Genshin Impact: I, the Winter Prince, reign supreme.

She told Kaiya that she and the prince were innocent and that nothing happened that day.

A few days later, Kaiya brought up the topic again indirectly, and in a fit of anger, she scolded Kaiya.

After getting off work that afternoon, Kaia went to a bar to drown her sorrows. After getting drunk, she got into a fight with a homeless man on the street and was covered in bruises.

She then realized that Kaia cared about her a lot.

But this concern may have crossed the boundaries of a normal relationship between a man and a woman...

Kaeya is brave, resourceful, and exceptionally intelligent, making him a pillar of the Knights of Favonius.

Lisa had told her that the Knights of Favonius could do without her and me, but not without Kaeya. Without him, the Knights of Favonius would be in disarray.

She also agreed with Lisa's opinion.

She and Lisa are the "brains" of the Knights of Favonius, while Kaeya is the "hands and feet" of the organization. He has an exceptional ability to perform and complete a great deal of work.

In his personal life, aside from his alcoholism, Kaiya did not gamble, patronize prostitutes, or use drugs. Unlike previous captains of the Knights of Favonius, he was never involved in any scandals with women and lived a simple and frugal life.

In short, whether in work or in life, Kaeya is one of the best men in Mondstadt, and any woman who marries him will enjoy a life of happiness with him.

But there was something missing in Kaiya that made her heart flutter.

She had seen that kind of thing on Grand Master Falga before.

That was a crisis a few years ago. Three executives from the Winterlands—the Doctor, the Lady, and the Captain—infiltrated Mondstadt under the cover of night, supposedly to steal a treasure from the Wind God.

Grand Master Falgar blocked the path of the three executors. Clad in chainmail and wielding a greatsword, he stood like a mountain blocking the city gate. He told the three executors, "If you come to visit, I welcome you with open arms. But if you come to steal, ask the greatsword in my hand for permission first."

The war is about to start.

Faced with the three menacing executives of the Kingdom of Winter, she and the members of the Knights of Favonius were extremely nervous. But Grand Master Falgar roared, "You are all too weak. All of you step back and let me go first. After I fall, you can go!"

After saying that, he charged into the battlefield alone, carrying his greatsword.

Grand Master Falgar single-handedly stopped the three executives of the Winter Kingdom from stepping into the city, and successfully delayed the arrival of the Stormterror Dragon Dvalin and reinforcements from various parts of the Knights of Favonius.

The three executives of Zhidong were forced to retreat.

Grand Master Falgar watched the three leave, then turned back and smiled at the still-shaken Knights of Favonius before collapsing to the ground due to his severe injuries.

She later heard about that kind of thing from Prince Zhidong.

Prince Zhidong, driven by a desire to avenge the people who perished tragically on the border, went on a mission to hunt down alchemical monsters. The alchemical monsters that emerged from the ancient ruins of Kanria were terrified by his slaying and dared not invade human lands for several months.

She also heard that in the winter, a commoner woman knelt before the prince's carriage as his entourage toured the streets, pleading for justice for her father who had died unjustly.

The commoner's father was a sheriff in Winter, who offended the Duke of Winter by sentencing the Duke's son, who had committed rape, to death.

A few days later, the woman's entire family's home was ransacked, her father was arrested and imprisoned, and suffered persecution to death.

With her last hope, the commoner wrote a letter in blood, pleading with Prince Zhidong to make a decision.

After understanding the whole story, the prince simply told the woman to go home first.

The next day, the Duke of Zhidong, who held a high position in Zhidong Kingdom, was found hanged from a tree in front of the commoner's house, while the Prince of Zhidong's carriage was parked not far away.

When she saw this intelligence report, she leaned back in her office chair and pondered for a long time.

Duke Zhidong was a relative of the Ice Queen, a true member of the royal family, but Prince Zhidong hanged him directly. It was truly satisfying!

If it were me, or anyone else, I would absolutely not have such courage.

That kind of thing is called guts, a quality that can only be cultivated in the best men.

Compared to Grand Master Falgar and Prince Winter, Kaeya lacks this quality.

Therefore, it is difficult for him to truly understand himself.

Furthermore, Prince Zhidong is about to launch an action that overturns the laws of nature.

