His accommodations were spacious, to say the least. The first room to open up in front of Lumine was a combination of a parlor and a dining room, one end occupied with fine white sofas and a sideboard while the rest of the space was centered by a long, low table with accompanying sitting cushions. Only one end of the table looked to have seen any use, absolutely cluttered with papers, books, and an inkwell already in the process of drying right up.
The tones of the walls and woven flooring seemed to be neutral, but it was difficult to tell when everything was dimly washed out by moonlight. In fact, the outside world quite dominated the room with wide windows providing an ample view of the harbor in the distance. Here, the fresh ocean breeze could mix freely with the musk of fallen maple leaves, lending the room a warm sense of freedom.
It's so strange; being indoors here feels more open than walking the streets outside. Lumine took it all in with tired admiration. Now that the hair-raising sensation of danger tailing her was gone, her body could remember that her legs and feet had been far too overworked. She felt a bit stiff, all but melting at an invitation to join him on one of the sofas.
He surprised her further by offering tea as well, disappearing off to what she assumed was the ryokan's kitchen. It couldn't have been more than a few minutes that he was gone, leaving her to settle Paimon down on a cushion while she tried not to nod off herself. Sinking a couple inches into the plush cushion as she was, staying alert was no easy task.
"I hope my indulgence didn't keep you waiting overlong." The gentleman utterly startled her with his return, that smooth voice gentle as it was amused. "Or perhaps I should have taken more time? You seem moments away from pleasant dreams."
"Hah…" Lumine stifled a yawn, straightening her back against the temptation to sink back against the sofa. "You should be sleeping, too. Why aren't you?"
No, that was far too direct! Lumine blinked, urging her brain through its tired slog to remember how to be tactful. "I mean…"
Thankfully, the man chuckled with good humor. The flutter of his sleeve was distractingly graceful as he poured her a steaming cup and held it out for her to take. "I could ask you the same thing. In fact, I brought you here specifically for that answer, if you recall."
Was he chiding her? Lumine's cheeks felt warm as they puffed in a mild pout. None of that, however, stopped her from gratefully accepting the tea at hand. It had a wonderful peppermint aroma and clear, golden color that made her think of honey.
"It's really nothing you need to worry about, Mr. No-Name." Whatever plans Lumine had to prod him back were ruined by the suddenly sour taste of the tea on her tongue. Hidden beneath the evergreen aroma was no small punch of lemon, along with an almost-pleasant warming note of ginger. Altogether, it was somehow refreshing and revolting at the same time.
"Ack! Ah…" She reflexively pursed her lips, quickly swallowing the tea and regretting every moment it lingered on her tongue. At least she could say her head was several times clearer. "You, uhm, have a very particular taste in tea."
"Do I?" His smile was an absolute menace, polite and perfect in the face of her obvious discomfort. And then he poured a cup for himself, taking a pointedly long sip with an unflinchingly straight face.
Is he even human? Lumine could only stare. At length, she glanced back down to her own cup and decided she had to give it another try.
Yes, that turned out to be a terribly sour, sad idea.
"Mn, peppermint has a pleasant astringency to it, and the yuzu enhances that effect quite potently. A bit much, perhaps, but ideal for keeping a late-night conversation going, no?" The man took another sip of tea before his gaze settled expectantly on her.
Right, she was his guest. And she couldn't deny that the 'potent' flavor could keep anyone awake — long enough to give them nightmares. Her hands trembled as she brought the cup back up to her lips, but she was determined not to back down. If he could handle it, so could she.
"Ick… nngh… mn…" She swallowed again, eyes watering even as she forced a smile of her own. "It's definitely effective. As for the question… right. After I managed to fulfill the request I told you about, Paimon and I went looking for a place to stay. The rates for a room here in Ritou are basically robbery, but as we continued looking, I became aware of someone following us.
"I thought that if I went somewhere isolated, they might show themselves. Or at least I could confront them instead of waiting for something bad to happen. I'm not exactly on friendly terms with the ashigaru here, either, so when I saw a patrol headed toward me it seemed best to make myself scarce."
