Chapter Six: Gift
Barbara stood by the cathedral entrance watching the unnaturally dour sky beyond with a distracted frown.
Saturdays were always her second busiest days with her and the other sisters busy meeting with congregants, attending choir practice, and preparing for mass. The rains had deterred all but the most fervent believers from confessions that afternoon freeing her and the other sisters to occupy themselves while they waited for choir practice.
Sister Rosaria had slipped out the instant Cardinal Calvin had disappeared into his confessional and had not bothered to linger in the cathedral before returning to the dormitories. The others had barely noticed the prickly nun's absence given the dearth of congregants and Barbara was relieved that she would not have to cover for her colleague's truancy.
Their tenuous agreement deeply troubled the petite Deaconess for she was her father's daughter and felt fiercely protective of the church's reputation, especially in his absence. But Sister Rosaria rarely suffered fools and had made no effort to conceal her disdain for Barbara. Whatever backlash the prickly nun would receive if Barbara reported her absence would pale in comparison to the scandal of a notorious Harbinger fleeing the Shining Idol's bed chambers in the dead of night.
Barbara turns to glance back at her colleagues for the seventh time that hour. The other sisters had gathered around the altar with a few congregants reading and singing hymnals. The Deaconess returns her attention to the window once more, content to watch the rain's progress as her thoughts drifted far away to Liyue Harbor.
I wonder if he made it back alright. She muses briefly sneaking a glance over her shoulder at the homesick Snezhnayan diplomat's assistant, Viktor, stifling a loud yawn with his gloved hand. Would he know?
Viktor notices her watching him and straightens up, releasing the rag doll he had been using to entertain little Lily. The child exclaims at the sudden shift in her playmate's demeanor, and she turns to inspect the source of his sudden discomfort. The petite Deaconess flushes slightly as the child waves cheerily at her before returning to retrieve the doll from the floor in a bid to reclaim the blond Snezhnayan's attention.
Suddenly the cathedral door bursts open as a pair of knights march through. Barbara perks up as she turns to greet them, slipping into her cheery persona. Her jaw grows slack, and she feels her shoulders stiffen when she notices the bouquet of wildflowers in the first night's hand.
She glances from the flowers and lifts her gaze to study their owner's face and balks as she recognizes none other than Huffman.
"Good Afternoon, Sister Barbara," Bruce greets with a cheery salute as his large hand rises at the last moment to suppress a loud hiccup.
"Good Afternoon kind sirs," the Deaconess greets cheerily, recovering quickly from her confusion. "Are you both here for confession?"
"N-not me," Huffman sighs pinching the bridge of his nose in evident frustration. "I'm afraid I simply don't have time. Just him actually. Found him stumbling out of Angel's Share again so I figured he might as well see the Cardinal while he's sobering up."
"Oh, I see," Barbara replies smiling kindly as she turns to address Huffman. "I'm afraid confession ended about an hour ago, but I'll see if Sister Victoria will hear him."
The Knight thanks her with a sheepish bow before turning to guide his colleague towards a nearby pew. Barbara flushes darkly as she feels the older man's gaze trailing her as she approaches her supervisor. Wriggling her hands nervously, she silently pleads with her feet to carry her forward with whatever semblance of grace she had inherited from her mother.
Sister Victoria listens patiently to the Deaconess's request and obliges with a heavy sigh and somber shake of her head, turning to beckon the knights forward. Huffman guides his friend towards the confessional booth before turning to greet the other sisters gathered by the altar.
"Sir Huffman, will you be going first?" Sister Edna greets him with a warm smile.
"No, I'm afraid I simply haven't the time," Huffman replies genuinely apologetic.
"My, my, my sir Huffman are you sure you do not have something to confess as well?" Sister Jilliana asks with a wry smile.
When the Knight turns to shoot her a confused frown, Sister Jilliana nods pointedly at the flowers in his hands causing him to flush deeply. Barbara bows her head as the heat in her cheeks migrates to her ears and neck.
"O-oh n-no! T-these are for—"
"Lady Barbara, aren't those the prettiest Cecilias you've ever seen?!" Sister Gotelinde calls after the Deaconess in a singsong voice.
It is the Deaconess's turn to blush deeply and she mumbles a rushed agreement before hastily averting her gaze.
"S-sister G-Gotelinde please!" Huffman protests thoroughly dismayed but the nun simply cackles and nudges him towards the now blubbering Deaconess before turning to give her colleague an encouraging wink. "I s-swear i-it's not like that! I f-found—someone reported Albert for lurking around the cathedral again and when I got here I saw these lying around on a bench outside and decided to bring them in."
