Lisa held Ryen tightly, her voice soft:
"Words like that… I don't ever want to hear them a second time."
Ryen shrugged and replied quietly:
"In any case, no matter what happens, we can advance or retreat freely. Don't forget, we still have another world to rely on."
"No matter how great the crisis, at worst, we can hide in my world. There's even a saying from my world to describe it…"
"'Retreat into a small tower and rule as one, heedless of spring, summer, autumn, or winter.'"
Lisa couldn't help but stifle a laugh.
"How utterly selfish. But… with you as my lover, it really does make me feel secure."
"So… I ought to seize the time to reward you once more!"
Lisa straightened up, gracefully tying her hair before slipping downward.
"And one more thing…"
Lisa cast Ryen a playful glance.
"All of these techniques, I only learned from books—I don't have much real experience. If I hurt you, you'd better hold it in and not cry out."
Ryen chuckled, patting his chest.
"Relax—your man's built of steel and iron!"
"That's true, I can clearly feel it myself."
Lisa teased with a laugh, but soon enough, she had no leisure to continue speaking.
Ryen glanced at his now-empty hands, feeling oddly unaccustomed. Clicking his tongue, he sat up again and grasped the universe within his palms. Only then did he feel steady once more.
Lisa secretly rolled her eyes.
As much as she loved how devoted Ryen was to her…
Did he really have to be this impatient, every single moment?
…
It wasn't until around nine in the morning that the two of them called the drowsy Jean and returned to the courtyard.
Jean hadn't heard much noise the previous night—but she had suffered nightmares all evening.
She dreamt of Naga's ferocious face, appearing again and again before her eyes.
Yet, at some point later in the dream, each time Naga appeared, Ryen would instantly show up, embrace her, and deal with the monster.
Gradually, her nightmare turned almost… sweet.
But when she saw Ryen walking out of Lisa's room in the morning with his arm around her, Jean was genuinely taken aback.
In her heart, she even felt a faint trace of displeasure.
Still, Jean showed nothing.
She only quietly offered Lisa a word of blessing.
No matter what, Lisa being with Ryen was a good thing.
At the very least, it tied Mondstadt even closer to him.
Lisa, however, was sharp-minded and noticed Jean's subtle unease.
She secretly found it amusing.
She had no possessiveness—so long as she could always stay by Ryen's side, she didn't care who else he sought.
If it were Jean, Lisa would even clap her hands in approval.
After all, Ningguang, Ganyu, and Hu Tao in Liyue were already with Ryen.
Lisa felt Mondstadt ought to have a few more as well!
After all, Ryen would never refuse. A top predator like him would never find having more women to be troublesome.
When they returned to the courtyard, Ningguang and the others were already back.
Seeing Ryen and Lisa walking in affectionately, everyone rolled their eyes in unison.
They had expected this day to come, but not quite so soon.
Still, Ningguang said nothing. After all, she already held a higher position; there was no need to be jealous of Lisa.
Everyone tacitly chose not to bring up the subject.
Ryen walked over to Lumine's side and, with mischievous delight, ruffled her head. Her long, silky golden hair was quickly mussed into a bird's nest.
Only then, feeling satisfied, did Ryen hand the book back to her.
Meeting her annoyed gaze, Ryen said softly:
"This book touches upon secrets far too great—about Celestia and the Abyss. On your travels, you should try to find the other volumes."
Hearing this, Lumine immediately perked up, curiosity flashing in her eyes.
"How do you know that?"
"As long as one isn't a fool, after learning about Celestia, they'd understand."
Ryen teased, then clasped his hands behind his back and strolled off at leisure.
He still had time—so first, he ought to go comfort Ganyu and the others.
After all, he had just brought them a new "sister." He needed to consider Ganyu's feelings, at least a little.
He was not like Venti, a scummy god who forgot old loves the moment he found new ones.
Ryen's way was simple: love both the old and the new together.
Lumine puffed her cheeks and shook her little fist at his departing figure, then once more flipped through the book.
This time, she truly connected some dots.
But before she could delve into it further, Ryen opened the Twin Portal and called everyone to hurry along.
After a moment of silence, Lumine tucked away The Pale Princess and the Six Pygmies for now.
Celestia still slept, and she wasn't in a rush to find Aether. She could read the book anytime.
Besides, as Ryen said, this book was incomplete. Looking at it now, she probably wouldn't glean much anyway.
The group gathered themselves, one by one stepping into the Twin Portal.
This time, they were heading into the Twilight Forest—
to seek out the druid mage.
To reclaim the staff that rightfully belonged to them!
~~----------------------
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