𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐞

14 | The Consultant and The Astrologer (1)

It was around midday when I woke up. I was beyond tired, now that I really thought about it. Crying as hard as I had earlier had taken a lot out of me. Every single inch of me ached and I truly felt my age for once. I don't know what came over me when Zhongli started pouring the wine, but I definitely did not want it happening in public like that again. Maybe I should go back home. What's the point in my being down here if all my friends have long since died?

But Lei-Li. She still lives on. I can't abandon her, not again. I pulled the piece of broken rock I'd taken from the island. The constellations in the stone appeared brighter in the nighttime air and they shimmered beautifully. I counted each constellation in it to further calm my nerves. One day, I'd return Prophis to its former glory...and maybe reintegrate it with Teyvat.

"Juno?" Zhongli's soft voice made me tense up, the earlier panic threatening to come rushing in my mind again. He's standing by my side, a box wrapped in purple cloth sitting quietly in his hands. I blankly stared at him and wondered why he of all people had come to see me as opposed to Lei-Li or Aether. He, from what I could tell, was not a person who would so blindly care about a person.

Especially since I'd barely been there to help with preparations. I could understand if he were treating the others with such kindness as opposed to me. "I suppose it's common courtesy to check on someone who was supposed to be your dinner partner," I said bitterly. Somehow it hurt to think he didn't truly care for my wellbeing. How unbecoming of me to unravel this easily due a resemblance he shared with someone I cared about.

A heavy sigh left him. "Would you mind accompanying me to Dihua Marsh? We have not spent much time conversing and I've brought food for you." He held out the box for me. I'd rather sit here and have another mental breakdown, but sure. I slowly stood and took the box from his hands, thanking him. We set off for Dihua Marsh in silence, neither of us knowing how to break the ice.

"Why do you speak like that?" I questioned him after a bit. "Sometimes it sounds like you're reciting a dictionary."

He made a weird noise somewhere between a laugh and an annoyed huff. I suppose I was incredibly good at offending people. "When I was younger, two of my former friends would chastise me for my "brutish" ways," he said simply. "I was more or less a ruffian, I will admit."

I snorted. Him? A ruffian? They say don't judge a book by its cover, but I could never imagine a man such as the "Great and Serious Mr. Zhongli" ever being a ruffian. It seemed like such a foreign concept to grasp that. At the same time, I could definitely see it. He always seemed to avoid using foul language and it wouldn't startle me if he did one day bust out a particularly nasty sentence.

"Oh really? What did you do? Fight people and cuss more?" I laughed.

"I think it's best you don't know."

I stared at him as he continued on walking as if nothing was wrong. Now I really want more. Did he kill someone? Burn down a village? Was he a cannibal? No offense to him but it wouldn't be too surprising if that's what he didn't want anybody finding out. I tried badgering him to get him to tell me what kind of dark, angsty past he potentially had but he'd blow off every question and dodge them with questions about me.

It turned out that he hadn't bought my lie about being from north of Monstadt since he'd once again questioned me about my accent. If he could be secretive so could I so I dodged that question as well. "I have a strange question," I said.

"All your answers and questions have been peculiar, but I do not mind hearing what you have to say."

"Okay, smartass, no need to show off your dictionary memorization skills."

I could practically feel the smugness rolling off this bastard's shoulders. He thought he was good at hiding everything about himself, but that was a lie. "How do you believe Rex Lapis felt when Aphelion disappeared before the destruction of the Guili Assembly?" I questioned. He was just about the only person besides Morax himself and possibly Xiao who could give me his honest thoughts about what happened Post-Archon war with Rex Lapis' and Aphelion.