"Mmm~ this smell… delicious!?"
A mouthwatering aroma slipped into Paimon's tiny nose.
Still dozing with her eyes shut, the little glutton sniffed hard, a drop of drool sliding from the corner of her mouth.
The drifting fragrance outside finally pulled her out of sleep.
Paimon rubbed her eyes and suddenly opened them wide, those starry pupils sparkling.
Her adorable, innocent face was still wrapped in drowsy confusion.
The days of sleeping rough under the stars were long gone.
Ever since the Traveler became a little rich girl, their lifestyle had completely changed.
No more worrying about finding a place to sleep, and meals had leveled up drastically.
Every day, Lumine treated herself to a grand feast as compensation for the pride she lost whenever she had to call Nagami "Onii-chan."
Paimon sometimes wondered if she was going to get chubby at this rate!
No longer did they have to sleep with one eye open, worrying about hilichurls or wild beasts prowling nearby.
Sure, those weren't exactly life-threatening, but they ruined perfectly good dreams.
Now Paimon could snooze soundly until the sun was high—actually, way past that.
Lately, her sleep schedule had synced almost completely with Lumine's, who, after becoming more comfortable in life, often slept right up until noon.
But… too much meat and fancy food eventually got old.
What Paimon craved now was Lumine's home cooking again.
If Lumine ever really gave it her all, Paimon was sure her cooking would rival even Xiangling.
After all, age was on her side—if nothing else, the terrifying advantage of youth could make up for lack of experience.
Yawning, Paimon floated up, stretched her tiny body, and drifted toward the source of that wonderful smell like a moth to flame.
"Lumine, what's for breakfa— Huh!? Nagami's here too?"
Her eyes blinked owlishly as she stared at the two sitting side by side.
A strange atmosphere hung between them.
And Lumine… her refined, delicate face was tinged pink, her damp eyes glimmering faintly. Her lips, slightly parted, gleamed with moisture.
Who was this shy maiden sitting here?
Where was her Lumine?
Where was her Traveler?
Had the Traveler finally broken down?!
Paimon had been with Lumine long enough to know exactly what kind of person she was.
Why else would Lumine always rush ahead to strike up conversations before Paimon could?
There was even a poet in Liyue who wrote a verse about her—though Paimon hated it, the latter half really did capture Lumine's essence:
"Seven parts mischief, three parts fool,Every word she utters half a Sumeru's worth of nonsense."
This was the Lumine Paimon knew.
And yet… this Lumine was blushing?!
Paimon leaned forward midair, tiny body tilting, mouth agape.
One hand pressed against her smooth forehead while her little bottom stuck up as she peered closer, utterly floored. Was she still dreaming?
(For the record, Paimon had already given that poet a very mean nickname.)
"I… I must be dreaming, right?!"
She rubbed her eyes hard, then froze, eyes going wide.
"Eh?! ∑(っ°Д°;)っ"
In a blur, she zipped across the room, appearing at the table.
With a despairing cry, she flopped onto the wooden surface, clutching her head.
Her adorable little face crumpled in misery.
"My breakfast! My breakfast is gone?! All gone?!"
Staring at the leftovers on the table, Paimon's head drooped, her bright eyes going dull.
She looked pitiful, like a discarded kitten.
And that's when Lumine remembered what she had forgotten.
Caught up in her deep conversation with Nagami, and distracted by his constant interference, she'd completely forgotten to wake Paimon for breakfast.
If Nagami hadn't derailed everything just now, she might have remembered. But…
Breakfast had somehow turned into feeding him mouth-to-mouth.
By the end, it wasn't just about breakfast anymore—it was nearly about her being eaten instead!
If Paimon hadn't come out when she did, their trip to Liyue would've been postponed yet again.
As for rejecting him? Not once during that embarrassing feeding game had the thought of refusal even crossed Lumine's mind.
After all, who could deny their own heart?
"Yo~ good morning, little Paimon!"
Nagami licked his lips, smiling warmly like nothing had happened. He raised a hand in a friendly wave.
"Don't pout like that. I'll treat you to a big feast at Good Hunter later. It'll taste way better than anything Lumine makes."
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[That's impossible. Lumine cooking is leagues above any restaurant chef's!]
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Hearing the complete mismatch between Nagami's words and thoughts, Lumine sighed helplessly.
This other self of hers… was definitely some kind of pervert.
If anyone else praised her like that—even Aether, she wouldn't have felt much of anything.
If it was just sweet talk, fine. But with Nagami, she could feel every single thought echoing in his heart.
And it was too much.
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[Nagami]: If I'm a pervert, then so are you. And in terms of narcissism, you're no better than me.
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Nagami, the only man who could accompany Lumine through endless time—and one who shared her very existence—could feel that uncontrollable warmth swelling in her heart.
"Alright, I'll make you something else."
With a smile so strange that it left Paimon frozen in place, Lumine skipped off toward the kitchen.
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[Lumine]: Excessive dirty mind is a mental illness, you know?
[Nagami]: Then I'm happy to be sick. But being called your "second" still bothers me… I'd better hurry up and turn your Onii-chan into Onee-chan!
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At that thought in her head, Lumine stumbled mid-step.
He really was insane!
Her fair cheeks flushed faintly, lashes trembling as a trace of girlish shyness filled her expression.
"Nagami, Nagami!" Paimon, unsettled by Lumine's odd smile and aura, zipped to his side, tugging his sleeve with tiny hands.
She leaned in and whispered, "Did you do something to Lumine? She looks like she's… broken!"
…?
Though Paimon's voice was barely audible, the sound of a knife slamming against the cutting board instantly rang out from the kitchen.
'You emergency food!How dare you call me broken behind my back!'
"Why do you say that?" Nagami asked gently, looking at her with pity.
Poor thing had no idea how much danger she was in.
"Because, just now, for a moment Lumine felt… she felt…" Paimon scratched her head. "What's the word again? Oh, right—she felt kind of motherly!"
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[!!!] ×2
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