"I have truly never seen someone put red envelopes on a tab before. Really."
Lora looked at Zhongli and said earnestly, "Besides, do you really need to be that frugal? Even if you won't give one to me, you still have to give them to the other adepti, Hu Tao, and everyone else!"
"Theirs have naturally been prepared," Zhongli said, reassuring her. "As for yours... you are no longer a child."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk..." Lora shook her head, leaning against Sophia as she said to Zhongli, "Look, look. Sophia is still the one who treats me best!"
Sophia smiled helplessly and raised a finger, pushing Lora's head aside.
Then she looked over at Beleth and asked, "How should I address you, Cryo Archon?"
"Beleth," Beleth replied.
"I didn't know you were coming, so I didn't prepare a red envelope for you. I hope you don't mind," Sophia said with a hint of apology.
"It's fine. I don't need one." Beleth shook her head, making it clear she had no interest in such childish things.
If word got out that the Empress of Snezhnaya had asked for a red envelope in Liyue, how was she supposed to face the Harbingers under her command?
"It's a festival, so don't worry about the little details!" Sophia said with a smile. "I don't have one this time, but I'll make it up to you next time."
Beleth looked at the gentle, amiable Sophia and frowned. "You aren't going to ask why I'm here?"
Sophia shook her head. "Don't you know what I'm capable of? If I wanted to know, I could simply look it up."
The Dendro Archon's authority allowed Sophia to perceive all things. That was indeed a level the Cryo Archon could not reach.
Beleth sighed, said nothing more, and lowered her head to continue preparing the vegetables.
"Come on. Let's cook." Lora pulled Sophia toward the kitchen.
As far as Lora was concerned, there were no guests right now. Everyone had to help. Sophia was her best friend, so naturally, she had even more reason to help.
Equality was the guiding principle here.
Everyone had to obediently work for her.
Furina quietly sidled up to Nahida and whispered, "Hey, hey, how are your kites coming along?"
"Mom and I made a really, really beautiful kite!" Nahida gestured as she spoke.
"Will you sell it to us?" Furina asked next.
This was the tactic Lora had taught her.
They had no technique, but they had money!
If they had money, then they had technique.
Nahida looked at Furina in surprise, then shook her head and asked, "Has Aunt Lora still not finished making the kite?"
Furina shook her head. "No. Mom has spent the past few days doing nothing but looking for fun. How would she have time to make a kite? She told me to just buy a few random ones on the street later so we can keep up appearances."
"Uh..." Nahida glanced toward the kitchen, then said, "That does sound very much like Aunt Lora."
Furina spread her hands. "We're not aiming for the prize anyway. It's just for fun."
Fontaine was rich. They had no need to care about such minor prizes!
In any case, Lora would never admit that she was only saying that because she had no way of winning!
The courtyard was filled with lively chatter when the front gate was suddenly pushed open. Scaramouche walked in with a dark expression, carrying a gift that was almost bigger than his entire body, then set it down beside him with a heavy thud.
Then he turned back and said, "Could you carry it yourselves next time?"
Makoto shook her head with a smile. "No, that won't do."
Ei said to Scaramouche, "If we tell you to carry it, then carry it. For you, what difference does this little bit of weight make?"
The Shogun nodded. "Exactly."
Scaramouche: "..."
Lora poked her head out from the kitchen and called to the group at the entrance, "Welcome to Xianyun Grand Restaurant! Sit anywhere you like. If you don't mind, come help us out and use your lightning to heat the stove."
"If we use our lightning, the pot will probably explode," Makoto replied.
"Besides, aren't you using the Supreme Cuisine Machine?" Ei asked.
"The Supreme Cuisine Machine isn't enough. We have far too many people eating!" Xianyun said to Makoto and the others.
Makoto nodded with a smile. "All right, all right. I'll help."
It was only when she walked toward the kitchen that she saw Beleth by the doorway.
"Hm? Isn't this Anastasya? Why are you here too?" Makoto looked at her in surprise.
Beleth, who had been silently watching everyone chat and laugh, pressed her lips together slightly when she heard Makoto's question.
After a long pause, she said, "The Anemo Archon invited me here. Also... to be safe, you may call me Beleth."
"Venti invited us too!" Makoto smiled at her. "Welcome to Lantern Rite!"
"..."
Beleth looked at Makoto and fell silent. In the end, she did not continue the conversation.
Ei patted Scaramouche. "Your former boss. Aren't you going to greet her?"
Scaramouche's gaze fell on Beleth.
His expression was complicated, but more than anything, he was silent. He truly did not know what to say.
Boss?
In the end, his relationship with Beleth had only ever been one of mutual interest.
The Cryo Archon gave the Harbingers the chance to pursue their own ideals, and the Harbingers followed her banner of rebellion against the Heavenly Principles.
But between Scaramouche and Beleth, there really was no deeper relationship to speak of.
"After speaking with the Anemo Archon, I've thought about many things. I don't have much to say." After looking at Beleth for a while, Scaramouche shook his head. "I am... no longer a Fatui Harbinger."
Beleth did not say anything more either. She simply nodded. "You have found your own path. That is good."
Makoto entered the kitchen.
When Ei tried to follow, she was immediately invited back out by Lora, Sophia, Xianyun, and Makoto, who had only just gone in.
Sophia smiled and said, "Ei, wait outside for dinner, all right? Be good."
Ei: "..."
Scaramouche said from the side, "Don't even think about cooking. Come help with something else."
Paimon waved the red lantern in her hand. "We still haven't finished decorating. Help us out!"
"Oh. All right..." Ei nodded, fully aware of her own cooking skills.
No, never mind.
She had no cooking skills to speak of.
Beleth felt somewhat out of place.
In this courtyard filled with warmth and cheer, everyone was friends, whether they were gods, Dragon Sovereigns, a Traveler, or adepti.
And she was the outsider.
The world was lively, but none of it had anything to do with her.
After finishing the vegetables, Beleth sat alone in the corner by the wall, watching everything in the courtyard.