Yujin Terrace contains shadows - u nlike the rest of Liyue Harbor that bathes in both, the last stripes of the sunlight and the waking glow of the lanterns. There are not many people around but those who linger whisper their prayers. Then there is Kaeya who only quietly approaches the place where Rex Lapis used to appear during the Rite of Descension and where he also fell that very last time.
“So this is where their god died,” Kaeya whispers to himself and offers a small guilty smile to a lade who heard his voice. She sends a glare in his way before she hurriedly leaves, mumbling something about ignorant visitors.
Kaeya takes out a coin from the pocket of his jacket. It's cold to touch but it warms rather quickly upon contact with his skin. He caresses it gently as he crosses the terrace in slow steps, glances down at the waking streets. The letter in his pocket is heavy, he doesn't bother taking it out. He memorized those words even before he reached Wangshu Inn and now they echo in his mind - the warning written in the words addressed to him. Well, it's not quite a warning, it's a threat though the conditions of avoiding such destructive consequences are still unknown. Any other time Kaeya would push the letter aside and claim it's a simple prank. However, the way he was addressed - Your Highness - it stirred something inside him. The night he received it, he dreamt of a man with bright blue eyes as he held him close when he was just a child. Kaeya hasn't remembered him for years, even thinking his name seems like blasphemy to him so he simply buried the memory back where it came from. It was the last peaceful dream he had, the rest that came is now filled with blood and smoke so thick it burns inside his mouth even after waking up. He prefers to stay awake now, his dreams bring nothing but terror and on the nights when he does close his eyes, he usually wakes up screaming.
The letter is a warning of some kind - find the Goblet of Immortality, otherwise, the Mondstadt will find out who you truly are. It's just this one sentence. Kaeya knows the implication, the hidden meaning. He would prefer to avoid the same reaction his brother had - how it went back then? Oh right, with Diluc's claymore raised in the air, red eyes burning with hatred. Kaeya will not allow this, the history to repeat itself. The thing is, there is more about that letter than meets the eye - for one, someone knows his secret, someone apart from Diluc because Kaeya is familiar with him and his brother confronts people face to face instead of hiding behind meaningful letters. So there is someone else, most likely one person who knows more about the Calvary Captain than they should and for some reason to avoid losing everything once again, Kaeya is supposed to find the Goblet of Immortality. He's already asked Lisa and according to her, there is not much he can find about it in the library. It's an ancient artifact that belonged to Morax a couple of centuries ago but it was lost. She warned him that even if he is looking for it, it might be actually destroyed.
Kaeya is but sure that the Goblet is not destroyed - otherwise, he would not be sent to find it. But because there is no one in Mondstadt that can tell him more about it, he found himself asking Jean for a few free days to travel to Liyue and back. She questioned him about it, even acted worried when he explained that he needs to leave Mondstadt. Kaeya came up with an excuse of visiting his long-lost cousin but he knows that Jean didn't believe a word he said. It seemed logical to him at the time, if the Goblet belonged to Morax, there must be someone in Liyue who would know more about it. The letter in his pocket is not the only reason why he rushed this visit so much - apparently, he is not the only one looking for this strange artifact, one of his informants caught the wind of Treasure Hoarders working closely with the Abyss Mages. He was told that they were methodically looking through the old ruins in hopes of finding it and too realized that perhaps it would be for the best to start in Liyue.
It truly makes Kaeya wonder what's so interesting about the Goblet no one's ever heard about.
He glances at the Yujing Terrace for one last time. He can almost imagine Morax's draconic body lying there, already growing cold by the time the guards started to react. He flips the coin in the air twice, each time masterfully making sure it won't fall and when it flies into the air for the last, third time, he opens his hand and swipes the coin in the air in one swift movement. He feels its shape as it digs into the skin of his palm. There is rest securely. On the way down the stairs, he stops for a moment to pick up Glaze Lily. He strokes the blue petals of the flower and hums a melody he would not dare to remember in Mondstadt. Glaze Lily opens in reaction to his voice. It's an ancient flower or so Kaeya heard. He wonders if it's seen Morax even before he fell and if its subtle fragrance is just transformed memories of him - and if that's the reason why it smells after the saltiness of tears.
