AFAB - She/Her - Capricorn - Born in 1995 - Sapphic - In one too many fandoms - Wishes to be a danger noodle in the next life, so someone will boop the snoot. PFP art by sayamaru_417 on Twitter
Imagine lohen with an incredibly strong reader, he immediately fell in love with the reader the moment they manage to defeat him in seconds.
It doesn't matter whenever you are a knight, hexenzirkel witch, adventurer or fatui harbinger–the moment when you manage to beat him he immediately hears wedding bells
And now you are unable to walk in mondstat without watching all directions not knowing whether lohen gonna jump you.
Which is worst if you are an important figure in any nation, varka has to keep lohen on a leash to prevent him causing a diplomatic disaster for mondstat.
Lohen would be jealous of you interacting with anyone who he perceived as a rival towards your affection, calling them a homewrecker.
Meanwhile you are often wondering why the knight of the 5th company is stalking you and following you around like a Chihuahua that loves you but wants to kill you.
Honestly from his personality you might assume he might have a personal vendetta against you, did you upset him in any way. While you were thinking, lohen is behind the wall giggling like a school girl watching you.
You officially have lost count on how many times varka have to apologize to you due to lohen chaos, meanwhile lohen is starring daggers towards varka for talking to you "like how dare he".
Lohen would want to ask for a spar with you or a lesson from you, either way you can mentor him when he is sparring you. Towards lohen, the most perfect date with you is basically a sparring session with you–that's all he ever asked, but if you want to go towards a fancy dinner sure why not.
The antenna on his hair has grown to be a six sense to alert him when you are near. Imagine you are getting a pastry at a bakery and when you look at the window, lohen is pressing his nose on the window fogging it up while looking at you with those love sick eyes.
The reader is trying to read in peace, meanwhile lohen :
«I'm the Villainess but do I Have to Avoid my Assassin..? or "The Unfortunate Life of Lady du Randier"»
Lohen x f!reader otomeisekai AU
A link to chapter 1 in case you wish to read it.
A/N: shorter chapter today because I have been GRINDING for Lohen. Really hard. Also sorry it took that much time, many things happened.
Either way, 827 pulls are ready for the menace. Pulling him in 3 hours now. I'm shaking.
LOHEN WANTERS SHALL BE LOHEN HAVERS
Edit: c6r1 has been acquired, this is a 327k DPS (yes, dps) team. holy.
Edit 2: r4 has been acquired
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! <3
cw: mention of... steamy reading material?
word count: idk 7k?
Chapter 5: Breadcrumbs.
The more you indulged in those books, the more you saw the appeal. It was still correct to call them “silly”, but the way it made your heart race a little, the way you would kick your feet at every slight tension in the story, and… the way every line the male lead would ever say, your mind read with Lohen’s voice.
It seemed that no matter what you did, he would linger in your brains, almost living rent-free at this point. The next title wasn't too far from the one you'd just read: a princess and a dangerous, mysterious man who would only open his heart to her, eventually. The cover gave it all away…
Ahh, no matter. You still had a few more books to read, though the choice was… questionable. Sensitive material was to be read inside of your room, if it wasn't for… the sun. The way it almost pressed against your window, the suffocating smell and hellish feeling of heat which even your curtains couldn't block and staying in there for more than an hour would be like being cooked alive. Maybe the park would be okay…
Leaving your room, you took a peek at the barracks. The knights were training as usual, and Lohen wasn't there; you couldn’t tell if it was fortunate or not... As much as you'd originally bought this book for him to notice, the idea of it made you slightly more embarrassed the second you turned the pages.
Aside from the obviously…. scandalous content, it was very well-written and, once again, you found yourself completely immersed. Every single description, the way their bodies slid against each other, you could've sworn your breath was a little short. Your face was sweating just a little and you were biting your lip, which would’ve been a perfect opportunity for the assassin to tease you to death.
To any passerby, it would only take a second to connect the dots; a steamy romance, and a steamy lady. You couldn't even help your gasps and your whines at the endless display of primal erotica between your hands. Every word the male lead uttered had Lohen’s voice in your mind, but at this point, you paid it no attention. It was fine. You weren't imagining the two of you in this very… Specific setting. Definitely not… definitely. Because every time they did or said something, you imagined it. You imagined it could be you and him.
Every single description, from body to toes, every movement, every sigh they gave, all of these reminded you of the little mark he had left on you, and you couldn't help but wonder what would have happened that day if you had pushed your luck. You tried to imagine his reaction if you'd only kept teasing him back whenever he did. What kind of relationship would the two of you have? What was your relationship with him anyway?
You forced yourself to close the book with a sigh, your neck and face a little sweaty from the outside heat, but the inside heat as well. Taking a deep breath, you exhaled and stood up, walking and avoiding eye contact with literally anyone. And for the second time in your life, unaware of your surroundings, you walked into someone. You didn't even have to think, you'd recognize this scent anywhere.
“Loh—” You gulped and exhaled, getting his title out of your throat seemed like an ordeal. “Sir Lohen, I apolo—”
“None needed.” He said, not quite coldly, but… calmly.
You raised your eyes to meet his; his face was covered in blood splats, probably not his; his polearm was dripping blood as well. Considering the hour, you guessed he had come back from a mission or a patrol.
Usually, you'd look away from him, but the way blood dripped from his chin, body completely unharmed, hands sullied by flesh… You couldn't move. It was fear, it had to be. Because if it wasn't fear, you were in for more trouble. For some reason, you longed to wipe his chin with your finger, to offer him a handkerchief and just tell him. You couldn’t stop thinking about it: he was.. “beautiful”.
“I beg your pardon, Lady (Y/N)?”
…apparently, out loud. You took a step back with an embarrassed giggle.
“Ahhahaha, um.. don't.. mind me. The heat is making me a little tired.”
He wiped a loose drop of blood from his cheek, only spreading it a little, nonchalantly. It only reminded you of his hands on your neck and collarbone, and you couldn't avoid the gasp that came out of your mouth.
He raised an eyebrow at your strange behavior, looking at your face in detail for the first time in forever, his eyes then traveling to your arm, our hand and finally.. the book. The second you knew he noticed it, you hid it behind your back in embarrassment.
“I shan't keep you away from your… occupations for too long, then.” He said that but appeared to be reluctant to leave.
“I don't mind! I was just.. reading a little, to occupy my mind.”
He muttered something you didn't quite hear before finally, his expression was readable. A little amused, but way, way too distant. After all, he probably despised the fact that you saw that side of him back then.
Without giving you a second to elaborate, he took his leave. You did nothing to keep him, but could definitely see that window he had left open. What you needed to do was to make him understand that you didn't see him any differently after he admitted his nearly committed crime. But how?
Telling him directly appeared to be impossible since he was somewhat avoiding you. You knew words didn't mean much to him, but what about actions? This however raised another question: how in the world were you supposed to act on this? Putting yourself directly in danger seemed a little too much, and you'd need to know he was around to save you anyway… Planning something, perhaps?
You had an idea or two, and let's just say… they were as unethical as anything gets. But if it made him look at you again, you wouldn't hesitate.
Only now did you realize the lengths you'd go to for your major death flag to notice you. Only now did you realise you were slowly spiraling into something unhinged, and as much as your previous self would've screamed for you to come back, you let this whirlwind of toxicity take you. And again, only now did you realize that you knew the story would go this way. You knew deep down that he wasn't a major death flag anymore. You didn't need to be saved anymore. No.You needed to be seen.
It took a while, between reading new books to talk about in the club and trying to keep track of all events in your journal, you had completely forgotten your duty to meet new suitors. And so you had to dress appropriately and visit your father to get a summary of the encounters you had missed, and the ones that yet had to happen. This time however, he knew you couldn't even be bothered to try talking to them, so he gave you a few profiles printed on paper.
Reviewing them was as boring as meeting them; the papers were unnecessarily long and flooded with boring, useless details. If you had lived in a futuristic world, maybe something along the lines of “this could've been an email” could have been said, but it wasn't as though you had this thought at all. You simply sighed and started looking. Most of them were over twice your age, some were rich, others poor, most came from influential households.. though one of them caught your attention, a little more than the others. A man just a little older than you who had recently divorced due to his wife cheating on him.
“Could he be.. the one?” you wondered as you put his profile to the side. Luckily, it seemed like he hadn't left town yet, and so the meeting was promptly arranged. You were to see him tomorrow, and had at least that amount of time to prepare mentally. This was your only shot at having Lohen finally interact with you, in one way or another.
You tried to dig up a few things here and there, looking for information about his previous wife, but it led to nothing, then… you decided you’d learn a little about his hobbies. Just enough for him to feel comfortable and start babbling about it. All you'd have to do tomorrow was to embrace your role completely.
“As long as you remained a quiet, gentle, clueless Lady du Randier, absolutely no harm would come to you.”
Quiet and gentle? Clueless even? You wondered how you could've ever believed such things, and weren't going to let your thoughts crush you anymore. If you wanted results, you needed to take risks.
The day came and you made sure to be extra beautiful, this time. After all, it was a poor young man, cheated on by his wife. You could at least offer a little comfort, couldn't you?
You opened the parlor room and here he was, standing with his hat in his hand, looking innocent, but there was clearly something in his demeanor. Something that looked like you had to tread carefully around this one. “Please, sit down , sir Pallad. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
The man was calm, composed, very analytic of his surroundings, though he did look at you when you talked to him. You knew very little about Pallad, but his hobbies you had memorised. With acting talents that would impress even Lohen, you casually led the discussion towards some of them, only to see his eyes light up.
“Ahhh, but my knowledge of fishing is very limited, and it isn’t as though I have ever done it before…”
You didn’t even have time to give more arguments, he was already standing up, fist clenched and a smile on his face.
I’ve got you now.
He left the parlor in a great mood, knowing he’d get to show you his incredible fishing talents on the next date. You, on the other hand, couldn’t care less. Pallad was a means to an end, and you almost felt sorry for him… but if it was what it took… you weren’t even from this world, you didn’t even belong here! That’s what you kept telling yourself as you went morally greyer every day. It’s not as though you couldn’t feel it; you knew it was wrong. You knew what you were about to do could be defined as impulse phobia, aside from the fact that you were absolutely not scared of doing it. This poor man would end up hurt, but you did believe it was for the greater good. Your sense of greater good anyway.
You realised now that what you were about to do would be described as the actions of a true villainess.
And so you waited until the next date, carefully crafting this persona of yours, that of a happy, single young woman who marvelled at every little thing she saw outside of this pampered world she lived in. You practiced how to show surprise, how to giggle innocently, to act dumb but endearing… that would do. Surely that would do. It was a painful thought, but if he had gotten cheated on once, he probably was easy to trick anyway. As previously stated, you almost felt sorry for him, though… Ah, you didn’t, really. Who were you hoping to fool but yourself? The worst part about this whole charade was that you didn’t even feel guilty. Not one bit. You were starting to morph into something you didn’t quite like… yet.
The next date came quickly and he had taken you to a fishing spot; a tranquil little clearing near a large pond where plenty of fish were swimming, blissfully unaware of the hunter called Pallad.
He reached for his fishing rod and began explaining how every single little mechanism worked, how to correctly throw and reel, what kind of bait was needed for different fish… You couldn’t be bothered to listen, so you were just nodding with a happy smile, this time making sure it reached your eyes to make it seem more genuine. He seemed delighted at the sight, and eager to show his prowess as he threw the line in the water and waited.
You’re so boring.
How glad you were that fishing required you to be silent, you couldn’t handle any more of his babbling for now. After roughly half a millennia later, the line moved. He expertly caught the rod and reeled it in. The fish was… unimpressive. Though, you clapped your hands a few times with a silly smile on your face.
“Oh, that is quite the catch, sir Pallad!”
Just hurry up and go home already.
He looked proud of himself as he pointed out “No, no. This is merely the beginning. There are such bigger fish in this pond, just trust me, I’ll show you!” And with that, he threw the line in once more, aaaaand you waited. There was nothing to do other than that. The catch was a little bigger this time, and you had to act impressed again.
“Now, this one is definitely huge! You are such a pro, sir Pallad!”
Oh how he enjoyed the compliments. He was eating them up like some rabid dog. “Do you really think so?”
“My standards in fishing are very low and anyway, you are a pawn in my scheme, so none of this matters” was what you thought, but you gave your most customer-friendly, genuine smile. “Of course! I’ve never seen one like that! What kind of species is it?”
Make it short, you are so boring.
“Ah, you see, this one is a—” blah, blah, blah and blah… Just nodding and going along with what he said, glancing between his face and the fish to make it look real… He finally stopped yapping after a while because it was getting dark. You internally congratulated yourself for being so patient during the entire day.
After he walked you back to your estate, he gave a deep, polite bow. “This is my first time sharing my hobbies with a lady… M-may I be so bold and ask to see you again tomorrow? I… I just have so many things to show you.”
Gods, please, no.
“Of course, sir Pallad. I would be delighted.”
Liar.
With his departure, you passed your bedroom to grab the book and sat at your usual spot in the garden. Finally, a bit of peace and quiet. Immersing yourself back into the story. The book was still slow building, but the steamy parts were incoming. You could see the characters get closer together again, and it made your heart race finally, after such a long day of listening to the most uninteresting things of all time. The unsettling feeling of being watched had come galloping back, but you ignored it.
