politely refuses and instead asks for her name.
“Me? Just a nun at the Church of Favonius,” she gives them a quick shrug. “Call me Rosaria.”
“Nun?” Ayaka repeats.
At that, Rosaria blinks. “Yeah. What, can’t a nun go to parties and drink booze?”
Ayaka clears her throat awkwardly. Oh, no, she messed up! Did she just accidentally offend one of Lumine’s friends? “I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to…”
“Don’t worry, Ayaka. Rosaria’s like that to everyone,” a familiar voice then chimes in. Lumine appears from beside her, looking as pretty as usual, a smile plastered on her face. “Come to think of it, you disappeared as soon as you arrived,” she comments.
The nun snorts. “Went for a smoke in the backyard. The scenery is pretty nice compared to the old, boring Mondstadt.” She then gives Lumine a small smile. “The booze and the food are not bad.”
At her praise, Lumine beams. “Thank you! You can always trust Dawn Winery’s alcohol! My friend Xiangling helped me cook the food, too. She’s a chef.”
Rosaria hums. “There are lots of people here, huh. They’re all your friends?” She eyes everyone with interest.
“Yeah! You can say that,” Lumine laughs as she opts to sit beside the nun. Then, she asks teasingly, “Why, someone caught your eye?”
Rosaria eyes her for a second, before smiling lazily. “You’ve got some good-looking fellas. I gotta call dibs on some of the girls, too.”
Lumine laughs again at her unabashed reply. “Just don’t interrupt whatever’s going on between Ningguang and Beidou.”
“They’re that obvious, huh?” Yanfei joins in mirthfully.
Rosaria nods. “I’m not that stupid to not notice the tension between them,” she says. “Is Kaeya around?”
“Hmm. I think he hasn’t arrived,” Lumine muses after looking around briefly, before nudging Rosaria’s side. “Whoever you’re going to drag to the bed tonight—there are plenty of bedrooms here aside from mine. Feel free to use it.”
Sensing the direction of the conversation, Ayaka immediately snaps her fan open to hide her blushing face.
Rosaria jokingly asks, “Why, you’ve got your own man to fuck in your precious room?”
Lumine juts out her tongue. “Perhaps.”
Just like that, they continue to talk as though Lumine didn’t just drop a bomb on them. Even Yanfei doesn’t seem fazed by the fact that Lumine might have a lover.
Well, she didn’t exactly mention a lover. She could be in an intimate or sexual relationship with someone. Regardless of the labels, it still stands that Lumine might have been doing all of those things with someone in this mansion.
Someone that is not Ayaka.
The thought makes Ayaka’s heart clench.
Unable to help herself, she casually brings it up again when the conversation dies a little. “Um, Lumine? May I ask you something personal?”
“Ask away,” Lumine nods.
Ayaka fans herself lightly. “About what Miss Rosaria said… d-do you… really have a lover?”
The traveler blinks, before nodding timidly. “I do. Have a boyfriend, I mean.”
Oblivious to the internal meltdown that Ayaka is currently experiencing, Yanfei then slams a fist into her palm. “Aha! I knew it! So the rumors are true!” She says excitedly.
“Nothing escapes you, Yanfei,” Lumine grins. “Who do you think it is?”
“It’s gotta be him.” Yanfei nods to herself. “You've been visiting Wangshuu Inn more frequently these days. Miss Verr Goldet has also begun to notice it.”
Him who? Ayaka wonders.
“A long-term relationship, huh?” Rosaria comments from beside. “Well, that’s news for me. It’s probably not someone from Mondstadt since most blabbermouths in the town didn’t mention anything about it.”
Lumine doesn’t confirm nor deny while displaying a mysterious smile. “Is he, really?”
At that, Rosaria reconsiders her words. “On a second thought, it would make sense if you’re dating that closemouthed redhead.”
Lumine laughs. “Master Diluc?”
The nun nods in all seriousness. “It’s the best possible scenario.”
“Hmm. What about Kaeya?”
“No. You wouldn’t be this calm knowing that we occasionally fuck,” Rosaria snorts. “Unless you have an open relationship or something. I won’t judge.”
Lumine denies it with a nervous chuckle. “No, no. We don’t… have that kind of relationship.”
“Ooooh! Relationship? Whose relationship are we talking about?” A cheerful voice comes from a certain direction.
“Xiangling!” Lumine greets. “You’ve finished cooking all of the dishes?”
“Yes! Your kitchen is really awesome, I could spend a whole day there!” Xiangling gushes, before realizing something, “Wait, don’t change the topic!”
