Lucian shook his head. Although he remembered the general location, the actual area in reality was quite large, making it difficult to explore entirely in a single day.
"I see," Navia said softly.
There was no trace of disappointment in her tone. She smiled and continued,
"Then let's call it a day for today. Come on, let's go get something delicious to eat. Would you like to try the macarons I made?"
Hearing this, Lucian's eyes flashed with anticipation, and he nodded without hesitation. "Absolutely."
Putting everything else aside, Navia's macarons were truly delicious—in Lucian's mind, they were on par with Xiangling's cooking, even better than those sold in some shops in Fontaine.
After Navia changed her clothes, the two set off by boat, chatting and laughing all the way back to Lucian's home.
By now, Lucian's home had essentially become Navia's second home.
Here, there were no members of the Spina di Rosula—just a small haven where she could truly be herself. For Navia, this place was far more relaxing.
The two sat down to eat and chat. On the table, aside from Navia's signature macarons, there were also some simple stir-fried dishes Lucian had prepared.
After all, no matter how delicious desserts were, they couldn't replace a proper meal.
After dinner, Navia noticed the manuscript of Lucian's new book on the table. She was brimming with curiosity about it.
The last time she had visited Lucian, the book hadn't been finished yet. She wondered if it was complete now.
Navia asked curiously, "This one—Love and Teyvat—is it finished? Can I read it?"
"Of course," Lucian mumbled through a mouthful of macaron.
He had already finished writing Venti's story quest but hadn't yet sent it to The Steambird.
The scene froze in this moment: Lucian sat comfortably, savoring the macarons Navia had made for him and sipping freshly brewed black tea.
Meanwhile, Navia sat beside him, reading the novel while drinking her tea, paying no mind to ladylike decorum.
She leaned back slightly against the sofa. If Lucian hadn't been eating, she might have even propped her feet up on his lap—that would've been even cozier.
The first story Navia read was "Ballad of the Breeze: Act I - If You're Trapped in a Windless Land."
[Lumine and Paimon observed the little girl from a distance. She seemed to be happily chatting with a friend who wasn't really there.
The girl's behavior reminded them of their own childhoods, when they, too, had spent countless joyful moments with "imaginary friends."
"I used to play with an [imaginary friend] too," Lumine said softly, her gaze fixed on the girl as if seeing her past self.
"Huh? Was it a hallucination? Or was there really an invisible friend playing with you?" Paimon asked, utterly missing the sentiment.
Perhaps because she had always been with the Traveler, Paimon had never had an imaginary friend—she shared everything with Lumine instead.
"Do you still remember what your [imaginary friend] looked like?" Paimon asked.
[Lumine shook her head. "I can't see them anymore."
When had the imaginary friend disappeared? When she grew up? But when had she grown up? She couldn't remember anymore.
Then, one day in the past, she had suddenly become an adult. Things that once seemed fun now felt childish, and the fantasies that once filled her mind no longer appeared.
"So... [imaginary friends] vanish when you grow up?"
"Yes," Lumine replied quietly.]
Reading this, Navia couldn't help but recall her own childhood.
Her mother had passed away early, and her father had been too busy with work to spend much time with her—until he, too, left before she had fully grown up.
She knew, of course, that her parents had loved her, so Navia bore no resentment.
But because of her status, everyone around her treated her with excessive deference, leaving her with few true friends as she grew up.
Perhaps only Clorinde could really be called a friend.
With so few companions, Navia had imbued her dolls with imagined personalities.
They became her "friends," keeping her company as she played. Maybe these were her own imaginary friends?
Looking back now, not only had her relationship with Clorinde grown strained as she matured, but she hadn't so much as glanced at her childhood dolls in years.
She didn't even know where they were stored anymore.
At this thought, Navia's gaze drifted to Lucian. So much had changed since meeting him.
They had become close friends who could talk about anything, and he had even helped mend her strained relationship with Clorinde.
Now, he was even assisting her in finding evidence to clear her father's name.
Lucian... I wonder, in your heart, am I your [partner]?
Navia adored the idea of being partners—after all, her parents had not only been spouses but also partners.
"Lucian," she couldn't help but call out softly.
Lucian, who had been voraciously devouring the treats, looked up at her, crumbs still clinging to his lips, his expression blank.
"You want some?" He held out a macaron to Navia.
"Pfft—slow down. No one's fighting you for them."
Lucian nodded and continued eating, though his pace did slow somewhat as he began chewing more carefully.
Navia's eyes sparkled with amusement. She loved how Lucian never put on airs around her—his genuine, unfiltered self, put her completely at ease.
Once he finished eating, Navia handed him a napkin, then hid her face behind the book as if casually continuing to read.
"Lucian... do you think of us as partners?"
Navia wasn't the type to keep her feelings bottled up.
Lucian didn't pay her behavior any mind—this wasn't the first time. The closer their friendship grew, the more at ease Navia became around him.
He pondered her question, recalling how when he first arrived in Fontaine, he had neither fame nor influence. Yet, Navia had trusted him unconditionally from the start.
When his new book was released, Navia had bought countless copies on the first day to show her support and even threw a party to celebrate.
When he mentioned wanting to challenge a Hilichurl camp, Navia had made time to accompany him, worried something might happen.
And when he was too lazy to cook, Navia would even prepare meals for him.
Wasn't partnership about mutual support and assistance? In that case, they were undoubtedly partners.
"Of course we are," Lucian affirmed with a nod.
Navia kept her face hidden behind the book, but her heart swelled with joy.
Unbeknownst to her, the happy wiggle of her toes betrayed her emotions.
Fortunately, Lucian didn't notice—he was too busy proofreading the newly written Amber story quest for typos.
Navia peeked at him but didn't feel disheartened when she saw him engrossed in reading. Instead, she returned to the book in her hands.
===✧✦✧===
Character Voiceline · Lucian: More About Lucian - II
"Thanks for grinding my friendship level. Since you've put in the effort, I'll share some of my preferences with you.
For example, I really love it when others treat me to meals, cook for me, or take care of me when I'm old—cough wait, no, scratch that last one."