You could already tell whose eyes these were, that was why you didn’t feel unsafe in the slightest. Nevermind that, you just kept on reading. Long enough that the source of that glare stepped in front of you, just looking down at the book, then at you directly, for once. You didn’t know what to tell him, though you could tell from his eyes that he had many things to say, but no words came out of his mouth. It was as if he simply passed near you, but you wouldn’t let him.
“What troubles you, sir Lohen?”
He took a second as if to think, though it was pretty obvious what was bothering him. “Nothing,” he said, “just glad Lady (Y/N) is having a nice time with a suitor, for once.”
So that was the issue. Phrasing it as if he was happy for you, when he had managed to let it known as trouble.
“Indeed. I find that less and less people wish to spend time with me nowadays, I have to keep myself occupied, don’t I?” A shot, perfectly aimed at him, but you knew he wouldn’t take the bait so easily.
“I suppose so.” He said, and simply left. You had expected him to have this reaction already, although you were a little disappointed that he wouldn’t push it any further; and so you decided to annoy him. Standing up, you caught up to him.
“And what have you been up to these days, sir Lohen? I find the recruits to be unusually… non-bruised.”
“One thing and another,” he said dismissively. The perfect non-answer, huh. “Why does it concern you so much?”
You weren’t sure what to say. You could’ve pretended it was just small talk, but the way he was acting wouldn’t work with this excuse. Then, you could just straight up ask, right?
“You have been avoiding me. Not only giving me space, but entirely stopping every interaction with me. Why is that?”
He stopped in his tracks. Finally, a reaction. “It is unbecoming of a Lady to spend so much time around a man of my status, isn’t it?”
And now he was blaming it on his status. What was he trying to do anyway? It wasn’t as if he could entirely avoid you, since he was still working under your father. “Status matters little, doesn’t it? If you are tired of my company, just say so.”
You gulped as those words completely slid out of your mouth, uncontrolled. You hoped, really hoped he wouldn’t say yes.
“I am, Lady (Y/N). Will you stop following me now? I have matters to attend to with your father.”
Disappointment and a touch of sorrow were etched on your face; it was obvious this wasn’t the answer you wanted. You wanted him to justify himself, hell, even lie to your face and say he wasn’t bored of you, but he chose to do none and simply pierced you with those words.
“...I apologise for bothering you, then.” You said quietly, holding both of your hands in front of you as you gave a polite bow, returning his words to him. “I shan’t overstep again.”
His eyes seemed to widen a little, as he remembered uttering these exact same words on that cursed evening. You almost felt dizzy from his affirmation, and honestly very sad. He turned around to face you, only to see you avert your eyes, as if ashamed to have been clingy in the first place. You stood straight again and turned around to leave. Your body was not the only thing leaving; in fact, your inner self too, as if you had retreated so far behind your eyes into a place where nobody could reach or hurt you anymore.
His hand attempted to reach for you, but he stopped himself. After all, he had said those words. There was probably no coming back. No amount of excuses or justification could hold up to the absolute slap that statement had been. In fact… this was the most distraught you had felt, more so than finding yourself reincarnated in this world. Instead of walking to your usual spot on the bench, you went directly to your chambers in an attempt to cool your mind, even leaving your book on the bench, not even caring about it anymore. You were internally praying that he’d stop and reach out, that he would tell you those words were a mistake, but he did none of that and merely watched you walk away, almost a little bitter about having been so coldhearted.
Was it all a mistake? Trying to get his attention? Maybe it was. Although he had tried to kill for your sake, had you read into it the wrong way? Perhaps your father would’ve ejected or resented him for doing nothing, or was it his way of threatening you? He had mentioned that he couldn’t possibly stay idle while you were under Flins’ spell, but this could also be put on the account of potential fear of failing to protect you, ultimately disappointing your father further. You weren’t sure what to do anymore, and you knew damn well the next gathering, although it was only a book club, would lead to a very embarrassing ride in the carriage.
There was nothing you could do, and you started to wonder if using Pallad in your scheme had been a mistake in the first place. Your chest felt tight, your oesophagus felt like it was being compressed, you couldn’t inhale without your breath hitching. Were you crying? Well, not really. You were in that state of mind where sorrow and exhaustion fought for control, and you couldn’t find it in you to tear up. Even though it was still early in the day, you let yourself pass out from all the fatigue, sprawled across your bed like you had just been poisoned.
Having fallen asleep so early in the day, you of course awakened in the middle of the night. You remained in bed, looking through the window for a little moment before sitting up and deciding you’d retrieve the book you left outside, hoping no one would see you in such an indecent gown. You put on your slippers and went outside, finding the book exactly where you had left it, though not in the exact position.
You didn't even want to finish it. You had no motivation whatsoever, and you couldn't even understand why. Why were you so impacted by this? It wasn't as though you were so attached to such an insufferable being. “Yes! Good riddance!” Right?
You were trying really hard to convince yourself, but you couldn't. And the worst part? You didn't know. You had no clue. It wouldn't get out of your mind.
Pitiful, really.
Ah, once again, no matter. You picked up your novel and returned to your room, yet couldn't fall back asleep. And so, as one does, you spent your night looking at the ceiling until sunlight burned through your retina. Your entire face felt heavy and so did your body, but you got up either way. How long had it been since you’d eaten breakfast? You couldn't tell. You walked to the kitchen without any real motivation, sitting at the table and looking at the food on the shelves, barely hungry. Reading was no longer an option considering the exhaustion, sleeping this early couldn’t possibly be good either since your schedule would be in total disarray, and— oh. Oh. You had to meet up with Pallad again today.
Just what I needed.
It had completely slipped out of your mind, but you’d have to commit. A part of you still hoped it would make Lohen react, but the idea was slowly blurring and you already believed it would disappear as quickly as it had settled. With an empty stomach and sleep deprived, you returned to your room and asked one of your maids to help cover those dark undereyes of yours before slipping into a comfortable dress for the day, since you had no clue what the unremarkable individual had planned for you.
You two had agreed to meet in the early afternoon, but you weren’t even surprised when he showed up while it was still morning. Ah, how excited he looked, to show off his skills in whatever hobby of his he was about to drag you into, you could’ve sworn you had seen people marry the love of their life with less enthusiasm. You couldn’t really back off from your agreement, and so you followed him. Today, he would educate you on how to play croquet. How riveting!
Luckily, it wasn’t the hardest thing to understand, and you learned rather quickly. Of course, he was still better than you— thankfully, considering how he had been talking about it every second of your ride to his gardens. You came to realise he was rather wealthy considering the size of his yard and estate, wealthier than you in fact, but you couldn’t care less right now. Of course, you kept up with the act; looking absolutely marvelled at every single move he made and laughing a little when he’d beat you to it, but he seemed to notice something was off at this point.
“Lady du Randier,” he asked a little nervously “am I boring you?”
You blinked a couple times. You couldn’t blow your cover, not yet, not until you were certain it wouldn’t work at all. “Not at all, sir Pallad. I simply slept poorly and am unfortunately suffering the consequences now.”
“Oh, I see! You should promptly return home and rest, my Lady, for tomorrow, I will have even more things to show you!”
Thank gods he was a moron. Your expression screamed boredom even as you tried to act enchanted, though your smile couldn’t even reach your eyes. Anyone with a tad of common sense would’ve noticed your lack of interest before you even left your estate, but it appeared Pallad was an absolute idiot. Though, you did follow his advice and returned home quickly. Your meeting was supposed to last for an entire afternoon but instead, you went home in the middle of it.
Even though his company wasn’t the most thrilling you had endured, you couldn’t help but admit it was better than wandering the corridors of your home without any purpose. Waiting until evening was boring, but it was all you could do for now. Even though you didn’t feel like it, your maids urged you to eat at least a little, which you did without much protest before returning to your chambers and hoping nighttime would come swiftly. “I could write in my journal”, you figured, but once you opened it, you were at a loss for words.
It had served you well up until the point the story broke entirely, and although you happened to recount some happenings on a few pages, what could you even write right now? You stared at the blank page, plume in hand, wondering if your days were even worth writing about. In fact, you spent such a long time lost in thought that the ink had dried completely from the tip of your quill. With a sigh, you admitted it would be better than nothing to at least write about your plan, even though it seemed to be quite a fiasco so far.
The more you wrote, you thought that maybe abandoning the idea of using Pallad was merciful and less exhausting; it served no purpose anymore, and you quickly had to let him know you wouldn’t see him again. A letter would take too much time, so you would probably wait until he showed up at your estate. Closing your journal, you couldn’t take it anymore and simply went to bed, not even caring about what ungodly hour you might wake up at.
How surprising, that you would wake up at a normal hour— in fact not that surprising, considering your impressive lack of sleep. Once again, you asked your maids to help you get ready, too lazy to even budge from your seat in front of your dressing table. But time was ticking, and eventually you would have to bear with Pallad for a couple more hours before freeing yourself of the escapades he wanted to share with you. Once again, you settled for a comfortable dress and exited your room. Once again, you were supposed to meet him in the middle of the afternoon and, once again, he had been too excited to wait any longer and was already at your doorstep in the morning. You couldn’t help but sigh when you heard him knock on the door, really. This man was like a clingy puppy, though it was partially your fault for giving him hope in the first place.
What a despicable woman I’ve become.
No matter as per usual; you followed him toward his carriage and decided you’d wait until the day was over, at least to let him enjoy himself just a little more. And it was right to say he would be enjoying himself, as all you did today was sit at a wooden tribune and watch him show off his incredible horse riding skills. Needless to say, you regretted not saving yourself from this earlier, but clapped nonetheless every time you felt he wanted it.
After what seemed to be an eternity, he finally dismounted and came to you, looking proud. “How was this, my Lady? Impressive, wasn’t it? I do not wish to boast, but I learned how to—”
“Sir Pallad,” you cut him off, sighing, “I think it is better we do not see each other anymore. It was a mistake. I wanted to see if I would gain more interest over time, but it appears I did not. I apologise for wasting your time, and I shall promptly return to my estate. I wish you a good day.”
You stood up and left, though before turning around, you couldn’t read his expression. It was like a blank canvas; he could’ve been drowning in despair, seething in anger or trembling in frustration, you couldn’t quite tell and honestly weren’t interested about his state of mind right now. You did exactly as you told and returned to your carriage, relieved after telling him the truth, or most of it anyway. Of course, you couldn’t have come out and said “I merely dated you for a few days to awaken any sort of reaction from someone I appreciate more than I do you”, and you were satisfied with what little explanation you gave him, which, again, you deemed to be reasonable enough.
This charade had only lasted three days, he couldn’t possibly have been affected that much, right? You felt horrible for giving a widower such hope, and only now did it dawn upon you that you were no better than the original Lady du Randier for this. Sure, there was no constant bullying of the heroine, but you did scheme against an innocent bystander to get someone’s attention.
Well done.
The ride home felt surprisingly quick as you were lost in thought, though if asked what they were about, you’d be incapable of responding. The boredom was back as soon as you stepped foot outside the carriage, and you found yourself wandering those corridors again. You passed the laundry room where some maids were in a hurry to complete their chores, the break room where more maids and some butlers were finally resting a little, your father’s office, where it seemed to you that Lohen and him were having an important conversation but you couldn’t even be bothered to listen. He did notice you though, and he remained silent for as long as you were in eavesdropping range, and began speaking again when he knew his voice would be but a distant muffle. Usually, you’d wonder what was going on, but today was not one of those days and you just kept walking, sometimes even going in circles around the gardens, before finally settling on one of the benches in a more secluded area.
Your eyes wandered to the well-kept gardens; the gazebo that was always kept clean no matter if anyone was using it, the grass, always cut cleanly no matter the weather, the rosebushes that seemed to burgeon no matter the season, and the small shrubbery around the walls that was quite bent in a spot, and you couldn’t help but feel sorry for whatever servant had made this mistake, your father not being a very merciful man when it came to estate maintenance and your mother not being any better for that matter.
Leaning back against the bench, you felt like you could almost fall asleep under the calm breeze, though it was a little uncomfortable sitting here for so long, but you couldn't find it in you to move. Your body just didn't want to cooperate. Was it just exhaustion? But you weren't that tired. Hunger? No, you had eaten just earlier and felt just fine. Something kept your mind occupied, sure, but that something was just an amalgamation of different thoughts that just refused. to. shut. up.
Throughout your calm moment, you heard different types of footsteps, some rushing, some calm, some more discreet, but couldn't be bothered to check whose they were, the shoes sounding light enough to simply be maids, sometimes heavier to be recruits. It felt as though this bench was a timeless area, like a sanctuary of some sort. You didn't even realise it was evening until a maid interrupted your spiraling and led you back to your room like you were a mindless mule.
It pissed you off so much. Why couldn't you get it out of your mind? Had you finally gone insane? There was absolutely no reason! Or maybe there was one, but it seemed completely unreasonable. You didn't even want to consider it.
How late you woke up the next morning didn't seem to matter, your sleep hadn't been refreshing at all. You didn't have nightmares, but you were plagued with an unshakeable sensation that something was wrong. Just like the anxiety you'd feel when nothing happens for a while and it seems like something is just waiting to happen. But you knew better than to trust yourself on that, recounting how many times you’d had this impression.