❅❅❅
The woman in the small shop known as Xigu Antiques instantly recognizes that he is not from Liyue. It's a small place, comfortable and warm. Kaeya is not the only customer here, there is some Fatui waiting behind him in the line. The woman - Linlang as Kaeya later finds out - informs him that she still needs to put his order into a box and asks him if he can wait for a moment until she takes care of Kaeya. Fatui mumbles that he doesn't mind waiting and folds his arms across his chest before he takes a step back.
Kaeya asks about the Goblet of Immortality. “I heard that this is the place where adventurers stop by when they find treasures from their journey. A friend of mine sold you Nameless Treasure quite recently if I remember correctly.”
Linlang smiles at him. “I remember,” she speaks up, her voice soft and cultivated. It carries a certain amount of enthusiasm and Kaeya thinks she must know about whom he is talking. “How could I forget. He is such a sweet boy. He comes to Liyue pretty often, I see him with his floating companion. Pai- ah, Pailan?”
“Paimon,” Kaeya corrects her patiently. “I heard that he is now on his way to Inazuma. Quite a dangerous journey.”
Linlang nods her head, her expression is suddenly serious. “I can only hope he will be safe. I heard he joined Beidou but one can never be sure. She is a good person at heart, a bit rough if you ask me but easy to bargain with.” Linlang sighs. “I am sure that you are not here to chat with me about his journey. Well, you are his friend. Goblet of Immortality you say.” She taps her chin, deep in thought. Kaeya shifts his position and as he straightens himself, he notices that the Fatui standing behind him is tense now. His back is facing Kaeya now but he is listening to their exchange. Kaeya decides to play it carefully and so he pretends that nothing is amiss. It's clear that Linlang hasn't noticed anything yet.
“Well,” she says after a moment. “You are the first to ask me about it. My grandfather talked about it once or twice when he was still alive. I think there was even some story where it's mentioned.” She ponders about the name of the book. “It was about a young girl,” she recalls. “I think she traveled all across Liyue and had many adventures. One day, she even met Rex Lapis though she mistook him for some random traveler. They spend a while in each other's presence, Rex Lapis in the book grew very fond of her. I am not sure what happened next but I think my grandfather mentioned that as a gift, Rex Lapis invited her for a dinner. There he offered her to drink from the Goblet of Immortality. ”
“Ah, and he turned her into a god?”
“Not quite,” Linlang shakes her head. “It's more complicated than that. Despite its name, the Goblet itself had nothing to do with making someone immortal. Ah, I think I am mixing it up with something else but in that story, the Goblet could bring you eternal happiness - or something of that kind, its purpose was to strip the person of all sufferings. You see, the girl in the book had a lonely childhood and no parents, the Goblet turned her into a child and granted her a second chance, this time around she was given to a loving family that wanted a baby. It's just a piece of fiction though. I am not sure how much of it is true. But if you are interested, there is a bookhouse nearby. Perhaps they have the copy of that story there.”
Kaeya thanks her and notices as the Fatui behind him moves. He leaves quietly, shoulders still tense and Kaeya suddenly has a suspicion that the creatures of the Abyss are not the only ones who want that Goblet. Linlang sighs when she notices it. “I still didn't give him what he paid for,” she says. “It's been sitting here for days.”
Kaeya turns around and hums in a sign that he is listening to her. He observes the street quietly, hoping to be able to catch a glimpse of the Fatui once gain. There above the Xinyue Kiosk moves a shadow soon joined by another. Kaeya recognizes a uniform of Fatui Agent. The man that stood behind him only a while back points his finger at Kaeya and whispers something to the Agent. It's a very subtle gesture but Kaeya has very sharp eyes.
“There are quite a lot of them in Liyue,” he utters just to start a conversation and glances at Linlang. She nods without a smile.
“One would think that the recent events would force them to leave. Even Mr. Tartaglia stayed here after that fiasco with Rex Lapis. People still whisper that he killed him but there is no proof of that. Lady Ningguang can't take action against him for now. But I heard that he will be leaving Northland Bank soon.”
