"When are you going to let me go?"
Inside the Goth Grand Hotel, feeling the coolness of the ointment, Collei asked.
At the moment, she was on all fours, letting Bai Luo apply the ointment to her back.
It wasn't that she didn't want to lie down, but the front of her body had already been treated, and she didn't want to dirty the clean sheets with the ointment.
At first, she had insisted on applying the ointment herself.
But there were some spots she simply couldn't reach on her own.
And since Bai Luo was the only one who could ignore the effects of her illness, she had no choice but to relent.
This was just... treatment. That's all.
It's not like she hadn't been seen already. Nothing mattered anymore.
Besides, compared to her peers, her body wasn't exactly something to admire.
"I'm not stopping you."
Bai Luo carefully covered the gruesome wounds on Collei's back with the ointment, making sure not to miss a single spot.
The scars left by the illness were more horrifying than burns, with raw, red muscle tissue that would make most people nauseous.
But Bai Luo, having seen all sorts of things, was used to it.
In a way, the origin of this illness wasn't entirely unrelated to him.
Or rather, to the Fatui.
"Tch, I can't trust a single word you say."
Glancing at the nearly invisible wires on the window, Collei couldn't help but roll her eyes.
As if those wires were there to keep people out.
"Like I've ever lied to you."
Hearing her complaint, Bai Luo, who was applying ointment to her waist, couldn't resist giving her a light slap.
"Eek—!"
The cold touch made Collei let out a strange sound.
Realizing what she had just done, Collei immediately covered her mouth.
When she turned to look at Bai Luo, her eyes were filled with resentment.
She looked like a little kitten that had just been bullied.
"Alright, stand up. I'll wrap the bandages, and then we'll go visit that big sister."
Bai Luo carefully collected the old bandages that had been tossed aside. They would need to be burned later.
The new bandages had already been prepared by the Fatui subordinates before they returned.
No matter how bad their reputation was across Teyvat, one thing had to be admitted—the Fatui's efficiency was truly impressive.
Not only the bandages, but even the clothes she had worn for two days would be sent off to be burned.
However, when the fully armed Fatui servants took away the clothes, Collei couldn't help but show a reluctant expression.
In the past, she had been a wanderer. With her illness, someone willing to give her clothes was already a blessing.
Sometimes, a single set of clothes would last her through two countries. Clothes as luxurious as these were something she could only dream of wearing.
The smooth, comfortable feeling of wearing such clothes was something she had never even dreamed of experiencing.
But after coming to Mondstadt, she had changed into two different sets of clothes in just a few days.
It was too extravagant.
After changing into the new clothes, Bai Luo led Collei out of the Goth Grand Hotel.
Mondstadt didn't have a curfew, but there weren't many people wandering the streets at night.
Only the Cat's Tail Tavern and the Angel's Share would occasionally see drunkards coming and going.
But during the Windblume Festival, you could often see Knights of Favonius relaxing there as well.
In the past, the Knights would never have allowed their members to indulge like this, but everyone worked hard during the festival.
The higher-ups chose to turn a blind eye, as long as it didn't interfere with their duties.
The brightly lit streets, combined with the moonlight, gave Mondstadt a sense of tranquility, shrouded in a hazy atmosphere.
Walking on the irregular stone-paved roads, listening to the rhythmic footsteps and the creaking of the windmills, gave a sense of peace and security.
Mondstadt was probably one of Collei's favorite cities, second only to Liyue.
However, passersby would still occasionally cast strange glances at her due to her bandaged appearance.
"Where are we going?"
Noticing those odd looks, Collei instinctively grabbed Bai Luo's hand and asked in a low voice.
She suddenly missed the days spent in the wilderness. At least there, no one looked at her like that.
Except for the milk. That was a nightmare.
"We're almost there."
Looking toward the northern part of the city, Bai Luo replied.
The northern part of Mondstadt was mostly filled with tall buildings.
Most of the people living here were high-ranking members of the Church of Favonius and Knights of Favonius.
It was considered a high-end district.
And the person they were going to visit also lived here.
Walking on the moss-covered stone paths, climbing layer after layer of stairs, and avoiding the patrolling knights, Bai Luo and Collei arrived at the base of an apartment building.
"What are you going to do...?"
Seeing Bai Luo pull out a dagger, Collei suddenly had a bad feeling.
Because this was exactly how Bai Luo had played with her in the wilderness.
"Of course, it's for that capable big sister."
After activating the mechanism, Bai Luo tossed the dagger in his hand and, with a flick of his wrist, sent it flying upward.
The dagger, trailing a wire, wrapped around the railing of the balcony.
"Hold onto me."
"???"
Before Collei could react, Bai Luo had already taken her with him, and with the help of the wire, they flew up to the balcony.
...
Lisa disliked being disturbed before breakfast, during her afternoon nap, and after dinner.
As the librarian of the Knights of Favonius, she was very busy. Dealing with people who borrowed books and never returned them was exhausting.
Only during these times did she have a moment of leisure to read her favorite classics and enjoy tea and snacks from neighboring countries.
After her bath, she wore a light purple lace nightgown and lazily curled up on the soft sofa, letting her still-damp hair fall over her collarbone as she flipped through a book.
The arrival of the Windblume Festival also brought business opportunities.
Countless foreign merchants, like flies drawn to the scent of blood, gathered in this free city-state.
Among them, a merchant from Liyue brought a pirated book.
It was said to have been secretly smuggled from Inazuma. While it appeared to be a somewhat novel love story on the surface, it actually contained hidden mysteries, even worthy of being placed in the restricted section.
But before she could officially open the novel, an uninvited guest arrived.
Seeing the dagger wrapped around the balcony railing, Lisa's Vision began to glow.
The Favonius Codex, placed beside her, began to flip pages on its own, despite the lack of wind.
As the wire retracted, a dark figure flipped onto the balcony. Without his mask, his face bore a gentle smile.
He looked quite different from the "Black Reaper" Diluc had described, who could ignore all attacks.
If it weren't for the fact that he was carrying a little girl in one hand, Lisa might have already made him experience what she called the "Lightning Nine-Whip Technique."
"Visiting at such a late hour, I hope I'm not disturbing your leisure, beautiful lady."
The night breeze gently ruffled Bai Luo's short black hair. With a smile on his face, he looked like a shy boy from the neighborhood, greeting Lisa with a hint of bashfulness.
"Lady?"
The Favonius Codex quietly settled down, and Lisa sat up straight.
"Call me big sister."