Falling for You

Chapter 45 - Just a little off

 Venti's POV

 "Hah, finally!"

 "It isn't that bad."

 "I usually fly over in just under an hour." Compared to that, this was hell.

 "Why do you look worse than Xiao anyway? Wasn't he the one who was seasick?"

 I wanted to deny it, but he was right. Right now, Xiao looked refreshed, and I...

 "You look like you haven't slept in weeks."

 "Oh shut up!" Do you think keeping an illusion up like that is easy?

 "I have to agree with him on this, Venti." Dvalin spoke from Kazuha's shoulder.

 Since he was talking out loud, he called me Venti as well, though it sounded a little unnatural coming from him.

 "Whose side are you taking?"

 "The one that's right." They both answered at the same time.

 Well, look at that. Haven't they gotten pretty close?

 "Where do you plan on going from here, Kazuha?" I asked redirecting the conversation.

 "Watatsumi Island. What about you guys?"

 "We have some business with the Yashiro Commission, so we'll go to Narukami first. I plan on showing Xiao the rest of Inazuma after we're done, so we might meet again if we don't miss each other."

 "Well, that depends on whether you can even get through Ritou at all." He muttered.

 "What?"

 "Nothing, I have to go now, the ship is leaving. I hope we see each other on Watatsumi!"

 "What was that?" Xiao asked as he came closer.

 "I have no idea. And what are you doing up there? Wouldn't it be more comfortable to walk by yourself?" I asked Dvalin who hid under my hat for no obvious reason.

 "I'll tell you later. You should get your things ready now, you have a visitor." Saying that he ducked back under my hat, and Xiao and I were left speechless.

 "You two, what business do you have here?" A loud voice called out.

 We turned around and were met with a pair of very fierce eyes.

 She resembles Ei.

 "I asked what your business was!"

 Definitely resembles Ei.

 "We are here from Mondstadt to deliver a contract to the Yashiro commission."

 "Show me your identifications."

 "Excuse me?" Our what?

 "Without something to confirm your identities by, I cannot let you any further."

 I looked back at Xiao questioningly, but he just shook his head.

 I never had an identification made, and it looks like he didn't either.

 "So about that..."

 Just before it could get any more awkward, Dvalin stuck his head out from under my hat.

 "That's enough, Sara."

 "Who- huh, Lord Dvalin?"

 "Let them through, will you, Sara?"

 "But their identifications..."

 "I don't have one either." Dvalin retorted.

 "But that's different! You're-"

 "One of the four winds and came with a letter from Barbatos himself, yes. Now, listen to me, the one whose head I'm sitting on is the one who wrote said letter, and the one behind him is Liyue's last remaining yaksha. It would be weird if these two had any form of identification."

 I don't know if I should praise him for solving the situation or scold him for revealing my identity.

 "You mean to say that he's-"

 "Yes, I am, but if you would be so kind as to not tell the rest of Ritou, I would greatly appreciate it." I interrupted.

 At this point, even denying would be useless.

 "Please forgive me for my disrespectful behavior." She made a 90-degree bow instantly.

 "No, no, no, you don't have to! I really don't want to advertise it, so please could you get up?"

 Everyone was staring and even I was starting to feel uncomfortable.

 Just then, I felt a tug on my cape.

 "Can we go?" Xiao asked?

 Ah, he must be feeling even worse than me. We should really leave here.

 "Madam Kujou, please excuse us, but we have to go." 

 With that, I grabbed Xiao and we disappeared in a cloud of green feathers.

 "Damn it, it was so convenient to just fly over that I forgot that, they actually asked for identifications. I'm sorry Xiao, are you okay?"

 "I'm fine, just a little dizzy. Your way of teleportation is a little overwhelming." He swayed a little as he held his head before finally coming to his senses completely.

 "That's good then. Now there is just one little problem..."

 "What problem?" He asked but the moment he looked up, he seemed to have realized it.

 "I haven't teleported in a while, so my sense of direction is a little..."

 We were lying on a broke table, surrounded by guards pointing spears at us.

 "I think your sense of direction is more than just a little off, Venti." Xiao grumbled.

 "Hehe! At least we got to the Kamisato estate." I pointed at the emblem on the guards' uniform.

 "How does that help us in this situation?"

 "If I'm not wrong, our rescuer is already on his way."

 "Rescuer?"

 Just then, another commotion came from behind the guards, and moments later two people showed up.

 "Commissioner, we caught the intruders!" A guard reported.

 "Oh? Let me see just who dares to break into my estate so brazenly." A refined voice sounded from behind the guards.

 "Please allow me to go first, my lord. They might be dangerous." Another voice said.

 "Oh please, Thoma, do I look that weak to you?"

 "That wasn't my intention, my lord, I just-"

 "If that wasn't your intention, then what was?"

 "I just wished to protect you, my lord, in case the intruders attempt something."

 "And you can do that?"

 "I still have my while, my lord, I'm more than capable to protect you from a sneak attack." Thoma declared.

 "Okay, okay, I'll stop teasing. Go first if you want to, just be careful."

 The guards surrounding us took a step to the side, letting the two through.

 Seeing the first approaching figure, I couldn't help but introduce him to Xiao.

 "Xiao, meet our rescuer, Thoma!"

 "Venti?!" Thoma shouted in shock.

 "Oh, it looks like my dear housekeeper and the intruders know each other. This is becoming more interesting by the second."