In front of the Mondstadt butcher shop
The moment she heard Kaeya's voice, Bonanus froze. Why was he here again? Didn't this guy have anything to do all day?
"Senior Kaeya! Are you here to buy meat?" Noelle asked respectfully. Her eyes sparkled with hope that he might give her another task.
"Of course. I've been busy lately. Eating nothing but trail rations when I go out. Today I came to buy some meat and treat myself." Kaeya smiled with his eyes narrowed like a black fox.
"Senior Kaeya, you work so hard!" Noelle looked at him with admiration. If he worked so hard, she needed to work even harder.
"It's nothing. It's my duty." Kaeya spread his hands. He opened his narrowed eyes and looked at Bonanus, who still hadn't turned around.
This lady was really strange. She always acted differently around him. Why was that?
"Yo, Miss Fashui, you're looking very well. Looks like you're having fun with Noelle." Kaeya stepped forward with a friendly expression, like a kind older brother.
Bonanus finally turned around. She tilted her head and gave him an awkward smile.
"Hello. If there's nothing else, Noelle and I will be going."
"Don't be so cold. Making a new friend is a good thing." Kaeya put on a hurt expression, but Bonanus knew it was just an act.
Just as she was about to say "no need," Noelle spoke again. She lowered her head and said apologetically,
"Senior Kaeya, we accidentally broke your fishing rod. Please don't be angry. We'll compensate you."
Kaeya shook his head at the change of subject. He spread his hands and said casually,
"Don't worry about it. If it's just broken, I can get it fixed. It'll still work."
"A broken rod won't work as well even if it's fixed. I should buy you a new one, Senior Kaeya. A good quality rod catches more fish." Noelle said seriously. Seeing that Kaeya wasn't angry, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Who says fishing is about catching fish?" Kaeya chuckled. Fishing was quiet. It let him think about certain things.
Like that faintly visible island in the sky.
He stepped forward and patted Noelle's shoulder, telling her not to worry about the fishing rod. Then he looked at Bonanus and continued,
"Forget it. Just return the broken rod to me when you can. Have fun, you two."
Kaeya waved casually and walked toward the butcher shop, leaving behind only his mysterious silhouette.
After he disappeared inside, the two girls looked at each other. Was that it? The fishing rod problem was solved just like that?
Wow. That was easy.
"That went well." Noelle breathed a sigh of relief. Senior Kaeya's temper was as good as ever. Still, why did fishing have to be about catching fish?
If a fisherman sat there all day and caught nothing, wouldn't that be frustrating?
"Really. Why do we run into him everywhere?" Bonanus crossed her arms and complained. Kaeya was truly an omnipresent man.
"Please don't say that. Senior Kaeya is a good person!" Noelle shook her head. Her sister didn't seem to want to run into him. Why was that?
Had they had some conflict in the past? Probably not.
"Okay, okay." Bonanus waved her hand dismissively.
It wasn't that she didn't want to see him. Who wouldn't want to see such a handsome one eyed man? But his mysterious smile and probing gaze made her uncomfortable.
He was an old fox who loved playing pranks. The Knights' Spark Knight had suffered greatly from him, often getting tricked.
"Noelle, let's change the subject. After the meat is processed, we need to find a chef to cook it. Which chef in Mondstadt is the best?" Bonanus rubbed her chin, thinking.
For meat dishes, Springvale was the best. A woman named Brook there was an excellent cook.
But again, she didn't want to leave the city.
"Don't worry about the chef. I've already contacted some very skilled cooks. They'll make great dishes." Noelle smiled.
Those chefs had all been helped by Noelle before. They agreed to help without charging anything.
"Wow, Noelle, you're amazing. You're so efficient." Bonanus looked surprised, but then her expression calmed down. It was Noelle, after all.
She felt like she could just laze around forever with Noelle by her side. With such a gentle, cute, hardworking girl around, how could anyone not want to slack off?
She had a feeling that if she lived with Noelle for too long, she would become a bedridden bum.
"Hehe, it's my duty." Noelle put her hands behind her back, her face slightly red.
Bonanus rubbed her shoulders and looked around casually.
"I feel like I haven't done anything. No sense of accomplishment."
Having a reliable girl by her side was great, but if she was too reliable, then there was nothing left for her to do.
As an adeptus, she couldn't let that happen.
"I'm sorry. I'll be more mindful next time." Noelle slowly lowered her head, looking guilty.
Bonanus sighed and rubbed her forehead. She said the wrong thing again. She should stop complaining, or Noelle would misunderstand.
"No, no, that's not what I meant!" Bonanus took Noelle's hands, wanting to explain, but she didn't know where to start.
Seeing Noelle still looking upset, she sighed and changed the subject.
"Speaking of which, we have so much meat. The two of us can't eat it all. To avoid wasting food, Noelle, can you help me invite some people to share it?"
"Really?" Noelle's eyes lit up. It would be wonderful if they could all get together.
"Of course. Good things are meant to be shared. We could even have a party. Those three wild boars are huge." Bonanus smiled. She wasn't serious about the party.
In Mondstadt, as a stranger, she couldn't just throw a party. She didn't have many friends here.
"But Sister, don't you want to save some for your future travels?" Noelle hesitated.
Eating together with everyone would be wonderful, but those boars were her sister's catch.
"There's more than one boar in the world. They breed very fast. And I want to make more friends. You don't mind, do you, Noelle?" Bonanus smiled.
"Of course not!" Noelle answered loudly. How could she mind? Please don't see yourself as an outsider.
Satisfied with the answer, Bonanus sighed with relief. She walked behind Noelle and gave her a gentle push.
"Then it's settled. Go invite some people. We'll enjoy the food together tonight."
"Right now?" Noelle asked, confused.
"Yes. Don't worry. I'll be waiting at the shopping street." Bonanus said softly.
"Okay... okay. Wait for me, Sister." Noelle rubbed her fingers together, smiled at Bonanus, and walked away.
Bonanus stood with her hands on her hips, watching Noelle leave. She shook her head helplessly and turned toward the shopping street.
"Alright. Time to buy some things."