EN | An encounter she will never forget | ᴄʜɪʟᴜᴍɪ

37 - An icy heart surprisingly benevolent

"Tartaglia, this is your punishment for your actions in Liyue: annihilate the Traveler right here."

The sentence had fallen.

His queen had spoken, and he, like the good soldier he was, had to obey. This was what was expected of him, and if he refused, he would be disposed of like a used rag. This was what he had been told since he had entered the service of Her Majesty the Tsaritsa, and it was even more true since he had become a Harbinger.

For all the low-ranking henchmen, Tartaglia was the one to solve the problems of betrayal and incompetence. That was part of his job: to punish. But in the context of a Harbinger, no precedent could predict the resolution of the problem. However, Childe was before Her Majesty, so if he betrayed her here and now, no doubt she wouldn't hesitate to get her hands dirty in the least.

In the end, Childe had only one choice, and that had been the case for a long time.

Just the thought of the upcoming fight made the Fatui member feel crackles coming from his Delusion, ready to give him an Electro power to take down his opponent in just a snap of his fingers. He was on the verge of being overwhelmed by the adrenaline that was pumping through him, when he glanced at the one he was to execute in cold blood. She was staring at him. But to his astonishment, she didn't have a frightened or saddened expression, only an understanding and forgiving one, as if she was ready to accept whatever fate he had in store for her. No animosity shone in the depths of her golden irises, not even the slightest trace of fighting spirit.

She hadn't planned in the least to unsheathe or even to fight.

This realization allowed him to push back the invisible chains that were falling on his mind so that he lost little by little consciousness and that he let himself be consumed by the hatred, the despair and the anger that he carried towards the world. His Delusion wanted to take over his body so that he could carry out this mission for him and give free rein to the murderous impulses he was filled with.

But Childe's will was still present enough to contain this threat that wanted to escape him at all costs.

Returning his attention to his queen, he noticed that she was staring at him, waiting without an ounce of patience for him to deign to carry out the order she had just imposed on him. He immediately got up to address this person with a heart of ice, asking all the various questions he had in mind at that moment.

"Your Majesty! Why—"

"Tartaglia, you dare to question my authority?" she cut in a voice that showed she didn't appreciate his behavior.

"No, of course not! You are my sovereign, I could never deny that fact! I'm just wondering!"

Without even meaning to, the intensity of his voice rose to a crescendo, revealing the urgency with which he wanted the answers so he could react accordingly.

"Why do you want to kill her?! She refused to associate with us, but she's not the only one! What good would it do us if she disappeared?! Wasn't our goal to save Teyvat from the clutches of the gods of Celestia?! I have followed you blindly for many years for this sole purpose in order to protect my family, so how could killing her save them?!"

"Tartaglia—"

"If her brother who is the instigator of the Abyss Order is threatening us, then why would you want to kill Lumine?! If they have the same powers, then surely she's the only person in the entire continent who can compete with him, and thus beat him!"

"Enough..."

"How is it a good thing to suppress a great ally, and certainly our only hope to defend ourselves?! How is it for the sake of the continent?! Isn't it because you're afraid that your reign will come to an end—"