At the large plaza.
Having finished her breakfast, Fischl felt a little thirsty.
Nearby, someone was hawking drinks. They claimed it was a long-shelf-life canned Peach product developed by scholars from the Sumeru Akademiya—clean and sanitary.
Fischl hesitated but saw many people buying it, and curiosity got the better of her. She went over and purchased one herself.
It was a bit pricey—50 Mora for a small can!
Fortunately, the Emperor and Empress had given her another allowance yesterday, so she could afford to splurge during the Windblume Festival.
Fischl opened the can and took a bite.
Inside were sliced Peaches soaked in syrup. The texture was crisp, but the sweetness… overwhelming.
She honestly didn't like overly sugary things.
After all, she wasn't some impoverished child who rarely got to taste sweets.
Oz didn't like it either.
Still, not wanting to waste the Mora, she forced herself to finish the entire can.
Afterward, she frowned and tossed it into a nearby trash bin.
Oz looked at her. "My lady, are you alright?"
Fischl quickly regained her usual expression and waved dismissively. "The Prinzessin der Verurteilung is well."
She sat on a bench and resumed scanning the crowd in the plaza, hoping to spot the young man in sunglasses.
But a few minutes later, Fischl frowned again.
Her stomach wasn't feeling too good.
She tried to endure it.
But the discomfort only worsened over time, until it became unbearable.
Eventually, she had no choice but to clutch her stomach and rush to the bathroom.
The Prinzessin der Verurteilung… shall never again consume Sumeru's canned fruit!
Not long after Fischl left the plaza...
Xia Zhi and the others exited the Favonius Cathedral.
They went to a nice spot for breakfast, then visited the Favonius Library to read.
Ying'er and Cloud Retainer took a vial of purplish-pink "Breaths of Joy" to Sucrose at the alchemy lab for joint research.
By 10 a.m., Klee arrived at the library to find Yaoyao and Xia Lin to play together.
The three little girls huddled close, speaking in hushed tones.
"Look, Klee brought you a bunch of new toys!"
"Wow, where did you buy them?"
"I didn't buy them. Mommy gave them to me."
"Klee's mommy? She's back?"
"No, she's still traveling. She bought these from different places and had Big Sis Dori bring them back for me."
"Ohh."
"Pick whichever you like. Klee will give it to you."
"Thanks, Klee!"
Yaoyao looked at the toys on the floor and curiously asked, "What's your mommy like, Klee?"
Klee immediately answered, "Mommy's the best mommy ever!"
Xia Lin suddenly said, "My daddy's the best daddy!"
Klee insisted, "My mommy is better!"
Xia Lin wouldn't budge either. "My daddy is better!"
The two girls glared at each other.
Yaoyao quickly intervened, "Okay, you two stop fighting. This is a library—you'll disturb the others."
Klee turned to her and asked, "Yaoyao, who do you think is better?"
Yaoyao froze. "Huh?"
Klee asked again, "Between Klee's mommy and Xia Lin's daddy, who do you think is better?"
That's easy—it's obviously Big Brother who's the very best.
But clever as she was, Yaoyao didn't say that out loud. Instead, after a moment's thought, she said, "I think my master is the best."
Klee pouted. "Yaoyao, that's not fair…"
Yaoyao replied seriously, "I haven't met Klee's mommy before, so I can't really compare."
Klee mumbled, "When Mommy comes back, I'll make sure you see. She's the best mom in the whole world."
Xia Lin turned to look toward the distant bookshelf where Xia Zhi was standing, silent and thoughtful.
—
Upstairs in the Favonius Library, in the alchemy lab.
Lisa was frowning deeply, seemingly pondering a difficult problem.
She had pulled another all-nighter last night.
But unlike the previous sleepless night, she wasn't tired at all—her energy levels were excellent.
Her desk was covered with seasonings and ingredients.. along with various odd-looking alchemical instruments.
And a cup of instant noodles with its lid peeled back.
Lisa was attempting to replicate this intriguing new food that had caught her interest.
She wasn't a professional chef, but she was an exceptional scholar.
And scholars excel at research—they believe everything in the world can be studied.
Back when she was studying in Sumeru, Lisa had even heard a radical theory claiming that even gods could be understood and recreated through research…
Of course, Lisa didn't buy into such extremist views.
She had no interest—nor ability—in researching deities. But reproducing a mere cup of instant noodles? That was well within reach for a once-in-two-centuries genius like her.
As long as she could figure out all the parameters: the precise proportions of seasonings, the moisture and chewiness of the dough, the frying temperature and time… Even without culinary skill, she should be able to perfectly replicate the flavor.
Or so she thought.
But after an entire night of research, something felt off.
She had recreated several batches of instant noodles already.
Although they were getting close in taste—tasty, even—they still lacked that indescribable "something" that made the original unforgettable.
More importantly, eating the replicas didn't trigger that oddly euphoric feeling the original had given her.
She took samples from her third batch and examined them closely. Eventually, she discovered that a certain compound in the dried mushrooms was affecting mood.
But after searching through every mushroom in Teyvat's compendium, she found no match for this strange, creamy-sweet species.
Lisa furrowed her brows and muttered, "Could it be a mutated strain he cultivated himself? But even mutated species retain some traits from their original variety. This mushroom's structure is so unfamiliar—it's almost as if it came from another world… If only it weren't dried…"
Her research had hit a wall.
Without a fresh sample, she couldn't continue.
After some thought, Lisa stood up and headed out.
If she lacked a sample, then she'd just go find one.
Surely Principal Xia wouldn't mind lending her a few books in exchange.
----
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