"If there are no further questions, then this concludes our business. Thank you for your continued patronage with the Liyue Qixing. We eagerly await the results."

Keqing nodded at the men and women gathered around the table with an elegant smile. The meeting had been a fruitful one. She had ensured that Liyue would be well-stocked in terms of stone and wood they would need to last them through the coming years. Not only that, but she had also struck up a trading deal with the merchants of Mondstadt now that a dragon wasn't terrorizing the city.

Some details still required some hashing out, but that can be postponed for a later date. She needed to see the results first and judge whether or not they were up to her standards.

"Good work," Aether said, placing a cup of tea on her desk. Keqing idly took a sip as she watched the merchants leave the room one by one.

Now alone, Keqing slumped on her chair with an exhausted sigh. She draped an arm over her eyes, feeling her forehead heat up from the contact. She thought she managed to get through that okay… but had she really? It was one thing to hide her illness from her subordinates, but it was another one entirely to hide it from opportunistic businessmen. They would have gone for her throat had she shown any signs of weakness. It was lucky that none of the ones she invited had any suspicious background or character, though she may never know until it was too late.

"How did I do?" she asked. It wasn't worth mulling it over by herself. At least she could trust Aether to tell her the truth.

He shook his head.

Wonderful.

Perhaps her tongue had slipped somewhere without her knowing, or perhaps one of the deals sounded less appealing with a clearer mind. She would need to review her notes to find out. Meetings like this were a battlefield; sometimes one's focus is on the moment and decisions are made without the proper foresight. It certainly felt that way to her.

Sloppy. It was simply far too sloppy and inefficient of her.

"This sucks," she said, not caring at all about her coarse language. Getting sick, indeed, sucked ass.

Aether shrugged. He wasn't one for a lot of words, but somehow, Keqing preferred it that way. Every day, she had to converse with rude and arrogant men that loved nothing more than to talk her ear off about themselves and their various successes, as if they owned the place. The Traveler spoke little, but when he did, Keqing would always find herself smiling. He was a man that showed results with his actions instead of brag, and she admired that.

That was part of the reason she wanted him to be her assistant— a little reassuring presence to push her along. She was starting to regret letting him do almost nothing earlier. He was getting paid, after all.

Perhaps filing in ten books worth of tax forms in under an hour was too trivial for him? He could take a more active role next time… if there ever was a next time.

"Say, how about becoming my assistant for real?" she asked. "I'll see to it you're paid more than what you're earning as an adventurer."

Aether shook his head frantically,

"No strange response, eh?" Keqing noticed the telltale glimmer in his eye and laughed. Was he crying tears of joy at her offer? "Very well, I'll take your silence as meaning it's still on the table for discussion. I'll snag you for myself one day."

Oh well, it was worth the shot.

"Now then…" she said, getting up from her seat. Drinking the rest of her tea in one gulp, she gathered her things and made for the door. "There's someplace I have to go to next. Will you come with me?" She might as well ask, even though she knew he would come anyway.

Aether hesitated for a moment before nodding.

Keqing flashed him a cheeky grin. "So you've chosen death, huh, my little pack mule?"

With those ominous words, she sauntered out of the room, leaving a stunned Aether alone with a pot of bubbling hot tea in his hands.

"Wait, what?"

Keqing wasn't exaggerating when one considered how high the pile of groceries they bought had gotten. Dried fruits, books, clothes, hairpins, textiles, and even random bric-a-brac a tourist would more likely buy as a souvenir filled the paper bags.

Aether, having become a human-sized shopping basket, dragged his heel along as a box of sweets was added to his pile.

"One more stop, I promise," Keqing said, slinging a (smaller) bag of groceries over her shoulder as her face lit up like a lantern. A stall selling jade sculptures had caught her eye. The clerk, recognizing who she was, offered her a discount, but Keqing politely refused. She argued that business is business; she will buy at market price and demanded nothing less.

Not one to pass on a good bargain, the clerk showed her his best merchandise, one of which Keqing immediately latched on to.

"How cute!" she exclaimed, adoring the small, intricately detailed sculpture of a hilichurl in her hand.