The continent of Teyvat is destined to be in chaos in the future. In the coming period, she must work diligently to build Mondstadt into a strong nation in order to secure a glimmer of hope for survival.

The news of Grand Commander Falgar's death in battle has not yet been announced, as she fears that once it is announced, it will shake the morale of the people and the army.

Now, the well-being of the people of Mondstadt rests entirely on her shoulders, and she feels unprecedented pressure, so she is unwilling to devote her energy and patience to these trivial matters.

So that day, she changed her usual gentle and persuasive approach and gave Kaiya a harsh and direct criticism.

Treating Kaiya this way is indeed inappropriate, but there's nothing we can do about it. Hopefully, Kaiya can understand.

Gathering her scattered thoughts, she suddenly noticed a basket of sunset fruit on the nearby cabinet and asked Lisa, "Who sent this?"

"Oh, the Traveler and Paimon came by early this morning. They took on a quest from the Adventurers' Guild last night and didn't return to town until dawn. The Traveler said they might be heading to Liyue in a few days, and brought over several baskets of fresh Sunset Berries to thank the Knights of Favonius for taking care of them."

As Lisa spoke, she took two fruits from the basket, handing one to Qin and putting the other to her own lips, smiling slightly. "That little Paimon said you've been feeling down lately, and asked me to make sure you eat them. She said that if you eat the fruits she picked herself, your mood will definitely improve. Don't let her kindness go to waste. Oh, they also sent a basket to the library. I already ate some before they came to your office. They're not poisonous, don't worry."

Qin rolled her eyes at her and snatched the sunset fruit from her hand: "You've already eaten it, why are you still eating it? Aren't you on a diet lately?"

"You need to eat well to have the energy to lose weight. Hmm, that smells so good, it's coming from the Deer Hunter Restaurant. Qin, let me treat you to dinner tonight, I heard they've been working on some new desserts lately."

"I don't have time."

"You have to go even if you don't have time." Lisa said with a straight face, deliberately looking fierce. "Some of the children adopted by Grand Master Falgar are having birthdays today, so I specially ordered a big cake."

Grand Master Falgar was unmarried and therefore had no children, but he especially loved children. So whenever he traveled abroad, he would bring back some orphans and take good care of them.

Gradually, the number of children increased, reaching more than twenty.

Most of those orphans came from unhappy families. Some were abandoned by their parents and became beggars on the streets, some were sold into brothels, and some became slaves. It was Grand Master Falga who rescued them and gave their lives a new lease on life.

Many things have happened recently, causing Qin to become somewhat irritable. She is unwilling to go out, unwilling to communicate with others, and locks herself in the office all day.

But those orphans were Grand Master Falgar's last legacy to Mondstadt, so she had to go.

Lisa, with light, cat-like steps, gracefully turned and walked towards the door: "That's right, see you tonight, my dear Grand Master. Remember to change into some casual clothes. The Knights of Favonius's work clothes will create a distance between you and the children."

"Okay, thanks for reminding me... Wait, what did you just call me?"

"It's nothing, you must have misheard."

Lisa waved her hand and gently closed the office door. Qin's originally composed face became uneasy as the door gradually closed in the crack.

In the office, Qin sighed softly.

Although she has been under a lot of pressure lately, which has caused her to be occasionally forgetful, she is not delusional. Just now, she clearly heard Lisa call her "Grand Commander", and she realized with great keenness that Lisa may have guessed that Grand Commander Falgar had died in battle.

This was a secret that Su Yu had told her, and only she knew about it in Mondstadt, so the answer was obvious: the intelligent Lisa must have guessed the truth from her recent bad state.

Sigh, I really need to adjust my mindset.

She took a bite of the sunset fruit, then spat it out with a "whoosh." The fruit was extremely bitter, a far cry from the sweet and sour taste of the sunset fruit.

He immediately frowned, staring intently at the fruit in his hand, and then couldn't help but chuckle.

This is no sunset fruit, it's clearly a bitter fruit!

Bitterberries and sunset berries look very similar, but their tastes are completely different, and many outsiders who come to Mondstadt often confuse these two wild berries.

Lisa must have figured it out too; she just deliberately didn't remind her.

