Bennett was one step away from planting his foot in snow fox poop. I pulled his arm and quickly restabilized his teetering frame before he could fall flat on the pathway. We'd barely left the infirmary, and he was already accident-prone.

"Thanks for that! It'd be a shame if I got these shoes dirty so soon. I had to replace my old pair after the laces came loose during beginner's gliding. Before I knew it, they fell off and disappeared into the forest." Bennett laughed at the minor tragedy. "I guess I should get used to double-knotting from now on."

"For you, triple knots won't hurt."

"Interesting…I'll try that. With my fingers fully healed, they should be strong enough to secure the tightest knots known in Teyvat."

"That'll only be possible if you stick with sword fighting and stay away from shuriken," I warned. "I don't know if the infirmary can fix severed fingers."

Bennett's shoulders slumped, and he scratched the back of his head. "As bad as that accident was, at least I ran into you! It's a shame Childe was asleep even though you came all this way to see him. He was in and out of consciousness while I was being treated."

I sighed at the poor timing.

When the healers said that Childe would recover, I thought only a day was needed—that's how it went after he used Foul Legacy. Although, a planned transformation was quite different from a backfiring Delusion. It was comforting to know that he'd at least woken up a few times. Before leaving, I asked Qiqi to give him a simple get-well-soon message from me in hopes that would motivate him to bounce back sooner.

"I'll keep watch for more animal droppings, and you can monitor the sky for falling rocks," Bennett said. "They always seem to knock me in the head even when I'm alert."

"Are you expecting a meteor shower? The dining hall isn't far from here, so you should be safe until we get there."

Still, I lifted my gaze to humor him. There was an overcast, but no signs of birds bombing us with droppings or rocks aimed at our heads. The trees lining the pathway had no squirrels primed to chuck pinecones, either. He should be safe.

Scanning the trees reminded me of someone who often settled in their branches. Kazhua had been very helpful the last time we met, and I didn't forget the promise I made to update him on my situation. Knowing where to find him might be troublesome, but I wasn't too worried about that. There was no rush, so I would let our paths cross naturally.

We successfully made it to the dining hall with no mishaps, and Thoma was already at the table waving us over. A smile immediately bloomed at the sight of him. Even though he'd only been back for a day, it felt like he hadn't been gone at all. We all ate and laughed, shared stories and food, and fell back into the familiar. Only Childe was missing from our usual scene.

"Childe likes seafood, right? Maybe we can make him something." Xiangling snapped her fingers and then looked at me. "Y'know, like how Lumine and I made that tri-color dango. Thoma, did you like them?"

"They were great. You could open a food stand on the streets of Inazuma City and have a very successful business." Thoma praised her easily, but there was confusion on his face. "Lumine made the delivery, but I didn't know she also made some of the tri-color dango."

Oh, no.

Xiangling frowned. "What? She didn't tell you?"

"There's a simple explanation for that," I said. "I didn't give Thoma any of the ones I made."

Thoma only seemed more confused, and now there was a shadow of gloom. When he looked at me, my gut twisted with guilt. "But, why?"

"I dropped them on accident. They all landed on the ground and were in no shape to be eaten." As casually as possible, I shrugged off the confession and didn't elaborate on how I had dropped them after visiting Thoma. "Xiangling's were much better than mine, anyway. You had the miso soup to keep you full, too."

"That's too bad. You put so much effort into them!" Xiangling sighed.

I shook my head. "It's nothing, really."

"We were in my mini-kitchen for hours."

Amber, who had been silently observing, lifted her brows and said, "Doesn't sound like nothing to me."

"A lot of the time was spent cleaning the flour Xiangling attacked me with," I said.

"You started it, but let's not get off topic. Thoma, you definitely have to try Lumine's another time."

He nodded earnestly. "I look forward to enjoying anything made by you, Lumine. Even if it's no big deal to you, just knowing you thought of me and went out of your comfort zone to cook something—it means a lot to me."

They really weren't letting it go. I had already resigned myself to making something even better than the tri-color dango, but I'd keep that part to myself for now—mostly because I hadn't thought of what it was going to be just yet. When the inspiration struck, I wouldn't chicken out like the last time.