'THAT'S cute?!' Aether wanted to shout— but didn't. He was afraid that an outburst like that would incur the wrath of the grocery god, smiting him with swift comeuppance as the bags he was carrying crushed him to kingdom come.

Keqing seemed to be enjoying herself, though; he didn't find it in his heart to complain. She was in her natural element and seemed to be having fun chatting with everyone they came across. Born and raised to be a business tycoon, haggling with little stakes like this probably felt refreshing for her.

There was one problem though, nagging him at the back of his head.

"Weren't you sick just a second ago?" he asked as Keqing sidled up next to him, dumping her new loot onto the pile.

As if on cue, Keqing coughed into her fist, blushing while averting her eyes. "Of course I still am. I have no idea as to what you may be implying."

'Give back all my worry for you, dammit.' Aether didn't say.

"Anyway," Keqing said, clapping her hands. "NOW we have one more stop left, for real this time. It won't be too far, I think."

"Hey— "

"You aren't going to let a frail little girl like me carry all those bags now, are you?" Keqing darted ahead, pointedly trying not to look in Aether's direction. "Now onwards. We're wasting precious sunlight."

Not a ray of sunlight was wasted. By the time they reached their destination on the outskirts of the city, the sky had started to turn orange. It was a hamlet of sorts, surrounded by wooden fences to stave off wild beasts. A river passed through the center of the hamlet, flowing into the nearby lake.

There were only a few houses dotted around, encircling a large chapel, not unlike those in Mondstadt. Behind were rice fields and a garden growing colorful herbs and spices. In the pens, chickens garbled- lulled into an early slumber.

Keqing knocked on the chapel door. A small girl, not even in her teens, answered them, running further inside to presumably call the owner.

"This place is…?" Aether asked.

Keqing flinched slightly as if remembering his presence.

"..."

She didn't answer his question, though.

"Ah, Lady Keqing!" A middle-aged woman greeted them from the door. She had graying hair tied neatly into a bun behind her. An apron stained from daily use was draped over her Tangzhuang. It appears the woman was busy cooking, the smell of soy sauce, and braised beef permeating the air. "Please, come in and make yourself at home. Your friend is welcome as well."

Keqing glanced at Aether and mumbled something under her breath. She gave him a small nod as she entered the house.

What was she trying to say?

Aether followed inside. He placed the bags of groceries in an area beside the kitchen. Although the house looked like a chapel on the outside, the interior was just like any other. Modest, if he were to describe it. There was a living room, a kitchen, a dining area, a bathing room, and some stairs leading up to the beds. The girl from before peeked from behind the railing, too shy of the outsiders entering her home.

Keqing sat on the cushions prepared for them and motioned for Aether to do the same. She still wouldn't look at him, her eyes glued to the beige floor.

Should he say something to break the ice? Aether opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a childish voice shouting from outside the window.

"Ah, it's Miss Keqing!"

With the clamor of about a dozen stomping feet, the door to the house burst open. The happy faces of several children all greeted Keqing in unison. "Ms. Keqing!"

The children charged at her, smothering her to the floor with hugs and cuddles. Some dove straight into the pile of groceries they had brought along. Keqing patted each one of them on the head and smiled fondly. She seemed used to the action, playfully flicking their foreheads— never breaking character as an elegant and nice elderly sister figure.

"Ignorance is bliss," Aether said to no one in particular, rubbing his arms and hands where the shopping bags had dug into his skin.

"Hmmm~?" Keqing hummed. Her smile did not quite reach her eyes.

'I will kill you and everyone you love if you ruin this for me now,' her rapid blinking seemed to imply.

Aether nodded. "Shutting up."

"Oh!" the older woman exclaimed, rushing in to quell the chaos. "My apologies! Children, please don't bother Lady Keqing so much!"

"It's fine; they aren't bothering me." Keqing scolded the children in a stern, yet teasing tone. "Now, now, listen to the matron, or else I'm not gonna give you your gifts!"

"Gifts!" the children shouted, their faces filled with delight. They all obeyed and got off Keqing in an orderly manner. The matron sighed.

