Lumine and Kaeya entered the dimly lit, noisy tavern together. It was full of other drunk adventurers who were enjoying their alcohol together and loners who ate their meal quietly. Kaeya ushered Lumine to a bar seat in the front of the bar and took a seat next to her.
"Is there anything you'd like to eat or drink, Lumine? I got the menu for you."
"I'd like a glass of water, please. Let me look through the menu quickly!"
Lumine scanned the menu briefly before choosing her favorite dish, Chicken Fettuccine. Kaeya laughed out at her option and went to order their dishes and drinks. He returned swiftly and sat down next to her.
"I didn't think you would order a Chicken Fettuccine. I thought you'd order a salad or something!"
"Really? What did you order then?"
"Red wine and Grilled Steak with Rice. Sounds yummy, right?"
"You wish! I didn't think you were such an alcoholic, Kaeya!"
"At least I can drink alcohol. I bet you're not even old enough to drink!" Kaeya retorted.
"Actually, I am old enough to drink! I'm probably a better drinker than you are! I'll prove it to you once your Red Wine arrives!"
"Nope! The Red Wine is only for me this time!"
Kaeya loved watching her pouting over not being able to drink his wine. Like that, the pair spent the next 15 minutes chatting about insignificant things in their lives.
"Here's your food. Never come here again." A voice interrupted the duo's conversation.
"Ah, my good man Diluc. You're nice as always." Kaeya remarked. "Anyway, Jean wanted me to say hello to you for her."
"Well, say hello for me back to her then," Diluc replied.
The red-haired man turned his attention to Lumine after he finished serving Kaeya's food. He froze up momentarily. This girl…? Why did she look so familiar? He skimmed her up and down, trying to jog his memories. How could he forget such a lovely girl with alluring golden eyes?
Lumine stared back at the attractive man. Diluc had a pair of flaming red eyes, which matched his blazing red hair very well. His facial features were extremely defined and Lumine could not tear her eyes off of him. He wore a white collared shirt, black pants that were embellished with chains, and a belt that held his Vision. He was absolutely breathtaking to look at.
"And this is …?" asked Diluc.
"This is Lumine, a Knight of Favonius. We're here to celebrate her official appointment as a knight today." Kaeya answered.
"I see," Diluc stiffened, "well, your meal is on the house today then, Lumine."
"Thank you!" Lumine answered as she flashed a sparkling smile towards him.
"And this is Diluc, the owner of the wine business in Mondstadt. We would've been matching if he wore his coat today!" Kaeya introduced.
Lumine was only half-listening as she was still mesmerized by the red-haired man in front of her. Kaeya took this opportunity to pinch her cheeks and spin her towards him.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"This is payback for earlier!"
"Well, I'll be going then. Enjoy your dinner."
"Thanks, Diluc!" Lumine waved.
As Diluc walked away, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance towards his blue-haired brother. Diluc didn't know why he didn't like seeing his brother touch her face. She had nothing to do with him, after all. As he stood behind the counter, he found himself staring at the golden-eyed girl. Lumine was a great name for her; she seemed to be illuminating the tavern with her presence. With every second that his eyes stole from her, he memorized her lofty blond hair, pink rosy lips, and priceless golden eyes before he finally stopped staring at her.
Lumine and Kaeya both finished their meals rather quickly and spent the rest of their time talking about the Knights of Favonius.
"You know, I was genuinely impressed by your skills today. I didn't expect that you mastered the sword to such a great extent and could use elemental skills as well." Kaeya began.
"I apologize for not realizing your true potential sooner. I truly regret that."
"I accept your apology! It was annoying at first, but I now know that you didn't mean it."
"Thank Barbatos. I thought you'd hate me over that." Kaeya mumbled.
Lumine laughed.
"I'm not that stingy, you know? Anyway, I think it's time for us to go back. I still have training tomorrow." Lumine yawned.
"No more training, silly! You're a full-fledged Knight! You can take on quests and commissions now."
"I completely forgot!" Lumine exclaimed. She stood up from the table and motioned for Kaeya to leave.
"You go first, let me do something real quick!" Lumine requested.
Kaeya nodded. As he headed towards the door, Lumine walked towards the front counter. She fished out some mora and tapped on Diluc's shoulder. He turned around and looked at her puzzledly.
"Thank you for the excellent service today! I wanted to leave a tip for you and I'll be sure to come back next time!" Lumine said as she pushed the mora towards Diluc.
Before she left the building, she turned back one last time and shouted, "Don't get too drunk! I saw you drinking five glasses of wine tonight!"
Diluc chuckled softly to himself. What an oddity she was. Yet, he found her to be irresistibly cute and charming at the same time. He counted her tip and found out that she paid for the meal that he said was on the house. As he sat down and rested on the counter, he found himself repeatedly twirling the coins Lumine gave him. The girl intrigued him and left him mystified, occupying his thoughts all night.