Kaeya tips his head to the side. He perks up a bit when he hears the name of the Eleventh Harbinger. “Yes.” Linlang points her finger to the side. “The stairs there…” she says and lowers her voice. Kaeya glances there. “Just go up and you find yourself at the Northland Bank. They claim they have nothing to do with the Fatui but let me tell you, Harbingers are their exclusive clients and they are known for giving generous loans to their prospective clients. But once you are unable to pay back…” Kaeya understands her implication.
“Ah,” he clears his throat. “So that's the line of work of Mr. Tartaglia.”
Linlang shrugs. “He is a dangerous man. He can fool with his charming smile and friendly tone - but his eyes are dull and his blades are sharp. I heard he enjoys the brutality of battle.” That's all she decides to share with him. “I should not speak of such matters, the buildings have ears everywhere. But I hope I helped you even if I don't know much about the artifact you are looking for.”
Kaeya nods his head and pulls away from the counter. He places a bag of Mora in front of her. Linlang protests that she can't take it but Kaeya simply pushes the money towards her. “It's my thanks. You helped me more than you know. You said there is a bookhouse nearby.”
Linlang accepts the payment in the end. “Oh, yes,” she says and sounds cheerful. “I think you will be able to find it quickly. Don't fret once you get there and ask Jifang about the book I told you about. She knows her books well. Oh, right - I remembered the book's name now. It's The Cursed Prince. ” Kaeya shivers but he forces himself to smile and thanks her again for her kindness.
The Cursed Prince, huh - how very fitting.
❅❅❅
Indeed it's true that Jifang knows that book. However, there is a small problem.
“The last copy was sold years ago,” she explains to him patiently. Her voice is strict but her eyes are kind. “It was not a very popular book, it was too fictional and many didn't agree with the way Rex Lapis was portraited. It was forbidden for some time and I think that most copies were destroyed. The author stopped writing after that. I think I can understand why.”
“Well, there is nothing I can do about it,” Kaeya says. He is disappointed again. His only lead ended here and he has no idea what to do now. “Perhaps you can still help me. I am looking for anything that mentions the Goblet of Immortality. It's an artifact that comes from Liyue, from what I heard, it belonged to Rex Lapis at some point.”
Jifang doesn't hide that she knows nothing about it. “I am sorry,” she apologizes. “I have some books about Rex Lapis, perhaps you can find something there. There are few copies written by historians but I think that such artifact is not mentioned anywhere. But it's very strange indeed.”
“What is?” Kaeya asks.
“You are not the first person who approached me about it,” Jifang explains. “There was a young woman here. She was dressed in dark clothes and had a mask on, clearly one of the Fatui. And then there was this young man, Treasure Hoarder from what I heard later. He was quite insistent, the girl was more polite. I quite liked her, unfortunately, I dislike Fatui. But a customer is a customer, right? I told them there is no mention of this artifact anywhere. That man got angry at me after I told him - but there is nothing he could do. I am no magician after all.” She sighs.
So it seems that Kaeya's assumption was right. Even Fatui are now interested in the Goblet. He must be a bit more careful about his actions now - and it would be wise to find out what's so important about it. Linlang mentioned some of the Goblet's abilities but Kaeya doubts that either Fatui or the Abyss Order would be interested in turning into children. There must be some other use for it, he simply knows it. He thanks Jifang for the information.
“Don't you know someone who could perhaps know more about the Goblet ?” Kaeya asks. Jifang looks at him pityingly. “Perhaps you could ask some historians,” she tells him, helpless. “Though if it's something that belonged to Rex Lapis it might be destroyed already. The Cursed Prince is also just a work of fiction, perhaps there is nothing real about that artifact. Here is what I think - the author just made up something to make his sales higher but he failed. You can ask around but I sincerely doubt that anyone has ever seen it. But it seems that there are people are find this mystery interesting.” She motions him to come closer. “I'll give you advice because you look like a nice person. If Fatui are interested in that trinket, it's for the best to leave it. They can cause you a lot of trouble - there is a reason why people don't like to be involved with them. They have their ways and can be usually very forceful.”
Her warning does nothing to truly scare him away. Kaeya's been dealing with Fatui for years and he knows a lot about their tactics. Still, he hasn't met Tartaglia in person - he's heard about from Aether and of course, his people mentioned a thing or two about the Eleventh Harbinger. He's not really keen on getting into trouble with him during his short visit of Liyue, his goal is to lay low and gather as much information as possible without getting into Fatui business.
