The green-haired man was none other than Baizhu, proprietor of Bubu Pharmacy.
"Little brother," Baizhu said gently, a warm smile on his face, just as it had always been.
"You've finally grown up."
He stepped forward, instinctively raising his hand as if to pat Pantalone's head the way he used to when they were children.
But Pantalone dodged the gesture with sharp reflexes.
The reunion between the brothers was far from the heartwarming scene one might have imagined. Anyone could see it—there was resentment in the younger brother's eyes.
And it was not without reason.
For the past several years, Pantalone had come to Liyue almost every month on business, yet he had never once visited Bubu Pharmacy.
At first, he had heard that his brother Baizhu had seized control of the pharmaceutical trade and was competing for the position of Tianxuan Star. As a Fatui Harbinger of Snezhnaya, getting too close to his brother would inevitably affect public opinion and harm Baizhu's chances. So he stayed away.
More than a year later, Baizhu defeated several rivals and successfully ascended to the seat of Tianxuan.
That day, as Pantalone arrived in Liyue by ship, he thought to himself—
Now that my brother has achieved success and fame, surely he'll come find me to share the joy.
What he received instead was devastating news.
On the very first day Baizhu assumed the Tianxuan position, he led the Millelith in arresting numerous Fatui core members.
It was a clear and public declaration—Baizhu stood firmly against the Fatui.
When Pantalone returned to Snezhnaya, the Tsaritsa was furious.
Before a hall full of officials, she berated him harshly and warned him not to let personal feelings interfere with duty.
It was the first time, since becoming a Harbinger, that he had been publicly scolded by Her Majesty.
From that day on, he severed all thoughts of meeting his brother again, choosing instead to gather news about him indirectly.
As long as Baizhu was safe and well, that was enough.
But the distance between them—the rift—had already planted seeds of resentment deep within his heart.
"He actually misses you very much," a soft, sorrowful voice suddenly spoke.
The small white snake coiled around Baizhu's neck—Changsheng—lowered her head sadly.
"Every time you came to Liyue, he would stand by the window, looking down at the streets, just to catch a glimpse of you. He didn't come see you because—"
"Changsheng."
Baizhu cut her off gently.
Changsheng obediently fell silent.
After a long pause, the brothers finally found a rare topic they could agree on.
"Shall we go see Father and Mother?" Baizhu asked quietly.
Pantalone nodded.
They took their leave of the others and headed for Liyue's public cemetery, where their parents were buried.
Ningguang refilled Severin's empty cup, wearing her trademark professional smile.
"Your Highness," she said lightly,
"you truly have an elegant temperament. You discipline your subordinates one moment, then calmly sit down to drink and laugh with us the next. It seems our intelligence division will need to dock some pay this month—they didn't even know you enjoy drinking."
"I actually prefer tea," Severin replied.
As he spoke, he downed another cup of strong white liquor.
Ningguang and Keqing were both puzzled.
He claimed not to like alcohol, yet drank it without hesitation—surely there was meaning behind it.
And indeed, there was.
For some reason, the two women sensed a deep loneliness emanating from the Prince of Snezhnaya.
It was the same kind of loneliness Ningguang had once seen in Zhongli.
A woman's intuition was rarely wrong.
In truth, Severin was homesick. Liyue's clear, fiery liquor reminded him of the pure grain spirits of his homeland.
Among the Seven Nations of Teyvat, only Liyue's white spirits could so easily stir nostalgia.
"Your Highness," Ningguang said thoughtfully,
"you were extremely harsh on your subordinate earlier. He is, after all, a Fatui Harbinger—his status is on par with us of the Qixing. Being made to reflect and repent before old rivals like us… we honestly thought he might collapse completely. This isn't sympathy—just an observation."
At their level, dignity and pride mattered above all else. Many would rather die than lose face.
What Severin had done to Pantalone was nothing short of tearing apart his pride and beliefs—then rebuilding his worldview in an instant. It was as if Pantalone had died once and been reborn.
Severin replied calmly,
"Didn't I say it already? I wanted my subordinate to set the tone for you."
"Now then—if any of you have questions, thoughts, or doubts, speak freely. This will likely be the most pleasant evening you'll have with me for quite some time."
Many had things they wanted to say.
But after witnessing how Severin treated his own subordinates, none of them dared speak carelessly anymore.
Everyone understood the implication—
Tonight was their one and only chance to speak with him as equals, openly and amicably.
"Yuheng Star Keqing," Severin said.
"Let's start with you."
Keqing was slightly startled.
It was the Prince's first visit to Liyue, yet he knew her name and title precisely.
After a moment of thought, she asked earnestly,
"Your Highness, the Geo Archon does not mind your identity as the Prince of Snezhnaya and has even expressed his intention to appoint you as Regent. That suggests he believes you capable not only of governing Snezhnaya, but also Liyue."
"Since you have not clearly accepted the position, I wish to ask—can Liyue's human rule truly replace divine rule?"
Keqing's steadfast belief in human governance was precisely why Zhongli valued her so highly.
But it was also why she clashed with the other Stars.
Aside from Ningguang, most of the Qixing leaned toward divine rule.
In their eyes, Liyue without the Geo Archon was unimaginable.
This debate had split the Qixing many times. Eventually, Keqing was labeled "disrespectful toward the Archon." She stopped arguing and let the mockery pass—but tonight, with the Prince present, she raised the question again.
If he affirmed her stance, then right and wrong would finally be clear.
"Before I answer," Severin said,
"answer me this first."
"Please ask."
"How did you come to sit in the position of the Qixing?"
Keqing replied without hesitation,
"There is a complete election system. Anyone who meets the criteria may apply."
"Anyone?" Severin asked coolly.
"Are you sure? As far as I know, the very first requirement states that an applicant's personal wealth must rank within the top fifty in Liyue."
Keqing frowned.
She had been born into a powerful clan. When she ran for Yuheng, her family directly transferred prime port properties to her name, pushing her into the top fifty effortlessly.
To her, the rule had never seemed problematic.
"What is wrong with that, Your Highness? The Qixing's standards have always been this way. No one has ever objected."
Severin's gaze sharpened, piercing like a hawk's.
"When you wealthy merchants sit here drinking with me," he said,
"in places like the small fishing villages Captain Beidou once took me to, countless citizens are still waiting for your help."
"A Liyue governed by merchants and elites—how could it ever understand the suffering and needs of the poor?"
He looked directly at Keqing.
"So-called human rule—
is nothing more than self-deception."
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