" A similar experience... "
As Eula listened to Alice's reminder, she couldn't help but recall the rumors about Alice she had heard as a child.
Back then, Eula was very, very young, perhaps just old enough to understand things. Her impression of Alice came entirely from the gossip of neighbors.
"Did you hear? That woman is back!"
"I know. They say she's heavily pregnant, and the child is from that traveler from back then."
"Sigh... We in Mondstadt finally had a few years of peace. How could she come back again..."
"I hope her child and husband can make Alice settle down a bit. I really don't want to live through those days of constant anxiety again."
... That was what the young Eula heard about Alice.
In Eula's memory, whenever people mentioned the name Alice, their faces would twist into expressions of dread.
So, the young Eula asked the adults of the Lawrence clan about Alice's deeds. The most glorious, naturally, was the Stormterror's Lair incident.
After the Stormterror's Lair incident, Alice was invited by Grand Master Varka to join Mondstadt and became a member of the Knights of Favonius.
And from that day on, Mondstadt's peace was shattered.
Alice, with her passion for explosive experiments, saw her lab likely blow up two or three times a month. Terrifying explosions occurred frequently within Mondstadt city or its outskirts.
Those who bore the greatest grudge were Mondstadt's fish merchants. Transporting sea fish was troublesome, requiring travel dozens of kilometers to Falcon Coast to catch them. Plus, the waters for dozens of nautical miles around Falcon Coast were shallow, making it nearly impossible to catch any large fish.
So, Cider Lake and the city moat became the perfect breeding grounds for fish merchants to raise freshwater fish.
But ever since Alice arrived in Mondstadt, Cider Lake and the city moat became her perfect testing grounds for her explosive results. First, it wouldn't hurt people. Second, it wouldn't cause destruction.
So, during that period, Mondstadt's waters practically exploded every other day! Fry and adult fish were almost completely wiped out in less than a month.
The problem was, Varka couldn't do anything about Alice. After all, when he invited Alice to Mondstadt, Varka had promised to let her continue her explosive experiments. And the waterways happened to be the safest testing grounds.
Cutting off someone's livelihood is like killing their parents. The fish merchants hated Alice to the core. They often incited residents to complain to the Knights of Favonius about Alice's misdeeds.
So, in Eula's impression, Alice's reputation in Mondstadt was indeed at rock bottom.
But then, at some point, Alice's reputation seemed to improve a lot.
Right! It seemed to be because of the " Teyvat Travel Guide" series of books, which led many residents yearning for the outside world to frequently visit Alice and her husband.
It also seemed that because they repeatedly destroyed Hilichurl camps or dealt with reactivated Ruin creatures, the Knights of Favonius would heavily publicize the deeds of Alice and her husband within Mondstadt city.
So, in the eyes of Mondstadt's people, while Alice's reputation remained poor, it now carried an indescribable sense of respect. After all, in a way, the " Teyvat Travel Guide" series pointed a new direction for Mondstadt's freedom.
Destroying Hilichurl camps in the wild and dealing with Ruin creatures were also ways Alice contributed to protecting Mondstadt.
Recalling everything Alice had done over the years, Eula couldn't help but secretly clench her fist. She looked at Alice, her gaze firm, and said, " Lady Alice, I know what I need to do next.
"
" Do you really understand? "
Alice smiled.
" Yes. Although the people of Mondstadt are full of prejudice against me, I will use my own way to change everyone's view of me and the Lawrence clan.
For now, I'll just note down this grudge. "
Eula's eyes burned brightly, as if she could see the path forward.
Alice looked at the hopeful light in Eula's eyes. She seemed to want to say something more, but in the end, she just gently patted Eula's shoulder and smiled. "
The road to changing everyone's impression of you is long and difficult! "
" Because I had my man by my side, I was able to persevere until the day everyone recognized me. "
Saying this, Alice smiled. " I hope you, like me, will meet that companion who can weather the storms with you.
"
The "companion" she referred to was naturally her own husband, Lin Mo.
Mentioning a companion, a flicker of loss passed through Eula's eyes.
" Hmm? You don't have a companion?
" Alice frowned. "
Well, until you meet a companion who can get through hard times with you, you can come to me with any difficulties. "
" Lady Alice... "
Eula's eyes were practically brimming with emotion.
Truthfully, over all these years, she could have had companions. But because of the Lawrence surname, Eula didn't want to trouble others, so she kept her distance from most people. She had grown accustomed to bearing all the hardship and grievance alone.
Now, hearing Alice say she was willing to accompany her through difficulties, how could she not be moved?
But just then.
" Eula~!!! "
An anxious shout came from the direction of the Mondstadt bridge, immediately drawing the attention of both Alice and Eula.
They saw Amber, also in her youth, running anxiously from the bridge towards Eula.
" Amber? Is she your friend?
" Alice asked with a smile.
" I... I'm not very familiar with her,"
Eula shook her head, continuing to explain. " But these past few days since joining the Knights, she's taken good care of me and been very warm towards me.
"
" That's quite good then," Alice's eyes held a touch of欣慰 (satisfaction/approval).
" Don't keep pushing others away anymore, especially someone with a fiery personality like Amber. If you cold-shoulder her, she'll be sad.
"
" Yes... I'll try my best,"
Eula nodded gently.
And at that moment, Amber, panting heavily, arrived before Eula and said anxiously, " Eula, you had me so worried! I heard from the knights that you were being harassed by a vendor in the commercial street, so I rushed over immediately.
Are... are you okay? "
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T/N:
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