"If we make room for someone new, doesn't mean that it's less for you; only means that our circle has grown,"
Klee realizes that she is not the only pyro vision her Master Jean has in her heart. The Knights' little fleeing sunlight learns a lesson she does not forget.
The first thing Klee does when the weird grown-up Master Diluc comes back is to kick him in the shins.
Klee is not a harmful child by nature, sure she misplaces bombs, sets the cathedral bushes on fire, ruins some merchants' carts, or causes an explosion in Big Sister Sucrose and Big Brother Albedo's laboratory, but she promises with her pinky that she will say sorry and ask Master Jean to help her prepare fishy toasts to give.
The red-haired man, if he ever felt the pain from her small feet, did not show any grimace of pain, but he instead, crouches down to her height. Just like Master Jean when Klee does something bad.
"Are you lost?" were the words that Klee heard. "Why is no one watching over you?" was the question Klee heard after.
Klee timidly loops her ring fingers, trying to come up with an excuse. The truth is she…bi…by-passed solitary confinement with the help of Kaeya's instructions and now she is roaming free. Klee really really needed to get her treasure before it hurts anyone…or any fish. Instead of a bomb, she saw a man with red hair. The same red-haired man that has made Master Jean and Big Brother Kaeya sad. Klee doesn't like them sad. So Klee did the next best thing that she could and kicked him.
Klee did not expect such gentleness and kindness, because in Big Brother Kaeya's drawing of him. He is a big strong eagle dropping prey from the sky. Or that he rides horses and does not get afraid. That he is scary and big and confusing. Her ears droop because it feels like she is being a bad child. Master Jean and Mommy wouldn't like a bad child.
Master Diluc offers a glove to her, giving her the agency to accept it if she wants to. Klee nods shyly and he lets the older man lead her way back home to Master Jean.
Klee notes that the material of their gloves is the same, and she can see the faint glimmer of a pyro vision.
When they are greeted with a worried Jean in front of the Knight's Headquarters, Klee does not miss the way Master Diluc's hand gently brushes the top Jean's head, as she is tucked in the older blonde's arms.
When it was time for her monthly visit to Lady Frederica's Mansion, the first thing Klee notices is that Lady Freddie is not the one baking the pastries for the teatime with her and Dodoco. Instead Jean is the one making the dough, brushing the pastry. Klee says she can help and stands on the mini platform installed for her small size. She notices that they are using more expensive ingredients this time. The basket labeled "From D.R." with a wax seal. Klee helps roll the dough but feels something bad in the pit of her stomach. She hums, and thinks that maybe it's because she is already craving the pies and could not wait to eat.
As Lady Frederica holds her hand to stroll in her so beautiful garden. Klee can't help but ask,
"Lady Freddie," as she was allowed to call the matriarch the affectionate nickname "Who is D.R?"
Lady Frederica answers curtly "That is Lord Diluc Ragnvindr's initials."
Oh. It's from the rich weird-grown-up again. Klee felt her ears drooping slightly.
He must have spent so so much on the ingredients. Once Big Brother Albedo told her the more p-premium or high-quality something is, the price goes higher. It unsettles her lightly that her pocket money can only give basic flour for Master Jean.
Maybe she can ask for more mora from Kaeya. He'll say yes if it means baking better treats with Master Jean.
Lady Freddie helps her up the chair and Klee smells the scent of cheesecake bites with a hint of lemon, and her mouth instantly waters. Klee thinks everything is still alright when Jean helps with getting her the cakes she loves to eat.
Klee notices that ever since Master Diluc has come back to Mondstadt. Everything changed a little. Just a little bit. Okay, she admits. A lot. Jean always has her door locked. There is now a partition curtain between their rooms and she cannot write good luck messages to Master Jean and put them on the ledge.
She knows that the Acting Grandmaster instilled in her the concept that change will always happen. But…Klee decides that today, she doesn't like change.
She doesn't like it that Master Jean does not have weekends for her anymore. She doesn't like it that all her attention is now focused on a big man who has left and made her cry for so long. She hates the fact that this big weird grown-up who doesn't smile is the one making Jean happy the most.
Klee grips the sketchpad gifted to her by the Seneschal and she sulks. It used to be her or Kaeya or Amber or Lisa.
In her frustration, Klee rips out the sketch she was scribbling of her and Jean. It was a drawing of them blowing dandelions in the big tree of Windrise. Her small hands had torn the paper in half right between their two figures. In the shock of processing her difficult emotions, Klee gets tape and tries to mend it back together but to no avail.
The feelings of being abandoned and waiting for Mommy to come home, the feeling of seeing every kid out in the streets both having parents to hold. Wishing on every star for her mommy to come home.
This all too familiar taking away from her really really hurts.
