"F-forgive me, Master Jean, but…it sounds like you're asking me to star in a play."

"Yes. That's exactly what I'm asking of you," said Jean, staring at Mika with a raised eyebrow, like she had simply asked him for a glass of water. "And I'll need you to kiss someone."

Mika's jaw promptly went slack like the muscles in his face had melted. He was growing painfully aware of the way Eula was gaping at him from the corner of the office, a half-eaten sandwich raised to her open mouth. The sound of Noelle's broom softly thudding against the corner behind him did not help either.

Mika opened his mouth weakly, attempting to string together a passable sentence in his parched throat. However, all he managed was a soft, croaky, "…Why?"

Jean simply picked up a letter sitting in a beam of sunlight atop her desk, unfolding it with a light shake. The whiff of gunpowder Mika caught, along with the elegant seal of scarlet wax on the paper, told him that it was penned by Alice.

"Hello, my dear Klee," Jean read aloud. "I hope the Acting Grand Master has been treating you well? Don't worry, just let me know if she's been mean, and I'll give her a piece of my mind!"

Jean shuddered for a second before reading on:

"Anyway, my travels will be extended a little longer. I'm sorry I won't be able to see you for another year or two - but keep your chin up! It's almost time for the annual performance hosted by the Adventurers' Guild, yes? I'm sure the Acting Grand Master could pull a few strings here and there, and let you see one of your Knight of Favonius friends on stage and in the spotlight! Just pass this letter on to her, she'll know what to do. Love always, and missing you dearly, your mother Alice."

Jean then placed down the letter and rubbed her eyes, surrounded by an air of tiredness that only an overworked parent could achieve.

"Well, there you have it," she said, looking up to meet Mika's still-horrified gaze. "I went to ask the Adventurers' Guild about their performance earlier, and they said this year's theme was a 'romantic fantasy', and they expect a kiss during the conclusion."

Mika let out a noise somewhere between a whimper and a groan, sounding rather like a deflating balloon.

"Does it…have to be me…?"

"Klee's choice," said Jean, and Mika was aghast to see a tiny smile creeping across her face. "When she gave me this letter, she was practically bouncing off the walls asking if she could see 'that blond knight with the pretty blue eyes' perform. Given your reserved nature, I think she just wants to know more about you."

Under any other circumstances, Mika would've gladly taken the compliment, but he was not feeling very fond of Klee's far-fetched imagination at the moment. Besides, there was someone else he would've much rather heard that from.

Someone who was presently in the room with him, sweeping the dust from Jean's bookshelves.

Eula seemed to realise Noelle's presence was making this even harder for him, for she promptly wiped the crumbs from her mouth, emerging from her shadowy corner to approach Noelle. Eula said something to her, and they both left the room.

Once the door clicked shut, a very heavy silence fell over the office. Jean continued to stare hopefully at Mika, and he stared back, feeling like his limbs and throat were made of stone.

Eventually - and with an immense amount of effort - Mika accepted his fate. He slumped forward and let out a sigh.

"…Alright, I'll do it. For Klee."

Jean's expression softened into an appreciative smile.

"I'm sorry, Mika. I really owe this to Alice. It was between you and Sucrose, and she was so averse to playing the lead role that she begged me to have her play a side character instead."

Mika suddenly imagined Sucrose standing where he currently was, being faced with the prospect of kissing someone onstage, and it made him pity her so much that he was almost glad to spare her from that fate.

"Bennett and Fischl are in charge of coming up with the performance," said Jean, putting away Alice's letter in her desk drawer. "I suspect they're in the library right now looking for material. Feel free to meet up with them."

Mika saluted her, then turned on his heel and left her office, feeling that he would much rather have Eula drag him off for one of her ice baths in Dragonspine than go anywhere near that library.

And yet, a minute later, Mika found himself standing outside the library with his hand on the doorknob. Now staring inevitability in the face, he couldn't help but picture himself positioned beneath some glaring stage lights, leaning in to kiss some nameless, faceless girl.

He slumped forward, bumping his head on the hardwood. He had no intention of going back on his promise to Jean, but he'd always hoped his first kiss would be a little more…magical, not shared with some random girl who meant nothing to him. Why couldn't it be-

"Mika? It's me."

