38 The Useless Master

Pei Nana was unaware of the turbulent storm raging within the seemingly silent Traveler at this moment; she merely felt a vague, instinctive sense of unease. It was like a small creature on the grassland sensing the darkening sky and the approach of a storm, feeling inexplicably flustered.

She offered a guilty, whispered defense, "I just wanted to help her cool off! Besides, besides, I don't know how to do it anyway! I just wanted to watch and have Miss Haeli teach me, so I wouldn't have to trouble anyone else next time."

The Traveler’s expression softened slightly. "Is that so..."

Haeli hurriedly stepped in front of her. "Yes! You’ve misunderstood, Traveler! Miss Nana was only learning the stitching technique!"

She kindly explained, "Miss Nana has been working on it for a while now; look, her hands are rubbed raw!" As she spoke, she forcefully pulled Pei Nana’s hand, spread it out before Aether, stroked it affectionately, and continued, "But I felt a bit warm, so I asked her to fan me. Since I’m faster at the work, we just divided the labor—I’ll tidy the room, and Miss Nana will fan me!"

Aether’s gaze fixed on the spot where she had been stroking the hand, and only then did he notice Pei Nana’s palm. It was indeed a bit red, looking as though a handful of crimson petals had been crushed against it.

It looked truly pitiful.

(She didn’t listen to me after all.)

Aether’s heart softened almost instantly. He walked over quickly, took her hand, examined it cautiously, and poked it gently. "Does it hurt?"

"It’s alright," Pei Nana said, blushing slightly and speaking in a soft, delicate voice. "I must have pulled too hard, causing the superficial capillaries to burst. It just looks scary; I stopped right after that."

As she spoke, her eyes began to redden involuntarily, and she added with a pitiful, aggrieved tone, "You were so fierce just now..."

This time, it was Miss Haeli’s turn to freeze, casting a look of surprise and suspicion at the pair.

(Could that rumor be true?)

The two of them were still engaged in an intimate, whispered conversation.

"It’s my fault. I shouldn't have assumed you were being reckless without knowing the full story. I was just too shocked. I'm sorry," Aether said in a gentle, hushed tone. "Didn't I tell you to wait for me to return before handling heavy things?"

Pei Nana, coaxed into a shy state, beamed. "I just wanted to try; I wanted to be able to help out a little, at least."

Aether sighed silently, turned to Miss Haeli, and offered a polite smile. "Thank you very much for your help, Miss Haeli."

Compared to the intimate, family-like whisperings he shared with Pei Nana, his tone toward Miss Haeli was impeccably polite yet distant. It was the formal courtesy of a host toward a guest, making the disparity in their closeness painfully clear.

"I’ve prepared some fruit and refreshments downstairs. Miss Haeli, why don't you and Nana go take a break? We can finish the work after we’ve eaten."

"Alright~" Miss Haeli’s gaze swept over their clasped hands, and she offered the standard, professional smile of a maid.

***

Hypocritical, enthusiastic, yet formal.

After Aether left, Pei Nana pursed her lips in a shy smile and whispered to Haeli, "Thank you for just now~"

"Otherwise, if I had left Aether with the impression that I was lazy and idle, that would have been a disaster. Hehe."

Haeli scratched her cheek in embarrassment and chuckled, "I wasn't lying! It really was me who asked Miss Nana to fan me! Besides, I’ve gotten used to it over these past few days. Whenever I see you working, I feel unsettled."

Especially since Miss Nana was more delicate than a flower and frail in strength; watching her struggle to move a table for half an eternity, only to end up with flushed cheeks and breathless gasps, made even Haeli’s ears turn red.

How could she have the heart to let her keep working?

A beautiful, precious flower belonged in an exquisite vase, placed in a magnificent room, where they could complement each other perfectly. Using fine wine to quench thirst was nothing but a waste.

Although she respected and admired the Traveler, the hero of Mondstadt, she had to be honest: how could a fragile hothouse flower withstand the wind and rain of the wilderness?

