With Lumine and the others flanking her for protection, Lydia walked along the stone-paved streets of Mondstadt, slowly recounting her experiences on Dragonspine.
She started from the beginning: seeking out Albedo with Klee to repair the Holy Lyre der Himmel, stumbling upon two "Albedos" locked in a sword duel in the snow, and finally, having her Vision stolen...
She even shared the detail of how, in a moment of crisis, she had accidentally awakened the Cryo Vision, holding nothing back.
Lydia's fingertips unconsciously traced the Festering Desire, her voice still tinged with lingering fear.
"You can use someone else's Vision?" Venti suddenly stopped, his braids fluttering slightly in the wind, his eyes wide with shock.
The last time Lydia had been drunk, she'd activated an Anemo Vision. This time, it was a Cryo one?
He lowered his head in thought, his mind reeling as if struck by a tidal wave.
It was an immutable law of Teyvat that Visions chose their masters. No one had ever been able to wield another's Vision, let alone two of completely different elements!
This girl... she was far beyond his understanding of ordinary people.
"That's amazing! Lydia, can you try it again?" Paimon chirped, doing a loop in the air.
Lumine nodded in agreement, her eyes filled with anticipation.
While Lydia was on Dragonspine, Venti had already told Lumine and Paimon about her accidental activation of a Vision on their way to Stormterror's Lair.
At first, they had simply assumed it was a sign of Lydia awakening her own Vision. But now, it seemed the situation was far more complicated than they had imagined.
"I'll try," Lydia said, her cheeks flushing under their intense gazes. Feeling a little unnerved, she took a deep breath and tried to activate the Vision again.
But no matter how hard she concentrated, the Vision remained inert at her waist, not even flickering with the faintest light.
She scratched her head awkwardly, the tips of her ears turning red. "S-Sorry... It doesn't seem to be working."
A flicker of disappointment crossed Venti's face, but he quickly replaced it with his usual cheerful smile and ruffled Lydia's hair. "It's okay! I know you did your best."
The moment he finished speaking, the smile in his eyes faded, replaced by a chilling coldness. He had sensed the anomaly on Dragonspine long ago—even before Albedo had detected that "unnatural" aura of the Abyss.
He had tried to trace its source before but found no clues. Now, these "things" had come knocking on their door, injuring Lydia and stealing a Vision.
The tips of Venti's braids began to glow faintly. He took a long look at the remaining Vision at Lydia's waist, an idea already forming in his mind.
Looks like I'll have to make a "quiet" trip to Dragonspine soon, he thought.
"Don't worry, Lydia," Venti said, suddenly serious, placing his hands on his hips. "I'll get your Vision back, and I'll make that fake 'Albedo' pay. He'll learn that the people of Mondstadt aren't to be trifled with!"
Seeing his rare solemn expression, Lydia felt a warmth spread through her chest and nodded firmly. "Okay! Thank you, Venti!"
By now, news of the Dragon Disaster's resolution had spread throughout Mondstadt. The streets were lined with cheering citizens, turning the short walk from the city gates to the Cathedral into a lively celebration.
Children chased each other with pinwheels, and tavern owners rolled out barrels of free ale. When they spotted Jean and Lumine, they waved enthusiastically, shouting, "Thank you, Jean! Thank you, Traveler!"
But when their gazes fell on Lydia, who was being escorted in the center of the group, they lingered for a few extra seconds.
She was bundled in a heavy winter coat, her head slightly bowed, clutching a bulky object to her chest. Her shoulders seemed stiff, and her every action screamed that something was "wrong."
"Lydia? Is that you?"
An old woman leaning on a cane walked forward unsteadily, her gaze fixed on Lydia's shoulder, which was hidden by the coat. "What happened to your shoulder? Are you injured?"
Lydia's heart tightened. She hadn't expected her injury to be seen through so easily. She quickly looked up and forced a bright smile. "No, no, Grandma, you're mistaken. I just have a bit of a cold lately and was worried the wind might give me a headache."
As she spoke, Lydia deliberately sniffled.
She subtly pulled her shoulder back, tightening the collar of her coat, wishing she could disappear completely inside the fabric.
Similar questions came up several more times, and each time, Lydia deflected them with excuses like "catching a cold and being sensitive to the wind."
It wasn't until they reached the Cathedral entrance, away from the crowd's prying eyes, that the questions stopped.
Paimon couldn't help but float over to Lydia, tilting her head. "Lydia, why are you hiding your injury?"
Lumine nodded in agreement, her eyes filled with confusion.
"I don't want to ruin everyone's good mood," Lydia replied, her cheeks flushing slightly.
She turned to look back at the streets of Mondstadt. The sound of laughter and cheers drifted on the wind, and every face was radiant with the happiness of surviving the disaster.
"The Dragon Disaster was just resolved, so everyone must be overjoyed. If they knew I was hurt, they might worry and it would ruin their mood... I don't want that."
She paused, then added, trying to sound tougher than she felt, "Besides, this injury is nothing, really. Teacher Albedo already treated it, so it'll heal quickly."
Venti, listening nearby, unconsciously clenched his fists.