"I see — an unfortunate situation all around." As ever, his words exuded gentle understanding and frustrating vapidness in equal measure. If he felt any one way about her actions or situations, it didn't escape from behind his placid expression.
Meanwhile, she was shaky and vulnerable. When had her sword arm failed to be a comfort? Every moment she'd spent knowing an assassin might be on her tail hadn't made her feel nearly as uncertain as she did now, sharing tea with the stubbornly enigmatic man.
"Yes, well… I've found that Ritou is unfortunate all around, too." She left it at that, the words feeling almost as bitter as the tea's aftertaste left in her mouth. Thoma had sounded so certain that she was the catalyst of change Inazuma needed, but the very idea of it was far too grand. Being strong enough to help with a Fatui attack was one matter, and tackling a foreign government was entirely another.
"Our borders have certainly seen brighter days." A bitter smile started at the corner of his lips. "But merely begrudging the situation does little in the way of productivity. There's something you said when me met that intrigued me, and I would like to know more if you'd indulge me."
Lumine eyed him warily over the edge of her teacup. "Oh?"
His smile only brightened, though the warmth quickly faded into something thoughtful as much as piercing. "Beyond finding your brother, you mentioned something about 'truth' only our Shogun would know. What did you mean by that?"
"Uh…" The question well and truly took her off guard. 'The truth of this world' was a phrase her brother had used not so very long ago. Just thinking about it brought the memory of a gods-forsaken cave and the clinging chill that still lingered deep inside her. After months of searching, she'd finally found her brother, only to find he wasn't the person she remembered. With no interest of reuniting or even explaining himself, he'd abandoned her with nothing more than a murmured warning not to mingle with his enemies.
All of that was tied up in a mess of ancient puzzles. How did she explain to a mostly-stranger that she'd somehow ended up asleep for centuries, that she wasn't even from the same world he was? She didn't even have the memories of her own world to support the story, only flashes of familiarity concerning the loss of her brother.
And that was before the mess that was the forgotten circumstances regarding the end of an age, the fall of Khaenri'ah. She still knew so little of the event, its conflicts regarding the archons, and how her brother had ended up mixed into it. The better option was to always be vague or lie.
Lumine sighed, tiredly leaning her head against her hand. "Before he disappeared, my brother mentioned that there was something sinister hiding under the surface of Teyvat. I think that's a metaphor, but also… somehow… literal. All I can say is that there's a connection between the destruction of an ancient civilization, the Abyss, and the gods. My brother wanted me to understand for myself what history seems to have forgotten, and that's all I have to go on."
The man didn't immediately respond, allowing the strangeness of her words to sink in. Just as she thought he might suggest she go to sleep before losing her mind completely, however, his gentle smile returned. "That makes a surprising amount of sense. I can't say that I know much, if anything of significance when it comes to ancient histories — a matter not helped by the vagueness of what you have described – but Inazuma has legends, ruins, and godly intrigue enough to keep the most dedicated of scholars busy for a lifetime."
Lumine found herself mirroring his smile, an unexpected sense of relief settling in. She'd been so busy dealing with Fatui and archon-related intrigue that she'd never contextualized her journey through the lens of a scholar. If she took away the desperate need to find her brother, the simple truth was that she loved exploring old ruins and meeting the living legends who still lingered in the sprawling realm that was Teyvat. If Inazuma treated travelers like her a little better, she surely would had a wonderful time exploring the island's culture and cuisine, too.
Except for the gentleman's tea. That she could do without.
Her eyes wandered to his cup before narrowing. "You didn't do anything to my cup, did you? There's no way you could drink this so easily unless you weren't tasting what I'm tasting."
"You surprise me, Lumine." The innocent hurt in his eyes, however, didn't quite reach the mischievous curve of his lips. "I invite you to the safety of my quarters and you accuse me of liquid machinations because you don't like the taste?"