"They look awfully dry for something that's been lying around outside in the rain all this while, Sir Huffman," Sister Edna chuckles shrewdly. "If I hadn't known better, I would have thought you'd hidden them beneath your cloak or something."
Barbara flushes darker and darker as the exasperated Knight's pleas fall on deaf ears. When the Knight started scanning the cathedral for the nearest trash can to discard the bouquet, the nuns hastily excused themselves under the pretext of reporting for choir practice, pointedly leaving Barbara alone with her supposed suitor.
"I'm terribly sorry about causing you all this trouble," Barbara mutters meekly as she reaches to relieve him of the bouquet. The Knight hesitates slightly, a flash of embarrassment evident in his light blue eyes as his gaze falls to his boots. "Here, I'll take care of them for you."
"T-thank you," the Knight mumbles quietly as he reluctantly surrenders the flowers.
The petite Deaconess quickly excuses herself and retreats to a side storage room where she finds a clean vase which she fills with water. When she returns, Huffman is still standing awkwardly by the altar shuffling his feet shyly before straightening up when he notices her approaching.
"I'm really sorry there isn't much we knights can do about Albert," Huffman offers quietly as she rejoins him.
"Oh, it's alright," Barbara lies, forcing a cheerful smile as she meets his gaze once more. "I r-really don't mind him. He truly means well. B-besides, he is very h-helpful and extremely supportive."
"You mean you don't find all the attention even a little creepy?" Huffman asks with an uncomfortable chuckle.
"Well, I suppose I've gotten used to it over time," the Deaconess confesses shyly. "I'm glad to have fans who are so thoughtful and supportive of me."
"You know a co-couple of us—I mean—I h-heard that a couple of the-them are raising money to book you for a private concert during the Windblume Festival. Would, er, that be something you're interested in doing?"
"Of course," Barbara smiles sweetly. "I love raising money for the church!"
"E-xcellent! I'll tell the other—I mean I'll keep that in mind," Huffman replies sheepishly scratching the back of his neck.
"There you are, Huffman," a sultry voice calls from the cathedral entrance.
They turn to find Lisa Minci striding towards them, her vibrant green eyes trained on the confused knight. She pauses to acknowledge Barbara with a sweet smile before returning her attention to her colleague. Judging from her expression and demeanor she had come on official library business and was not to be trifled with.
"Uh-oh, I know that look, I've got an overdue book, haven't I?" Huffman chuckles nervously.
"Great guess," Lisa Minci agrees with a cheery smile before lowering her gaze to consult her records scroll. "According to my check-out log, you still haven't returned your copy of Heart of Clear Springs. Do you have it here with you?"
"Um no, but I can check when I get off patrol this evening," Huffman offers.
The Librarian crosses her arms at this, a thoughtful frown creasing her forehead.
"Will that not work?" Barbara wonders meekly.
"Normally it would," Lisa admits with a tired sigh. "But I was hoping I would get it before the end of the day."
"Oh, does someone need it urgently?" Huffman asks arching an eyebrow.
"Yes, Mr. Albedo," the Librarian returns stifling a yawn. "He seems to have hit a dead-end with his research and is convinced that book can help him get over it. He's already asked twice now, and I'd hate to disappoint a little cutey like him."
"M-Mr. A-Albedo?!" Huffman and Barbara repeat in unison.
"P-pardon me!" Barbara mumbles blushing slightly. "It's just…I didn't think—Mr. Albedo just didn't seem like the type of person who reads fictional books."
"You'd be surprised the types of things people check out of the Library," Lisa Minci chuckles. "For instance, Albedo normally checks out storybooks to read to Klee."
"I see," Huffman says suddenly sweating nervously. "Well, if it's for the Spark Knight I'm sure Adler wouldn't mind covering for me while I return to the dormitory. Excuse me, Ms. Minci. Ms. Pegg."
"I-I'll come with you," Barbara declares before catching herself and blushing slightly. "I-if th-that's alright with you, Sir Huffman. It's just I know how busy you are and I don't want you to get in trouble with Captain Kaeya for leaving your post."
"No, no," Huffman sighs rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "It's fine really. I was long overdue for my break, so I guess now's a good a time as any to take it."
"Oh," Barbara hums slightly crestfallen. "I see."
"B-but y-you're still welcome to join me if you'd like."
"Alright then." Barbara feels the Librarian's green eyes twinkle coyly as they shift from her to Huffman before finally settling on her again.