Noelle's voice gave him such a shock that he felt his neck crick as he stood back upright. Whirling around, he saw that sweet smile that he loved so much and those green eyes looking into his, as Noelle stood before him clutching a thick, heavily annotated notebook.

"H-hi, Noelle," he said as casually as possible. "Um, didn't…didn't Captain Eula want you for something?"

"Yes. She asked me to follow her, but the second I turned around to close the door she disappeared. It's okay, I know she just didn't want you to be embarrassed in front of us."

As soon as the words left her lips, her hand flew up to cover her mouth and she gave Mika a guilty look.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to eavesdrop. It was just…um, hard to keep all that out."

"I don't blame you," said Mika with a dry laugh. "I'm sure it was a riot."

He looked back at the library door for a moment - and then knocked his head against it again.

"Kill me," he groaned.

"Feeling nervous?"

"I can't act to save my life, Noelle. I'm going to make a fool of myself in front of everyone."

"It's okay, I'll help you prepare. We can start from the basics, and polish your skills from there. Poise, movement, tone, whatever it is you need to work on, just leave it to me - I'll make sure you're ready when the time comes."

Mika turned to stare at her. "You'll do that for me?"

"Of course. Don't you remember what I said last Windblume? I shall serve you first and foremost, as far as I am able to."

Noelle then extended the book in her hands towards him.

"Here's some notes I put together for novice actors," she said. "I made it for Sucrose since she's still playing a smaller role in the performance, but since she spends so much time in her lab, I prepared a second copy just in case hers got ruined by accident. You can have it for now."

Mika softly muttered his thanks and took the notebook from her. As he skimmed through its pages, filled from corner to corner with highlights, acronyms, and extra annotations madr on colour-coded stickers, all of which were penned in a neat, elegant hand, he couldn't help but feel impressed by Noelle's level of commitment.

"Will…will this really be enough for a total beginner like me?"

"Definitely. Truth be told, most of the yearly performances are carried out by the adventurers themselves - usually new recruits who aren't ready for the field yet, or even volunteers. So everyone'll be an amateur, not just you."

"Really?"

"M-hm. They don't typically break new ground with the stories they tell either, so you don't need to worry about selling it short. They usually narrate the origins of some magical artifact or ancient domain, or folktales from past civilisations that they pieced together - things like that. It's all really just a publicity stunt to try and get more people to join the Guild."

Mika stared at her in amazement.

"How do you know so much about their performances?"

Noelle's eyelid twitched. "The number of times Branch Master Cyrus has coaxed me into seeing them…"

Her response elicited a genuine laugh from Mika. At the sight of this, Noelle's expression softened again.

"I'm glad you feel better," she said. "Ready to step inside yet?"

Mika nodded and placed his hand on the doorknob again. However, he still found himself hesitating to take the next step.

"…I can't do it," he groaned, hanging his head. "There's no way I can kiss someone in front of so many people."

Noelle let out a quiet chuckle.

"You have my sympathy, but unfortunately, I can't be of help to you. I'm just as unfamiliar with such acts of intimacy as you are. Hopefully you'll find the prospect less daunting once you've eased into your role?"

"Yeah…maybe."

He knew his tone wasn't convincing in the slightest. It was clear Noelle thought the same, as he heard her slowly approach him, her armoured boots clinking on the floor.

"If it helps…" she said distantly, "…I'd say whoever gets to kiss you would be pretty lucky."

Mika's gaze snapped towards Noelle so fast he nearly hurt his neck again. She swayed idly where she stood, gazing vaguely at him and giving no indication that she had said anything more shocking than 'dinner is almost ready'. Mika was convinced he was hearing things - and then, perhaps at the look of shock on his own face, Noelle suddenly blushed violently as she was reduced to a stuttering mess:

"I-I-I mean to say…y-you're the last person who'd try and take advantage of that situation, so whoever plays the female lead should be happy to perform the scene with you - th-that's all…!"

"I…I see."

Noelle gave a high-pitched laugh that sounded more like a squeak. If she was trying to dispel the brutal - and most definitely mutual - awkwardness now rising between them like an uncomfortable heat, it was a remarkably poor attempt. She and Mika ended up just gazing at the floor, waiting for each other to speak. It was eventually Noelle who took the plunge.