“Don't worry about me,” he assures Jifang. “I always play it safe.”
She looks at him in doubt. “Who are you?” she asks. “You don't seem like a simple traveler.”
Kaeya almost comes up with another lie when they both hear as a heavy pile of books falls on the ground. They both glance sideways and notice a boy with light blue hair now kneeling over ten copies of books. He picks them up in haste and then glances up and throws an apologetic smile in Jifang's way.
“I apologize,” he says, voice too formal for someone his age. Kaeya moves towards him to help and picks a few books he then gives to the boy after he stands up.
Jifang carefully stares at the state of the books. “Chongyun,” she says and tilts her head to the side. “Be a bit more careful. Master Xingqiu would not be pleased to know that such treasurable books ended on the floor.” There is no bite to her tone, only gentle scolding.
Chongyun carefully nods. “Could you help me please?” he turns to Kaeya. “A friend of mine eagerly awaits me to come with his order but it seems I am unable to carry it myself.” Kaeya wordlessly takes most of the books into his hands.
“Lead the way, young man,” he says. The books are heavy in his arms but he thinks he will be able to carry them. He bids his goodbye to Jifang and Chongyun leads him downstairs. He is quiet most of the time but then he decides to break the silence.
“You are not from around here.”
“I am from Mondstadt.”
“A Knight?”
“Off duty.” Kaeya notes that the boy has sharp eyes. Good for him though there is something very naive about his face. He looks very trusting. “I am here to take care of a personal matter.”
“I heard Jifang speaking,” Chongyun says. Then, after a beat of silence, he adds: “I've never heard of the Goblet of Immortality .”
“Not many have it seems,” Kaeya tells him with a smirk. He observes the glowing lanterns above their heads. The street is emptier than he would expect, it makes him feel lonely. Those who outside speak in hushed tones. Leaves of gold and red dance above their heads. The air smells after spice with a subtle earthy undertone - it's something he can't quite place but it reminds him of childhood when he and Diluc played and made castles from mud. After the mud dried, they usually jumped at their creations. The dust from the dry ground got inside his nose back then, even inside his mouth and coated his teeth. Now it's the same, except he can't hear children laughing, only merchants loudly talking.
“You misunderstood me,” Chongyun tells him. “I think I know someone who could help you.”
“Oh!” That piques Kaeya's interest.
“He is a friend of mine and he knows many people in the city. He would know who has the knowledge you seek. But I warn you, Xingqiu can be a very mischievous person.”
“You seem to be very fond of him,” Kaeya notices. “Are those books for him?”
Chongyun nods. “He asked me to pick them up and I agreed.”
Kaeya hums. After a while, they stop walking and Chongyun raises his hand in the air and waves. Kaeya looks forward. On the other side of the bridge, they are standing on is another boy with hair of a darker shade of blue. He is smiling, holding an opened book in one hand. He approaches them in a sequent of few hasty steps and his eyes stop at Chongyun first, then he brightens at the sight of the books and finally he looks at Kaeya.
“Who might this gentleman be?” Xingqiu asks, his voice warm like a summer breeze. He looks very young but he is not as trusting as Chongyun. Kaeya is introduced as a foreign traveler on his way to find an ancient artifact. It's no surprise that even Xingqiu doesn't seem like he recognizes the Goblet of Immortality but he mentions someone else, knowledgeable enough to help him.
“Why don't you ask Mr. Zhongli?” he wonders with his eyes focused on Kaeya. “He knows everything about Liyue, past or present.”
“Mr. Zhongli?”
“Ah,” Chongyun breathes out. His eyes are wide in wonder. “I should have thought of it too. Mr. Zhongli is a truly exceptional character. If he doesn't know then that Goblet doesn't exist.”
Xingqiu nods in agreement. “He is a consultant at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. He is a very respected man here in Liyue.”
“Wangsheng Funeral Parlor you say?” Kaeya's heard that name before but he doesn't think anyone has mentioned Mr. Zhongli in front of him before. “Where is it?”
