Menma and Hashirama, what happened in Teyvat

([Angel's Gift] 2nd floor)

At this time, Diluk had already walked out of the small door on the second floor and came to the place similar to a "balcony".

The breeze in Mondstadt at night was still so gentle and cool. When his face was gently brushed by such a gentle breeze, as his mood gradually eased, Diluk's originally flushed face slowly returned to its original state.

Due to personal preference, he did not drink any alcohol at the banquet except for the two small glasses of dandelion wine that his father "forced" him to drink. But even so, he still felt as if he was drunk, and his mind became more and more chaotic and fuzzy.

After all, the awkward and ambiguous atmosphere at the time, the increasingly abnormal look of Jean beside him, the mysterious looks of the people around him that could not be concealed even if they tried, the various exhortations and matchmaking from his father and Mr. Uzumaki and others, all these factors combined, for Diluk at that time, it can be said that they were no less powerful medicine than "firewater".

Diluk was glad that he chose to escape, because only in this way could he escape from this atmosphere, go to the windowsill to enjoy the evening breeze, and clear his mind which was gradually becoming abnormal.

But at the same time, he also felt a sense of confusion.

In fact, this choice of mine could be considered quite stupid to some extent. After all, the monk could escape, but the temple could not. Everyone was still downstairs, and I had to go back to the banquet. But what was the point of escaping in a way that only a fool would do, except giving myself a little time to wake up?

In addition, not to mention everyone, especially his father, the God of Wind and Mr. Uzumaki, who had put a lot of effort into organizing a banquet for himself and Qin, just talking about Qin, he felt a little uncomfortable in his heart.

Even if Diluk was very slow at this moment, after being bombarded by so many people and Jean's obvious reaction, he should have understood what was going on.

It’s just… I really don’t know what to do.

In the past, Diluk could still use the fact that Jean was just a junior in the Knights Templar and that she worshipped and admired him too much to numb himself. But now, all the window paper has been ruthlessly torn apart by these people. Can he still use this reason to continue trying to convince himself and them?

No.

impossible.

Diluk's heart was in a state of confusion at the moment, extremely confused, tens of thousands times more confused than those balls of yarn in the Cat's Tail Tavern that had been toyed by cats countless times.

Until now, he still didn't know what to do with Qin, and how to respond to her feelings.

If he refused, even if he ignored what those people outside, including his father and the God of Wind, thought, ignored their efforts, and even ignored the harm this incident would cause to Qin...he would not be able to get over the first hurdle in his own heart.

He couldn't say no to Qin.

Perhaps that was why he played dumb when everyone started to think about bringing him and Qin together. After all, even if he couldn't refuse, as long as he didn't agree, he could delay the matter again and again, so that he didn't have to worry about the final decision for the time being.

But this method of treating the symptoms but not the root cause was eventually used to its limit, and I was once again faced with the final decision.

[Should I refuse…?]

Whenever such thoughts came into his mind, Diluk's heart seemed to be grasped by a huge hand, making it impossible for him to make the decision.

But if I accept it, what should I do?

Although in terms of strength, identity, status, and various past experiences, Qin and himself can be said to be well matched, and they are also considered a perfect match in everyone's eyes, but don't forget that Diluk is not a casual person. He will not be casual with him, nor with himself.

The thought that "Jin is not worthy of me" has never occurred to Diluk. On the contrary, all he can think about now is that "I am probably not worthy of Jean."

He had no idea how to be a good boyfriend, husband, and father, and his personality made it almost impossible for him to consult others. Moreover, the other party was "Jin, the acting leader of the Knights", and he was "Master Diluk". If two people of such status were together, it would be a big deal for the entire Mondstadt.

If, because of him, Jyn was embarrassed in front of people from Mond and other countries, and the entire Leggenfind family and the Gunhild family, the two most prominent noble families in Mond, were disgraced, he would never forgive himself.

So, even though Diluk has been avoiding things, what he has always been worried about are long-term things that involve the entire Mondstadt, not just himself.

As a soldier, businessman, and intelligence officer, I might have more than one way to solve other problems. But in this case, I felt extremely helpless because I had too many concerns and no experience or theoretical knowledge.

He didn't want to leave Qin alone, and didn't want to turn a blind eye to her feelings. But, in comparison, he didn't want to hurt Qin even more, and didn't want Qin to be criticized because of himself.

[What should I do...?]

With mixed feelings in his heart, Diluk felt dazed and helpless, and slowly lowered his head, letting the evening breeze pass by him, as if trying to use it to take away the seemingly endless pain and melancholy in his body.

Until... a pair of hands suddenly and slowly wrapped around my waist from behind.

"!!!!!!"