Ah, you really couldn't keep going like this. At this rate, you were going to rot alive; so you decided to try and lead a normal existence again, it didn't matter whether Lohen was or wasn’t going to acknowledge your existence again. Right, it didn't matter. It did bother you, but you could live with that fact. And so you got out of your room and finally decided it would be nice to have breakfast in the greenhouse again.
The weather was still kind around this time of the year and although it was still morning, the sunlight coming through the glass ceiling felt comforting as you drank your morning tea. You had almost forgotten how luxurious your life was now, and the amount of cakes and macarons quickly reminded you of your status. Yes, after all, you were a proud, noble woman. You had no time to think about a mere knight, or.. assassin, or… instructor! Whatever he was!
You wanted to slap yourself really hard, as no matter how many times you had tried convincing yourself before, there was no way your brain wanted to accept it. You were craving that little menace’s attention. For some reason.
You finished eating and went to check on the knights again, determined to make contact once again. Confidently, you approached his tent and, just when you were about to pull it open, your hand stopped mid-motion.
“If you are tired of my company, just say so.”
“I am, Lady (Y/N). Will you stop following me now?”
Right. It's not that he was ignoring you, he simply didn't want you around anymore. Your hand clenched a little before you decided to leave. Turning around though, you were met with abyssal eyes and mint green hair.
“Good day. Do you need something from me, Lady (Y/N)?” His expression was blank, unreadable. What was he thinking about?
“I… no, I apologise, I was merely looking for a book I'd forgotten.” You said as you walked past him.
“Your acting talents haven't gotten any better over time, it seems.” And with that, he simply entered his tent and closed it, knowing perfectly that you wouldn't follow him inside. His tone was… closer than what it used to be, but because he went from a thousand steps to nine hundred didn’t really change too much, even though it was a little better.
Although it was embarrassing that he knew you were here to see him, his comment made you smile a little. It wasn't quite enough to lift your spirits, but you felt just a tad better. Better enough that you were able to go on with your day without overthinking for hours even if deep down, you knew he wanted you away. It was like breadcrumbs, really; not enough to sustain you, but enough to enjoy it at least a little.
You had to clear your head. Bringing your… interesting reading material to the garden, you sat on that same bench again, opening the book. You couldn't quite immerse yourself into it again but it was good enough to just keep going. Since you couldn’t look forward to a reconciliation with Lohen, you could only wait until the next book club meeting. Sure, the ride would be pretty awkward and silent, but at least you’d be able to have a bit of fun. Your placement allowed you to tell the flat spot in the shrubbery had been fixed and could only hope whichever servant had done that wasn’t noticed by your parents.
As much as you wanted to keep reading the book, you couldn’t stand in place any longer and closed it, looking at the cover awkwardly again. If it wasn’t interesting enough to keep reading for now, you simply needed to find another one. And not one you already owned even though it was still unread, noooo. You wanted a brand new one from the store, otherwise it wouldn’t do. For a split second, you felt like one of these spoiled children who just cried whenever they wanted a new toy.
Except you didn’t cry! HA! You were not a spoiled little shitling.
Though, you still asked for a carriage to bring you there as quickly as possible. Not a spoiled child. No.
The bookstore hadn’t changed, even the titles displayed were the exact same. They probably didn’t have too many customers, you assumed. Meeting the blonde-haired young man again, you asked him for his finest romance novels, and innocently, for some reason you wouldn’t know, demanded that they had a plot resembling a lady and a knight, or things of the sort. For no apparent reason, of course.
He pointed you towards multiple of the sort, each looking cheesier than the last, but you couldn’t care less. You needed this. You were pretty sure you had picked too many of them but again, your mind needed to remain occupied, and that would give you a lot to discuss at Lumine’s next little reunion. The worker gave you a large bag, carefully putting all of the books inside of it.
“It seems like you are attempting to create your own store, milady. Should I be worried about competition?” The worker said, chuckling a little.
“Oh, no, no. Absolutely not. I am merely indulging in a book club held by a very good friend of mine. You do not have to worry about such things.” You said, and he raised an eyebrow at your words.
“A book club, mm? I do know someone who hosts one, though we rarely do see each other these days.”
…come to think of it, he did remind you of someone. You stopped to look at him for a bit and, after narrowing your eyes a little, it came right to you. He looked like Lumine. In fact, the resemblance was so uncanny you would swear they were twins. He did see your expression change and gave you the bag with a small smile.
“Do give my sister my most sincere greetings, will you?”
Oh. Oh. It wasn’t an impression after all. You were quite amused by the fact that a woman who was holding a book club had a brother who was quite literally working in a bookstore. Still, you did wave at him and returned to your carriage, already a little excited to read most of these. You acknowledged the fact that you would definitely have enough time to go over all of them until the next gathering, but you already knew your mind would be occupied thinking about someo— ahem, something. One thing or another, really.
Still, you couldn’t help but wonder how he knew who was the host.
This time, you decided to read in the greenhouse while indulging in more little treats™, and drinking some relaxing chamomile. All of the books you had bought had, of course, the exact same trope. Well, none of them implied the reader was the villainess, but it was already a good start since you were in fact not exactly one. Surprisingly, you devoured “His Lady by the Moonlight” in the first half of your afternoon; your thoughts hadn’t stopped you even once and, although they remained in the back of your mind, they didn’t seem to be that loud anymore.
You felt a little lighter at the realisation that you could in fact live without the menace’s attention. It was a little duller, sure, but it wasn’t impossible. Besides, you now had good friends you could rely on to clear your mind. Well, not entirely, it seems.
Between the not-so-competitive-bookstore-battle and the next club meeting, you had to spend an entire week getting busy with something, and considering your reading speed, you hoped it’d last you at least five or six days… but you would see, you supposed.
And see you did! That you absolutely demolished those books in a mere three days, and needless to say all of the stories were deeply engraved in your mind now. The only annoying thing about those romances was that, of course, again, every single phrase spoken by the male lead was read with Lohen’s voice inside your head and, as much as you’d gotten used to it, the simple fact that he still had so much “importance” to you was almost infuriating.
Seriously, he had been tormenting and almost bullying you for the entirety of the time you had spent together, always teasing you or making you uncomfortable, hell, even making you blush in public settings— this one appeared to be his favorite activity. And now, now that you had finally started to accept this routine, he was giving you the cold shoulder. You hadn’t even blamed him for anything, yet he was the one distancing himself? Could he not see you wanted to talk to him? Why, oh why, only now was he plaguing your mind? And what was he acting so difficult for anyway? A mere murder?
At that thought, you realised you were focusing all of your emotional strength on him again. It was now clear that no matter how much you pushed the idea away, it came back rushing in like a wild horse. Though again, he did talk to you in a lighter manner recently, was he finally opening up? Was it a sign that you could finally interact with him again?
As hard as it was to admit it, you were aching to hear him pester you again, almost morbidly so. No matter how much you wanted to avoid thinking about it, all you could see was this shit-eating grin of his, his abyssal eyes and most of all, the way he had brushed you off so coldly. You could still vividly remember the way he had slightly pinched you, although the mark was gone.
«I'm the Villainess and Now I Have to Avoid my Assassin! or "The (Un)fortunate Life of Lady du Randier"»
Lohen x f!reader OtomeIsekai AU
cw: absolutely ooc lumine, mentions of death and panic, probably poor spelling i barely ever proofread sorry, f!reader because I'm very bad at writing gender neutral, apologies for that
This is going to be a series, no ETA on next chapter tho
Giving y/n a last name for the sake of the narrative-
A/N: that was fast. I didn't expect to be inspired enough to release a chapter so shortly after the initial post. there will be more coming when I find the time to write. I hope you enjoy
word count: 5.6k ish?
Chapter 1: Impersonating.
In a luxurious room, probably from a manor or some kind of castle, a girl is sitting in front of her mirror. Daylight is barely yet piercing through the curtains like a divine blessing, casting upon the sheets its golden light, revealing all of the subtleties and intricacies of the lace woven into it. The girl leans in closer to her mirror, looking at her reflection before she tentatively runs her fingers through a lock of her hair. Her hand slowly moves to her face where she cups her own cheeks, and finally looks into her reflection's eyes. It’s you. Or is it..?
"Who… is that..?" you mutter, your voice barely above a whisper, sitting in stupor in front of the stranger reflected in your mirror. You jolt up from your chair and take a few steps back in horror, stumbling on your feet before you fall on your back and look at the unfamiliar ceiling. This was obviously not your bedroom. At this point, your vision starts blurring a little bit from the panic as you feel blood rush to your head, hearing your heartbeat in your ears like war drums approaching a city under siege. And then… a few flashing images appear in your mind.
A battle. Fierce, hopeless, but beautiful nonetheless. Ruthless opposition and your years of training coming in handy this time, but it is simply not enough. Sharp pain through your jugular. You slash back yet are unable to tell if you landed a hit, and then… bright red, darker red, until eventually it all fades to black. "I died..?" you thought, panting heavily from the confusion. As you shakily sat back up, the dreadful realisation dawned upon you. This was a different body, a different self, a different life. How much time had it been? You could not tell, for you did not remember anything, but somehow… still did? Judging by the large grandfather clock, it was early morning. You did not even remember waking up at all, yet this body's memories were still vivid as if you had lived every single one of them yourself.
The clock kept ticking and ticking, and you did not know what to do. An impostor soul, trapped against its will inside someone else's body. Where did the original soul go? Why you? How was it even possible? Was it a nightmare after all? But you were convinced you had died, so how were you here now? The overthinking kept spiraling until you slowly started giggling to yourself, the entire symphony rhythmed by the infernal ticking of the large clock that seemed to dictate the existential dread you were traversing.
Gathering your strength and courage, you stood up and took a few steps toward the mirror again. The more you looked at the reflection, it started feeling… familiar in a way. You had never seen this woman before, but her very detailed features, the color of her eyes and the way her hair looked reminded you of someone. Of something.
Long ago, probably, you had read a book about a poor young girl who was adopted into a noble family. The girl was a ray of sunshine and the most benevolent being this story had ever seen. Each day, she strived to achieve better and make people smile around her, as all heroines do. However, there was one major issue. An elephant that needed to be addressed. As she was so kind and radiant, her counterpart was none of that.
An edgier, grim young woman by the name of (Y/N) who viscerally despised the heroine. Why would she not, after all? Every friend she had made now preferred the radiant young girl over her, every love interest she had ever had turned their backs to her in favor of the kind heroine. Her hatred was very real, as much as this story was not. Until now, at least.
As much as you thought about it, you had always liked the heroine more than any other character when you had read the book, yet waking up inside the Villainess' shoes was no easy task, and although the heroine was obviously the righteous one, you could not help but feel a deep sense of resentment against her. Why, tough? It was not even your body, and hell, it was not even your story. Until now, at least.
You never fully understood why you liked that story in the first place. Normally, anyone reading a book where the antagonist bears one’s name is left a little unsatisfied. Maybe deep down, you felt you were closer to her than the heroine. After all, as much as you wanted the kind young woman to win in the end, you could not help but cringe a little every time she spoke in the book.
As you slowly regained your composure, small details from the story came back to your mind. This woman, (Y/N), was the pettiest, and most insufferable excuse of a human being ever written in any works of fiction, and as such, after pushing her luck too far with the heroine and her safety, her story would end at the hand of an assassin who had fallen in love with said heroine. She would meet her demise on a peaceful night; no dramatic rain, no long monologue, and no detailed execution. A simple dagger piercing through her heart, an insignificant thud on the ground, and (Y/N) was gone.
You could feel your heart— and all of your organs sink at the thought. “I would… die? Again?”
And of course, you couldn't possibly let that happen. You hurried up and searched your bedroom for something, anything that could tell you where or rather when approximately you were in the story. How much time you had left. Anything. After rummaging through ‘your’ belongings for a while, you noticed a small calendar on the wall. Today's date had not been crossed yet: the third day of the second month. If your memory served you well, (Y/N) was supposed to die on the ninth night of the eleventh month.
So you had a little bit of time, at least. As far as you remembered, the villainess' most serious bullying only began around the middle of the second month, so if everything was correct… you had not made it to that point yet. There was a chance after all. If you played your cards well, you could survive and better yet— live a long, luxurious life in a body that was inadvertently stolen. Muttering a small apology, you reorganized the mess you had made before a knock was heard on her door.
"Lady (Y/N), I am coming in. If you are indecent, please let me know right now."
You did not say a word, and one of the household's butlers walked in. Your memory worked overtime again; Harold, a kind, gentle old man who had been the family's butler for decades and in that moment, you almost felt relieved to see him, although he was far from being one of the main characters.
"Lady (Y/N)… haven't your maids started preparing you yet? You might be late if you keep this up."
You blinked a few times in confusion. Late?
Of course, the book had been centered around the heroine's story, small details from the villainess' life would not be included. (Y/N) probably had her own schedule to work with, and so you had no idea what was coming.
"Oh… You're right, Harold. Could you.. remind me what was on today's program?" You chuckled a little nervously, fingers fiddling with the hem of your sleeping garments. The old man's face turned into a slight scowl as he sighed.
"Your Father's reception, my Lady, at the Grandsworth domain. Have you forgotten?"
Oh… right. The Grandsworth reception. How could you have forgotten about it? Even the heroine would be present, and today was the event that originally had prompted (Y/N) to despise the heroine… but you would not let this happen. No matter what life would throw at you, all you had to do was avoid conflict, let people abandon you and more importantly, avoid this assassin at all costs. You could not afford to take a single risk.
