"Ka—Kaito, um… I…"
Lumine twisted her fingers together.
Her cheeks were burning, her head buzzing—pure embarrassment from getting caught in such a ridiculous situation. She couldn't even finish a sentence.
Mondstadt's night wind was cool, yet she felt like she was overheating.
Kaito didn't press her about the lie. He just reached out and gave her a gentle pat on the head.
Paimon, of course, had no such thing as shame.
Hands on her hips, she huffed, "Hmph! Paimon is not some kind of pet!"
"Oh?" Kaito asked, amused. "Then what are you?"
Paimon's identity was still a mystery—even to herself.
"I…?"
She immediately got stuck.
Her tiny brain clearly wasn't built for existential questions.
"Whatever! Anyway, I'm not a dog or a cat or anything!" she declared, cheeks puffed.
Kaito led them toward Good Hunter.
Halfway there, he stopped so abruptly that Lumine—still distracted—bumped into his back.
He didn't mind.
Instead, he casually flicked a handful of Mora into the nearby fountain—dozens of coins chiming as they vanished into the water.
"Wah—!"
Paimon lunged after them, but she was too slow.
Not a single coin.
Instant outrage.
"Kaito! Even if you're rich, you can't waste money like that!"
"I heard people who waste Mora get terrible luck!"
"It's not a waste," Kaito said calmly. "That's Mondstadt's wish fountain. People toss coins in when they're making a wish."
"A wish is… throwing Mora?" Paimon asked, baffled.
"What, you think wishes don't come with a ritual?" Kaito replied, deadpan. "Coins are the ritual."
Paimon circled the fountain, suspicious. "Then won't it get filled up?"
"Legend says wishes carried by the wind don't stay here," Kaito said smoothly. "They reach the Anemo Archon. Whether he answers… depends on his mood."
Paimon's eyes went huge. "What did you wish for just now?"
Kaito didn't blink. "That Paimon gets a little smarter."
"Hmph! That's more like it!" Paimon declared proudly—completely missing the insult.
Then she grabbed Lumine's sleeve and tugged. "Lumine, wish too! Wish you find your brother faster!"
"…Mm." Lumine nodded.
She counted out ten Mora, tossed them in, and clasped her hands properly—serious and sincere.
When she opened her eyes again, she looked a little calmer… though the blush still hadn't fully left her face.
Kaito's distraction had worked.
Back at Good Hunter, Mona looked genuinely surprised when she saw them.
Weren't the Traveler and her floating companion supposed to be staying at an inn?
"Change of plans," Kaito said simply.
He returned to the stove and tasted the soup with a small spoon.
Not ready yet. About half an hour more.
So he led Lumine and Paimon up to the attic level and opened the only empty room.
It was small—barely bigger than a storage room. A neatly made bed, a simple desk, a wardrobe.
Nothing fancy. Just clean.
Cool air drifted in through the open window, stirring the dark curtains into soft waves.
"This room is yours," Kaito said. "For you and Paimon."
"Waaah!"
Paimon dove onto the bed like she'd discovered buried treasure, face full of bliss.
"Kaito is sooo generous!"
"The bathroom's at the end of the hall," Kaito added. "Use it whenever."
"I'm sleeping," Paimon yawned, already halfway gone.
Lumine closed the window and tucked her in, her expression softening without her noticing.
Then she turned back, cheeks faintly pink.
"Kaito… thank you."
She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Um… I want to wash up."
"I'll be downstairs," Kaito said. "Take your time."
He waved once and headed down.
On the second floor, Mona was taking advantage of the quiet to draft her column with a quill. She really did work like this every day.
As she liked to say, it kept her "grounded."
Kaito checked the stove, then glanced toward her.
"Mona. Help me locate Fischl."
Mona didn't even look up at first, automatically slipping into lecture mode.
"Astrology is unreliable when gods are involved. It's also difficult with Vision bearers—and even worse with an otherworldly Traveler."
Only then did she pause. "Who are you trying to find?"
"Fischl," Kaito said. "I don't need details. A direction is enough."
"That 'Prinzessin'?" Mona nodded. She knew Fischl.
A moment later, she climbed up through the chimney access like it was routine.
On the roof, she spread a thin mirror of water, angled it toward the stars—
and began her divination.
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