Chapter 178: That's Not My Head, That's My Chest
"There was a minor incident at the Mikage Furnace. Lord Scaramouche sent me to assess the situation."
Sveta's voice was as frosty as ever.
But then again, Mirror Maidens were always like that.
If Cicin Mages were radiant little suns, free and lively by nature—Then Mirror Maidens were daughters of winter, sculpted by rules and order.
As members of the Special Honor Guard, they represented not just the Fatui, but the very dignity of Snezhnaya.
Elegance wasn't a preference—it was protocol.
Every step they took, every gesture, every turn of phrase—All precisely calculated within strict, state-approved bounds.
And yet, none of them resented it.
On the contrary, they took immense pride in it.
Because such discipline was a gift—Her Majesty's radiance made manifest.
"Is it because of that shield?"
Bai Luo raised his gaze toward the island-sized barrier looming overhead, its translucent sheen cloaking Tatarasuna.
"Yes. It's far more troublesome than anticipated. The original plan had to be altered."
She paused, then added with mechanical calm,
"Upon investigation… it seems the Mikage Furnace's control protocols were tampered with. The level of expertise suggests the culprit is highly skilled. Even the Fontaine engineers couldn't override it."
That kind of internal intel wasn't usually shared casually, but Bai Luo was a Harbinger. Her superior.
There was no reason to withhold it.
Unlike others, Sveta didn't identify people by sight. She couldn't.
But her senses—her other senses—were finely tuned.
Even though Bai Luo's presence was cloaked by some kind of mysterious suppression, she had spent days with him on the same ship once.
She still recognized him.
"So, how's the mission going?" he asked.
"Lord Scaramouche has decided to observe the situation for now. Once Fontaine's engineers disable the shield, new instructions will be issued."
"…So basically," Bai Luo smirked, "you're free for now."
Sveta nodded. "Correct."
Officially, she was on standby.
Unofficially, Scaramouche just didn't feel like assigning her anything.
Classic Harbinger behavior.
He and Tartaglia both had a nasty habit of vanishing on solo excursions without warning.
At this point, Fatui's subordinates who accidently encountered wandering Harbingers didn't even ask questions anymore.
They just defaulted to, "Good day, Lord Ausbilder," or "Greetings, Lord Tartaglia."
Still—Sveta's control over water made her surprisingly well-suited to be stationed near Tatarasuna.
"Well then," Bai Luo shrugged. "I've got a mission here too. Just tag along with me for now. I'll inform Scaramouche later."
This was fine.
After all, Sveta had originally been assigned to him by the Tsaritsa herself.
"Understood."
No resistance. No objection.
As far as she was concerned, Bai Luo is her direct superior.
She had only been reassigned to Scaramouche because Bai Luo had been too busy slacking off in Inazuma City.
"First things first," he said. "Change your clothes. We can't let our identities be exposed for this mission. Got any spares?"
At that command, a faint trace of hesitation crossed Sveta's otherwise unreadable face.
Her uniform wasn't just clothing.
It was a symbol—of pride, of honor, of who she was.
But this was a special operation. She wouldn't disobey.
Still—how she changed surprised Bai Luo.
She summoned water to envelope herself.
When it receded like a gentle tide…
The Mirror-Clad uniform was gone.
In its place, she wore modest, everyday Inazuman garb.
Even her height had somehow… diminished.
She looked entirely like a local.
Instinctively, Bai Luo reached out to pinch her cheek.
He needed to check if this was real.
And then—
Squish
His hand landed on something soft.
Very soft.
Too soft to be a cheek.
That texture…
That give…
That heat…
"…That's not my face, Lord Harbinger," Sveta said without changing expression.
"That's my chest."
"..."
Bai Luo froze.
He had been about to comment that even if Sveta had a bit of baby fat, there was no way her face could be that squishy.
And what was with that oddly prominent bump—Wait.
Nope.
Abort thought.
Abort everything.
He hadn't considered it before, but now that Bai Luo really thought about it, given Sveta's original height, her chest would line up with her current, illusion-adjusted face.
"…Pretty solid illusion," he muttered calmly, casually withdrawing his right hand as if he hadn't just grabbed something soft and very much not a cheek.
"You flatter me."
Her tone didn't waver. Still the same calm, composed frost as always.
As expected of a Mirror Maiden, even in a situation like this, she didn't so much as flinch.
Had it been Ksenia or Katarina, and he had done that?
Yeah. No. There would've been screaming, kicks, maybe even blood.
"Ahem. Got anything left to pack?"
Now that Sveta had been stationed here for a while, she must've had at least a temporary setup.
And since Bai Luo had officially reclaimed her from Scaramouche…
No way he was letting her go back empty-handed.
"Just some food. Nothing worth mentioning."
Odd. For someone who hadn't even reacted to being groped a minute ago, her voice actually wavered slightly at the mention of "packing."
Which only made Bai Luo even more suspicious.
Could there be something in that tent she didn't want him to see?
"Food, huh? I was getting hungry anyway. Let's head over together."
The more evasive she got, the more intrigued he became.
What was she hiding?
"It's all stale fish and shrimp. Once we get to Inazuma City, I'll personally treat you to the best restaurant there."
"…Really now."
Mirror Maidens were known for a few things.
First and foremost, their unwavering dedication to the Fatui's goals.
They would do anything—anything—to further the Tsaritsa's vision.
Second was their discipline—their regimented loyalty as members of the Special Honor Guard.
Unquestioning. Precise. Flawless.
And then…
There was that one rule—the one every Fatui subordinate from Snezhnaya had broken at least once.
Even knowing full well it was against orders.
"You didn't happen to stash any… Fire-Water, did you?"
He only asked on a whim.
Yet, Sveta, the frost-born lady of composure herself, nearly lost hold of her illusion.
"…"
It really is Fire-Water!
Bai Luo couldn't help but sigh.
Just how deep did the Snezhnayan obsession with that stuff run?
That harsh, fiery liquid somehow sold just as well over there as Dandelion Wine did in Mondstadt.
Sometimes he even wondered… Did the exalted Tsaritsa herself secretly keep a stash?
"Fine, fine. Pack it yourself. I'll wait for you at the pass up ahead."
He waved her off casually, not about to give her a hard time.
After all, it wasn't like he hadn't smuggled a few bottles of Fire-Water for his own people in the past.
. . . . .
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