Keqing winked and held up her index finger. "Remember: I only give gifts to good and hard-working little children that did all their chores for the day!"

Some of the kids groaned while others jumped in excitement. Those that still had chores to do shot up to their feet and ran outside to get on them right away.

Keqing chuckled at the children's enthusiasm, handpicking a gift for each of them from the bags. The hairpins and clothes went to the girls, while the books and toys went to the boys. She even handed the jade sculpture of a hilichurl to the matron, along with the rest of the groceries. For the naughty ones, however, she stashed their share of gifts around the house, asking the children where the best places to hide them were.

After the kids had calmed down, the matron bowed her head at her two guests. "Lady Keqing, you are always too kind... How can we ever repay you?"

Aether scoffed. An elbow bludgeoned him in the ribs and knocked the air right out of his lungs. Keqing glared at him, an innocent smile plastered on her face. Where did all that strength come from?!

"I desire no compensation," Keqing said, beaming at the polite woman. "These are gifts. Your gratitude is more than enough for me."

"Thank you so much," the matron said. "Please, stay for dinner. The children would love to have you, I insist!"

Keqing's smile dropped. Her hesitation grew as she refused the invitation. "I'm sorry. There are still some things I need to do for the day. Perhaps next week I can find the time…"

"I see…" The matron smiled back, understanding the situation. Her voice sounded melancholic as she took Aether aside and whispered in his ear. "Young man, make sure to escort Lady Keqing home, alright?"

...Just what kind of relationship did the woman think they were in, anyway?

"Phew, that certainly was lively."

Keqing leaned on the cherry tree beside her, massaging the tiredness away from her legs. Even though she told the matron she was busy, she was in no particular rush to do her next task. She finished this one early, after all— thanks to her lovely pack mule-slash-assistant for the day.

The two of them sat on a grassy hill outside of the hamlet. This was Tian Jing VIllage, a settlement of around forty-three, most of whom were families that wanted to escape the hectic hubbub of the harbor. She thought the name suited living just fine. The river nearby offered plenty of water for their day-to-day needs while the surrounding forest and fields provided them with food for the table. Security was also a non-issue as the proximity to the city itself meant she could dispatch Millelith here no problem.

Merchants could also peddle their wares here using their boats, trading luxury goods in exchange for produce and lumber.

Life continued to prosper, even outside the city walls.

"If only more people could understand the simplicity of life like this…"

Aether gave her a questioning look.

Did she say that out loud?. "It's nothing— merely idle ramblings. Don't mind me."

Maybe she was overthinking things. She wasn't here to rant or stress herself out. She wanted to relax.

A light cough broke their silence.

"Yes, I am fine," she answered before her companion could ask. "I feel much better, actually— though that wasn't the reason I brought you here."

Hugging her knees, Keqing stared into the distance with a vacant expression. Aether followed her gaze to the chapel in the middle of the hamlet.

"You wanted to ask what that place was," Keqing said. "I'm sure you've figured it by now, but that's Sun Wen Orphanage— one of the only few left in Liyue where the abandoned, unwanted children ended up."

The door to the orphanage opened again. One of the children wanted to play with their new toy outside, despite it being time for dinner. Keqing laughed as the matron dragged the child back inside. Honestly, she would have done the same thing as what the matron did. If it was too late to play outside, then sleeping early meant you could wake up as soon as the sun rises. It was something she wished the kids would learn someday.

"Years ago, back when I was still trying to get used to my job as Yuheng, there was a massive land reform happening. Foreign trade was booming, and dignitaries from all around Teyvat came to the city. They proposed that: in exchange for their merchants selling their goods in Liyue, we pay them back with the land they could use to set up their shops."

Keqing patted the ground, beckoning Aether to sit next to her— for no reason whatsoever. She let a minute pass before continuing on with her story.

"Land, as you may know, isn't a luxury the higher-ups of Qixing could willingly give away. There were talks of expanding the city to meet the demands, but the decision was that it would take far too much time. The Rite of Descension was coming in a few months, and every merchant in the city was bracing themselves for their fortune to be cast. The famed commerce in Liyue had ground to a halt.."