"Sh-shall I take that up to your room for you?"

Mika blinked and saw that she was holding her outstretched palm towards the notebook clutched in his arms.

"Um…yeah. Okay."

Noelle reached for the notebook so quickly that Mika was afraid she'd slip and fall. In the split second in which their fingers touched, he felt a spark of electricity shoot through his fingertips, lingering there alongside the metallic coolness of Noelle's gauntlets.

She muttered a hasty goodbye to him, then turned and dashed off for the knights' accommodations block, almost running into a bemused Albedo as he came down the stairs with a box in his hands. Mika continued to gaze after Noelle even as she disappeared, not feeling entirely himself. He was so distracted that he barely registered himself finally opening the door and stepping into the library.

As he entered the tall, candlelit chamber, snippets of a whispered conversation drifted towards him from somewhere amongst the shelves below. Recognising two of the voices as belonging to Razor and Bennett, he automatically headed for them.

"Bennett. How read this word?"

"Hm? Lemme see. That's…that's…Razor, this book isn't written in our language."

"Oh."

The group consisted of four; Bennett and Razor stood poring over several books about ancient folktales from various nations, by both their sides a sheet of paper littered with crossed-out titles. Kneeling next to the pair was Barbara, tapping her quill against her forehead as she mulled over a long scroll of paper, her expression one of complete focus. Meanwhile, Fischl sat huddled against a bookshelf, enthralled by a thick purple novel in her hands, her own sheet of paper lying forgotten next to her, pristine white and untouched.

"Um…" Mika piped up to get the group's attention. They all turned to him except Fischl, whose nose remained buried in her novel. "…Master Jean asked me to come find you guys?"

"Oh. Um…you're a little early for that," said Bennett. "We don't even know what story we're gonna adapt yet. 'A romantic fantasy'…you'd think this would be a breeze, with these kinds of stories all over the world, but they're all kinda samey. It's hard to find something worth adapting."

"I…could help if you'd like?" Mika asked.

"Oh, sure!" Bennett dived down and picked up a small stack of translated Liyuean folktales, shoving them into a startled Mika's arms. "Appreciate it! I was worried we'd be stuck here till nightfall."

"D-don't mention it," Mika wheezed, trying to maintain his poise after having a stack of books slammed into his ribcage. "Barbara, how come you're a part of this too?"

"Hm?" Barbara looked up from her sheet of paper. "Oh, Bennett asked me to help write the script and asked if I wanted a minor role to play. I thought it'd be a nice break from writing sermons and performing songs, so I gave it a try. But for now I'm just writing down some common lines and stuff I've seen in my big sister's romance novels, so that we can use them later."

"Oh, cool." Mika looked around and realised someone was missing. " Uh, where's Sucrose?"

Bennett shrugged. "We told her we were gonna start looking for material today, but she got so anxious that she ran back inside her lab and won't come out for anything." He let out a sigh of sympathy as he turned a page. "I think Albedo went to get her a box of her favourite sweet flower candy."

Mika felt another twinge of pity for Sucrose. At the same time, Fischl let out a dramatic gasp, clearly still absorbed in her novel.

"Uh…hey, Fischl? You're getting distracted again," Bennett said as he nudged her in the shoulder, though he might as well have poked a statue for all it achieved. "C'mon, I'll stay here and read with you in the evening, why don't we get our work done first?"

He reached for the book in her hands, and as he pulled it partially from her grasp, Mika glimpsed the title previously hidden behind her fingers; 'Schwarzeskreuz - A Prequel to Flowers for Princess-'

"S-stay your hand!" Fischl exclaimed, snatching the book back with alarming speed. "The ancient darkness sealed within this tome shall not be so foolishly handled, lest its entropic venom devour this world!"

"Oh - um…my bad?"

"Bennett? Bennett?" Razor nudged his best friend a few times to get his attention, then showed him another book. "This one, war story from Fontaine. Will people want to see?"

"I totally dig that stuff, but we need to remember the theme, Razor."

"Oh. Love, romance. Right."

"What about this one?" Mika asked as he skimmed through a book. "It's about a man who becomes immortal and falls in love with a serpent adeptus."

"Good find! I'll add it to the pile."