"Traveler and Paimon, you're going to make a fool of yourselves this time."

……

The two people involved were unaware that they had delivered the wrong fruit.

They sat at the neatly arranged tables in front of the Deer Hunter restaurant, eagerly awaiting the waiters to bring out the delicious breakfast.

Traveler Kong taunts Paimon: "Your stomach just growled, how pathetic. I've always told you you're a glutton, but you wouldn't admit it."

Paimon, floating in mid-air, angrily pointed at the corner of his mouth: "Hmph, you're drooling, and you still have the nerve to say that to me."

Kong leaned back lazily on the sofa and joked, "There's no one in the world more miserable than me. I toiled away in that secret realm all night and only managed to earn 100 Mora from Miss Catherine, just enough for today's food. At this rate, when will I ever save enough for the trip to Liyue? Maybe I should just sell you to Amber; I think she really likes you."

Paimon explained seriously, "Hmph, no way... Miss Amber always likes to pinch my cheeks. She says my cheeks are chubby, soft, and smell nice, and she really wants to take a bite. It sounds so scary. Miss Amber has two little fangs. If she bites me, I'll be disfigured, right?"

"There's also the issue of travel expenses. His Highness Prince Zhidong said we could stay at the Goethe Hotel for free, with all expenses covered by the Fools, but you refused. How can you blame me for that?"

Kong's voice carried a hint of bitterness: "Yes, why did we refuse Prince Zhidong's help? The VIP rooms at the Goethe Hotel are so comfortable, costing tens of thousands of Mora a day. If we stay for a month, that'll be over three hundred thousand Mora. With our earning power, we can repay his favor by becoming slaves in Zhidong. I've heard that slaves in Zhidong work during the day and at night, and are only given a slice of bread for each meal..."

"Traveler, you're scaring me again. I heard from Miss Lisa that three years ago, His Highness the Prince reformed the system and abolished slavery. Actually, I know that unless absolutely necessary, you don't want to owe anyone a favor, and once you find your sister, you'll leave this continent immediately..."

Paimon took a sip of coffee to moisten his parched lips, then flew over to Kong's shoulder and stretched out his small arms to massage him, saying in a flattering tone, "You've worked hard, traveler. Although I, as a food connoisseur... cough cough, I enjoy appreciating food, I'm not entirely useless, hehe."

Paimon's grip wasn't strong, but it warmed Kong's heart.

Paimon knows that if he treats her well, she will treat him well in return; this is the most harmonious and congenial partnership.

Without Paimon by my side, I really don't know how I would have gotten through those boring days.

"Oh dear... Traveler, your hand is bleeding."

Paimon suddenly exclaimed.

"It's nothing. I got a minor injury last night while fighting those Hilichurls. I didn't even notice until you mentioned it."

Paimon started sobbing, "Waaah... I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. I kept saying I wanted a delicious meal, and that's why you took on such a dangerous adventure to earn money. Paimon will never eat a delicious meal again, waaaah..."

Having spent so much time together, this was the first time she had seen a traveler injured, and it deeply shocked her.

This time it's a minor injury, but what about next time? Next time it could be a serious injury, and it might even be life-threatening.

She cares too much about travelers; the thought of even the slightest possibility of such a thing breaks her heart.

"Don't cry, it's really just a minor injury, a piece of skin just fell off."

After Kong comforted him for a long time, Paimon finally stopped crying and made a request: "Then hug me."

"With so many people watching, it's not a good look..."

As soon as Kong finished speaking, Paimon, with red eyes, hugged his neck like a kitten, burying her head in his chest for comfort.

"I just can't do anything with you."

Kong gazed affectionately at his companion in his arms, but in his mind he was thinking that when he took on some dangerous missions in the future, he must send Paimon away in advance.

He also longed for a peaceful and comfortable life, but that was clearly not possible.

From the moment he stepped onto this unfamiliar continent, finding his sister was his only motivation. However, judging from the current situation, compared to legendary figures like Prince Winter or the knights of the Knights of Favonius, his strength was far too weak. He might die on the way before he even found his sister.

Therefore, he needs to become stronger and strive to improve himself.

The dangerous missions undertaken by the Adventurers' Guild are precisely the most effective opportunities to hone one's skills!

……

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