Not particularly versed in economics, Aether cocked his head in confusion. "I thought the Rite helped Liyue?"

Keqing smiled at him, as an instructor would to a student. She liked it when people asked questions. "Looking at it from an outside perspective, yes, I admit the Rite plays a major part in helping the economy prosper… but think about it."

She flipped a coin from her pouch and caught it in her other hand with ease. "When you are betting your entire life on a single coin toss, would you rather throw in everything you have to win big, or play it safe and bet nothing, not taking the chance at all?"

She gestured to her hand holding the coin.

"Heads," Aether guessed.

It was tails.

"You lose," Keqing said. "A shame."

"Would I have won anything if I guessed right?" Aether asked, his brow furrowing sourly.

"You would've earned an extra hour off your week if you come work for me."

"Pass."

She giggled. She wasn't going to give up on him that easily. "Sorry, I was joking."

"Anyway," Keqing continued. "There is exactly a fifty-fifty chance for you to roll either a fortune or misfortune. You can ride your successes as much as you want, but it only takes a single failure for it all to come crashing down. How do you think the giants in the business had survived for this long?"

Aether turned the question over in his head before answering. "Don't flip the coin."

"Correct. With such a risk, the bigger enterprises would rather sit in their boats and weather the storm, only casting out their nets when the tides turn favorable. Those that conduct riskier investments have the mora to spare, whereas the foolhardy ones, like you, gamble everything they have, netting in as much profit as they can until the tide changes next year."

Such foolhardiness was vital for the economy. If nobody wanted to invest, then the money would stop flowing. Less and less mora would trickle into the pockets of the everyman, discouraging them from expanding their businesses.

There was a caveat. If the gamble didn't pay off and business owners weren't able to gather enough revenue to play safe like the large conglomerates, then they'll be forced to bet on the fifty percent odds again. The business they poured their entire coffers into could disappear in the blink of an eye, discarded for whatever shiny new thing the gods fancied for that year.

Aether nodded. "Every man for themself. The ones who invest have already lost before they can roll another dice."

"Exactly!" Keqing shook her head, annoyance pouting her lips. "The Rite is a bandaid. There's absolutely NO reason it should exist. At all. Yet once every year, Morax decides to poke his nose in on stuff he shouldn't be meddling with, and then all hell breaks loose."

Keqing sighed for the hundredth time today. She didn't really want to go on a tangent about economics right now, but she did so anyway. And besides, should she really be talking shit in public like this? She owned one of the biggest enterprises in Liyue. Practically all her family's wealth came from the Rite, the very thing corrupting her ideals for a free economy. If anyone heard her, she would have been held up by the lapels.

Where was she going with this, again? Right.

"My point being… with the Rite of Descension looming above the city, everyone was keeping to themselves. Liyue needed something to jumpstart its economy. Dipping into foreign trade markets sounded like a lucrative offer— and all it would require was a tiny bit of land."

Her voice weakened. muffled by her knees as she hugged them tighter.

"I… was the deciding vote."

She distinctly remembered being in that council room, surrounded on both sides by men and women with years of experience above her. The orange glow of the brazier above shadowed their faces. They moved like berserk hilichurls, slinking in and out of her view with their erratic noises. She could not tell their intentions from their eyes, hollow as they were.

A sheet of paper was pushed in front of her, covered from top to bottom in fine calligraphy she had trouble reading. She tried to lift her brush, but the heavy stares of the people around her pressed it down. She couldn't read the entire document, some of the phrases had been deliberately shrunken down to hide the details.

Read the fine print, her father always said.

Her hand felt clammy. She had hoped she wouldn't have to sign anything, and really, she wanted to be anywhere other than there.

Sign it! Don't sign it!

What would have happened if she did? This was her first year as Yuheng, she herself believed that she lacked the experience to draw from for huge political decisions like this. Too young and naive.

What would have happened if she didn't? It was unfair.

"Did you?" Aether asked.

Keqing nodded.

"I see…" As expected of him, Aether seemed to have gotten an inkling of what had happened next.

"I thought… it was going to be a simple affair." A little bit of land wouldn't hurt anyone, and if it did, it was easy to convince them if it was for the greater good of Liyue. That was what she told herself.