The maids started working, incessant, unending comings and goings, bickering over which colour your nail polish should be, how your hair should be arranged, how frills would look absolutely distasteful on such a dress… Trivial things you could not be bothered thinking about right now. In the end, the maids' work did not turn out to be awful. As mean and petty as (Y/N) was in the story, she was also unbelievably beautiful, and… it was probably all she had, in all honesty.
Small, steady steps towards the carriage were taken in these incredibly uncomfortable shoes you were prompted to wear, yet you did not complain once. As you watched the landscape slide along behind the glass window, a deep sigh escaped your lips. What was (Y/N) even like before she started bullying the heroine? What kind of personality did she harbor? Would you play the role correctly? So many questions that could not be answered to a satisfying degree, and you would unfortunately have to wait.
Both the kitchen and the gardens were bustling with people; butlers and maids making haste to refill liquor glasses and hors-d'oeuvres, the cooks, overworked to death and struggling to keep up with the unending demand for savory pastries, and the insufferable children running around and into people's legs without a single care in the world. In your past life, you would have never imagined finding yourself in such a situation, especially since you were not of noble birth.
In your memories, the villainess had used this reception as an opportunity to flaunt her beautiful, expensive new dress and jewelry, bringing forth the heroine's arrival like a shining knight on his white horse; a natural, low-maintenance pretty girl who was nothing like her counterpart. As such, you decided to remain silent, grabbing a glass of wine and stepping away from the general commotion to have a small walk in the gardens.
The fragrance of blooming spring flowers invaded your surroundings as you exhaled softly. Finally, peace, far from all the noise and agitation, far from the heroine and her love interests. You could lower your guard a little bit. Distracted by the pretty scenery, you, in fact, did not hear the ominous sound of children screaming as they ran closer and closer and eventually, what had to happen, happened.
You found yourself falling and before you even had a second to gasp, and your back hit something. Something harder than grass, yet softer than stone. You shook your head a little and turned around, realising it was in fact another human being.
"Oh, I— I apologise, I did not mean to-"
You blinked once, then twice, then your face grew pale.
"Mm? No harm done, no offence taken~. Are you alright?"
Soft-looking, fluffy mint green hair, dull reddish eyes with somewhat green hues, pale and almost sickly looking skin and a fit yet short frame, a classy white and blue suit… If this was a twisted joke from the gods, you were ready to fight them all. Of course, out of all the people— out of all the nobles, children, gossiping wives, butlers, elderly and merchants, it had to be him. Oh, how you resented yourself for even believing you would be allowed a single second of respite, even in another world. Dying was apparently not enough, you now had to talk to eye level with your major death flag, and worse even, you had made physical contact with him. It was as if—
"If you are feeling unwell, should I fetch a maid?" He asked with a small smirk, almost amused at your discomfort
"NO! I mean… No, I am feeling alright, merely a tad embarrassed. My apologies."
You regained your composure and cleared your throat, dusting yourself a little before your eyes met his. Lohen. The most talented young assassin the kingdom had ever seen in the story. It had to be him. "Of course. I have not even done anything wrong— and I do not even intend to! Why, oh why do I have to bear such a curse? Dear god, please let me live in peace! I have suffered the throes of death once already; has whatever debt I had not been collected yet?" you internally lamented as the young man kept looking at you with the most gloating smirk.
"Mhm~" he hummed, looking away from her for a second. He then also cleared his throat and gave a polite, deep bow, as tradition required it, though it probably did not require the unsettling grin that came with it. "I am Lohen. I suppose you are Lady (Y/N) Du Randier?"
"Ah… and he is so handsome too. I am so, so sorry Lohen, it is not against you, but… I cannot afford to stay around you, not when you are my most imposing death flag!" you thought, full of conviction.
"Indeed, pleased to meet you, Sir Lohen. Now, if you will excuse me, I believe I have matters to attend to." You swiftly bowed and left as fast as your poorly-sized shoes would let you, leaving the young man very interested in the garden, his gaze following your steps like a hunter tracking a rabbit.
Stepping away, you gave a sigh of relief and took a sip of your wine, swirling it in your glass, staring pensively at the dark red liquor. One single encounter could not have triggered the entire chain of events, could it..? Snapping out of it, you confidently walked further away from the walking death flag. You could feel that something was off, but could not quite put your finger on it.
It was only noon when the very last carriage arrived at the Grandsworth estate; a carriage well known among the nobles as it harbored the Melusine crest, a very influential noble family that was even rumored to have ties with high-ranking state officials. First, the two eldest sons walked out, then soon enough held their hands up for the brand new family member; a short, thin young girl with sparkling golden eyes, luscious, clear blonde hair, flawless skin, perfect pink lips and a sky-blue dress covered in sparkling little butterflies. With an innocent expression, she bowed down to the other nobles.
"M-My name is… L-Lumine Melusine… It is nice to make your acquaintance…"
You inwardly cringed a little at her behavior. But of course, you had read this book when you were probably a teenager, how could one blame you? Though, you now realised how embarrassing your choice of literature was. You politely bowed, much like the other nobles, yet remained silent. Normally, the true villainess in the story would have found a way to humiliate her on arrival— and again, how could she be blamed?
In any case, the heroine had finally made her appearance, and it was time for the villainess to remain quiet in a corner of the garden until she could ride the carriage back home. Exactly as it happened in the story, every single person the original soul had known was immediately enamored with the young Melusine woman. Her cutesy doe eyes, innocent and charming mannerisms, the way she would blink a few times while blushing at people she did not know… it made your skin crawl a little more every time.
While you were minding your own business, eating a few hors-d'oeuvres, Lumine came to greet you with a bow. It seems destiny wanted you two to meet after all. You politely bowed back and introduced yourself in the kindest way possible.
"Oh, you are (Y/N) Du Randier? I have heard so much about you! I hope we can be good friends! Hehe!"
"Ugh… how am I going to live with this?" you thought, thankfully not out loud.
"Of course, it would be my pleasure, Lady Lumine." You said with a curt bow of your head, the words "for the sake of surviving" repeating like a loop in your mind.
In the end, the reception's events went without a hitch, all according to the story. There were some discrepancies here and there, but it was to be expected after altering the course of a story that had already been written. But something still felt off. A nagging feeling, a slight stinging sensation in the back of your neck… Where was it coming from?
Whatever, you decided not to bother with the inauspicious feeling and moved on with your day, avoiding as many interactions as you could, staying quiet as if you were trying to blend in with the plants. The hours, though unbelievably long, ended up passing and the reception ended, as it was supposed to. The nobles gradually started leaving the estate, entering their carriages again. How ironic that you had not even seen the shadow of your— err, the villainess’ father today although he was the one holding this very reception. The man did not bother greeting you at all, but in all honesty, you didn’t even mind. After all, he was not your actual father.
Most of the nobles were already gone and only a few carriages were still parked or were awaited. Knowing you had more time, you went back to the gardens, watching as the sun shyly hid underneath the horizon. Sitting on the edge of the stone fountain, letting the sound of running water lull you to rest… But every tranquil moment has to end.
"You do not like the Melusine girl."
You clenched your teeth for a second and closed your eyes to focus on not saying something distasteful or rude. Exhaling, you turned to face the source of those words, giving your best smile.
"Oh? My, whatever do you mean, Sir Lohen?"
His face was still turned toward the manor, though his unsettling eyes did travel to yours.
"What I mean is that it is written all over your face. Hah! I have seen poor acting talents before but I must say, yours are exceptionally bad.”
"Tch.." you clicked your tongue and looked away, eliciting a smug smile from the young man. He took a step towards you and chuckled.
"Ah, yes, let me take a guess. I wouldn’t get it, would I?" his voice trailed off, almost teasingly, condescendingly.
"A mere grasp of context is beyond your wildest dreams, sir." You said calmly in an attempt to remain civil, but Lohen’s smile was getting on your nerves. Why was he so amused by your distress? Not that he would know anything about it, of course, yet you couldn't help but despise this man already.
"If that is what you believe, my Lady. May I take a seat?"
He… did not wait for your approval and lowered himself to the edge of the fountain, joining you.
"Ugh, you smug bastard! Why would you pretend you have so much insight on something that lives beyond your very comprehension? And I cannot keep avoiding you lest it would make it obvious!" You were screaming, internally. You could however not help but feel a little sad for him. This story had already been written, and he was fated to fall deeply in love with a girl he could never have, as the Melusine woman was destined to marry the Emperor's son, just like in the story.
"You seem quite troubled. Are you maybe… still embarrassed about earlier?" Lohen inquired while adjusting his gloves, voice coming out as a chuckle. Why did he have to remind you of that in the first place?
"Merely the woes of a lady, you shan't concern yourself with this, Sir Lohen." You said with a dismissive wave of your hand.
In fact, something was odd. At this point in the story, the book was already focused on the heroine, so the Villainess' schedule was completely unknown. Was Lohen supposed to be gone already or…
"Did this conversation happen at all..?" you thought, apparently out loud.
"No, my Lady, this conversation did in fact not happen."
You jumped a little in surprise and immediately turned to Lohen, looking at him with wide eyes, like a deer about to be shot with an arrow.
"W—.. how would you know?!"
He gave another sly smile, his signature expression, in fact. If foxes had human lips, they would harbor the same dirt-eating grin; seeing you lose your composure in such a way seemed to please him greatly. You gulped down. Was he..?
"Whatever do you mean, Lady (Y/N)? We have never had this conversation before. In fact, today was my first time talking to you. Or perhaps did you mean something different?" The young assassin replied nonchalantly, but you could feel him staring from the corner of his eye.
At this point, you could feel your hatred towards Lumine slowly packing its belongings and moving into the Lohen-hating Estate, settling quite comfortably for the sunny and rainy days to come.
You were malding, boiling even, and he couldn’t help but chuckle at your upset expression. What a…
"No, sir, of course not. My apologies, I was merely thinking out loud."
It was in fact possible that this conversation happened in the original book's storyline. (Y/N) and Lohen were not exactly strangers to each other and appeared to have met at least a few times before he ultimately decided to end her life. It only meant one thing! You could not get your hopes up too much.
At long last, after unending minutes, your carriage arrived. You could feel the anxiety slip away like a water slime in a tilted vial. You feigned nonchalance and stood up, dusting your dress once more and giving the young man a polite bow.
"It appears I must take my leave. It was a pleasure meeting you, Sir."
"Of course. The pleasure is mine, Lady Du Randier. May we meet again." He stood up and gave a bow as well, but not without his signature sly smile; the smile that looked like he knew more than he let on, or rather that he profoundly enjoyed making you uncomfortable.
You turned around and walked away, yet you could feel the weight of his gaze on your back, like thin daggers piercing through your skin from behind. More than a death flag, Lohen seemed to be a wildcard, and these news were anything but good.
…
Before you even thought of whimpering in exhaustion, the first thing you did when you finally got back to your room was find an empty notebook and scribble inside of it. If you were going to live in a story that had already been written, you might as well make an entire summary of the plotline, right? At least you now had your fate in your own hands. As much as the encounter with your major death flag was inevitable, you could now find ways to avoid him more efficiently if you could just… remember where he was supposed to be in the original book.
…but nothing came to mind. Of course, Lohen was not one of the main characters at all. The heroine, Lumine, did not even perceive him as a potential love interest, and so his story had never really been elaborate enough to be able to deduce his general whereabouts. It was going to be a real ordeal, and you knew you would have to overwork your memory to the best of your capacities.
However, the dilemma was quite tight: avoiding him too much would raise his suspicions and possibly prompt him to act whether Lumine was involved or not. On the other hand, interacting too much could lead to more mistakes and the risk of getting stabbed or worse would significantly increase. Perfectly balancing both options would prove to be quite the endeavor, but it was the only choice you had.
As much as you would've preferred theorizing on whether your life was in danger at the moment, exhaustion caught up to you rapidly and your eyes were already slowly closing on their own. It was enough for today, and you closed the notebook with a soft yawn, quickly changing into your nightly garments and giving your face a quick wash before stumbling to bed and falling asleep without even bothering to pull your covers up.
A new dawn came and with it, another day of scheming and plotting against your death flags.
Stretching lazily, you allowed yourself to enjoy the beauty of drowsiness for a few more fleeting moments before sitting up and putting on your slippers. And only now did it hit you. How did a noble person’s life go? Normally, you would’ve woken up and walked into your kitchen, barefoot and not even wearing anything decent to grab something to eat, but it was probably not possible anymore, was it? Were you supposed to wait for someone to fetch you? Would you eat in a specific room or would you be served breakfast in bed?
The clock indicated it was, yet again, still early morning. The sky was still a little pink from night’s withdrawal and the sun was not even completely up yet. Your questions were swiftly answered as a maid knocked on your door and entered after you let her, opening your curtains fully and annihilating your eyes a little in the process, then reached for a casual dress in your closet.
“My Lady.”
Was this… your sign to step closer? You wouldn’t know any better, so you did. She dressed you up like you were some kind of doll and gestured for you to follow. She led you to a medium-sized room with a bell-shaped glass roof where a small table and a comfortable, fancy-looking chair awaited you. The table was of refined craftsmanship, ornate with silvery borders, its wood varnished in a beautiful ebony colour, and supported a glassy platter garnished with shortcake— raspberry, you assumed, macarons, a quaint porcelain teapot with beautiful leafless trees painted on it, a tasty-looking omelette with mushrooms and greens… something you couldn’t ever have dreamed of in your previous life.