Xingqiu points his finger behind him. Kaeya turns around. On the other side of the bridge, the side they came from, stands a building closer to the side. There is a girl standing in front of the door, with her head lowered down.
“We can wait for you here,” Xingqiu tells him. “Come and tells us if you find something.” He grabs Chongyun. The other boy seems like he wants to say something but he doesn't get a chance because Kaeya moves forward. He is excited again, happy to find a new lead. His steps are unhurried but his heart beats deep inside his chest.
He greets the girl with a wide smile. “Good evening,” he tells her. The Ferrylady blushes but Kaeya thinks nothing of it.
“How may I help you?” she asks, still blocking the entrance. Kaeya notices the curiosity in her eyes. She glances at his bared chest and immediately looks away. Blush colors her cheeks.
“I am looking for someone,” he explains to her. “A friend of mine told me that Mr. Zhongli works here and that he might be able to provide help.”
The Ferrylady frowns. “I am sorry,” she apologizes, “but Mr. Zhongli is very busy now. He has an urgent meeting with an associate.”
“I don't mind waiting,” Kaeya assures her. “Or you could tell me when he comes back so that I can…”
The Ferrylady doesn't seem convinced. “He is a very busy man,” she explains. “Many people want to meet with him and his schedule is usually full. I am afraid you must set up a meeting first and only then he will be able to talk to you.”
Kaeya tries to hide his frustration. “When can I set the meeting?”
“In a month,” the Ferrylady gives him an immediate answer. Well, that's not ideal. One month is a very long time and he told Jean that he would be away for only a few days at most. He is also very sure that the Abyss would be already successful with their hunt for the Goblet in one month.
The Ferrylady gives him an understanding look though she cannot possibly understand how dire the situation is. “I am sorry, sir. That's just how it is.”
He offers her a fake smile in return. “Of course,” he nods. “Rules are rules.” He turns around and walks away, hurriedly walking back on the bridge where Xingqiu and Chongyun wait for him. He doesn't find them there. They both are already on the other side, underneath the tree with red leaves. There is a small pond in front of them with lotuses and a small lamp in the middle. Only one lotus blooms. The golden shadows dance on the water's surface.
“You could have told me that setting a meeting with Mr. Zhongli is an impossible task,” he tells him and doesn't even try to hide his bitterness. Xinqiu is reading a book. He turns the page and speaks up without looking at Kaeya. “Apologies, my liege. Although it's not an easy task, there are ways to bend the rules a little. I am certain that Mr. Zhongli wouldn't mind.” He closes the book with a snap.
Kaeya glares at him. He got played over by a child. “Very well then,” he says. “What do I need to do to bend those rules?”
“I know who you are,” Xingqiu tells him. “Kaeya Alberich. Cavalry Captain. Your name is very famous in Mondstadt.”
Kaeya narrows his eyes. “You seem to know me well but unfortunately I don't know you.”
“I am not here to cause you any trouble.” At least now Xinqiu looks honest. “I just need a little favor and I heard you are the right man for the job.”
“In exchange…?”
“I'll help you meet with Mr. Zhongli. If you help me today, tomorrow morning you'll be talking to him about the artifact you are looking for.”
Kaeya considers it. He already feels tired. Today was spent running around in order to gain more accurate information and traveling from Mondstadt to Liyue. “Let's hear what you want from me first,” he says. He won't make a deal if he doesn't know anything about it.
Xingqiu smirks. “Of course.”
❅❅❅
Kaeya brushes his fingers through his hair. “This is ridiculous,” he says when he finally gets a chance to see himself in the mirror. “Don't you have another uniform hiding somewhere around?”
Xingqiu stares at him in disbelief. “You think that I have multiple Fatui uniforms? It's very risky to steal them and I went through a lot of pain to snatch this one.”
“You could have at least taken a male uniform,” Kaeya mumbles.
“You look pretty,” Xingqiu tells him as he hands him the mask. He is not wrong. The uniform hugs his body and shows all its best angles. Kaeya's seen a few Fatui women wearing the same style - and he can be only thankful that it doesn't consist of a skirt but only a pair of shorts. Though they show off most of his legs, he doesn't feel as vulnerable. The colors are a mix of black and purple strips, the coat he wears has a hood and is quite long. The uniform is completed by black thighs and high boots. The only luck is that Xingqiu allowed him to break off the heels even though he did complain a lot. The reason is very simple, even without them is Kaeya very tall and it attracts too much attention.