She hadn't taken into account just to what extent this 'little bit' of land meant.

Biting her lip, she pressed on. Might as well see the tale to its conclusion. "It was two weeks after, did I find out just what I had done. The construction of the foreign trade centers was well underway. I felt proud of myself; I did something good for the people of Liyue. That was when I took another look at the documents."

Keqing buried her face in her legs. The memory stabbed deep into her heart, too painful for her to endure. Aether patted her shoulder reassuringly, telling her she didn't need to go on.

She let out a sharp breath.

"...To accommodate the growing number of foreign merchants coming in and out of the city, we had to give up more than just 'a little bit' of land. Some of these lands housed facilities meant for the public— schools, clinics, apartments..."

Orphanages.

"Those children… all those people left without jobs or homes because of my decision… I— "

The tears burned as they cascaded down her cheeks. The graceful mask she wore all her life was gone. What was left in its wake was a crying little girl, given a burden too heavy for her to bear.

But... it gets worse.

Displaced from their peaceful homes, the orphans had nowhere to go. Nobody pitied them— nobody had the money to care for them. They were left to fend for themselves, barely living a life they never asked for. Some left the city, while others turned to banditry. Those were the lucky ones.

Aether couldn't find the words to respond.

Keqing sobbed louder, her hands balling into fists as she pounded the grass. "The unlucky ones were… Those children… they were…"

She didn't want to say it. Could not say it— as if the notion of it violated her entire being.

"It's all my fault… Mine…"

The pitch-black underbelly of a major capitalistic nation like Liyue had swallowed her whole... and it terrified her.

Aether wrapped his arms around Keqing tightly, embracing her and never letting go even as she mourned louder in his ears. Her tears spilled to his chest, remorseful and unabated. He stroked her head gently to calm her down.

She lost track of how much time they spent like that, just listening to each other's heartbeats. Didn't care.

"After I found out, I tried everything I could to reverse my decision… but by then, it was already too late."

The lives she tore to shreds with her own hands. Nothing could ever bring them back. So, she built her own orphanage, out of her own pocket— using private land she bought herself.

Keqing sniffed and rubbed the dried tears from her eyes. "I couldn't find all of the orphans. Those I did, I brought them here."

Here was safe. No one should have experienced what they had gone through. What she made them go through.

It was a long road away from repenting for what she had done to those children and all those people whose lives she took, but she had no intention of stopping. Ever since then, Keqing made sure to read through every contract, every bullet point of fine print at least ten times over. She worked harder than anyone else, creating specific milestones for her present and future business dealings down to the letter so that nothing would blindside her again. She designed efficient pipelines and plotted out timetables for all her subordinates five years in advance so she could monitor every aspect of her business and how.

And she always, always asked all the people involved for their opinions, whether they be private landowners or the families living in them. All decisions have to go through her, big or small. No exceptions. She could do that; that was all within her capabilities.

She was Keqing, Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing. She never wanted to feel so helpless ever again.

"These children… they're the future of Liyue. I wish for them to grow in an environment free from the harshness of reality, at least until they are ready. Pay kindness unto kindness. Is that so wrong?"

Aether shrugged, still hugging her and idly petting her head.

Keqing purred. Honestly, if it were anyone else, she would have bitten their hand off. There was something oddly relaxing about his touch. Like she could let her guard down around him.

She could allow herself to be spoiled by him, just this once. Maybe forever.

"Actually..." Keqing said, remembering something else now. This one sparked a giddy in her stomach. She pulled out a tiny box from her pocket and shoved it to Aether's chest. "I also bought a little something for you earlier— as thanks for being my assistant for the day."

She blushed as the box opened, revealing an exotic gold hair clip decorated with finely-cut emeralds. "I hope you like it…"

Wordlessly, Aether stared at the ornament, unsure of where exactly it should go. He held it over one side of his bangs, then over to the other. Keqing shook her head.

"Hmm…" Keqing pinned the hair clip for him, adjusting it carefully on his golden lock. When she was satisfied with the results, she nodded happily. "There. Perfect."

