"Coming back to see you like this, just how much have you drunk?"
Durandal looked at Lumine, who reeked of alcohol, with a disgusted expression. Just how much had she drunk when she ran off to meet Venti?
"Hehe~ I... I didn't count carefully. I just know a lot of people kept offering me drinks. Before, they always refused to let me drink, saying I wasn't an adult yet. Today, I finally made up for all those missed drinks."
Lumine was quite happy about being called underage by those people. No girl dislikes hearing others say she's young, and she was no exception.
"Wait, don't help me sober up. Let me stay in my current state. When I wake up tomorrow, then help me get rid of this uncomfortable feeling."
"You know you'll feel bad the next day, yet you still want to maintain this state? Is being drunk really that comfortable?"
Durandal couldn't understand. Was this drunken feeling really good? Why did Lumine want to stay like this?
"Of course... it's not comfortable, but in this state, I don't have to keep pretending to be strong. I... I can express some real emotions."
After saying that, Lumine hugged Durandal tightly... Everyone, don't misunderstand, she wasn't doing anything strange, she was genuinely just hugging her.
Durandal looked at this fellow, puzzled. Because of being drunk, she had no strength at all. She couldn't do anything now, so what was she trying to do?
And she could express real emotions? What exactly did she want to express? Wasn't what she usually expressed enough?
At this moment, Paimon, though not having drunk like Lumine, was already asleep in the inn's bed, exhausted from staying up late.
Without this third wheel, and with the effects of alcohol, Lumine could freely say the things she usually dared not.
"Brother, why... why did he become like that?"
Her mood was not as calm as she imagined; Aether's situation had dealt Lumine a very heavy blow.
She didn't understand. She didn't understand why such a gentle brother would become so cold and indifferent. She didn't understand why he had changed like this.
Why did the Abyssal Apostle call him the "Prince"? How did he become a part of the Abyss? What had he experienced without her knowing?
Her questions were simply too many, but no one could answer them. She could only suppress these questions in her heart, troubled by them alone.
Now, while drunk, she could finally express all these emotions, revealing her vulnerable side.
"This guy... did she really have such an expression?"
Lumine's behavior somewhat surprised Durandal. She had thought Lumine was the type of person who could face everything with a smile, and coupled with her somewhat strange personality, it was hard for her to imagine that she would have such a vulnerable side.
Her family was her weakness. This time, after finally meeting her long-separated brother, the other party maintained a cold expression throughout, which indeed caused her no small amount of DMG.
Just like when Klee cried, Durandal gently patted Lumine's back, comforting her.
"Perhaps he also wanted to protect you, which is why he was unwilling to reveal too much to you. Thankfully, there were no outsiders when you met him this time. Otherwise, no matter how much everyone trusts you, someone would use this incident to cause trouble. By then, your journey through the Seven Nations would encounter obstacles."
His distant behavior was, in a sense, also to protect Lumine. Otherwise, if others knew that Lumine's brother was from the Abyss, how could she continue to travel through the Seven Nations?
"But... I'm still very upset. He didn't tell me any reasons, just left a few words that I couldn't understand at all. Damn it... it's really infuriating! I now suspect he's just hiding in the shadows, watching me struggle to find him. Just a brother, just a brother dares to do such a thing, it's unforgivable."
Love to the deepest point is hatred. Fortunately, Lumine's rationality kept her from doing anything irrational; otherwise, the missing person posters she put up in Mondstadt and Liyue would have become bounty notices.
"Even if you feel upset, what can you do? You're not his opponent; his strength is completely above yours."
Durandal could tell that Aether was holding back when fighting Lumine... No, that's not quite right; it should be said he was letting her win by a huge margin.
It was impossible for Lumine to bring him back by force. Durandal could try, but to keep him completely unharmed would probably be impossible.
So the best outcome was just to let him leave. Besides that, it would probably result in casualties on either side.
"Ugh! Damn it, damn Aether! He used to not even dare to resist, and now he dares to swing a sword at me! He's really gotten bold!"
Aether wasn't like this before, and now he dared to lay a hand on her, which really made Lumine feel hurt.
She should have let Durandal act from the very beginning; that way, the probability of keeping Aether would have been much higher.
Ugh! Lumine stayed in that position and complained to Durandal about her troubles, pouring out all the grievances she had suppressed in her heart.
Durandal listened quietly to Lumine's story like a caring older sister, until she finally couldn't hold on any longer, too tired, and closed her eyes, drifting into sleep.