"Bennett, didn't you guys do Liyuean stories two years in a row already?" Barbara asked, now lying down on the floor.

"Oh. Good point. Sorry Mika, put those away. Maybe…look for something a bit more local?"

"Sure thing. Anything specific?"

"Uh, let's see…nah, we'll probably take anything at this point." Smirking at Mika, he added jokingly, "Unless you know some obscure, tragic, lovey-dovey story from ancient Mondstadt that nobody's heard about?"

Mika saw Fischl's visible eye snap towards them with a sparkling tint. Within a second, she had gotten to her feet and sprinted off without a trace.

"Uh…no, I don't think so," said Mika.

"Figured. Sorry about my luck, guys. Otherwise we'd have an easier theme to deal with."

"No need blame yourself," said Razor. "We all said yes, agreed to help."

"Exactly," said Mika. "Besides, it could be worse. Imagine if you had to kiss someone onstage."

"Ha! Bet that'd be fun to watch."

Mika forced out a casual laugh.

Barbara glanced up from the floor. "How long do we have until the performance, anyway?"

"'Bout two months," said Bennett. "But I figured we could use as much time to prepare as possible."

"I think we can still afford to keep looking tomorrow, then," said Mika.

"Um…"

The hesitant squeak came from outside their little circle; everyone turned to see Fischl peering at them from behind a bookshelf, her flushed face half-hidden behind an exceptionally old book she was clutching in her hands. Its title was written in ancient Mondstadt's tongue.

"This…this is a popular tale amongst the denizens of the Immernachtreich," she said, raising the book into the candlelight to give them all a better view. On its cover was a figure clad in white armour and feathers, brandishing a sword. "My subjects would be, um…most pleased to share this treasured text with other worlds, provided that you treat it with the utmost reverence it deserves."

"I…I'm flattered that you have that much confidence in me, Mr Albedo, but let's face it - the only thing I'm good at is bio-alchemy…there's no real reason to believe I can do this, is there?"

"Isn't the fact that you've got people wanting to see you perform reason enough?"

"Yeah! C'mon, I'll come all the way from Sumeru just to see!"

"P-please don't…!"

Mika threw open the door to the castle tower, and stared for a second at the sight of Sucrose inexplicably shivering in a corner, cowering under the combined gazes of Albedo and some green-haired girl he didn't recognise. Shrugging, he proceeded over to a table in the centre of the room that was surrounded by four tables. Barbara and Fischl were seated next to each other, diligently writing in a large book together.

"Do I really have to change those lines, Fischl? This is how I learned to write my sermons."

"My dear friend, this is no mere preacher's message - we are creating art! Enrapture minds, indulge ears, mercilessly shatter and restore hearts with your words! The emotions of your audience are a spectrum of colours, waiting to be spread through the prism of your quill!"

Bennett sat at the other side of the table, watching Fischl as he grinned silently. Mika was sure he knew why; once when he was spending time with Bennett and Razor under Lisa's encouragement, Bennett had mentioned how he and Razor didn't really get Fischl's interests and that he feared she had no one to indulge in them with, so Mika could only imagine how relieved he felt now, seeing her take such a perfect opportunity to give people a glimpse into her world.

"Um…hey, I'm here," he said, getting Bennett's attention as he sat down next to him. "I've started reading the book like you asked me to. Razor will be here later."

"Oh, great. Glad to see you early this morning, your majesty."

Mika felt himself blush. "I-I know my character is royalty, but could you not call me that when we're not rehearsing? It…feels a little unnecessary."

"Chill out, I'm kidding." Bennett punched him playfully in the shoulder.

"Ow. F-fine. Why'd you call us here today, anyway?"

"Nothing much, just thought we could start working on the costumes while these guys deal with the script, and I wanted to bounce these ideas off you guys." He began to unfurl a thick roll of paper into a stack. "By the way, give my thanks to the Acting Grand Master, I can't believe she gave us this whole place to ourselves. Anyway, uh, I dug out some of the old costume pieces the Guild keeps for our plays, picked out the ones I thought fit the descriptions in the story the best, then asked Albedo to come up with some costumes…and here's what he gave me, whaddya think?"

