Hearing Mei call out his name, the smile on Kaeya's face faltered for a fleeting second. But immediately after, the corners of his lips curved back up, weaving into a perfect, practiced smile.
"Oh? I am truly honored that such a beautiful lady knows my humble name."
Mei remained frozen in place, her pupils constricting in shock. Her mind went numb, unable to believe the scene unfolding before her. Her lips parted, stumbling over incoherent, fragmented words:
"How... how is it you?"
Kaeya tilted his head slightly, the eyepatch shifting with his expression as if he were digesting her nonsensical question.
"Me?"
Kaeya chuckled, the low, resonant sound echoing in the space between them. He stepped forward, closing the distance between them with every stride. The closer she stood to this man, the more Mei felt her chest tighten. An invisible, frigid frost began to ripple outward, enveloping the space and pricking at her skin.
"Relax, miss." Kaeya stopped at a distance just close enough to exert pressure, lazily pulling an official document from his pocket.
"I am merely acting under the orders of Acting Grandmaster Jean, here to investigate the 'strange' noises reported from Dawn Winery last night."
Kaeya flicked the paper lightly, deliberately revealing the glaring red seal and Jean's sharp, distinctive signature right before Mei's eyes.
However, Mei no longer had the mental capacity to look at the document. In her mind, the fragments of memories were frantically piecing themselves together.
"The Fatui attacked last night... and then Diluc appeared right on time..."
Her gaze drifted involuntarily from the document to the man's face. The character settings and plot points from the original game flashed through her mind. Mei understood clearly: Kaeya and Diluc were like water and fire in public, constantly bickering, but in the shadows, they were Mondstadt's most synchronized partners.
"He definitely knows everything that happened last night." Mei silently clenched her fists beneath her skirt.
Noticing that Mei had no reaction other than standing there helplessly, Kaeya calmly folded the document and tucked it back into his pocket. His remaining deep blue eye narrowed, silently scanning her from head to toe with a look of pure amusement. Mei frowned, her chest heaving under the suffocating atmosphere. This sense of oppression was no less intense than when she faced Diluc.
The discomfort evident on Mei's face did not make Kaeya retreat; on the contrary, his smile deepened when his eyes landed on the wounds hidden beneath her clothes. From the bleeding scratches visible whenever the wind brushed against her hem, to the thick white bandages wrapped around her shoulders and arms, and finally, the faint, lingering red mark on her slender neck.
Kaeya sighed softly, his face feigning a look of exaggerated pity. He reached out and gently rested a hand on Mei's uninjured shoulder, his voice laced with a tone of sympathy so performative it bordered on mockery:
"You must be having such a miserable time, miss. The Master of this winery only knows how to make Mora; he has no idea how to care for others."
He leaned down low, whispering close to her ear:
"Why not come with me to the Knights of Favonius headquarters? We have comfortable rooms and absolute protection for you there."
Mei shuddered. Even though Kaeya's hand was separated by a thick leather glove, she could still feel the cold, icy chill seeping from his palm into her skin.
"No need!"
Mei firmly shifted her shoulder, shrugging his hand off. In this strange, unfamiliar land, she knew all too well that stepping into the Knights of Favonius headquarters under the arrangement of this "old fox" was anything but a wise move. One wrong step, and she would be swallowed whole by the cruelty of that place. Mei bit her lip, a wave of unease rising in her heart.
Having been flatly rejected, Kaeya's smile faded slightly. He narrowed his eyes, coldly reassessing the small girl before him once more. But just as he was about to speak, a low, cold voice suddenly resonated from behind them both:
"She needs to rest. Stop using that silver tongue of yours to bother my guest, Kaeya."
Diluc approached, his tall frame cutting decisively between the two of them, standing as sturdy as a fortress wall that blocked Kaeya's view and shielded Mei behind him.
Yet, as she looked at that solid back, Mei felt not a shred of safety. On the contrary, the presence of these two great powers made the air around her feel completely drained. She tremblingly stepped back, then another, trying to widen the distance between herself and both men.
Kaeya spotted Mei's evasive action over Diluc's shoulder, a mocking smile tugging at his lips again:
"Why be so intense, Master Diluc? You're so tense... are you afraid I'll do something to your benefactor?"
"To the study." Diluc did not engage in the banter, delivering an ultimatum in a frigid tone.
With that, he glanced at Mei. His burning red eyes locked onto her, his lips parting as if to say something. But when he noticed Mei looking elsewhere to avoid his gaze, Diluc's black-gloved hand tightened involuntarily into a fist. Finally, he turned and walked away first.
Kaeya then recovered his usual relaxed demeanor. He raised a hand, waving a polite farewell to Mei:
"If you'll excuse me, beautiful lady."
Mei stood rooted to the spot, watching the backs of the two men gradually disappear into the golden sunlight. In her heart, wariness and fear still occupied every thought, but in some hidden corner, a strange emotion flickered to life. She had truly seen Diluc and Kaeya in the flesh, standing side by side in this world... It was just a pity that this meeting had to occur under such a precarious predicament.
Stepping into the study, Kaeya acted as naturally as if it were his own private quarters. He glanced at his brother's stoic face, the corners of his mouth curling into a teasing smirk. He strolled toward the bookshelf, his tone playful:
"Those wounds on that little girl... Haizz, Diluc. You bring someone else's daughter all the way here, the least you could do is take some responsibility, Master Diluc?"
"Shut your mouth, or I'll throw you out through the window."
Diluc cut him off coldly, his expression entirely unmoved. He turned his back to Kaeya, leaning against the large window frame. His gaze drifted toward the Cecilia garden below, where Mei's small figure still lingered, dazed amidst the pure white flowers. He tapped his fingertips rhythmically against the wooden frame and continued in a low voice:
"Did you find anything?"
