"Can you tell me another story, Traveler?"

Vimara Village brought upon a very much needed time of rest for the tired blonde. In light of all the investigations that Rana had brought him around, being able to sit around for the night and simply enjoy nature for what it is brought forth a sense of reprieve he had yet to settle in throughout his short stint in Sumeru.

Yet, as he found himself sitting idly by the guest house that village had provided him, his brows raised at sight of Sudabeh approaching him timidly. Her question had been shyly projected with shuffled feet.

"Isn't a bit late for kids to still be up?"

Sudabeh still eyed the ground, "I… Uhm-, I couldn't sleep."

Right. Even if no one had been around to see it, rejecting her request would just be outright cruel at this point.

Sucking a breath in, he patted on the empty space beside him. The child's eyes lit up in an instant. The light peps of her steps returning before she comfortably settled herself on the wooden panel.

"More 'distinguished lady stories' then?"

Her vigorous nod confirmed that much.

"Hmm…"

"O-Oh, but if you don't mind…" Sudabeh interjected before he could begin thinking of a story, "Can you add a bit more love in the story? The one about the queen and the priestess was amazing, but I wanna hear a bit more lovey and wholesome."

He could only hope that he had kept his look of surprise well within himself.

"Isn't love a bit of a bold topic for kids like you?"

She shook her head with an air of innocence, "…I don't think so. Rana and Alphonso always have love as part of their stories."

Well, at least there was a clear explanation for her fixation on such a topic.

Picking at his head, he wondered why those two had been filling the heads of these kids with such hefty topics. But there wasn't really any place for him to speak about it.

Ironically enough, the combination of those two topics sparked a reason for him to revisit a part of his memory bank that he would not mind visiting for every waking hour of his life.

A distinguished lady with love… huh?

His lips curved into a faint smile.

If there ever was a free opportunity for him to delve into his memories of her, then he would jump at the chance with no hesitation.

"Since we had Inazuma last time, let me change the setting to Liyue."

Sudabeh's eyes glinted with anticipation. Shifting closer to his side, attention undivided.

Aether took a deep breath and gazed solemnly onto the night sky above.

So began his tale. The tale of a young woman who knew nothing but the strength of her determination and the veracity of her work ethics.

"A young woman, who had once been a scared little girl under the vice of her uncompromising mother. A mother who viewed the world through a cold stare, that descended upon her daughter's unfettered mind.

She grew up with the notion that life is all about working hard to achieve a goal. A goal that may be singular or in the multitude – ones that are spread across varying periods of her life. The means towards her goals developing an extremist philosophy where nothing in life can be achieved without one's efforts, and no other variable would matter towards the culmination of her achievements.

Even in her early years, she strived to make herself proud. But more than that, she strove to be someone that her mother would always be proud of. Even if it meant blinding herself to what it meant to really be a child. To grow and to experience what it meant to learn from innocent fascination. Her life became a constant trial of looking at what is ahead of her with a sense of maturity beyond her years.

A sense of maturity that caused her to lose sight of what the world holds beyond the constant need to strive and work towards an unfathomable goal. One that she had no longer held any semblance of a clue of what that goal had supposedly been.

In a nation that held a degree of reverence for godhood unlike any other; the young woman grew to become someone that looked up to no one other than that of her human mother's judgement. She sneered at the sight of virtuous and would loathe those who discounts her hard work as merely the byproduct of the 'talent' that the gods had bestowed upon her. Striving to prove that luck and divine will had nothing to do with how her mother had shaped her to be, and that her ethics and determination are all she needed to gain results.

For years, she had lived with such a constricting purview of the world."

"She... doesn't sound too loving." Sudabeh quietly questioned.

Aether's look of chagrin was accompanied by an awkward chuckle, "She really doesn't, huh?" An affectionate sigh escaped his lips, "But don't worry, all that is about to change."

A gasp of excitement went out of Sudabeh, who sidled closer to the blonde once more.

"Though change, did not come lightly.

Soon enough, her extreme need for achievements and the necessity of being able to perform all her duties as damn near perfect as it could be, began to rear its ugly end.

Relationships forgotten, words that ran deeper than she had ever meant it to be, and her inevitable ignorance towards the things that had made life all the more worthwhile became her downfall.

The more she thought of others to be strictly that of a burden that would prevent her from achieving her goals, the more the people around her began to leave her life. Friends, foes, and even family, eventually found their way out of her life.

How her mother had emotionlessly waved her off before her father took her away from their home and left her to fend for herself at the beating heart of their nation, will forever leave a gaping pit of pain, in a heart she had not thought of to have possessed.

She could not understand it.

She has lived her whole life trying to become the daughter that her mother had always wanted.

Why is it that when the time had come where she had expected her to want her, where she expected her mother to fight for her existence – it all ended with her being casted aside as if her efforts had been for nothing.

As if the person she had strived to be wanted by all this time, ended up not wanting her at all.

