At the competition venue, on stage.
The host loudly announced, "Let's welcome our next contestant, Eula Lawrence!"
"..."
The crowd immediately fell silent.
Not the kind of silence born from anticipation of a performance, but the kind that comes when a voice is suddenly choked off, leaving only a suffocating dead air.
The atmosphere grew faintly awkward.
Countless complicated gazes landed on the girl stepping onto the stage, some even tinged with disgust.
Eula lifted her chin and walked forward, expressionless.
Hmph.
This kind of treatment, born solely from her family name, was nothing new to her. She had suffered it countless times before.
It no longer mattered.
Last year's competition had been the same, yet in the end, hadn't these same people been forced to watch her take the championship?
Besides, not everyone treated her with prejudice…
Amber cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted from the audience, "Go Eula!"
Eula glanced her way, warmth flickering in her heart.
Then Zhu Zi and the others joined in: "Miss Eula! You've got this!"
Surprise flashed in Eula's eyes. She hadn't expected this group of girls she'd only just met today to cheer her on.
Heh.
The Mondstadters she fought tooth and nail to protect branded her a sinner. Strangers from afar treated her as a friend.
This grudge…
Eula reached center stage, gave a noble's curtsey, and let her gaze sweep slowly over the crowd.
Those who had glared at her moments before now avoided her eyes.
I'll remember…
Withdrawing her gaze, she closed her eyes.
Beyond the rigid formalities of noble etiquette, art was considered the second soul of the old aristocracy.
And the Dance of the Rite—a ceremonial performance meant to showcase their exalted status—was revered as the crystallization of that soul, the brightest jewel on the noble's scepter.
According to legend, long before the old aristocracy imposed their bloody rule on Mondstadt, the great houses at their height had already co-created the Dance of the Rite.
The Lawrence family's solo piece, the third act of the dance, was called [Flickering Candlelight]. It was the centerpiece of the entire rite. A performance reserved for the family's eldest daughter, a symbol of nobility and pride.
To perfect their steps, the Lawrences would hire the finest dancers as tutors. Bleeding toes were considered nothing more than embellishment for glory—every dancer was to take pride in it.
The ancient ritual endured for centuries. Even after the nobility had been overthrown and exiled, the Lawrence clan clung to this tradition.
But stripped of its grand banquets and opulent stage, the Dance of the Rite was no longer so resplendent. Without professional tutors, the exacting standards waned. The Lawrences, powerless to uphold their own legacy, relegated the dance to an amateur pastime rather than a required discipline.
As time passed, the dance's darker associations faded. What survived was only its beauty.
And for Eula—the current eldest daughter of the Lawrence family—it had been her only reprieve during a childhood otherwise strangled by suffocating aristocratic lessons.
In her ears, the familiar melody of the rite seemed to rise once more.
Eula opened her eyes and began to dance, moving as if no one else existed.
Her body flowed through [Flickering Candlelight], every step etched into memory long ago.
Graceful as a swan, she moved across the stage, each gesture radiating rhythm and elegance impossible to put into words.
Her short blue hair swayed in the breeze like a cresting wave.
This was a dance once offered to the gods.
Venti gazed at the girl on stage, nostalgia flickering in his eyes.
Then he reached over, grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds from the Dragon King, cracked them in his mouth, and mumbled around them, "Mr. Xia's roasting is still the best. Go get us some more, will you?"
The Dragon King ignored him. "If you want more, get them yourself."
"How can I? Diona's there—I don't dare."
"What does that have to do with me? Don't steal mine."
"Stingy!"
As Venti sulked, he noticed Mountain Shaper and Moon Carver approaching.
"Huh? Weren't you two manning your stalls? What brings you here?"
Mountain Shaper suppressed a laugh. "Moon Carver insisted we come."
Moon Carver wore a bitter face. "No choice. My fortune-telling tools are all gone."
That caught Venti's and the Dragon King's attention. "Oh? Gone?"
Mountain Shaper explained, "A customer came to buy a painting, and Moon Carver roped him into a fortune. But the coins split in half mid-cast."
The Dragon King frowned. "Such a thing? What kind of customer?"
Moon Carver said gravely, "He called himself Albedo, Chief Alchemist of the Knights of Favonius."
Venti chuckled. "Ah, of course. No wonder…"
Moon Carver eyed him nervously. "You… know him?"
Venti nodded solemnly. "Yes. Don't worry, he won't trouble you. I'll smooth it over."
Relieved, Moon Carver bowed his head. "Many thanks."
"No thanks needed. Just fetch me some sunflower seeds from Mr. Xia, and we're even."
"On it!"
On stage, Eula finished her graceful performance.
Amber was the first to clap, Zhu Zi and the others joined in, and soon even some of the audience applauded.
Eula offered another curtsey and descended quietly.
The judges conferred and awarded her the highest score of the competition so far.