"I guess I'll just wait here," Lisa yawns, not bothering to hide her pointed smile.
Thoroughly embarrassed, Barbara spins and sprints after Huffman, easily overtaking the older man. In her haste, she forgot to grab her raincoat and had almost stepped out into the rain had Huffman not flung his own over her small shoulders.
She turns to give him an appreciative smile as they huddle beneath the large coat. The older man flushes darkly and mumbles something incomprehensible before moving to lead the way. They move cautiously down the wet cathedral steps and cross the square before turning towards the market district.
Thankfully the rain had driven any would-be onlookers indoors shielding them from the questioning glances and curious murmurs their stroll would have inspired. While she wasn't naïve enough to believe that the other nuns would not gossip about her association with Huffman, it felt nice to walk through the city without fear of being seen or recognized.
They reached Huffman's apartment and retrieved the book after a brief search. As he hands the book over, the Knight offers the Deaconess a cup of tea to warm her up. But she is far too focused on rejoining Lisa that she politely declines.
"Perhaps some other time," she adds without thinking.
"R-really?!" Huffman asks, disbelief cracking his deep voice as he eyes her hopefully.
Barbara feels her cheeks flush and it is all she can do to keep from shielding her face with the library book. Not trusting herself to speak, she manages an earnest nod in response.
"Oh, wow I honestly didn't expect you to—oh never mind," the Knight mutters scratching the back of his head. "W-where would you like to go. Alb—I mean I've heard that you frequently visit the Cat's Tail tavern."
"Y-yes," Barbara replies. "Their non-alcoholic beverages are quite refreshing."
"Hmm, then we'll definitely have to try some of them together," Huffman returns with a smile.
The Deaconess smiles back and they exchange a few pleasantries before going their separate ways.
When Barbara returns to the church, Lisa had joined the other sisters by the altar and was inexplicably sipping a steaming cup of tea. Her green eyes twinkle as she spots Barbara approaching and she shifts to acknowledge her with a wry smile.
"H-here," Barbara says extending the book to the Librarian. "I used my hydro vision to divert the rain and kept it dry with Mr. Huffman's coat."
"Huffman huh," Lisa chuckles as she rises to accept the book. "The sisters told me that she practically showed up here with flowers."
"T-they were f-from Albert," Barbara protests earnestly.
"And geovishaps make adorable pets," the Librarian chortles. "Honestly, I hope he asks you out soon. You two make such a cute couple."
Before Barbara can respond, the cathedral doors are abruptly thrust open by a pair of hulking Fatui legionnaires. Although the Snezhnayan giants were clearly unarmed, their imposing forms easily filled the doorway preventing anything from entering or leaving the cathedral.
Viktor starts at the sight of his comrades as several of the nuns cry out in shock and indignation. Sister Victoria leads the procession of nuns as they march to confront the intruders. The diplomat's assistant steps between his comrades and the irate sisters, desperately calling for calm above the din of angry and confused voices.
"Oh my," Lisa sighs touching her cheek as she blinks at the unusual scene. "I wonder what those big boys are lugging in here."
The Deaconess's eyes widen as she notices the heavy sacks of coins slung over the legionnaires' shoulders. As the Librarian approaches the squabbling group, Barbara begins to follow her but stops when she notices the long procession of legionnaires waiting to enter the cathedral.
"Viktor, was it?" Lisa asks as she taps the flustered diplomat's shoulder. "What's all the commotion?"
"My comrades claim that a Harbinger sent them to deliver a gift to someone here," Viktor sighs pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers. "But I keep trying to tell them that they must be mistaken."
"But we're not, Viktor," one of the legionnaires booms indignantly, shifting slightly to adjust the weight of his load. "Like I said before Lord Tartaglia asked us to deliver his donation here."
"D0-donation?!" Lisa and Barbara repeat in unison.
"Gentlemen, I'm not sure who exactly this Tartaglia person is," Sister Victoria sniffs haughtily. "But I can assure you that the Church of Favonius has no need for his donations."
"Are you the Deaconess?" a second legionnaire asks.
"No, I'm Sister Victoria. The Confessor."
"Well, the donation's for the Deaconess. Sister Barbara," the first legionnaire informs them with a flippant shrug of his broad shoulders. "Lord Tartaglia specifically instructed us to deliver it personally to her."
The cathedral falls eerily silent as the sisters slowly turn to face the stunned Deaconess.
"Are they almost done?" The acting Grand Master asks without looking up from her stack of reconnaissance reports as the Librarian and Cavalry Captain stride into her office.
