When Lumine rubbed her drowsy eyes and opened them again, she was met with the sight of Barbara gazing at her with a worried expression.
"Where's Venti?" Lumine immediately sat up, scanning the area for any sign of the Fatui. She let out a quiet sigh of relief when she saw no enemies.
"Venti said he was taking Lydia to the 'Symbol of Mondstadt's Hero.' They've probably already arrived by now," Barbara replied.
Lumine and Paimon wasted no time, hurrying toward Windrise.
As soon as the iconic great tree came into view, they witnessed a scene so absurd it was hard to know whether to laugh or cry. Lydia was cupping Venti's face, kneading his chubby cheeks and pulling them from side to side. His hat had been knocked askew, dangling precariously at the back of his head.
Venti swayed dizzily but couldn't bring himself to push her away. He could only plead helplessly, "Gently, gently! If you keep pinching, my face will swell up!"
Lydia's laughter chimed like wind chimes, mingling with the rustling of leaves as the wind swept across the open plains of Windrise, carrying the sound far into the distance.
But as she laughed, her movements suddenly slowed. Her brow furrowed slightly, and a flicker of confusion appeared in her eyes.
She scrutinized Venti's cheeks, examining them from every angle and even checking behind his ears, but found no trace of a red mark.
"Huh?" Lydia paused, her tone laced with confusion. "Venti, why isn't there a single mark on your face?"
She distinctly remembered that La Signora was supposed to slap Venti. Logically, a slap that forceful in the story should have left some kind of mark.
Venti was taken aback by Lydia's sudden question and was about to ask what she meant when she had already come up with her own explanation.
He must have erased the mark himself! He was probably afraid of losing face in front of me!
With this thought, she couldn't resist pinching his cheeks again. An inexplicable urge to slap him herself suddenly popped into her mind.
The moment the thought surfaced, Lydia quickly shook her head, suppressing the absurd impulse. She had promised Barbara she wouldn't hit people without reason.
Besides, Venti's face was so soft. If she actually slapped him, she'd probably feel bad about it herself.
So, she put on a smile again and resumed kneading his face with both hands, carefully avoiding the spot where the "mark should have been."
"Oh well, it's fine that there's no mark. It would have ruined the feel anyway."
Watching Lydia perk up again, Venti gave a resigned smile and let her continue kneading his face. He simply assumed she was wondering why his face hadn't changed at all after being squished for so long.
It wasn't until he spotted Lumine and Paimon that Venti seized his chance like a drowning man clutching at a straw. He quickly grabbed Lydia's hands, which were still cupping his cheeks, and pleaded with a wry smile, "Our guests are here! If you keep this up, you'll knead my reputation as a bard into dust!"
Lydia finally relented, but not before secretly tapping the tip of Venti's nose with her finger. Gloating inwardly, she stepped aside.
Lumine walked up, her gaze fixed on Venti's pale complexion, her voice filled with concern. "Venti, are you okay?"
Venti waved a hand dismissively and readjusted his hat, forcing a relaxed tone. "Don't worry, I'm fine."
"The Gnosis wasn't much use to me anyway..."
Lumine and Venti then proceeded with the familiar question-and-answer session from the story, which Lydia already knew by heart.
About ten minutes later, Venti suddenly clapped his hands. "The Dragon Disaster is resolved! Let's put those worries aside for now—it's time for a victory feast!"
"A victory feast?" Lydia's eyes instantly lit up.
She grabbed Venti's sleeve and shook it gently, her voice filled with anticipation. "Where is it? Can I come?"
Venti smiled and nodded, but then his tone suddenly shifted. "The location will be Angel's Share, but you're not allowed to drink alcohol. Only juice for you."
Lydia's smile instantly vanished. Pouting, she ran to a corner, squatted down, and started drawing circles on the floor.
"Venti's a meanie! Anyone who won't let me drink is a big meanie!"
Lumine and Paimon couldn't help but laugh.
That evening, Angel's Share was bustling with activity. Colorful streamers adorned the tavern, and the air was thick with the rich aroma of wine mixed with the scent of delicious food.
Jean, Diluc, and everyone else who had helped resolve the Dragon Disaster were present.
Lydia had Festering Desire strapped to her back. Due to the sword's binding to her, she had wrapped it in linen and claimed it was a musical instrument imported from Liyue—a guzheng.
After all, with a bard like Venti around, it was perfectly reasonable for her to suddenly take up music, right?
The moment she pushed open the tavern door, her eyes were drawn to a familiar figure—it was Albedo
He held a map of Dragonspine, standing beside Venti, Diluc, and Jean, seemingly discussing something in low voices.
Curiosity piqued, Lydia tiptoed closer, trying to overhear their conversation. But as soon as she got near, they abruptly changed the subject.
Venti deliberately raised his voice, teasing Diluc. "Master Diluc, it's a victory feast today! You've got to bring out the finest wine from your cellar for me to try!"
Diluc raised an eyebrow, a resigned smile touching his lips. "You really know how to take advantage of a situation."
Lydia knew they were intentionally keeping her from listening. A small pang of disappointment hit her, and she silently turned away.
But as she passed the bar, her eyes lit up at the sight of the dazzling array of wine bottles on the shelves.
Seizing the moment when the bartender turned to grab a glass, she swiftly snatched an unopened bottle of cider, tucked it into her clothes, and scurried toward a corner.
She hadn't taken more than a few steps before she collided with Kaeya, who was holding a wine glass.
With lightning-fast reflexes, Kaeya reached out, plucked the bottle from her clothes, and shook it with a grin. "Little ones aren't allowed to sneak drinks, you know. I'll hold onto this for you. I'll give it back when you're older."
"Give it back! I saw it first!" Lydia raged, lunging to snatch the bottle.
Kaeya easily dodged, deliberately holding the cider high out of her reach.
Unwilling to give up, Lydia waited until Kaeya was talking to Diluc, then secretly snuck up behind him. She stood on her tiptoes, reaching for the bottle, only to be caught red-handed by Jean, who had turned around.
Jean gently took Lydia's wrist, her voice soft yet firm, leaving no room for refusal. "Lydia, come drink your apple juice. I had the bartender add honey just for you. It's very sweet."
Defeated, Lydia had no choice but to follow Jean to the table, her eyes still glued to the cider in Kaeya's hand.
For the next half hour, Lydia tried every trick she could think of. She pretended to pour Venti a drink, carefully lifting a wine bottle, only to discover it was filled with fruit juice when she tried to sneak a sip.
When no one was looking, she slipped over to the bar and was about to grab a drink that looked like wine when the bartender smiled and handed her a glass of sparkling water. "Miss Lydia, Master Diluc specifically asked me to prepare this for you."
In a huff, Lydia disguised herself and tried to trade drinks with a Favonius Knight.
But the knight caught Kaeya's gaze and immediately understood, clutching their cup protectively. "Sorry, Miss Lydia, no can do."
Lydia slumped into her chair, pouting with puffed-out cheeks. She grabbed her fruit juice and gulped it down noisily.
Watching everyone else laugh and chat over their wine, she silently vowed that once she came of age, she would drink every single type of wine in Mondstadt!
And most importantly, she had to find a time to sneak into the Dawn Winery and drink Diluc's entire cellar dry!
Lydia stared at the calendar, counting the days until she turned eighteen.