No one raised objections. Whatever bias the crowd bore toward her name, the artistry of her performance was undeniable.
Back in the audience, Eula returned to Amber's side.
Amber grinned. "You're as incredible as last year. No doubt you'll win again."
Eula's gaze slid toward Xia Ci, who sat calmly cracking seeds without a shred of tension. "Not necessarily. The contest isn't over yet."
For Eula, the title itself meant little.
Even last year, when she took first place, it hadn't erased the stain of prejudice against her family.
The real reason she had asked Jean for leave to enter again this year was simple—the prize money.
The Lawrence clan's wealth had long since been confiscated by the Knights of Favonius, and what scraps remained had dwindled to nothing. Yet still, her family insisted on maintaining the appearance of nobility.
As the eldest daughter, she had no choice but to earn what she could.
Soon, the host announced the next contestant—Xia Ci.
Eula watched as the girl walked gracefully onto the stage, still wearing that flower crown.
Moments later, Xia Ci began to dance.
It was beautiful.
But shock flashed in Eula's eyes.
"No… this isn't the Dance of the Flower God. I've seen dancers in Sumeru… the Flower God's Dance they perform isn't like this at all…" she murmured.
Yet though it was nothing like the Sumeru version, she couldn't tear her eyes away.
The dance seemed to radiate an indescribable charm that pulled her in.
Like the morning breeze. Like polished jade. Like raging thunder. Like gentle lakewater. Like burning fire. Like silent ice. Like a blooming Padisarah…
It was as though the whole world's wonders were contained within this dance.
When Xia Ci finished, the venue fell into a stunned silence.
Xia Zhi began to clap softly, and the sound snapped everyone back to their senses. They quickly joined in, the applause erupting far more fervently than when Eula had performed.
Eula sat in silence, eyes fixed on Xia Ci.
The judges conferred and delivered a score nearly perfect.
When the competition ended, Xia Ci easily claimed first place, while Eula secured second.
A dance offered by mortals to the gods could never outshine a dance performed by the god herself.
Still, second place came with a prize—albeit a far smaller one.
As they went up for their awards, Eula stood beside Xia Ci and said, "Congratulations."
Xia Ci smiled. "Same to you."
"But… that wasn't really the Flower God's Dance, was it?"
"It was," Xia Ci said seriously. "That's exactly what I performed."
Eula shook her head. "You don't have to lie. I've seen Sumeru dancers perform it—it's not like what you did."
Xia Ci tilted her head, then grinned. "What if the one you saw was the fake?"
Eula blinked. "Impossible. She was a famous dancer—performed in the Sabzeruz Festival itself. That was the same dance… though, to be honest, I think yours was more beautiful."
"See? And you danced wonderfully too."
"Still, today's champion rightfully belongs to you. This grudge, I'll remember."
"?"
Xia Ci gave her a strange look.
Eula's expression was perfectly matter-of-fact.
"You just said… grudge?"
"Of course. I took special leave just to compete, and now I've wasted half my day without winning the title. And it's all because of you."
Xia Ci laughed. "So that's what you meant. Well, you're not wrong—it was my fault."
Interest flickered in her eyes. This girl Eula was amusing—bold enough to say she bore even a god a grudge, though clearly joking.
The two descended together.
Amber rushed up to Eula. "So you took the whole day off, right?"
"Mm."
"Got plans this afternoon?"
"No."
"Then come hang out with us!"
"Hang out?"
"Shopping! I haven't gone out with you in ages."
Eula thought for a moment, then nodded. "All right."
Amber beamed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
A fiery Pyro girl and a cool Cryo beauty side by side—quite the picture.
The Dragon King and Venti waved them off, saying they'd earned plenty of Mora this morning and were headed to the tavern for more drinks. With Venti and Diona at odds, it wasn't like they could have gone shopping together anyway.
Meanwhile, Xia Ci sidled up to Xia Zhi. "Cousin, you won the music contest, I won the dance contest. Don't you think that proves we're a great match?"
Xia Zhi nodded. "True enough. But Venti also won."
"Pfft, his win was cheap. Cousin, how did my Dance look to you? Beautiful, right?"
Xia Zhi adjusted his modified Glasses. "Sorry, cousin's a blind man. I can't see."
"I'm asking how it felt!"
"Felt… fine."
"You should've seen the Flower God dance in my memories, right?"
"Vaguely."
"Then tell me—who danced better, her or me?"
"Her."
"…Cousin, one more chance."
"Her."
"Why?"
"She danced barefoot."
"..."
Xia Ci glanced down at her own shoes, lost in thought.
So… her cousin was a foot-fetishist?
No, that didn't sound right…
Her gaze drifted instinctively toward Shenhe.
Downward.
To the shoes on Shenhe's feet.
Before her thoughts could spiral further, Xia Zhi said lightly, "Cousin, I was joking."
Xia Ci snapped her head back. "Hmph. Next time I'll just dance barefoot for you."