“Just in time, Xiangling. We were talking about Lumine’s boyfriend,” Yanfei answers.
“Hoho, what’s this? Lumine has a boyfriend?” Beidou asks while walking closer to them. Ningguang is trailing right behind her with a knowing smile.
“Oh, my. What an interesting revelation,” she remarks.
“Did someone say Lumine’s boyfriend?” Xinyan asks eagerly, followed by an equally excited Yun Jin.
“Traveler! How come you have never mentioned him?”
At the unexpected attention she receives, Lumine laughs sheepishly. “Ah, calm down, everyone…” she holds up her hands.
“Does anyone here already know of the mystery person?”
“I have a feeling that it’s—“
“Gotta be someone from Liyue, I bet.”
“Oh, we’re gonna bet? Let’s go.”
Suddenly, everyone is crowding the couch and starting to place their bets on names that Ayaka has never heard of. Lumine doesn’t say anything and merely shakes her head at their enthusiasm, but Ayaka doesn’t want her to feel uncomfortable.
“Everyone,” Ayaka says, then repeats a little louder when she’s blatantly ignored, “Excuse me.”
Ningguang shushes the crowd and elegantly gestures at her, “Why, if it isn’t the Shirasagi Himegimi. What an honor for her to be here. Why don’t we let her have a word?”
Releasing a sigh of relief, Ayaka nods. “You have my utmost thank you, Ningguang of the Qixing.”
Ningguang chuckles. “No need to be so formal. So, what is it that you wish to say?”
Ayaka clears her throat. “It’s not much. I merely want everyone to consider the traveler's opinion about this,” she confesses. “I’m afraid that she has her own reasons for not saying anything about having a lover. We are in no place to force her to admit it.”
Everyone exchanges glance until someone speaks up.
“She is right. We’re sorry, Lumine,” Yun Jin bows down slightly. “We didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
Lumine scratches her cheek a bit awkwardly. “It’s fine. It’s not like I haven’t thought of telling everyone about it. It’s rarely brought up in our conversations, and most of us haven’t seen each other for a while. Sometimes, it’s hard to catch up with everything,” she explains, earning murmurs of agreement from the others. “I… already told a few people about him, so I guess it won’t hurt to let more people know.”
“I see,” Beidou says. “But where’s the fun in that? I say that we should continue our betting game until Lumine reveals the answer.”
Ningguang hums. “Interesting. Allow me to join.”
“I’m also in!” Xinyan excitedly declares.
Soon, all women in Lumine’s mansion enter the betting pool—Ayaka included. She has never done this kind of thing, but with her analytical skill, she should be able to guess it right.
(The sooner she can find Lumine’s boyfriend, the sooner she can… have a private conversation with him.)
“Lumine,” Yanfei begins, “Would you mind telling us some clues about this boyfriend of yours?”
At that, Lumine taps her chin. “Hmm, I’ll give everyone three clues, so use it wisely.” She smiles. “Firstly—he’s taller than me.”
“Oh, no!” Yanfei half-whines. “I’m really certain that it’s Xiao! I swear that both of you looked so close when we were trapped in the Chasm!” Across the room, Xiao is choking on his Almond Tofu, but Yanfei remains oblivious of it and continues, “Wait, but the hint doesn’t exactly mean he’s a tall man. As long as he’s taller than Lumine, he can be included!”
“If we’re talking about tall men, then my safest bet is Diluc,” Rosaria shrugs, glancing at the redhead who’s currently arguing with Kaeya in the kitchen. “He talks about you a lot in the tavern.”
Hearing that, Lumine coughs and smiles. “I-is that so…?”
“What’s the second clue?” Xiangling asks, to which Lumine hums.
“Hmm… He’s a pretty knowledgeable person.”
“It has to be Mr. Zhongli.”
Everyone turns their heads towards Yun Jin.
Lumine smiles in amusement. “Where did you get that conclusion?”
“We all know that Mr. Zhongli knows everything! Besides, I like to chat with him whenever he comes to my performance,” Yun Jin reasons. In the corner of the room, for some reason, Zhongli has been admiring a painting for almost ten minutes now. “The way he talks about you… you should’ve seen his fond expression, Lumine!”
“It could be Kazuha,” Beidou guesses. “He’s a clever guy. He can always tell your presence nearby thanks to the wind.”
“Kazuha! How could I forget about him!” Xinyan agrees. “Once, he got drunk at Angel’s Share and could only respond to Lumine!”
Beidou barks out a laugh. “Oh, that happened? I wish I was there to see it!”
