Early morning in Mondstadt, the city had just been stirred awake by the wind. The sound of prayers from within the Favonius Cathedral had not yet drifted out through the windows.
Creeak—the side door was pushed open just a crack. A shock of snow-white hair peeked out first, swaying gently.
Then, a face with a mischievous grin appeared.
It was Lydia, sneaking out again.
She tucked the two Visions at her waist deeper into the hem of her clothes, ensuring they wouldn't make a sound. Then, tiptoeing, she hugged the wall and began to run.
"G-Good morning, Sister Grace!"
Passing through the front courtyard, Lydia spotted Sister Grace. She quickly stopped, waving with a guilty look on her face.
"Lydia, trying to sneak out again!"
Grace strode forward and pinched Lydia's soft cheek. While secretly enjoying the feeling, she made sure to keep an angry expression on her face.
"I-I was just going to pick some fresh Sweet Flowers for the cathedral! I'll be right back!"
Sister Grace, long accustomed to her lies, shook her head with a helpless, amused smile. The sisters had long since figured out all of Lydia's escape routes.
That was precisely why Grace had come here so early to wait for her.
When it came to the young girl raised by the cathedral, Grace was utterly powerless. If she dragged Lydia back today, the girl would just find a new route tomorrow.
Admittedly, Lydia had a real knack for this sort of thing.
"Don't run too far! And be back before prayers end!"
"Also, did you eat breakfast?"
After a brief lecture, Grace once again let the girl run off.
"I ate, I ate!" Lydia replied brightly, then turned and bolted outside.
The wind caught her skirt, making it billow like a blooming white rose.
As she passed the giant statue in the plaza, she didn't forget to mutter to the Statue of the Anemo Archon, "Sorry, Lord Anemo Archon, but I'll have to trouble you to 'look the other way' again today—Mondstadt's mornings are just too much fun to miss for prayers!"
The young girl giggled, striding into the city with a swagger that dared anyone to challenge her.
Grace, watching from above, shook her head repeatedly.
This child... she's been raised in the church since she was little.
Yet what's grown over the years isn't her reverence for Lord Barbatos, but her skill at escaping.
Compared to her, Barbara was clearly much more obedient.
"Sigh... I just hope she doesn't come back covered in dirt," Grace sighed deeply.
She cast one last long look at Lydia before turning back into the cathedral.
But when she saw Lydia's breakfast on the table—untouched, the fork still resting beside the pristine plate—a dark shadow crossed Grace's face.
"LYDIA!"
Lydia vaulted over the wall with nimble grace, her movements fluid and seamless.
It was as if she hadn't jumped from a wall dozens of meters high, but merely hopped out of a small ditch.
The passersby around the fountain were no longer surprised by this sight.
It was a well-known morning pastime in Mondstadt: watching Lydia vault down from the wall and then cheerfully greeting her.
At first, people would rush over, concerned she might be hurt. They were curious why she always jumped from the wall instead of taking the stairs.
Whenever they asked, Lydia would reply with a matter-of-fact "It's faster this way."
Left speechless, the kind-hearted citizens of Mondstadt reported the incidents to the cathedral sisters. They hoped Lydia would mend her ways, but just a few days later, she was back to leaping from the wall.
Their expressions shifted from shock and curiosity to numbness, and eventually, they simply chose to look the other way.
Over time, as the days and repetitions mounted, they grew accustomed to it.
"Lydia!" Sara called out, leaning from the window of the Good Hunter restaurant. "Want a slice of freshly baked apple pie? I still haven't properly thanked you for delivering that order to Springvale yesterday!"
Lydia's eyes lit up, and she was just about to nod.
Suddenly, she remembered Barbara's lecture from last time: "Too many sweets will give you cavities!" She swallowed hard, resisting the temptation.
"Maybe next time, Sara! I'm heading to Windrise today, and I won't be able to run if I'm stuffed!" Lydia patted her stomach, making Sara laugh.
As she passed Flora's flower shop, she heard Flora humming a little tune while arranging bouquets.
Lydia leaned in, gently touching a dew-kissed dandelion. "The flowers smell as lovely as ever today!"
"Oh, it's you, Lydia!" Flora looked up, her eyes brightening. She handed Lydia a freshly tied bunch of Windwheel Asters. "I just picked these from Starfell Lake yesterday. They're for you!"
"Thanks, Flora!" Lydia carefully accepted the bouquet.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Donna in a nearby corner, staring blankly at a sketch of Diluc.
Lydia couldn't resist sneaking up and blowing a mischievous puff of air into Donna's ear.
"Ah!"
Her prank a success, Lydia burst into cheerful laughter. "Thinking about Master Diluc again, Donna?"
"N-No, I wasn't!" Donna turned away, blushing furiously at being caught.
"Oh, really? Should I sneak a few photos for you next time I'm at the winery?"
Donna whipped her head back, her cheeks instantly turning crimson.
If it's Master Diluc... it'd be hard to refuse!
Donna reached out and gently pinched Lydia's cheek. "Aren't you the smart one! Be careful, or I'll tell Barbara you snuck out again!"
