32 An Uninvited Guest in the Night

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Little Paimon stamped her feet in fury. “Aaaaaah, darn it! You didn’t remind us just now! You’re so mean, so mean! No! I—I have to make another wish!”

She took out two more Mora, giving one to Nana. The two of them made their wishes again. Paimon snorted, planted her hands on her hips, and said triumphantly to the Traveler, “Hmph! This time I didn’t say it out loud, so my wish is definitely going to come true!”

“Indeed.” The Traveler assumed a thoughtful expression, as though he had suddenly realized something.

Unable to restrain her curiosity, little Paimon leaned closer and asked in an excited whisper, “What are you thinking about, Traveler?”

The Traveler replied solemnly, “I’m thinking… where did you get the money you just used? Have you been secretly hiding money from me, little Paimon?”

Paimon was horrified. With a whoosh, she ducked behind Pei Nana, draped herself over her shoulder, and loudly protested, “Y-you’re talking nonsense! How could I possibly hide money in my shoes?! Y-you can’t frame an innocent person!”

Pei Nana: “…”

Hadn’t she just confessed everything in one go?

Pei Nana quickly turned around, wrapped her arms around Paimon, and carried her two steps farther away from the Traveler. With the same solemn expression, she spoke out righteously on behalf of justice. “Exactly! Little Paimon is so adorable. How could she possibly hide money? Don’t go framing innocent people!”

The Traveler sighed regretfully. “Since you both say so, it’s two against one. Looks like I really did misunderstand. How strange… where could that money have come from?”

He adopted an expression of deep puzzlement. Hidden in Pei Nana’s arms, Paimon covered her little mouth and giggled to herself, growing even more pleased. She leaned close to Pei Nana and whispered, “Paimon has some private savings too! Don’t tell him! Tomorrow, Paimon will secretly take you out for something yummy!”

Pei Nana replied, “Okay, okay! Something yummy! Thank you, Paimon!”

…

It was already very late, and the night wind had turned somewhat chilly. When traveling alone, the Traveler could wander the streets all night like a carefree loafer, but this time he had Pei Nana with him. After strolling around for a while, he took her back to the Angel’s Share.

He had intended to find somewhere else to spend the night after seeing her home, but Diluc’s friend was truly reliable. The moment they entered, Charles greeted him warmly.

It was already past ten at night, and most of the patrons had gone home. Charles was relatively free as well. When he saw the three of them enter, he called out to the Traveler.

“Master Traveler! Miss Nana! Miss Paimon!” Charles said cheerfully. “I heard from Haily that you went out. How was it? After being apart for so long, did everything seem fresh and interesting?”

Pei Nana understood his teasing and immediately flushed. This was hardly what one would call “being reunited after a long separation”!

She had heard people speak of eloping. She lived on the third floor, while the first and second floors were filled with drinkers. Once drunk, they spoke without restraint, loudly discussing all manner of things, and sometimes their voices carried up to the third floor. For safety’s sake, Pei Nana refused to leave the tavern, but staying in her room was truly boring. Since she also wanted to learn more about what was happening around her, she would secretly listen to the drinkers downstairs gossip whenever she had the chance.

The rumors about her relationship with the Traveler had begun in much the same way.

Still, those rumors gave her a protective disguise by association, making anyone with ulterior motives more wary of her. So she simply pretended not to know.

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Being teased about it to her face was inevitably embarrassing, especially in front of the very person whose reputation was being borrowed…

She could not help secretly glancing at Aether to see how he would react.

Aether knew nothing about the matter and detected nothing unusual in Charles’s words. He merely nodded normally. Paimon answered happily, “We went to eat Sweet Madame with Nana, and it was just as delicious as ever! Oh, right, Charles—how is the house search going? Did you find anything for us?”

“Haha! Since it was a request from the Traveler, of course I had to handle it perfectly!” Charles laughed. “It’s getting late, so you and Miss Nana should get some rest. Tomorrow, you can go take a look at the house together. I guarantee you’ll love it!

“Oh, and your room is to the left of Miss Nana’s. No one has stayed there for a while, so I hope you’ll be comfortable.”

Pei Nana’s eyes lit up, and she looked delighted.