“Don't tell me you've never tried to infiltrate their ranks,” Xingqiu tells him as he brushes Kaeya's hair. They came to a mutual agreement that he should leave is freely falling down his back.
“No,” Kaeya tells him, still looking into the mirror. He moves his hands in the new gloves. “I dressed as a woman though to gather some information. But it wasn't something this risky.” The moment he is caught, Kaeya knows that he might get into trouble. First of all, he is sure that the Fatui know him by now and certainly are not happy about his creative ways of getting into their way. The second problem is that Xingqiu is sending him to infiltrate the Fatui bank and steal not only from Fatui but their Harbinger as well. Xingqiu told him that Tartaglia has an important meeting and would not be present for most of the night and that he will make sure to make a commotion for Kaeya to slip past the guards. His mission should be easy afterward, slip into Tartaglia's office, find the document Xingqiu is looking for and disappear before anyone notices him.
“You'll have to take this thing off,” Xingqiu tells him. He touches Kaeya's eyepatch and Kaeya flinches. Xingqiu quickly pulls away and apologizes.
“Don't worry,” Kaeya tells him. “Just give me a moment alone.”
This time, Xingqiu leaves without a word of protest. The door slides closed behind him and Kaeya turns toward the mirror. He has no idea why he is so nervous about this. He gently touches his covered eye and then proceeds to take off the cloth covering it. He grits his teeth when he sees the golden iris. There is a reason why he keeps this eye hidden. There is a faint scar just above his eyelid, from the time when someone tried to poke his eye out. He was just a child back then.
Kaeya puts the eyepatch on the side and slips the Fatui mask on. It covers both of his eyes and nose perfectly and leaves no space for anyone to see anything. He stands up then and straightens his clothes. He can't remember he let his hair flow down his back so freely. He brushes the soft locks and then walks towards the door.
When he opens them, he notices that both Xingqiu and Chongyun are quietly arguing. When they hear his footsteps they both go quiet.
“I hope you didn't change your mind. It took me an hour to get ready.”
Xingqiu shakes his head. “Chongyun here is just worried. He thinks that we didn't properly discuss what we expect from you.”
“It's just…” Chongyun is frowning. “It seems to me like you have to pay a high price in exchange for something that might not even exist.”
“That's up to me to decide,” Kaeya assures him. “I am aware of the risk. You don't have to worry about me at all. Everything will be alright.”
It seems that Chongyun doubts it. “Those are Fatui… it's not wise to steal from them.”
“I've done worse to them than stealing,” Kaeya admits quietly. “They won't kill me. It's simple as that. Acting Grand Master would demand explanation and it would not be easy to find.”
It seems that his words have the right effect and calm down Chongyun's nerves. Kaeya doesn't mention that it's illegal for him to infiltrate inside the bank and if Fatui find out, they might actually have the right to kill him. It's for the best not to scar this kid for life.
Xingqiu asked him for one paper - he even explained why is it that he needs it so badly. “That paper is direct proof that one of my father's associates receives money for selling government secrets. That way, Fatui gain even more power in Liyue - but by proving that they are using dirty methods to secure their position, we might be able to loosen their hold on important trade contracts.”
Kaeya thinks that Xingqiu's worries are reasonable. If this situation happened in Mondstadt, he too would attempt to steal such documents. It's never pretty when Fatui start meddling into affairs they should not know about. Liyue is now vulnerable, it's been barely a month since Morax died and there is another crisis on the horizon - of a financial kind this time. It's no secret that Rex Lapis was responsible for the flow of Mora across the land, his death firstly slowed down this process and then later it became clear that there was the need to find a substitute. Kaeya is not aware that this problem has been solved yet. It's only logical that having Fatui influencing the decision-making in Liyue is a risk no one thinks is worth taking.
“Remember what I told you,” Xingqiu tells him as he leads Kaeya outside. It's a five-minute walk from here to Northland Bank. “Go there, sit down and wait. I'll come and-”
“-yes. I am aware of what will happen next.” Kaeya bumps his nose. “This is not the first time I am doing something like this.”
