stranger [C. TARTAGLIA]

08

the next morning, you awoke to a note on the bedside table. as you've predicted, it was from a certain ginger.

i've got something i had to do, hence why i left early. drink this, it'll help soothe your headache. i'll be back before dinner

-tartaglia

as if on cue, you head started to hurt a bit. you began to remember the things you've done last night, heat rushing through your cheeks at the very thought of it.

not only have you done it once, but a second time with childe. you had no idea what came over you, but it wasn't like you regret it either.

you went ahead and picked up your clothes that were surprisingly folded at the other bed, childe must have tidied the place before going out.

for now, you were still set on finding out what he was planning. you had thought about following him for a day, but you doubt that would work. he was a skilled agent, there was no way he wasn't going to notice you following him.

suddenly, someone else came into mind. you remembered him talking to a blonde boy with the floating pet with him, so you figured he might have an idea as to what was going on.

°

nightime fell when you heard the door opening. there you were met by childe, who was already out of energy by the time he walked in.

"didn't cause any trouble today now did we?" he said, sitting down the sofa next to you to rest.

"you act so surprised." you rolled your eyes.

"maybe if you were to keep this up, perhaps you would be rewarded. wouldn't you like that?" he leans towards you, placing his hand on your chin.

you staggered at his actions and slapped his hand away. "don't act so intimate with me childe." you looked away.

"hm? are you flustered but what i just did, princess?" he snickered. "so us having sex is okay but being close isn't?"

"you-" you paused, trying your best not to look unnerved. "look, whatever that was... i don't get it either. but that doesn't mean we're on good terms, you haven't even told me anything yet!" you argued.

he raised a brow, leaning back against the sofa. "didn't i tell you? i'll do all the dirty work. don't try to get involved."

"you're not making any sense here, this is my mission too childe."

"little princesses like you can't do jobs like these [Y/N], it's better if you went back to the palace."

your heart stung. you felt humiliated, did he think so little of you all this time? "you're unbelievable."

realizing what he said, he tried to talk to you again. "wait [Y/N]-"

unfortunately for him, you had already returned to your room. maybe it was best for him to sleep at the sofa tonight rather than getting killed in his sleep by you. well, he couldn't blame you though. he didn't think it through when he spoke out the words he said.

"great job ajax, just great."

°

it was now the next day. without a second thought, you headed out the bank as soon as childe left. you didn't speak to him even went you went out to grab food to eat breakfast, nor did he say anything to you in return.

you didn't have to worry about him catching you again since you knew he wouldn't be back before dinner, that was always the case whenever he went out.

you tried to look for the said blonde at the wharf, but there was no sign of him nor his floating pet. you then went to wanmin restaurant, but there was no sign of him being there either.

just as you were about to give up, you saw him near the bridge with a panicked look on his face. "hey! traveler." you called out.

he looks at you, a look of disbelief imprinted on his face. "if you're here to stop me then it's no use."

"what?" you asked.

"we know all your plans fatui harbinger!" paimon brought her hands on her hips.

"plans? wait, i think you've misunderstood-"

"aether, we have to go! she might be here to stall us!" paimon nudged aether who nodded at her statement.

"wait, i'm not! honest!" you said, "i'm just confused. what do you mean by plans?"

"uh, you trying to steal morax's gnosis?" paimon raises her brows.

"his gnosis?" it was like a bulb lighting up in your head. was that the mission childe was sent for? to steal the geo archon's gnosis?

"do you really not know?" aether asked when he saw the confused expression on your face.

"i maybe a harbinger but this is all new to me, i never even knew about the gnosis part." aether and paimon looked at each other, probably thinking if they could trust you or not.

"are you after childe?" you asked.

"hey, we can't just tell you that y'know! you're a fellow harbinger, for all we know you could be lying to us!" paimon argued. "anyway, we have to go now aether!" she pulls aether with her.

the blonde took one quick glance at you before running away. you were about to call out to him, but you knew he didn't trust you, not with the title that you had.

"damn it." you mumbled. what did the tsaritsa want with the gnosis anyway? could she harness some kind of power with it?

you decided to follow the traveler and ran the same direction that he did, careful not to get seen that you were following him.

he enters the golden house, but you were suspicious as to why it wasn't guarded in the first place. this was the mora mint after all, so why was it left out unguarded?

you followed him in and watched from the distance, seeing guards passed out inside the building. you knew who did this, there was only one explanation for it.

you wanted to sneak in without aether knowing, but you accidentally stepped on some mora which made an unexpected sound. aether and paimon quickly turned their heads to your direction, catching you in the act.

"i knew she was up to something!" paimon said.

aether took out his sword, but you held your hands up to surrender. "wait! it's nothing like that i swear! i'm just as curious as you are!"

before aether could even reply, a new voice joined into your conversation. "well well, it seems like you've beaten me to it, [Y/N]. i must say, the tsaritsa's going to be very impressed by this."