In the end, Yuna stayed with Lumine.
Not in some random inn, of course, but in the Serenitea Pot Lumine had obtained from Madame Ping.
Lumine had only recently acquired the Serenitea Pot and hadn't had much time to decorate it, leaving the interior sparsely furnished.
This was Yuna's first time entering such a magical place. The way day and night cycled here, mirroring the outside world perfectly, was simply incredible!
"Wow, it's so much bigger than I imagined! I thought it would be tiny, but this... this is practically another dimension! Lumine, we could turn this area into an outdoor barbecue pit, put a rocking chair over there, and plant flowers and herbs over here!"
Yuna darted around the Serenitea Pot, excitedly planning renovations for Lumine.
Lumine nodded occasionally, approving Yuna's suggestions.
"Yuna, we'll make a room for you here too," Lumine said. "You can come stay anytime you want."
Paimon chimed in, "Yeah, yeah! This place is so big, sometimes Lumine and I get scared!"
Lumine quickly clarified, "I'm not scared! It's Paimon who's afraid—she won't even go to the bathroom alone at night!"
Paimon waved her tiny arms defensively:
"Hmph! Paimon's not scared! Paimon can go to the bathroom alone! Paimon just calls for Lumine because she wants Lumine to go too!"
Yuna giggled—Paimon's flustered explanations were utterly adorable!
"Alright, then! Since I'll have my own room, how about I help you both with the renovations?"
"Hehe, yay!"
-
Since rescuing Rosalyne from the Raiden Shogun's clutches, Angie and Rosalyne had immediately left Inazuma and returned to Snezhnaya.
Having narrowly escaped death, Rosalyne's arrogant demeanor had softened considerably.
After expressing her gratitude to Angie, she retreated to her own residence.
Angie also returned home, savoring the reunion with her family.
During this time, Rosalyne occasionally visited Angie, but never for anything important; they would simply chat.
Angie could sense a change in Rosalyne, a subtle shift that she couldn't quite put her finger on.
Their relationship had evolved beyond mere colleagues, a fact evident from Rosalyne's habit of seeking Angie out whenever she had free time—and seeking out only her.
Ailina, Angie's personal maid, had always been by her side, treated like another daughter by Angie's parents.
While the Fatui might have a poor reputation in other nations, in Snezhnaya, they were the absolute official organization.
Both Angie and Tartaglia were members of the Fatui, something their parents took great pride in.
Teucer had also returned, eagerly recounting his adventures in Liyue, not forgetting to add at the end: "Brother is the best toy salesman in all of Snezhnaya!"
Angie simply patted the little one's head, her heart aching for Tartaglia's struggles.
Roughly a month after the Lantern Rite in Liyue, Tartaglia finally returned to Snezhnaya.
Back in Snezhnaya, Tartaglia would occasionally slip away to sit alone in secluded spots. Whenever Angie asked if he was alright, he would just smile and say, "It's nothing."
Angie was utterly perplexed. Tartaglia's Liyue persona was barely an acquaintance. Why is he so heartbroken?
Wouldn't he go completely insane if I were to die too?
To test Tartaglia's resilience, Angie approached him again that day:
"Brother, let's spar."
Tartaglia: "???"
Angie: "I can tell you're troubled, but I understand if you don't want to talk. It's just... this isn't like you at all. The fighting enthusiast you once were has become this."
"Come on, spar with me. Weren't you always saying you never had worries? And even if you did, a good fight would fix everything. So, let me see how much you've improved lately."
Angie drew her longsword and pointed it at Tartaglia.
Tartaglia slowly rose, shedding his Harbinger's robes. "If Little Sister is in the mood, then Brother will play along."
He tossed aside his sword and drew his twin hydro blades.
He wasn't confident he could win against his sister, and using his bow would only lead to a quicker defeat.
"Watch out!"
Tartaglia lunged at Angie with his spear. A smirk stretched across Angie's lips as she met his attack head-on, without flinching.
The area was vast and sparsely populated, so there was no need to worry about disturbing anyone.
As they fought, Angie noticed Tartaglia had grown significantly stronger—not just a little, but a whole lot.
But... unfortunately, he still wasn't a match for her.
They sparred for over an hour until Tartaglia collapsed, utterly drained of Elemental Energy.
Angie was slightly out of breath herself, having held back her full strength to match her brother's pace.
Tartaglia lay sprawled face down on the snow, his right hand stubbornly raised, giving Angie a thumbs-up.
Speechless, Angie personally rolled him over, afraid he'd suffocate.
Honestly, he had to fight until he had no strength left...
Angie sat beside Tartaglia. "Feeling any better?"
"Th-thank you," Tartaglia rasped. "Much better."
His eyes were closed, his body sprawled on the ground in a "大" shape.
"I'm planning to head to Sumeru soon."
"Sumeru? What for?"
Tartaglia opened his eyes, gazing at his fiercely independent younger sister, the one the family trusted most.
Angie: "Scaramouche took the Electro Archon's Heart. Dottore's already there, and I want to see what's happening."
Tartaglia struggled to sit up. "Little Sister, listen to your brother! Don't antagonize the Doctor! He's extremely dangerous!"
Angie: "I know. I won't confront him directly—at least not openly."
Tartaglia stared intently into Angie's eyes, but he couldn't discern her true intentions.
So, how does Mu Qingge manage to read someone's emotions through their eyes?
Tartaglia shook his head, shaking off the sudden thought that had popped into his head. "Did you tell the Captain?"
Angie shook her head. "The Captain doesn't know. He's not planning to go to Natlan anytime soon. I'm just bored here anyway, so I thought I'd go out and take a look."
Seeing her brother's worried expression, Angie sighed. "You know I'm not weak. I won't openly oppose the Doctor. Besides, he's only sending a segment, so what's the worry?"
After saying this, she added silently to herself, Destroying a few of his segments shouldn't count as opposition, right?
"Alright, stay here for a bit longer. Just remember to come back for dinner."
Angie draped the Harbinger Overcoat over Tartaglia, ignoring that he was still sitting in the snow. "Oh, and when you get back, don't let on that we fought. Mom and Dad will scold us."
Tartaglia: "..."
No wonder my sister didn't target my face this time—she's afraid of getting scolded. he thought...