Xingqiu looks scandalized. He touches his nose and narrows his bright eyes. “I am just reminding you, Mr. Knight.”
He takes a step away from Kaeya to protect himself in case Kaeya tries to bump his nose again. “If what you told me is true,” Kaeya tells him, “we should have no problem.”
He parts from Xingqiu and walks towards the stairs. It's very late now and most of the shops are closed. There are not many people outside either. Still, it's no surprise when he walks up and sees that the guard he previously noticed standing in front of the door doesn't seem tired at all. Xingqiu told him that there is a man standing there during the day and during the night a woman takes his place. She nods when she sees him but clearly doesn't recognize him.
“It's a busy night,” she tells him and subtly angles her body in front of himself. There, just a few meters away from there sit three people around the table. One of them is a woman dressed in traditional Liyue clothes, the other is a man with ginger hair and a mask clipped to the side of his head. The Fatui Agent looms in the background with his head lowered down and hand stroking the blade behind his belt. Kaeya is not sure if the same one he saw earlier today.
“Master Tartaglia usually avoids meetings this late at night. He wishes to avoid suspicion.”
“Then it must be something important.” Kaeya intentionally lowers his voice. He sounds a bit raspy but it covers the natural intonation of his words and his faint accent.
The girl next to him hums in agreement. “I heard he has a new lead. I don't know much but I heard that he found something he was looking for. He will be leaving soon then.”
“Is that so?” Kaeya wonders. He taps his lips with one finger. “I heard he is leaving for Inazuma.” It's a lie and he knows what will follow. The girl shakes her head, shocked at his assumption.
“ Glupost, ” she utters. “I don't know where you heard it. Her Majesty wants him back home, he is quite excited about it. Who wouldn't be,” she adds bitterly. “I've been sending letters to my family for months now. I have no idea when the command will come that I can return. It feels like we are waiting for something here, but what is it? Morax lost his gnosis.” She lowers her voice and Kaeya knows that she fears that Tartaglia might hear her. That's very unlikely, he is in the opposite building after all. “There is nothing in Liyue now. I am sure that Master Tartaglia will be sent somewhere else shortly. I even heard that Mondstadt is-”
She never finishes her sentence. They both hear as Tartaglia laughs loudly on the other side of the room and then motions the Fatui Agent to come closer. He whispers something to him. Kaeya sees as the dark figure moves in their direction and stops to stand in front of them.
“You,” he points at the girl. “Come with me. Master Tartaglia needs to fetch something.”
The girl next to Kaeya straightens himself. She seems nervous now. “Sir, I need to guard the bank,” she says.
The Agent seems impatient now. He turns his gaze on Kaeya. “She can stay here and take your place,” he utters. “Don't make him wait,” he hisses. Kaeya understands that he is nervous too and that can only mean that he doesn't want to piss Tartaglia off.
The girl weakly nods and glances at Kaeya. “I will be back shortly,” she says but she doesn't sound very happy about it. “Don't leave your post, you hear me.”
Kaeya silently curses and watches as they go. He knows he wasted time by standing outside and pity is that the girl didn't even have a chance to finish her rambling. “Mondstadt heh?” he utters and looks up as he leans against the door. That information could have been vital to him.
He hears footsteps, light and quick and he recognizes the blue-haired boy that walks towards him. Xingqiu's expression turns sour when he sees him in front of the door and not inside as they agreed. He moves his lips in silent question and gets an answer as he passes past Kaeya.
“Go inside,” Kaeya says and keeps his eyes on Tartaglia in case he decides to glance his way and see as he speaks with Xingqiu. “I need a reason to leave this post. Make it a good one.”
Xingqiu opens the door. Kaeya counts to ten. Then he hears loud screaming and hysterical crying. He slips inside, the coat curls around his feet as he moves. He must admit that the boy is very good at acting, his cheeks are puffed red and he is causing a commotion by pointing his finger at the receptionist. She seems to be trying to calm him down but he brushes her attempts off and continues with his little act, babbling about losing everything.