He laid out the topmost paper in front of Mika, on it eight or nine sketched variations of the protagonist's outfit as described in the novel. Albedo's artistry was impressive as usual; all of his designs were worthy of a spot in Fontainian fashion magazines, and he still retained all the little details that were important in the story, like the locket that the protagonist's childhood friend had given him and the crest bearing his kingdom's coat of arms. Mika had to remind himself to actually answer Bennett's question.

"Um…I-I think I like this one the best," he said, pointing at one outfit with a darker blue hue. "I - I don't know, though. Please don't trust my taste."

"Why? You're the one wearing this outfit, you should at least be comfortable. So you sure you like this one?"

"I-if you put it that way, then…yeah, I think I'd rather wear that one."

"Alright, the blue and white one it is. In that case…I guess the baroness should be dressed in red and black? Or maybe that'll make it too obvious that she'll end up betraying him-"

"Bennett!" Mika clasped his hands over his ears. "I'm only halfway through."

"Oops - my bad." He grinned sheepishly as he marked Mika's chosen outfit with a circle, then took out another sheet of paper which had several regal, vaguely villainous dresses sketched on it. He circled one dress that was black with bloody red highlights.

Mika took a peek at the other designs in the stack. A zany, bright cloak bearing the coat of arms, worn by the royal alchemist. A black outfit complete with daggers and a mask…probably the mercenary's uniform. A set of armour, white as pure snow, adorned with golden highlights and fluffy feathers, no doubt to be worn by the mysterious knight…

…the knight. The female knight that the prince would apparently kiss at some point. The prince that was played by him.

"Who's playing the knight?" Mika asked, hoping his voice sounded casual.

"Hm? Uh…haven't decided yet. Probably Fischl. She made it real clear while we were reading this story last night that she wanted a major role."

Mika stared across the table at Fischl, who was still dramatically gesturing to Barbara in between strokes of her pen, speaking words that he wasn't entirely sure were from a real language.

He…honestly didn't mind the idea of kissing her too much. She seemed pretty enthusiastic about the whole performance, romantic scenes included…probably. That was enough to make Mika feel less reluctant. If the person whose face he was going to be touching his to didn't mind doing that, then he really had no reason to mind either, did he?

Yeah…he had probably been overthinking this whole thing. Acting wasn't that big of a deal.

Too bad Sucrose clearly didn't think so, as he could still hear her whimpering in the corner like she was being tortured.

"I can't…!" she groaned, hiding her scarlet face in her hands.

"Tell ya what, I'll go on stage with you!" the green-haired stranger said excitedly. "It'll be easier with the two of us, right? It'll have to be a minor role since I can't stay here in Mondstadt to rehearse, but at least I can be there to support you!"

"That's not a bad idea," said Albedo. He turned to the boys sitting at the table and called, "Oh, Bennett? Do you mind checking if you could add our dear guest here to your cast?"

"Sure!" Bennett jumped up and rushed over to the trio in the corner. "What's your name?"

"Collei…"

As Bennett busied himself with the newcomer, Mika absent-mindedly dragged the design sheet for his character's outfit towards him. He gazed quietly at the one he had picked.

All of Albedo's designs were good - they each had their own unique flair that made them stand out. One had a few modern elements worked into the overall archaic style, another had its cape cut and stylised to resemble a bird's wings…but in the design he had chosen, the main thing that stood out was the pendant upon its chest, made from glass and in the shape of a rose.

He wondered why he was drawn to this particular design. Perhaps it was because of a certain girl he knew who loved roses. He felt his face growing warm; was he really thinking about her this much? Obviously he had romance on the mind thanks to this play, but that didn't mean-

"Okay, we're done with the first draft!"

Mika was dragged back to reality by Barbara's voice. He saw Bennett whirl around to face her as his face lit up, as if he had just found a massive treasure chest overflowing with gold.

"That's great! How many characters do we have?"

"Eight," said Barbara.

Bennett quickly whipped out a sheet of paper from his pouch and began writing down a list.

"Mika…the prince. Myself…the captain of the royal guard. I'll take it easy on Razor, he can be the wraith; he has the least lines. Barbara, what role do you want?"

"It doesn't matter to me."

"Make me an archer or a forest spirit!" Collie chimed in.

"Sure thing! Sucrose, you're the royal alchemist, of course."

