"Thank you, Baizhu."
Tighnari was genuinely grateful.
Baizhu waved it off. "I'm willing to bring you because I believe you. If you had no connection to Ryou at all, I wouldn't be able to take you to his home."
Then his tone turned more serious.
"But I should say this first. Eleazar is extremely difficult to treat. Whether Ryou will help your apprentice is still uncertain. Be prepared for that."
Tighnari glanced at Collei.
"No matter what, we have to try. Even if there's only the smallest hope, I want to fight for it."
"Tighnari…"
Collei looked up at him, eyes warm.
Back in Sumeru, Tighnari had been the one looking after her. Her health had once been far worse than it was now. Being able to keep going like this was already more than she had dared to hope for.
And yet Tighnari was still searching for ways to help her.
She did not know how she was supposed to thank him.
"Don't think about that." Tighnari rubbed her head lightly and did not say anything more.
…
After leaving Bubu Pharmacy, Ryou brought Keqing, Dunyarzad, and Dehya to the market.
They bought vegetables, meat, and plenty of seafood. By the time they were done, Ryou and Dehya were each carrying several bags.
Keqing looked at the bags in their hands. "Is that enough?"
Ryou checked them over. "More or less. Let's go home."
"Mm."
By the time they returned, night had already settled over Liyue Harbor.
As soon as Ryou headed for the kitchen, Dehya followed with the bags.
"Ryou, let me help."
"You're guests," Ryou said. "How can I make guests help in the kitchen? Just wait for dinner. I can handle it."
Dehya did not move.
"That makes me feel even worse." She gripped the bags a little tighter. "You helped Dunyarzad so much. If I just sit there and wait to be served, I won't be able to relax."
Her voice was steady, but her eyes were earnest.
"Please. Let me at least help with something."
Then she walked straight into the kitchen with the bags.
Ryou watched her go and could only turn to Keqing.
"Keqing, then you keep Dunyarzad company for me."
Keqing nodded.
She could tell Dehya and Dunyarzad did not have that kind of interest in Ryou. Dehya was simply grateful, and after everything Ryou had done for them, wanting to help was natural.
So Keqing did not overthink it and led Dunyarzad toward the main hall.
In the kitchen, Dehya quickly laid out the vegetables, meat, and seafood.
"What should I do with these?"
"Give me a moment first."
Ryou ran his hands over the ingredients one by one, infusing them with Adeptal energy before letting Dehya cut and sort them.
He started cleaning the seafood.
After a while, Dehya spoke.
"Ryou, there's something I want to ask. I don't know if I should."
"You want to ask whether I'm confident I can cure Dunyarzad."
Dehya stopped.
Then she nodded. "Yes."
Ryou kept working on the seafood.
"I can only do my best for her. Even if I can't cure it completely, I should be able to suppress the disease over time."
He looked down at the knife in his hand.
"But I've only met Dunyarzad a few times. Helping her this much is already more than most people would do. You can't demand more from me. Understand?"
"That's not what I meant," Dehya said quickly. "I'm not trying to force you."
Her voice softened.
"I'm grateful to you. Truly. Ever since we left Sumeru, I've been by Dunyarzad's side. She always tries to act optimistic, but I could feel it. That strength in her was fading. It felt like she was slowly giving up."
Dehya looked at him.
"But after you treated her, she changed. She has hope again. I want that hope to become real."
She walked closer and stopped beside him.
"What do you think of me?"
Ryou looked up.
"What are you trying to say?"
Dehya's face was already red, but she forced herself to meet his eyes.
"I can give myself to you. In exchange, will you save Dunyarzad?"
The words came out rough, like she had dragged them out of herself.
"It would be my first time. Afterward, I'd stay with you. I wouldn't leave. You wouldn't even have to give me anything, as long as you remembered I existed."
Her voice trembled.
"And I wouldn't let Keqing find out. So… would that be enough?"
Ryou was genuinely surprised.
He knew Dehya cared about Dunyarzad, but he had not expected it to go this far. She was willing to trade herself for Dunyarzad's safety.
He looked at her.
Dehya was beautiful, strong, and striking in every way. A woman like her saying she would give up everything and stay by his side meant she had already prepared herself for the consequences.
