Barbara also noticed that the brand of body wash Lucas used was the sa as Raiden Mai's.
Of course, considering the connection between the two, this was hardly surprising.
Lucas casually removed his coat, as if there was no one else present.
"Huh!"
Barbara panicked, quickly covering her eyes with her hands. However, through the gaps in her fingers, she peeked at him, unable to resist her curiosity.
The sound of water splashing followed as Lucas turned on the shower. There was no water heater in Teyvat, but using a Pyro Sli as an energy source, one could still enjoy a hot bath at any ti.
As the water temperature rose, so did the heat in the air.
...
"Are you ready?" Lucas looked at the petite blonde girl standing before him. "Next, I'll teach you your first lesson... First, you need to cast off all your cloths."
The girl nodded and slowly removed all her cloths.
"Now, let's begin the fight," Lucas positioned himself, ready. "Just follow your instincts."
The pool was clear, except for the crimson that began to spread.
Barbara felt different from Shenhe and La Signora.
Although neither had much combat experience, the latter two had more dominant personalities and would occasionally take the initiative, sotis even surprising Lucas with daring moves that nearly forced him to surrender.
But Barbara was different. Like a helpless little animal, she had no idea what to do, remaining entirely passive and allowing Lucas to control the pace of the fight with ease.
Even so, Lucas saw a strong spirit in the girl. Despite being hit at critical monts, she gritted her teeth and held on.
The first battle didn't last long. Of course, this wasn't due to Lucas lacking stamina but rather him being considerate of Barbara's inexperience.
Lucas wasn't one to indulge in any extre preferences. Barbara was like an uncut jade, and it would be a sha to damage sothing so precious.
Thanks to the industry's unwritten rules, since founding his agency, Lucas had encountered many won trying to take shortcuts. Among them, so pretended to be innocent and pure.
But their poor acting often made Lucas want to laugh. Barbara was different—her innocence and charm were genuine and unpolished.
Especially after the battle ended, her expression was like a greedy little hamster who had stuffed too many seeds and nuts into its cheeks, making them puff up.
"If you need to throw up, go ahead," Lucas patted Barbara's back gently, "You did well."
With his permission, Barbara finally opened her mouth and began to vomit. Along with the filth flowing down the drain, tears stread down her face as well.
"So..." Barbara's face was pale as she asked, "Can we begin the idol training now?"
"Of course, I always keep my promises," Lucas nodded, "But I think you should rest first."
"I... I don't have ti to rest," Barbara shook her head, "Mai, Venti, and Lilina are all so talented. I must... catch up to them."
For so reason, in that mont, Lucas saw a light in Barbara—a light he had never seen in this glamorous yet corrupt industry.
"Then you better prepare yourself," Lucas said with a devilish smile, "My special training is very rigorous."
Barbara was indeed a hard-working student. Given that the other three mbers weren't ordinary humans, Barbara had no choice but to push herself harder to catch up.
And she could see the progress. Raiden Mai hadn't lied to her. Lucas truly was a genius. Whether it was the dance steps she always missed or the notes she couldn't quite grasp, with just a bit of guidance from him, she quickly understood.
Perhaps because she was so focused on her improvent, Barbara didn't even notice ti passing. By the ti she was exhausted and close to collapsing, she saw the faint light of dawn through the window.
"President..." Barbara said, weary, "Can you... give more guidance next ti?"
"My guidance..." Lucas rubbed his chin and replied, "is paid per session."
"Paid per session?"
Barbara froze for a mont, then realized what he ant. She murmured, "So... every ti there's guidance..."
"If you knew how much I usually charge for private tutoring, you wouldn't be so surprised," Lucas said nonchalantly, unfazed by Barbara's reaction, "You're cute, little nun, but not cute enough for to work for free. However..."
"However what?" Barbara asked, furrowing her brow slightly.
"If it were your sister..." A sly smirk appeared on Lucas's lips, "That might change things..."
Slap!
The sharp sound of a slap echoed in the streets of Teyvat, just as dawn broke.
It was hard to believe that such a small body could produce so much force.
"You... you can treat however you want," Barbara said angrily, biting her lip, "But you are not allowed to insult my sister!"