"Speaking of cooking," Bennett said with a serious look. "I haven't been able to decide on what dish I should showcase for the Welkin Festival. Originally, I was going to do my version of a teyvat fried egg, but that might be too simple."

At the thought of Bennett attempting a complicated dish to impress others, I provided my support to prevent any casualties. "Sometimes, simple is best. Teyvat fried egg is popular for a reason."

"I'm struggling with making a decision, too," Xiangling said next. "My most marvelous multi-colored super pancake has been in the works for a while now, and I don't think the recipe will be ready in time for the festival. My reputation as a chef is on the line."

Amber hummed for a moment before giving her input. "What if you made a traditional dish from Liyue that your dad sells at Wanmin Restaurant? That way, people might visit over spring break and bring in good business."

"Good idea. Something from Liyue as an appetizer, and then one of my riskier experiments once the customers are hooked." Xiangling's low chuckle made me slightly concerned.

"Okay, my turn." Amber planted her palms on the table's surface. "The dance club is hosting a recital for the Welkin Festival, and I'd better see all of you there."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," I said. "You're going to do great—all of you. I'm motivated to join a club next year so I can contribute to the festival next time, too."

The most I'd done in terms of clubs was helping the student council with administrative work, and that was mainly a farce for group meetings to discuss the Abyss Order. I was determined to reclaim the typical school experience for my next three years. The Welkin Festival would be a great opportunity for me to see what each club had to offer. With enough optimism, I could be convinced to try them all.

"I think that's what Aether did," said Thoma when I brought it up. "Now that my memories of him are back, he was always involved in something. Cooking, dance, rowing, sculpting, debate, and many others."

As Thoma listed them out, I quickly began to second-guess that route. One or two clubs should be enough—any more would be too exhausting. How did Aether manage them all? I doubted he was truly invested in each and every one of them, but he probably didn't have much of a choice. If Dain wanted him to, it would have been difficult to say no.

"Where is Aether, anyway?" Bennett swiveled his head to look around. "He usually drops by our table whenever Childe starts—ah—maybe it's because Childe isn't here. I still can't believe I missed their duel!"

Similar complaints went around the table, but it couldn't be helped. If Aether and Childe had set a specific date and time for the duel, the entire school would have made room in their day to watch it. I had given a rough play-by-play of the fight, but nothing could match seeing it in person.

When I also gave the dining hall a scan, Aether really was nowhere to be found—how odd. Before I could dwell on his whereabouts any longer, the conversation switched back to the Welkin Festival.

"Last year, I got caught up in recruiting members for various clubs but never permanently joined any for myself," Thoma said. "I really enjoyed the freedom of switching between activities, and my role during the festival was to help set up booths. I think I'll do the same for this year."

That came as no surprise. Lending a helping hand was one of Thoma's most defining actions, and I was tempted to do the same. Knowing I made an effort to the festival would make me appreciate the experience even more. Plus, it'd be a great way to meet students whom I otherwise wouldn't have the chance to interact with.

The more people I met, the better. After all, I needed to expand the roster of potential partners for Aether.

"My brother is well-liked by pretty much everyone, right?" I asked to get a feel of where to begin.

"I would say so, yes." Thoma agreed, but then he said something that made me pause. "There was a time, though, when his standing with other students got a bit murky. I know we don't like bringing up her name, but Signora's influence was nothing to laugh at last year."

Signora and Aether. My eyes widened once I realized those two must have known each other, and the whole table was captivated by this new information Thoma had to offer.

"She got worse once he left, but Signora was still quite the person to trifle with back then. Cici and Cicin were her newest recruits, and they were determined to prove themselves as worthy Fatui. Unfortunately, that meant causing a lot of trouble. Aether was just a second-year and not even crowned Champion yet, but many students already looked up to him."

"Did they ask him to do something about Signora when the faculty was unhelpful?" I guessed with a sinking feeling. "And then people got upset when he didn't?"

"That's exactly what happened," Thoma said with some surprise. "Did he tell you already?"

I shook my head, not at all pleased with having guessed correctly.

