"Acting Grand Master Jean!" A sweet voice called out from not far away.
"Klee!" Jean heard Klee's voice and quickly turned around with Lisa. They saw three figures.
A man in white with a half-faced fox mask was holding the hand of a red-haired woman on his left and Klee on his right.
Klee saw Jean and let go of Akira's hand, running over.
"Klee!" Jean and Lisa rushed over, and Jean immediately hugged Klee.
"Are you okay, Klee?" Jean quickly checked Klee over, relieved to see she was unharmed.
"Acting Grand Master Jean, Sister Lisa, I'm fine," Klee said quickly.
"It was Fox Brother and Sister Himeko. They're good people. They treated me to rice pudding and brought me to find you," Klee pointed at Akira and Murata Himeko.
"Fox Brother? Sister Himeko?" Jean and Lisa finally looked at Akira and Murata Himeko. Jean didn't recognize Akira and didn't know Murata Himeko.
"Yes, Fox Brother said he's your friend," Klee nodded.
"Uh... friend?" Jean's eyes widened. She looked at Akira, the man with the fox mask, and thought for a long time. Was there any other man in Inazuma she knew?
"Long time no see, Acting Grand Master Jean," Akira said with a smile. "You look well. It seems you've been resting properly these past few days."
"Eh? It's the Great... Mmm..." Jean recognized Akira's voice and was about to exclaim, but Lisa quickly covered her mouth.
"The Divine Sovereign changed his clothes and wore a mask to avoid making the people feel uncomfortable at the festival, Jean. Don't call him the Divine Sovereign directly," Lisa whispered in Jean's ear.
Jean nodded, and Lisa let go.
"I'm sorry..." Jean apologized, unsure how to address Akira now. Calling him by his name risked exposing his identity, and it would also be disrespectful to a deity.
"It's fine. The festival is meant to be enjoyable. If my presence makes people feel uneasy, it defeats the purpose," Akira said with a smile. "Let's talk over there."
Akira pointed to a corner, and the group walked over.
In the secluded corner, Akira removed the fox mask, smiling at Jean.
"Lord Akira..." Jean's heart fluttered as she saw Akira's face again. She had always thought Akira was the most charming man she'd ever met, and seeing his face again still stirred her heart.
"Lisa told me about what happened before. Thank you, Lord Akira, for your help," Jean said, bowing slightly.
"It was nothing. No need to be so formal," Akira shook his head. "Aside from your dedication as the Acting Grand Master, if a representative of the Mondstadt delegation fainted in Tenshukaku, rumors would surely spread."
"Lord Akira, you can just call me Jean," Jean said earnestly.
"Alright," Akira nodded.
"Wow! Fox Brother, your name is Akira?" Klee said happily. "Akira is so handsome."
"Haha, thank you, little Klee," Akira patted Klee's head, feeling very happy. Klee was like a little sun, and being around her lifted everyone's spirits.
"Klee, the Akira you're talking about is the Great Divine Sovereign of Inazuma, a deity. You should respect him," Lisa explained with a smile.
"Eh? A deity? Like Lord Barbatos?" Klee was stunned. Her Fox Brother was a deity!
"Don't scare little Klee," Akira said with a smile. "I really like Klee."
"Hmph~" Klee giggled happily, clapping her hands. "I like Akira too!"
Children's wonds are simple. Klee might omy have a vague understanding of what a deity is, but Akira's identity as a deity was far less important to her than his identity as Akira.
"This child is the daughter of the great adventurer Alice. Since Alice is out adventuring, she left Klee in the care of the Knights of Favonius," Jean explained.
"Klee is our youngest knight. Isn't that right, Klee?" Lisa said with a smile.
"Mm-hmm! Akira, Sister Himeko, I'm the Spark Knight of the Knights of Favonius, Klee!" Klee said proudly.
"That's amazing! You're already a knight at such a young age?" Murata Himeko praised.
As they chatted with Akira, Jean realized that this deity didn't seem to have the aloofness of a god. He was very approachable, and her initial nervousness began to fade.
"The festival is still going on. Why don't we all explore it together?" Murata Himeko suggested, pointing to the festival.
"Yay! Klee wants to explore the festival with Akira and Sister Himeko!" Klee said happily.
"Ah... are you sure we won't be intruding?" Jean asked.
"Of course not," Murata Himeko shook her head. She really liked Klee and wanted to spend more time with her.
Klee's presence had awakened Murata Himeko's maternal instincts. Such a cute child! She really wanted to have one of her own!
Murata Himeko secretly thought, would her future child look more like her or Akira?
She thought it would be better if the child looked more like Akira. That way, the child would surely be more beautiful or handsome. She also wondered if Akira preferred boys or girls.
"Himeko? Himeko?" Akira gently patted the daydreaming Murata Himeko, asking curiously, "What are you thinking about? You're so lost in thought."
"Nothing... nothing," Murata Himeko's face turned red. Damn it, they hadn't even done anything yet, and she was already thinking about children.