As you sat down, another butler handed you a journal. You had never been a fan of reading the news, but you figured it could be important in this whole new world. You took the paper, thanking the butler, and opened it. The letters looked absolutely alien to you, yet somehow you could read them.
The titles were probably the same as usual. Yet another beauty contest in the lower quarters of the city, an old bar closed to become a beautiful theater, bodies found in dark alleys, and… oh? An article about the Melusine family caught your attention. It seemed to be about Lumine, more specifically. The very popular family’s newly adopted child was the star of the few paragraphs; how she integrated so well into the family and their manners despite being of low birth, how she could capture the eye of anyone who looked in her direction, and how she was apparently hosting a little party at the Melusine household, to celebrate her arrival on the nobility scene.
A butler laid a few letters on the table and prepared to read them while your eyes were still focused on the journal, looking at the different articles. You caught the cup elegantly between your fingertips, relishing in the tea’s rich aroma, eyes dancing over the letters while the elderly man read whatever advertisements and proposals you were already aware the villainess would often receive.
Sighing, you took another sip, closing your eyes to relax, until the butler uttered the words “invited” and “Melusine household” in the same sentence, prompting you to spit your tea directly at the innocent newspaper. A maid rushed to wipe your chin and dress while you looked up at the old man in awe. “I’m sorry— what did you say?”
He tilted his head a little in confusion at your reaction. “This letter stipulates that you have cordially been invited to the Melusine household for Lady Lumine’s tea party.” he repeated, not understanding your bewilderment. Immediately, your neurons activated and you scavenged through your mind for something, anything that would feel familiar about this situation… but you found nothing.
In fact, it was the opposite. Originally, after (Y/N) had bullied Lumine at the Grandsworth reception, the Melusine girl had decided not to invite her to her tea party, which had upset the villainess even further, leading her to torment the poor heroine more and more. Had your actions already messed up the timeline this badly? And far worse than that, you never remembered any mentions of murder in the original story.
Your arrival in this world had messed up so many things, down to levels you couldn’t even hope to comprehend. It was all your fault. You knew it, but you couldn’t prove it. It made your diaphragm feel as if some iron grip had encased it, but what else could you have possibly done? Surely these grim events would quiet down and settle after a while— law enforcement would probably adapt quickly and deal with the situation… Yes, that was it. It HAD to be.
You emerged from your overthinking under the befuddled gazes of your maid and butlers, coughing softly, regaining a semblance of composure.
“Yes, do let the Melusine household know that I will gladly accept their invitation.” you said, trying not to let the horrible thoughts plague your mind any longer. You knew this story had seen murders in the past because of Lohen’s occupation, but it was never “a few bodies”; it was usually one at a time, very scarcely and they were never being discussed in the newspapers, always within the household. Logically speaking, these could not be his actions. It had never been that bad before.
So then was it your presence? Again, the villainess had never been invited to Lumine’s tea party, but you were. Was your polite first interaction with her changing the course of the story so much it was turning into a more realistic story instead of a romantic one?
No matter how hard you tried, the thought kept looping inside your mind. Even during your outings that day, everything felt distorted, as if everyone was eyeing you, as if everyone knew you were not from here. Of course, you knew it was impossible and you were imagining things, but the thought lingered in your mind, like the rancid aftertaste of rotten fish guts. Walking in the city had become an ordeal, no matter how peaceful the weather and how the birds chirped happily.
Eyes on you. All of their eyes. Looking straight into your soul. You lowered your gaze to the ground, but it did nothing. Your chest felt tight. Your breath started coming out short. They could see all of your flaws. They knew, they knew everything. It was all your fault. You were guilty of it, and you knew it. Their stares felt like a burning torture poker on your sides. Your vision was getting a bit blurry. Your tonsils tightened. The gentle sunlight turned into hellfire on your skin. Cold sweat running down your forehead. The incessant chirping of birds resonated in your head, and so did the sounds of the city. Your mouth was dry. Your clothes felt like a prison. You could feel every single texture on your dress. Your sleeves impaired your arms’ movements. You were trapped. You felt yourself retching and gagging on your own spit. It was as if your brains weighed tons in your head, forcing you to bow it down. Your heartbeat increased. They were looking. All of them. They—
“Hah, fancy running into you here, my Lady~.”
Your panic attack was interrupted and your eyes traveled all the way up, meeting some familiar dull red ones. What was he doing here?
“L—.. Sir Lohen. I-indeed.” you managed to get the words out through your tight, dry throat, your voice faintly shaking. He tilted his head a little, looking at you. You couldn’t read his expression due to your anxiety rising, but you could hear his grin.
“Mmm, is everything alright? You look awfully pale today.”
“Just a little tired, is all,” you lied, “and what about you, sir? Running errands, perhaps ..?” you asked, trying to switch topics before it became more uncomfortable. He looked at you for a few seconds, as if analysing your behaviour, and kindly decided it was not worth making a Lady have a full-blown panic attack in his presence, and in public.
“Indeed. I am here to pick a present for someone~ but I see you are already very busy, so I shall leave you to your affairs. I wish you a woooonderful day, Lady (Y/N).”
He didn’t even give you a second to reply before he happily trotted away and, you couldn’t tell if it was the annoyance taking over, but your panic had subsided. You could no longer feel eyes on your back and your breathing was completely normal again. Turning around, you cast a last glance at him, almost thankful before you shake your head and return to your own errands.
After today’s exhausting panic, your state had improved a little. You were finally able to feel the gentle breeze on your skin and the sun no longer felt like some enraged predator. Sitting in the greenhouse of your parents’ estate, you looked down at your cup of tea, tracing its mouldings with your thumb. Finally, a long exhale. The Melusine tea party was in a few days but until then, there was nothing on your calendar.
At least, you could rest for today.
@sei-x-shi @analiee6 @rukiatheloml @lunavixia
As per usual, let me know if you want to be added to the taglist
Summary : In which, after almost killing you with one of his poisons, Lohen stops making them altogether. Unfortunately for him, this leaves him with a new problem.
How exactly is he supposed to make you fall in love with him?
Desperate and increasingly frustrated, he begins seeking romantic advice from anyone unfortunate enough to cross his path, spreading panic throughout the city of freedom as Mondstadt's most terrifying man attempts the impossible: courtship.
The first victim was a florist.
Lohen stood near the entrance of Floral Whisper, frowning at the colorful flowers displayed.
Flora, who was busy watering the flowers almost dropped the can upon seeing him. "...Can I help you?"
"I need advice." Lohen stared.
The florist froze.
Advice?
From her?
Was the world ending?
"What kind of advice?" she asked with the most polite smile she could muster.
Lohen looked visibly exhausted just from participating in the conversation.
"There's a girl." he started.
The watering can hit the floor. "...What?"
"A girl." he repeated.
A horrible silence followed.
Flora cleared her throat awkwardly. "You... like a girl?"
Lohen raised a brow, catching the genuine confusion in her tone. "Am I not allowed to?"
The girl quickly shook her head, waving her hands above her chest. "N-no! Of course you can. I just—well—girls like flowers?"
Desperate to be helpful, she grabbed a basket overflowing with colorful blooms and shoved it toward him. "Here! Keep them, free of charge."
Lohen glanced at the basket, his finger raising to poke one petal with an unamused expression. "Flowers die easily though."
"..."
"They're essentially just decorative corpses."
The florist had no response to that.
Lohen left.
The second victim was a bard.
Not just any bard, it was Barbatos himself! (Unfortunately.)
Venti seemed particularly happy when Lohen asked him the question, laughing loudly until strangers threw him annoyed looks.
"Write her a poem. Women love men who aren't afraid to voice their feelings." he suggested.
Lohen frowned. "A poem? That sounds like a waste of time. And paper."
The bard shook his head with a pityful smile. "Oh sweet child. You truly are so inexperienced."
...
And so that night Lohen sat on his table, staring at a blank piece of paper as if hoping some beautiful writing would manifest by itself.
He'd already asked sixteen people.
At this point, desperation had set in.
---
You are like a poisonous flower,
Crushed and blended-
---
Nope. Terrible.
---
Your eyes are like-
---
Absolutely not. Your eyes were just eyes.
---
Just like corpses which are buried deep into the dirt,
I wish you too, could be buried deep inside of m-
---
Lohen crushed the paper before he could finish writing that sentence.
He was truly losing his mind.
The third victim suggested chocolates.
Lohen actually considered it. For almost three seconds.
Then he remembered what had happened the last time he gifted you something edible.
The nauseating feeling that had been plaguing him for the past few days returned.
No.
No chocolates.
By the fourth day, word had spread.
The city's most terrifying man was apparently courting someone.
People were terrified.
Who was the poor girl?
Was she safe?
Should someone warn her?
More importantly,
Whose advice would the Vice Captain actually listen to?
The fifth victim was a fellow Knight. A Knight unfortunate enough to have a girlfriend.
Lohen cornered the poor man, unsheathing the dagger he owned and pressed the tip gently against the man's finger.
"As you know, I need advice regarding a girl." The dagger rose. "Speak."
The Knight racked his panicking brain for anything. Each second wasted was another step closer to hellish torture after all. "U-Um... P-play TCG with her?"
Lohen blinked. "That stupid card game?"
Seeing he wasn't immediately being stabbed, the Knight found a sliver of courage. "Yeah...it's very fun. I play it with my girlfriend."
Lohen frowned, tilting his head slightly. "Isn't your girlfriend blind?"
The knight laughed. For a brief moment, remembering his girlfriend outweighed his fear. "That's why it's fun for me."
Lohen rolled his eyes in disgust.
Idiotic.
Absolute disgrace of a man.
The next day Lohen appeared in your house carrying an absurd amount of cards.
You immediately became suspicious.
Because normally when Lohen showed up carrying things, there was approximately a 60% percent chance of poisoning.
A statistic you found acceptable. But terribly low. 98% would have been better.
Today, however, he simply dumped the cards onto the table.
"Play." was all he said.
...
And so you did.
Lohen had a remarkable talent for dragging you into whatever nonsense occupied his mind.
It was almost as if after spending years being poisoned by him, your resistance against his whims had diminished to a negative.
The game began.
Lohen quickly discovered that card games were incredibly boring.
He understood poisons. He understood combat. He understood murder.
Cards made no fucking sense.
Just random rules stacked on top of random rules until someone declared it entertainment.
But somehow you seemed invested. Halfway into the second game you started playing seriously. You paused before every move. Grinned whenever you knew you had an advantage. Looked personally offended whenever he played a powerful card.
And then...
"I won!" you leaned back on your chair, throwing the cards on the table with a triumphant smile.
Lohen felt a sharp spike of irritation.
Huh. That was just beginners luck.
"Again."
You won again.
"Did you cheat (Y/N)? Play again."
Another win.
".... Again."
You win.
"Are these cards broken or something? Again."
Hours passed.
At some point it became less about winning and more about watching you play.
He noticed the way you concentrated, the way your lips curled into a small smile after each win. The way your eyes lit up whenever you got lucky.
It was ridiculous.
The game itself remained stupid.
But somehow you weren't.
Lohen's gaze lingered before dropping back to his unfamiliar cards.
Eventually he deliberately misplayed a hand.
Then another. And another.
You didn't notice. You were too busy celebrating after all.
"I won again!" you looked comically proud of yourself.
Lohen suppressed a laugh. If you realized he was letting you win, you'd never let him hear the end of it.
After the last card was delt and he lost once again, an awkward silence took over.
The cards lay scattered across the table. And Lohen didn't know where to look.
This was it. The advice had ended there.
'Play cards.' he remembered the knight had said.
Mission complete.
....
Now what?
It was you who broke the silence first. Your eyes were fixed on a random card as the words escaped your mouth. "Why don't you poison me anymore Lohen?"
For perhaps the first time in years, he was caught completely off guard.
Of all the things you could have said...You chose the one question he never wanted to answer.
Seeing how Lohen went quiet, you pushed again. "I miss it you know. Your food and the poison that came along with it."
A small, fond smile graced your lips.
Each dish he made was so meticulously cooked, perfected and worked upon with so much care for the person who'd taste it.
More than the poison itself, you missed the warmness of it all. The feeling of someone going out of their way for you.
Lohen sighed, turning his head away. ".... You nearly died (Y/N)." The words left him before he could stop them.
You paused.
Oh.
You had forgotten about that part.
To you had been an unfortunate accident. Poisons were often unpredictable, especially those which had never been tested.
But to Lohen, the memory of your pale body had etched itself into his memory.
The blood pooling on the table, the rough coughs that crawled out of your throat. The utter panic and fear he felt when you hadn't woke up... it was all still so fresh in his mind.
His fingers tightened against his sleeve. "Poison is not some toy that you can play with."
His voice sounded bitter.
Almost as if he was accusing himself, not you. Reminding himself that human life was not some ingredient he could toss into a bowl and mix.
You understood him to some degree. You wondered if you were in his place... Would you have reacted so intensely?
But there was one thing you knew for certain.
"I still loved it, though."
Lohen hesitated, glancing up at you with a questioning look.
"I mean—not dying obviously." You quickly added,
"Mhm."
"The poison." you smiled.
"..."
"I liked the poison you made, Lohen."
He knew it.
You were even more insane than him.