She looks down to see droplets of tears raining and soaking through the paper. Her nose was starting to get stuffy. Klee sniffles but the pain in her chest mumbles and she lets out a wail. A loud hiccuping one. Her hands try to wipe them but they are pouring down fast like heavy rain.
She doesn't like change, she doesn't like being abandoned and alone.
Her loud crying caught someone's attention and Klee all but sputters when Jean came into her room with such a worried expression.
Klee cries out her name, raising her arms towards the woman who knew her the best in all of Teyvat.
She feels herself, safe and protected once more in her arms. Jean rocks her sobbing little body until she calms down, some of her tears and snot smearing the blue cape.
"Little Clover," her soft voice sounds like home, like fishes and Dodoco's.
"J-jean," Klee continues struggling to say "Klee doesn't want you to leave."
She feels hands in gauntlets wiping her tears, "Klee, I'm not going anywhere." Jean tries to soothe her.
"You are. You are going to the weird grown-up's place and you're never gonna spend more time with me anymore as Mommy did." Klee reasons, quickly getting sadder and sadder with each word. Klee cannot bear a world without Master Jean, without her care, her security. So she pressed her little face into her shoulder when Jean said "I'm not."
"But, you love…love Master Diluc more than me…"
"Klee." Jean finally gets the reason for the once-in-a-blue-moon tantrum, "Please, believe me when I say that I love you, in a different way but just as much."
The little flaxen hair child blinked slowly. "What does Jean mean by different?"
"I love you as the child given to me by your mother," Klee finds herself being sat by the edge of her bed, being motioned by Jean to put her head on her lap. "I help guide you right from wrong, let you learn, and let you be the carefree child of the Anemo Archon."
"Klee thinks you would be an amazing mother," Klee exclaims. It would be nice to be a big sister too.
"I had good practice with you." Klee then laughs as Jean boops her nose.
She feels her little cap being placed away as Jean's fingers help untie her low pigtails and start combing through, "I care for Master Diluc, like how your mommy loves your daddy, in a more passionate way that is."
Jean tucks her hair in, a little shy. Rarely does she ever indulge anyone with her stories with the former Cavalry Captain, but for Klee to understand. It wouldn't hurt her to know a few things.
"You know, when we got together as teenagers, we were as old as Barbara is now. We would sometimes kiss."
"Like when Kaeya kisses Sister Rosaria goodbye but on the lips?"
"Yes, like that." Jean begins to smile at ease with how easy Klee is taking it in. "Before we do anything, from holding hands, to running away from the headquarters on horses."
"And kissing," Klee points out, ever so kindly.
"And yes, kissing. He would always ask for my consent first. To see if I was comfortable. We're trying to see if we can get back that relationship. He will always have this huge space in my heart. But that doesn't mean I will leave you for him."
"You won't?"
"I won't." Jean offers a pinky for Klee to link hers on and leans down to kiss her forehead. Klee scrambles to hug Jean. "You also have such a big place in my heart, Klee."
"Do you want to talk to Master Diluc about it?" Jean offers after a comfortable silence in their embrace.
"Only if he wants to." Master Jean's number one lesson for Klee is always to ask for consent first, and Klee now sees who she got it from. Jean helps tuck her in. Gently patting her side as she drifts to dream about Razor's new baby wolves, delicious fish, and new flowers to collect.
The next day Klee finds the torn sketch that she made fixed with clear tape. A small and improved charcoal one is under it. She is delighted when the sticky note says she can color it in.
She picks up a red crayon for her and a blue crayon for Jean.
Klee can do this. She practiced a lot and a lot of times with Big Brother Albedo that "Klee is sorry for kicking Master Diluc.". Barbara and Noelle helped her fill her backpack with grape juice and fishy toast. Kaeya gives Klee, a conch shell for good luck and a small kiss to her cheek.
Once she and Master Jean get off the carriage to greet the Dawn Winery, her hand is still nervous.
They meet Diluc inside his home.
"Master Diluc, Klee is sorry for kicking you." she starts bowing, then rummaging her backpack for the young man's food apology "I got you grape juice and fishy toast."
Diluc nods softly and his eyes, his pretty red eyes that looked like hers! Shined with mirth. He accepts her small gifts and puts them on his long table.
He crouches down again to her height.
"I understand that I am a big change in your life. So how about we make a deal?"
"I ask you first if you will consent to me going with Master Jean, alone for a while."
Klee waits for the rest of the deal.
"If Master Jean says yes." the little girl says trying to emulate the lady mentioned.
A small smile appears on Diluc's pale face "Of course if she also wants me." This earns a fond giggle from Jean.
"And in turn, you and whoever is your guardian for the day can pick her up when we finish."
Klee thinks about his terms for a while.
"Only if you promise to fish with Klee today."
"Deal."
Change is really scary sometimes but if everyone around her welcomes change, Klee then is going to try warming up to it too.