Lumine was having none of it, leaning forward and thrusting out her hand for his cup. "During a single day in Ritou, I've had an official try to scam me out of two million mora, dealt with a merchant forced to commit tax fraud for a paltry living, fought off an assassin, confronted corrupt ashigaru on the brink of turning their weapons on unarmed men, and that's before the stalking and ridiculous prices of the town's ryokans. No one here is above duping others when they have something to gain."
"Not even you?" The man lofted a pale brow, far more amused than offended for the sake of Ritou. He didn't even try to keep Lumine from his tea, though he did let it slip from his fingers with a condescending sigh. "Of course, I can't blame you for being cautious. As you mentioned, desperate people predictably go to desperate measures. I don't, however, count myself among them."
"Says the man who won't even tell me his name." Lumine gave him a sharp look of her own, though it was quickly ruined by the sip she stole from his cup. That same, minty-yet-overpoweringly-sour flavor assaulted her tongue and made her shudder.
The man brought the back of his hand to his mouth, covering what was almost certainly a smile at her expense. Even his shoulders shook with silent laughter before he reigned himself in to retain that infuriatingly, immaculately neutral tone. "The mystery isn't bound to last for long. My reasons for it will become plain enough in time, and even our newly disillusioned Traveler will surely find them innocuous. Quite prosaically so, in fact. Why not enjoy the enigma while it's yet to be unraveled?"
He even had the audacity to hold his hand out for his teacup.
She gave him hers instead, a childish pout firmly entrenched on her face. "There's nothing enjoyable about being strung along."
"Are we all not guilty of pleasant illusions?" The gentleman idly examined the cup in his hand, touching his thumb to the damp mark her mouth had left. He sipped from that very spot a moment later, the indirect kiss drawing Lumine's full attention to the thin, elegant line of his lips.
"We could debate the virtues of honesty in the hands of villains and heroes alike. And you could pout cutely until the sun rises, determined to make the game into an issue of morality. I can think of several ways to spend our time better, but I can't make you play."
The nerve! Lumine glared — anger was the only thing keeping the fluttering of her stomach in check. He was simply being coy, but there was no denying the growing intensity between them. It was there in his eyes, a smoldering magnetism that made all manner of forbidden promises. He didn't need to say a word, idly canting his head as he crossed one leg over the other.
She could leave. Lumine could simply scoop the slumbering Paimon in her arms and head back to the street. It was late, and gods only knew when that assassin would find her again, but it wasn't as though she hadn't roughed such things out before. Camping amid ancient ruins with Hilicurls chanting in the distance, taking shelter in a cave before a blustering storm passed — that was all part of the 'Traveler's' routine.
And she was so ready for that to change. For just one night, couldn't she enjoy a nice, warm bed where it was safe and cozy? No worrying about how much longer her mora would last, or how many months it would take to catch up to her brother, or what finding him would cost. Still fresh in her mind were the goosebumps she'd felt when the man had caught her earlier that evening, the weight of his arm cinched around her waist. How bad could it be, forgetting a couple names for just a little while?
"You must think real highly of yourself, twisting a situation so you don't have to reveal anything about who you are. But…" She swallowed the bitter taste of her own pride, the last of her belligerence melting into blushing vulnerability. "What exactly did you have in mind?"
"Come here." He didn't bother to explain, of course, index finger curling in a 'come hither' gesture.
Alright. This is just a game to him. No need to get worked up about it. Lumine did her best to ignore the tightness still creeping up from the pit of her stomach, along with the quickening of her pulse as she stood up to meet him at the opposite couch.
"No need to be nervous." The wry triumph that quirked up the corner of his mouth was entirely roguish, but his voice had softened into a satiny lilt. As she approached, he patted the cushion next to him, providing a comfortable enough space between him and the arm of the couch.
"I'm not nervous." Her throat was so dry it nearly cracked her voice.