A complete contradiction to everything he thought he knew about people.
Normal people feared his hobbies.
Normal people avoided him.
Normal people certainly didn't look disappointed when he stopped poisoning them.
Yet here you sat.
Looking genuinely sad about it.
It was so foolish and yet...
A small laugh escaped him. He ran a hand through his hair before his eyes settled on you completely.
"You're an idiot (Y/N)."
You raised a brow. "Coming from you, that's offensive."
He shrugged. "If you want poison that badly..." A reluctant smile appeared.
"I'll make mild ones."
You immediately sat up, leaning closer with a bright smile.
And just like that, he understood.
All these years, this was what he'd wanted.
A smile meant only for him.
A part of you that belonged solely to him.
"I will poison you forever then."
You grinned. "That sounds perfect."
"So we're dating." Lohen put his hands together.
You stopped mid motion, confused on whether your ears had suddenly malfunctioned. "What? Where did that come from?"
Lohen gave a playful pout, batting his eyelashes at you like some teenage girl. "You just agreed to let me poison you forever."
"That's not—" you reasoned.
"And I agreed."
You took a deep breath. "That's not a confession."
"You're right," He stood. "those were our wedding vows!" the boy laughed lightly, and walked towards you.
His hand wrapped around your wrist, pulling you up until you stumbled out of the chair and closer to him.
"... Are you seriously asking me to date you, Lohen?" you turned your head up to meet his gaze. Despite his playful words, he looked utterly sincere as he stared back.
"Uhm." he leaned closer, his nose brushing faintly against yours. He was waiting for a reaction, a sign that would tell him it's alright for him to take more.
You never stepped away.
Never told him no.
That was all he needed.
From that day onward, things became strangely normal.
Or as normal as they could be.
Before creating new poisons, Lohen started consulting your medic friends.
"Will this kill her?" he asked one.
"No."
Lohen smiled. "Good."
"What is wrong with you?"
The people of Mondstadt were the ones who were the most relieved.
Because now Lohen became noticeably less interested in terrorizing everyone else.
He was too busy following you around.
Too busy making poisons.
Too busy pressing tiny kisses on your neck and cheek.
Too busy listening whenever you rambled about medicine.
Years later, the sight became familiar inside a small house with a cluttered laboratory, tucked away in a quiet corner of the city.
Lohen usually hunched over a workbench, carefully mixing another poison.
And you standing nearby. Watching him with shameless affection.
Occasionally helping.
Occasionally reminding him not to accidentally create something lethal.
In the end, the city never truly understood your relationship.
But perhaps that was fine. Because they didn't need to.
One man who expressed love through poison.
Only two people understood it...
And one girl foolish enough to love him for it.
Fin
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
AND THAT IS THE END OF THIS STORY. This was the first time I had so many people comment and like something I wrote and as much as it was overwhelming, I loved writing every bit of it.
Lohen is the type of insane person that I love to write, and coming about with stupid scenarios was a blast.
Thank you sm for reading! Let me know your thoughts.
Summary- In which, after a year, Lohen's masterpiece is complete. Every feeling he's ever had poured into a single crimson poison.
Yet when you collapse after drinking it, he assumes at first that you're simply being dramatic. But as time drags on and you remain still, realization slowly settles in.
Warning: Blood
Today was the day. The most anticipated day for the Vice Captain of the Knights of Favonius.
It was....
THE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY SINCE HE STARTED POISONING YOU!
And as a gift, he had poured every feeling he possessed into a single, beautifully crafted poison.
For weeks, Lohen had locked himself inside his home, surviving on pure spite and stubbornness. Test tube after test tube had been discarded. Mixtures were remade. Ratios adjusted. Entire nights vanished beneath candlelight.
Until finally, he had perfected it.
'My heart'.
His 99th poison.
It sat inside a crystal bottle no larger than his palm.
Crimson in color. Like fresh blood under sunlight. Like crushed roses. Like any other romantic metaphor he could think of.
He thought it was terribly passionate. The ultimate love confession.
He was sure that after drinking it you'd finally, finally fall in love with him.
"Your heart tastes awful." was the first thing you said after chugging down the liquid.
Lohen stared.
The vial was empty, tiny droplets of red still clung to your lips as you licked away the last traces.
"... It's not good?" the boy asked innocently leaning towards you over the table that separated you.
You didn't notice the way his fingers tightened around the edge of the wood.
"Oh it's fine," you muttered. "It just tastes like dirt and vomit mixed together."
Silence.
Three months.
Three months of calculations, experiments, and sleepless nights.
Dismissed in a single sentence.
He had never felt so much all at once. He didn't care what other people thought. He never had. Yet for some reason, hearing you say it made him want to crawl into the nearest grave and stay there.
You threw the vial back at him. He caught it with ease.
"It might actually be your worst one. You didn't even hide the poison properly." you simply said.
Lohen sighed, gazing at the empty bottle, gripping it so hard that a crack almost formed. "... I see."
You tilted your head, confused as to why he looked so disappointed.
You parted your mouth to speak.
Only a muffled voice came out.
Instead, something warm slid down your chin.
A red drop struck the wooden table, the sound of the splatter causing Lohen to look up.
"(Y/N)?!" his reaction was immediate.
Blood was dripping down your chin, your skin paler than usual. You coughed once, then again, blood spitting out with each desperate movement.
Your vision blurred, dizziness taking over. And before Lohen could reach over, your chair scraped against the floor.
Then your body collapsed forward.
Your head struck the table with a sickening crack.
At first, Lohen was pleased.
Or perhaps pleased wasn't the right word.
Satisfied.
Yes.
He was satisfied.
Served you right for insulting his masterpiece, he thought.
He sat on the chair beside your bed with his legs crossed and his arms folded, watching your unconscious form with all the irritation of a man forced to endure a particularly boring lecture.
He scoffed as he remembered your words, 'dirt and vomit' you had said.
He'd spent months perfecting that poison.
Months!
The thought alone made him scowl.
The medics assured him there was nothing to worry about. They explained that the reaction was likely the result of an unstable interaction between several compounds and that your body simply needed time to recover.
"She'll would wake up soon." they said.
Lohen believed them....For the first hour.
By the second, he found himself checking the clock. By the third, he stopped pretending he wasn't.
The room had grown darker, night fell and the city went quiet.
Still, you slept.
Lohen drummed his fingers against the armrest.
You were taking an awfully long time. You were always like that, dramatic and terribly dense.
He wasn't worried though.
That would be ridiculous.
You'd survived ninety-nine poisons. There was no reason to believe the ninety-ninth would suddenly kill you.
And yet, he found himself staring at your face, waiting for any sign of movement. Your chest rose and fell in rhythm, a small reminder that you were still alive.
But it wasn't enough for Lohen.
He wanted you to open your mouth.
To speak, to complain, to praise.
A medic entered at some point, asking the Vice Captain to rest. And that he should return the next day.
The suggestion felt absurd.
What if you woke up while he was gone?
So he ignored their pleas, stubbornly sitting right by your side.
The medic eventually left. Leaving the boy with your sleeping body.
The room grew quiet. Too quiet.
Lohen had never noticed how much noise you normally made until now.
The way you complained about everything. The way you mocked his poisons. The way you constantly spoke even when nobody asked you to.
And now, in this silence, he found himself craving all of it.
He hated it.
The heart he had so carefully guarded in his chest, acted like a stranger when it came to you. It reacted before he could name it, twisting in ways that didn’t fit any language he knew.
"Hey," he finally spoke. His voice sounded small. "Wake up already." he shook your shoulder lightly.
"We've done this before." His fingers curled around the blanket. "You always wake up."
Something cold crawled down his spine.
For the first time that day, Lohen realized he could not remember the last thing you had said to him.
No. That wasn't right.
He could remember it perfectly.
"Your heart tastes awful."
The memory hit him like a slap.
Suddenly, the months he had spent on that ridiculous poison felt suffocating. He wished he could go back in time and stop himself from ever placing that first package on your doorstep.
Because in the end, where had all that effort led?
It led to this moment.
To a bed stained with sweat. To your lips dripping with crimson red.
His stomach twisted.
All he wanted was to give you something special.
Something that would make you think of him.
Something that would prove his feelings.
Instead, he'd nearly handed you death wrapped in a pretty bottle.
'How fitting.' he let out a dry laugh.
That was all he was capable of giving.
What else could he possibly offer?
Unlike flowers that wither and letters that can be burned, carnage and poison was the only thing he was good at.
And apparently even his greatest talent was capable of doing exactly what everyone expected it to do.
Destroy things. Destroy people.
Destroy you.
His gaze dropped to his hands. The same hands that had mixed every ingredient. The same hands that took part in your 'death'.
For the first time in a long while, they looked unfamiliar. He wondered briefly if they had always looked so unpleasant.
Stained and scarred in a filthy way.
Lohen leaned back into his chair and covered his eyes with one hand. The corners of his mouth pulled upward.
Even now he was smiling. Ugly and crooked and disgusting.
All this time he'd been convinced that his feelings would somehow transform his poison into something beautiful.
As if affection changed its nature.
As if devotion purified it.
As if a toxin stopped being a toxin simply because it came from the heart.
What a stupid thing to believe.
His idea of romance had almost killed you. And for a brief moment, he found himself understanding why everyone called him strange. Why they looked uncomfortable whenever he spoke too enthusiastically about his interests.
His fingers, which had been curled tightly into the blanket this entire time, finally loosened. They drifted toward your face.
His gloved knuckles brushed against your cheek first.
You were warm.
The thought bought him some comfort.
He hadn't realized how tense he'd become until that moment. A shaky breath escaped him as his fingertips lingered against your skin, tracing the curve of your cheekbone.
"...I'm sorry (Y/N)." he whispered.
He wasn't sure whether he was apologizing for the poison.
Or himself.
His hand continued downward. Until his fingers hovered over your lips.
He hesitated.
His thumb brushed lightly against your lower lip. "...I'll stop poisoning you." the words slipped out before he could stop it.
His thumb gently parted your lips. Checking if you were still present with him, pressing on the pink flesh till your saliva touched the tip of his glove. "Just open your eyes already."
Lohen remained there for a few more seconds, staring at your face. Waiting for some sign of movement.
When none came, he leaned back into his chair, exhaustion clouding over his face.
He noticed the faint dampness on his thumb.
A normal person would probably find that disgusting.
But to Lohen this was a part of you that he had dared to steal without anyone looking. Without much consideration, he licked it from his glove.
"That's disgusting..." A weak, trembling voice shattered the silence instantly.
Lohen's head snapped upward. For a second, he simply stared.
Your eyes were open. Barely.
Heavy with exhaustion, struggling to remain focused. The faint candlelight caught against your half-lidded gaze, and for a moment you looked utterly lost.
Like someone who had wandered too close to death and wasn't entirely certain they had found their way back.
But you were alive. And Archons, now that you were actually awake, his mind went completely blank.
For a moment he did not speak, just leaned forward until his head rested against your stomach.
A long, shaky breath left him, like something in him had given up resisting. "...Finally."
It didn't sound like relief, far from that. It sounded weary.
Then, as if remembering himself, he straightened.
His usual expression returned. He knew you’d prefer it over whatever he had been drowning in before.
"...You took forever."
And after that incident, the Vice Captain eventually stopped gifting you poison.
Fin
Part 1, Part 2 (current), Part 3
There will be a part 3 of this which will be the finale. I wanted to focus more on his conflicting feelings for the reader here, hence it was not as light hearted as the first one. However, the 3rd part is prob gonna be more comedy.
The part one got so much love that I was almost scared to post this in fear that it would be disappointing. Nevertheless, I hope you liked it.
So many of you recommend ideas and honestly yall r so talented, I tried adding some of it here...
Thank you sm for reading! Let me know yr thoughts.
Summary : In which, you find a poisoned meal at your doorstep every morning. And so, you make it your life's motto to savor it and provide your thoughts.
Much to Lohen's dismay, you never seemed particularly impressed by any of his carefully crafted poisons.
While most love stories begin with flowers, yours began with poison.
Most people reacted poorly to poison. They cried, screamed, and maybe even succumbed to death.
You, apparently smiled.
Lohen had first heard the rumor by accident.
"Apparently the new medic (Y/N) has a strange fascination with toxins," a knight muttered over drinks.
He hadn’t meant to care. He really hadn’t. But something about the word 'fascination' lodged itself under his skin like a splinter that refused to be ignored.
So, naturally, he did what any reasonable man with too much curiosity and too little restraint would do—he investigated.
Two alchemists confirmed it later, whispering that you had once voluntarily tasted diluted snake venom just to observe its effects.
That further piqued his curiosity.
And what better way to find out the truth than test the rumor himself?
After a day of locking himself in his house, he had come up with his very own poison. Made from the remains of a dendro slime, mixed with a few crushed petals of Dendrobium, and a generous splash of expired alcohol stolen from the Cat’s Tail.
He didn't know if it was truly toxic. In fact, he just mixed random ingredients he found revolting.
He wasn't planning on truly poisoning you after all. In its current concentration, it would merely cause temporary numbness (maybe).
And so he placed a cute little package in front of your house (he stole the documents that held information of those working under the Grand Master to find your address). Inside the package was a plate of Hash Brown he had cooked himself.
Of course, the poison was sprinkled on top as well.
He knocked on the door to your house and hid in a bush nearby.
