"Sigh~~~"
"A maiden's heart really is made of poetry, huh."
Lounging lazily along one of the great oak's branches at Windrise, Nefer couldn't help commenting as she listened to Jean's confession below, one hand absentmindedly stroking the dozing Asheru in her arms.
Still… if the man in question was that man, then it did make sense.
Even she, the elusive mastermind behind the Secret Archive who had been active in the shadows for so many years, couldn't see through him.
How could Jean—formerly the Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius—possibly see to the bottom of him?
No—she wasn't the Acting Grand Master anymore.
And in the Mondstadt of today, the position of "Acting Grand Master" didn't exist at all.
Even if the former Grand Master Falga came back from that distant Sea of Ashes, that wouldn't change.
Mondstadt had already changed hands. The era was different.
"Hm?"
"Finally here. After listening to this girl pour her heart out for so long, I should probably get to work."
Catching a flicker of fiery red hair moving in the distance, Nefer knew the person she'd been waiting for had arrived.
Now she was just curious:
Could Lord Diluc possibly recognize, at a glance, that she was the Secret Archive's mysterious benefactor who had been funding him all this time?
…Probably not.
The King was in a different league entirely. He wasn't just some "sharp-eyed observer"—
He could literally see the future.
Could Diluc do that?
Nefer slipped quietly away.
And not long after she left, someone she hadn't expected arrived.
Rowan.
Unfortunately, Nefer wasn't around to see it.
"You're the new member the Secret Archive just sent to Mondstadt?"
"Where's Yakoda?"
The moment Nefer stepped into the spot where Diluc had disappeared earlier, the cold edge of a greatsword pressed lightly against her neck.
A Favonius greatsword.
Nefer chuckled softly, not taking his "threat" seriously in the least.
She raised a hand and, with barely any effort, pushed the blade aside.
Diluc's eyes widened despite himself.
That alone was enough for him to accept that she really was from the Secret Archive.
Only someone from that organization would have this kind of presence and skill.
While Diluc and Nefer finally made contact on one side—
On the other, Rowan had already started talking with Jean.
The reason Rowan had come all the way out here wasn't because he was tracking Nefer.
He'd simply followed a sudden impulse, letting his instincts guide his steps.
And that was when he saw her from afar.
Jean was half-kneeling beneath the great oak, as if in prayer.
The scene was familiar.
It was just like that moment in her story quest, "Lion Cub of the Knights of Favonius."
Only, this time there were no hilichurls lurking nearby, waiting to ambush her.
The hilichurls and Abyss Mages around Mondstadt had already been thoroughly wiped out by the Knights of Favonius.
Especially the tribes clustered around Stormterror's Lair—they'd been completely cleared out.
And near Windrise, along the shores by Eagle's Gate, there was now a stationed regiment as well.
So monsters in the Windrise area had basically disappeared.
On top of that, Jean was no longer the exhausted Acting Grand Master who was one step away from collapsing.
The Jean of today was in her prime—calm, sharp, and in full fighting condition.
Anyone foolish enough to provoke her now would probably die without even knowing how they died.
Rowan walked toward her at an unhurried pace.
Jean didn't move at all—
In fact, it was almost like she didn't even notice his approach.
As he drew closer, Rowan could finally hear what she was saying.
His expression twisted into something complicated as he listened.
Then he lowered his gaze to the medal in his hand, signed in Vennessa's name.
If Vennessa, all the way up in Celestia, knew that a thousand-year-old single woman like herself was being treated as a love advisor by Jean…
Rowan couldn't help wondering if she'd come down just to smack Jean upside the head first.
Who asked a lifelong single about romance advice?
Who exactly had the problem here? Jean… or Vennessa?
Rowan didn't interrupt her.
Instead, he simply stood there, quietly admiring Jean's current figure.
He had to admit—whoever had said "The soul of the Knights resides in Captain Jean's rear" hadn't been wrong.
That perfectly rounded curve was… frankly impressive.
You could tell at a glance she was the type who'd have no trouble bearing children.
Full hips, a narrow waist, a figure that curved in all the right places—
She really was the ideal choice for a girlfriend, objectively speaking.
Just as Rowan was silently appreciating that flawless silhouette—
Jean finally sensed someone approaching.
She spun around in a panic—
And the moment she saw who it was, her face went crimson, turning as red as a ripe Sunsettia.
Her first reflex was to run.
She didn't even bother picking up the Favonius sword she'd left propped against the tree.
Right now, all she wanted was to get away from this painfully awkward scene.
She had never imagined there would come a day when Rowan would overhear her innermost thoughts.
It was mortifying.
But as she tried to hurry past him, Rowan reached out and effortlessly pulled her into his arms.
His hand gently lifted her chin, and he looked down at her with amused eyes.
"Didn't think you liked me that much, Acting Grand Master Jean."
"So if you like me so much, why run when you see me?"
"Wouldn't it be better to say it to my face? What are you running from?"
Jean stammered incoherently, unable to meet his gaze.
Her face was burning, her neck flushed, even the tips of her ears were red.
She really did look like a boiled crab.
Watching her struggle to form a complete sentence only made Rowan more certain she was the one.
Only someone who had already had close contact with him would end up this tangled up—
So shy, so at a loss for how to face him.
Compared to Jean, Eula was far more straightforward.
Rowan had long since noticed Eula had feelings for him as well.
But even so, Eula could at least stay composed on the surface.
Before leaving Mondstadt last time, he had met with her once.
He'd given her a medal bearing Vennessa's personal "signature."
Whether it was actually real or not… well, only he knew the truth.
Eula's reaction had been normal enough.
Her face had gone pink, sure, but it was just the natural shyness of a girl receiving a gift for the first time.
Jean, though, was different.
Even if he'd overheard her inner thoughts and secret feelings, there was no way that, as Jean, she'd bolt the moment she saw him.
Given her usual decisive style, if she realized she couldn't escape, she'd most likely do what most girls eventually did—
Take a deep breath, throw caution to the wind, and blurt out a confession.
Whether Rowan accepted her or not, at least she'd have her answer.
But Jean's current reaction was far too panicked.
That was… off.
Of course, there was another reason Rowan was sure.
When he'd been quietly observing her earlier, he'd confirmed it—
That person had to be Jean.
He remembered that smooth, perfect curve very well.
In a single word: flawless.
Still, until Jean admitted it herself, Rowan had to at least pretend to keep a sliver of doubt.
Just in case.
"So what's this, then?" he murmured, lips close to her ear. "You were so bold that night, and now suddenly you're this shy?"
"N-no, that's not…"
Her protest trailed off into nothing.
(End of Chapter)
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