"Boss, time to get up."
"Mmm~"
Dressing.
"Boss, towel's ready."
"Got it~"
Washing up.
"Boss, breakfast's ready. Come—ah~"
Slurp.
Longevity noodles.
In the blink of an eye, the entire breakfast was gone.
After being pampered like a noble lord all morning, Taro felt every bone in his body go soft.
He basked in the mild sunlight, his complexion bright and refreshed.
Indeed—only a mature woman truly knows how to care for someone.
After such a morning, even his bones felt lighter.
Life, as it turned out, wasn't so bad.
Well… not for everyone.
Beside him, Yingda puffed out her cheeks like a pouting pufferfish.
He had to admit—angry, she looked rather cute.
"Sensei, you tricked me!"
"When did I ever?"
"You're playing favorites! Totally biased!"
"Alright, alright, my fault."
There was no point reasoning with women—especially jealous ones.
Logic simply didn't apply.
When Yingda's complaints finally ran out, Taro naturally reached over and rubbed her head, gently, almost instinctively.
She clung to him, satisfied.
And he let her—used to it by now.
"Sensei, I want it too…" Yingda tugged at his sleeve, voice soft and pleading.
"I want to drink the ceremonial wine too. I want the feast of eight flavors. I want a wedding night with red candles."
"You promised—you can't go back on it!"
This morning, Huoliya had been all smug, talking in circles, boasting endlessly.
Every word dripped with triumph.
Just listening to that string of "festivities" nearly made Yingda overheat with envy.
Damn it!
Why hadn't she thought of it first?
Her "first" had been stolen—by that fox-footed Huoliya!
It stung. She had been the first one here!
How could she let Huoliya steal the spotlight?
Unacceptable. She had to make up for it.
"I'll make it up to you," Taro said with a faint smile, half-lidded eyes still lazy from rest.
"Next time, I'll give you your turn. Fair?"
After all, you're the one who started the night raids, he thought wryly.
And look at Huoliya—so well prepared. That was how it was done.
A bit different from his original expectations, sure, but understandable.
After all, Teyvat wasn't Earth. Customs varied.
"Mm-hmm~"
Having received his promise, Yingda beamed, leaning her head contentedly on his shoulder.
A ceremony could wait.
For now, she'd gotten the real prize—his attention.
She could stay by his side, while Huoliya couldn't.
Victory was hers!
Still… big sister Huoliya had guts, she'd give her that.
No more hesitation—she couldn't fall behind again.
If she did, who knew which woman would cut in next?
No, time couldn't be wasted.
"Yingda," a teasing voice cut in. "Clinging to the boss like that isn't very proper."
Huoliya emerged from the room, dressed in a gleaming silver-white outfit, claiming the other side of Taro's arm with a sly smile.
"As his secretary, shouldn't you be busy gathering intel?"
"Hmph~ of course!"
Yingda puffed her chest proudly.
She hadn't slept a wink last night, after all—she'd spent the entire night compiling information while trying not to listen too closely to… certain suspicious sounds.
She was ready.
"Sensei," she announced. "You asked me to investigate—here's what I found."
"Let's hear it."
Taro's tone was calm, but approving.
"The newcomer's main goal is to meet the Geo Lord," Yingda began. "She hopes to learn news of her cousin from him. To reach the Geo Lord, she accepted a Qixing commission related to the Chasm. She's planning to meet Ningguang at Yujing Terrace around noon today."
Taro nodded. "Not bad. Effective work."
"Excellent~"
He tilted his head. "What about the Fatui Harbinger—the Eleventh Seat?"
Yingda's eyes glimmered. "Mr. Taro, that would be Childe. He's currently preparing to board a ship back to Snezhnaya. Departure in about… half an hour."
"…What?"
Even Taro blinked at that.
"Childe's returning to Snezhnaya? Today?"
Wait. That wasn't supposed to happen.
Zhongli was still planning to use him to muddy Liyue's waters, and now—
Hold on.
Something was off.
He rubbed his temple, face twisting with realization.
Everything had gone sideways.
All of it.
And the worst part? He was probably the cause.
First he resurrected Guizhong, then Wind Dragon Durin went berserk in Snezhnaya.
A few unexpected casualties later…
And now Childe had been recalled.
It seemed Snezhnaya had abandoned its Liyue operations entirely.
Without an explicit stance from his own "temple," they'd chosen retreat.
But what about Zhongli's deal with the Tsaritsa?
He sighed. "Forget it. If I can't figure it out, I won't bother."
Snezhnaya's mess wasn't his problem.
As long as they didn't get in his way, they could burn their whole empire for all he cared.
Headaches were for Zhongli, not him.
"Yingda," he asked, shifting the topic, "that fox from last night—how's she doing now?"
Yae Miko had come, but Raiden Ei hadn't. Clearly, something was wrong on the Inazuma side.
External interference could be ruled out.
That left only internal reasons.
The puppet general.
The so-called eternal guardian.
Teyvat's own version of an AI gone rogue.
"The fox?" Yingda replied smoothly. "She's staying at the embassy beneath Tenshukaku as a temporary envoy. No strange movements so far. But she seems intent on contacting Ganyu. Probably easy to tame."
Good. Reliable data—Fanan had passed it to her himself.
"Not bad," Taro said, reaching out to ruffle her hair again. "You've done well."
"Hehe~"
Yingda grinned, then her eyes sparkled with mischief.
"Sensei, since I worked so hard… isn't there a reward for me?"
She wanted praise. Affection. A token—anything.
Taro tapped his chin. "How about a little red flower?"
He smirked. "Only the very best performers get one."
"A red flower?"
That was something teachers gave to students, wasn't it?
But—
"If it's from you, I love it!" she declared quickly, nodding so fast her ponytail bounced.
Better to agree before he changed his mind.
The reward itself didn't matter.
It was the sentiment that counted.
(End of Chapter)
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