To be honest, the mont she slapped him, Barbara regretted it. Though his words had been vile, her impulsive act might earn her a severe punishnt.
"I'll let this one slide since you worked so hard tonight," Lucas said, touching his burning cheek with the back of his hand, smiling, "Now go, before anyone sees an idol trainee leaving the producer's villa early in the morning. If you're caught, your career will be over."
He... let it go?
Right, I'm an idol trainee, one of his investnts—property. That's why he's willing to let off the hook.
"Goodbye, President, and... thank you for your guidance." Barbara gave him a complicated look before adding, "But you really are a complete scumbag."
It was the first ti in her life that Barbara had used foul language. Even though it might go against her faith in the Anemo God, Barbatos, she had to say it.
"You clearly don't know well," Lucas leaned against the doorfra and scoffed, "I'm much worse than you think."
Watching Barbara's retreating figure, Lucas finally rubbed his sore cheek.
Wasn't this simulator supposed to make things painless?
That slap hurt way too much!
[Sorry]
The system chid in,
[It seems I misjudged Barbara's combat strength and didn't activate the defense asures in ti.]
You did that on purpose, didn't you?
[Whistling innocently~]
Don't write out your thoughts! And that whistling is awful!
[You took that slap on purpose anyway.]
Indeed, Lucas had provoked Barbara intentionally, ensuring she would hate him.
After all, a young girl's feelings are always unpredictable. After such an intense night, if she accidentally developed feelings for him, it would ruin his plans.
This wasn't vanity on his part. Being a talented, well-off idol producer with decent looks, it wasn't hard to attract won.
[Switching to text mode.]
[After your "special guidance," Barbara's progress beca much faster. Her training advanced at a remarkable pace.]
[Of course, no one else knew about the secret between you and her. After all, who would have guessed that the sweet, innocent little nun had slowly begun to change?]
[Thus, you played two roles. During the day, you were Raiden Mai, the center of "Dandelion Song," Barbara's supportive teammate and sister. At night, you returned to your real self, giving her ticulous private lessons.]
[Luckily, when your consciousness was transferred into the doll, your physical body remained in a state of rest. Otherwise, even you would have found it difficult to handle.]
[Besides her growing skills, you also noticed another change—Barbara's personality. She beca more outgoing. Sotis, during rehearsals, even you couldn't overshadow the brilliance she exuded.]
[As for the other two mbers, Venti seed oblivious. The training was not difficult for him, and the compensation satisfied him.]
[For Venti, being an idol was just another job. Though at first, he resisted wearing the miniskirt, after you bribed him with Dawn Winery's century-old wine, he not only accepted the miniskirt but also welcod stockings and tank tops.]
[His slender figure made his gender ambiguous. If it had been anyone else, they would have been exposed long ago.]
[Lilina, on the other hand, seed to have noticed sothing. She frequently hinted at resuming your "deal," but you politely declined.]
[You had never engaged with Lilina because of personal desire. She was just convenient to control. While talented, she was the only replaceable mber in the group. After all, there were always plenty of talented people.]
[A month later, the highly anticipated debut live performance of "Dandelion Song" took place in Mondstadt's plaza. The hard work had finally paid off, and the performance was a huge success. Songs like "Let the Wind Tell You" and "Ever-changing Alcohol" beca instant hits, sweeping across Mondstadt.]
[At the final performance, you stood on stage as Raiden Mai, with Barbara by your side. Her performance had been incredible, almost overshadowing you as the center.]
[The live show was a massive success, making "Dandelion Song" explode in popularity, even making headlines in the "Steambird Gazette." The group quickly gained a large following.]
[According to post-show fan votes and analytics, Raiden Mai held the top spot, but Barbara wasn't far behind. After all, Mondstadt was her hotown, and even if she wasn't as skilled as you, her local ties gave her a significant edge.]
[True to your word, you awarded the four mbers a generous bonus according to their contract. Barbara imdiately used her share to hire Mondstadt's best doctor to treat her sister Jean's condition.]
[You gave the group a few days off. Having heard that Jean had begun treatnt, you decided to...]
[1. Visit as Raiden Mai. ]
[2. Visit as Lucas. ]
[3. Invite Barbara to your ho. ]
"Let's go with the second option."
