The next day, Aether woke up very early.
It seemed he hadn't woken up this early since coming to this world.
After all, he had taken on this job; he couldn't possibly wake up later than Ningguang, he had to prepare early.
After a simple wash, Aether arrived at Ningguang's room door and knocked.
"Ningguang, are you awake?"
By rights, Aether should have called her Lady Ningguang, as his current role was Ningguang's temporary secretary.
But during their conversation yesterday, Ningguang had given him special permission, and even… seemed to prefer him to use her name rather than a respectful title.
Aether also felt that adding "Lady" to the address was somewhat uncomfortable, so Ningguang allowing him to call her by her name directly was a relief.
"I am, please wait a moment." Ningguang's voice came from inside the room; she sounded as if she had been awake for a long time, with no hint of grogginess from just waking up.
Although Aether also found it hard to imagine what Ningguang would look like in such a state.
A moment later, Ningguang opened the door.
Indeed, Ningguang was now fully dressed; aside from her hair not yet being tied up, everything else was as usual.
"Um… did I come too late?" Aether asked somewhat nervously.
He had deliberately woken up much earlier than usual, and the time they had agreed upon yesterday hadn't even arrived yet, but judging by Ningguang's appearance, she must have woken up even earlier than him.
"No, this time is just right." Ningguang smiled faintly and said softly.
In reality, what Aether didn't know was that Ningguang had barely slept last night.
Ningguang usually thought a lot; as one of the Seven Stars of this nation, many matters required careful consideration, especially regarding making Mora.
However, Ningguang would never overthink before bed; she placed great importance on the quality of her sleep.
But last night was different; her mind was in turmoil, filled with thoughts about Aether.
She didn't even realize it until dawn was almost breaking.
"Then, shall I do your hair?" Aether breathed a sigh of relief, then said with a smile.
Ningguang looked beautiful with her hair down like this, but it certainly wasn't suitable for going out.
Aether had previously asked the maid, who said that doing hair was also part of a personal secretary's duties; for this, Aether had specifically asked the maid for detailed instructions.
After all, Aether's hair wasn't too long, incomparable to Ningguang's long hair, and someone of Ningguang's status certainly couldn't be dealt with simply.
Aether's learning ability was not bad; he had great confidence in this and was already eager to try.
"…Alright." Ningguang, for some reason, seemed to hesitate for a moment, but finally nodded.
She turned and returned to her room, and Aether immediately followed her.
The room was no different from when Aether had visited yesterday; the book Ningguang had been reading yesterday was also placed on the bed.
"Do you know how I usually braid my hair?" Ningguang sat in front of the dressing table, looking at Aether in the mirror, and slowly asked.
"Ah, the maid who brought me here yesterday told me a little…" Aether came back to his senses, then walked behind Ningguang.
Ningguang's usual hairstyle looked simple, but that was only from the front.
In reality, it was very difficult to do; it was said that when Baiwen first tried it, it took a full hour.
Aether was also a novice, but he felt he shouldn't take that long, right?
Thinking this, Aether reached out and touched Ningguang's hair… The texture was unexpectedly good, like high-quality silk.
And Ningguang's hair quality was also excellent; besides being smooth, Aether couldn't think of any other adjectives.
Just a simple stroke, and Aether felt a sense of not wanting to let go.
"Then, I'll begin."
Aether took a deep breath, then began his movements.
For a moment, the room fell silent; Aether was concentrating on his actions, while Ningguang stared blankly at Aether's face in the mirror.
After a long while, Ningguang finally spoke: "How did you sleep last night?"
"I slept quite well; I feel like there's nowhere in all of Liyue that's more comfortable to stay than Qunyu Pavilion, right?" Aether said with a smile, his hands not stopping.
"That's indeed true." Ningguang smiled faintly; Qunyu Pavilion was the culmination of her life's work, and everything about it was the best in Liyue.
"But Ningguang, you look like you didn't rest very well."
Aether's sudden remark made Ningguang's smile freeze slightly.
"Oh? How can you tell?" Ningguang didn't refute, but merely asked back.
Although she usually didn't stay up late, occasionally when work was busy, she would work very late.
Moreover, she maintained herself very well; just one night, and she was confident that she looked and felt no different from usual.
"It's just a feeling, I can't quite explain it…" Aether picked up a hairpin; the hair-styling work was almost finished.
"Your feeling is quite accurate."
"Did Ningguang encounter something troublesome last night?" Aether couldn't help but ask.
After all, after he finished washing Ningguang's feet, she was already in bed preparing to rest, so it certainly wasn't because of work that she didn't rest well last night.
"Hmm… nothing, just some minor matters that bothered me a little." Ningguang pondered for a moment, then looked at Aether in the mirror and slowly said.
For her, anything unrelated to Mora wasn't a big deal… Yes, just a few small matters.
"Hmm, if it's about work, I shouldn't pry too much… I looked at the schedule, and besides meeting Captain Beidou today, there's nothing too important, so why don't you rest well during the day?"
Aether didn't ask for details about the matter, as Ningguang, being a high-ranking official in Liyue and constantly busy, probably had many things she couldn't disclose to outsiders.
"Since you have taken on the role of my secretary, all matters regarding the schedule are yours to arrange." Ningguang had no objection to Aether's suggestion.
"Okay, it's done, take a look." Aether revealed a happy smile, then took a few steps back.
He was very satisfied; he just didn't know how Ningguang felt.
"Hmm…" Ningguang finally came back to her senses and focused her attention on her hair.
She had been staring at Aether's face earlier; his serious expression had captivated her, and she hadn't noticed the change in her hairstyle at all.
"Not bad…" Ningguang nodded.
If Aether could continue this job, that would be great.
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