"I'm the Anemo Archon, give me 500 mora and once I defeat Stormterror, I'll appoint you as a saintness."
"???"
"You don't want to? Oh... well, how about I appoint you as something else?"
Seeing the Flügel's flirtatious wink, the sister's mouth twitched and then she muttered. "I have things to attend to..." She then quickly fled as if her life depended on it.
She didn't bother to go back to praying and instead ran straight into the church's basement.
Following the Bard and the Honorary Knight, the Flügel's "I am the Anemo God" plan also failed.
"I've already told you Venti, that plan also wouldn't work either." Jibril said as she crossed her arms and irritably flapped her wings in the air.
"Huh? Were you talking to me?"
Jibril first looked around and then lowered her head, as she acted surprised to discover Venti standing in front of her.
"Heh heh, should I give you 500 Mora, Lord Barbatos?"
Jibril looked at Venti's slightly provocative gaze and just sighed as her tone became increasingly annoyed.
"...Don't say things that you cannot accomplish."
"Alright, you two!" Paimon flew over as she immediately scolded them. "We're not going to be able to accomplish anything with these plans! We already scared the sister away!"
"Ugh, what a bother..."
"Ehe~"
Lumine looked at Jibril and Venti, wondering when the beautiful and kind Jibril had gotten mixed up with this unreliable bard.
[T/L: Girl is anything but kind...]
"She actually refused even you, Traveler!" Venti scratched his head through his green hat, looking helpless. "Impossible... Isn't it only natural for the best warrior to be presented with the best sword? Yet here we are..."
Lumine shifted her gaze from Jibril's swaying wings and pretended to ponder. "What do we do now?"
"Then there's only one method left~" Venti winked.
"You're not going to..."
"Venti, are you going to steal the Holy Lyre?"
"Eh! We're going to borrow it and... I'm not the one who's going."
Lumine was full of confusion as she then pointed to herself.
"So smart, worthy of you." Under the Flügel's disdainful gaze, Venti nodded to himself. "But seriously, you're more suitable for the job than I. Aside from singing, I don't really have any other talents."
"Besides, If I was caught, I'd have no one to correct the grave injustice of my arrest."
"But, Lumine has no one to rely on either... Wait… stealing things is wrong in the first place!" Paimon stomped her feet frantically in the air.
"But things are different for the Traveler."
Venti turned to Lumine as he placed his hand on his chest while the other hand extended towards the blonde. "She's the superstar of the Knights of Favonius. She has made contributions to Mondstadt and should she get caught, then she would be able to easily talk her way out."
Faced with Venti's string of compliments, the blonde felt embarrassed from the praise. "Hmm... wouldn't it be the same if Jibril went?"
"Precisely! She is your reliance!"
Lumine's cheeks flushed slightly while Jibril merely nodded slightly in agreement.
"Then... alright, we'll help you."
"Yay!"
— —
After agreeing with Venti to act that evening, Jibril and Lumine began wandering around Mondstadt.
This wasn't a game but now real life. She can't exactly freely change time like before, so she has to find things to do.
"So... hic, haven't we been here too long?"
Paimon, taking advantage of Lumine's distraction, had wiped the grease from the corner of her mouth and leaned against a nearby clothes rack.
Jibril tilted her head slightly. "Paimon's... right."
"Don't move! Lift your wings a little higher."
"Understood!"
The Flügel immediately tensed her body.
Lumine didn't even need to say anything as the wings were already held up extremely high.
When Lumine finally tied the complicated bow and wiped the sweat from her forehead. She then turned Jibril around as she involuntarily softened her breathing.
The pure white, elaborate princess dress had a skirt flared out like an umbrella. The embroidered lace on the hem was layered repeatedly, swaying like a light, elegant dance with the girl's movements. The entire dress was studded with large and small crystals of various bright colors for embellishment.
Even her small face was forced to wear light makeup, dusted with shimmering powder that looked like ground crystal applied to her skin.
[Oh~ You're blushing~]
Jibril had no intention of dealing with the annoying system.
