"Uh…"
Lin Mo froze.
He hadn't expected that a moment of carelessness would expose his true intentions.
"What are you after by getting close to me?"
Eula asked coldly.
"Hey, hey, relax," Lin Mo said quickly.
"You can feel it, can't you? I don't mean you any harm."
…
A trace of confusion flickered through Eula's eyes.
Indeed, she hadn't sensed any hostility from Lin Mo.
If he had wanted to hurt her, he would never have risked his life to pull her out of the Ruin Guard's assault.
Nor would he have fallen off the cliff with her just to save her.
And if it were merely lust…
During the time she'd been unconscious, he would've already done everything he could have wanted to do.
Setting aside the fact that he'd peeked at her bathing and lured monsters toward her, everything Lin Mo had done had been filled with goodwill.
He had saved her twice in life-and-death situations.
Tended to her wounds with meticulous care.
Patiently cooked meals for her.
"Then why do you want to get close to me?"
Eula asked again, unable to help herself.
"Well… this is a little embarrassing to say," Lin Mo replied.
"If I told you I've been secretly in love with you, would you believe me?"
His expression was shy, almost bashful.
A faint blush crept onto Eula's cheeks.
"Se… secretly in love with me…"
At that moment, a surge of joy rose unbidden in her heart.
Since childhood, no one had wanted to get close to her—the daughter of the Lawrence clan.
What she received were looks of disgust and fear, not affection.
This was the first time a man had ever confessed to her.
She could clearly feel her heart begin to race.
But soon, she forced herself to calm down.
It didn't make sense.
"I don't believe you," she said firmly.
"We've never even met before. How could you be secretly in love with me?"
She turned her face away, unsure whether she simply didn't want to—or didn't dare to—meet his gaze.
"Just because you haven't seen me doesn't mean I haven't seen you,"
Lin Mo said with a gentle smile.
"Do you remember one day when you were dancing by Cider Lake?"
"I was traveling and happened to pass by. I saw your dance there."
"I was so captivated that even after you finished, I was still lost in it."
"When I finally came back to my senses, you were already gone."
"So I went to Mondstadt and started asking around about you."
…
As Eula listened, her gaze wavered, her eyes filled with complicated emotions.
But she asked only one simple question:
"What you heard… they were all bad things about me, weren't they?"
"…At first, yes," Lin Mo admitted with a smile.
"The more I asked, the more I realized something."
"The people of Mondstadt don't hate you—they hate the surname you carry."
"They fear you. Fear that you'll grow stronger and stronger."
"Fear that one day you'll restore the glory of the Lawrence clan…"
"And drag Mondstadt back into that dark age of enslavement and oppression."
"So the problem isn't you."
"It's their weakness."
…
Eula listened to his bold words, her eyes trembling.
She couldn't believe it.
That Lin Mo—a foreigner—had managed to learn so much about her in such a short time.
More importantly, he hadn't let Mondstadt's overwhelmingly negative opinions influence his judgment.
Instead, he had seen straight through to the root of their hatred.
And he'd even dared to say something like "The problem isn't you, it's them"—words that would surely enrage many.
Yet years of being ostracized had built an invisible barrier around Eula's heart.
A protective shell that kept her from trusting anyone.
From letting anyone draw close.
From facing Lin Mo's confession head-on.
Just like the word she constantly spoke—"vengeance."
It was the perfect way to keep people at a distance.
So she stubbornly replied,
"There are plenty of women who dance beautifully."
"Even if, in your heart, you think my dance was the most beautiful…"
"That just means you like my appearance."
"One day, when my looks fade, you'll change your mind."
…
"Who says I only like your appearance?"
Lin Mo said in surprise.
"Yes, my feelings for you began with your looks."
"But after watching you and getting to know you, I fell in love with your character."
"You'd rather live alone outside Mondstadt than swallow your pride."
"You refuse to fawn over merchants just to get food and supplies."
"Even though the people of Mondstadt treat you harshly and judge you unfairly…"
"You still repay resentment with kindness, still help those in the city who need it."
"You carry so much unhappiness in your heart…"
"Yet in front of others, you always keep that carefree, unrestrained demeanor."
"Wine helps you forget your troubles."
"But when the Angel's Share is crowded, you're forced to share tables—enduring cold stares."
"You go there to drown your sorrows…"
"Yet more often than not, you end up feeling even worse."
As Lin Mo spoke, Eula's eyes slowly reddened.
All these years…
The person who understood her best turned out to be a foreigner.
Without realizing it, the tightly shut door in her heart had already begun to loosen—
pried open by Lin Mo's sincerity.
He continued, smiling gently,
"These past two weeks, the tavern has still been packed every night.
Care to guess why the owner hasn't asked you to share a table?"
"…Could it be…?"
Eula's eyes widened, disbelief written all over her face.
Lin Mo grinned smugly.
"It was me. I paid the owner and booked a table."
"I told him that table was reserved just for you."
"No matter how full it gets, no one's allowed to share it."
Then he couldn't help but laugh wryly.
"You have no idea how he looked at me back then…"
"Like I was a complete idiot."
--------
T/N:
You'll also get 5 extra chapters just for being a free member!
Access 40 chapters in advance on my Patreon : [email protected]/furinaimpact