Paimon was delighted too. “The Traveler’s room? No problem, no problem! We’re used to staying anywhere! Thank you, Charles!”

The three of them went up to the third floor. Little Paimon chuckled. “Diluc is such a great guy. He even prepared a room for us.” Fifty thousand Mora for one night, no less. Good heavens—what kind of extravagant lifestyle could only be enjoyed by a wealthy tycoon like that?

Aether could not stand seeing her look so pleased with herself. Smiling, he teased her, “He only did it because of Nana. Before, he never invited us to stay at the tavern.

“We’ve known him much longer, but our treatment is still worse than Nana’s, even though he’s only known her for a few days. Little Paimon, you didn’t happen to offend him, did you?”

“H-how could I have? Don’t talk nonsense!” Paimon looked guilty for a moment and instinctively wondered whether she had ever offended Diluc. When the implication sank in, she let out an indignant cry and lunged at Aether’s face, waving her little arms and legs wildly.

Naturally, Aether had no intention of letting her catch him.

One dodging and the other pursuing, they soon arrived at the room to Pei Nana’s left. When they pushed open the door, it was indeed empty of any lived-in warmth, but it had been cleaned thoroughly, and everything one might need was neatly in place.

Standing in the doorway, Pei Nana grabbed little Paimon, who was trying to follow Aether inside, and pulled her into her arms with a smile. “Good night, Mister Aether. Paimon and I are going to rest too.”

Aether looked surprised, then smiled. “Good night. See you tomorrow.”

Paimon blinked. “Huh? I’m staying with Nana?”

Pei Nana gave her a pitiful look. “Don’t you want to stay with me? You don’t miss me at all?”

As she spoke, her crystal-clear, beautiful eyes clouded with a mist of tears. It seemed that if she blinked even once, the tears might fall.

Paimon: “!!!”

The Traveler: “…”

Little Paimon was utterly horrified. She hurriedly waved both tiny arms, terrified that Pei Nana might actually start crying. “N-no! That’s not it! It’s just my first time sleeping separately from the Traveler, so I was a little surprised! Come on, come on, Nana, let’s go! Good night, Traveler!”

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With that, she shut the door with a click, afraid that if she did not appear enthusiastic enough, Nana would once again think she was unwilling to stay with her.

Aether: “…”

Hadn’t she been completely wrapped around Nana’s finger?

The young Traveler stood alone in the room, arms folded across his chest. He shook his head and sighed, pity gleaming in his amber-gold eyes. “Alas. You’re finished, little Paimon.”

Yet the corners of his raised lips betrayed a faint, unmistakable delight at her misfortune.

…

Paimon took up absolutely no space when she slept.

Just like a horse sleeping while standing, Paimon actually slept while floating in midair. Pei Nana had originally planned to sleep beside her, but upon seeing this, she could only abandon the idea with some regret.

Having had nothing to do for the past few days, she had developed the good habit of going to bed early. Not long after lying down, she drifted into a deep sleep.

Listening to the two breaths from the room next door gradually become steady and peaceful, Aether slowly closed his eyes as well.

After years of traveling from place to place, sleeping in the wilderness was a common occurrence. If luck was on his side, he might find a haystack or a tent. If not, he could only sleep in a tree or on a relatively flat boulder. Aether’s ability to adapt was exceptionally strong. In short, he had never suffered from the trouble of being unable to sleep in an unfamiliar bed.

…

The night was dark and the wind high, while all the world lay silent. Vast Mondstadt, its spires rising like a forest, resembled a sleeping giant. Every living thing had peacefully entered the realm of dreams.

Suddenly, the golden-haired, golden-eyed Traveler opened his eyes without warning.

Expressionless, he turned his head and stared toward the room next door. His blue-green earring swayed faintly, emitting a ghostly green glow in the darkness. His brilliant golden eyes were cold and still, like a beast silently lurking among submerged reefs.

Under his gaze, it seemed that the wooden wall had become completely useless, and every movement in the adjoining room lay plainly before his eyes.

Of course, that was merely an illusion.

Aether could not see through walls, but the difference was not particularly great.

For as he listened intently, every abnormal rustle and stir from the room next door came to his ears with extraordinary clarity in the dead of night.

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