Freedom in Servitude - Diluc x Reader

Routine

Acting Grand Master Jean walked up to the large wooden doors and knocked briskly. She glanced at the girl behind her wrapped in a tattered cloak held together with a bright blue vision brooch who had been silent their entire journey from the city of freedom.

She was able to glance at the nearly-dark sky briefly before the door in front of her opened, bathing the two figures in a golden light.

"Acting Grand Master, Jean! What a surprise!" The small maid said politely, "What can I do for you?"

"Hello, Adelinde. May I speak with your master? It's quite urgent," Jean replied, lowering her voice ever so slightly.

"Of course," Adelinde replied and stepped aside, allowing the two to enter.

Inside was warm, as there was not only a fire lit, but candles provided the main light source for the room. At the long, grand table in the center of the room, a man with bright crimson hair sat, rifling through papers. His lava-red eyes lifted from his work as his guests entered.

"Acting Grand Master Jean. To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked politely, his eyes quickly glancing at the shifty character following behind her. While he didn't respect most knights, Jean was one of very few exceptions, as she worked tirelessly for the benefit of the city of Mondstadt, something he fought for himself.

Jean took a letter out of her pocket and extended it to the young man without a word. The serious look on her face intrigued him, as she was usually quite positive in their previous encounters.

He gingerly took the envelope, noting the wax seal bearing the symbol of the Knights of Favonious emblem. Quickly scanning the letter enclosed, he looked up at the Acting Grand Master, then shifted his gaze to the person she had brought.

He sighed deeply, scanning the letter again before standing and glaring at the knight.

"You know if it weren't for Grand Master Varka I wouldn't consider helping the knights," he stated, "but I suppose I can make an exception this time."

"You're not helping the knights," Jean replied, almost cheerily, her disposition changed by the man's acceptance of the proposition in the letter, "you're helping her." She gestured gently for the cloaked figure to come closer, who obliged her request.

"Y/N," she said softly to the girl, as if she didn't want to startle her, "it's okay, you can introduce yourself." The girl tentatively removed her hood, revealing her face, which took the man aback.

He could tell she was usually beautiful, but that beauty was obscured by a bruise under one eye, a lip that had been split, and a healing wound on her hairline that had clearly recently been stitched at the knights' infirmary.

"Hello, I'm Y/N," you finally spoke, intentionally omitting a last name.

"Diluc Ragnvindr," the man responded, extending his hand to the stranger. You reached your hand to grasp his, a bit apprehensive.

That apprehension, however, vanished as his hand met yours. He ever so gently closed his hand around yours and held it for a second.

For you, the interaction was warm and enough to allow yourself to open up a touch, but for Diluc, it was an entirely different story. Raising your hand out of the cloak opened it, allowing more of your poorly-clothed body to be visible to him; a body covered in bruises and cuts.

He smiled politely as he grasped your hand, noting the distinctive purple, finger-shaped marks on your forearm.

"Just what happened to this girl?" He wondered.

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One Year Later

"Diluc~," you sing-songed brightly, while gently opening the large door to his bedroom, "it's time to wake upppp!" You looked over at the huge bed where the young man still lay, sprawled out over the mattress unceremoniously. You chuckled slightly and flung open the grand, red velvet curtains, allowing bright sunlight to stream across the room.