All throughout her life, she had a purpose.

And now, that purpose simply vanished.

Leaving a husk of a tirelessly working teenager behind. A lost soul trying to find her place in a nation that never rests.

Eventually, she returned to doing what she does best. Working hard.

Though what her purpose had been this time remained something that she would struggle to figure out, even when the days of her adolescence saw its end.

Yet, slow as it is, life began to find a way to guide her towards one.

In a time where she had finally thought herself to have recovered from the shock of being left behind by the people she had cared about, the gods decided to bestow upon her an Electro Vision.

She thought that the gods had been laughing at her. Never in her life had she ever needed their help, and when she had finally began thinking that she had passed the crisis of her life – the gods thought that it had been the appropriate time to show her the slightest bit of karma that a skeptic such as her, may or may not have deserved.

Despite it all, she wasn't just about to bow down to what 'fate' has had in store for her.

So, with the best of her efforts, she attempted to destroy the divine relic.

The relic was then subjected to all form and manner of destructive attempts. Fire, brute force through blunt force trauma, throwing it off Liyue's mountainous cliffs. On some occasions, she would attempt to do all those things in tandem after one another. Believing that such an object would soon hit its limit.

But the relic never faltered. The glint of its glossy glow forever visible whenever she went to check if it had been destroyed. The violet hue somewhat felt as if it had been mocking her futile attempts.

In the end, she decided that maybe... just maybe, that it hadn't such a bad thing after all. Though initially, she had assured herself that it would have been better to keep the item around on her person instead of risking the off chance of it falling into the hands of the wrong person.

The more she climbed through the ranks of Liyuean society, the more she recognized the blessings that had come with the item. As much as she would make it a point to others and herself to never fully rely on the relic, she no longer felt any need to reject its presence.

From that one solitary item, she slowly learned to accept the presence of something new in her life. From other objects, habits, activities, to eventually... people.

She was confident at the fact she would have no issues making a career for herself. Her work ethic would grant no less than that, but she finally realized that it is only through others, could she find her to a place in the world where she can begin to impact those around her.

It didn't take long for her to eventually reached the pinnacle of any Liyuean career. That is to be part of the Liyue Qixing."

Sudabeh titled her head in wonder, "What's a Liyue Qixing?"

Aether mulled over an analogy, before snapping his fingers together, "Think of them as the six Sages that the Akademiya has." He scratched his head, hoping that his explanation made sense, "But instead of six, there's seven of them, and instead of schools, the seven of the Liyue Qixing rules some areas of the nation."

"Oooh... so like Grandpa Amadhiah, but there's seven of him?" The girl referring to their village chief.

A bit far-fetched but was conceptually sound enough for Aether to accept.

"...Basically, yeah."

"Okay, okay, and then what happened next?"

"Then, a nefarious plan was discovered that had plotted a disaster against Liyue.

And amongst all that, the god that had overlooked their nation for milleniums was suddenly to have perished through circumstances that the Qixings their selves couldn't discover.

Though the young woman had only been on her position within the Qixing for a mere couple of years up to that point, it did not stop her from shirking her duties as someone that the people of her nation would inevitably look upon to solve the crisis in hand.

Yet with all that being said, she had truthfully felt somewhat lost in the wake of trying to find a solution to their problems.

Though her life had been far cry from when it all had changed, she still lacked the perspective that she deemed herself to have needed to find a way to sufficiently help her nation.

That was, until an outlander suddenly traversed through the gates of their nation. After a brief encounter with the man and recognizing all the feats that he has done for other nations, she finally found someone who might be able to provide her with that new perspective.

In her eyes, he had been a new face that could give her something new to consider, while in his eyes, the nation had just been another set of people in need of help.

Little did she know that he was about to be someone who would serve a more personal role in her life.

With the outlander's mediation between the old guards of the nation with its new ones, they were able to sufficiently dismantle the plans placed upon Liyue and faced the final battle with their heads held up high.

Fighting side-by-side while their swords danced amongst the battlefield, she found within the man a new sense of trust. A sense of companionship that she had yet to garner from any of her peers.

She realized right there and then that this man would be a presence that she couldn't just blissfully ignore.

As fortunate as it was, the man had also sought her companionship. After the dust settled and the nation had been secure, they began to slowly forge a bond that challenge every aspect of the young woman's sense of relationship.

After years of practically being on her own, she eventually found someone who was slowly prying her cold heart open. And with every bit of rust that he was able to chip off of her heart, came the golden hue that had been hiding behind it all.

The change was subtle, but those who paid any attention would have noticed. The young woman to be much more approachable, she began to become more understanding of the fact that not everyone had been as willing to dedicate their selves to work as much as she does, and she had been much more open to cooperating with people from different corners of the nation.

And above all, she had begun to smile more often.

She still led with the same veracity as she did before but is now accompanied by a refined sense of gentle confidence. Her words are no longer forceful, yet encouraging, and her actions had no longer been intimidating, yet awe-inspiring.

