The briefing: P2

A/N: Short chapter, I just can't help with it -.-

Ganyu knocked on Keqing's office door and waited patiently for a response. When there was no answer, she cautiously entered and found Keqing gazing absentmindedly out the window. She placed the paperwork for the upcoming event on Keqing's desk, there was still no immediate response from Keqing, who seemed lost in thought.

"Excuse me, Lady Keqing," Ganyu spoke up, trying to get her attention. "I've brought the preparations for the upcoming event."

It took a moment for Keqing to snap out of her thoughts and notice Ganyu's presence. "Oh, Ganyu, I'm sorry," she said, standing up abruptly. "I was preoccupied with an important matter."

"You seem to have put a lot of effort into it."

"Well, it's our nation's matter, right? We must show them how capable we are."

Keqing was extremely determined to win the competition, not only for the pride of her nation, but also to earn the admiration of the Traveler. She had been training rigorously for weeks, pushing herself to the limit and striving for perfection. Winning would not only prove her worth as a skilled fighter, but also as a valuable asset to the Traveler's team. With each passing day, her desire to win only grew stronger, and she was determined to give it her all on the day of the competition.

Since the day he saved Liyue and became its hero, Keqing had deeply admired the Traveler for his bravery and carefree spirit. As she got to know him better, her feelings of admiration grew stronger, and she began to realize that she wanted more than just his admiration in return. She had developed a deep feeling for him and hoped to be with him forever.

"If I manage to win this…Aether sure will admire me…" Keqing's mind began to drift away once more, thinking about what would happen if she won.

…

"I have dishonored our clan... I'm sorry, brother."

The image of the Shirasagi Himegimi falling to her knees in embarrassment, admitting her defeat in shame, appeared in Keqing's mind. It was quickly followed by the image of the blonde Traveler praising her for her outstanding performance, which only added to her sense of accomplishment.

"You are truly the person who I can rely on, and I can't imagine my life without you... I love you, Keqing," Aether said, embracing her tightly. Overwhelmed with joy, Keqing embraced him back and watched as he knelt before her.

"Will you marry me, Lady Keqing?" Aether asked, looking into her eyes.

Tears of happiness filled Keqing's eyes as she answered, "Yes, I will marry you, Aether. We will become a family together."

…

Keqing's face flared up in heat and drown herself in even wilder thoughts about the day when they strolled around Liyue harbor with their child, she felt like she was living in a dream come true.

Lost in her reverie, Keqing continued to mutter Aether's name and those lines over and over, giggling to herself for almost thirty minutes. Unbeknownst to her, Tianquan and the half-Qilin secretary had been watching her the entire time.

"Is Lady Keqing alright?" Ganyu asked Ningguang in a low tone, worrrying at the Yuheng's condition.

Ningguang chuckled and replied, "Just let the Yuheng be. She needs to have the best motivation and confidence to win this competition."

Ningguang's support for Keqing was unusual since she usually teased her instead of helping her. However, Ningguang had calculated that this event could make a huge profit for her, which may have been her motivation.

Meanwhile…On the island of Eternity, the situation seems to be the same as well and to be exact: The Kamisato Eslate.

"Here's our plan, milord" Thoma handled the paper about the plan of the upcoming event to Kamisato Ayato. But the Kamisato clan leader paid no mind about it.

"Milord?"

Thoma tried calling Ayato again but there was no response. He looked over to where Ayato was looking and noticed that his attention was fixed on his sister, Kamisato Ayaka. Thoma could see the worry etched on Ayato's face as he watched Ayaka, causing him to wonder what could be troubling the usually composed and confident Kamisato clan leader.

Ayaka's mind was fixated on the image of the blonde Traveler, the only person who had her interest for a long time. Her thoughts wandered, imagining what it would be like to explore the world by his side, to feel the wind in her hair and the sun on her face as they journeyed to new places. She was so lost in her daydreams that she barely noticed the passing of time or the people around her, her eyes glazed over with longing.

Ayaka hummed as she thought about the bright future that winning the contest could bring. "If I win..." she muttered to herself "Aether and I will get married. Our bloodline will be secured for sure, and that fake-cat will have to admit my worthiness to him."

…

Aether approached Ayaka with a smile on his face, congratulating her on her victory in the competition. Ayaka greeted him warmly, her eyes glowing with satisfaction and pride. He was impressed by her skills and grace.

"Congratulations, Ayaka! You were amazing in the contest!" He said while giving Ayaka an embrace. "You deserved to win. Your performance was flawless and way better than her…"

While Keqing watched from afar, feeling a sense of loss and jealousy as she was being left out.

"What a let-down..." Keqing's heart sank as she watched Ayaka being praised as the winner of the contest, with Aether standing by her side, beaming with pride. Keqing kept blaming herself, feeling defeated and unworthy. "I am nothing to her…"

…

At first, Ayato was glad that Ayaka was interested in someone who wasn't a stranger, but when he learned the truth that many girls also admired the blonde Traveler, just like the typical protagonist in novels he had read, he started to worry. Now, Ayaka was speaking non-stop about the Traveler, and no matter how hard Ayato tried to snap her out of her thoughts, it was useless. The blonde Traveler was her pride and joy, and she was not going to back off easily.

"That womanizer! What has he done to my precious little sister!" Ayato mumbled repeatedly about the blonde Traveler, squeezing his boba teacup tightly until...

*CRACK*

"The boba! ARGHHHH! Aether! This is all your fault!" Ayato screamed the blonde Traveler's name in agony while crying over the ruined boba. Meanwhile, Thoma just stood in silence, feeling clueless.

Throughout the day, Thoma had to clean up after Ayato's boba-tea and ordered new cups for him, but the housekeeper could not remember how many cups he had bought since each one was destroyed for the same reason.

P/s: Everyone has their own dreams, right? xD