Kill Me Slowly || Tartaglia/Childe

Chapter 05

"Ouch!" You hiss in pain, jerking your hand away from the needle that pricked your fingers for the nth time. You sigh before taking a look at Ganyu who was sewing the soldier's uniforms so well. Her hand paces back and forth, pulling the needle along with the thread in a repeating manner until she finishes her 12th uniform. "I don't think I'm a help, Ganyu."

Ganyu carefully sets the needle down then turns to face you. "Everyone starts as a beginner. I believe you'll be able to do well if you keep practicing." She encourages, picking up another uniform from the brown basket before starting to sew again. You stare at the needle for a while, contemplating whether you should pick it up and continue or not. In the end, you decided not to.

"Is there any other chores I can do?" You ask, fixing the needle up back in the case. "Well, I suppose you can help Xiangling. She could be needing some help—" A loud clang coming from the direction of the kitchen cuts Ganyu off in the middle of speaking, startling you both. You told Ganyu that you'll be heading to see the commotion and left the room.

When you enter the kitchen, you see Xiangling frantically wiping the floor clean from the spilled contents of the pot. Your eyes scanned over the area to find an extra rag, and when you found it, you went to help Xiangling.

"O-Oh! I can do it myself!" Trying to get the rag from your hands, she fails in her attempts when you finish cleaning the mess in one swift motion. You throw the rag away in a nearby trashcan and pick up the pot before starting to wash it.

"You can leave it all to me, Princess! I dare not let you do the work!" She protests, her hand over yours to stop your ministrations. You heave a sigh, setting down the pot before drying your hands. "Do you have any other tasks that I can do?"

Xiangling puts her hand under her chin, thinking of any other tasks she hasn't done yet. "Aha!" She exclaims, "I didn't serve the general his tea yet. Maybe you can give it—"

"I'll take it!" Xiangling gets cut off by your enthusiasm. She smiles at you before heading off the prepare his tea. A few minutes later, she comes back with the tea and tells you the directions to his office. "If ever you get lost, just scream for my name!" Xiangling says as she gives you a light pat on the back, not wanting the tea to spill over.

Xiangling pushes the kitchen door open for you to exit and closes it back once you're out. Following the directions she gave you earlier, you manage not to get lost and arrive at a wooden door. You place three knocks on the door, expecting General Tartaglia to come out and praise you for a job well done but nobody answered the door. Placing your hand on the knob, you twist it to the side and the door opens.

You peek at the small space in between the door, eyes scanning around the room until you could confirm that he wasn't inside. You gently push the door open and slowly enter his room. Compared to your room, his room was plain. A few decors hanging on the walls, a dark velvet-colored curtain decorating his only window, a bed that was also decorated in the same shade of the curtain, and a very large desk that contained several stack of papers and a very old map.

You carefully set his tea on the table, making sure it wouldn't spill over important documents. On the table, you notice a picture frame that was facing down. Deciding to tidy his place a bit, you fix the frame and notice General Tartaglia smiling with a blonde girl beside him. Too fixated by the picture in front of you, you didn't hear the door click open, and out came General Tartaglia from the bathroom with a towel hanging loosely by his waist.

"What are you doing?" His voice sounded angry and his eyes glowering at your figure. Standing before you is a half-naked general, his body littered with scars from old battles, a living tapestry of near-misses and fights. You quickly shut your eyes close and cover your eyes with your hands, taking double measures that you wouldn't be able to see anything.

You became flustered, red decorating your cheeks as he caught you red-handed for snooping. You were about to reply but the words got stuck in your throat. Well, more on curiosity getting the best of you but adding to the fact that Tartaglia was standing before you half-naked made you even redder so you averted your gaze away from him to the floor. "I-I was—"

"Princess (First Name)." He grits in between his teeth. "Aren't you a nosy princess?" He walks towards you, towering over your small body. "I-I brought you tea!" Your hands found their way to your dress, gripping it tightly to ease your nervousness until your knuckles turned white. He turns around and picks up the frame before throwing it inside the drawer. "Who gave you permission to do so?"

Your mind wanders to Xiangling but how could you ever let her take the blame? Being driven to make yourself useful and eradicate the thought of you being compared to a vase, all you wanted was to be of help and Xiangling did nothing wrong but provided you with something simple to do aside from sewing. Mustering up the courage, you told him that you were the one who permitted yourself.

The corner of his lips tugs upwards, a small smile evident on his face before he chuckles. He turns around and faces you, walking closer towards you. "W-What are you doing?" You ask, slowly backing away from him until your back hits the wall. He rests one of his arms by the wall, completely cornering you with no chance to escape. With his other hand, he holds your chin between his thumb and index finger, tilting your face so he could see you better.

Your faces were mere centimeters apart and this proximity has gotten you really nervous, making it difficult to breathe. "Not bad." He says, tilting your head from left to right as he scrutinizes your features. He presses his thumb on your lower lip, slightly parting your lips. "You might as well give me permission to—" Smack! Your hand collided with his face, leaving a red imprint on his cheek.

"Y-You're unbelievable!" You stomp out of the room, leaving Tartaglia holding onto his stinging cheek. As he sits himself down on the chair, he lets out a deep sigh. Tartaglia's gaze lingers on the door, recalling your angry and scared expression when you slapped him. He snaps back to reality when a droplet of water from his wet hair drops onto his hand. He eyes the drawer in front of him before pulling out the frame.

Meanwhile, you let your feet take you as far away as possible. Thank Barbatos that there were no soldiers in the area or else they would've seen you with puffy red eyes.

You ended up in an area that seems secluded yet well taken care of. The grass was trimmed to a certain height and the flowers were watered with the water still evident on its petals. In the middle sat a large stone fountain with water as clear as glass.

Tired from running, you sat on the edge and play with the water, making little ripples. "I have seen the sea when it is storm and wild, when it is quiet and serene, when it is dark and moody. And in all of these moods, I see myself." A voice spoke from the other side of the fountain.

"W-Who's there?" You grab a fistful of water. At any time, you were ready to throw it. From one side, a young navy blue-haired boy appears before you. "Ah yes... just like the water, the calm has been disturbed." He says as he glances over the fountain water.

"I am Xingqiu, pleased to be in your presence, Princess (First Name)." He politely bows. Gesturing to the space beside you, he asks for permission. "May I take a seat beside you, Princess?" You nod your head and release the water back into the fountain.

"Perhaps you can enlighten me about your troubles..." He says, placing his book on the grass. "It's better to let it out than to keep it bottled in." He adds. "Well..." You began, telling him everything that had happened earlier but omitted the part where Tartaglia got touchy with you.

"This man certainly does not exhibit nor have the embodiment of chivalry. Perhaps you can tell me the name and I can teach him a lesson." You shook your head and said, "Thank you Xingqiu but I don't want you to trouble you with my matters." Still, Xingqiu presses on with his offer. With his persistence, you decided to tell him the name.

"O-Oh..." His eyes widen in shock for a second then he quickly regains composure, clearing his throat. "I-I don't think I can sermon him... it seems like I have to go and read more books! Goodbye, Princess!" He dashes away, taking the book with him. He certainly didn't expect the "rude man" you described was the general he looked up to and aspired to be.