Whether it was due to his acute senses or just a mere illusion, Dottore noticed that his subordinates had been looking at him rather strangely lately. Specifically, whenever he appeared, they would act like thieves, hastily hiding something in their arms, accompanied by the rustling of paper and shifty eyes filled with guilt.
This wasn't entirely unusual. After all, no subordinate would feel at ease being caught slacking off by their superior.
But that wasn't all. Dottore was certain that the way they looked at him had changed from before. It was bizarre and unsettling, a feeling he couldn't quite put into words.
The sensation was particularly strong when he passed by some female Fatui members. Their gazes were filled with anger, as if they were looking at... a scumbag?
Dottore's brows furrowed beneath his mask. He had no idea what had happened. Lately, he had been holed up in his laboratory, leaving the mundane affairs to his subordinates.
He didn't pause as he walked past his silent subordinates. He had more important matters to attend to. The Coordinator had summoned all the Harbingers for a work report, and he had to be present. These issues could wait until after the meeting.
Aside from the First Seat Captain, who had gone to Natlan, the Sixth Seat vacancy, the death of the Eighth Seat Lady, and the absence of the Tenth Seat, everyone else was present.
Tartaglia, who had traveled all the way from Liyue, stood listlessly at the end of the conference table, his eyes half-closed as he openly dozed off. It had nothing to do with him anyway. After this meeting, he was determined to rest in Liyue for a few days. It was freezing here, and Liyue was much more pleasant in comparison.
Columbina glanced at the cold Dottore beside her, a look of disdain flashing in her eyes. She then cast a curious glance at the lazy Childe, secretly eyeing his backside.
Did it really not hurt after being... well, you know?
Unfortunately, the drowsy Childe was completely unaware of anything amiss. He nodded off, his consciousness muddled, yawning as he opened his bleary eyes for a moment before closing them again.
His moist blue eyes, when open, carried a pitiful look. As they swept past Dottore, Columbina's face changed, her eyes widening. Could this be what the book described as being bullied to the point of tears?
She had never paid much attention to the last seat before, but now that she looked, he was quite a sight. What a shame for Dottore. With this thought, she cast an obscure glance at Dottore.
Dottore: ?
Heaven and earth could testify, if Childe knew that a mere yawn could lead to such wild imaginations, he would be wide awake, and the book's description wouldn't hold true.
The servant's gaze flitted between Childe and Dottore. In her view, these two had no interaction whatsoever, much less the kind of relationship depicted in that book.
She didn't know much about Childe's past, but the events described in the book, such as the Gnosis, matched up.
Although the book didn't explicitly state who the Geo Archon was, it mentioned that after Childe arrived, he saw Rosalyne obtain the Gnosis.
Judging by this, the author of the book was very familiar with their affairs. So the servant thought, perhaps it was possible that these two had a history, otherwise why would Childe avoid the Doctor?
He looked as if he couldn't be bothered to speak to him.
More than the protagonists in the book, the servant was curious about the author, who dared to write about the second seat, the craziest of the Harbingers... She was quite impressed.
The meeting concluded, and Childe muttered that it was finally over. He didn't even open his eyes as he tried to leave, but the wealthy man beside him smiled and stopped him. "Childe, I have something to discuss with you."
Childe's sleepiness vanished instantly, and he quickly opened his eyes. "Haha... What is it? I have urgent matters to attend to in Liyue... Can't it wait until next time?"
The wealthy man chuckled softly, firmly dragging him to his territory and getting straight to the point. "Where did all the Mora go?"
Childe: "..."
"Let me explain—"
After watching the two leave, the Doctor stopped Columbina, asking why she had looked at him that way earlier.
Columbina smirked and said, "Have you been cooped up in your lab so long that you've gone dumb, not listening to the outside world?"
"You've become famous across the seven nations."
A cold aura emanated from Dottore, and Columbina, finding it uninteresting, pulled out a book and tossed it onto him. The Doctor caught it, stunned by the cover illustration, momentarily frozen in place.
On the cover were two very familiar figures. Even though it was a flat illustration, it was easy to recognize who they were.
Him and Childe.
What froze Dottore was the image on the cover, depicting him in a forceful, possessive pose, encircling Childe's waist. The orange-haired youth wore a look of defiance, the two of them locked in a confrontation, bloodstains almost covering them both.
Dottore: "..." What is this?
Columbina, satisfied with his expression, hummed an ethereal tune as she walked away.
The vast conference room was left with only the Doctor.
After a long while, he flipped through the book.
The more he read, the colder his aura became, until finally, it was filled with a terrifying, suppressed rage.
"Snap!"
The book closed.
He finally understood why his subordinates had been acting so strangely lately. Dottore cast a dangerous glance at the author's name on the book, A Jiu.
A Jiu, is it? Very well.
He committed the name to memory, then looked at the publisher's name on the spine, Yae Publishing House. Under the mask, his red eyes brewed a storm, waiting to unleash it upon capturing the culprit.
