Chapter 4: Diluc's Solutions
"Why were they in here, they hate going into Taverns" I mumbled to myself. We sat in silence for a while.
"Why do they hate going into Taverns?" Diluc asked, curious. I blinked up at him not expecting the question.
"Well, it goes back when they were younger, before Viox and I were born, my fathers best friend got really drunk one night and as they were walking home, they stumbled into a Hilichurl camp. He watched his friend getting brutally murder and he barely made it out there alive. He has a scar from his right collar bone all the way down to his left hip." I explained with a sigh. Diluc just nodded his head.
"So them coming in here is a surprise?" He stated more than asked. I nodded my head.
"Why did they come in here?" I asked genuinely curious.
"After the rant they had, they said they wanted to wash away the stress, but I believe they came in, to spy on your team" He said. I just sighed at that.
"Yeah that sounds like them, they never liked my team anyways" I sighed out.
"Why do they hate your team?" He asked
"Cause, according to them they took me away from my main duty" I said quietly
"Your main duty?" He questioned
"Yeah, protecting Viox, although she doesn't need protecting much anymore" I chuckled. Diluc chuckled as well and it was like music to my ears.
"I agree she doesn't need to be protective much anymore," He said, agreeing with me. After that conversation ended we sat in silence again, but it wasn't awkward, it was comfortable. I opened my mouth to say something when my parents walked in. I closed my mouth before blinking and slowly scouting down my chair a little to try and hide from them. Diluc just looked amused at my action. I just glared at him, he smiled at me seeing my glare and his smile was breathtaking. Sadly my sad attempt to hide didn't work.
"Hello Violet, we were looking all over for you, good thing Donna saw you come in here" Mother said with a sickly sweet tone.
"Yes why you would come into a tavern at all is beyond me," Father said. I blinked at him slowly till the words that mother said registered in my mind.
"You were looking for me, why?" I asked, confused. Mother and father looked at Diluc.
"Excuse me young man, can we talk to our daughter alone?" Father asked. Diluc got up from his seat and nodded. I looked at him with panic eyes knowing what's to come once we are alone. Once Diluc was behind the bar did my parents sit down. They stared at me for a while before finally speaking.
"This is where you decided to go instead of taking care of Viox" Mother said with disappointment in her voice.
"One Viox is resting, two Kaeya is there, and three she doesn't need to be watched 24/7, she can take care of herself" I said calmly. They frowned at me.
"Don't talk back to your mother, plus you know how much we hate taverns but here you are making us go in one to find you." Father said slightly angry.
"I didn't make you come in here and it's you guys that hate them I do not" I huffed out starting to get agitated by them. Father slammed his palm on the table making me flinch a little, he was definitely seething now. Some people looked our way before resuming what they were doing. I glanced at Diluc who looked our way, he had a frown on his face. I turned back to my parents.
"You're a knight, you shouldn't be in here anyways" He said in my face. I just rolled my eyes.
"I'm done with my patrols, they just needed extra knights on hand" I said leaning back in my seat taking a sip of my wine. We just stared at each other for a while.
"Why do you always have to talk back to us? You are such a disappointment we liked you better when you were docile with…" Mother stopped talking when she saw Diluc come up to our table.
"I don't appreciate you guys yelling at Violet like that, she has done nothing wrong, if you two don't stop trying to control her then you will lose a daughter" Diluc said crossing his arms. I blinked at him. This is the most words he has said yet. I was surprised that he even defended me when we barely even know each other. I looked back at my parents to see them taken aback by what he said.
"Young man this is a family matter, she will not think about cutting us off, we are the reason she has the life that she does, we are the reason she is a knight in the first place" Father said angrily at Diluc. I looked at him with a grateful look on my face for him standing up for me. Diluc just sighed while pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Did Violet even want to be a knight in the first place?" He asked them seriously
"Of course she did! Why wouldn't she want to be a knight when she has a vision" Father snapped. I just shrunk back in my chair hoping to disappear.
"Did you ask her if she wanted to be a knight?" Asked Diluc. Once that question left Diluc's mouth they stared at me.
"Did you want to become a knight?" They asked me at the same time. Crossing their arms and giving me a look that said you better answer this correctly.
"No." Is all I said causing them to glare at me, making me shrink back in my chair more finding more interests in my hands then looking at them.
"And why did you tell us this" Mother said placing her hands on her hips
"You didn't exactly give me a chance to say what I wanted," I explained as calmly as i can to not anger them any more that I already had.
"Oh so you don't care about your sisters well being" She said glaring at me
"That's not it at all! I couldn't have protected her without being a knight" I finally said standing up. "She's the only reason I haven't run away from home like I wanted to do so many time" I continue finally saying what's on my mind. Mother reached out and slapped me, stunning me. This is the first time she's ever done something like this. I felt tears gathering in my eyes but I blinked them away.
"How could you say something like that, we are your parents, we raised you better than this" she said huffing.
"No you raised Viox, you never wanted me in the first place" I yelled, wiping away a tear that escaped.
"What on Teyvat are you talking about?" She asked me, looking at me like I was crazy.
"I heard you guys talking one night, I came home late from a commission and I overheard you guys say that you wish I wasn't born at all, that I'm such a difficult child and that I wouldn't amount to anything…" I said calmly down a bit.
"You little brat, how dare you eavesdrop on our conversation" Father said.
"You're not even denying it" I said with hurt evident in my voice. I sat back down just staring at the floor. I shouldn't be hurt by this cause I knew it was true, but hearing them admit to it still hurts so much.
"You two need to leave, you've done enough damage here" Diluc said pointing towards the door, they obviously didn't have anything else to say since they walked away. I sniffed a little bit trying to hold back the tears. I didn't want to cry. I must have been in my own world because a handkerchief appeared in my face. I looked up at the person who offered it to me to see Diluc holding it out. I timidly grabbed it mumbling a thank you to him before whipping away my tears.
"I'm sorry you had to witness that, it never got that bad in public before" I said quietly. He looked at me before sighing softly. He placed a hand on my shoulder squeezing it a bit.
"You know, you really don't have to them be apart of your life anymore, you can cut them out" he said simply
"I know, but it's hard to do that when they will be in Viox's life and they still are my parents" I said feeling like I'm stuck
"True but you don't have to be around them and I'm sure Viox will understand" he said. Squeezing my shoulder again before dropping his hand and walking back towards the bar. After Diluc walked away I saw Viox and Kaeya walk in the Tavern. As soon as Viox saw me she rushed over to me with Kaeya on her heels. She sat down next to me grabbing my hand that wasn't holding the handkerchief.
"I'm sorry, they had no right doing or saying what they did" She said before pulling me into a hug. I hugged her back sighing
"It's not your fault Viox" I whispered in her ear, hugging her a little tighter.