For so reason, Lucas had a feeling that this choice might trigger so significant plot developnt.
[A few days later, you arrived at the Gunnhildr family estate, carrying a gift, and knocked on the door.]
[Forcefully entering imrsive mode.]
I knew it...
Lucas found himself standing before an impressive yet sowhat neglected estate entrance. It seed as though it hadn't been cleaned for quite so ti, with dust settling even on the statues by the gate.
As the saying goes, "To wear a crown, you must bear its weight." When the Stormterror dragon, Dvalin, ravaged Mondstadt, the Gunnhildr family, upholding their honor, had to send their elites to fight, which led to a significant loss of manpower. Even the family's heir, Jean, had been gravely injured and fallen into a coma.
In theory, Lucas no longer needed to seek revenge. If he simply waited, the Gunnhildr family would inevitably decline.
However, that wasn't the outco Lucas desired. Even if the Gunnhildr family fell, they could still leave behind a glorious legacy. Lucas's goal was to utterly ruin their reputation.
"Hello...?" A young boy with brown hair opened the door, looking puzzled. "Sir, who are you looking for?"
The boy seed no older than sixteen or seventeen, with a few freckles on his face and a hint of youthful innocence.
"I'm Lucas, the president of Barbara's talent agency," Lucas said politely, inclining his head. "I've heard that Barbara's sister is recovering, so I've co to pay a visit."
"Oh! I know who you are!" the boy exclaid, his face lighting up with excitent. "I attended her performance, though I could only afford the cheapest ticket. Thanks to your support, Miss Barbara was able to shine so brilliantly."
"Please co in. I'll take you to see her," the boy said as he stepped aside. "I'm a servant here. You can call Kent."
As Lucas followed Kent into the mansion, it was clear that the inside was just as desolate as the exterior, with only a few servants in sight.
Noticing Lucas's curiosity, Kent gave a slightly embarrassed smile. "Sorry for the state of things. Since... the incident, the family's inco has plumted. We can't even afford to pay most of the staff anymore, so many had to leave."
"Oh?" Lucas responded calmly. "So, why did you stay?"
"...?" Kent's young face flushed slightly. "As long as I can serve Miss Barbara, I... I'm more than content."
Lucas smiled slightly. "It seems you're quite fond of Barbara."
"Well... yes," Kent stamred, before quickly shaking his head. "No, no, soone like , a re servant, shouldn't have such thoughts. Miss Barbara deserves a truly great man."
"Don't worry," Lucas said with a reassuring but insincere tone. "According to the rules, idols aren't allowed to date. Your Miss Barbara won't be falling in love with anyone."
"That's... that's good," Kent said, visibly relieved. His eyes sparkled with admiration. "Of course, idols shouldn't date, especially soone as perfect as Miss Barbara."
The rule that idols cannot date is well-established in the industry.
The excuse is that relationships might distract idols from their work, but the real reason is that idols thrive on fan support. If an idol starts dating, it makes fans feel betrayed, which can lead to a massive loss of followers.
"Miss Barbara is in this room," Kent said, bowing slightly. "I'll head to the kitchen to prepare lunch and notify you both when it's ready."
As Kent walked away, Lucas allowed a barely perceptible smirk to cross his face.
After knocking on the door, a familiar voice ca from within. "Who is it?"
"It's ."
After a brief silence, the door was quickly opened by a visibly nervous Barbara. Without giving Lucas a chance to speak, she pulled him into the room and closed the door behind him.
Barbara's expression was complicated as she asked, "Why... why are you here?"
Perhaps due to her previous encounter with Lucas, Barbara had beco much more cautious around him.
"No need to be so tense," Lucas said with a smile. "I'm just here as your producer, visiting one of my idols."
"Who... who let you in?" Barbara asked, still a bit hesitant.
"That young man, Kent," Lucas replied honestly. "He seems to have quite the fondness for you."
"Stop with those pointless jokes," Barbara shot him a glare. "Soone like ... doesn't deserve to be liked by anyone."
-----
Author's Note: I know many of you might not like this arc.. but honestly I am not gonna remove it.. But- You could bribe with powerstones to upload faster so lets goooo~
Goals :- 300 ps = 1 extra Chapter!
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