EN | An encounter she will never forget | ᴄʜɪʟᴜᴍɪ

16 - Painful choice

Lumine was concerned about Childe. It was clear that he wasn't going well when he hastily left the apartment. She had waited for a consequent while, hoping for him to come back for lack of being able to chase after him because she didn't know where he had gone, but soon sleep caught up with her. At least, she knew full well the young man's swordsmanship, so she knew that he would come back physically safe and sound, she didn't have to worry about that. What was worrying her far more on the other hand, was this terrified expression he displayed when he woke up. Since she knew him, she didn't think that fear was an emotion he was feeling, but that only proved once again that she didn't know much about him in the end.

She woke up the next morning, alone in the bed, the cold place next to her informed her that either the Harbinger had gotten up rather early after coming back to sleep, or that he hadn't come back at all since his nightly escapade. Feeling fear rising in her at the thought that the second hypothesis was true, Lumine quickly got to her feet, changed in fourth gear, and opened the door to the corridor leading to the living room, ready to go out and search for him. But miraculously, she was greeted by a "Hello Ojou-chan" emanating from Childe, who was cooking a fried egg. The sight of the young man cooking as if nothing had happened gave her such a surprise that she stopped in her tracks to stare at him from the doorway with a bewildered expression.

And on top of that he can cook... she thought with a twinge of sadness. He can do everything.

Childe was still in his gray pajamas, the coat he had taken resting on a chair in the living room, undeniable proof that he didn't come back to the bedroom to sleep.

"Slept well?" he added after looking up from his cooking egg to watch Lumine.

"Sort of. How about you?" she replied in order to clear up what had happened that night.

According to Childe's tired and withdrawn expression, as well as the sigh he let out, the young woman knew that the answer was a categorical no, but she still wanted to dig into the question after what had happened during the night. Seeing him sweating and panting as he was worried Lumine deeply.

Childe shifted his focus on the crackling eggs, as if he wanted to cook them even quicker with his glare. The Traveler walked over to him, in the space between the kitchen counter on which they had eaten the day before, and the work surface next to the cooking. She leaned against the counter, sufficiently close to the young man for their shoulders to touch.

"Feel like talking about it?" she whispered while she too fixed the eggs.

"No."

His voice was as sharp as his water blades, capable of making anyone targeted by this threat run away. And at this moment, Lumine knew that it was really his intention. Although they had in all likelihood started dating, Childe already wanted to leave her out so as not to share what seemed to be haunting him.

Lumine knew he wasn't going to confide in her that easily, that's why she adopted a different tactic that cost her and that she wasn't fond of.

"Who knew you were so afraid of something?" she said with a sarcastic tone, trying to provoke him to answer.

She couldn't stand to see him like this. Anything was better than a perfectly silent and bruised Childe, whether he was angry, yelling at her, or even lashing out at a wall or an object. She knew that if she provoked him and that she touched one of the few nerves she was aware of—weakness—, he wouldn't stay impassive and quiet.

And as expected, he glared at her in response.

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Indeed, I don't. This is why I need you to explain to me, Childe," she retorted to him with the voice as soft as she could, not to turn him against her. "Tell me what put you in this state."