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

The lady in the mirror asked in an unfriendly tone, "Schubert, do you know where you went wrong? No one has ever dared to be so insolent in front of His Highness. His Highness is representing the Queen on a diplomatic mission, negotiating with you on behalf of the Kingdom of Winter, and yet you dare to speak so disrespectfully!"

To be honest, Schubert was really frightened by the Lady with the Hidden Mirror. This Prince of Winter held a transcendent position and could not be offended, much less disrespected; that would be courting death.

"I was really wrong, Your Highness, please forgive me. I agree to Your Highness's terms: the Fools will not shed a single soldier, and our Lawrence family will seize all power. Please spare me!"

"Lady, you have frightened our ally."

As soon as Su Yu spoke, the Hidden Mirror Maiden immediately withdrew her elemental combat skill.

As the ice melted, Schubert collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, his eyes filled with terror.

He was just a hair's breadth away from becoming a cold, lifeless corpse. Never before had he felt so close to death.

The Lawrence family had always been regarded as sinners by the people of Mondstadt, as arrogant and treacherous villains. Only now did Schubert realize that they were less than ants in front of Prince Winter.

The real villain is Prince Zhidong.

"Your Highness, please give the order. We will immediately lead our men to attack the headquarters of the Knights of Favonius!"

Su Yu smiled calmly and said, "Schubert, have you ever seen a play?"

"Your Highness, I didn't understand what you meant..."

"A great play often needs build-up and warm-up to bring the audience the ultimate enjoyment. Tomorrow afternoon, a batch of weapons and equipment will arrive in Mondstadt. After you receive the weapons and equipment, wait for my orders and act in unison."

"Your Highness..."

Schubert's heart pounded; he had been filled with despair just moments before, but now it was brimming with hope.

The Lawrence family's acquisition of weapons and equipment from Winter's End will be a tremendous boost. It is said that Winter's End firearms have a longer range and greater power, and can even kill those with the Eye of God. They have sold for exorbitant prices on the black market.

"Since Your Highness's first visit to Mondstadt, we have prepared a few tables of light refreshments and hope that Your Highness will do us the honor of joining us. In addition, we have prepared a special program for Your Highness."

Schubert spoke mysteriously, seemingly quite confident in the program he was referring to.

"Then let's just watch the show."

Inazuma was nearly passed out from drinking, and the alcohol hadn't fully dissipated from the journey. If they drank again, he'd be hungover all night. Besides, it wasn't time to eat the Lawrence family's food and drink yet; they could have waited until they conquered Mondstadt before hosting a banquet.

Schubert clapped his hands.

Suddenly, melodious music began to play on the makeshift stage not far away.

The curtain slowly rose, and a graceful figure appeared in the center of the stage.

Her short, light blue hair flowed like waves on the beach, topped with a four-pointed star-shaped headband; her orange-yellow eyes shone with rebellion, resilience, and a composure far beyond that of others.

She wore a high-slit bodysuit, a one-shoulder cape, and a tie fluttering in the wind, prominently embroidered with the Lawrence family crest.

The most eye-catching feature was probably the long legs clad in black stockings; even the voluptuous Zangjing lady couldn't help but glance at them a few more times.

"Your Highness, please enjoy the family ritual dance presented by my niece, Yura Lawrence, the most outstanding descendant of the Lawrence family in the present day, the guerrilla squad leader of the Knights of Favonius, who is known as the 'Wave Knight'."

"This is to express our heartfelt love and respect for His Highness the Prince."

With that, Schubert, along with his family, tactfully left the Goethe Hotel.

The lady in the mirror also invited the members of the winter delegation to wait outside the hotel.

After a long and tiring journey, His Highness the Prince needs moments of relaxation, and it's best if no one disturbs his enjoyment at such times.

The once empty Goethe Hall was soon left with only Su Yu and Yura.

Ritual dances were a ceremony used by nobles to demonstrate their high status.

The Lawrence family’s ritual dance, called “Flickering Candlelight,” is performed by a woman of high status, usually the eldest daughter of the family.

The ritual dance has a long history, dating back to the time of the old aristocracy's rule in Mondstadt, and the Lawrence family has continued this tradition to this day.

During its most glorious period, the head of the Lawrence family would hire the most famous dancers in Teyvat to be his daughters' dance teachers.

Therefore, the ritual dance was a compulsory course for the daughters of the patriarchs of the Lawrence family throughout the generations. From a young age, they developed thick calluses on their toes, but the blood flowing from them was an adornment of glory, and every dancer was proud of it.

By the time of Yura, the ritual dance had lost its former nobility; graceful movements and elegant manners were now used to please and welcome the most distinguished guests.

In the past, this treatment was reserved for the dignitaries of Mondstadt. Today, Su Yu also received the highest level of hospitality from the Lawrence family. However, unlike them, Su Yu enjoyed a solo dance.

Today, he is the only audience member.

This may also be the first time in the history of the Lawrence family.

The dancers on stage moved with graceful grace, as nimble as maidens and as stunning as startled swans, yet the audience below knew everything about them.

In Su Yu's memory, this Wave Knight, Yura Lawrence, resolutely joined the Knights of Favonius in order to sever ties with her family.

How did Schubert manage to persuade such a strong-willed woman to perform the sacrificial dance?

It's truly baffling that she knew her family was colluding with the infamous Fools, yet instead of reporting it to the Knights of Favonius, she willingly allowed herself to be used as a tool to please guests.

"Your Highness, I have heard that you popularized the ballet of winter, which has swept across seven kingdoms and sparked a craze for learning ballet. I have been learning the ritual dance since childhood and believe that I am qualified to invite Your Highness to dance together. This would not only represent our family's sincere welcome to Your Highness, but also be an exchange of art between two solitary dancers. What do you think?"

