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As the last of Lisa’s warm tea slid down her throat, she sat forward in her chair. Pushing herself back and standing up, she held the delicate tea cup in her hand as she made her way to her cauldron. The small pot stood across the library in its own little corner, with shelves storing teas and potions lined on the wall. Walking all the way across the large library to refill her tea always felt like such an inconvenience to Lisa, but she knew she needed the exercise that the extra steps each way provided.
After pouring more tea into her cup and mixing in some sugar, she turned around to head back to her desk. However, something, or rather someone, caught her eye. It was Noelle, sitting alone at one of the library’s tables with her nose buried in a book. A tall stack of books stood on the table beside her, threatening to tumble over. Lisa couldn't recall when exactly Noelle came into the library, but it looked like she had been there for a while.
It wasn’t uncommon for Noelle to come into the Knights of Favonious Library for extended study sessions. Despite taking the Knights exam many times by now, answering the same questions, and completing the same physical trials, Noelle still thoroughly prepared herself each time.
Seeing Noelle study so diligently always reminded Lisa of her days at the Sumeru Akademia. The Librarian had spent many sleepless nights meticulously going over books and notes for her studies. She was willing to do whatever it took in her pursuit of knowledge, but in the end, it cost her immensely. Lisa shook her head as memories of the Akademia flooded back to her. In need of a distraction, she decided to go over to where Noelle sat. Placing her teacup on the table, Lisa sat across from the Maid.
“I don’t mean to disturb your studies, Noelle,” Lisa smiled, catching the Maid's attention. “But it looks like you’ve been at it for a while. Perhaps it would be wise to take a break?”
“Ah, Hello Miss Lisa,” Noelle looked up from her book. “What time is it? I came in mid-morning after finishing some chores, it shouldn’t be any later than noon, right?”
“It’s already evening, dear,” Lisa replied.
“What?!” Noelle quickly stood up from where she sat, looking out the window to see the skies dusted with bright oranges as the sun prepared to set. She let out a defeated sigh as she sat back down, burying her head in her hands. “Oh, not again… I had so many things I needed to get done today. I can’t believe I wasted the whole day in the library.”
“I wouldn’t say your whole day is wasted. You can leave everything else for tomorrow, don’t you think you should call it a night and get some extra rest?”
“I can’t do that. I appreciate your concern Miss Lisa, but-”
“You’re taking the rest of today off, and that’s an order.” Lisa’s tone quickly turned serious, the firm look on her face sending chills down Noelle’s spine.
This was honestly the first time she had seen Lisa be so intimidating, but behind the Librarian’s emerald eyes was genuine concern and care. Noelle let out a deep sigh as she shut the book in front of her, knowing she couldn’t disobey an order from the Knights like this. “Alright… I’ll take a break. But…”
“But?” Lisa asked, her face softening as she tilted her head.
“I uh, don’t know how to relax… what should I do?” Noelle’s eyes shifted to the side in embarrassment.
“Oh, you poor thing,” Lisa teased. “I can help with that. I’ll take you to my favorite spot to unwind, somewhere you can get some fresh air.”
Lisa took a sip from her teacup before standing up. Noelle nodded her head as she followed suit, following the Librarian as she led her out of the library. Although there was still some guilt lingering from throwing her responsibilities for the day to the wind, Noelle trusted Lisa’s judgment and figured this little excursion wouldn't hurt.
The cool evening wind blew past the two women as they walked down a dirt path, chatting away as Lisa led them to her secret spot. Once they arrived at a large tree, Lisa sat down on the ground underneath, patting a spot beside her for Noelle. The maid nodded as she sat down on the grass, sitting so her legs bent and hid underneath her long skirt.
Although Mondstadt was known for its constant breeze, today the wind was more fierce. Noelle felt the fabric of her apron get pulled by the wind, to which she instinctively pressed her hands down on her lap to keep it in place. Lisa had also taken note of the breeze, pushing away her hair as it blew back on her face.
