Jean lay still as can be in bed, unable to sleep yet unwilling to move. It was only the earliest hours of morning, the faint light at the horizon barely hinting at the coming sunrise. Having had a restless night, she felt no less exhausted than she had the night before.

Normally, this would have been her invitation to rouse for the day, starting her work as early as possible. But instead she stayed under her warm covers, unwilling to disturb the peaceful librarian sleeping soundly in bed next to her.

Jean envied Lisa in so many ways. The weight of her Knightly duties felt unbearable at times, her only relief coming from the few stolen moments Jean had alone with the purple clad librarian.

Lisa, of course, being ever so carefree, had no reservations whatsoever with being open about their relationship. Some part of Jean absolutely adored that about her, but the voice of her mother always overruled her judgement.

"A part of me will always love Seamus," Jean remembered her mother saying as she watched her father and Barbara walk away. "But my duty, first and foremost, must always belong to our clan and our service to Mondstadt."

Jean closed her eyes, taking these few precious, peaceful moments to dwell on her past.

As much as Jean was fully dedicated to serving Ordo Favonius, she couldn't help but reminisce about what her life could have been if she was not the heir to the illustrious Gunnhildr clan. After her parents split and Barbara went into their father's care, Jean's childhood was consumed by learning chivalry and duty, never having time to simply play and enjoy herself with the other children.

The worst part was, that as hard as Jean pushed herself, it never seemed to be enough. While Frederica would never try to belittle her, Jean always felt lesser in her mother's presence. The pressure of living up to her family name was enough to make Jean doubt even her greatest achievements.

The truth, as much as Jean would never admit it aloud, was that her qualities as a knight simply didn't come naturally to her. Unlike her former superior, Diluc Ragnvindr, she wasn't born with the talents and chivalry that was expected of her bloodline.

One might think that this would have led her to harbour resentment and jealousy towards her older counterpart, but quite the opposite was true. She almost idolized the flame-haired knight, as he was everything she aspired to be; the youngest and most decorated knight in Favonius history. As vain as it was, he even had the same hair as her hero, Vennessa.

Which was what made the unspoken truth hurt Jean so much more; All of her success came from Diluc's downfall.

Had Diluc not quit Ordo Favonius, Jean never would have led the investigation against the treacherous Inspector Eroch, at which point she received her Anemo Vision. To receive the blessing of her patron god, Barbatos, should have been the happiest moment of her life. And in some ways, it was, since it earned the highest praise from her mother. But Jean couldn't help but feel that she didn't deserve it.

Jean knew that had he not left the Knights, Diluc would have received the title of the Dandelion and Lionfang Knight. She knew that he would have been next in line to become Grand Master, rather than herself.

All these troubling thoughts were what pushed Jean to continues to work so hard. She often felt like an imposter, needing to prove to herself that she was worthy of all of her achievements by pushing herself beyond her limits.

Jean let out a gentle sigh, careful not to disturb the sound sleeper next to her. Opening her eyes, she couldn't help but smile as she gazed at her most trusted companion. Lisa looked beautiful, her honey-brown blonde hair framing her face and her lacy satin nightgown peeking out from underneath the warm duvet. She looked almost heavenly as the first hints of dawn peeked through the curtains.

It often frustrated Jean that Lisa always limited herself, but in a way, she understood. Lisa was the most gifted student and sorceress to have attended Sumeru Academia in hundreds of years. As much as Jean always felt she was on the verge of cracking under the pressure of her own expectations, she could tell that deep down, Lisa feared the truth of her powers and knowledge. Behind her flirtatious and seemingly lazy disposition, Jean understood that Lisa chose to deal with her pressures in her own way; by simply ignoring them.

Still, this never changed how much calmer and more peaceful Jean felt in the librarian's presence. On restless nights such as this one, Jean knew that she could always count on the companionship of her beloved Lisa.

Reaching up to move a stray strand of hair that had fallen across Lisa's face, Jean continued to admire her lover's delicate features. She led out a sudden gasp as an impish smile spread across Lisa's face.

"Mhm, are you enjoying the view?" Lisa asked in her typical flirtatious manner, her eyes still closed.

Jean could feel her face turning flush with embarrassment. Now matter how long they were together, Lisa always had a way of making the Acting Grandmaster's heart flutter with nerves.

"I- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," Jean whispered.

Lisa let out a light chuckle, half-opening her eyes. "Oh, not that I mind. What I would give to wake up next to you every morning…" she purred, reaching up to stroke Jean's cheek.

Jean sat up suddenly, the butterflies in her stomach almost overwhelming. "I should probably start getting ready for work…" she trailed off, fighting to get untangled from her bedsheets.

"Oh, don't be like that!" Lisa laughed, pulling a flustered Jean back into bed. "We have a couple more hours to kill…" she said with a playful glint in her green eyes.

"L-Lisa," Jean stuttered with feigned annoyance. "Its almost daybreak, the other Knights will start to wonder–"

"Hmph, please." Lisa gave her a mocking, pleading look, pulling Jean so close that they could feel each others warm breath. "You do realize that even the renowned Acting Grand Master is allowed to have a life outside her duties?"

Jean let out a gentle laugh. Only Lisa could have her wrapped around her finger like this.

"Fine, I'll stay in bed a little longer," Jean said with loving smile, rolling her eyes.

"After all these years, do I still make you that nervous?" Lisa asked flirtatiously, gently cupping one hand on the blonde's face.

Jean closed her eyes, reaching up to grab Lisa's hand in her own before giving the other woman a seductive look of her own.

"Only you, Lisa," Jean said with a laugh before locking her in a loving kiss.