In an instant, Diluk couldn't stop shaking violently. He wanted to pull away, but he was afraid of hurting the person behind him, and secondly... the other person was holding his hand so tightly and so hard, as if she was very afraid that if she let go, he would slip away from her completely.

"Qin...you..." Diluk knew exactly who was standing behind him. After all, no one else could have this familiar aura of wind element. And this was one of the important reasons why he gave up trying to break free.

"Don't say anything, Senior Diluc..." Qin's voice came from behind. Although it was soft, it revealed an unquestionable firmness. "Just let me hold you like this for a while, okay?"

"..." Diluk didn't answer. But seeing that his tense muscles had relaxed a little, Jyn assumed that he agreed.

So the two of them remained relatively still for a very long time.

Fortunately, no one was passing by downstairs at the moment, and those who were eavesdropping were all gathered in front of the door, so no one noticed what was happening to the two of them.

At this moment, the soft moonlight gradually sprinkled on the faces of the two people, showing their blushing expressions even though they were trying their best to restrain themselves.

Being able to hug Senior Diluk like this was something that Jean had dreamed of countless times in her heart, but she had never dared to reveal to anyone. But now, this dreamlike scene, which seemed like a flower in the mirror to her, was finally realized by her courage.

She did it…

"Senior Diluk... No, Diluk." Feeling the body temperature of Diluk, whom she missed last time because she was unconscious, Jean called out his name, and just the "name" without any embellishment. "All along, to some extent, I can say that I have been living in the past. Because only in that past was there your presence.

Although my mother, the Gunhild family, the Knights of Mondstadt, and the entire Mondstadt are what support me in continuing to walk the path of the Knights of Favonius unswervingly... However, I have figured it out... The biggest factor in all this is... you. "

"..." Diluk swallowed his saliva, but did not interrupt Jean's speech. For some reason, he actually wanted to listen carefully to Jean's words, as if... he also wanted to find an answer from them.

Who is loving, who is hating, who is afraid... Who is loved, what do you hate, what do you fear - since Qin has chosen to face her heart, to confront this unclear relationship between her and herself and to make it have a result, then what I should do is the same thing, instead of letting myself continue to be exposed to the anxiety and fear in my heart and then melt.

"I'm sorry that I can't help you solve or bear the consequences of what happened back then." Qin's voice gradually began to tremble, and she could faintly hear some tears. "After I learned the news at that time, I even wondered why it was Uncle Cripps who was by your side and protected you from the disaster, instead of me..."

"Qin..." Diluk murmured her name, but he still felt mixed emotions in his heart and didn't know what to say.

"From then on, I started to work harder to become stronger, until I was finally appreciated by the Grand Master, and he handed over the entire Knights' Order to me before he left." Although she was talking about something that was equivalent to an achievement, Qin's tone did not mean she was happy at all, "But, after becoming the acting leader, I felt that the distance between you and me was gradually becoming farther and farther...

At that moment, I really thought about giving up everything. However, bearing the name of Gunhild and being a Knight of Favonius, I couldn't allow myself to do that. So, I had to seal up this feeling and devote myself completely to everything as the "Acting Leader", concentrating on managing the entire Knights, clearing obstacles for Mondstadt, and solving problems..."

At this point, Jean's eyes were already filled with bitter tears, and her hands had unknowingly loosened Diluc's waist. Therefore, Diluc was finally able to turn around, but at that moment he saw the crystal tears sliding down Jean's cheeks...

"But now, I don't want to wait any longer." With tears in her eyes, Jean looked directly into Diluk's eyes, meeting the silent and slightly confused eyes opposite with a firm gaze. "At this moment, I am no longer the "Captain Jean", but just "Jin". The only thing I want in my heart now is to ask you one thing in person purely in this capacity...

Diluk, can you... agree to my request?"

Perhaps it was the alcohol, perhaps it was the encouragement and blessings from everyone, or perhaps it was the impact of the sudden outburst of emotions that had been suppressed for many years, but at this moment, Qin no longer had any concerns and asked Diluk directly and forcefully if he could accept her.

"...Honestly, Jean." After a long silence and countless struggles in his heart, Diluk finally spoke, "I never meant to look down on you. But if I rashly accept your feelings, I'm afraid..."

Having said that, Diluk pursed his lips and paused for a long time.

“Afraid?” This seemingly impossible word actually came out of Diluk’s mouth, which made Jean stunned. “Afraid of what?”

"I'm afraid... I can't give you happiness." As if he had made up his mind, Diluk finally said the second half of the sentence, "I've never been good at this kind of thing. I don't have even the slightest experience. Sorry, so I'm afraid that I will hurt you unintentionally, that you and your family will be criticized because of me, and that... I can't give you the life you want..."