Honestly, she felt like she was suffocating by the tightness around her chest and being weighted down by this bling-bling outfit.
She didn't bother to count on Paimon to save her, nor did she dare to look over at the over enthusiastic Lumine. So, her only choice was to shoot resentful glares over at the shop assistant nearby.
Is this really meant for people to wear? No wonder it was left in the stop unsold and hanging...
Ptooey!
"Hair! The hair! And hair accessories!" The shop assistant excitedly handed the hair accessories to Lumine.
"Thank you, I almost forgot..." Lumine took the accessories and gently patted Jibril's shoulder. "Turn back around."
"..."
"Come over here!"
Jibril just resigned to her fate and obediently walked over to the dressing table. The tall shop assistant pulled out a chair for her, and she sat down.
"Miss Jibril, the hair needs to be put up first—"
Before the assistant finished speaking, Lumine had already picked up the comb. "Let me do it. I usually only do it on myself, so I can say that I'm quite skilled."
As something warm and soft lightly pressed against her back, a faint floral scent drifted from behind and entered Jibril's nose.
She blinked and looked into the mirror in front of her.
The candlelight flickered in the mirror, merging with her faintly glowing pupils into a hazy scene. Lumine, standing behind her as she looked like a person from a painting.
The blonde was fully immersed in brushing as she made sure to be gentle. She raised her hands, moving them back and forth over Jibril's head, carefully combing the cherry-pink long hair.
A slight tugging sensation came from her scalp; it was slightly tingly but very comfortable.
Occasionally, she could feel Lumine's fingertips lightly brushing past her hair.
"Your hair... it's so beautiful."
Hearing Lumine's compliment, Jibril couldn't help but curl her lips as she slightly lifted her head.
"Naturally~"
Hmph.
Of course my hair is beautiful!
"Don't move."
Lumine raised her palm and gently patted Jibril's head. With her other hand, she reached to the side of Jibril's face, picking up a strand of hair and twirling it playfully.
'System, it's only been a few days and I feel like she's getting too casual with me.'
[How pitiful... But what does that have to do with me?]
'Give me something to compensate for my emotional damage!'
Jibril tilted her head back as her ear wings occasionally trembled and affectionately circled Lumine's fingers. (There are no signs of emotional damage)
"Stop..."
The Flügel seemed tickled by the sensation on her ear.
"Mmm, I'm not done yet."
Lumine began pulling the strands of hair she held and twisting them into cords strand by strand.
The cords were quickly braided into small plaits and coiled onto the girl's crown. Lumine braided meticulously, her amber eyes focused intently on the back of Jibril's head. Her warm breath puffed onto Jibril's neck.
"Jibril..."
"Hmm?"
Lumine paused and then asked nervously. "Do you still remember what your homeland looked like?"
"Hmm... I don't remember, but it should be quite high up."
"Very high up, huh..? That... actually suits Jibril very well." Lumine smiled gently as her voice became soft.
"When I find my brother, Jibril, would you like to visit our homeland?"
"Sure, it's a promise~"
Click—
The dazzling enamel gold hair accessory firmly secured the coiled braid on her head.
"Once things calm down and once you... remember things from before, I also want to visit your homeland."
Jibril's heart jumped. She suddenly turned around as she looked at Lumine surprised.
Lumine seemed startled too. "What's wrong... did I hurt you by accident?"
"N-No."
If Lumine really could go to her home, that would be quite nice... but it's highly unlikely to ever happen. But, why did those words sound so strange?
[T/L: Lowkey kinda like a marriage proposal?]
"Done."
Jibril snapped out of her thoughts and subconsciously turned her head. What met her eyes was Lumine's face, close enough to touch and her slightly hazy gaze.
"...Go look in the mirror!" Lumine said while clapping her hands together and smiling.
So Jibril turned to look at the mirror.
Her eyes, slightly moist, were clear and bright, shining like stars. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly. Her usually flowing cherry-pink hair was intricately coiled on the crown of her head, subtly revealing the edges of the hair accessory. Her ears showed a faint blush.
