The night passed.
Before the sun rose, Luo Qing woke from his dreams.
Beside him lay Kamisato Ayaka, her sky-blue hair spilling across the pillow, her petite figure curled up peacefully.
Before she woke, Luo Qing pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, erased all traces of their late-night "battle," and quietly returned to Suru through the Void.
In her sleep, Ayaka vaguely heard the sound of water flushing.
When she opened her eyes, Luo Qing was already gone.
"Luo Qing..." she whispered softly.
Back ho, Luo Qing exited the washroom and noticed that the lights in the other bedrooms were still off. He tiptoed downstairs.
Upon reaching the living room, he spotted Theresa sprawled out on the sofa, fast asleep. Her loose pajamas were barely hanging on.
"Why is this girl sleeping in the living room..."
Sitting quietly beside her, Luo Qing reached out to stroke her adorable little face.
To his surprise, Theresa seed genuinely cute when she wasn't talking.
The key was for her to stay silent.
But the mont his hand brushed her cheek, Theresa's eyes snapped open, and she imdiately lunged into his arms.
"My Lord, you're finally back!"
"Uh... what?" Luo Qing was caught off guard.
"You promised to spend tonight with ."
Theresa buried her face in his chest.
"My Lord, I'm ready. Let's start right now!"
With that, she began tugging at her already loose pajamas with one hand while the other reached for Luo Qing's waistband.
"Theresa, it's almost morning. How about—"
Luo Qing felt a cold sweat forming. Why did this girl seem to have a stronger craving than him?
"No, My Lord!" Theresa's expression suddenly turned serious.
"That just ans we need to hurry!"
"..."
---
Fontaine – Bufati Mansion
In an opulent, elegantly decorated room, a sharp-featured woman with white hair sat at a desk. Propping her head on one hand, she lazily skimd through a report in the other.
A sudden gust of wind blew the window open. The woman's eyes narrowed as she glanced outside.
"You two, leave the room," she ordered.
"Yes, Lady Arlecchino," replied the two elegantly dressed young n and won standing before her. Bowing respectfully, they exited the room.
The mont the door shut, an icy blue light appeared before Arlecchino's desk, gradually expanding until it coalesced into the form of a regal, ethereal woman.
"Your Majesty..."
Arlecchino rose from her seat and bowed respectfully toward the Tsaritsa.
"Arlecchino," the Tsaritsa's voice was calm, her tone icy.
"I heard from Pierro that Brighella once served under your intelligence network."
"That is correct..."
Arlecchino furrowed her brows slightly, a flicker of surprise crossing her mind.
She hadn't expected the Tsaritsa to personally inquire about Luo Qing.
"Tell everything about him."
"..."
Arlecchino nodded and began recounting Luo Qing's history.
She explained how she had taken notice of Luo Qing's sharp mind and brought him back from Liyue. Like the other orphans, he underwent training in the House of Hearth.
Luo Qing excelled in his studies and was soon deployed to gather intelligence in various nations.
After suffering injuries, he returned to Snezhnaya and took up a role as a training officer for new recruits.
Everything about his career seed ordinary, typical of any soldier of the Tsaritsa's army.
But a little over a year ago, Luo Qing suddenly rose to prominence, becoming a new apprentice Harbinger.
"Arlecchino, in your opinion..."
After listening, the Tsaritsa mused aloud, "How does the Luo Qing of the past differ from the Brighella of today?"
"Well..."
Arlecchino frowned as she reflected on their recent eting.
"Your Majesty, do you suspect sothing is wrong with him?"
"Just answer the question."
"Yes..."
Arlecchino's thoughts drifted to her last encounter with Luo Qing.
"In terms of power, Brighella didn't possess the ability to manipulate emotions or minds before. In fact, he struggled to fully control the power of a Delusion.
"Personality-wise, the Luo Qing of the past was calm and independent, much like the other orphans. But during our last eting, he seed... more unpredictable. Even I couldn't read his intentions."
"So, in your view, he and the person he used to be are... different?"
"It's just a guess, Your Majesty."
"I see..."
The Tsaritsa's tone remained as frosty as ever, but a faint sense of understanding seed to settle in her words.
"Arlecchino, next ti you see Brighella, do not treat him as an ally."
"Your Majesty, do you an that Brighella has..."
Arlecchino's heart skipped a beat. Did this an Luo Qing was a traitor?
"He will co to Fontaine," the Tsaritsa stated coldly.
"Arlecchino, I want you to personally deliver the Gnosis to . Do not let him take it. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Your Majesty..."
Arlecchino nodded solemnly.
Although she didn't fully understand why the Tsaritsa was so fixated on Luo Qing, an order from the Tsaritsa was absolute.
When she raised her head again, the ethereal form of the Tsaritsa had already dissipated.
"Luo Qing..."
---
"Achoo!"
Luo Qing rubbed his nose.
For the first ti in a long while, he had sneezed.
"Who's thinking about now..."
"Probably so girl you've chard," Maktoto quipped, standing behind him with a small bag slung over her shoulder. She was dressed in casual travel clothes.
Behind her, Ei and Bu'er stood on opposite sides of the hallway, both similarly dressed for a day of sightseeing.
Trailing at the back, Theresa leaned against the wall, clutching her lower back with a pained expression.
"Theresa, are you sure you're not coming with us?" Maktoto asked.
A seasoned warrior, Maktoto imdiately recognized Theresa's plight—she'd overexerted herself. It was the aftermath of... well, "plowing the field too hard."
"No... I'll stay here for now," Theresa replied, limping toward her room.
"I need to rest my back. I'll join you all later."
"Are you sure?" Luo Qing called after her, clearly the cause of her current condition.
"I-I'm fine," Theresa forced a small smile.
After all, she had been the one who asked her Lord to vent all his pent-up energy on her. She couldn't exactly complain now, could she?
"Alright then, rest well."
"Mm... Goodbye, My Lord, Sister Maktoto, Sister Bu'er, Sister Ei..."
The youngest in the household, Theresa bid everyone farewell before collapsing onto her bed.
"I'll pick out a room for you when we get there!" Maktoto called out.
Today was moving day—their new estate in Mondstadt was finally ready.
And the most important task? Choosing their rooms.
Though the estate boasted twelve bedrooms, everyone naturally wanted to be as close as possible to Luo Qing's room.
For... nightti activities.
---
T/N: i really like the na Brighella
Oh? You're still here? Wow. Either you really enjoy my company, or you scrolled too fast and forgot to close the tab. Either way—respect.
Now, since I have your attention, let's talk business. Web fluid, coffee, replacent suits—being isn't cheap. And last I checked, saving the world doesn't co with a salary. Tragic, I know.
But you can make a difference! By supporting /WiseTL], you're not just helping a poor, overworked Spider-Man—you're securing front-row seats to even more chaos, bad jokes, and possibly a few existential crises.
So go on, be a hero. Support the cause. And who knows? Maybe I'll na my next web trick after you. (Probably not, but hey, worth a shot.)
Stay cool, don't trust bald telepaths, and always double-check your web cartridges.
— Xia Luo 🕷️
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