Barbara shifts slightly to greet them with an awkward smile which they both return kindly before turning to address Jean.
"I don't think they'll be done for another month," Captain Kaeya chuckles dryly as he settles down onto a nearby sofa.
When the Dandelion Knight sighs softly, the easy-going witch glides around her desk to gently rub her shoulders with a soothing hush.
"That's enough paper pushing for today," Lisa Minci informs the younger woman softly. "Come back to my place and I'll whip you up a nice, hot bath."
"Hmmm!" Jean sighs wistfully closing her eyes as she leans into her friend's touch. "That does sound nice."
"I-I could brew you some d-dandelion tea," Barbara offers uncertainly.
The sound of her voice snaps the Acting Grand Master forward, her blue eyes flying open as her long fingers reclaim the report she had been correcting.
"T-thanks B-Barbara—I mean D-deaconess but that won't be necessary," Jean Gunnhildr replies, flushing slightly as she meets her younger sister's gaze.
"Oh," Barbara notes, shrinking slightly in her seat.
The heat in her cheeks and ears had long since moved to her neck causing the room around her to spin as she silently studies the skin of her sweaty palms.
Although only four hours had passed since the debacle with the Fatui at the cathedral, word had already spread throughout Mondstadt of the rather odd affair. After first enduring a thorough grilling from Cardinal Calvin and the other sisters, she had been summoned to the Knights of Favonius' headquarters for further questioning.
While Captain Kaeya had made a point of sending Lisa to fetch her, the Librarian's presence at her side had been enough to set tongues wagging leaving a trail of curious stares as they slowly but surely made their way towards the acting Grand Master's office. As tiring as all this was, Barbara knew that she was in for an even longer day as she would likely have to visit the Gunnhildr manor to explain things yet again to her mother.
"I think it's high time we addressed the elephant in the room, don't you?" The Cavalry Captain suggests bluntly.
The Dandelion Knight sighs and rises from her as she turns to face her younger sister. Before she can open her mouth to speak, there is a sudden knock at the door. Lisa meets Kaeya's gaze pointedly before rolling her eyes and crossing to answer it.
"Pardon the interruption," the Chief Alchemist greets from the doorway. Barbara feels her pulse quicken at the sound of the Kreideprinz's voice. "But I believe I might be able to shed some light on the situation."
"Oh, well then come in gorgeous," the Librarian invites, her tone adopting an intensely flirty pitch as she steps aside to let the alchemist through. "Sit wherever you like just leave enough room for me, alright sweetie?"
If her request bothered Albedo, he betrays nothing in his countenance as he enters the room and pauses to greet each occupant in turn. His teal eyes settle immediately on Barbara and the Deaconess wonders if she had imagined the sympathetic sheen they seemed to adopt when they meet her gaze.
"Good Evening, Mr. Albedo," the Acting Grand Master greets as she watches him with a confused look. "Do you know something about the Eleventh Harbinger's donation?"
"I could be wrong," the Chief Alchemist prefaces. "But I suspect it might be the root of this entire affair."
"Oh," Lisa hums thoroughly impressed. "Barely on the case for five seconds and you've already figured out the solution?"
"W-well you see," Barbara begins prompting the others to turn and face her. "It's a-all my fault."
"I don't understand. What do you mean, sweetie?" Lisa asks kindly.
"About six days ago, Lumine and Paimon had fetched me from Dragonspine to help out a friend of theirs in Liyue Harbor that had been poisoned," Albedo explains. "When I got there, I quickly surmised that the situation was beyond my ability and helped bring him over to see the Deaconess."
"I see," the acting Grand Master notes, stroking her chin with a thoughtful frown. "Did you ever find out who tried to poison Tartaglia?"
"No," the Chief Alchemist replies. "However, given the lack of incision or needle marks and how quickly the poison spread, I would guess that he either ingested it or absorbed it which strongly suggests someone on his staff was responsible."
"Interesting," the Cavalry Captain notes with a bemused chuckle. "Given the Fatui's notoriety, any number of people could have developed a grudge strong enough to justify murder."
"So, the donation is in return for saving his life," the Dandelion Knight notes, her scowl deepening. "While somewhat understandable, I wouldn't trust any gift from the Fatui. Their generosity is rarely sincere and often comes with strings attached."
"Now, now," the Librarian sighs smiling slightly at her friend's studious expression. "Aren't we overthinking this a little? Say what you will about the Fatui, but they are human beings too, you know? Anyone would be grateful to survive a near-death experience."
