Inside the Northland Bank's VIP lounge, Lin Yide lay leisurely on a soft, supple leather sofa.
Rosalyne, seated opposite him, had a blazing fury burning in her eyes. She said coldly, "Yide, state your purpose. I don't have time to waste with you."
Facing Rosalyne's anger, Lin Yide remained unhurried and at ease. He spoke in a measured tone, "Rosalyne, the world is so beautiful. It's a pity to be this way."
Rosalyne's anger intensified. If her strength allowed, she truly wanted to kill the man before her instantly.
She cried out somewhat hysterically, "My patience has its limits!"
Lin Yide remained unmoved. He simply gazed quietly at Rosalyne, as if assessing the limits of her rage and endurance.
After a moment, he spoke softly, in an almost compassionate tone, "Rosalyne, are you close to burning out?"
As soon as his words fell, an expression of disbelief appeared on Rosalyne's face.
Clasping her hands tightly, she took a deep breath, trying to maintain her composure, and responded in a mocking tone, "Are you telling some kind of joke?"
Lin Yide continued, "From the moment you became the Crimson Witch of Flames, your destiny was sealed. Though solid ice can temporarily extinguish an eternal flame, the fire will eventually burn to its end."
Rosalyne's expression changed with Lin Yide's words, eventually settling into a peaceful one. "You're right, the flames will eventually burn out. But regrettably, that filthy and dark Abyss has not yet been completely incinerated."
Upon hearing this, Lin Yide clicked his tongue in wonder, "I didn't expect you to have such grand ideals!"
Rosalyne glared at him resentfully, "Yide, you bastard! Are you mocking me?"
Lin Yide gently shook his head. "I'm not, I just think you're doing something futile. The power of the Abyss far exceeds your imagination; what invaded Teyvat back then was merely a tiny fraction of its strength."
"Futile?" Rosalyne showed a hint of self-mockery. "Of course, I know this might be in vain, but in this rotten world, what else can I do?"
Lin Yide said with a serious expression, "Live freely and beautifully, and protect Mondstadt, which Rostam loved so dearly."
Rosalyne was momentarily stunned, then showed a desolate smile. "That sounds a lot like something Rostam would say. But he didn't know that a world without him was like hell to me. However, there's no point in saying any of this now. I've already embarked on this path of no return and can never turn back."
The corner of Lin Yide's mouth curved slightly upward. "What if I told you I have a way for you to start a new life?"
Rosalyne's eyes instantly widened, revealing an expression of disbelief. "Yide, you're not joking with me, are you?"
Her voice, besides shock, subtly hinted at an unmistakable anticipation.
Lin Yide merely glanced at her, his tone conveying undeniable seriousness. "Do you think I'd be so bored as to toy with you about something like this?"
Hearing this, Rosalyne no longer doubted him. She was silent for a moment, seemingly trying to digest this sudden astonishing news, and then finally asked, "What exactly is this method you speak of?"
Lin Yide slowly extended both hands, then gently opened his palms.
Suddenly, a palm-sized Cryo elemental orb appeared out of thin air in his left hand, and at its center, a finger-sized Pyro elemental butterfly was lightly fluttering.
Immediately afterward, the butterfly, as if summoned by some mysterious force, elegantly flew out of the Cryo orb and slowly drifted towards a Hydro elemental orb that suddenly appeared in his right hand, eventually merging into it.
Rosalyne watched the scene intently. "Is this... Soul Transfer?"
Lin Yide nodded slightly, confirming her guess.
Rosalyne suppressed the surging emotions in her heart and asked, "What price must I pay for this?"
Lin Yide fell into thought. Transferring Rosalyne's soul was just a momentary whim for him, serving as a preliminary experiment for a future transfer of Focalors' soul.
After a moment, he slowly spoke, "You do one thing for me: gather all information concerning Pierro."
Rosalyne was surprised by his request. "Yide, why are you so interested in Pierro?"
Lin Yide explained softly, "As the Court Mage of the Khaenri'ah kingdom, he knows the true reason for Khaenri'ah's downfall back then."
After some consideration, Rosalyne finally made up her mind. "I agree to help you gather information on him. But I must warn you, Pierro's power is far beyond what you can imagine."
Lin Yide's expression was calm. "I am the Head of the West Factory; some things, I understand more clearly than you."
Rosalyne let out a cold snort, then steered the conversation back to the original point. "So, what is the real purpose of your visit this time?"
Lin Yide did not directly answer her question but instead countered, "Have you been to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor?"
Rosalyne's expression changed abruptly. "You... how did you know?"
From her reaction, Lin Yide had already deduced that she, representing the Tsaritsa, had reached some kind of contract with Morax.
"The reason is simple: Morax is the most powerful Archon in the mortal realm. Even Pierro is nothing more than a slightly larger insect in front of him. Therefore, to acquire his Gnosis, one can only negotiate."
As his words fell, Rosalyne's expression became complex. "Yide, I truly suspect you're a god disguised in human skin."
Lin Yide chuckled softly. "Thank you for the compliment. However, these matters don't require a god's wisdom; one just needs to use their brain more."
Upon hearing this, a hint of annoyance appeared on Rosalyne's face; she had just complimented him, and he had subtly implied she was brainless in return.
Lin Yide paid no mind to her emotions and continued, "This time, you Fatui are accepting a trial scenario set by Morax. If nothing unexpected happens, you, as the villains, will ultimately end in failure."
Rosalyne said somewhat exasperatedly, "This is Morax's script; even if we don't want to fail, we have to. For this, the organization even specially arranged for Tartaglia, that incompetent fellow who excels only at screwing things up, to carry out the operation."