"It's so beautiful!" Hillie exclaims in a high-pitched voice.
If it was up to Diluc, he would like to announce his engagement to Venti to his staff properly. But the maids saw the ring on Venti's finger as soon as they stepped out of the room minutes ago, and now, they're surrounding Venti, gawking at the ring he's wearing.
Really, Diluc would like some time to appreciate the ring on Venti's finger all for himself a little more. After all, the ring used to belong to his mother, one that's been passed on in the family for hundreds of years.
But he shouldn't be mad at how attentive his maids are. That should mean that they can keep the manor in tip-top shape. Besides, he has his whole life to appreciate how perfect the ring looks on Venti.
"Really," Adelinde shakes her head. "I'm relieved that Master Diluc finally proposed."
"Relieved?" Diluc raises an eyebrow.
"Relieved," Adelinde nods. "Because it's about time you make Venti an honest man. You simply can't keep living in sin."
Is it living in sin when he's spending it with the actual god of the city? But he can't possibly tell Adelinde that Venti is Barbatos, so he holds his tongue.
In any case, she might have a point. It has been over a year since he started dating Venti, and in that year, Venti had effectively moved into Dawn Winery. It should be clear to just about anyone how charmed Diluc is by Venti. Adelinde has a front-row seat to Diluc's display of affection.
"Are you going to ask Venti's family for their blessings, Master Diluc?" Moco asks. "Well, I'm sure they'd give it to you! You're Master Diluc Ragnvindr after all."
Diluc goes quiet. Moco has a point. It's only proper to introduce himself to the family. And that, he has not truly considered. That, he realizes, wouldn't be so easy.
It's not as if Diluc is blind to his reputation. Sure, he's careful not to let it affect him, but he knows he has money. He's heard that he's the most eligible bachelor of Mondstadt. So has it been anyone else, it probably wouldn't be much of a problem.
But this is Venti. This is Barbatos.
Surely, his family would be that of gods and legends. Creatures who would only see Diluc as a mere mortal man.
A mere mortal man who might not be worthy of a god.
Diluc already feels like he's pretty impudent for loving Venti. He already felt like he's reached peak arrogance when he asked Venti to marry him.
Yet Venti accepts it all. Venti loves him back, and that's the most divine thing of all.
"I'm sure they'd like him," Venti says with a soft smile. He glances over at Diluc, his green eyes glistening ever so slightly. "What's there not to like about him?"
Diluc sighs, hoping that myths and legends would think the same.
"I won't introduce you to all of the seven," Venti says as they walk through the streets of Liyue Harbor, their unexpected first stop. "I don't think they care for who I'd marry. But Morax is close enough. And I think he cares enough."
Diluc knows of the legends of Morax, of course. The Geo Lord is often reputed to be the oldest of the seven. Perhaps one of the most powerful. Until recently, he ruled over Liyue. Then, he supposedly died.
But the fact that they're here means that Morax is still alive.
Since Morax is older than Venti and is an archon like him, in human terms they might be similar to close cousins, perhaps even brothers. But surely it's silly to attribute human definitions to gods. All Diluc has to know and accept is that Morax is important enough to Venti that Venti wants to introduce Diluc to him as his fiancée.
