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Chapter 39: Barbara's Cooking Skills
"Who are you?"
Barbara blinked in surprise as she saw a man casually walk out of the guest room.
There was a strange man in her sister's house.
Who is he?
Why is he here?
She had never seen him before. Could he beā¦ her sister's boyfriend?
After all, Jean wasn't the type to bring a man home without a good reason.
ButāJean in love?!
Barbara had never heard anything about that!
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she scrutinized the man before her.
Aiden smiled warmly. "Hello, I'm Aiden, an advisor to Liyue Qixing's Tianquan, Lady Ningguang. I've come to Mondstadt as an envoy, and Captain Jean was kind enough to offer me a place to stay."
His tone was calm, and his expression was as refreshing as a spring breeze.
For a brief moment, Barbara was dazed.
That smileā¦
It was warm, familiarālike the smile of Lord Barbatos himself!
She quickly shook off the thought and composed herself.
"So, you're a distinguished guest from Liyue. Welcome to the City of Freedom! May the Anemo Archon bless your journey."
Well, the Anemo Archon had certainly blessed him. He even held the Gnosis in his handsā¦
Barbara quickly changed the topic. "You're up early! Have you had breakfast yet? Would you like me to prepare something for you?"
As Jean's younger sister, Barbara naturally wanted to help entertain their guest.
"I was planning to eat out, actually," Aiden replied with a gentle smile. "Miss Barbara, would you care to join me?"
Barbara hesitated. "Lately, Mondstadt has been packed with people. The restaurants are overcrowded, and if you want to eat now, you'll probably have to wait at least an hour. Why don't I just cook something for you?"
Aiden paused. That's a good point.
Mondstadt had been busier than ever lately. If this continued, would the city eventually face a food shortage?
Jean must be having a hard time dealing with all this.
"Then I'll have to trouble you," he said with a nod. He was also quite curious to see Barbara's cooking skillsāespecially how she would react once she discovered Wendy's true identity.
Barbara beamed. "Leave it to me!"
Humming a tune, she disappeared into the kitchen, already preparing breakfast.
As Aiden listened to her sing, he couldn't help but admire her voice.
Barbara truly is Mondstadt's number-one idol.
If he had the chance, he would love to teach her some songs from his past life. She would definitely outshine those so-called "stars" who relied on autotune.
Before long, Barbara returned with a tray in her hands.
"Sorry, my cooking skills aren't the best. I hope you don't mind," she said sheepishly.
Aiden took the plate and examined the dish.
Spicy vegetable braised pork.
Waitā¦
Is this Barbara's idea of a breakfast dish?
Are all Mondstadters this hardcore?!
Despite his initial surprise, he took a spoonful of the soup and sipped it.
His eyes lit up.
"It's delicious! The spice is just enough to awaken the appetite. I really like it," he said, genuinely impressed.
Barbara let out a relieved sigh. "I'm so glad you like it! I was worried it wouldn't suit your taste."
"It's excellent," Aiden reassured her. "Barbara, you're an amazing cook. You'll make a great wife and mother one day."
Barbara's face turned red. "W-Well, I'm a deaconess!" she quickly corrected him.
Her devotion was to the Anemo Archon. She intended to serve Barbatos for the rest of her life.
Aiden chuckled. "Being a priestess doesn't mean you have to become a nun."
He leaned forward slightly. "Besides, doesn't your Archon value freedom above all else?"
Barbara hesitated.
"If the Church of Favonius forbids deaconesses from marrying, wouldn't Lord Barbatos be unhappy about that? Wouldn't that go against the very freedom he cherishes?"
"Thisā¦"
Barbara was caught off guard.
She had never thought about it that way.
In Mondstadt, freedom was a gift from Barbatos himself. If rules and restrictions clashed with that principle, then which should take priority?
The Church of Favonius was meant to uphold the will of the Anemo Archon. But if they were imposing limitations that contradicted the spirit of freedom, were they really acting in his name?
Then why does this still feelā¦ odd?
She frowned slightly.
Aiden smirked as he watched the conflict in her eyes.
Sure enough, only freedom can challenge freedom.
As they ate, Aiden glanced at Barbara thoughtfully.
Mondstadt was known for its unwavering devotion to freedom. But if that concept was misinterpreted or abused, it could lead to chaos.
Even Jean, for all her virtues, was too soft-hearted as a leader.
As the Acting Grand Master, she should have been focusing on Mondstadt's defense and governanceābut instead, she spent time running errands for civilians.
Was she trying to appear approachable?
Or did the Knights of Favonius truly have so little to do?
If Diluc had been Acting Grand Master instead, things would be different.
If someone had asked him to find their missing cat, he wouldn't have bothered.
In fact, he might have even arrested themāon suspicion of being a spy trying to infiltrate Mondstadt!
Jean is a great knightā¦ but as a ruler, she's not quite ready yet.
Aiden finished his meal and leaned back. "Sometimes, even freedom needs structure. And the same goes for laws."
Barbara blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Freedom isn't inherently good or badāit depends on how it's used," Aiden explained. "If people twist its meaning, it can bring harm instead of prosperity."
Barbara frowned. "That's not possible! Freedom is what makes Mondstadt great!"
Aiden smiled. "Let me give you an example."
"Imagine a group of people who, in the name of freedom, start protesting because they feel trapped in Mondstadt."
Barbara nodded slowly. "That's their rightā¦"
"Of course," Aiden agreed. "But what if, in their frustration, they start looting and destroying property? What if they burn down homes and businesses?"
Barbara's breath hitched.
"Would you still call that true freedom?" Aiden asked.
She fell silent.
That scenario sounded unrealistic, butā¦
She had seen firsthand how some people in Mondstadt misused their freedom.
Barbara stared at her empty plate, deep in thought.
Could freedomā¦ really be dangerous?
She didn't have an answer.
But for the first time, she started to question.
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