"Aether...?" Keqing said in a low voice trying not to startle Aether, "and Paimon too?" What brings the two of you here?"
"Lady Keqing! Hello!" Paimon said excitedly.
"Oh, hello Lady Keqing. I was just thinking about some things. That's all." Aether said.
"Just Keqing is fine. No need for formalities really." said Keqing "Is something bothering you, Aether?"
"I don't know really. I have been trying my best not to let it bother me too much but… I just can't get it out of my mind." Aether said with a sigh.
"Paimon… does not know what to say. It's… well… it's about something important to Aether." Paimon said.
"I see. Thank you Paimon. Does it have to do with anything the commission Lan and Ganyu gave you earlier Aether? Do you wanna talk about it?" Keqing said with concern.
"Are you okay with that, Lady Keqing? You still might have something to do and I wouldn't want to waste your time, given your busy schedule." Aether asked.
"It's okay. I already did what I needed to do today and I have some free time right now. Think of it as a way of thanking you for saving Liyue from Osial." Keqing chuckled.
Keqing has always been fascinated by the Traveler from the moment they met on Mt. Tianheng. It was when she investigated how the Guizhong Ballista was fixed in a single night. One of the reasons she piqued her interest is because of his eyes. Aether's eyes were that of a golden hue, and they seemed like shimmering beacons of hope that people could look up to in the darkest times. He was dependable, clever, and handsome. She was simply curious about him. But ever since the Osial incident, she wanted to learn more about him and be closer to him. He seemed like the person to do things with his own hands, not relying on the Archons for anything.
Aether on the other hand was charmed by Keqing. Was it her looks? Was it her personality? Or was it her dedication to protecting Liyue the cause of why Aether got interested in her? Honestly, it was a little bit of everything. When Aether was asked for a prize by the Qixing for his help in stopping Osial, he wanted to claim Keqing for himself. But seeing that he could not possibly do that in front of all of them and given that it was the Rite of Parting for Rex Lapis, he instead asked for missing person posters in search of his sister. He always had a goal to find his sister and he was determined to do so but it could not possibly hurt to have someone to accompany him in his travels.
Aether, Paimon, and Keqing went down to Feiyun Slope and down to the port, where the Mingxiao Lantern was released during the Lantern Rite Festival. They looked around the port and at the night sky full of stars. The atmosphere seemed romantic but Aether forgot that Paimon was there accompanying him along with Keqing. It was pretty silent at first but the silence broke when Keqing asked Aether about what was bothering him.
"So Aether, I want to know what's bothering you. Would you be willing to tell me?" Keqing said.
"Of course Lady Keqing! I… I just don't know when to start. So many things happened that I couldn't fully grasp everything that went down in that commission." Aether said, struggling to speak. "I thought the Treasure Hoarders were only involved in it. I-I didn't expect the Abyss Order to be involved too."
"I told you, Keqing is fine. Anyways, the Abyss Order? What were they doing there?" Keqing asked.
"They were planning something big. It involved a Statue of the Seven that looked like the Anemo Archon. They were trying to make a mechanized god made of the eye of the first Field Tiller and the limbs of Osial." Aether tried to explain slowly. "If their plan succeeded, the sheer power of that mechanized god would be possibly more powerful than Osial." Aether added.
"Does anyone else know about this? Have you told Ganyu and Lan about what happened?" Keqing asked, trying not to show her fear.
"There is one person who knows, although I'm not sure if I can tell you who it is. But if it's you then I suppose I could tell you." Aether said. "His name is Dainsleif, a high ranking guard of the nobles of Khaenri'ah. His enemy is the Abyss Order. The leader of the Abyss Order is…" Aether added yet he could not continue what to say next.
"A-Aether? W-who is it? The leader of the Abyss Order?" Keqing asked, showing concern for Aether.
"My sister... The leader of the Abyss Order is my sister... Lumine." Aether said, trying not to cry in front of Keqing. She can see the anguish in his eyes, just trying her best to hold back from hugging him, right here and right there.