[Transcendent Chat Group]
[Lumine]: Ohoho, it's here, it's HERE! The long-awaited not-so-serious segment!! Everybody get hyped!!
[Paimon]: HYPE!!
[Keqing]: Traveler… so this is what you're looking forward to now? (covers face)
[Lumine]: Hmph. I've been drenched in shame already—none of you get to stay dry under an umbrella.
[Amber]: But seriously, what "unserious stuff" could Jean and Barbara possibly have? They're so proper…
[Yae Miko]: That's what you don't understand. Ever heard of contrast? The more serious someone appears on the surface, the more secrets they tend to hide. And vice versa.
Neuvillette silently nodded.
After all—his own "boss," Furina, was exactly that type.
Loud on the outside.
Hiding a lot inside.
[Nahida]: Really? For example…?
[Yae Miko]: For example, I have a certain friend—who once broke into tears because she couldn't read her novel while eating dessert at the same time. Poor thing~
[Paimon]: No way!? That's real??
[Yae Miko]: Ufufu~ Wait until her turn to be reviewed. You'll see.
Immediately, many people in chat froze.
Yae Miko's "friend."
Narukami Shrine's Guuji.
Pink fox.
So that "friend"…
Could it be—
The Raiden Shogun?
A god crying over not being able to multitask dessert and novels?
Hiss—
They probably learned something they shouldn't have…
At the Grand Narukami Shrine, Ei's eye twitched.
"Yae Miko…"
How did a dignified Guuji become this mischievous?
Since when was a kitsune allowed to be this disrespectful?!
She raised a hand.
A clap of thunder roared through the sky.
BOOM!!
A lightning bolt struck straight toward the pink silhouette below.
Yae dodged—barely—
but the ends of her fur were charred.
"Ara… my fur…"
"Ei is still just as sensitive to teasing as always."
She looked at her tail in mild distress.
In the Villa
Arthur spoke again:
"As everyone knows, every person has a small secret hidden inside."
"Even someone as proper and reliable as Jean isn't immune."
"Outside of studying history and handling work, Jean has another great love—romance novels."
"For example, 'The Melancholy of Miss Vira.'"
"Jean yearns for mutual affection, delicate and fragile emotions… the kind described in those stories."
"She has always had a private dream—to visit 'Cape Oath' at dawn, like the lovers in her books."
"But because she's always so busy, she can only daydream by her window under starlight."
"Though now… perhaps she might get her chance."
[Transcendent Chat Group]
[Lumine]: Oho?! Yae Miko was right??
[Alice]: Hehehe. Who would think the brave, dependable Acting Grand Master is actually a purehearted girl longing for romance?
[Klee]: Wow! Jean's secret~
[Amber]: I did NOT see that coming.
[Varka]: Perfectly normal. Jean is only eighteen—still very much a young lady.
[Barbara]: Sister works so hard… It's time we found her a brother-in-law!
[Ayaka]: As expected of a real sister.
[Lumine]: Hehe, personally I think the guy in the light-screen isn't bad~ He understands Jean better than anyone!
[Venti]: Heheh~ sounds good! I'll bring the wine for the wedding!
[Paimon]: Same! Paimon and Lumine will sit at the kids' table!
Knights of Favonius HQ
"Th—this is the 'unserious part'…?!"
Jean froze completely.
She truly hadn't expected this.
Or rather—
she never imagined her private romantic hobby would be exposed to ALL OF TEYVAT.
Only Lisa had ever known that she read those books…
Now EVERYONE did.
"How will I maintain authority after this…?"
Even at a time like this, Jean's first thought was her work.
Truly, a workaholic to the core.
Lisa chuckled.
"Jean, forget work for a second and look at the chat."
"Everyone—including Barbara—is already discussing suitable partners for you."
Jean glanced over—
Then immediately blushed, cheeks warming like sunset.
"I—I…"
It was hard to picture stern, commanding Jean showing such a flustered girlish expression.
But she was still eighteen.
Still a young woman with a soft heart.
Back in the Villa
Arthur continued with a smile.
"Alright. After the purehearted-little-maiden side, we move to the second 'unserious' point."
"There's a popular Mondstadt joke."
He cleared his throat.
'Jean's chest—Mondstadt's breeze!'
'Jean's hips—the Knights' soul!'
'Jean's legs—the waters of Starfell Lake!'
"Of course, this is just harmless teasing—nothing more."
For a moment, every chatter in the group fell silent.
Good heavens.
Among all unserious segments so far—
this one was the MOST unhinged.
This was basically commenting on the body of a nation's acting ruler.
A little too bold.
Chat quickly pretended nothing happened.
Mondstadt Outskirts
"What kind of nonsense is that?!"
"Is the guy in the light-screen an L-S-P or what?!"
Lumine almost choked.
How could he be this shameless?!
Paimon, however, saw it differently.
"It just means Jean has a great figure!"
"…Are you jealous maybe?"
Paimon munch-munched, staring with teasing eyes.
"I—I'm not!"
"And my figure is perfectly fine!"
Lumine straightened her chest proudly.
To be fair, compared to Hu Tao or Furina, Lumine did have more curves.
But against Jean's…
yeah, she had no hopes.
Paimon sniffed.
"Sure, sure. You're older than Jean by who-knows-how-many years and still lost. Must hurt."
That did it.
Lumine snatched Paimon's food away.
"Hmph!"
"If Jean is so great, go ask her for snacks!"
Seeing her food stolen, Paimon immediately abandoned her pride and clung to Lumine's leg.
"Lumine I'm sorry—!!"
"Honorary Knight! Paimon won't tease you again!"
"Please give it back!"
"Go find your precious Jean!"
"Luminegggg…"
Knights of Favonius HQ
Lisa repeated the joke with interest:
"Jean's chest—Mondstadt's breeze…"
"Jean's hips—the Knights' soul…"
"Jean's legs—Starfell Lake's water…"
She glanced at Jean thoughtfully.
Huh?
Now that she thought about it…
She really had never paid attention before.
Maybe because she's also a woman?
Jean was bright red, practically steaming.
Feeling Lisa's eyes, she covered her face.
"Lisa!"
Lisa laughed behind her hand.
The normally stern Acting Grand Master, now a blushing maiden—it was rare and precious indeed.
All thanks to the mysterious streamer.
Lisa looked toward the light-screen.
Then teased:
"Heh. Seems this mysterious man knows quite a lot about our Jean."
"Lumine's proposal earlier wasn't bad."
"How about marrying Jean off to him?"
"Mondstadt can be the dowry."
"LISA!!"
Jean nearly exploded.
Her entire face turned crimson.
Lisa paused for a moment—
Then her eyes widened.
Wait.
Jean… wasn't denying it?
It was possible—
The mysterious existence was powerful.
He looked decent.
He understood Jean better than anyone.
And Jean herself was a purehearted romantic…
Lisa suddenly spoke with "realization":
"Ahh… so you're worried you can't move to his world, right?"
"With the light-screen's powers, that's a matter of time."
"So relax."
"LISA!!!"
Jean lunged.
The office erupted in laughter and playful chaos.
Even the serious Acting Grand Master could not hide her girlish heart.
To read advanced Chapters, head over to p@treon:
patreon.com/nani_kaito