paradoxical | genshin impact

20 : dear.

Content warning for: blood imagery and some sustained injuries. Nothing too serious, but the tone in this chapter is a bit different from the ones that preceded it.

...

"That one's shaped like a little kid."

"No, it's shaped like a hilichurl."

"Wha— How would you even know if it's shaped like a hilichurl?"

"Well, if you look at the round top where the head should be, there's a couple of pointy ears protruding out of it."

"You're being hasty. What if it's just a normal guy wearing bunny ears?"

Adelinde's eye twitched with annoyance when she turned to the pair lying on a patch of grass in front of her. "Aren't you two going to canoodle somewhere else?"

Kaeya craned his neck behind him as he shot the head maid an inquisitive look. "Not until four."

"Lay off on her," you laughed, nudging his leg with yours and Kaeya threw his head back with a soft laugh.

Almost immediately after lunch, the Captain had whisked you off to the vineyard for an impromptu cloud-gazing session. The only reason you'd agreed was because it wasn't too hot out today, and it's been a good while since you'd done that yourself. Once noon rolled past, the sun emanated just the right kind of heat; not too toasty, not too sweltering. Although the Adelinde didn't seem too keen on your blunt display of almost-affection.

"But it's true!" Kaeya insisted, getting back to his feet. "I have an important meeting later in the day, and I asked Huffman to come pick me up on horseback. Waypoints are overrated anyways."

Setting down the loppers she'd used to shape the hedges around the manor, Adelinde gave Kaeya a scandalized look. "Hmph. So your penchant for expending your unders like pawns carried over even in the Ordo."

"I've done no such thing. Most of the time, I don't even have any unders to expend." Kaeya sighed, wiping non-existent tears from his eye. "The Grand Master usually whisks away my men wherever adventure calls out to him, and all I have at my disposal are a bunch of squires and low-ranking knights. That's fine, though. Huffman makes for a good drinking buddy. And he's never late to any prior engagements."

"Captain Kaeya!"

When you cast a sidelong glance out to the Winery's entrance, lo and behold, Huffman was standing by the wooden sign. But the junior knight's presence wasn't the most conspicuous bit.

A beautiful horse donned with a rich brown coat trotted by Huffman's side, nuzzling his arm and whinnying almost needily. He appeased it by smoothing a hand down its mane before drawing his attention back to his charge. Huffman beamed brightly as he waved an arm in the air. "Your ride's here, sir!"

Kaeya's face fell the moment he spotted his subordinate—not exactly expecting him to arrive at this precise moment to prove his point to Adelinde. It's not like it mattered, though. The head maid was already off, probably out to trim the hedges on the other side of the manor. Sighing, Kaeya cupped his hands over his mouth to yell:

"Go back, you're too early!"

You kicked his leg. "Don't be a nuisance."

His lips trembled with a stifled chuckle but, at your instruction, Kaeya cleared his throat—calling out to Huffman with a somewhat modified order. "Wait for me by the Archon statue! I'll just conclude my business here, alright?"

"But sir, this is really urgent," the knight implored, looking almost apologetic. "I wasn't supposed to set out for another hour but the Grand Master had just returned from his latest expedition. Says he wants all the captains back in headquarters right this second."