On stage, Yura made an elegant gesture inviting others to dance.

Dancing...

Aside from the time I spent instructing those dance teachers during the winter, it seems like I haven't been on stage for a long time.

"While being an audience member may not be physically or mentally exhausting, it can never replace the joy of participation. Miss Yura has extended such a warm invitation, and if I were to refuse, I would be unbecoming of a gentleman."

Chapter 32 Breaking the Shackles of Sinners

Su Yu's dance skills originated from the sign-in system and are the most advanced techniques on Earth.

Su Yu walked onto the stage and danced with her.

He held Yura's hand with one hand and wrapped his other arm around her slender waist, while the latter naturally placed one arm on Su Yu's shoulder.

Their gazes met in mid-air.

Yura had danced with many excellent partners, but she had never seen any male partner whose eyes were more charming than those of Prince Winter.

Like a clear spring that flows endlessly, tranquility leads to far-reaching goals, and peace and serenity prevail.

It is like a vast ocean, sometimes with raging storms and sometimes with clear blue skies and seas.

It was like a blazing sun, seemingly able to melt the ice in her heart.

The dance is nearing its end.

The pride in Yura's eyes was replaced by a lingering, exhilarating feeling and a sense of awe.

Only by dancing with this Prince of Winter in person can one know that his dancing is even more exquisite than the rumors suggest.

At the beginning of the dance, Su Yu followed her rhythm. In the middle, it became entirely her following Su Yu's rhythm. Towards the end, she couldn't feel any rhythm anymore; everything was so perfectly in sync and natural, as if a resonance had formed between them.

They blend together seamlessly, inseparable...

Yura knew that this was the highest realm of pas de deux, a realm called "selflessness," the ideal realm that countless dance masters pursued throughout their lives.

And today, she was fortunate enough to experience it herself.

The release of emotions and the satisfaction gained in the heart are like finding a kindred spirit in life. This feeling is so wonderful that it is hard to describe in just a few words.

What was so shocking was that during the dance, she was surprised to find that the ice element within her body was restless, as if it might leave her body at any moment and surge towards the man who was standing close by.

Further considering the other party's identity as Prince Zhidong, Yura realized that this Prince Zhidong's elemental affinity was terrifyingly high.

Information shared within the Knights of Favonius indicates that Prince Winter has a strained relationship with the Ice Queen and is being ostracized by the eleven Executors of the Fools. In addition, he is weak and has been repeatedly assassinated, sustaining serious injuries and requiring close protection from his guards.

It is obvious that the intelligence is inaccurate.

With such a high elemental affinity, this Winter Prince cannot be a pushover; he is likely hiding his strength and playing dumb to outmaneuver others.

It's absurd to say that he's at odds with the Ice Queen; the truth is probably that she dotes on him.

Any woman would be captivated by such a near-perfect man.

The phrase "nearly perfect" was Yura's assessment of Prince Touhou after their dance.

The only imperfection is that the man before her is a prince of Zhidong, representing Zhidong's interests.

Both the Winter Solstice and the Fools have a bad reputation in various places. Yura has interacted with the Fools many times and found them to be a group of people who would stop at nothing to achieve their goals. In short, they left a bad impression on her.

Even though Prince Zhidong had greatly elevated the status of the Fools in her heart, the negative impressions left behind made it difficult to correct them.

With only a few seconds left in the countdown before the dance was about to end, Yura suddenly activated her elemental combat skill and launched an attack on Su Yu.

Suddenly, the bone whistle in Yura's mouth rang out, sounding like countless waves crashing.

"In the midst of the whirlwind dance, the shackles of sinners are severed!"

At this moment, the "Wave Knight's" charm was on full display, completely different from the gentle and tender dance she had just performed.

"I'm sorry, Prince Zhidong. I can't stop my own people, nor can I stop your deal, but I can capture you and hand you over to Qin."

"I witnessed firsthand the Fools and the Lawrence family colluding to seize power in Mondstadt by force, and the evidence is irrefutable!"

After Yura subdued Su Yu, she revealed the purpose of her trip.

Yesterday, she discovered that the Fools had met with her uncle Schubert, and at that time she guessed that her family might be plotting something bad with the Fools.

Schubert happened to find her, hoping she could perform a ritual dance at the Goethe Hotel to welcome the Prince as winter approached—

Yura knew, of course, that her uncle was trying to curry favor with Prince Zhidong.

If this had happened in the past, she would not only have refused without hesitation, but she might have even had a big argument with her uncle.

However, considering that her family might be colluding with the Fools, she finally agreed to her uncle's request, using this opportunity to investigate and gather evidence to wipe out the Fools, and also to prevent her family from committing an unforgivable mistake.

After listening to the negotiations between the two sides, Yura was glad that she had come to the scene today.

She invited Prince Zhidong to dance with her, but in reality, it was to lull him into a false sense of security and capture him in one fell swoop!

Contrary to her original plan, when she actually carried out the arrest of Prince Zhidong, she felt a little hesitant.

The duet dance disrupted my peace of mind.

"Your Highness, surrender. You are Prince Winterborn, and the laws of Mondstadt cannot judge you; they can only banish you. But from this day forward, the forces of the Fatui are not to be allowed to set foot in Mondstadt again!"

Yura said coldly.

Yura held the greatsword in front of Su Yu.

"As expected of the most outstanding descendant of the Lawrence family in the present day, he single-handedly ventured into the den of dragons and tigers, upholding justice by killing his own family while also capturing evidence of the deal between Prince Zhidong and the Lawrence family."

Su Yu applauded for her.