All of a sudden, two women descend the stairs and notice the other women crowding Lumine.
“Heya!” Yoimiya greets cheerfully, while Shinobu merely nods beside her. “Whatcha doing?”
After receiving a brief explanation from Yanfei, Yoimiya gasps. “Lumine has a boyfriend?” She shrieks, before asking Shinobu, “It’s not your boss, is it?”
Shinobu snorts as Itto’s laugh explodes in the background, followed by a loud crash and a pained cry. “Definitely not him.” She pauses. “How about Kamisato Ayato, then?”
At that, Ayaka perks up. “My brother…?”
“They get along quite well, I heard,” Shinobu says. “He likes to invite Lumine to the Kamisato Estate once in a while, right?”
Almost instantly, Ayaka takes a gander at Thoma and Ayato who are talking hushedly near the stairs. Knowing how they are, sometimes Ayaka has a hunch that there’s something unexplained between their relationship, though she never dares to pry further. Inwardly, Ayaka crosses out Ayato and Thoma’s names from her imaginary list.
Besides, if Lumine turns out to be dating her brother, of all people, Ayaka won’t know how to feel. Ayaka has never envied Ayato, for she mostly respects him. But if it’s about Lumine….
Perhaps, there’s always a first time for everything.
Then, Xinyan speaks up. “Well, there’s this adventurer from Mondstadt. We met him in a labyrinth at Inazuma.”
At that, Lumine subtly flinches. “You remember him?”
“Yeah! Ain’t no way his hair color can be forgotten that easily!” Xinyan exclaims. “You two looked really close, ya know? I knew that you were whispering something behind my back, and believe me if I said that you two looked so heckin’ intimate with each other—!”
Talking about someone from Mondstadt, Ayaka is quickly reminded of that famous painter during the Irodori Festival.
“Um, what about Mr. Calx?” She suggests. Through the window, she could spot the man in question immersing himself in his own world, hand skillfully applying colors to a blank canvas.
“Ohhhh, that painter!” Yoimiya says, before gushing dreamily, “You two would be so cute! The way both of you handled Klee like loving parents!”
“Wait, but I’ve seen Lumine hanging around Heizou too lately,” Shinobu adds. “He’s not the easiest person to hang out with, what with his eccentric personality.”
“But Lumine gets along with everyone,” Xinyan remarks. “I also remember this Tone-Deaf Bard from Mondstadt—“
“Venti?” Ayaka asks, wondering if it was the same bard who came to Inazuma with Mr. Calx a while ago.
“Yeah! Him!” The singer nods. “Ya look like you’ve known him forever, Lumi!”
“Do I, really?” Lumine chuckles. It’s quite obvious that she’s taking this whole situation as entertainment. Ayaka has a hunch that none of them have gotten close to the truth.
Or … it’s possible that they might have overlooked the real answer thanks to their fast-paced discussion.
So, Ayaka shoots her shot by mentioning someone who has noticeably made Lumine flinch earlier.
“Xinyan,” She begins, “I’m interested in this adventurer from Mondstadt you spoke of. It seems that none of us have recognized him.”
She cheers inwardly when she catches Lumine tensing from the corner of her eyes.
Rosaria chugs down her booze and wipes her mouth with a sigh, “Oh, now that you mention it—there are lots of adventurers from Mondstadt. Care to give us the details? What does he look like?”
“Well, he’s a ginger!” Xinyan answers. “He’s tall, has blue eyes…. Hmm, he wore this gray outfit with a red scarf, and he’s a Hydro user—“
Rosaria lifts her brow. “That doesn’t sound like someone from Mondstadt. Believe me—my line of work requires me to know everyone there.”
“I don’t know why…. But he sounds familiar,” Xiangling comments. “Sounds like… some I’ve seen in the streets of Liyue…”
Yanfei hums. “If he’s truly an adventurer, shouldn’t he be wearing green? Unless he’s not associated with the Adventurer’s Guild.”
Xinyan frowns. “Eh… if I remembered correctly… his outfit looks like some sort of a uniform.”
Ningguang, who’s been observing the situation, eventually speaks. “Did he tell you his name?”
“He did!” Xinyan says, making Lumine squirm in her seat. “What’s his name again… ah…”
Seconds pass as everyone stares at Xinyan, who’s currently racking her brain in anticipation, until—
“Hey, guys!”
Eyes widening, Lumine almost jumps from her seat when someone appears behind her, and relaxes once she realizes who it is.
“Amber! You surprised me!” She pouts, earning a sheepish grin from the Outrider.