Aether being a model student for Dain also meant causing no trouble. If he had directly confronted Signora with his social authority, she would have used her ego and raw power to retaliate. Because Signora was especially cunning, who knew what outlandish tale she might spin—turning Aether into the villain. Though I was unsure if Dain would issue disciplinary action to his own son, he'd still be heavily disappointed in him.

Thoma continued. "Even though he had the power to bring her down, Aether turned a blind eye to her antics. A lot of people assumed that he stayed out of Signora's path so she wouldn't target him. She only bullied a minority of the student body, so the negative sentiment toward Aether was fairly limited."

That must have been difficult for everyone—except Signora. At least now that she was gone, Aether didn't have to tiptoe around anyone anymore. Dealing with her back then had certainly been a pain, but more than worth it.

"It's all water under the bridge now. From what I've seen, everyone at Celestia Academy is very excited to have their Champion back. After speaking with him personally, I can see why."

That's right—Thoma had requested a private conversation with my brother. A debate to ask what that was about warred within me, but there was no time. With all the talking done so far, I only had a few minutes to finish dinner before I was expected in the library. As much as I wanted to linger, Diluc was probably waiting for me.

I just hoped that my chess skills hadn't gotten too rusty.

The mystery of Aether's whereabouts was unexpectedly solved when I entered the library. Just as I predicted, Diluc was sitting at our usual spot, but he was already engaged in a game of chess with someone else—my brother.

Neither of them noticed when I arrived, so I stood there for a moment and wondered what could have happened to lead to this moment. I knew better than to assume their meeting was a coincidence, and judging by Aether's habit of interfering with my romantic life, I bet he made some kind of wager with Diluc over chess.

While bloodthirsty battle was Childe's preference, Diluc made calculated risks.

Sighing, I walked over to the table and said, "You stole my chess partner."

"Not for much longer," Aether responded without looking up. His eyes were trained on the board, and I also took a look. Both parties had lost a considerable number of pieces. "I'm on to something."

"We'll see about that," Diluc chuffed and greeted me. "Lumine, good evening. I hope you don't mind waiting. I seem to have lost track of time while putting Aether's strategy to the test. Now that you're here, I'll be sure to wrap up soon."

Aether laughed half-heartedly. "You say that like we're not on equal footing. Let's see how you respond to this."

Amused, I patiently watched the rest of the game play out. Aether took an aggressively offensive approach, and a normal observer would think Diluc could barely keep up. For me, I'd played enough with Diluc to know that he didn't just structure an impeccable defense—he was in the process of securing a checkmate.

The pieces clicked softly on the board, and just as Aether confidently snatched Diluc's queen with a rook, Diluc calmly responded by sliding his bishop diagonally across the board. Aether was put in check. His rook had been the only piece protecting his king. If Aether returned the rook to its original position, Diluc would simply steal it away and Aether would be in check once more. All of Aether's other pieces were in compromising positions, so there was no other choice to make.

Diluc comfortably leaned back in his chair as the realization dawned on Aether's face.

"Well played, Diluc," he murmured with narrowed eyes. "Well played."

Once Aether's king toppled, the two rose from their seats and shared a brisk handshake.

"Where was this level of civility yesterday?" I lightly thumped Aether on the head, taking his place and collecting the white pieces from Diluc. "Now, let me show you how it's done."

"You're going to beat him?" Aether asked, not bothering to hide his skepticism.

Confident, I responded with, "Yes." Except, Diluc's cool gaze shook that confidence. It was his game face meant to rattle, but I counterattacked with a sweet smile. For good measure, I made sure our fingers brushed when I handed his queen over.

Diluc cleared his throat then, and I couldn't help but chuckle. Too easy.

The game started with me moving my middle pawn two spaces forward—a classic start to taking control of the center. Diluc responded in kind, and much of the beginning was spent in silence as we set up our strategies. My worries over being rusty quickly melted away as the natural flow of chess came back to me.

"Since when have you been a chess player?" Aether asked, breaking my focus. "When we were young, I remember having to beg you to play a simple board game with me. It was always explore the forest first and play checkers later."

