Something Sweet

Chapter 14

Author's Note:  Welcome back everyone. Fourteen chapters in and surprisingly progressing. Looks like we've reached 12K views to this story. Surprisingly I've made it up to this point. Looking back, this point in the story was such a long ways away (no, this isn't the ending). 

Glad to say I've made it this far. Along with school, I  graduated earlier this month, but still, have to finish this last and final class by mid-July. So my time has been limited. 

Initially, I wasn't looking to post this chapter until then, but I had help from a writing friend (Silva Azrael) to speed things up. Thanks for the help and the character insight. 

Won't keep you guys any longer, 

Enjoy

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Chapter 14

"You're here rather early for someone recovering from a back injury." The cavalry captain smirked, knowing too well the arrangements were all staged, "Didn't expect to see you here before me. But, then again, this would be considered rather urgent." Kaeya casually shrugged.

"Get to the point." Diluc urged.

The request to meet by the river bed at the early dawn hour arrived three days after Lisa's visit. And with restrictions on visitation to the winery, Kaeya respected the regulation by arranging their meeting point just outside the boundary.

"Where should I start?"

Diluc sighed at the question, "What were they doing inside her residence? Start there."

"Right, right..." Kaeya hummed, stepping closer, "Here. I believe this is yours."

Diluc didn't remove the hood of his cloak that concealed his hair as he turned to face the cavalry captain.

With his sight dropping to observe the familiar piece of fabric, Diluc recognized his coat, which happened to be the one he had allowed Jean to wear the night of her rescue. "Why do you have this?"

A thin, forced smile remained on the blue-haired captain, "It was in his hands the night I took him in for questioning."

Diluc couldn't help the short hiss as he vented his setback. Of course, the immediate thought was to question how or where the intruder found it in the first place, but it wouldn't matter at this point. The fact was... his personal belonging was found inside Jean's home.

"They know..." They must know--

"Not necessarily... I claimed it as my own and guided the questioning in a different direction."

Another sigh left the scarlet-haired man, "Fair enough. However, I doubt their incentive was to target the life of the acting grandmaster inside Mondstadt. Quite a tactless and downright act of suicide if you ask me."

"Reckless and indeed unwise... but after a few days of interrogation, he confessed."

"He confessed?" Diluc raised a brow, sounding completely skeptical over the sudden outcome, "That easy?"

"Well... it was more of a negotiation?" Kaeya sheepishly smiled.

"Negotiation?" Diluc irritably took a step closer to him, "What do you mean you negotiated? What is there to negotiate when he's clearly guilty of a crime?"

"To start..." Kaeya raised his hands defensively, trying to wave off Diluc's rising temper, "His confession wasn't that of an assassination attempt, but more of a task to look for proof."