"B-but I…! F-fine…I guess."

Bennett hastily scribbled down a few more lines, then set his pen down and pumped his fist into the air in triumph.

"Alright, that's the first stage complete!" He flashed everyone a thumbs-up. "Good work, guys! I'll treat you all to dinner at Good Hunter later! Razor and I are gonna get busy - in just a few days, we can try out the costumes and start rehearsing!"

"Okay, now we just put on these…pull over that…and tighten these…"

"Ow."

"Sorry. Now, look over here - I need to put this on your face."

"Wha-? I-i-is that really necessary?"

"Trust a girl with her makeup, won't you?"

"That's not the - mmph!"

Mika's airway was suddenly invaded by a thick, weird-tasting powder as Barbara attacked his face with a powder puff, going especially hard on his eyelids as she struck rapidly. He thought he was about to be shoved right off his chair when she finally relented, drawing back for long enough for Mika to draw a breath.

"Aaaaand, done!" she said cheerily. "What do you think?"

Weakly, Mika gripped the side of the table with his hands, needing an extra second to flex the fingers of the old gloves. He then got to his feet, turned to face the tall standing mirror in the corner, and looked himself up and down.

It was…different. A fancy, pure white shirt, with ruffled collar and sleeves, and tight black trousers that made him look significantly taller and imposing…he never imagined himself wearing something like this. He turned to better see the dark blue cape flowing down his back, fluttering lightly in the breeze coming through the tower windows, while the rose pendant on his chest - which Albedo had generously offered to transmute from dull steel to glass - shimmered like pure ice in the morning sun.

"…The cape's a little itchy," he muttered.

"It looks nice," said Razor, as Mika saw him and Sucrose approaching in the mirror. "Strong. Commanding power. But also beautiful. Like white wolves from the north."

"Yeah, it really suits you!" said Barbara, clearly proud of her work. "We'll have to touch up your hair a bit, though."

At that moment, the door to the tower swung open. Mika turned to see Eula entering the chamber, followed closely by - his heart skipped a beat - Noelle, who was carrying several bulky wooden crates.

"Here are the props and backup costumes," she said, setting down the crates next to each other.

"Thanks!" Bennett called from the other side of the room. "Barbara, come here for a sec - we had to modify your part a bit…"

Eula crossed her arms and walked over to Mika, silently watching the rest of the crowd. He quickly turned to face her.

"H-hello, Captain. Did you come to find me? I-I thought Master Jean freed me from regular duties for the time being."

Eula raised her eyebrow. "Why? Can't I come to see how my favourite scout is doing on his new acting endeavour?"

"N-no, I didn't-"

Eula bent down and inspected Mika up close, causing him to flinch a bit. She quietly inspected his outfit from head to toe, without saying a word, then stood back upright.

"Hmm…this is what you'll be wearing on stage, then? I like it. Very regal. I look forward to seeing your performance."

"Th-thank you, Captain."

Eula then turned to Noelle and said, "Have you placed my order yet?"

"Yes, Captain. The latest model of Kamera from Fontaine with specialised filming capabilities, is that correct?"

"It is. Did Komaniya Express say when I can expect the package by?"

"Within two months, Captain."

"Excellent."

As she said this, Mika was sure he caught her looking at him with the slightest of smirks. He absolutely didn't want to think about it, so he busied himself with watching Bennett and Barbara as they began a slightly waspish conversation.

"You want me to say what?" Barbara was saying in disbelief, clutching the modified script in her hand.

"Uh…is something wrong?"

"It is sacrilege for a follower of Barbatos to impersonate-"

Mika heard the clinking of metal beside him. Noelle sat down on the crate next to him, smiling warmly at him.

"Good morning, Mika. Still feeling nervous?"

"I-I'm doing much better. I don't think I'll ever be a hundred percent relaxed about this, though."

"Have you referred to my notes? There's a section on methods you can use to calm yourself subtly if you end up panicking mid-performance."

"Yeah, I saw that. I…actually read all your notes over the last few days. They really helped, I wouldn't know where to start without them. You're a lifesaver."

"Thank you," said Noelle, the slightest blush forming on her face. She looked around. "Where's Fischl?"

