Blown To You - [Diluc Ragnvindr x F. Reader]

2 - Diluc Ragnvindr

"Do I look alright?" Donna asked.

Donna's apparel selection took precisely 1 hour and 41 minutes. Do I know what the fuss was all about? No. Do I know what was the cause of the fuss? Absolutely not. She was determined to look her best with all the makeup and perfume. It took continuous advice and assurance for her not to overdo it and to look as simple as possible.

"You look beautiful," I assured.

Getting along with Donna was never a problem. She was amiable, considerate, gentle, and one of the best cooks I had ever known. The dinner she made was exceptionally good. But I couldn't seem to understand her change of behavior when we started getting ready. She must be expecting to see someone, or she was just the type of person who loved dressing up. And the answer to that was yet to be known.

"Alright, let's go inside," she said, a mix of anxiety and excitement in her voice.

Donna opened the door, and dear Archons, the tavern was full to the brim. Boisterous laughter and chatter from what looked like the knights, probably off duty, were dominating the entire first floor. There was a group of civilians in one corner. The aroma of wine and cider wafted in the air, and gladly, there was no one smoking. Ugh, no one knew how much I hate the smell of tobacco.

As we entered the tavern, I was feeling a little nervous because of all these foreign faces, so I stayed close to Donna. I searched for Venti in the crowd, but he was nowhere to be seen. "He's not here." I said.

I turned to her, and to my surprise, she looked nervous. Her posture was stiff and she kept on taking deep breaths.

"Are you alright?"

She turned to me with a tight-lipped smile. "Of course, we should ask over there if he saw Venti." I followed the direction where Donna was pointing and it led to the bar.

"Do bartenders dress expensively in Mondstadt?" I asked.

Donna giggled as we walked slowly to the bar. She then whispered to me. "He is not a bartender. He is the owner of Angel's Share and Dawn Winery, the biggest wine producer in Mondstadt. And the richest bachelor in the entire country. That is Diluc Ragnvindr."

I looked at him and saw a tall man with handsome features. His red eyes looked iridescent under the light of the chandelier. And like a gentleman, he had an air of nobility around him.

His eyes shifted to us when we stopped at the bar. "A pleasant evening, ladies. May I pleasure you with a drink?"

"Good evening, Master Diluc. Any recommendations?" Donna asked, with a forced smile.

Her response surprised me. I nudged her lightly to take her attention. When she looked at me, I gave her an incredulous look as if saying 'Drinking is not part of the plan.'

She returned it with a tight-lipped, awkward smile 'Just play along.'

"Apple Cider if it suits your taste. We have Death After Noon, too, though I must warn you that it's quite strong."

"How about you, Master Diluc? What's your drink of choice?" Donna asked, forcing a big smile to look as amiable as possible.

Then it hit me.

It required neither a genius nor a prodigy to figure out what was going on here. It only needed common sense to connect the dots. The eagerness to accept Venti's invitation, the fuss in selecting an outfit, the nervousness she showed when we arrived, and the effort to strike up a conversation were all the product of her feelings for this man.

"I do not like to drink alcohol." Diluc replied.

She nodded awkwardly, "Apple Cider then."

Though his expression was stoic his character was undoubtedly refined. He kept his replies concise, obviously not wanting to prolong the conversation.