She gently placed Lumine on the bed, fixed her bangs that had become messy from crying, and looked at her tenderly.
"I didn't expect someone who usually acts so carefree to have so many worries. It's good to talk it out; it might make you feel a little better."
Books say that if a person accumulates stress for a long time, they will experience significant mental problems.
Although she might not remember what happened last night when she woke up, she had already released her stress, and that was enough.
Durandal, who was about to rest, suddenly noticed something. Her gaze turned to the window, she thought for a moment, adjusted Lumine's blanket, then turned into a black mist and vanished from the room.
On a hillside outside Mondstadt City, a figure stood, anxiously waiting for something.
This person was Aether, whom she had just met. He paced back and forth, occasionally looking in the direction of Mondstadt, appearing very uneasy.
"Since you actively came to find me, aren't you worried I'll just tie you up and take you back to meet her?"
Durandal had sensed the aura of the Abyss in the inn, the same aura Aether always emitted when he appeared at Durandal's secret base at Cape Oath.
This time, he used this method to secretly call Durandal out. According to his guess, Lumine should be asleep by now.
It was precisely because of this that he dared to call Durandal out in this way.
Aether didn't take Durandal's threat to heart. He believed Durandal understood his intentions; if she truly wished Lumine well, she shouldn't let him return to Lumine's side now.
"Do you think if you tie me up, I won't find a way to get back myself? Do you think if you take me away, the Abyss won't react at all?"
"If the Abyss suddenly appeared in large numbers in Mondstadt or Liyue, how many people do you think would be implicated?"
"...You fellow."
This was something Durandal hadn't considered. She held members of the Abyss Order in contempt, but ordinary people were no match for the Abyss Order.
If they appeared in large numbers within Mondstadt or Liyue, it would likely ignite a major war, and countless people would die.
This person... really hit her weakness precisely. Of course, he might not have known this point, only thinking that Durandal would consider Lumine's feelings and that Lumine wouldn't want such a thing to happen.
"Why did you call me out? And not secretly call Lumine out? If it were your call, I believe she would be very happy to respond."
"This time... it's not quite right. Before I achieve my ultimate goal, I can't go with her to find a new homeland."
Aether sighed helplessly, then asked, "How is Lumine? Is she okay?"
"She was fine during the day, but after a few drinks, she cried terribly here with me. She kept talking about you. Your actions this time really hurt her deeply."
"Lumine... Lumine cried?"
Durandal's words had a critical hit effect. He had thought Lumine would only be sad for a while, but he hadn't expected her to cry.
According to his understanding of Lumine, she wasn't the type to shed tears easily. Was it because of the alcohol that she became vulnerable?
"Besides telling me all her grievances, she also told me a lot about your past. She said she would expose all your embarrassing past, make you socially dead, make you famous in the Seven Nations, and make you known to everyone."
"Really?!"
Aether instantly broke down. As his sister, Lumine naturally knew some of Aether's embarrassing past, including some explosive content.
If Lumine really revealed those embarrassing pasts, not to mention his reputation in the Seven Nations, his reputation in the Abyss would probably also be affected.
Perhaps Abyss Mages and Apostles wouldn't dare to say much because of their status, but others might not be so restrained, and he wasn't the highest management.
"What she said while drunk is probably what she most wants to do in her heart. When she sobers up, she probably won't have that thought anymore."
"Phew, that's good."
"She is your sister, after all. I imagine she wouldn't want a brother who is socially dead on the continent of Teyvat; that would greatly affect her future travels."
"..."
Looking at the silent Aether, Durandal said unenthusiastically, "Anything else? On account of you being Lumine's brother, I won't lay a hand on you. But I won't do anything for you either. You know my attitude towards the Abyss, right?"
"Ah, I'm grateful you didn't attack me the moment you saw me."
"Nothing else, I'm leaving now. I don't want to stay with you."
If she didn't have so many concerns, she would really want to tie him up right now; that way, there wouldn't be so many messy things.
"Wait!"
Aether called out to Durandal and said, "Please... protect her during your travels with Lumine. She is my most important sister. I beg you."
"...Hmph! Unnecessary words. Do you think I wouldn't protect her if you didn't say that?"
After speaking, Durandal left, leaving Aether standing there, looking in the direction of Mondstadt City.
"...I'm sorry, Lumine. After this is over, no matter how you want to punish me, it's fine. For now, please wait a little longer."
"We... will meet again."
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