Her people gladly welcomed this change. Though very few had known who was to be given credit for such a much-needed development.

Considering the fact that the man she had considered to be the one responsible hadn't thought that he had done much, it would remain her secret for a very long time.

Even after the events of defending their nation, she continuously learned from the outlander who decided to take his time traversing around her nation. Both of them savouring the time that they have spent with one another.

Eventually, it was clear to both of their wandering hearts that they have finally found the significant other that their souls had longed for. Her mind could never let him leave, while his heart can never get enough of being around her.

The young woman finally found the one missing piece in a life that many others would have probably considered to have been complete.

And that piece, had been love."

"...And then they lived happily ever after!" Sudabeh exclaimed. Waving her hands animatedly while the woman watching her simply stared in amusement, "Such a cool story right, Lady Keqing?"

Keqing chuckled freely. On one hand, she had been amused by the child's persistence of referring to her with such formalities, and on the other, she had been secretly astounded by a certain blonde's audacity to make such a story, "No doubt, a very cool story." Though Keqing did have some genuine curiosity, "Was it not too long of a story for you to listen through?"

The little girl shook her head vehemently, "Not at all, I really like those kinds of stories!" She giggled gleefully, "As long as it's about a distinguished lady who is determined and loving, then I don't get bored!"

Keqing watched on as the girl continued to uphold a look of adoration in her glinting eyes. Another part of her heart had begun formulating another curious question.

A question that she couldn't help but to gingerly ask.

"...What do you think of the young woman in the story?"

Sudabeh hummed for a second, before clasping both of Keqing's hand in her own, "I think that she's a really strong and kind woman." Her voice turned sombre for just a moment, "I would be really sad if mama and papa suddenly decided to leave me. But she still ended being a cool lady even after having so many problems in her life."

She didn't know why. It wasn't like she hadn't asked that question to find some funny sort of relief from within herself.

But hearing those words from the innocent mouth of a child had been somewhat liberating.

And just like the woman in the story, there was really only one person that she could credit such a relief to.

"Pardon the intrusion, ladies." A new voice came into fray, with Sudabeh lighting up at the sight of the blonde who just about entered Keqing's vision, "But dinner is almost ready. Rana is looking to gather us all up."

The girl giddily walked up to the blonde, "Aether, I was just telling Lady Keqing about the story of the Liyue electro woman." The blonde's eyes trailing towards the lilac who had just stood up the tree bark they've been hanging around, "You know, the one who is part of that Liyue Qixing?"

In an instant, Aether could feel a questioning gaze boring upon his temple. His voice quivering with nerves as he placed his hand on his knees to respond to the girl.

"O-Oh... You did? Hehe..." The outlander picked at his nape, inching his gaze towards Keqing ever so slightly, "What did you think about it? Pretty good, right?"

Keqing feigned a menacing stride, "Oh, I found it to be quite beautifully entertaining." She placed a thoughtful hand on her chin whilst maintaining her sharp gaze on him, "Though I can't help but wonder if you could tell us how you managed to find the inspiration for such a story."

"W-Well... You know..."

Keqing tilted her head deviously, "Hmm, do I now?"

Sudabeh switched her gaze between the pair. Unaware of the light standoff that immediately turned one-sided in favour of the woman with the electrifying stare.

Luckily for them, Sudabeh diverted her attention the moment a familiar Forest Ranger popped into view.

"Rana, you're back!"

Aether didn't dare take his eyes off of Keqing's amethyst ones as Sudabeh skipped past him and towards where Rana's voice had come from. He remained silent while Keqing closed the distance between them, her eyes scanning his features to look for any miniscule change in expression whilst he tried his best to hide his nervous chuckle away in his chest.

"So, love was the missing piece, hmm?"

He couldn't help to awkwardly grimace at her inquisitive tone, "Yea-, I know... I know..." Placing both his hands on his hips, he sighed melodramatically, "She just kind of put me on the spot, and I was sort of tired from the journey-,"

Before he could finish his rebuttal, he felt the light touch of her lips on his cheek. The look of surprise on his way enough to elicit an adoring giggle from the amused kisser.

"I wasn't lying. It was a beautiful story." She shrugged with a sigh of acceptance, "It was somewhat comforting to hear of what you think of me through another person's perspective."

Gingerly reaching for her hand, he asked, "You're not mad?"

"Why would I be?" Keqing quickly teased back, "You managed to show someone else just how much you understand me and how I became who I am."

She lightly nudged his shoulder with her own.

"If anything, it's quite a blessing, isn't it?"

Aether finally smiled, relieved at the fact that she genuinely hadn't minded at the story he had made up on the spot.

"Though next time..." She playfully flicked his nose, turning towards him, "Maybe run it by me first before you decide to show me off?"

Snaking a hand around her waist, he tenderly placed a kiss by the side of her head before laughing freely.

"Will do, Lady Yuheng."