His knowing smile was so patronizing she immediately regretted saying anything. He simply let her lie sit between them as she took her place beside him, spine so rigid it didn't touch the back of the sofa. She kept her eyes trained forward on the table, fingers clenching the loose fabric of her skirt.
She didn't need to see him to know he was amused in that superior way of his. The sofa creaked as he moved, one long arm stretching to rest along the edge of the sofa behind her. His face leaned so close she could feel his breath tickling her ear. "Lumine. It's not much of a game if you won't even look at me."
Heat rushed to her face, turning the whole of it red. It wasn't that she didn't want to look at him so much as she couldn't. Her whole body was tense with expectation she wasn't certain how to express. And fear, there was fear, too, that she was making a terrible mistake.
He breathed softly through his nose, a patient, gentle sound. A moment later, one of his gloved fingers ever-so-softly brushed over the edge of her exposed clavicle. The silken sensation was pleasant, but far more than that, so ticklish that she reflexively flinched and giggled.
"Hey! That—" She turned her head to look at him, only to be caught off guard by the tender expression on his face. That polite mask she was already so familiar with had cracked just enough to display genuine affection in the depths of his lavender-blue eyes. Her mouth forgot how to work, hanging open while he leaned even closer to place a soft kiss on her forehead.
"Where do you go, I wonder, when you're trying to escape?" Behind her, his fingers stroked down the length of her hair, idly plucking up a few strands before letting them fall to her shoulder.
Lumine trembled, a pleasurable buzz running down her neck as he toyed with her hair. "Nngh… I'm not sure I know what you mean."
He chuckled. "When you're sitting next to a man, trying your utmost not to let your guard down, where does your mind go to avoid him?"
"Pfft. It doesn't go anywhere." She smiled with a wry tiredness that reflected the trials of her day. "I wish I could do that, relax and imagine a nice beach or a walk along a lake. To be honest, when there's an uncomfortable situation, my mind just… freezes. I can't think of anything beyond how to get through the next moment."
"A very understandable response to stress." His gaze remained gentle as he leaned away, allowing her more space to settle herself. "How do you feel now?"
"Teased." Lumine found herself pouting again — already, she missed the pleasant stroke of his hand in her hair. He couldn't advance on her like that just to pull back again!
"Good. I tire of playing the villain's role." His head lolled back, eyes closing for a moment. "When every choice presented to you is a wrong one, a person's sense of rightness and goodness can start to erode. Then, out of nowhere, a smile so strikingly unabashed and alive may just tempt you into thinking you could know such joy, too."
Lumine couldn't bring herself to doubt the intention of his words – the weariness was plainly written on his face. She didn't know much, if anything about Inazuma's political landscape and his place in it, but her experience had certainly hinted that even the life of an Inazuman nobleman could be rife with danger and strife. She placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, even cracking an honest smile. "Well, you've got a whole night to try. And… who knows? Maybe more nights after that, too."
He cracked one of his eyes open, eyeing her almost warily before he mirrored her smile and straightened. This time, he patted his lap. "Very well, then. Legs up here, Lumine."
"My… Oh." Her bashfulness returned in force. While she'd walked off most of the sand and dirt from the shore off her boots, they were definitely not clean enough to put up on a couch, much less his immaculately white slacks.
He shot her his best condescending smile, eyes alight with a tease. "You do remember where your legs are, yes?"
Lumine huffed, promptly swinging one leg and then the other onto his lap. "I was just deciding whether I forgive you or not for serving me that awful tea."
The man chuckled as he comfortably settled her legs on his lap, leaving her heels to poke over the edge of his thigh. Except he didn't simply leave them. One hand wrapped around the back of her ankle, gently prying her boot from her foot until he could slide it wholly off her leg. "Awful is a strong word, particularly for someone who went out of his way to provide you with tea at this hour." His gentle reproach was accented by the thud of her boot hitting the floor.
"C-Come on, you purposefully added way too much lemon! Practically made my tongue start swelling." Lumine covered her mouth as she started to stutter, eyes fixated on his long fingers still cupped over her ankle.