This girl is always like this, he thought. She'd rather endure the pain herself than spoil anyone else's happiness.
He couldn't resist reaching out to ruffle Lydia's hair. "You know, you're always thinking too much about others. It's okay to be a little selfish sometimes."
As he spoke, the group pushed open the massive doors of the Favonius Cathedral.
Lydia froze instantly. Barbara and several nuns were standing in the main hall, looking around expectantly. They had clearly been waiting for a long time.
The moment she saw Lydia, Barbara darted forward like a little rabbit, her twin pigtails bouncing wildly. "Lydia! You're finally back! I've been waiting for ages!"
"Barbara? Why are you all waiting for me here?" Lydia asked, confused, instinctively hiding the Festering Desire behind her back.
Though the Festering Desire was impressive, it was far too unsettling for the people of Teyvat. She was afraid of frightening the nuns... especially Barbara.
"The Knights sent someone to tell us ages ago! They said you went to Dragonspine and worked so hard to repair the Holy Lyre der Himmel! Lydia, thank you so, so much!" Barbara said, gripping Lydia's hand, her voice filled with excitement.
Lydia's cheeks flushed from the praise, and she instinctively glanced at Jean.
Jean nodded, her eyes filled with approval.
Lydia's contribution to repairing the Holy Lyre was undeniable. There was no need to hide such a fact; in fact, the more people who knew, the better Mondstadt's citizens would understand that it wasn't just the Knights who protected their city, but also ordinary people like Lydia.
A warmth spread through Lydia's heart. She shifted her shoulders, about to tell Barbara it was nothing, but the movement caused the gauze at her coat's collar to slip, revealing a small patch of skin stained with ointment.
Barbara's smile vanished instantly. Her eyes widened, and she reached out to gently touch the edge of the gauze, her fingertips trembling. "How did this happen? Does it hurt? Did a monster on Dragonspine scratch you?"
"It's nothing, really! I just scraped my skin while gathering materials. Teacher Albedo already treated it, so it'll heal quickly," Lydia quickly reassured her, afraid Barbara would let her imagination run wild.
"No way! I have to check it again!"
Barbara wasn't convinced by Lydia's reply. She grabbed Lydia's wrist and pulled her inside, her voice laced with worry. "What if the wound gets infected? A scar wouldn't look good!"
Lydia tried to twist her arm away to prove she was fine, but the moment she exerted any force, a searing pain shot through her shoulder. She winced, tears welling in her eyes.
To avoid a lecture, Lydia reluctantly let Barbara lead her away, muttering under her breath, "It's really nothing..."
Jean stood by, watching Barbara examine Lydia's injury and constantly fussing—"Don't move!" "Tell me if it hurts!"—a relieved smile gracing her lips.
Due to their parents' divorce, she and Barbara had spent little time together since childhood. Barbara had always looked up to her, yet she had subconsciously distanced herself from Jean. Even their daily address had become the formal "Acting Grand Master," as if an invisible wall stood between the sisters.
Now, with Lydia's companionship, Barbara smiled much more often, which brought Jean immense peace of mind.
"I'll head to the Knights' headquarters to check on Klee. That little one is probably still waiting there for news about Lydia," Jean said to the others, her tone tinged with fond exasperation, knowing she wasn't needed here.
Diluc's brow furrowed, his gaze stern. "There have been too many anomalies on Dragonspine lately. We can't ignore the trail of that impostor."
With that, he strode out of the Cathedral with steady steps.
Inside, Barbara carefully unwrapped the gauze from Lydia's shoulder while Venti, Lumine, and Paimon sat on a nearby pew.
When they saw the wound on Lydia's shoulder, all three gasped. A faint glow flickered through Venti's braids.
Noticing Venti's tightly knitted brow, Lydia couldn't help but ask, "Venti, what are you thinking about?"
Venti snapped back to reality, startled for a moment before quickly flashing his usual smile. "I was just thinking... where we should hold a victory feast for everyone once you've recovered."
He deliberately kept his tone light, concealing the fury simmering within him.
Lydia had already endured far too much for her age. He didn't want to burden the girl further with his own troubles.
Lydia nodded, though she didn't seem entirely convinced by his "excuse."
When the cool medicinal liquid was applied to her wound, she held her breath in pain, squeezing her eyes shut. Unable to look at the injury, she stared out the window instead.
Suddenly, several figures in black flashed past her vision—Fatui Debt Collectors!
That's right! she thought. I remember in the game, La Signora shows up right after the Dragon Disaster ends and Venti and the others return the Holy Lyre der Himmel.
Does that mean the "famous scene" is about to happen?
Shocking! A certain Fatui Harbinger, driven by love turned to hate, is about to have a "heart-to-heart" with the Anemo Archon...
Lydia felt it was a real waste of talent not to become a journalist in Fontaine.
Speaking of which, slapping Venti's face... would probably feel pretty good, right?
At that thought, she looked at Venti again, her gaze lingering on his slightly chubby cheeks. The more she looked, the more curious she became.
Finally, Lydia couldn't hold back any longer. "Venti," she asked, "can I slap you?"