The candlelight plated her silhouette with a soft glow, complementing the halo revolving above her head, making her look like a deity.
Oh my god... how can she be so beautiful!
"Wow! Jibril looks like... a princess from a fairy tale!" Paimon flew a circle around Jibril excitedly.
"Absolutely gorgeous! It looks as if it was tailor-made for you." the shop assistant said as she also agreed.
Lumine simply smiled gently at the Flügel, just as before.
She gently held the person's hand in front of her, feeling the warmness in her palm. "You truly are beautiful...."
"Well, this dress certainly is beautiful~"
"Mmm... you know I wasn't talking about the dress..." Lumine turned her face slightly, the tips of her ears turning faintly red.
Jibril looked down at Lumine's head. Just as she reached out to ruffle it, the blonde, whose face was completely red, gently slapped her hand away with a smack.
Hmm, the heel is probably six... no, seven centimeters high, making her even taller than Lumine. "Satisfied now?"
[T/L: HAHAH 67. I swear I didn't do that on purpose this time.... But with the heels on, she's like around 6ft?]
"Huh?"
Jibril propped up one wing and quickly poked Lumine's forehead. "Don't actually buy this for me. We won't be able to afford food if you do."
As the saying goes, 'when fed and warm, lust arises.' Although I don't need to eat, lust isn't something one can achieve alone.
"Besides, my original clothes aren't that bad."
Lumine, covering her face and peeking at Jibril through the gaps between her fingers, spoke in a soft voice. "Fine... but Jibril went out to play by herself a while ago..."
Lumine: You snuck out without me (˃⤙˂)
"Jibril stayed out for so long and came back smelling of alcohol... Angel's Share must've been so great..."
It wasn't great at all... (╯3╰)
Jibril was sweating profusely.
She thought that since that night's incident hadn't been brought up for so long, it was probably forgotten. She didn't expect it to be brought up here.
Luckily, there's a stranger present. Had they been alone, she might have even brought up the fact that they cuddled that one time. Then she'll truly be done for... "Lumine... Actually, I... Huh?"
Jibril stared at the blonde as she gently held her hands, looking guilty at her.
"You don't need to..."
Lumine looked directly into the Flügel's eyes and said slowly. "You don't need to... pay so much for me. I-I just..."
Her eyelashes trembled slightly. She stood on her tiptoes and leaned close to Jibril's ear.
"Next time you go out, you have to take me with you..."
'She's not... she's not being passive-aggressive, is she?'
[You deserve to be single.]
'???'
Although her mind was a mess, Jibril immediately nodded while shaking her head so vigorously.
Lumine chuckled, looking triumphant and casually smoothed the messy feathers by the Flügel's ear.
"Ahem!"
The sudden cough made both of them turn their heads simultaneously. They saw the shop assistant looking at their still tightly clasped hands with a subtle expression, her lips barely suppressing a smile.
Lumine instantly retracted her hand while Jibril expressionlessly turned and walked toward the fitting room, her wings snapping open behind her.
After a flurry of activity, Jibril finally changed back into her normal outfit.
Although this was quite revealing, at least it was much easier to move in.
The shop assistant took the formal dress but didn't immediately hang it back up. "Actually... you two can just keep it."
"Huh?"
"Everyone has heard about the Honorary Knight. As heroes who repelled the dragon and protected Mondstadt... anyone would feel honored to serve you, right?" The assistant's voice held sincere respect.
"...Thank you for the recognition, but that is enough. We didn't fight in order to receive anything." Lumine firmly refused.
"Lumine is right!" Paimon also nodded.
"But... hmm..." The shop assistant pondered for a moment and then suddenly looked up. "How about this? Could we ask Miss Jibril to help us with some promotion? A beautiful person like you would surely let more people know about our shop's designs."
"Mmm... I—"
Just as Jibril was about to decline, the sound of wind chimes came from the front and a girl wearing silver maid armor appeared.