“Sorry, sorry!” Amber apologizes, before letting out a sigh. “Gosh, I’m so tired. Master Jean asked me to do something and luckily I managed to finish them all today! I’d be mad at myself if I missed your invitation!”
The blonde traveler giggles. “But you made it, didn’t you? I’m sure you did a great job, Amber.”
“Hehe, thank you, Lumi!” Amber grins. “Anyway, I think I also saw your boyfriend outside! He looked like he was washing his hands—“
“Hold on,” Rosaria stops her and points at her. “You know Lumine’s boyfriend?”
At that, everyone who’s involved with the bet turns their heads towards Amber. The poor girl immediately becomes a little nervous at the attention she unexpectedly receives.
“Um… yes?” She sheepishly laughs. “Did I just reveal something that I’m not supposed to reveal…?” She then asks Lumine in a worried tone.
“No, no, don’t worry,” Lumine sighs. “You can tell them, Amber.”
Amber gives her a look, one with conspicuous hesitance, then opens her mouth—
“Oh, I remember his name!” Xinyan suddenly exclaims with a proud grin, “His name is Childe!”
In that very same second, the door is opened, revealing a man who coincidentally fits Xinyan’s description.
Except… he’s now all bloody and is wearing a closed-eye smile on his face.
“…” He cocks his head to the side when he notices that the mansion is filled with a lot of people he has yet to be acquainted with. “Um, Lumine, what’s with these people?”
No one responds to his confused inquiry until Yanfei breaks the silence with another question, “Uh, Lumine, mind telling us what the third clue is?”
Covering her burning face with one hand, Lumine then murmurs, “He’s…. A Fatui Harbinger.”
A beat—before sounds of disbelief explode in the room.
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Xinyan guffaws and slaps Childe’s back, making him grimace. The Harbinger is now sitting on the sofa with Lumine gently wiping the blood off his face and hands. He has reassured her that no, the blood isn’t mine, don’t you worry, moya zvezdochka, drawing a displeased face from Diluc.
Other than Diluc’s blatant disdain, most of Lumine’s guests are quick to overcome their shock.
“Tell you what?” Childe asks distractedly as Lumine tries to discard the bloodstained jacket off his body. Before she goes upstairs, he gives her a quick kiss on the cheek and mutters, thanks, baby, earning a blush from the blonde.
Ayaka subconsciously fans herself faster at the sight.
“Everything, duh!” Xinyan exclaims, placing her hands on her hips. “About your identity, your relationship with Lumine, and most importantly—your own birthday party!”
Childe sighs and runs his fingers through his hair. “Look, I had no choice. I don’t go telling Liyuean folks around me that I’m the Harbinger who tried to drown their city, moreso about my relationship with Lumine. Even if I had to—the labyrinth was not the perfect time and place to do that. We were trying to escape together, weren’t we?”
“Yeah. I’d get mad about it, but Lumine already kicked your ass for that. That’s good enough for me,” Xinyan shrugs. “Besides, I have a hunch that you’re actually a good and genuine person inside. Call it a musician’s instinct!” When Childe laughs at her words, Xinyan hastily adds, “That’s true! That’s gotta be why everyone here accepts you like no problem!”
That’s only because they trust Lumine to keep him under control, Ayaka thinks after thoroughly observing and silently eavesdropping on some hushed conversations. Since they have no right to openly criticize the traveler’s… questionable decision to date a Harbinger, of all people, they see this as a form of reassurance that maybe, Lumine could become Childe’s voice of reason whenever he wants to try something stupid.
After all, not many people can handle the Eleventh Harbinger as easily as Lumine does.
Despite having a slightly intimidating aura, Childe is quick to befriend everyone in the room. They take turns to wish him a good birthday. He even receives simple gifts and presents from those who have known him longer—Mr. Zhongli, the Cavalry Captain, and surprisingly, Thoma, are a few of them.
Ayaka makes a mental note to have a word with the housekeeper later.
“I also wasn’t aware of this birthday party, y’know,” Childe then admits. “Lumine never told me about this. I… didn’t think that everyone would care enough about a Harbinger’s birthday, but since it’s Lumine, I guess she has her own ways to persuade anyone to even come here.”
“She merely invited us to come to a small party in her teapot.”
The moment Ayaka chimes in, both Xinyan and Childe turn their heads in her direction.
“She said that she wanted to celebrate a special day,” Ayaka continues in a low tone. “A special day… that belongs to a special person. She never told us who it was.”
Xinyan nods. “I assumed that it was about her brother, so I never tried to pry further.”
Childe chuckles. “Sorry to crush your expectations.”