He watched the door open, a shiver of excitement going down his spine.
But when you stepped out, his eyes widened. You weren’t what he had imagined. Not old, not bitter, not hunched over with tired eyes and stained robes.
You looked... young and composed. Normal in fact.
You glanced at the package, shrugged, and brought it inside.
The next day, he had half hoped there would be some commotion. Instead, nothing happened.
Lohen found that significantly more unsettling than if you had screamed.
Did you not open it?
Did you die?
Worse, did you throw it away?
By the second day, irritation curdled into curiosity again, and curiosity dragged him back to your house.
He hadn’t even reached the door when something stopped him.
A box.
His box.
He stared at it, then at the note pinned neatly on top.
It read-
---
Observation Log
Possible dendro slime derivative.
Taste profile:
Slight bitterness.
Floral aftertaste.
Perhaps traces of alcohol.
Symptoms:
Tingling lips.
Mild numbness in fingers.
Onset approximately twenty-five seconds.
Conclusion:
Sloppily made poison.
---
He stared at the handwriting. The faint smell of alcohol lingering on the hastily ripped paper.
'..... Sloppy?' he scoffed, annoyance creeping up into his face. He crumbled the paper, staring at the door with a sadistic smile.
"Fine then. I'll show you real poison."
The next morning, another box appeared at your doorstep.
Like last time, you took it into your home. You had no idea who was delivering these, but the last package being drenched in a mild toxin made it interesting enough for you to open.
You tore open the box.
This time, it was a plate of mushroom pizza.
"Oh, that looks delicious." you muttered to yourself, noticing the unusual purple coloring on the crust.
You reached and held a piece of the pizza near your mouth. And without a care, you took a huge bite from the area where the coloring was the brightest.
The following day, Lohen returned to find another note on your doorstep. This time it was more detailed than the last.
---
Observation Log
Low concentration of Aconitum.
Taste profile:
Initial sweet-bitter note.
Followed by burning sensation.
Symptoms:
Numbness.
Dizziness.
Loss of strength.
Conclusion:
Good posion. Easily countered.
Although, I liked the taste of the pizza.
(attached are my other observations)
---
There were six pages attached.
Six.
Lohen stared, flipping through the pages with a smile. "God. She's insane."
This started the exchange of poisons and paper notes.
The next package that Lohen put on your doorstep had a small note of his own.
---
To the Medic
Firstly, fuck you.
Secondly, you missed a secondary ingredient. (Hint : It was Naku weed)
Thirdly, thank you for complimenting the pizza.
I made it myself.
---
Your response appeared the next morning.
---
To the Poisoner
1. Rude.
2. I did not miss the ingredient. Naku weed has no toxic properties. Just color.
3. The posion on the crust was obvious. Are you perhaps new to this poisoning thing?
---
Your responses pissed the Vice captain even more. Because how dare a lowly medic like you have the audacity to critic his cooking?!
He tried even harder after that.
More precise blends. Better masking. Controlled dosages. Carefully calibrated ingredients. Tried perfecting the recipe so you couldn't find any faults.
Everything.
After making sure everything was perfect, he delivered the next package. A plate of Northern Apple Stew.
The reply next day was written in a crumbled paper with messy handwriting.
---
Rules for Future Poisoning
1. No explosive diarrhea.
2. No permanent injury.
3. No organ damage.
4. No blindness.
5. No poisoning children.
6. Food should remain edible
---
Lohen rolled his eyes at the rules. "Killjoy." To him these rules just were unnecessary boundaries that ruined his fun.
But he never wanted to stop this exchange between the two of you. It was much too entertaining for him.
Unknown to him, that night ended with you locking yourself in your room. Having non stop diarrhea for hours.
Soon the notes became longer than the poisons themselves.
One morning, the package you opened had a plate of Cream Stew.
And this time the note attached had a list of ingredients used.
---
Current Theory
The toxin should produce localized muscle weakness.
Estimated duration:
Two hours.
Possible side effects:
Dizziness.
Drowsiness.
Complaining.
Will you be able to guess what I used (Y/N)? °^°?
---
Three days later Lohen received something he could only call a report.
A dossier.
Twenty-two pages which included diagrams, charts, annotated symptom timelines.
And corrections.
So many corrections.
---
Page 14: dosage error.
Page 17: please stop using kitchen spoons as lab tools.
Page 19: “Did you eyeball the concentration?”
---
Unfortunately Lohen had. And he hated that you noticed.
Months passed and somehow it became a routine.
Your medic colleagues grew increasingly worried seeing you drowsy every other day.
"Do you know who keeps sending you poison?" one asked.
You shook your head. "No, not really."
"Shouldn't that concern you?"
You looked confused. "Why?"
"Because they're poisoning you...?"
You blinked. Honestly, if the person wanted to kill you, they could have used other deadly toxins. Yet, they always made sure to use small doses and non lethal ingredients.
You smiled to yourself. "They are very considerate actually."
"... Oh." the medic froze.
You tapped a finger on your cheek. "They also have lovely handwriting."
"..."
The medic walked away. Unable to continue the conversation.
Lohen, meanwhile, was also not doing well.
Varka had his suspicions when he first saw the crazed man laughing while tasting the exotic plants he had ordered.
One day, while Lohen was away on a mission, he broke the lock of his drawer and read through all the papers in there.
Papers about toxic plants. Possible ingredients. And of course, all the notes you had written to him.
He ran a hand through his hair. "What the hell is happening in Mondstadt?"
Varka immediately dragged Lohen by the collar and pushed him into the store you worked in to apologize.
You looked up from your desk and instantly recognized him as your mysterious poisoner.
Not by his face. But by his hands.
The stained fingertips. The chemical burns. The ink marks. The quiet proof of obsession.
"Oh," you smiled softly. "It's you."
Lohen blinked.
Varka shoved him forward. "Apologise to the lady Lohen."
Oh. So his name was Lohen.
The boy looked deeply offended. "I don't want to."
"Apologize." The Grand Master repeated, his gaze cold.
Lohen sighed dramatically. Then glanced toward you. "...Sorry for poisoning you."
You immediately shook your head, a small laugh escaping your lips. "There is so need for apologies. I should be thanking you actually."
Silence.
Even Varka froze.
You continued, brighter now. "The poisons were genuinely fascinating."
Varka looked horrified.
"I learned to make dozens of new antidotes!"
Lohen stared. Mesmerized.
"Also the toxins were quite creative! Honestly, every morning became something to look forward to."
Varka took a breath, and turned his gaze to the ceiling, perhaps praying to Barbatos why they allowed these two people to exist.
"Also the notes were fun!" you added, opening your drawer and placing the stack of notes you had carefully stapled on the table in front.
Lohen wasn't even listening anymore.
Because you were smiling.
At him.
Because of him.
Because he had poisoned you.
It was a stupid conversation. The girl in front of him was grateful for poisoning her. It was reckless, idiotic and yet...
At that moment his heart made some several terrible decisions.
He realised.
With a lot of hesitation...
That-
'Oh.'
'Oh no.'
'You were kinda cute.'
He had known your name for months. Known where you worked. Known your habits. Your favorite medicinal herbs. The way your handwriting became messier when excited.
But seeing you in person? Actually talking to you?
He was finished.
Absolutely in love.
That night he didn't sleep. Instead he sat at his desk surrounded by herbs, powders, vials, and failed formulas, staring at his next experiment like it might hold divine answers.
Most men wrote poetry.
Most men gifted flowers.
Most men confessed.
But Lohen was not most men.
He lifted a vial of deep red liquid, watching it swirl under lamplight with a manic smile. "If she barely liked the last one... I'll just make one that is even better."
And thus began the greatest romantic pursuit in history.
Not through gifts or heartfelt letters.
But through an escalating series of increasingly sophisticated poisons.
Lohen's new life goal was simple.
Create a poison so fascinating, so beautiful so perfect....
That when you tasted it—
You'd fall hopelessly in love with its creator.
Unfortunately for him, the only thing you fell in love with was the chemical composition.
Fin
Part 2, Part 3
😭 😭 😭 I CANT WITH THIS GUY. I FEEL LIKE HE'S SOMEONE WHO'D GIFT YOU A BOMB CUZ HE LOVES YOU.
Some of the ingredients used r actually toxic while others r just bs. I tried making it as Canon as possible but I'm sure there r some mistakes. Sorry abt tht.
Anyway! Hope you enjoyed! Let me know your thoughts.
Synopsis: the beginning of war part 1 part 2 part 3
TW: yandere themes, SAGAU imposter au, gn!reader, multiple perspectives of the same goal, reader's perspective is not written, mentions of death, english is not my first language, bad grammar, bad writing, not proofread, not too many perspectives (sorry), mischaracterization, no use of y/n, very short, lazily written
Characters: Genshin cast x creator!reader (no romance in this one)
Understanding the gods was a hard thing to do.
Despite having been revived by Mavuika, Kinich found himself at a loss when trying to figure out your thought process.
What was going on in your head when you refused his assistance in keeping you safe? He honestly had no idea. A slight shove in his arm, telling him to stay away and leave you alone was imprinted in his mind.
He thought, what was going on in the dear Creator's head? He did know that you should have power beyond his own Archon, but shouldn't you be weakened? From the years of the chase you had to go through, shouldn't you be weaker than n Archon right now?
You paid a hefty sum of Mora to stay away, your expression one that he couldn't read. He couldn't really stop you in anyway as he was frozen in place, looking at the pouch of Mora you gave him. Did you feel determination? Anguish? Or did you think of a plan to seek out revenge? For all the suffering you endured?
Whatever it was, Kinich couldn't understand it. It was simple enough to know what Mavuika was thinking, considering that she too was a human like him once, that she knows all the emotions that one person can feel in a short amount of time. So, slightly idiotic as he was, he sent Ajaw to spy on you in your lonely walk. He of course grumbled at the request, however the fact that it was the creator that Kinich was worrying about was the only reason that he agreed in the first place.
Ajaw was on the sidelines, out of your line of vision. His small form looked at yours in the far distance.
Nothing out of the ordinary was really happening.
You were just feeding a few injured saurians, nothing strange. Yet, that melancholy expression of yours was worrying. Just as Ajaw was about to leave to report this to Kinich, he halted in his tracks as Fatui surrounded you. The saurians ran away in fear, and he could feel tiny amounts of your divine wrath seeping into the tethers of the grounds of Natlan. He still left though, just to bring Kinich to fight the Fatui.
Yet, something about your expression told him that you didn't need help. And, you were right, as bolts lightning surrounded you, knocking the majority of the Fatui back. They were light headed, likely slipping into unconsciousness. Even the grass around you changed colour, showing the affect of your sheer power. Again, Ajaw and Kinich both didn't understand what was the reason that you were behaving this way. They both didn't understand what you were thinking, and they probably never will.
Capitano found you strange.
When he first sought you out under the orders of the Tsaritsa, he couldn't feel any divine power of yours surging through his rotting corpse. No, it was almost as if you weren't the Creator at all. But now, he felt excruciating amounts of electricity running through his veins.
Perhaps his body got so weak that even from a reasonable distance he still felt the pain of elemental energy. The abyssal corruption wasn't really helping either. Or maybe it was that your power was strong enough to make him feel this way. Whatever it was, the feeling wasn't pleasant. Yet, he still had the energy to walk over to you in his significantly weakened form. He only had one question to ask you, and he wanted the answer clearly.
Why?
Why did you allow the destruction of one of your own nations? Why was it that he and his companions had to suffer? Why did Khanriah had to suffer the wrath of the gods?
He always knew that the imposter was a fake, he felt no resentment towards them, and certainly no terrifying amounts of power that he was now. So, when he was informed of your returning, he only had one thing in mind, to get an answer for his misfortune.
Yet, looking into your eyes, it seemed that you had no intention of answering his questions. The moment he looked at you, a voice boomed in his head. The average mortal would've died from the intensity alone, dying of madness at the loud sound. He could only handle it for the reason that he was cursed with immortality, yet that voice alone was enough for make him perish and never be seen again, his corpse immediately being absorbed by the leylines.
"Leave. Tell the Cryo Archon that I have no intention of taking the position of godhood," and he felt strangely compelled to do so by the voice. His henchmen were thrown at the ground next to him, and a second later, you vanished into thin air. He reached out his hand too late, touching the particles of your now gone presence.
He really couldn't understand you.
Ei couldn't really understand what you were trying to say with your confusingly worded message.
Centuries of being in Teyvat, her soul was practically intertwined with its ground principles. She could feel all the electro users using their elemental energy, or the strike of lightning that she had caused far away. So with this, she could always recognize your power, even after so long, even if it's on the other side of Teyvat. The strike specifically said, in her best understanding:
"Do not enter Natlan under any circumstances, do not wait for me."
She couldn't understand. You would be on the pedestal of your divine throne once more, why shouldn't she come to Natlan and put you in your rightful place? Hasn't she done enough, killing all those who didn't believe in you and even making a shrine for you in Inazuma? She couldn't understand, what part of you wouldn't like these gifts? She even planned an outing for the both of you! The thought of eating together and feeding each other made her all too giddy, wouldn't you feel the same? No, shouldn't you feel the same?
After all her years, decades, centuries of living, she couldn't understand your request. It sent a shiver down her spine, and not in a good way. It was just telling her that she shouldn't even be near the creator, the one she had dedicated her eternity to. It was absolute blasphemy! Why shouldn't she, a loyal follower of yours, be allowed to not enter Natlan? What does Natlan even have any way? It's leylines are weak!