Hearing Diluc's question, Kaeya shrugged lightly. He lazily shoved his hands into his pockets, pulled out a small, crumpled piece of paper, and casually tossed it onto his brother's desk. The Captain of the Knights of Favonius's lips curved into a cryptic arc:
"By the time I reached the scene, there were only a few Treasure Hoarders left, stealthily cleaning up the aftermath and preparing to retreat."
Diluc stepped toward the desk and picked up the paper. At a mere glance at the scribbled text, his brows furrowed tightly. The paper was covered in Snezhnayan ciphers, something he had become all too familiar with after years of raiding Fatui bases during his time in the land of snow.
"As expected, Dottore still hasn't given up." Diluc tightened his grip on the paper, his voice cold enough to chill the bone.
Kaeya crossed his arms, leaning lazily against the bookshelf opposite. He looked as if he were merely relaxing, but his words carried a sharp edge:
"Dvalin has been wreaking havoc everywhere lately, and Mondstadt city isn't peaceful either. It seems the Abyss Order has had a hand in this."
Hearing this, Diluc immediately understood his brother's underlying implication. He looked out through the glass window; the sky over Mondstadt was turning twilight, signaling that the night was about to descend.
"I'll keep an eye on it..." Diluc withdrew his gaze and asked in a flat tone, "Anything else?"
Kaeya tilted his head. He did not reply immediately but leisurely looked out the window, fixing his gaze on the exact spot Diluc had been watching earlier, remaining silent for a long moment.
"That's all for now."
The Captain began tapping his fingers rhythmically against his crossed arms. After a long while, he spoke slowly, his tone a mix of probing and seriousness. His deep blue eyes locked onto every expression on his brother's face:
"Are you truly willing to go up against a Fatui Harbinger for a girl of unknown origins, Diluc?"
Facing the question that cut straight into his interests, Diluc only stared down at the piece of paper in his hand. He carefully folded it and tucked it deep into an inner pocket of his coat. He knew Kaeya too well; his brother would never blurt out such serious thoughts without an underlying purpose. Diluc straightened his posture, his voice filled with pride and resolve:
"The Ragnvindr family has never had a tradition of biting the hand that feeds them, and we certainly aren't in the habit of standing idly by while our benefactor is in danger."
Seeing his brother's guarded answer, Kaeya could only let out a sigh. From the details he had observed regarding Mei's expressions and Diluc's attitude, he had already grasped the state of affairs for both of them.
Kaeya walked toward the study door. As his fingers touched the doorknob, he paused and glanced back, leaving behind a remark that was as sarcastic as it was a splash of cold water in Diluc's face:
"If that's the case, I advise you to drop that grim look, Master Diluc. You want to protect her, but that menacing expression of yours just makes the little lady think she's about to be thrown into a dungeon. If you keep this up, your benefactor will run for the hills out of sheer terror sooner or later."
Without waiting for Diluc to react, Kaeya turned the handle.
"That's enough talk. I have work to do, I'm off."
Seeing this, Diluc quickly strode toward his younger brother. Looking at the tall figure of the man approaching, Kaeya grinned, his tone laced with triumph:
"Oh, what a surprise. Do I have the honor of being personally escorted out by the Master himself today?"
Diluc huffed coldly, brushing past Kaeya without a second glance:
"You're overthinking it. I just wanted to offer you one piece of advice." Diluc said as he strode down the corridor leading toward the stairs.
"Hmm?" Kaeya arched an eyebrow in confusion, closed the study door, and quickly followed.
"The signature on that official document earlier was a bit too stiff." Diluc's low voice echoed through the empty hallway.
"If it were truly Jean's handwriting, it would have been much more delicate and decisive."
Kaeya paused for a beat, then suddenly burst into laughter. His hand instinctively reached into his pocket, where the forged document was hidden.
"To be personally corrected by you, Master Diluc—what an honor indeed."
At that moment, the last rays of the day pierced through the winery's large windows, casting lingering streaks of light across the wooden floor and the paintings on the walls, giving the space an unexpectedly cozy atmosphere. Kaeya walked, staring fixedly at his brother's sturdy back, his mind still fixated on Diluc's declaration from moments ago.
Suddenly, Kaeya's pace slowed. In a dark corner under the wall of the corridor, where light and shadow intertwined, something caught the dim light. The Captain's eyes narrowed, a flash of interest sparking in his gaze as if he had just uncovered a fascinating secret.
Kaeya's hand dipped into his trouser pocket, skillfully pulling out a Mora coin, his index finger applying a bit of force.
Clink.
The sound of the metal coin hitting the wooden floor rang out crisply in the quiet space. The Mora bounced once in the air before rolling perfectly to a stop right where the object was glinting in the shadows.
"Oops!" Kaeya exclaimed.
Hearing the call, Diluc paused for a beat, but he did not turn around, continuing to walk quickly as if he were far too accustomed to his brother's antics.
Behind him, Kaeya walked casually over to the coin. He knelt on one knee and channeled his elemental power. A cold mist condensed at his fingertips, quickly forming a thin, sharp blade of ice. With practiced ease, Kaeya used the ice blade to pry the object out of the floorboard gap, leaving no trace behind.
He picked it up along with the Mora coin, holding them in his palm to observe them in the dim light. It was a dull, grey brass casing a specialized cartridge typically used in the guns carried by Fatui skirmishers.
Kaeya's eyes darkened, but he made no further unnecessary movements. He silently tucked the bullet and the Mora back into his pocket.
"Hey, are you not really going to wait for me?"
Kaeya called out after Diluc's retreating figure, then quickly quickened his pace to catch up. The dim light eventually swallowed the silhouettes of both brothers, leaving the long corridor to slowly sink into a silent, impenetrable darkness.