And Ryou knew it too.
If he agreed, Dehya would keep her word.
It would have been easy to take advantage.
That was exactly why he could not.
"Dehya," Ryou said, "you're a good person."
Dehya stiffened.
Ryou kept his voice calm.
"You'll meet someone you truly like one day. That person isn't me."
"I…"
"I'll do what I can for Dunyarzad," he said. "You don't need to pay me like this."
Dehya's face burned.
She understood. He had refused her.
But his answer left her dizzy anyway. He had spoken as if Dunyarzad still had a future, as if recovery was not impossible. She wanted to ask more, but Ryou had already lowered his head and gone back to the ingredients.
So she could only help him in silence.
Then she noticed the seafood.
The crayfish had been about two fingers long when they bought them.
Now they were huge, stretching across the basin, claws and legs larger than they had any right to be.
Dehya stared.
What was that?
Had Ryou done something to them?
The change was absurd.
She turned her head slightly and watched him cook.
Everything had already been prepared and laid out neatly. The way Ryou moved was smooth and practiced, every step fitting into the next without hesitation. The fragrance grew richer by the moment, filling the kitchen until it was almost impossible not to swallow.
For a second, Dehya thought she saw a faint glow from the finished dish.
Maybe she imagined it.
Maybe she did not.
Either way, standing there watching him cook, Dehya suddenly thought that following a man like this might not be so bad.
A good man like him was not easy to find.
Ryou noticed her face turning red and looked over in confusion.
"What are you standing there for? Take the dishes out."
Dehya blinked.
It took her a moment to react.
"Right. Sorry."
She quickly picked up the dish and carried it out.
Ryou watched her leave, still puzzled.
What was she thinking about?
He had already made things clear. She should have given up on that idea.
Unless she had thought of something else.
Or…
Had she fallen for him?
Ryou shook his head almost immediately.
No. He had not known Dehya for long. She had not fallen for him at first sight either.
That was ridiculous.
He dismissed the thought and went back to cooking.
…
In the hallway, Dehya muttered under her breath.
"What was I thinking just now? How could I think of Ryou like that?"
She paused.
"Do I like him?"
No.
Impossible.
Probably.
She was still arguing with herself when a girl's voice suddenly came from beside her.
"What are you mumbling about over here? And who are you?"
Dehya nearly jumped.
A girl stood nearby, head tilted as she studied her.
"I—uh, I'm Dehya. Ryou and Keqing invited me over as a guest." Dehya quickly lifted the dish in her hands. "I was helping in the kitchen and was about to bring this to the main hall."
"I'm Mona. I'm staying here for now."
Mona gave her another look.
The woman was dressed in Sumeru style, and she looked strangely flustered. Mona had no idea what had happened in the kitchen, but something about her felt very suspicious.
"You're going to the main hall? I'll go with you."
"Oh. Sure. Thank you."
Dehya followed beside Mona.
When they reached the main hall, Dehya immediately felt that the atmosphere was strange.
Keqing and Dunyarzad were there.
So were other people.
Dehya set the dish on the table.
"Thank you," Keqing said.
"It's nothing."
Before Dehya could step back, the woman seated nearby spoke.
"What an inviting fragrance. Ryou is cooking personally?"
Her tone was refined, carrying the unmistakable air of an adeptus.
"One came at precisely the right time, it seems."
Keqing turned toward her. "An adeptus visiting our home is naturally an honor. May I ask what brings you here today?"
Then her eyes shifted to the middle-aged man beside the woman.
The man felt familiar, but for a moment Keqing could not place him.
"And this is…?"
"I am Mountain Shaper," the man said.
Keqing's expression changed at once.
Mountain Shaper looked at her and continued, "I came today to keep a promise. Also, Keqing, if any guests come to the residence today and you do not recognize them, do not let them inside."
Keqing immediately sensed something was wrong.
She knew the adepti. Every year, she would bring gifts and pay visits herself, and she was familiar with Mountain Shaper too. Now he was even working at the Ministry of Civil Affairs under a human alias.
If he came here specifically to warn her, there had to be a reason.
Keqing turned sharply.
"Steward!"
[End of chapter]
[200 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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