Once Lisa moved her hair away from her eyes, she noticed something small and purple getting carried away by the wind. As she reached up to feel around her hat, she noticed one of the purple roses that adorned it was missing. She let out a disappointed sigh as the rose flew through the air before dropping into the middle of a lake.
“Damn Barbatos,” Lisa cursed as she looked out toward the lake. “Now I’ll have to go and order another batch of roses…”
Noelle turned to where Lisa was looking, watching as the rose floated atop the water. As she turned back to face Lisa, she suddenly got an idea.
“Miss Lisa, do you happen to have a handkerchief or piece of fabric of any kind?” Noelle asked.
“In fact, I do,” Lisa replied as she pulled a purple handkerchief from her pocket. “Got a runny nose or something dear?”
“No, you’ll see,” Noelle smiled as she took the handkerchief, folding it meticulously as she tried to prevent the breeze from messing up her handiwork. Finally, she finished up her creation, a purple rose folded out of the thin velvety fabric. Noelle presented the rose to Lisa before sitting up on her knees and placing the rose on the Librarian’s hat. “A rose! Just like the ones I wear.”
Lisa took off her hat to examine where the new rose was placed, it matched well with the other rose that was still on her hat. Her mouth stretched into a long warm smile, putting the hat back on her head after smoothing down her hair. “Aw… thank you so much, Noelle. It’s perfect, you’ll have to teach me how to make more of those!”
“You're welcome!” Noelle smiled back, her cheeks glowing red from the praise. “They’re really easy to make, I’ll show you later.”
Lisa hummed in response, turning to look toward the vast green valley that spread out before her. Lush green grass gently blew with the breeze, with the faint sight of dandelion seeds flowing and landing down on the ground. It was truly a serene sight to behold, one that could instantly calm the mind.
But Lisa wasn’t calm, she was antsy like she had an itch in her brain that couldn’t be scratched. She peeked over to look at Noelle, who had also become entranced by the scenery. Lisa had never seen Noelle look so at peace, finally breathing slowly and steadily. This made her especially guilty about what she was going to do next.
“Noelle, you know what roses represent in Mondstadt do you?” Lisa asked.
“Yes. They represent secrets,” Noelle replied. “I believe the saying goes, ‘As wine bottles are corked, so too are my lips sealed.’”
“Correct,” Lisa tilted her head slightly, giving Noelle a warm look. “And in exchange for this rose you made me, I will give you a rose of my own, in the form of a secret.”
Noelle sat up a bit, her interest fully peaked. She cautiously studied Lisa, watching how nervous the Librarian had suddenly become. “A-are you sure about that? You don’t have-”
“I want to,” Lisa interrupted. “Besides, I trust you, all of the Knights of Favonious do. I know you won’t prick me with thorns by breaking the promise of a rose.”
Noelle could feel her heart skipping a beat, almost bewildered by how much faith Lisa seemed to be putting in her. It’s correct that she has been entrusted with many of the Knight's secrets over the years of working as a Maid, a noble duty that she took very seriously. Yet she couldn’t help but feel apprehensive over what kind of secret Lisa was all of a sudden willing to share.
“I won’t. I would never,” Noelle spoke reassuringly. “If you really want to, you can tell me anything.”
Lisa took in a long breath, leaning her head back as she felt the crisp wind hit her skin. She sat silently for a while before turning back to look at Noelle, who sat expectantly.
“I… don’t have much longer in this world,” Lisa confessed quietly, almost in a whisper.
“W-what do you mean?” Noelle asked nervously.
“I’m not sure if I ever mentioned this to you, but I spent a couple of years studying in Sumeru,” Lisa explained. “I was a top student, I dedicated myself endlessly to my studies and pursuit of knowledge. But I soon became blinded by my dedication, leading me to make heavy sacrifices.”