He pointedly pinched the tendon at the back of her heel — but rather than hurting, she was surprised by just how good it felt. Her toes curled as she shuddered, accidentally letting out a tiny moan. His smile widened, but he made no comment as he cupped her other foot, stripping her of her boot with the same fluid ease. That left a pair of white, thigh-high stockings for him to admire, much to her chagrin.
"As it happens, the intent wasn't to offend. I rarely have the chance to savor what I eat, and when I do I prefer the enjoyment of a new experience. A little extra citrus certainly didn't kill you." His tone turned playfully sharp as his hand kneaded its way up her calf. Every firm squeeze softened her hard and exhausted muscle, making it increasingly difficult to keep a straight face.
"Ahh… hah… I'm sorry, then. I think." Lumine found herself sinking against the cushioned armrest of the sofa, amazed by how wonderful the simplest massage could feel.
"Mn." He accepted the apology with little more than a murmur, his long fingers starting to knead into the plush of her thigh. His hand wandered beyond the band marking the top of her stocking, then paused at the inside of her thigh, a mere inch from the tip of her pantalettes. "Is your mind still on the tea?"
Lumine broke into nervous laughter, sweat already starting to form at the base of her neck. "No. I think you fixed that."
His eyes met hers, drawing her fully into the depths of their calm warmth. Shamelessly, he wriggled his fingers just barely under the seam of her frilly pantalettes. It sent her straight into a fit of ticklish giggles. Her thigh jerked upward of its own volition, quickly brought back into line by the squeeze of his hand. That sent an entirely different sensation straight through her.
She could hide nothing from him, not her gasp or the wide-eyed wanting plain on her face. His gaze held so many sultry promises in return, his smile a hint of all the pleasure he was eager to share.
"Now there's an irresistible face." The gentleman reached down for her, cinching an arm around her waist. This time, there was no hesitation in Lumine, who eagerly followed his lead. As she was lifted up and toward him, she found a cozy new perch by straddling his lap. While her hands steadied themselves on his shoulders, his arms curled comfortably around her waist, tugging her close.
Ah, if only she had something witty to tease him back with. But being so close to him, his head tilted up toward the moonlight, she found her thoughts drifting away from flirtatious repartee. Her eyes traced over the sculpted line of his cheekbones, down toward his jaw, soon fixing themselves on his lips. He had a beauty mark just below one corner of his lip, the dark spot accenting the soft promise of his mouth. After the sour punch of his tea, she could only imagine him tasting like sugar.
Lumine leaned forward for the inevitable kiss. Their lips must have been an inch apart before she felt a tug at the back of her dress. She paused, surprised by just how quickly the lacing of her dress came undone. The mischievous glint in his eyes was the only warning before he made a move of his own, the damp warmth of his lips claiming the tender spot just below the corner of her jaw.
She gasped with a tight shudder, all her strength sapped by the satiny trail of kisses he made down her neck. While his lips explored downward, one of his hands spidered upward along her spine. It didn't take long for him to find the final clasp keeping her haltered dress in place. The tiny clink of It coming undone had never been so loud.
"There you are." He crooned at the base of her neck, leaving her no room to react before he gathered up her skirts and peeled her dress off from the bottom up. Her skin felt hot and cold at the same time, the whole of it on display except where her underthings remained — those delicately white pantalettes and a matching strapless bra.
It was only natural to accommodate him by lifting her arms up and out of the way. She watched her dress flutter off to the side, suddenly not quite able to look at him.
He fixed that promptly, gently nudging her chin toward him with the curve of his index finger. "I wonder how much further I can spread your lovely blush. Are those troublesome thoughts of yours freezing up again?"
She laughed, breathless and all but glowing from the warmth in her cheeks. "Oh no, they're gone. Every last one of them. There's just you."
"As it should be." The tenderness of his smile melted any and all resistance she might have left. His arms shifted, one of them curving underneath her to brace her firmly against him as he stood up from the sofa. "I think it's time we headed to bed."