Aether was partly responsible for the current state of Jean's office.
Of course, at least half of it was Jean's doing.
She had originally wanted to help clean up, but Jean, being quite understanding, refused Aether's offer and told Aether to go back and rest quickly.
"Well, I'll be going then…" Aether looked at the mess on the floor and said to Jean, a little embarrassed.
Especially that sofa, it probably needed to be replaced; it wouldn't be easy to clean.
"Hmm, remember to rest early." Jean nodded, then reached out and stroked the strands of hair on Aether's forehead.
The two of them were as if they had confirmed their relationship; Jean's intimate gestures came naturally, without hesitation.
Anyone who didn't know would think they were already an old married couple.
"See, see you tomorrow." Aether smiled unnaturally, then quickly turned and left Jean's office.
Walking outside, she took a deep breath, calming her emotions.
It was already very, very late; although it wasn't midnight yet, it was already the time when most people rested.
Only now did she recall that Rosaria had arranged to meet her in the evening for an important matter.
But at this time… A drop of cold sweat appeared on Aether's forehead; she could say that she had already stood Rosaria up.
No matter, she would apologize to Rosaria later. Rosaria, not waiting for her, would probably leave early.
Compared to going to find Rosaria, she had to return quickly now; Amber would definitely be worried if she didn't come back for so long.
Thinking this, Aether hurried towards Anber's.
"Hmm? Is that you?" The guard standing at the door recognized the Damselette.
"H-hello…" Aether felt inexplicably nervous, as if she had done something wrong.
"You're the one who came to see Acting Grand Master Jean earlier, right? Why did it take so long? I've already changed shifts twice," the guard frowned.
If it weren't for this being the Knights of Favonius headquarters, and this Damselette being personally received by Acting Grand Master Jean, he might have thought this Damselette had something unspeakable going on.
"Well, Jean had a lot of things to explain, and we also had an in-depth exchange of ideas on some issues," Aether scratched her head.
"I see, sigh, Acting Grand Master Jean truly works hard…" the guard sighed with emotion.
"You've also worked hard. Well, I won't bother you, I'm leaving now." Aether smiled awkwardly.
"Hmm, goodbye, may the Anemo Archon trick you!" The guard saluted her with a Knight's salute.
Aether jogged all the way, quickly heading towards Anber's.
And just a short while after she left, Rosaria slowly emerged from the shadows. Neither she nor the Knight guarding the door had been able to detect Rosaria's presence.
"Acting Grand Master Jean… truly is bold," Rosaria's usually pale face now carried a suspicious blush.
Her mood was very complex right now.
When she realized that Aether was late, she wouldn't just stand there foolishly waiting.
A little investigation would reveal where Aether had gone, after all, this was Mondstadt, the place she was most familiar with, and she had a myriad of ways to track someone's movements.
So, after finding out the Damselette's whereabouts, she immediately came to the Knights of Favonius.
Of course, she came secretly. Considering that the Damselette had come to see Acting Grand Master Jean and hadn't left for a long time afterward, something unexpected had most likely happened.
The greatest possibility, she thought, was that Acting Grand Master Jean had told Aether about that matter…
Originally, she only intended to sneak outside Jean's office to listen to the situation. If Jean and Aether could resolve it properly, that would be great; if not, she would step in.
Who knew, when she got near the office, what she heard were sounds that were difficult to describe.
For a moment, she even wondered if she had misheard.
So she moved a little closer…
At first, it was Acting Grand Master Jean's, then it gradually became Aether's.
Even though Rosaria had some understanding of such matters, she herself had never experienced it, especially between two women, and she was instantly stunned on the spot.
At that moment, leaving was not an option, nor was staying.
The most critical thing was that upon hearing Aether's voice, she also had a slight reaction.
Her heart pounded fast, her body grew hot, and at the same time, the thought of leaving gradually disappeared.
"Sigh…" Rosaria sighed deeply.
The matter was resolved, she supposed, though she didn't know why Jean had become so bold, rendering all her arrangements useless.
But it was also a good thing; this way, there was no need to worry about the subsequent impact of this matter on the Knights of Favonius.
But why was there always a feeling of unwillingness in her heart…
Rosaria's brows were tightly furrowed; she felt no joy at all right now.
She stood rooted to the spot, silently staring in the direction Aether had left, her mind lost in thought.
It wasn't until a cold breeze blew by, and a chill spread across a certain part of her body, that she snapped back to reality.
"…" Rosaria's face, uncharacteristically, flushed red, and she immediately quickened her pace.
She also needed to go back and take a shower and change her clothes soon.
---
When Aether returned to Anber's, the room was indeed still brightly lit.
Amber was sleeping on the living room sofa, her small face adorned with a serene smile, as if she were having a beautiful dream.
If you leaned closer, you could even hear her softly mumbling Aether's name.
It seemed she had waited for Aether until she fell asleep.
"Amber, Amber…" Aether walked over and gently shook Amber's shoulder.
"Mmm… Aether…" Amber slowly opened her eyes, her expression still a bit dazed.
Seeing Amber in this state, Aether was about to apologize, but then Amber's first words completely threw her off.
"Huh? When did you put on clothes?" Amber was drowsy, clearly not fully awake.
"I…"
So, this little girl was having a wet dream, huh?
"Huh?! So, it was a dream after all…" Amber suddenly woke up. She quickly got up and looked around, sighing softly.
She seemed a little disappointed.
But soon, that disappointment was cast aside.
"Welcome back, Star!" Amber reached out and wrapped her arms around Star's neck, hanging onto her.
Thankfully, Star was in her sage time, otherwise, there might have been trouble again.
She had already gone through it twice today, twice; she couldn't handle another time.
"Uh, mm, I, I'm back. I'm sorry it's so late…" Star held the Damselette's slender waist and apologized sincerely.
"It's nothing. Next time, if you're coming back late, you must tell me first… Hmm?" A puzzled expression suddenly appeared on Amber's small face.
She suddenly buried her head between Star's collarbones, sniffing repeatedly.
"Wh-what's wrong?" Star's heart tightened as she watched Amber's actions.
"Why do I feel like Star smells like Acting Grand Master Jean?"
"…"
No, it's one thing to smell someone else, but how can you pinpoint a specific person?!
---------------------------------
If you'd like to read the next 40 chapters in advance, you can support me on Patreon.
I regularly post chapter previews there, so you'll always be up-to-date and won't have to wait too long.
patreon.com/SolyuraMT
And if you enjoy the story, don't forget to give me a Power Stone. Your support really motivates me to continue translating!