With Lumine leading the way, the group entered Mondstadt without a hitch.
Paimon was conveniently sent off by Lumine under the excuse of "introducing a distant friend to Mondstadt's customs."
C.C., meanwhile, guided Seele and Kurumi around the Windblume Festival with the "emergency food" in tow.
That left only a boy and a girl walking side by side in silence, blending into the cheerful festival crowd.
The free wind carried the scent of dandelions.
Mondstadt's streets bloomed with vibrant flowers—a parade of poetry and blossoms.
The boy, wearing a gentle smile, tucked a freshly picked Cecilia flower into the golden strands of the girl's hair.
Then, without hesitation, he naturally took her soft, pale hand in his.
The girl lowered her head, her bangs falling forward to hide her expression, making her look shy.
But she made no move to pull away, quietly matching his steps.
Together, they looked oddly like a couple in the middle of a modern Western wedding ceremony.
Those watching nearby—who had been keeping a discreet eye on them—reacted with surprise, curiosity, and even a hint of teasing amusement.
After all, the Windblume Festival symbolized freedom and love.
On this day, people usually offered flowers to someone they cherished or loved deeply.
And the pure white Cecilia flower represented true, innocent love.
But the key detail that left the onlookers whispering was this—
The adorable girl who accepted the flower wasn't just anyone; she was none other than Mondstadt's famed Honorary Knight!
'Pft—what are you staring at for?!'
[What's wrong with giving myself flowers, huh? My feelings are pure and genuine! There's nothing wrong with that!
Nagami clearly read those thoughts from Lumine, yet he didn't react much.
Honestly, he was puzzled by it himself.
Whether it was him, the "Doctor" variant, or even Lumine's counterpart, every version of "himself" seemed to share the same attitude toward "themselves."
It was just like how he could so casually do certain special things with C.C. without any mental burden at all.
Among his counterparts, there was never any room for restraint when dealing with "himself."
By comparison, even though true and heiress Kiana shared a special kind of understanding with him, they still held back when it came to how they viewed "themselves."
Could this be… one of the defining traits of [Nagami?
As he pondered that thought, Lumine's perfectly synchronized footsteps with his suddenly faltered for just a moment.
Nagami turned his head—and saw Lumine frozen mid-step, leaning back slightly in shock, her expression hilariously dumbfounded.
———————————————————————
[Lumine]: Y-you mean… I actually did something like that with you?!
———————————————————————
Even for a traveler who had crossed countless worlds and witnessed endless civilizations, the revelation made her suck in a sharp breath.
Her scalp tingled.
The idea of self-on-self was honestly terrifying! Even she…
Nagami smirked at her thoughts, his lips curving with amusement.
He deliberately recalled those twin-body experiences—the kind of sensations no ordinary carbon-based lifeform could ever hope to imagine.
———————————————————————
[Nagami]: Don't even pretend you wouldn't try if you were in that situation.
We're both the same person. Do you really think you can hide that flicker of curiosity and excitement in your heart from me?
———————————————————————
Though it was their first time meeting, Nagami had no reservations as he gently squeezed Lumine's delicate hand.
Between counterparts, even simple physical contact could synchronize their senses to the fullest.
It was himself holding his own hand—but holding Lumine's wasn't the same as holding C.C.'s.
Through her, Nagami could feel a faint trace of shyness, tinged with a subtle thrill of novelty and forbidden excitement.
———————————————————————
[Lumine]: Tch—stop, stop, stop! Don't bring up that feeling again! I admit it, fine! I really… c-couldn't refuse…
———————————————————————
The sudden rush of that sensation made a blush spread across Lumine's cheeks.
She immediately raised the white flag.
It was absurd, yes—but rationally speaking, no matter who it happened to, wouldn't anyone at least try it once?
Her flustered embarrassment didn't last long.
Lumine rubbed her face with both hands, then flashed a smile so mischievous it veered into perverted goofball territory.
———————————————————————
[Nagami]: Heh. As expected of you—you're as sly as ever.
———————————————————————
Nagami hadn't been holding her hand just to take advantage of her.
That was only incidental.
What he really wanted was to read her deepest thoughts—peeling back the goofy, innocent facade to reveal her true, cunning nature.
Lumine may have lost her powers, but she hadn't lost her memories. After all those countless years, it was rare for someone to remain as "pure" as Fu Hua.
To Nagami, the reason the Immortal Red Kite was outplayed by Otto was obvious: her fifty-thousand-year lifespan was mostly wasted in sleep.
She only woke during Kiana's era alongside Nuwa and Fuxi.
Most of her memories were burned away by Fenghuang Down, and combined with her personality, she hardly seemed like a true immortal—just a little overly mature at best.
If those fifty thousand years had all been spent awake, with every memory intact, then even a pig could have become enlightened under the blessing of Honkai energy.
The Red Kite Immortal's mind, it seemed, was as stubborn as her chest.