Dottore stepped out of the conference room, and behind the door, ice shards pierced through the book's center, shattering it on the ground. Countless tiny ice arrows tore the book to pieces.
He would make this A Jiu understand the consequences of spreading baseless rumors.
Meanwhile, Childe finally escaped the clutches of the wealthy man and returned to Liyue Harbor. He scratched his soft hair, muttering, "Pantalone is so stingy. This little Mora is nothing to him, yet he interrogated me for so long."
"But luckily, I was prepared and managed to fool him."
It was a necessary means to maintain good relations with the Geo Archon. What was wrong with spending his money on Zhongli? Childe didn't see anything wrong with it. It was a measure to foster good relations between the two nations, wasn't it?
Besides, he knew that the wealthy man used to be a little fanboy of the Geo Archon. Hmph, what a closet fan.
Ah, the air in Liyue was so refreshing.
Childe sighed contentedly. It wasn't too hot or too cold, unlike the extreme weather in Snezhnaya. It was a perfect place to live, and he didn't want to leave.
He stretched lazily in the sunlight and walked into Liyue Harbor.
The two Fatui members who came to greet him wore strange expressions, following him silently.
"Has anything happened in Liyue recently?"
After a moment's hesitation, one of the two behind him spoke up, "…Yes, Childe."
"Oh?" Childe's interest was piqued. "Tell me about it."
His striking hair and the Fatui members from the Northland Bank following him quickly caught the attention of passersby. They recognized Childe in an instant, their eyes widening as they whispered among themselves, occasionally casting excited glances at Tartaglia.
He had only been gone a few months, hadn't he? Did they not recognize him anymore?
Or was there something on his face?
Childe couldn't help but touch his face, just as the person behind him said, "Recently, a new type of novel has replaced the usual martial arts novels, and it's had a huge impact..."
"Oh, a novel, huh? You've piqued my curiosity... Wait a minute, do I have something on my face? Or is there something inappropriate about my attire? Why are they looking at me so strangely?"
Childe stopped in his tracks, turning to ask the two behind him, puzzled.
They looked at you because... The two female Fatui members couldn't resist buying that novel and had read it. Now, looking at their young superior, they couldn't help but recall those indescribable words. Their faces flushed, and they quickly glanced at the young man's fair face and obedient demeanor, lowering their heads as they replied:
"Childe, there's nothing on your face, and your attire is perfectly neat."
"That's strange." Tartaglia scratched his chin, his blue eyes flashing with confusion. Surely, they weren't just stunned by his good looks.
The two Fatui members exchanged a glance.
"During my absence, did Mr. Zhongli send any bills to you?"
He was more concerned about Zhongli than the novel.
"No."
"Huh?" His blue eyes showed surprise.
"Half a month after you left Liyue, no bills were sent."
"Did something happen?"
It was clear that in Tartaglia's mind, Zhongli not sending bills to the Northland Bank was a very unusual occurrence.
"No, the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor consultant's life continues as usual."
The Fatui girl to his right said, "Half a month after you left, he brought a young boy back. That boy somehow made money and covered all the expenses of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor."
Childe was surprised to hear this. A child, with such capability? He knew Zhongli's expenses weren't something an ordinary person could handle. Hearing this, Tartaglia was eager to meet the boy Zhongli had brought back.
Gratitude was one thing, but wasn't this a bit too far-fetched?
As Childe pondered, he couldn't resist approaching a girl. From the moment he disembarked to the streets of Liyue, nearly everyone's gaze was glued to him. Some even smiled strangely, glancing at his waist and backside. One or two people doing this was one thing, but when everyone did it, there was definitely something fishy.
He put on a gentle smile, suppressing his Harbinger aura, and approached a girl like a friendly older brother, asking, "Excuse me, beautiful lady, why is everyone looking at me like this?"
"I mean no offense, I'm just curious."
The girl was momentarily flustered but, remembering they were in Liyue Harbor and surrounded by the Millelith, she felt safe. She steadied herself and, unable to resist the charm of the young man's beauty, asked, "Are you Tartaglia?"
Childe was puzzled. "Yes."
"Then you must be the Fatui Harbinger, Childe!"
Childe was stunned. When had his identity been exposed? Even a young girl knew his carefully hidden identity. He remembered not telling anyone except the Traveler and Zhongli.
The Liyue Qixing knew, but how did the common people know now?!
He suddenly became serious. "Miss, how do you know these things?"
The girl became excited. "So it's true! Do you also know the second seat, the Doctor?"
Childe: ?
Her train of thought was so erratic that Childe couldn't keep up. What was the connection between these two things?
The girl, having confirmed the truth, exclaimed, "Big dog, don't fall for him! He's been deceiving you from the start! Such a pervert isn't worth being your savior. He's a scumbag! Look at the other Harbingers around you, like the gentle rich man—so handsome and wealthy. You should be with him!"
Childe's pupils shook. "Huh??"
What was this girl talking about? He could understand each word, but together they were so profound.