And how could a wild cat dreaming of roaming the world ever understand a docile domestic rabbit?

Even if she didn’t want to assist her own master, she wasn't optimistic about this pairing.

Haeli looked at Pei Nana’s slightly bashful, flushed cheeks, felt a weight in her heart, and asked with a smile, "By the way, what exactly is the relationship between you and the Traveler? The atmosphere between you two looks so intimate; it’s truly enviable!"

Pei Nana’s face exploded into a deep crimson.

But this was the perfect opportunity to clarify her stance and prevent future trouble!

She immediately pretended to be shy, covered her face, turned away in a coy, affected manner, and stomped her foot. "Oh! How can you ask such a thing! What kind of relationship could I possibly have with Mr. Aether? Don't ever bring it up again! Hurry now, let's head downstairs! We shouldn't keep them waiting too long!"

With that, she took off running.

She had left no room for gossip, yet it was as if she had said everything.

In the room, Haeli slammed her palm down in regret. "You’re truly useless, Master!"

That potential wife was gone, too.

"Sigh!" She let out a heavy sigh and murmured to herself, "I’m sorry, Ms. Adelinde, it seems my mission has failed as well."

As she spoke, her expression grew even more melancholy and distressed.

***

"...It’s so rare to find someone who catches the Master’s eye. I really thought there was a chance... *sob*."

Master Diluc was actually very young; in terms of age and appearance, he could even be called youthful. Yet, everyone at the Dawn Winery took the matter of the Master getting married and having children extremely seriously—so seriously that outsiders unaware of the situation might think they were obsessed.

But those outsiders did not understand the heavy burden carried by the people at the Dawn Winery.

The Ragnvindr family had existed since the time when the Anemo Archon, Barbatos, overthrew the ancient tower tyrant and established the city of Mondstadt. It had endured for over a millennium. One could say that the surname "Ragnvindr" had witnessed the entire history, rise, and fall of Mondstadt.

Unlike the detestable old aristocracy like the Lawrence clan from the days of Old Mondstadt, the Ragnvindr family—also a prominent local house—adhered to virtue. They never considered themselves "nobles," protected their neighbors and farmhands, and even in the face of pressure and exclusion from all the old aristocrats, they stuck to their bottom line.

Later, when the rule of the old aristocracy was toppled, the Ragnvindrs remained the Ragnvindrs.

It is no exaggeration to say that for as many years as Mondstadt has existed, the family has stood tall.

People held a sentiment for the family that outsiders found hard to grasp. The residents near the Dawn Winery were as accustomed to it as they were to the scent of wine permeating the air. Through a thousand years of constant companionship, the family had become a part of the common sense and cognition of the people of Mondstadt.

But the current Ragnvindr family was hiding a massive crisis.

The bloodline was in danger of ending.

Diluc was the current head of the Ragnvindr family and the only legitimate descendant of this ancient clan with over a millennium of heritage. If he were content to live as a wealthy squire, there would be no issue. But even though the staff at the winery never spoke of it, they could vaguely sense that Master Diluc was secretly involved in something dangerous...

People believed in the glory and virtue inherited by the Ragnvindrs; even if the Master's actions were not entirely transparent, they were undoubtedly acts of justice. But currently, the Master had no wife or children. If a misfortune were to befall Master Diluc... then this thousand-year-old family, having witnessed all of Mondstadt's past, would be relegated to history.

With such a grave matter at stake, how could anyone in the know not be secretly anxious? Even the most cold-hearted person would worry whether a future master would be as generous and kind as the current one.

Haeli often saw Ms. Adelinde unable to sleep through the night, sighing to herself in her spare time as she gazed at the portrait of the late mistress.

Therefore, ensuring the Master left behind a blood heir was, for the loyal servants of the Ragnvindr family, the most urgent and paramount task!

If not for the fact that Diluc himself possessed immense combat prowess, extreme vigilance, and a formidable reputation, people even suspected that he might one day "accidentally" consume a love potion, only to find himself in the unfortunate situation where the antidote had been smashed and the doctor was off duty...