After finishing her talk with her brother, Lumine linked to the Vortex Gate with her mind.
But when the Vortex Gate appeared over the Abyss and her brother saw the mysterious portal, he gave her a whole string of instructions.
Roughly: if she really likes Mr. Ken, getting married soon isn't a problem; even if they have a child, he can assign people to help take care of it.
Those words threw Lumine's heart into chaos.
She'd been getting along very well with Ken lately, and she did like being with him, but she hadn't thought of their relationship in complicated terms.
Even though she'd lived a long time, when it came to romance, Lumine was still in a maiden's hazy, ignorant stage.
But Aether's words made her realize her feelings for Ken were different, and she instantly lost her composure.
The key is… her brother is so unreliable. One second he's earnestly telling her to travel all seven nations and savor this mortal journey.
The next second he's talking about getting married.
He even brings up having kids, that kind of ridiculous talk.
In fact—
Aether wasn't talking nonsense. Much as he hated to admit it, he could see his sister's heart had begun to stir, though she hadn't realized it herself.
When he met Ken on Dragonspine, he hadn't sensed any elemental aura from him.
But the man could freely break through world barriers and travel between them. That alone showed he was unimaginably powerful, just hiding his strength.
If Lumine could end up with Ken, it would be a happy home for her, free from fear of worldly storms and wars; it would also be good for the Abyss.
Marry my sister, then help me deal with Celestia later… sounds perfectly reasonable, right?
…
Thinking of her brother's words now, Lumine's heart fluttered like a fawn.
"Touring the seven nations and experiencing the complexities of the mortal world is good for you too."
Ken said fairly.
Aether indeed acts rather unscrupulously, but his starting point isn't all bad.
"But why is your face so red? Are you sick?"
Seeing Lumine's cheeks as red as apples, Ken reached up and patted her head.
Temperature normal. Nothing wrong.
"I…" The sudden touch made Lumine's heart race. "I'm fine, maybe it's just too hot, so I feel a little stuffy."
"Liar! Traveler is obviously shy!" Paimon ruthlessly exposed her.
"Paimon, nonsense!" Lumine shouted. "I—when I get back I'll teach you a lesson. I—I've got something to do, I'm leaving."
Lumine felt more and more at a loss. If she kept staying here, she felt her face would catch fire.
"When are you leaving Mondstadt?"
Watching Lumine's flustered back, Ken asked.
"In about seven days…" Lumine, both shy and indignant, ran back into the Vortex Gate.
Looking at Lumine's retreating figure, Ken was a bit helpless.
Rushing in only to rush out. Sure enough, pure girls are so cute when they're smitten.
As for Aether's matchmaking… Ken accepted the sentiment. He'd decided: this brother-in-law was a keeper.
…
Night.
Ken brought his magic chest to the warehouse, loaded all the goods, then drove home.
Because he had an appointment with Barbara during the day, he didn't rest.
It wasn't until 11 p.m. that Barbara came over from Mondstadt.
"Phew…"
As soon as she entered the room, Barbara sat on the sofa, looking exhausted.
Her flat tummy rumbled, telling of her hunger and a busy day.
"Was it busy today?"
Ken sat beside her and thoughtfully massaged her.
Barbara's rosy lips parted as her eyes grew dewy. "Mm… very busy. Lots of people were injured in this avalanche. Are we… doing it here?"
"Eat first, then talk." Ken pulled Barbara to her feet.
"Mm?" Barbara's face flushed as she followed Ken outside. "We're not eating your cooking tonight?"
Ken grabbed the car keys. "Time to let you try a signature Blue Star cuisine."
Since unlocking the two-way portal, Ken seldom took girls out—mostly stayed in the villa doing things.
But Barbara looked worn out tonight, so he decided to let her unwind.
The pricey sports car roared down the road and finally stopped in front of a spicy restaurant.
For spice-loving Barbara, nothing suited her better than spicy.
"We're here?"
Barbara's eyes were dewy and shy as she quietly pulled Ken's hand from the hem of her skirt.
She really looked forward to tasting Blue Star's specialty foods.
Especially on a cool, fresh night like this, watching couples snuggle by on the street, that laid-back, sweet vibe—she loved it.
"Come on, this spicy place is good. You should like it."
Ken parked and took Barbara into the restaurant.
In the bustling Magic City, even at night the restaurant was crowded.
As soon as they entered, they drew many looks.
Someone even recognized Barbara's outfit.
"Huh? Is that girl cosplaying Barbara? She looks just like her."
"Bro, you play Genshin too? What a coincidence—add me and let's play!"
"White stockings on a cute girl are the cutest thing in the world!"
"Shame there's a guy next to such a pretty girl. Annoying."
"…"
Genshin had spread fast. Even people who didn't like that type of game had seen tons of Genshin clips on major video apps.
The moment they saw Barbara, some people recognized her.
Hearing the whispers around them, Barbara instinctively held Ken's hand.
A warm happiness rose in her heart.
If they were in Mondstadt, she wouldn't dare openly hold Ken's hand like this.
"Did today's rumors cause you any trouble?"
In a low-key, luxurious private room, Ken asked while Barbara was ordering.