Lisa lamented as she took in the shocked expression on Noelle’s face. Almost wishing she could pull her words back in to quell Noelle’s uneasiness. But she was already in too deep. Besides, Lisa would be lying if she said she didn’t feel a weight lifted off her shoulders as she expressed this burden of hers.
“I don’t understand…” Noelle leaned in close, looking up at Lisa with concern. “How does that… what did you?”
“Oh dear Noelle, it’s a long story… one that gradually slips away from my memories as the years go by,” Lisa looked back up at the sky, unable to even look Noelle in the eye. “Let’s just say I demanded too many miracles from the gods and ended up having to pay the ultimate price.”
A tear threatened to fall from Lisa’s eye, which she quickly blinked away. She never expected herself to falter from the pain that she had long come to accept, but here she was, trying to fight the tears prickling from her eyes.
Lisa’s change in demeanor didn’t go unnoticed by Noelle, who felt helpless as she watched the Librarian’s strong exterior wither away. The silence between the two of them was too much to bear, Noelle’s mind raced as it tried to come up with some sort of response. Despite the Maid’s vast experience in healing and mending the wounds of injured knights, she always struggled when it came to offering words of comfort. Instead, the only thing she could even think to say was…
“Why?” Noelle asked. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because…” Lisa spoke as she took in a deep breath. “I want to warn others before they end up falling victim to the same fate.”
Lisa turned herself so she was fully facing the Maid, gently grabbing both of her hands and leaning down slightly to look into Noelle’s eyes. “I see too much of my past self in you. Your fierce dedication to becoming a Knight, the tireless work you saddle yourself with each and every day. If you continue pushing yourself down this path… there may be one day where your strength will be worn too thin.”
Noelle let out a sharp breath, her mouth open agape in shock. She was far too used to having various people tell her to rest and not work so hard, but this time the sentiment finally struck a chord. Yet she started to stubbornly shake her head, as if to deny the truth in Lisa’s words.
“But- I do take care of myself. I always make sure to never over-exert myself,” Noelle explained, admittedly trying to convince herself more than she was trying to convince Lisa.
“That’s not the point, dear,” Lisa spoke softly. “All the physical rest in the world can’t keep your mind from becoming consumed by your pursuit. It would kill me to see you lose yourself… like how I did.”
“Lisa…” Noelle said under her breath, her eyes beginning to water. She almost felt paralyzed in place, unable to even blink away her tears and instead letting them roll down her face.
Lisa instinctively reached in her pocket for her handkerchief to give Noelle so she could wipe her tears, quickly remembering its new place on her hat as a rose. Instead, she let go of the maid’s hands, watching them fall on her lap. It took Noelle a moment to pull herself together, wiping the tears away with her hands. Lisa sat patiently, watching Noelle as she sniffled and dried her face.
“Noelle,” Lisa began to speak, only continuing once Noelle looked back up at her. “I need you to promise me something…”
“Yes?” Noelle tilted her head, brushing away the hair that was blown in her face by the wind.
“Promise me you’ll heed my words without letting them burden you. Such heavy revelations may be too much for the delicate petals of your heart to bear.”
Noelle looked back at the Librarian with a warm smile, her jade-colored eyes speaking more than words ever could. “I promise…”
Lisa smiled in return before looking back over the valley, the sky now painted with bright orange and pink hues. The sun glowed as it peaked over the mountains in the distance, watching over Mondstadt with its rays.
“Hm, the sun’s going to set soon. Maybe we should start heading back?” Lisa asked, her eyes still fixated on the sky.
“Actually…” Noelle said as she leaned her head back, letting the evening breeze flow through her hair. “Do you think we can stay here a bit longer?”
“Of course, dear.” Lisa leaned back against the bark of the tree behind her. She reached up to push up the brim of her hat, giving her a better view of the sky.
And so the two sat in silence, watching the sunset in the sky like a grain of sand falling to the bottom of an hourglass. With the flow of time remaining ever present in Lisa’s mind, she felt at peace as she spent these next few moments with Noelle by her side.