She wished she had a mirror on her. The Traveler looked way too cute with that hair clip. Having that girlish of a face was criminal, in her opinion.

Ah well. Minor inconveniences. She could show him some other time.

"I've had enough spoiling for today." Keqing stood up, the evening breeze caressing her hair. The night sky shone brightly behind her, illuminated by the glimmering stars. She wanted nothing more than to stay and cuddle, but they had stuff to do.

She addressed the Traveler again, chuckling as his hair swayed with the hair clip gorgeously. "I still have one more place I need to go. You don't have to come with me; I think you've done enough, but…"

But what? Aether mouthed. Getting up to his feet, he stretched his arms wide, ready for whatever else she might throw his way.

Keqing's smile grew more radiant. "Thank you."

"Ah."

"What's wrong?"

Aether turned around, his eyes focusing on something in the direction of Liyue Harbor. He rubbed his chin and spoke slowly, unsure of what to say. "I still feel like I'm forgetting about something. I don't know what it is."

"If you forgot about it, then it's probably nothing important," Keqing said. If it was, then she would have written it down somewhere, or have done it already.

Aether nodded. "You're right."

"You'll remember it soon enough. Come on. Let's go."

"Hey, fairy! Pick up the pace or I'm chopping your hands off and throwing it in the pot!"

He wouldn't really, but the gruesome imagery was enough to bring Paimon to tears. "WAAHHHHH!"

It was the dinner rush. Since the restaurant didn't have any waitresses, it was up to Paimon to seat, serve, and clean up after the customers. All of them.

Lots and lots of plates were broken that day.

"FAIRY!"

"YES, BOSS!" With debts the size of her stomach piling on high, Paimon scrubbed the floor and washed the dishes as if her life (and limbs) depended on it.

"Why is fate so cruel to Paimon? Paimon only wanted her stomach to be full, so why has her life come down to this? Will Paimon have to spend the rest of her life waiting tables before getting fired and then chopped up and used as flavor for stew?!"

Snot tickled down her nose, some getting on the plate. Paimon sniffed louder, wiping it clean with her sleeve. The face of her long-time companion appeared in the reflection, mocking her with a smug grin on his face.

"Sniff. That's right. Paimon is not guilty at all! This wasn't her fault, it was yours! You did this to Paimon, and Paimon will never forgive you no matter how many Sticky Honey Roasts you bribe her with! Paimon will never forget how you abandoned her in this place and replaced her with Bossy Thunder-Lady!"

"Fairy! Serve to table one, now!" A plume of smoke billowed out from the kitchen as the dishes seemed to fly from the counter and into her hands, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Y-yes, boss!"

"Sniff, sniff, sniff…"

"Huh?"

"Incoming!" a voice shouted from above Paimon.

"Blergh— !"

There was a crash as a peculiar, hyper-energetic girl dropped from… somewhere and crushed Paimon underfoot. Nose up in the air, Xiangling followed the spicy aroma of assorted meat and veggies cooking on the grill. Eyes sparkling like refined amber crystals, she shouted at the top of her voice, loud enough for anyone and everyone around her to hear. "Mmmhhhhhhhh! Smells so delicious!"

"Hey, little miss!" the chef yelled, pointing furiously at the Xiangling-shaped hole in his roof. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Mister!" Xiangling shouted. The volume levels in the restaurant had dialed far beyond eleven. "Can you teach me this recipe?"

"Absolutely not!"

A fairy, crumpled on the floor and not even acknowledged by her 'friend,' burst into tears. She was happy just to finally have an out to her cruel, cruel fate.

"XIANGLING! HELP PAIMON!"

"Huh? Paimon? What are you doing here? Where's the Traveler?"

"Hey, fairy! Table one still hasn't been served their order! Get to it or I'm cooking you for real!"

Paimon screeched. "Paimon has been abandoned! Paimon needs your help!"

"You're cooking Paimon!?" Xiangling asked. Her eyes sparkled even more as a bit of drool formed on her lips. "Wahhhh… I wanna have a taste, too!"

"WHY ARE YOU ALL SO MEAN?!"