"Oops, my bad!" Lydia quickly backed away, holding up the Windwheel Asters like a shield. She didn't forget to make a silly face at Donna. "I'm off to find Venti! I'll come play with you later, Donna!"
"Run slowly! Don't trip again!"
Humming a tune, Lydia pulled two stalks from her bouquet and handed them to the knights guarding the city gate. After charming Lawrence and Swan with some sweet talk, she successfully gained permission to leave the city.
Just then, she saw Amber gliding down from above with her Wind Glider.
Amber's face lit up when she saw Lydia, and she rushed over, waving enthusiastically.
"Lydia! Long time no see!"
"Amber! Are you heading out on patrol?"
Amber found Lydia's tilted-head expression utterly adorable. She nodded. "Yep! By the way, when did you get out of confinement?"
"Umm..." Lydia was at a loss for words.
In Mondstadt, a city where even the dogs seemed to bark "May the Anemo Archon protect you," she had recently been grounded for skipping prayer time too often.
She'd been under 24-hour surveillance by the nuns, and even had Sister Grace watching over her while she slept.
It was no different from being a prisoner.
In a fit of pique, Lydia bought a massive amount of paint. That night, she snuck out to the Statue of the Anemo Archon in Mondstadt Plaza and painted her "masterpiece of the ages."
After that... she was thrown into confinement by a furious and embarrassed Barbara.
"Let's not talk about that, hehe."
Lydia's cheeks flushed red as she awkwardly scratched her head, trying to change the subject.
"I'm heading to Windrise. Want to come with?"
"No, no!" Amber quickly waved her hands, looking a bit sheepish herself. "I overslept today and haven't even started my patrol route."
As she spoke, Amber pulled two fresh Sunsettias from her pocket and stuffed them into Lydia's hands.
"Here, take these! And say hi to Venti for me!"
Lydia accepted the Sunsettias, tucking one into her pocket and taking a big bite out of the other.
So yummy!
The sweetness was a clear sign they'd been picked recently!
Lydia squinted her eyes in delight. "You're forgiven! But you can't turn me down next time!"
Just as she finished speaking, a familiar voice called out from behind her: "Ly~di~a—!"
Lydia stiffened, slowly turning around.
Barbara walked over, pouting, her face a mask of resignation. "The prayers aren't over yet, and you've already run off again."
Barbara knew Grace spoiled Lydia, so she had deliberately rushed out of the city early. Sure enough, it wasn't long before she spotted Lydia's figure.
Damn it, I've been ambushed!
Lydia quickly sidled up to Barbara, tugging on her sleeve and cooing in a voice as soft as cotton candy.
"Sister Barbara~ Those prayer verses were making me so sleepy, I just couldn't take it anymore, so I..."
Before she could finish, Barbara silenced her with a single glare.
"I'm sorry, Sister~ I promise I'll wait until the prayers are completely over next time, okay?"
Barbara was weakest against this kind of display.
Even though Lydia was older, she always begged for forgiveness so adorably whenever she made a mistake.
Gazing into Lydia's watery, pleading eyes, Barbara sighed in defeat.
How could anyone possibly stay mad when she acted so cute?
"Don't do this again," Barbara said. "Lord Barbatos wants us to pray seriously, you know."
She paused, then couldn't help but smile.
"But... I'm sure the Lord Anemo Archon would be happy to see you helping everyone."
Lydia's face immediately lit up with a brilliant smile. She held out the Windwheel Aster she'd just gotten from Flora.
"Here! This is for you, as my apology!"
Sunlight filtered through the leaves of Mondstadt's trees, scattering across Lydia's snow-white hair like flecks of gold.
The Vision at her waist swayed gently as a breeze carrying the scent of flowers drifted past.
In that moment, Lydia looked as if she had stepped out of a painting, leaving Amber and Barbara momentarily transfixed.
By the time they snapped out of it, Lydia was already halfway across the bridge, munching on a Sunsettia.
As she passed Timmie, she couldn't resist scaring away the pigeons gathered in front of him.
Only one thought consumed her now: Run! Don't look back!
Get as far away as possible before Barbara changes her mind!
At Windrise, Lydia wiped the sweat from her forehead.
Gazing at the Great Tree of Windrise before her, she broke into a smile.
Don't be fooled by how close Mondstadt seems to Windrise in the game.
Getting here was no easy feat!
It had taken Lydia a full hour!
And that was with her superhuman stamina, sprinting at full speed without a single break.
"Drunken bard, drunken bard, where are you?"
Not seeing Venti at the Statue of the Seven, Lydia instinctively assumed he was hiding somewhere to jump out and scare her.
But as she approached, she found a note placed before the statue:
"Sorry, Lydia! Something more important came up today, so I have to stand you up~"
In the bottom-right corner of the note was a chibi drawing of Venti, sticking his tongue out playfully. Beside it, a speech bubble with "Ehe~" stood out conspicuously.
Lydia: "..."
A long moment passed before a furious roar echoed through the air.
"Venti! You big liar, preying on innocent maidens!"
-
In the Whispering Woods, Venti suddenly sneezed.
"Who's cursing me?"