“Nah, it’s all good!” Xinyan grins and gives him a thumbs up. “She could’ve made a private party for you, but inviting us might mean that she also wants us to accept you.”
Hearing that, Childe’s pupils dilate.
“It’s also a way to introduce you to all of us. Or—she wants your birthday party to be as merry as possible! Either way, she trusts us enough to do this, so the least we could do for her is to trust her and you.”
Childe clears his throat in embarrassment. “Nobody needs to go that far for someone like me.”
Xinyan shrugs. “To everyone, yeah. Probably. But ya know for sure that Lumine doesn’t mind.” She then smiles. “That’s all that matters for you, right?”
The ginger releases a small laugh. “Yeah,” he breathes out, with a softer tone. “Yeah, you’re right. Thanks.”
“No problem, Red. I got your back,” as if to accentuate her point, Xinyan laughs and slaps him (again) on the back, to which Childe splutters. “Anyways, I think Xiangling needs help with something. Catch ya later!”
The second Xinyan is out of sight, Childe leans against the sofa’s backrest and slides his eyes towards the blue-haired princess. “So, Shirasagi Himegimi of the Yashiro Commission,” he begins solemnly, “What business do you have with me?”
Ayaka, who’s mildly surprised at his straightforwardness, obscures her expression behind her fan. “Whatever do you mean, Sir?”
Childe displays a knowing smile. “I’ve handled enough clients who looked like they wanted to say something to me, but refrained from uttering additional words as if afraid that I would take their heads.”
Ayaka responds in a calm manner, “Your point?”
“You look like one of them,” the Harbinger says. “You’ve been staring at me expectantly with those eyes. Xinyan might not look at it, but she’s pretty observant herself. It was no coincidence that she decided to leave us alone.”
Ayaka darts her gaze to the floor. “I see that you’re indeed no ordinary individual, Sir Childe.”
“So I’ve been told,” he winks. “By the way, you can just call me Childe.”
Instead of humoring him, Ayaka asks, though without looking at him, “How did you do it?”
She could sense him quirking an eyebrow to ask for more context, so she continues, “Lumine’s sole goal is to find her brother. She’s never wanted a life partner, and I understand that it could serve as a major distraction.” Ayaka then sends him a sharp look, “Excuse me for asking, but… why you? How did you persuade her?”
“Why me? How did I do it?” Childe parrots back, not at all expecting her to shoot him such questions. “If you want an honest answer from me…” He sighs. “I don’t know myself, either.”
At his answer, Ayaka frowns, but has yet to say anything. Childe takes this as a cue to elaborate.
“I and Lumine… had quite a history,” he mutters. “Our relationship was—is—complicated, what with our affiliations and personal goals clashing against one another, but we kinda make it work, you know?” He chuckles to himself. “I never asked her if she truly wanted a lifelong partner. Simply defining our relationship as boyfriend and girlfriend is more than enough.”
Ayaka continues to fan herself.
“Tell you what? She sort of rejected me and distanced herself from me at first, but…” Childe gives Ayaka a proud smirk. “All you gotta do is to be a bit persistent, I guess.”
Ayaka stops moving her fan and lets his words sink in.
Persistence. It’s a strategy that has never visited Ayaka’s mind when it comes to pursuing her first love.
In politics, Ayaka learns when to back down and when to strike. She learns her opponents’ weaknesses; uses pretty words to align their minds with her. But love is a whole different thing—a subject that Ayaka has no experience of.
Mother used to tell her that if you love someone, you ought to respect their decisions and be happy with whatever—whoever—they choose.
It seems that Ayaka shouldn’t take those words at face value. After all, there are always exceptions to everything, aren’t there?
Ayaka closes her eyes briefly, then smiles in defeat. “I see,” she replies. “I shall bear it in mind.”
Childe glances at her. “I’m not gonna say sorry, by the way.”
“No need.” Ayaka snaps her fan shut. “All is fair in love and war.”
The Harbinger chuckles, but says nothing in return.
Later, Lumine would return from upstairs with a big cake in her hands, surprising the Harbinger with her soft singing voice. Later, Lumine would encourage him to blow the candles, and yank him forward by his harness to give him a full kiss on the lips.
Later, as the party ends, everyone begins to leave the teapot one by one, stomachs full and slightly tipsy. If Ayaka leaves a bit later than everyone and accidentally catches Harbinger and the traveler engaging themselves in a heated lip lock inside their bedroom, she keeps it to herself.
Even if Ayaka ends up curling herself underneath her blanket that night with wet eyes,
She also keeps it to herself.