"Checkers was boring because we spent half the time looking for the pieces."

"And who was responsible for losing said pieces?"

"That's beside the point." I waved him off. "I was a smart kid and knew that physical activity was most important to grow up strong and tall."

I regretted saying that last part the moment the words left my mouth. Before Aether could joke about me being the shorter twin—in front of Diluc, no less—I hushed him with a finger to my lips and a pointed glare.

"No more talking," I said. "I need to focus."

When I turned my attention back to the game, I caught a small smile on Diluc's lips. Did he find us amusing? I'd show him amusing once I cleared the board of all his pieces—an objective that became more frustrating after each turn.

Unlike my brother, I carefully analyzed the position of each piece before daring to make a move. This meant that it took more time for me to act, but I wouldn't let Diluc surprise me with a checkmate. With Aether watching, I wanted to impress him.

Slow wasn't impressive.

A few hasty moves later, I lost the knight that I'd been prioritizing.

Then went my bishop.

Goodbye to my other knight.

So far, only a few of Diluc's pawns and a rook were confiscated by me. With my key players out of the running, I was in a bad spot.

My leg bounced as I tried to think of a comeback. How had I beaten him last time? There was a trick that Elzer showed me—one that required both knights. Okay, I could compromise by using my queen instead, but that was too risky. Because I'd only won against Diluc once before, there wasn't much in my memory to make use of.

"Let's make a deal," Diluc said, his cool gaze in full force.

He already knew I was close to losing. Making a deal now had no value other than entertainment.

"Fine," I agreed despite the situation. "On the extremely low chance that I lose, what would you like?"

Aether chuckled softly. "Oh, yes, very low chances."

Whose side was he on?

"If I win in my next three moves, you must fulfill a request of mine—no exceptions," Diluc proposed with another small smile after seeing both of our reactions. "And if I do not, I will tell you the details of what Aether challenged me to chess for."

He thought he could win in three moves? No way. I knew I was at a disadvantage, but I didn't think it was that bad of a disadvantage. His confidence didn't falter even as I scrutinized the chessboard.

Meanwhile, Aether was hung up on the matter of me fulfilling any request.

"You have to win," he said to me fiercely. "At all costs. No matter what."

I rolled my eyes. "Now you're supportive?"

What crazy nonsense did Aether think Diluc would make me do? As I thought, this deal brought forth quite the entertainment. Diluc had correctly guessed that I was curious about his game with Aether, and I smiled over the fact that he knew exactly what I wanted at the moment.

Though it was a given that Diluc would be the eventual winner of this game, I could at least try to disprove his bold assumption. Preventing a checkmate in his next three moves was my new objective. Aether hovered over my shoulder as though his proximity to the board would foil Diluc's plan.

There.

My heart jumped when I noticed the positioning of his knight. Since it was currently my turn, it would be in my best interest to stop the knight from stealing one of my main defenders and putting me in check. With this realization, I acted swiftly to migrate my pieces closer to the knight.

It fell in two moves.

I wasn't given the chance to celebrate—not when Diluc surprised me by acting on the complete opposite side of the board. The knight had been a distraction. The entire bet was meant to throw me off. When my focus zeroed in on the three-move factor, I failed to account for the small opening I made by targeting that one piece.

I had been in check when stealing Diluc's knight, and checkmate arrived when he slid his bishop diagonally to steal my king.

Wiping a hand down my face, I said, "You tricked me."

"You fell for it."

That I did, and I only had myself to blame.

When we stood to shake on the result of a good game, I noticed Diluc used less force than with Aether, and he took his time before letting go.

"So, what do you want?" Aether asked bluntly with folded arms.

"Lumine, find room in your schedule this upcoming week and meet me on the training grounds. There's no use in backing out. I intend to make full use of your time." Diluc's request was delivered with an air of professionalism—so serious that it was impossible for me to suppress a smile.

Training with Diluc was something I wanted from him, not the other way around. He'd remembered the tentative plans we set back when I struggled to take a break. No matter which way this chess deal had gone, it was for my benefit.

"Ah, well." I blew out a pretend sigh. "If you insist."