"Getting changed in the chamber downstairs. Barbara tried to help her get into her costume, but I think she only trusts herself to portray the character right." He grinned. "She really loves this story."

Noelle laughed softly. "It is a good one, though. I read it yesterday, after she and Barbara finished the script and asked me to return it. She'll be playing the knight, right?"

"Yes. Which means I'll be…you know."

"I see. Well, I hope you two have fun. No doubt she'll be putting everything she has into her role - you'd better match her level of energy on stage."

"Well…y'know, what's one more challenge?"

"That's good to hear! You can do it, I know you can."

Her smile became even sweeter as she said this, and Mika was lost in the sight for a moment. However, Noelle turned to look at the others littered across the room, and the smile quickly faded from her face.

"Although…Mika?" she said. "Don't tell Fischl I said this, but…I'm a little envious of her."

Mika was not prepared for the sudden jump that that statement gave his heart. Barely managing to stifle the noise that rose up in his throat, he turned and stared in disbelief at Noelle. However, she just went back to watching the group as they horsed around, giving absolutely no indication that she had just said anything that demanded further elaboration.

He decided to bite the bullet.

"Um…why?" he asked.

Noelle stared at him and blinked, looking confused by his question.

"Because she's playing a knight, of course. I know it's all just a performance, but can you really blame me for fantasising? I've daydreamed about being the real thing more times than I can count now…"

"Oh. R-right."

Mika looked away and scratched his head awkwardly. This dumb romantic play was seriously messing with his head - the sooner these two months passed, the better.

The door to the chamber suddenly swung open with an explosive flourish.

"Behold!"

All eyes in the room snapped towards Fischl as she entered the room with a twirl, the scarlet frills of her midnight-black corset and dress spinning around her. She let out an evil laugh, flashing her shining, serrated prop daggers for a second, before she sheathed them and raised a clawed hand to the ceiling with domineering pride.

"I, the baroness of the eternal night, command all thee to praise me on bended knee! None shall dare to stand against my meteoric rise! The power of this kingdom is mine to control!"

At once, everyone in the room began to echo their enthusiastic approval of her costume. Mika wasn't about to disagree either; it was certainly an effective look for a villain - Fischl's mannerisms certainly enhanced the character, and…

…wait.

Fischl wasn't going to be the knight?

Mika knew he wasn't the only one who noticed something was wrong; everyone was throwing confused looks at each other, much to Fischl's devastation - she had clearly expected far more potent of a reaction. Razor in particular was reading the list of names Bennett had written several times over.

And as for Bennett himself, he had on his face a very particular look. Mika recognised that look; it was the same one he'd wear upon realising that whilst preparing a campfire, he had accidentally burned his map home.

"Oh, drat!" he shouted, pulling the list of names out of Razor's hands and scanning it rapidly. "Fischl, I wrote down your name twice - once as the knight and once as the baroness. Sorry guys, I screwed it all up again!"

"D-don't beat yourself up over this!" said Sucrose. "Y-you've already done a lot!"

"We're an actor short now, though!"

"It's okay," said Razor. "Can just cast another."

"The knight is one of the main characters, though," said Sucrose. "I don't think we should just cast anyone."

"I agree," said Barbara. "She needs to be someone who can carry herself with elegance. And can act kind, compassionate, and loyal…and they need to have the strength for the role…"

Mika inexplicably felt something like a sixth sense going off. One by one, each pair of eyes in the room turned towards his general direction, before they all settled on Noelle.

She gave a small start, clearly not knowing why everybody was looking at her. Then, like a small animal in a hunter's sights, realisation visibly dawned on her as her eyes widened and her expression turned to one of unbridled shock.

"Wh-wh-whaaaaaat?!"

What's up peasants, your king has returned to bless you with another deluge of sugar and cuteness.

OK, enough massaging my ego. Truth be told, I didn't think I'd write a fanfic ever again, because I really wanted to devote myself to working on my original webcomic idea. However, I came across a certain medieval tale that really intrigued me while I was looking for material for that, and I realised how well such a thing could fit into the culture of a place like Mondstadt. That, combined with the writing bug that these two lovable dorks seem to give me…well, here I am now.

I was really determined to get this up on Mika's birthday, but being only two days late is a fucking achievement for me anyway.

Until next time!