The matter of Jean inviting him to dinner was set aside for now; Stelle was still very concerned about the tall Damselette in front of him.
He didn't understand why Eula was being looked at with disgust by the people around her, and those people's attitudes seemed to have changed slightly with Amber's arrival, seemingly no longer as hostile towards Eula.
It was truly strange.
"Speaking of which, Amber." Eula suddenly spoke, drawing Stelle's attention back to her from the surrounding people.
"How do I feel like you've changed a bit?"
Eula frowned slightly; Amber's appearance now was no different from when she had seen her before.
But as she sat beside Stelle, Eula felt that something was off.
Besides that, there was also the atmosphere between Amber and Stelle when they were together.
How to put it, Eula felt that rather than being ordinary friends, their relationship seemed to be on a deeper level.
Amber is a very popular person and is very enthusiastic towards her friends, but no one has ever been cared for by Amber like that Grey-haired girl.
It was truly strange.
"Different?" Amber tilted her head in confusion; she didn't know what Eula meant by "different."
"Hmm, it's like…" Eula's words trailed off; she was also deliberating on how to phrase it.
"Like you've grown up."
Hearing Eula's words, Stelle's heart inexplicably skipped a beat, and he suddenly felt a little nervous.
"I grew up a long time ago; I'm not that little kid anymore, you know." Amber was much calmer than Stelle, her expression not changing in the slightest.
"Could it be that Eula has been away for too long and has forgotten what I look like?" Amber looked at Eula teasingly.
"Hmph, I remember so many grudges against you, how could I forget what you look like." Eula snorted lightly, saying with some dissatisfaction.
However, she genuinely felt that Amber was different, and it was definitely not because they hadn't seen each other for too long.
After all, Amber had seen her off when she went out of the city to perform a mission.
At that time, Amber was no different from before, and it hadn't been that long… How did this change occur? She couldn't understand it at all.
Could it be related to this Grey-haired girl?
Eula inexplicably suspected Stelle, shifting her gaze to him.
"Cough, everyone, don't just chat, eat, eat…" Stelle noticed Eula's gaze and gave a dry cough.
"Mhm, Stelle, eat more of this." Amber placed a large piece of meat from her plate onto Stelle's plate.
"…"
"What's wrong?" Amber looked at Stelle, who had suddenly fallen silent, in confusion.
"No, nothing." Stelle felt cold sweat seemingly breaking out on his forehead.
…
"Forget it, I've finished eating, and it's time for me to go back." Eula stared at the two of them for a long time, then stopped dwelling on the matter.
She had finished her lunch, elegantly wiped her mouth, and slowly stood up.
"Eh? So fast?" Amber looked at Eula with some disappointment.
She and Eula hadn't seen each other for a long time; after all, Eula was the captain of the reconnaissance team, and her work was much more demanding than Amber's.
"I'll be staying in Mondstadt these two days. The Dragon Disaster is over, so there shouldn't be any more work that requires long journeys." Eula also saw Amber's reluctance and casually said to her.
"And you." Eula then looked at Stelle, "I'll come to seek revenge on you during this time, so don't run away."
She was becoming increasingly curious about Stelle. This person was not only a major contributor to resolving the Dragon Disaster but also had a close relationship with Amber.
During this time, she wanted to get to know this guy well.
"Uh, okay, okay." Stelle nodded blankly.
"Goodbye." Eula waved her hand and walked straight out of the Hunter's Deer restaurant.
----
The two finished lunch at the Hunter's Deer and returned home together.
"Phew… I feel like Eula almost discovered our relationship today." Stelle sprawled on the sofa, feeling a bit mentally exhausted.
Amber, however, had already skillfully snuggled into his arms. When they were outside, there were too many people for her to make intimate gestures with Stelle, but back home, she had no such reservations.
"Don't worry, Eula won't think about it that way." Amber couldn't help but rub her small head against Stelle's chest. "Besides, even if it's discovered, it shouldn't be a big deal."
"Eula is my good friend; even if she knew… she would probably bless us."
"Is that so?" Stelle gently stroked Amber's small head, and hearing her say that, he felt a renewed curiosity about Eula.
"When I first saw her today…"
Stelle told Amber everything that happened when he first saw Eula and wanted to share a table with her. He felt that Amber should know the answer.
Indeed, Amber did not disappoint Stelle and explained the whole story, also giving Stelle a brief history lesson about Mondstadt.
"Sometimes I also think people are too much, but on this matter, I don't know how to speak up for Eula." Amber said to Stelle with some sadness.
"I see, no wonder…" Stelle now understood why Eula had told him her full surname then.
"However, it's actually much better now compared to before." Amber said with a smile again.
"When Eula first came out of her family, shops wouldn't sell her things, and restaurants would make her orders shoddily. Many times, I had to run errands for her."
After all, Eula was Amber's grandfather's beloved disciple, personally trained by him. They had known each other since childhood, so Amber naturally helped Eula proactively.
It could be said that if it weren't for Amber, Eula's situation would probably be much worse than it is now.
"Hmm… Perhaps it will get better and better in the future." Stelle thought for a moment and said.
He wasn't unable to understand why the people of Mondstadt did this; after all, the sins committed by Lawrence in Mondstadt's history were too numerous to count.
But Lawrence's descendants should also have a chance for atonement.
Of course, perhaps Eula wouldn't call her actions atonement, but what matters most is how the Mondstadters view it.
Joining the Knights of Favonius, repeatedly achieving merits, and protecting the peace and tranquility around Mondstadt.
All of this can gradually change the Mondstadters' perception of her.
Perhaps it won't be long before people's prejudice against Eula gradually disappears?
…
Time passed bit by bit, and soon the sky gradually darkened.
They had nothing to do in the afternoon, just resting at home. The two of them chatted together, and he didn't know why time passed so quickly.
When Stelle came back to his senses, there was something he had to face.
"Well, I'll be going now." Stelle pushed open the door with some trepidation.
"Be careful on your way~"
Stelle was about to depart for Acting Grand Master Jean's dinner. It was supposed to be a normal thing, but thinking about what he and Jean did in the office last night—Stelle felt very unsure.
He didn't know if he could even come back tonight…
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