"Hmph. Don't think I don't know what you're plotting. This is a no. And don't pretend I didn't notice—you secretly stuffed an outfit in there."
Keqing had noticed it earlier too. The moment she saw that qipao and the stage costume, she couldn't take it anymore. Those clothes were way too embarrassing, and as for the opera costume, she didn't want to try it on at all. She'd once gone with her father to watch Yun Sensei perform, and the impression had stuck with her ever since. She didn't want to ruin that image for herself.
Keqing shot Ryou a look, reached over, and gave him a sharp pinch at the waist. "Just this once, Ryou-san."
"Alright."
Since Keqing had already given a little, Ryou didn't push it further. He paid the Mora, then led her outside.
He glanced up at the sky. The sun was brutal—hot enough to make your skin prickle. Holding Keqing's hand, he was about to take her to buy something to drink when, after they'd only walked a short distance, he noticed Millelith soldiers escorting someone toward the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
The scene drew both his and Keqing's attention, but what caught Ryou's eye wasn't the arrest itself.
It was the fact that Lumine and Paimon were the ones who'd helped catch them.
That surprised him. With the Rite of Descension still a few days away, Liyue shouldn't be having any major trouble right now. Besides, he'd already looked over some of Keqing's paperwork and left notes—her duties weren't all construction-related, and some were urgent reports that needed her decision. One of them mentioned the Millelith spotting a suspicious group lurking around Mt. Tianheng. Ryou's suggestion had been to bring them to the Ministry of Civil Affairs and investigate thoroughly.
This was probably that.
"The Ministry of Civil Affairs must've run into something. I…" Keqing had already pieced together what was going on the moment she saw the Millelith—and then Lumine and Paimon. She turned as if to head back and handle it.
Ryou caught her hand and shook his head. "Keqing, I'm not trying to stop you from doing your job. But before that, I want to ask you a few questions. Answer them, and I'll let you go back."
"What questions?" Keqing looked at him, puzzled.
"You're one of the Liyue Qixing. You're a leader, right?" Ryou asked.
"I am." Keqing nodded.
"Do you think the people working at the Ministry of Civil Affairs are capable?" Ryou asked again.
"They're not weak. They can solve a lot of problems for me. And most of them were chosen by me personally—their ability and character are both excellent." Keqing trusted the Ministry's staff. She handed them plenty of work. She had to.
Hearing that, Ryou wrapped an arm around her and spoke softly. "Keqing, I know you want to handle everything yourself and do it perfectly. But have you ever thought about why you trained them in the first place? Like you just said—you trust them. If they can't stand on their own, isn't that a waste? And you brought them into the Ministry of Civil Affairs so they could help you handle things."
"I've wanted to talk you into this for a while. You're too busy. Even small things, you insist on doing yourself. I respect that—people respect that. But you're not alone anymore. You're my wife. I don't want you working yourself to the bone. I want you to be a true leader. Pick a few trusted aides and train them well, and they can take care of most of it."
Ryou brushed a hand lightly over her hair. "Trust me, alright? I don't want our child—when they're born—to be crying for their mother, only to find some servant showing up instead. I'm not saying this for myself. It's for the child too… so listen to me this time, okay?"
"I…" Keqing fell silent.
How could she not understand what he meant? She just couldn't relax about certain things. But that last part hit her hard—one day, she and Ryou would have a child. Was she really going to leave the child crying at home?
What Ryou said gave her a direction. A way to lighten the load, and to have more time for her family.
Of course…
That was assuming they actually had a child.
The thought put a soft, hopeful look on Keqing's face. She genuinely liked children. Whenever she saw kids laughing and playing, she couldn't help smiling along with them.
Once she'd sorted it out, Keqing looked at Ryou. "Thank you. I think I know what I should do now."
"We're married." Ryou smiled. "No need to be that polite. And if you really want to thank me… that opera costume would be a pretty good start…"
"That is not happening!" Keqing had been genuinely moved—he understood her, and he was thinking about her. But then he turned around and tried to talk her into wearing an opera costume.
Absolutely not.
[End of chapter]
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