Chapter Text
So, somehow, the rumor that Lohen wore a single ring had spread all over Mondstadt because of you.
Unfortunately, it also reached Lohen himself.
Someone tested the waters and asked him, “I heard the ring on your right index finger means you’re single?”
He lowered his gaze to his hand and went quiet for two seconds.
Then, in an even voice, he asked, “Who told you that?”
The moment he heard your name, he smiled.
That same evening, there was a knock at your door.
He stood in front of you, not too close, not too far. His eyes rested on your face, and his tone was calm enough to make it even worse.
“I heard you’ve been doing quite a bit of explaining for me around the city lately.”
You forced out a painfully awkward smile. Your eyes darted everywhere except at him. At this point, your guilt was written all over your face.
“Haha… well… about that…”
He dipped his head slightly, deliberately following your wandering gaze, and drawled, “Why won’t you look at me?”
“Weren’t you the one having so much fun talking about it all over town?”
You stiffened. “…I can explain.”
He gave a small nod. “Go on.”
So you did.
And somehow, the more you explained, the more confusing it became.
Meanwhile, the quieter he got, the scarier he felt, which only made you more flustered.
When you finally ran out of breath, he spoke at last, slow and unhurried.
“A single ring?”
His eyes lingered on you.
“You’ve been paying rather close attention to me.”
Then he paused, staring at the tips of your ears, which were already starting to burn.
“Now the whole city knows I’m single.”
Another pause.
“So how are you planning to take responsibility for that?”
You fumbled over your words, utterly incapable of forming a proper answer. He watched you for a moment, thoughtful, almost amused. Apparently in a fairly good mood, he simply waved a hand and let you go home.
That should have been the end of it.
It was not.
Not even a full day later, the way people looked at you had turned… strange.
“It’s her, it’s her! The poor girl hopelessly in love with Lohen!”
You: ???
All you had done was misread a ring.
That was it.
And yet, with one elegant counterattack from that evil rabbit, the entire city had somehow come to the conclusion that you were secretly in love with Lohen.
Naturally, you stormed off to the Knights’ headquarters to settle the score.
Lohen looked at you with an expression so innocent it almost made your blood pressure rise.
“Did I ever say you were in love with me?”
He tilted his head slightly.
“No, didn’t think so.”
“That was their conclusion, not mine.”
As far as he was concerned, he was merely dealing with the consequences of your rumor.
For example, whenever someone brought it up, he would say in that maddeningly mild tone of his—
“Oh, that?”
“She seems more interested in my love life than I am.”
Or else—
“She even looked into what my ring meant.”
Then, after the perfect little pause:
“Wouldn’t you say that sounds like someone who cares a great deal?”
You were so angry you could have exploded on the spot, but he just blinked at you serenely, as though he had absolutely nothing to do with any of this.
“Hm?”
“You were the one who started spreading stories about me first.”
Then came the finishing blow:
“I only offered a small clarification.”
You stared at him in disbelief.
A small clarification?
He gave you that same innocent look.
You, internally: Very good, Lohen. Lovely. This grudge is officially eternal.
Just then, a squad of knights marched past in perfect formation, and the corridor abruptly fell quiet.
You were still trying to process his shamelessness when he stepped closer.
Far too close.
“Still,” he murmured, “you weren’t entirely wrong. It is exactly as you thought—I am single.”
He let that sit for half a second.
Then he leaned in, his face almost brushing yours, his breath grazing the shell of your ear.
“Only, I’m single for you.”
Your face went scarlet in an instant, and you jumped back so fast it was almost impressive.
He only looked at you and smiled.
A truly evil smile.
And just like that, your reputation in Mondstadt was beyond saving.
In the eyes of the entire city, you had become that girl—the one who had a crush on Lohen, studied the meaning of his ring, paid suspiciously close attention to his relationship status, and was now being strung along by him in the most pitiful way imaginable.
The worst part?
Sometimes Lohen would deliberately stand beside you, expression cool and unreadable, wearing that same innocent face.
People would glance at you, then at him, and immediately start inventing stories in their heads.
Ah… she’s fallen hard.
And then, as if things were not bad enough, he would gently add,
“Don’t stare at her like that.”
A beat.
“She gets shy easily.”
You: ???
You: “Who gets shy easily?!”
Lohen only lowered his brows with that absurdly blameless look.
And then, only when no one else was watching, the corner of his eyes would curve ever so slightly—
and he would show you that wicked little expression again.