Despite the endless flow of time, she had hardly advanced at all.
Lumine, on the other hand, was entirely different.
Her long years were not diluted or false.
Compared to her and Aether, even Zhongli could rightfully call himself a child.
Under the seal of an unfamiliar god's power, Lumine had chosen the safest way to protect herself and blend in with the intelligent life of the local civilization—by playing the part of a clueless, silly-looking girl.
After all…
What bad intentions could a ditzy pretty girl possibly have?
Nobody would ever see such a girl as a threat.
Long before Nagami had even shared information about Teyvat in the chat group, Lumine had already noticed something suspicious about little Paimon.
Her outfit and aura were strikingly similar to that so-called "Sustainer of Heavenly Principles."
Coupled with hints from beyond the world itself, the anomaly was clear enough for even Nagami to notice.
How could Lumine possibly overlook it?
And "even Nagami" wasn't meant to insult his intelligence—it was simply a matter of experience.
When she first encountered Paimon, Lumine accepted her as a travel companion for more than one reason.
Paimon was essentially an external voice box—extremely convenient.
With her chattering away, Lumine could gather information while keeping silent herself.
Not only that, but whenever a direct answer might be inappropriate, Lumine could subtly guide Paimon into saying it for her.
Of course, after all their countless adventures together, Lumine now genuinely regarded Paimon as her emergency food.
Though she still had no idea what Paimon really was, she was certain about one thing: Paimon herself was harmless.
…That is, unless some hidden personality suddenly hijacked her and stabbed Lumine in the back one day.
All of this was the wisdom born of a long-lived being.
The "ditz" was just a mask Lumine deliberately wore to confuse others. But the "shamelessness"? Oh, that was very real.
You can't expect any immortal, after enduring eons of time, to cling to their original dignity.
Take the Geo Archon, for example.
In a mere few thousand years he had gone from the diligent God of Contracts, ruling over Liyue with precision… to an old man who wouldn't even spare half a mora at dinner.
If that didn't prove that "principles" eroded with time, nothing would.
By theory alone, a traveler with thousands upon thousands of years of real, unbroken experience should be practically impossible to "romance."
'Please. What storms haven't I weathered?'
The true and the false, the tender and the cruel—I've seen enough to write tomes that could burst the hard drives you use for "study material."
The number of gallant heroes and brave champions she had met along the way could line up from Mondstadt to Liyue, and from Liyue to Inazuma.
No matter how outstanding mortals might be, to her they were nothing more than fleetingly beautiful scenery along the journey.
Love? That was another matter entirely.
Take Nagami, for example—rescuing pure-hearted Seele from the Quantum Sea.
Seele's counterpart, Veliona, who had almost no real-life experience, was immediately overflowing with affection, ready to max out her "affection bar."
But if the same situation had happened to Lumine? The outcome would be utterly different.
For her to truly develop feelings of love… it would take hundreds, if not thousands, of desperate, life-risking sacrifices.
Anything less was laughable.
That was the reality of it.
———————————————————————
[Nagami]: The mighty eternal virgin, huh?
[Lumine]: (▼皿▼＃)
———————————————————————
Sensing Nagami's cheeky thought, Lumine smiled at him with the flawless innocence of an angel.
And while keeping that sweet, radiant smile… she lifted her hand and showed him a "friendly gesture" fit for a bio-android.
But that still wasn't enough.
In the very next instant, she stomped down hard with her right foot, the taut muscles of her long legs surging with power as she brought it down squarely on Nagami's left foot.
It wasn't just a stomp—it carried the full force of her Starfell Sword!
"Yowwwwwch!! That hurts!!"
A bolt of sharp pain shot up from his left foot, and Lumine let out a Tom-and-Jerry-like scream, as if she had been the one smashed with a hammer instead.
Her body instinctively jerked upward, wanting to hop in pain—but since her right foot was still planted on Nagami's, her balance collapsed.
She began to topple forward in an utterly clumsy pose.
Losing her balance, she squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the painful impact with the ground.
Clearly, she still wasn't used to how counterparts could share five senses when in close proximity.
But instead of pain, she was met with a firm, steady pressure—like falling into a warm embrace.
At the same time…
Her own soft body was pressed into something equally solid, her senses filled with a faint, intoxicating fragrance.
And in her hand… something sweet, something cotton-soft, like a stream of warm water flowing through her nerves.
Lumine instantly knew what had happened.
Nagami's arm was wrapped securely around her shoulders, while his other hand supported the crook of her knees.
He had caught her—carrying her in a princess hold.
Expressionless, Lumine lowered her gaze to the hand currently supporting her.
She wasn't angry.
She wasn't even shy. Just… mildly intrigued.
———————————————————————
Daily Uploads!
Unlock bonus chapters by reaching specific milestones with [Power Stone] votes!
Go to p-atreon.com/InsomniaTL to access more than 50 advanced chapters.