"No…" Barbara pouted her pink lips slightly. "What troubles me isn't that, but one of my colleagues."
"Hm?" Ken was curious.
Barbara finished ordering, and after the server left, she said in distress, "There's a nun in our church named Rosaria. She's a very unconventional sister."
Ken: "…"
The familiar name made Ken fall silent.
If it were another sister, he might teach Barbara some ways to get along.
But when it came to the independent Rosaria, Ken had no great plan.
Rosaria's a four-star in the game, but very popular—those fishnet stockings really stir people's enthusiasm.
Also a Cryo user, unlike Liyue's overtime demon, Rosaria doesn't love the church or work—and absolutely refuses overtime.
"She's always solitary and eccentric, often disappearing without a word for days. She doesn't attend church ceremonies, doesn't show up for prayers, and barely believes in the Anemo Archon."
"I really worry about her state, and I want her to fit into the church family, but I can't find the right way."
Barbara had been trying to get close to her lately, hoping she'd integrate.
Obviously, to no avail.
Today was the church's busiest day in half a year, but Rosaria was nowhere to be seen—she mysteriously vanished again.
Compared to the fatigue of treating the wounded, Barbara was more troubled about dealing with Rosaria.
"Some people may look like they don't believe in gods, but their ideals might be closest to the divine."
Thinking of Venti, Ken felt Rosaria's lax attitude was quite similar.
Usually carefree and not doing proper work, but when things truly happen, she'll give her strength to protect the city.
"Huh? Ken, do you know Sister Rosaria's secret?"
"Oh… I'm such an idiot. You can use Great Prophecy, you must know… so what does Sister Rosaria do when she disappears?"
Barbara suddenly realized and shook Ken's arm.
Ken patted her head. "Don't think about it. Let things run their course. Do your job well and keep happy."
"Hmph… Then I'll go back and check Rosaria's data pack myself." Barbara puffed her cheeks, feeling silly.
She could just learn about Sister Rosaria from the info packs on Ken's computer.
Why struggle to negotiate with her?
After all, Sister Rosaria doesn't like listening to her.
Ken sighed. "Looks like my Barbara is really kind. You've tried hard so your colleague won't be isolated."
"Bad guy, don't tease me…" Barbara blushed.
…
Before long, the dishes arrived.
Barbara was already hungry, and when the food hit the table, her appetite soared.
"Barbara's gonna dig in!"
After a quick prayer with hands together, she scooped a big spoonful of mapo tofu into her mouth.
The tender, silky tofu with minced meat and chilies burst with spicy freshness. Barbara savored it carefully, but her eyes showed a hint of disappointment.
"It's tasty, but it's very different from what you make."
Having eaten Ken's cooking, other people's dishes weren't tasteless, but they no longer surprised her.
"Of course." He had top-tier cooking skills—naturally his food was great. Seeing Barbara's regret, Ken pinched her cheek. "I'll cook noodles for you when we get back."
Maybe the chilies got to her—Barbara let out a flushed little hum.
Though the food wasn't ideal, hungry Barbara still ate a lot, just didn't rate it highly.
On the way back, though, the mango pudding from a dessert shop hit the spot for Barbara.
She usually didn't eat sweets, but this time she ate two cups and patted her tummy with a burp.
Back home, Ken let Barbara experience another pleasure. Although Barbara could cleanse herself with Hydro, this felt new to her.
Night deepened and the moon hung high.
The night breeze at the window carried a touch of chill.
…
Barbara dried her hair, lay by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazed at the bright crescent outside, and unconsciously clenched her white robe.
"Ken… I have to get up early for work tomorrow morning."
Her voice was soft and syrupy.
"I know." Ken said, tying her hair back into twintails and taking out the takeout pudding. "Have a midnight snack, then rest."
Compared to the mango pudding Barbara just ate, this one was grape-flavored. Bright grapes atop the pudding were appetizing.
Barbara eyed the two puddings, lips trembling with desire.
Sadly, her tummy was full. Too many sweets get cloying, so she watched Ken slowly savor his pudding and quietly turned to drink hot milk instead.
"Much better than the Good Hunter's milk."
Barbara sighed sincerely.
Blue Star's milk, processed specially, wasn't as gamey as expected. She liked drinking a little before bed; it improved her sleep.
"If you like it, come by more often. Maybe you'll even grow taller." Ken patted her head from above.
"Mm…" Barbara looked up at Ken, a little shy with a trace of regret. "Too bad I ate too much supper, can't drink much milk now."
She loved being with Ken, even just eating pudding and drinking milk.
Times like this felt intoxicating.
But as the church's deaconess, she couldn't stay long on Blue Star—only drop by every so often.
"It's fine. This much is enough for a good sleep. Also… I'm taking Klee out near Starfell Lake tomorrow. If you can spare the time, come along."
In a couple of days he'd be fully invested in forging a signature weapon. Even with the system cheat, it'd take at least four or five days.
Which meant he wouldn't see his daughter for days, so he decided to take little Klee out for fun beforehand.
"Mm… I'll be busy tomorrow. You and Klee have fun. Be careful—and don't mess up my hair."
Barbara whispered.
…
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