Still mine - Your little secret II

XII - "Funeral"

Kaeya found me yesterday, this time he couldn't cover up my shit and accordingly I was now behind bars in the basement of the Favonious Headquaters.

My hands were tied to a collar on my neck, I couldn't use any of my powers, Dottore himself created this apparatus. I glanced up and found a little hole in the wall were a single ray of sunlight shone through.

"Kaeya reported hearing a terrified scream and finding her on the ground sobbing. During interrogation, Y/N admitted to murdering Venessa, but you're welcome to speak to her again in person."

"Thank you, Jean." Then I heard footsteps approach my cell and the door slowly opened.

I looked at the person standing there, his fiery red hair had a slight iridescence and his eyes were scowling. "Diluc..." I murmured trembling, fighting back the tears welling up in my eyes and he closed the door behind him. "It was an accident... She attacked me..."

He silently sat down across from me and watched me as I started sobbing uncontrollably like a small child. "I didn't want that but she... she..." Unable to continue, my tears were suddenly dried by the young man across from me. "You are in very great trouble."

"Oh yes and.." Diluc pulled a folder out of his coat, without knowing what this folder contained, I knew. "Was that boy's murder an accident too?" He threw the folder at my feet with full force, anger spread through my body, my anger supplanted the despair.

"He was trying to kill me, to kill Childe. Should I have let that happen?" His reproachful and even disgusted look made my blood pressure rise, my heart pounded to my throat and then something just blurted out. "Don't act like you didn't almost kill your own brother Kaeya!"

I was startled. "I-I'm sorry..." I didn't mean to say that, it just slipped out and I didn't mean to hurt him. He opened the cell door, speechless. "Diluc please, I'm sorry!"

Then before he left he put a letter next to me with my name on it. "My condolences..." he mumbled and then he was gone again.
What...?

Diluc's POV
It was barely a minute before a shrill, painful and frantic scream could be heard throughout the whole headquarters. It sounded like she had been tortured in the worst possible way, a way you couldn't imagine. I felt sorry for her.

"Jean?" I knocked on her office door, I urgently needed to talk to her. "Come in." she murmured from her office.

"Let me guess, it's about the girl?" I nodded in agreement and sat down in the chair opposite.
"I know what you are going to ask but my answer is no, she's murdered an innocent woman, we can't let her go."

"You don't understand, Jean. That would mean a war that we would never win under any circumstances." Y/N was the Tsar's daughter, under the protection of the Tsaritsa as well as the Harbingers, not to mention the protection of a Harbinger who had a monstrous screw loose. Sooner or later he would come and get his fiancee back, regardless of the sacrifice, Jean knew that too.

"Diluc, please. My answer is and will remain no. I can't just release a murderer, people then think they can do anything." I took a deep breath. "Then at least let her go to the funeral." Now Jean looked at me confused.

"Y/N's mother was murdered in a horrific manner, I don't want to elaborate, but I beg you to let her attend the funeral." After a minute of silence, Jean shook her head again. "As I said before, she's a murderer and I can't let her go so I'm asking you to leave my office now and not come back." She said bitingly, with an angry look, I didn't know her like that. There must have been more behind it.

"I'm sorry that her mother is dead, but that's not my problem and now get out!" I got up angrily and slammed my hands on the table, startling the young woman. "What's your problem, Jean? That's not the woman I know!"

She bit her lip and looked at me hurt. "You take this complete stranger in with you, let her work in your tavern, protect her and even spend a night in her hotel room." Tears formed in her beautiful blue eyes, it made my heart ache, was she jealous?

I gently cupped her cheek and smiled at her. "Jean I assure you there was never anything between her and me. I only have eyes for one woman." Her eyes widened and she ran her fingers over mine. "Really?" she asked with a slightly trembling voice.

"Really." Her lips formed a smile and I planted a kiss on her forehead, I probably shouldn't mention that me and Y/N kissed but nothing more happened. "Well... It's her mother so I'll allow that."

"Thank you. Tomorrow morning I will pick her up and bring her to Liyue, after the funeral I will bring her back."