"True," Captain Kaeya concedes. "However, given their propensity for subterfuge, a healthy amount of caution is necessary. After all, we still don't know their true goals."
"I agree," Albedo opines. "If I recall correctly, Lumine did mention stumbling upon the Harbinger Il Dottore's labs somewhere in Liyue. While it seems to have been abandoned, she stressed that the equipment appeared to be in perfect working condition."
"Meaning that anyone with knowledge and access to it can retool it for their own needs," Jean adds.
"Something on your mind, gorgeous?" Lisa asks curling her hair suggestively around her finger as she watches the younger man.
"The coins," the Chief Alchemist mumbles. "There are already several Fatui currently stationed in Mondstadt. If the Harbinger had intended to thank the Deaconess, he could have easily had them transfer the money directly into the church's treasury."
"I see, so do you think they made a spectacle of the donation to embarrass the church?" the acting Grand Master wonders.
"While I wouldn't put that past them," the Alchemist notes. "Something tells me some of those coins contain miniature spying seals. The entire situation reminds me of a scandal that rocked Sumeru many years back involving a diplomat the Fatui had bribed with jewels."
"Oh!" The Librarian exclaims genuinely impressed. "You wouldn't be referring to the Moussa scandal would you, gorgeous?"
"I believe that was what it was called."
"Care to fill the rest of us in?" the Cavalry Captain asks, crossing his arms with a mildly amused frown.
"A Fatui ambassador in Snezhnaya kept sending jewels to his family back in Sumeru," Lisa explains. "Apparently, they had been gifts from the Tsaritsa herself in supposed appreciation for his efforts to improve Sumerunian-Snezhnayan relations. When his family gifted and traded the gems away, a few astute jewelers noticed unusual markings carved into all the gems. When they figured out how to activate the seals, they quickly realized that the gems were designed to record and transmit clandestine conversations back to Snezhnaya."
"How awful!" The sisters note in unison.
"Yes," the Chief Alchemist nods. "If I remember correctly, they didn't discover this until around thirty years later, long after the ambassador had been reassigned."
"You suspect the coins at the cathedral might contain similar seals?" Barbara asks quietly as the Alchemist and Librarian fall silent.
"There is a chance," Albedo agrees. "Small, but not inconsequential."
"Either way," the acting Grand Master states her tone firm. "We have to find a way to politely decline the Harbinger's donation."
"Pl-please," Barbara says rising to her feet, a determined look creasing her forehead as she turns to address her older sister. "Let me do it. It's my fault we're in this mess."
"Barbara, this isn't your fault," Captain Kaeya assures her with a kind smile. "You did the right thing saving Tartaglia's life."
"Indeed," Jean chimes in resting a hand on her sister's shoulder as she gives her a warm smile. "The Fatui would have raised hell if one of their Harbingers had died at the church's doorstep."
"I suppose I am actually at fault for bringing him there," the Chief Alchemist states matter-of-factly.
"Nonsense, sweetie," the Librarian scoffs. "As the Tsaritsa's chosen envoys, any affront on a harbinger is an affront on the cryo Archon herself. Such matters rarely remain within borders. Had he died in Liyue Mondstadt would have suffered just as much as our southern neighbors."
"That's right," the Cavalry Captain opines. "The Fatui stationed here would have been understandably restless. Who knows what they would have done to protect their own lives?"
"S-still," Barbara stutters, pausing to dry the tears of appreciation from her eyes. "Mr. Tartaglia is easy to talk to. I'm sure if I explained things, I could get him to take the coins back."
"And what if he refuses?" Albedo asks turning to face her.
"I-I won't let him!"
"Very well then—"
"Jeanie, you can't be serious sending the angel of Mondstadt into the lion's den?!" The Librarian snaps crossing her arms indignantly.
It was the first time her expression and tone had hardened all night and while her concern deeply touched Barbara, the Deaconess couldn't help but also feel incredibly insulted by it.
"I trust Barbara," the Dandelion Knight replies her mind made up. Barbara feels a swell of pride forming in her chest at her sister's words and desperately tries to wipe her tears away. "Besides, Captain Kaeya will accompany her. If, he doesn't mind of course."
"I thought you'd never ask."
Author's Note: the Moussa scandal was directly inspired by a real-life story of a U.S. ambassador who received a gift that had a secret listening device hidden inside. I've included the link to the story below if anyone's interested.
articles/how-a-gift-from-schoolchildren-let-the-soviets-spy-on-the-us-for-7-years