"mistress" • diluc

ix

• third person •

Aila stumbled back, her pupils shaking.

"Wh-what are you doing here?"

The blue-haired woman's back straightened, her sharp purple gaze falling upon her little sister.

"I'm working on this case," Eula answered simply.

Unexpectedly, Aila hesitated, her head dropping.

Aila hated being around her sister.

She didn't exactly hate her, or, maybe she did. Aila wasn't sure.

"Did this middle-aged woman you speak of mistaken you for me? Huh! We don't even look alike! I will have revenge for this matter."

"You do look quite similar," Diluc intervened.

Eula blinked, averting her gaze.

"You shouldn't work on this case, Aila," she stated. "It's dangerous, especially for someone like you. You are just an alchemist."

Aila's eyes were fixed on the wooden floor.

Diluc reached out, gently patting her shoulder. Jean glanced at the pair.

"The woman requested us both to work on the matter," he said. "I admit she did mistaken Aila for you, though she was quick to realise who it was, and even requested for me to help as well. I'd rather work on this in my own way however, not with the Knights, but I'll happily partner with Aila if you are concerned about her safety."

Eula's eyebrows knitted. "Are you the groom our parents picked out for her?"

Diluc cleared his throat. Aila shook her head. "Of course not," Diluc answered.

"Good. Otherwise I'd definitely have my vengeance."

An awkward silence pierced through the atmosphere.

The Acting Grandmaster stood straight, tidying the sheets of paper before her.

She heaved out a sigh, glancing upon the words on the pages.

"It won't hurt for all of us to work on this. It's a serious matter, and, according to reports, there hasn't been any sort of spike in sexual assault cases in Mondstadt, and, even then, any case that is reported is investigated and the perpetrators are punished. So who is this woman talking about?"

Jean handed Diluc the papers after he'd gestured for them. "That said, many sexual assault cases go unreported due to many different factors, and this perpetrator is a woman. According to this information," Diluc flicked through the pages, "female perpetrators are more likely to prey on males, and, due to stigma, many men may not report any sexual assault they may experience."

"But... of the men who do... surely if this woman is such a prominent sex offender that the Millelith are even after her mother, there should be some sort of spike in reports?"

Diluc nodded at Aila, placing the sheets down again neatly. "That said, when I asked around while we were in Liyue, most agreed that her actions have stopped in recent years. This offender goes by the name Daiyu. There is no such person in Mondstadt. So if she were to have changed her name, what business would she have here?"

"Well, her residing in Mondstadt is just a rumour." Eula sighed, her fingers gripping her sleeve as her arms folded. "When I find this 'Daiyu', I swear I will crush her beneath my heel."

"As this is a Liyue citizen we are investigating, my good friend Yanfei is working on this too," Eula continued.

"Yanfei?" Jean tapped her chin. "I've heard of her. The prominent lawyer in Liyue?"