Eula's beautiful eyes trembled.
A shimmer of emotion—almost tears—flickered at the corners.
In that moment, she accepted Lin Mo completely.
Lowering her head slightly, she murmured softly,
"If… if you're with me, you'll be ostracized by the people of Mondstadt too…"
"Why should I care what Mondstadt thinks?"
Lin Mo replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"I didn't come to Mondstadt to win their favor. I came here for you."
Eula found herself at a loss for words.
Romance—she truly wasn't good at it.
All she could do was slowly lift the stone plate of pork chops she was holding and offer it to him.
"They're… they taste good. Have some… together?"
The slight tremor in her voice laid bare her shyness.
"Alright, let's eat together."
Lin Mo smiled and nodded.
He knew—her heart had already opened to him.
…
In the days that followed, the two of them lived in a tent.
During the day, Lin Mo went out hunting.
Eula stayed behind, waiting obediently inside the tent like a devoted sentinel, watching for his return.
For the first time, she experienced what it felt like to have someone she could rely on.
After they returned to Mondstadt, Lin Mo never let her down.
Once, on the city's commercial street, Eula stood before a stall, her eyes burning with anger.
"I'm not buying your newly arrived tent!"
"This one hasn't sold in half a year—what's wrong with selling it to me?!"
Eula rarely lost her temper, but this time she truly couldn't hold it back.
Shopping in Mondstadt had always been difficult for her.
At best, she could usually buy unsold goods without trouble.
Yet now, even the unsold items were being refused.
The stall owner's attitude was resolute.
"Sorry. I'd rather let this tent rot in storage than sell it to a Lawrence's daughter."
"You—!"
Eula was furious, yet helpless.
At that moment, Lin Mo stepped forward and slammed his palm onto the stall.
Bang!
Ten coins, each worth a hundred Mora, lay neatly on the counter.
"What—what do you think you're doing?!"
The stall owner recoiled, alarmed.
"I know you're Eula's boyfriend, but you're also a Knight of Favonius! Are you trying to disrupt public order?!"
"How am I disrupting anything?"
Lin Mo sneered.
"I want that newly arrived tent. One thousand Mora—right here."
As he spoke, he casually picked up the tent himself.
"You—! I won't sell it!"
"Won't sell?" Lin Mo shrugged.
"Too bad. I'm buying it by force. If you've got the guts, go complain to Acting Grand Master Jean."
With that, he gave the man no chance to argue further.
One hand holding the tent, the other clasping Eula's, he strode away.
"Damn it! That thug!"
The stall owner could only rage helplessly.
"He's even worse than the Lawrence clan!"
"Lin Mo… Jean will scold you for this, won't she?"
Eula asked worriedly.
"Will she?" Lin Mo replied casually.
"I didn't underpay him. Relax—it's not a serious offense. She'll probably just lecture me a bit."
Eula said nothing.
But her heart overflowed with sweetness.
So this…
This was what it felt like to be cherished, to be protected.
In just two short years, Lin Mo became Mondstadt's most notorious street bully.
And yet, he only ever committed minor offenses—nothing too serious—and was rarely punished.
Threatening merchants, forcing purchases—that sort of thing.
There were even times when someone spoke too harshly about Eula, and Lin Mo beat them up on the spot.
Because of that, he spent a few days in confinement.
But he showed no remorse—if anything, he grew worse.
As a result, the merchants' attitudes toward Eula changed completely.
Everyone knew it now:
If the Lawrence girl was upset, a certain thug would come knocking.
So whenever Eula walked down the commercial street, the merchants—once cold and distant—now eagerly invited her to shop, terrified of offending her.
Gradually, Eula began to enjoy living under Lin Mo's indulgent care.
In Mondstadt, all her daily needs were met.
There was no longer any need to survive alone in the wilderness.
Even so, the two of them often returned to the foot of Dragonspine to bathe together.
After all, that was where they had first met.
Every time, Lin Mo would shiver uncontrollably from the cold.
Eula would gently pull him into her arms, sharing her warmth with him.
"You know," she teased softly,
"You should come soak with me more often. That's how you'll grow stronger."
…
Time passed.
Before they knew it, the day of their wedding arrived.
On their wedding night, beneath warm blankets,
Eula's cheeks flushed, her eyes glistening as she gazed at Lin Mo.
"Will you love me… for all your life?"
"I, Lin Mo," he said solemnly,
"swear in the name of the Anemo Archon, Barbatos—
that I will love my wife, Eula, for my entire life, and never betray her."
…
In the windy lands, atop a treetop—
"Achoo!"
Barbatos sneezed.
"Strange… why did I sneeze?"
"Gods aren't supposed to catch colds, are they…?"
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T/N:
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