Eula's memories froze on their wedding night.
She truly did not want to recall what came a year later—when Lin Mo disappeared without a word.
The more she loved Lin Mo, the more torment she endured during the years after his departure.
His disappearance even turned her—a daughter of the Lawrence clan—into a laughingstock of Mondstadt.
The resentment the people of Mondstadt had bottled up out of fear for Lin Mo finally erupted once he was gone.
Their exclusion and mockery of the Lawrence family only grew more vicious than before.
…
At this moment, Eula was gazing at Lin Mo with deep emotion, step by step drawing closer to him.
Had she not experienced his sudden disappearance, she would have thrown herself into his arms without hesitation.
But now, only resentment remained in her eyes.
"Why… why did you leave without saying a word…"
Her choked voice trembled as tears slid down from the corners of her eyes.
As she spoke, her hands moved uncontrollably, shaking as they grabbed hold of Lin Mo's collar.
Lin Mo turned his face away, unable to meet her gaze.
Abandoning a pregnant wife—
Even he felt that he was utterly despicable.
But he had no choice.
After the task was completed, when he would leave a parallel world was never up to him.
If he could choose, Lin Mo would of course wish to stay in that invitation world, fulfill his vows, and grow old with Eula until the end of his days.
"Why… why did you pull me out of the mire, give me hope, only to shove me back into the abyss so cruelly…"
"Why…"
Eula was already sobbing uncontrollably.
During those years together in the parallel world, she had cried—but those were tears of joy and gratitude.
She had never cried from sorrow or heartbreak.
Lin Mo could not bear it any longer.
He opened his arms and pulled her into an embrace.
Eula did not resist.
Though hatred lingered in her heart, she had waited far, far too long for this familiar hug.
"Eula, it was just a dream," Lin Mo said softly.
"The dream is over now. Let it all go. Forget me."
His gentle voice, warm like the rising sun, sounded unbearably cruel in her ears.
Burying her face in his chest, Eula whispered, "In the dream… the way you treated me—was that all a lie?"
"No. All of it was real."
"And the vows you made to me—were they real too?"
"Even though I don't worship Barbatos, my vows were real as well."
"Then why did you leave?"
She still couldn't help it.
She asked the question that had tormented her for so long.
"When a dream ends isn't something I can control."
Lin Mo had no choice but to reveal his burden.
Hearing this, Eula abruptly lifted her head, staring at him through tear-filled eyes.
"You… you didn't abandon me on purpose?"
"No. The dream ended, and I had to leave."
Lin Mo gave a bitter smile.
"Then what about us now…"
Eula suddenly broke into a smile through her tears.
"No!"
Lin Mo cut her off decisively.
"Why?"
Her eyes were filled with confusion.
"Klee… is my daughter."
Lin Mo turned his face away, not daring to look her in the eyes.
He believed this would make his dilemma clear to her.
"How could that be…"
As expected, disbelief flooded Eula's tearful gaze.
She no longer lingered in his arms.
Instead, she stared at him in a daze, stepping backward as she spoke again to confirm:
"You're the one who… left Mondstadt more than ten years ago… Klee's father?"
"Yes."
Lin Mo nodded, reaffirming his identity.
"Klee is my daughter."
"Alice is my wife."
…
The air fell silent.
At some point, the evening glow had faded away, leaving only a bright moon hanging high in the night sky.
The dormitory lights were off.
Eula desperately wanted to see clearly—
In the darkness, what kind of expression Lin Mo was wearing.
"Lin Mo… how do you see me now?"
She couldn't help but ask.
"I'll treat it as a dream," Lin Mo answered without hesitation.
"When the dream ends, it's over."
Leaving Alice aside for the moment—
Even if Alice didn't exist, with the task binding him in this life, he still wouldn't be able to stay with Eula until old age.
If separation was inevitable in the end,
Then it was better to endure short pain than long suffering—to cut it cleanly, once and for all.
Eula had already endured one farewell.
Lin Mo didn't want her to suffer through a second one.
Despite his calm exterior, his heart was in turmoil.
If he had a choice, who would willingly part from the one they loved?
"I refuse!"
Eula's stance was unshakable.
"Even if we met in a dream, I won't let it just fade away like this!"
"Even if you already have Alice!"
"I'd rather declare war on her than give up!"
…
"Declare war on who…"
Lin Mo gave a helpless, bitter laugh.
"The outcome isn't decided by the two of you. The judge… is me."
"Can you really bring yourself to do it…"
"Can you really let go?"
Eula bit her lower lip lightly, her beautiful eyes brimming with unwillingness.
Not just unwillingness—
She couldn't believe that Lin Mo would truly cast this love aside without hesitation.
"I can't," Lin Mo admitted honestly.
"I don't have the heart. I can't let go."
He didn't want to lie to her.
Hearing his answer, a smile surfaced once more in Eula's eyes.
As long as she still had a place in his heart, there was still a future for them.
"Give me some time to calm down," Lin Mo said.
"I'll give you an answer you can accept. All right?"
He didn't want to dwell on this any further.
He needed time—to think, to reflect, to find a way to break this deadlock.
Eula heard the resolve in his words and knew that she wouldn't get the answer she wanted today.
So she stepped toward him again.
Gently wrapping her arms around him, she whispered by his ear,
"Alright. I'll wait for you. No matter how long it takes, I'll wait."
Those words threw Lin Mo's heart into complete chaos.
…
No one knew how much time passed.
When Lin Mo finally came back to his senses, he realized that Eula had already left the dormitory.
In the empty room, only he remained.
Clutching his head, Lin Mo collapsed weakly onto the floor.
With the power of ninety-nine lifetimes at his disposal,
He wished he could storm Celestia and declare war on the Heavenly Principles themselves.
After defeating them, he would use the system's promised wish to shatter this deadlock.
But whether he could defeat the Heavenly Principles at all—
He truly had no confidence.
He didn't even know how to reach Celestia.
The Hundred-Lifetime Invitation tasks all took place before the Dragon Crisis.
There was no information whatsoever about events in the distant future.
Everything he knew about Teyvat's future storyline came solely from a game he had played back on Blue Star—Genshin Impact.
When he first transmigrated to Teyvat, the game had only updated to version 2.3.
There was absolutely no hint about how to ascend to Celestia.
Just then—
A familiar voice suddenly drifted in from the balcony of the dormitory.
"My friend, you seem troubled. Care for a drink?"
Lin Mo looked up abruptly.
There, leaning against the balcony railing, was Barbatos himself.
With the wind, he sent over a glass of dandelion wine.
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T/N:
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