"mistress" • diluc

xxiii

• third person •

It had not even been an hour since they finally went to sleep.

Yet, for some reason, Aila had sat up, suddenly wide awake.

Diluc shuffled with a groan. He had been clutching onto her until she moved.

"Aila..?" he murmured tiredly. "What's wrong..?"

"Jam," she whispered.

Diluc cocked a brow. "What?"

Rubbing his eyes with a sigh, he grabbed her hand, attempting to tug her back into bed. She shook her head, shrugging him off.

"I need jam," she said quietly.

"There should be some grape jam downst—"

"Sunsettia jam. I need sunsettia jam," Aila interrupted.

Diluc heaved a sigh as he sat up, glancing at the large moon through the window. "Where am I supposed to get sunsettia jam for you at this time? You're going to have to wait until morning, Aila. Come on, let's go back to sl..."

His eye twitched when Aila suddenly broke out into a sob.

"I need it now!" she cried, tears dribbling down her cheeks. "I can't sleep... without this jam... Waaahhh..!"

"Ugh... Aila." Sighing, Diluc cupped her cheek, attempting to wipe her running tears away. "Don't be silly. I'll get you some first thing, okay? You can either have some sunsettia juice or grape jam in the meantime, is that alright?"

"No," Aila shook her head rapidly. "No no no."

Diluc couldn't believe that this was the same woman he had just fucked senseless approximately two hours ago.

"What do you want me to do then? Almost no shops are open at this time."

Hopelessly, Aila continued to cry. Diluc heaved a sigh. He shuffled off the bed.

She watched in her blurred vision as he slipped on some clothes, walking over to the door.

"Sit nicely. I'll see what there is."

Aila blinked. Diluc had left the room.

It was a long journey to Mondstadt from the winery. The things he would do for that woman...

When he finally arrived at the glorious time of almost half four in the morning, as expected, the streets were basically empty. The bright moonlight was scattered along the pavement, a gentle reflection of the gas lamps across the street illuminating the path before him.

Diluc yawned, making his way to the square. It seemed, in fact, that two stores did seem to be open at this time.

He approached the grocery store, rubbing his eyes.

"Do you have sunsettia jam?" he asked groggily.

"Master Diluc?" The shop owner seemed to be in shock. "Uh- Yes, we do."

"I'll take twenty jars," he sighed casually, pulling out his mora. "Is that enough?"

"Oh- That's more than enough–"

"Good. Keep the change. I'll wait over there."

The lady didn't even get to reply before Diluc had walked away. Bewildered, she began to prepare his order.

Diluc was about to walk over to Good Hunter, to sit at one of the tables, expecting them to be empty.

To his surprise however, there was a lone figure sitting silently upon one of them, eating a small dish beneath the dim moonlight.