Eula x Reader - Disgraced Yet Defiant

Chapter 18: Time Foregone

Eula: "That'll do for today I would think. You are all dismissed for the night."

Knights: "Yes Captain! Thank you Captain!"

Just outside of the city of Mondstadt, Eula's Reconnaissance Company had just returned from its rounds across the region and was just now dismissed for the evening. The Knights under Eula's command had henceforth all started to make their way off towards either their homes or the local taverns for the night. However, being Eula's roommate, I had no real need to separate just yet, and so I stayed in formation until everyone else had left before then strolling on up to Eula again.

Eula: "Hmm? Y/N? Is something the matter?"

Y/N: "Oh, uh, no. Nothing's the matter, I just thought we might as well walk back together, no?"

Eula: "Ah, I see. Unfortunately though, I will be needed to give a debriefing of today's activities. So I must leave you here regrettably, although... might that just so happen to be little Diona over there, sitting on the bridge?"

Eula had nodded her head in the direction behind me, towards the stone bridge that led to the front gate of Mondstadt. And, just like Eula said, Diona was indeed sitting atop the stone railing of the bridge, her feet were kicking and swaying as she looked up high at the sky stained an orange-pink with its setting sun.

Eula: "Why don't you spend some time with Diona for a while? And then perhaps later we might reconvene, of course though, I'll be the one preparing the meal tonight as compensation."

Y/N: "You don't have to do that..."

Eula: "No, no, I insist. I ended up giving you quite the boring role in today's expedition. I was expecting need of a powerful sentry near the back of our formation, but it seemed I overestimated the situation and left you with nought to do."

Y/N: "Oh, that's alright. Don't mind me, it really didn't bother me at all..."

Although I suppose it gave me a little too much time for me to think about things that perhaps I would have rather not been thinking about, especially today of all days...

Eula: "Regardless, I will not allow you to dispute me on this matter. I will prepare a meal for you later tonight, once I have returned from my debriefing."

Y/N: "Well, I guess if you're offering... Thanks!"

Eula: "Mhm. I suppose I will. Now go on then, why don't you go and strum up some conversation with Diona for now, hmm?"

Even if I wanted to say something else, Eula had already started walking off and away from me. Heading towards the front gate of Mondstadt and passing Diona along the way, I saw Diona look down and acknowledge Eula's being there with a small wave and a smile that Eula seemed to reciprocate... or well, at the very least I saw her nod her head, but I couldn't see her face from my position behind her!

What I didn't entirely expect though was for Diona to then look away from Eula and to look straight at me, as if she knew I would be there– did Eula perhaps mention that to her in passing?

Diona's face very quickly shifted from the neutral one she had on to instead one with quite the adorable smile on it, and when that combined with her cutely hopping down from her impromptu seat on the bridge railing to then skip on over to me... it really did a number on my heart!