Kaeya doesn't even try to hide a smile. There is a small crowd forming around Xingqiu, one woman is speaking loudly to him and trying to find out what is wrong while Xingqiu continues ignoring her attempts and warning her that he fill a complaint - he still has to come up with a reason why. While the others are focused on his precious act, Kaeya slips by. He walks up the stairs, finds a small corridor and counts the door before he reaches the one without a number. It's unlocked - that's very unwise especially if you have documents that can be used against you.
Kaeya slips into Tartaglia's office. Just like the rest of the bank, the office is gold and red, the sleek dark wood makes it look luxurious but not comfortable. It's cold inside, despite the warmth of the night outside. It almost feels like Tartaglia brought here a part of his home. Kaeya gets chills. Despite being a cryo user, he is not fond of the cold. The entire bank is filled with that chilling feeling, it reminds him of standing outside the Dragonspine and breathing the coldness radiating from that mountain.
There are few papers on the desk, one of them a letter that is most likely in process of being finished but because it's addressed to family, Kaeya doesn't read it. He opens the drawer, finds the documents neatly piled inside. He takes them out, quickly scrolls through them in order to find the one Xingqiu wants and then he returns the rest into the drawer and closes it. He folds the paper and hides it inside his coat. On his way out Kaeya makes sure that he leaves no traces of his presence here. He is not fond of getting caught red-handed, especially not in girl's clothes.
The hallways are empty, for some reason, it makes him uneasy. Actually, the entire thing is strange. It's too easy and Kaeya's instincts warn him that something is wrong here. He returns towards the stairs and suddenly stops. He can no longer hear Xingqiu's hysteric babbling. Instead, there is a new voice speaking, a bit more cheerful than Kaeya would consider comfortable. He slowly walks down the stairs, notices that the crowd is dispersed now and that all those who were inside the bank returned to their previous activities. The woman behind the reception is speaking now, she sounds aggravated for some reason. The other voice that responds to her doesn't belong to Xingqiu at all. Kaeya changes his position a bit, takes another step and finally sees as the man moves, his back still facing him. But he recognizes the mask, the red hair…
Kaeya peeks further inside the room and sees that Xingqiu is nowhere in sight. Tartaglia moves closer, his back still facing Kaeya and Kaeya understands that he has only two choices now - walk past Tartaglia or climb the stairs. Only one decision grants him a step closer towards the door and he is not very fond of getting lost inside the bank. He reaches inside his coat, not looking for the document but for his vision. Tartaglia tells something to the receptionist and then backs further towards the place where Kaeya is standing. He is clearly not aware that someone is on the stairs behind him and Kaeya has only a second to duck. Tartaglia turns around so suddenly that his arm almost hits Kaeya's head. He forces himself to move but he can't avoid the impact and so Tartaglia hits his side. Kaeya stumbles against the wall and he sends a quiet thanks to Barbados that his mask is still in place.
“Ah,” Tartaglia sounds surprised. “I didn't notice you there, comrade.”
He is in a good mood, Kaeya can tell from the way he stands, shoulders relaxed and corners of his lips lifted.
“Sir,” he addresses him and pulls himself away from the wall. His instincts are screaming at him to run, especially after he notices Tartaglia's dull eyes. He forces himself to stand in place, running would be a mistake and he is sure that Tartaglia can be decently quick if not quicker. “I heard noises downstairs so I came to check.”
Except it's quiet here now. Tartaglia waves his hand. “It was taken care of. Nothing big.” It takes a liar to know a liar and Tartaglia is a very good one indeed. His eyes linger on Kaeya far too long but he says nothing. So he knows then. Or at least he suspects that something is out of place.
Kaeya bows his head and continues walking towards the entrance. He reaches the door and from the sound of it, Tartaglia returned to speak with the receptionist. Kaeya feels as snowflakes dance around his fingertips. It's not visible yet, he knows that Tartaglia is aware of his little charade and yet he refuses to turn around and for some reason, Tartaglia is not approaching him.
“Ekaterina,” he speaks up finally. “Could you please send someone to my office? I would like them to fetch a certain document for me.” Tartaglia's voice rings across the bank.
Kaeya opens the door and forces himself to walk slowly. It may seem like he lost this round but as long as he is free and has that stolen document, he is actually the victor. That's what Kaeya tells himself. Only after the door is closed behind him he runs down the stairs and disappears into the night.