The Millelith escorted Kael all the way to the Jade Chamber.
He'd half expected to be dragged straight into a prison cell, so stepping foot in the Jade Chamber instead caught him completely off guard.
Noticing his surprise, the captain walking beside him explained, "Lady Ningguang said that since you're from Wanmin Restaurant, you're a guest of the Jade Chamber unless proven guilty."
"If this is all a misunderstanding, you may choose any treasure in the Jade Chamber to take with you when you leave."
So that was it. This treatment was thanks to Wanmin Restaurant's reputation.
The moment they entered the Jade Chamber, Kael felt the pressure of wealth hit him like a wave.
The interior was lavish beyond words.
Everything was decorated with extreme care and luxury. Priceless treasures were displayed casually, as if they were mere table ornaments.
Following the Millelith deeper inside, Kael finally understood what "extravagance" truly meant.
The captain stopped at a door and knocked respectfully.
"Lady Ningguang, we've brought him."
A gentle voice answered from inside.
"Come in."
The door opened, and Kael stepped in—his breath catching for a moment.
A stunning woman with long white hair sat in the center of the room. Her beauty was so striking that even the opulent decorations around her seemed to fade, serving only to highlight her elegance even more.
It was a breathtaking sight.
Kael had seen Ningguang in the Life Simulation.
But here, inside this room, her beauty felt magnified several times over—as if the setting itself was built to crown her.
Wealth and beauty were two things men were naturally drawn to.
Seeing both together so vividly was enough to shake anyone.
Kael's mind blanked for a split second.
But when Ningguang's red eyes lifted toward him with quiet curiosity, he forced himself back to reality.
He followed the Millelith fully inside.
The moment Ningguang saw him, the stabbing pain in her chest eased—significantly.
Why?
Confusion swirled in her gaze.
Had she been poisoned by something unusual?
A poison only this man could counteract?
Was that why the moment she saw him, the pain began to fade?
And…
Ningguang lifted her eyes, studying him carefully.
Why did she feel the joy of reuniting with someone precious…?
A line from a painting someone once gifted her surfaced in her memory.
If fate allows us to meet again, affection only grows deeper.
She lowered her gaze, silently savoring the meaning.
She couldn't deny it.
The moment she saw him, her heart filled with genuine affection.
A feeling she had never experienced.
Ningguang had never been in love, but she had long understood human nature. She thought romance was simply another form of worldly attachment.
Until today.
Until she saw this man.
Just looking at him made her feel so happy she wanted to cry…
As if her life suddenly had no regrets left.
"Lady Ningguang?"
The Millelith captain looked puzzled when she remained silent with her head lowered.
"…Yes."
Ningguang forced herself to return to reality. "You can leave us."
"Yes, ma'am."
The captain saluted and exited.
Now only Ningguang and Kael remained.
Even though her mind was in turmoil, Ningguang's face remained composed out of sheer habit.
Because she appeared so calm—so much colder than the emotionally vulnerable Ningguang from the Life Simulation—Kael couldn't see that his simulated romance with her was bleeding into her real-world feelings.
He was simply confused.
If she wasn't emotionally influenced, why bring him here?
Did he actually commit a crime somehow?
Kael tried to think back.
That didn't make sense. He'd only been in Liyue for two days.
Day one: he spent the whole time tending to Chef Mao.
Day two: he cooked a banquet for Ningguang.
Could something have gone wrong with the dishes?
While he pondered, Ningguang finally spoke.
"Mr. Kael, you're an outsider?"
Kael snapped back to attention. "Yes. I come from another world, though I lived in Mondstadt for a while."
Ningguang offered a flawless smile—her standard negotiation expression.
"Oh? Mondstadt? Yet you cook Liyue cuisine remarkably well."
"Liyue dishes are very similar to the food from my original world, so I learned them naturally."
"I see."
Kael understood now.
She was testing him—questioning why he was so proficient in Liyue cooking.
So something was definitely wrong with the banquet.
He decided to ask directly. "Lady Ningguang, may I know why you summoned me to the Jade Chamber?"
Ningguang lowered her gaze again.
She couldn't be sure her sudden heart pain had anything to do with him.
And she would never expose her vulnerability.
She could not let Kael know how important he had already become to her.
If so… there was only one option.
"Mr. Kael, I suspect you may harbor ill intent toward Liyue. However, because of Wanmin Restaurant, I do not wish to condemn them unjustly. So before I make any judgments, would you be willing to stay in the Jade Chamber for a time to clear your name?"
Kael stared at her.
…What????
If someone was suspected of plotting against Liyue, shouldn't they be thrown in a cell?
Why was he being invited to stay in the Jade Chamber?
If this was standard procedure, then the Fatui should just check in here like a luxury hotel whenever they visited Liyue.
Ningguang noticed his dazed expression, and embarrassment flickered inside her.
She knew how contradictory her words sounded.
But it was the only method she had.
Right now, she couldn't leave him—whether or not she was poisoned.
She needed to understand where her pain and these inexplicable feelings were coming from.
And the easiest way was to keep him close.
Ningguang believed that with her intelligence, she would find the answer quickly.
Of course, there was another option.
She could lock Kael in a prison cell.
But that idea made her deeply uncomfortable.
Every instinct inside her screamed against it.
Some quiet voice in her heart said…
A kind man like Kael should never be treated that way.
Ningguang cleared her throat. "Mr. Kael, do you agree?"
"…Alright."