So it would be expected for her to completely rebel against your message, no? The thought of it just went in one ear and out the other, most likely. She prepared her army to raid the nation of war.
She needed answers.
Why do you want her to stay away so badly?
Neuvillette felt a repulsive taste in his mouth.
The more in proximity he got to the Pyro Archon's abode, the more he felt your oncoming anger.
Or was it that the other nations were coming close too?
By the time he reached Natlan, all the Archons were there, each with their respective army. All except Buer, whom he thought was allying with you. The group of them shared a glare, before proceeding to step foot into the Nation.
The first step in and he already felt like vomiting.
The high concentration on the other elemental energy being used was making him sick. The thunderstorms, the vines, he could all feel it in his veins. The one and only thing that prevented him from giving up was you, only you. He could feel your presence, and it all disgusted him that you were in Natlan and not Fontaine. Wasn't his nation better than the one that constantly reeks of war and bloodshed? He really has no place of judging what you did, considering the unfair hiarchy placed by Celestia themselves, but he couldn't help judge your taste.
It seemed like he wasn't the only one that thought what he did too, considering the not so pleasant complection of the other Archons. Their face contorted, and he would have laughed if it weren't for the situation.
He was getting impatient, so just as he was about to use Hydro to attack first, a wall of Geo immediately went up to protect the Nation. They stared at you in disbelief while you returned the stare with disdain.
"Haven't I told you to stay away?" A strike of electro travelled through the ground, and using the current rain, the electro charged reaction attacked the puppet, Raiden first. The level of concentration being much more than what the puppet can handle, her arm fell off her torso, leaving a hollow hole in the area where her limb used to be. Dendro vines slithered and grabbed the Archons' and Dragon's leg, and as much as they tried to escape, they couldn't. The plant went up to Neuvillette's neck, threatening to choke him but just resting on his shoulders instead.
"Just when my identity was revealed you all scurried to me like dogs chasing their owner. It's pathetic really, how delusional you are to think that I would forgive you after everything you've done."
Your veins became more visible, and all of them could see the flow of golden blood throughout your body. Venti was about to say something to your words in protest, but the vines kept his vocal chords in check. You narrowed your eyes at the god of freedom.
"Seriously? Attempting to speak when I've already set boundaries? How lowly. However I'm not that cruel to get rid of your status," Venti got pushed into the walls with your own Anemo prowess; "you should just be weakened beyond repair."
There was a mad look in your eyes, looking for something. One thing that Neuvillette was sure that he couldn't understand was your wrath. The way you looked at everyone with such eyes that showed that you had lost all hope. The way your eyes showed the wanting of revenge. He couldn't comprehend that at all.
Your face held an expression that he never wanted to see in you.
Manic.
Now he was wondering himself, where did he go wrong?
Tried to make this as triggering as possible lol. Like showing off the archon's hypocrisy was fun but also hard to write
Hurried steps echoed against the pavement, sounding hollow against the backdrop of an empty city and raging winds. The gusts grazed against anyone daring to be out still - piercing one's skin harshly and leaving behind a trail of chills.
The captain was careful with his movements, eyeing his surroundings with a predatory gaze. As a cavalry captain of high ranking, he had many nosy busybodies to worry about when it came to his actions.
He slowly made his way up the grandiose staircase leading up to the looming gothic church, his form hidden by the jagged shadows the brief glimpses of the moonlight left behind. He moved with light steps, creeping like a cat up to a mouse, towards a side door. There was no need to alert the other members of the church, after all, when he was only seeking out one in particular.
His gloved fingers reached for the small metallic knocker, and tapped it against the door in a rapid succession of threes. He paused, waiting on bated breath for an answer.
He could hear light shuffling behind the door - which was opened by a pale woman cloaked in black darker than the night sky itself.
"Captain Kaeya," she spoke in a frosty tone, glancing his form over with shielded curiosity. She leaned her hip against the worn frame of the door, her vision casting a dim glow into the darkened room behind her.
"What brings you here?"
"I have something to show you. Something important."
"Oh?" she leaned closer. "Care to give me any details?"
He flashed a lazy smirk her way.
"No can do. Meet me at Dawn winery in an hour."
She raised a brow, before casting a glance into the darkness behind her.
"Very well. I'll be there, captain."
Kaeya nodded. "Good. I'll be expecting you."
With a swish of his cape, he turned on his heel, stalking off into the night once more.
Eula awoke to the sound of soft clanks against the marbled floor of the knights of Favonius. She was wide awake in moments, her vision casting a dim cold light on her quarters. With a muffled rustle of her covers being drawn aside, she rose to her feet, reaching for the weapon propped up by her bed. She was light on her bare feet as she approached the door, ever vigilant as she heard the stifled footsteps nearing her door.
The air around her was frigid - something she had grown used to, comfortable with, even. She breathed in quietly, exhaling out oh her nose. Her breath fogged up in a faint cloud that dissipated quickly.
The footsteps stopped in front of her door.
Ah. So someone was coming for her.
She bristled.
Would it be another one of those vengeful people who wished harm upon her due to her family?
It wasn't entirely unlikely.
Before she could ponder too much on it, however, there was a faint series of knocks on the wooden surface.
Her brows furrowed.
An attacker wouldn't knock, surely?
Still clad in her frilly nightgown, she slowly pushed the door open, keeping her right hand still clutched around her weapon's hilt, concealed by the door.
In front of her, stood Kaeya Alberich. The cavalry captain of Mondstadt.
She felt her brows pull into a harsh scowl.
Why was a fellow captain sneaking around at night?
"Kaeya?" she asked, her tone icy as she looked him up and down, taking in the sight of his weapon on his belt.
"I have a favor to ask of you," he spoke simply, casting her a signature smirk.
One Eula wanted to punch off his face.
"At this hour? Couldn't this wait?" she asked, growing more frustrated by the moment.
First, he interrupted her sleep. And now he was trying to pull some silly prank on her by the looks of it.
"No," Kaeya responded, his tone dropping the playful edge it had teetered on. Suddenly, his face was stony - gaze icy as the vision he carried and determined.
"It's very important. And crucial that you tell no one about this."
"Why?" she asked, still feeling standoffish. The weapon in her hand felt heavy.
"Because it is a matter of life or death. For me and- other parties."
Eula sighed, her shoulders dropping.
"Fine."
"Thank you. Please meet me at Dawn winery in about an hour," he instructed, rising his head up high.
Eula nodded.
"Alright. But you will pay for waking me up, sooner or later."
Kaeya's stifled chuckle made the corners of her own lips twitch upwards.
You were barely awake, sat by the fireplace Diluc had lit up for your comfort - a soft chill having seeping into your frame from running out in just sleepwear earlier. You pulled the blanket he'd graciously offered you closer, inhaling the scent of cuihua wood and ripe grapes clinging to it. It felt comforting. Almost like home.
"Your grace, would you like me to fetch you some tea?" Diluc asked, smiling at you faintly from the armchair he'd been planted in, watching over you.
"There's no need - I'm plenty warm now. Thank you, though."
He nodded, not taking his eyes off you.
Finally - there was a series of knocks on the heavyset doors of the manor - a pattern you had agreed on with Kaeya.
You perked up, peeking over the sofa you'd taken a seat in and trying to see out into the darkness of the night.
Diluc was quick to get on his feet.
"I'll get it," he reassured you, before briskly walking towards the door.
You heard the wooden doors creak open, and heard a hushed exchange of words, before multiple pairs of feet echoed across the wooden floor.
"Now, remember when I told you to keep it all hushed? I meant it," Kaeya spoke, seemingly leading the way.
You gulped.
Who would you be coming face to face with?
You watched as Kaeya entered the room, your breath caught in your throat.
Rosaria was quick to follow him, Eula next. Then, Amber. Then - a pop of color in the form of Klee, who was succeeded by Albedo.
Rosaria and Eula appeared taken aback - the rest having already met you.
You awkwardly waved, a nervous smile breaking out on your face.
"Hi," you spoke softly, allowing the blanket to fall away from your form as you stood to your feet.
"You're..." Rosaria began. Eula rushed to finish off her half-baked statement:
"The imposter. But...you're...not an imposter, are you?"
You shrugged nervously.
"I guess not."
A heavy silence hung above the room, suffocating and thick like smoke.
"They're great! Plants and animals love them! And snow melts on Dragonspine for them!" Klee exclaimed, rushing to your side and looping her arms around your frame. You smiled down at her, patting her head.
"It's true. I've seen it too," Amber admitted, sheepish. Eula cast her a betrayed glance - one which had Amber making apologetic eyes at her.
"I...see. So this is why it had to be kept under wraps? Because of...Mondstadt's and other nations' actions towards them?" Rosaria piped up, her voice icy as she glanced at Kaeya. Her expression had not shifted - her pokerface much stronger than you could have imagined.
The cavalry captain nodded.
"Exactly. I figured you all would be willing to go along with our plans. Celestia knows how stubborn the rest of the knights of Favonius were regarding this matter."
There was a grim silence once more - each person in the room remembering the day you'd been captured - the day you'd been sentenced to death as some lowly criminal for no real wrongdoing.
"It's no wonder the winds have been that harsh. And that all wildlife seems to flee hunters - and that crops have been dying. Teyvat's expressing it's anger towards us," Eula spoke after a while, glancing outside.
"It's perfectly calm here, though."
You smiled awkwardly.
"Sorry about that - I haven't made it do that on purpose..."
She shook her head, stepping closer, her heels clacking against the polished floors. She bowed her head, bringing her hand to her chest.
"You have nothing to apologize for. It's divine retribution. Deserved, at that."
You were taken aback by the harshness of her tone - feeling chills creep over you as she neared your presence.
"I, Captain Eula Lawrence, Spindrift Knight, Knights of Favonius Reconnaissance Company, pledge my allegiance to you," she spoke, lowering herself to one knee.
Your lips parted in surprise - not expecting such grandiose display of loyalty from someone you'd never met before.
Amber grinned and rushed to Eula's side, taking in a similar position.
"I, outrider Amber, pledge my allegiance too, your grace," she chirped, a wide smile on her lips.
Your mouth formed a nervous smile, your gaze flickering towards Diluc and Kaeya.
"I, Rosaria, pledge my allegiance."
"I, Albedo, Chief Alchemist of the Knights of Favonius, pledge my allegiance to you, creator."
"I, Kaeya, cavalry captain of the Knight of Favonius, pledge my allegiance."
"I, Diluc Ragnvindr, pledge my allegiance."
You felt tears brimming in your eyes at the sight. Your throat tightening as you tried to fight the tears.
Klee finally released you from her hold, animatedly bringing a fist to her chest.
"I, Spark Knight Klee of the Knights of Favonius..." she glanced around nervously, her cheeks pink as she tried to recall the words the others had used, "Pledge...myself to you!"
Finally, the dam broke - tears streaming down your face as sparks of joy lit up within your chest - blooming into colorful fireworks of adoration.
"I...you guys....thank you. It means a lot..." you managed to stutter out the words, fumbling as you uttered them. You crouched and pulled Klee into a hug, laughing through the tears.
"Your grace! Are you alright?" Diluc asked, rising to his feet.
You swallowed, nodding your head.
"Yeah...it's all just...overwhelming," you laughed. "They're happy tears, promise," you added, wiping at your watering eyes in vain.
Diluc's concern melted away, his lips forming a soft smile.
Slowly, the others, too, rose to their feet once more. You patted Klee's head and did the same, still wiping at your eyes fruitlessly.
Eula reached into her pocket and pulled out a lovely white handkerchief, one with frilled edges, and her initials embroidered in a corner with shimmery blue thread. She handed it over gracefully, bowing slightly.
"Thank you, Eula," you spoke through tears and accepted it, dabbing at the corners of your eyes. Finally, the floodgates were slowly sealed up, the pouring tears coming to a slow, dribbling end.
You sniffled, trying to blink away the last of the tears.
Kaeya placed a cold, yet comforting hand on your shoulder. You felt the coolness seep into you, soothing your nerves in a gentle caress.
You shot him a weary smile. He simply nodded.
"So, what's the plan, your grace," Rosaria asked, her tight lips forming the faintest hint of a teasing smile. You found yourself relaxing somewhat at that - that she felt comfortable enough with you to teasingly address you with such formalities.
"Well..." you bit your lip, your gaze gliding across everyone in the room.
"I say we reveal your true identity. Publically," Kaeya began, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms. Diluc raised a brow, wanting to see where Kaeya was headed.
"You do a whole showcase of your powers - appear in your fancy golden robes and all that. Maybe even shed a little of your blood-"
"Kaeya!" Diluc snapped, his brows furrowed and a silent, hot wave of rage radiating off of him.
The air was tense once more.
"What?" Kaeya asked, glancing at the man he once called brother lazily. "It'll be undeniable proof that they're the creator," he added, shrugging.
"He does have a point," Amber agreed. "But still... shouldn't the powers be enough?"
Kaeya hummed. "It'll be a last resort - how about that?" he looked to you.
"Yeah...I'm fine with that."
"What next, though?" Eula piped up.
"Well, The Creator will berate and publicly shame the others - maybe show some divine retribution, all that fun stuff."
You stifled a laugh.
All eyes were on you, as though bewitched by the sound.
