"So... Diluc, aren't you going to introduce us?"
Having never met La Signora before, Su Bai was still unaware of her true identity. Signora raised an eyebrow. If she remembered correctly, this was the famous fox adeptus from Liyue—the one Scaramouche had been loudly proclaiming he would kill. She hadn't expected to encounter him here today.
Now that she'd met this fox adeptus, should she just kill him? He was on the Fatui's wanted list anyway. Eliminating him here, where no one could see, would also weaken Liyue's strength.
Without evidence, Liyue couldn't do much to affect their plans. At most, there would be some diplomatic squabbling.
"This is the Eighth of the Fatui Harbingers, La Signora. If I'm not mistaken, she's also the highest-ranking Fatui official in Mondstadt. Many of the incidents happening in Mondstadt are tied to her."
"Heh. Your guess is correct. The Fatui in Mondstadt are indeed under my command."
The curvaceous Signora braced her hands on the table, her expression clearly saying, 'So what if it's me?' Su Bai discreetly used his adeptal energy to sense her. He hadn't meant to probe deeply, but what he sensed made him jump. This wasn't a human body at all—the woman before him was filled with nearly liquefied flame. She was essentially a Pyro Slime in human form.
'No wonder she's a Fatui Harbinger. Without something unique, you couldn't earn that title. Scaramouche doesn't have a heart, Signora's body is almost entirely fire... I wonder how twisted the other Harbingers are.'
Lost in thought, Su Bai completely ignored Signora. She grew visibly irritated—since swearing loyalty to Her Majesty the Tsaritsa, no one had dared to disregard her so blatantly.
Diluc secretly gloated. 'Serves you right for inviting yourself in. Being ignored—nice work, Su Bai!' If he weren't worried about her attacking the winery staff, Diluc would have stopped wasting words on Signora long ago.
"Ah, my apologies, my apologies... this... auntie? I was distracted just now. What were you saying?"
Auntie? The word stabbed directly into Signora's heart. This was the second person to address her this way. The familiar yet strange title left her momentarily dazed. 'Rostam... have I truly aged already? If our souls meet again, will you still recognize me?'
"Speaking of which, Auntie Signora, you really should take better care of your skin. It's so dry. Doesn't your partner have anything to say about such dry skin?"
Dry skin? Signora examined her exposed skin. It was true—it wasn't as supple and radiant as it had been years ago. All these years of hard work had indeed taken a toll on her complexion.
Seeing his opening, Su Bai pressed on.
"Auntie Signora, I don't mean to be harsh, but a woman's face is her second life! Look at your face now—if someone didn't know better, they'd think some housewife had wandered out. You really need to pay attention to this. Otherwise, even your beloved might not recognize you."
Years of running around serving the Cryo Archon had left Signora's face slightly sallow. It wasn't noticeable unless you looked closely, but Signora was a detail-oriented person. She created a mirror of ice and examined herself carefully. Good grief—it really did look yellower.
For a moment, Signora's composure cracked. She had resolved to preserve her best self. After death, when she met Rostam again, they would hold their unfinished wedding in the next world. But now, before she'd even died, she had already grown so unattractive. The thought filled her with anxiety.
Distracted, Signora touched her face. Diluc stared dumbfounded—he'd never heard that La Signora, the Fatui Harbinger, cared so much about her appearance.
Su Bai was equally bewildered. He hadn't expected Signora to be so obsessed with her looks. He had no idea what she used to look like—he was just saying whatever came to mind, hitting whatever women usually cared about.
"Auntie Signora, think about it. At your age, you shouldn't be running around like young people anymore. All this sun beating down on your face—it ages you terribly."
"Imagine it: wrinkles appearing on what was once a beautiful face. How awful would that be?"
No... impossible. Before marrying Rostam, she couldn't abandon her appearance. Even if Rostam wouldn't care, she had to show him her best self.
Curse you, Barbatos. Just wait—your Gnosis will be mine eventually. Then I can beg Her Majesty to grant me eternal beauty.
At Windrise, Barbatos suddenly sneezed violently. Rubbing his nose, he muttered something before grabbing another bottle of fine wine and chugging it down.
"Auntie Signora, you probably don't use much cosmetics, do you?"
Signora nodded slightly. She had disdained such things in her youth. Her beauty, while not on the level of Her Majesty the Tsaritsa, was certainly among the finest.
"Exactly! Nowadays, cosmetics aren't just for whitening and acne—they have anti-aging properties too!"
"In Liyue, we have shops specialized in making cosmetics. When you go to Liyue, you should stock up."
"They're a bit expensive, sure, but for your skin and face, isn't it worth investing in?"
Signora was nearly spellbound now. Hearing Su Bai's rapid-fire suggestions, she found them surprisingly reasonable. Forgetting the original purpose of her visit to the Dawn Winery, she turned and left immediately.
As she departed, she even remembered to take the umbrella by the winery's entrance. After all, the sun outside was fierce—she needed to protect her skin.
This left her subordinates completely bewildered. Weren't they supposed to tear apart the Dawn Winery today? Why had their leader simply... left after a few comments?
Knowing Signora's temperament well, the Fatui soldiers dared not ask questions. One wrong question, and they'd all end up as ice cubes.
Diluc watched the scene unfold, utterly stunned. He had braced for a major battle, even prepared to reveal his Delusion. And Su Bai had just... talked her into leaving with a few sentences?
"Su Bai... was that your illusion magic? Can it actually alter someone's thoughts?"
Diluc's incredulous expression flattered Su Bai, but being an honest person, he shook his head in confusion.
"I didn't use any illusion at all. I just picked a few points from a light novel listing a hundred things women care about regarding their appearance. She seemed genuinely affected by something... I didn't expect this reaction."
Su Bai dismissed the talisman he had been secretly drawing behind his back. He had only meant to buy time to set up something to ambush Signora. He never expected to talk her into leaving. When had he developed the gift of persuasion? Su Bai tugged at his own cheek, remembering how he had been politely asked to leave after just three days of storytelling lessons.