[Liu's POV]
Seeing as Signora is already up and about, I take it I overslept. It seems she's cooking something. Is she trying to pay me back?
"Good Morning..." I say as I slowly sit up.
"Morning, Leo." Signora replies, turning to look at me. "You must've been exhausted to sleep longer than me."
"I guess I was pretty tired." I look past her. "What are you making?"
"Just a little something as a thank you for what you've done in the earlier mornings." She says, turning back to the pot.
"I've rarely seen you cook at all." I slide out of the bed and approach Signora.
"I can only make one thing well." She uses a ladle to scoop some of the food into a bowl and hands it to me. "That's this stew."
I tentatively take the bowl from her. "Your own recipe?"
"Kind of." She pours her own portion. "It's based on a recipe I read a long time ago, but I accidentally made it better once, and I've been making it that way since."
I take a spoonful, cool it and have a taste.
"You're right. This is really good." I compliment.
"I know that it's an unusual meal to have at the start of a day." She laments. "But as long as you enjoy it, that's all that matters."
I nod gratefully and we both eat in comfortable silence for a little while.
Signora sets her bowl down.
"We are leaving Inazuma tonight." She announces. "You are coming with, I won't take no for an answer."
"I wasn't planning on refusing."
"Good." She turns back to her pot of stew. "Seconds?"
"Half a portion please." I reply. "It's really filling."
[Later...]
As I suspected the Fatui do have their own way off this island nation. The scale of this boat gives even the Alcor a run for it's money.
"Everyone's accounted for!" The captain says. "We're setting off imminently."
I turn and look back at Inazuma.
"What a tumultuous country..." I mutter.
"Appreciating the ocean air?" Signora's voice rings out from behind.
She briskly walks up and stands beside me.
"You really know how to find me, don't you?" I respond.
"What can I say?" She shrugs. "I'm just good at reading people. A skill learned as a diplomat."
"Is that a long list of skills?" I ask.
"Not really..." I look at Signora.
Her expression seems conflicted. It's like she wants to tell me something but doesn't know if she should or not. Similarly, I'm unsure as to whether I should press her for it or not.
I think it would be best to hold off. She'll tell me in her own time.
"Leo..." Signora's now looking at me. "...What do you plan to do once we get back to the mainland?"
"Same as here." I reply. "I'll stay with you, at least for a little while. There may be times I have to go off on my own, but I'll come back."
She turns back to the ever furthening Inazuma.
"You better." She says. "I'll find you and drag you back if you don't."
"Noted." I chuckle a bit. "Not like you need to worry anyway."
"I'm just making sure..." Signora displays a shallow smile.
Suddenly, a question comes to mind.
"Hey..." I check behind to make sure nobody's listening. "...Rosalyne, can I ask you something?"
She turns to me.
"Sure, go ahead."
I take a deep breath.
"Why are you so secretive?" I blurt out.
Signora hesitates, confused.
"..What do you mean?" She's completely focused on me.
"We've known each other for a while now, and I've told you a lot about myself. But I barely know anything about you on a personal level." I explain.
She smirks.
"Well, that's simple." She steps closer. "It's because you're a liar."
"What-"
"You're not from Snezhnaya, are you?" She's trying to glare at me, but I feel no intimidation from her gaze.
"Well...you got me." I concede.
"I knew it!" She smiles, proud of herself.
"How did you know?" I'm honestly a little worried about her reply.
"As I said earlier, I'm a skilled diplomat." She says. "You may be able to fool the rest of the Fatui and even the Tsaritsa. But you underestimated my people skills."
Damn, she is sharper than I give her credit for.
"Then..why did you keep quiet?" I ask the next question on my mind.
"I did not deem you a threat." Signora keeps her focus on me. "Your devotion to the orders of us Harbingers and her majesty is something that an opposing spy wouldn't display."
"I though I had lied pretty well..." I murmur.
"You did, but not well enough for me." She looks me in the eye. "For me to tell you about myself, you would need to do the same."
I sigh. "You need to promise that you won't throw me overboard when I tell you."
"Whoever you really are, I promise I will not." She smiles genuinely.
I briefly look down at the deck, before returning my gaze to Signora.
"There is no easy way of putting this..." Her focus increases. "So I'm just going to say it...my mother is the Tianquan of the Qixing of Liyue."
"Y-you mean...Ningguang?" Her eyes widen.
"Yes, I am Liyuen." I confess. "But, my father was Snezhnayan, according to my mother, though I never got to meet him."
"I take it your real name isn't Leo, then." Signora interjects.
"Correct, it is actually Liu. Not too different I suppose."
Signora remains silent, visibly thinking over the information I've divulged.
"The reason why I joined the Fatui in the first place was because of the way Snezhnaya treats outsiders." I turn back and watch the sea. "So I came up with a whole web of lies, which you saw through."
"I see..." Signora says. "Well, Liu, this does not change my opinion on you. You are an individual. Regardless of what your mother thinks about us, it does not reflect on you."
I sigh in relief. "I'm glad it was you who found out."
"You ought to be. If it were anyone else, you'd be imprisoned or executed, no questions asked." She also turns to the water. "Don't worry though, this stays between us. I'll continue to call you 'Leo' in official matters, as you do with 'Signora' but, in private we are Rosalyne and Liu."
"I appreciate it, Rosalyne." I look over to her. "Now, about you..."
"That will have to wait, Liu." Signora turns to look towards the front of the ship. "We're almost at our destination."
I follow her gaze, and sure enough, Yaoguang Shoal is close.
"Must've been talking longer than anticipated..."
I look back at Signora.
"I'm going to say hello to my mother since I haven't got the chance to in person for a while." I explain.
"Hmmm...very well." She sharpens her gaze. "But you better come back to us soon."
"I will, Rosalyne." I reply. "Where should we meet?"
"I'll be in the ruins of the Giuli Plain in 3 days time." She turns back to the mainland. "Come and see me then, and I will take you to our camp."
"Alright, understood."
"And if you don't, I will retrieve you myself." She exclaims.
I'm not going to question how she expects to accomplish that.
"Noted." I simply state.
[Later...]
Before entering the Jade Chamber itself, I take a moment to observe Liyue Harbor from the walkway leading to the door.
My home city, I'm back properly for the first time in just over a year and it doesn't seem to have changed much, even when I was walking through it.
"Heh, don't really know what I was expecting..."
I turn, walk up to and knock on the door. A short time later, it slightly opens and a voice sounds out.
"Who is it?"
"It's Liu, if you even remember me." I respond.
The door suddenly swings open to reveal one of my mother's secretaries.
"Master Liu?!" She looks me over. "You're back?!"
"In the flesh." I look past her to the familiar scenery of my home.
"Please do come in." She allows me to pass. "I'll notify Lady Ningguang of your rearrival."
"Thank you." I hang my coat up.
I'm a little worried about the inevitable barrage of questions that mother is going to send at me. I'll just have to make sure I don't say anything too compromising. I can only imagine the things she'll say if she learns I'm in close with the Fatui.