Chapter 30: You Can Always Trust the Jumpy Dumpty
Mondstadt, the Grand Library.
Jean watched as Su Han skillfully picked the door lock and slipped into the grand library, his movements as smooth as if he were returning to his own home.
However, after everything that had happened tonight, Jean's heart had become utterly unflappable.
Still, she felt a twinge of doubt. There were at least two knights guarding the first-floor hall of the Knights' headquarters—had he knocked them out or something?
"While there's still time, I need to think about how to explain this to Jean tomorrow..."
Su Han paused, setting Jean down on the sofa before sitting beside her, muttering to himself.
"Jean is so pure-hearted; if I tell her you just accidentally fell asleep, she'll definitely believe it, right?"
Jean sighed inwardly. Come tomorrow morning, their relationship would probably turn into one of irreconcilable enemies.
"Then how do I explain to Jean that I impersonated her to go to the Cathedral of Mondstadt and protect the Holy Lyre der Himmel?"
Jean felt a pang of sadness. There's an old saying in Liyue: "The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind." Mr. Su Han had originally intended to steal the Holy Lyre der Himmel, but he hadn't expected to be outmaneuvered by the Fatui.
As Jean, I've fantasized about going to Cape Oath before dawn... I've dreamed about...
But as the Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, I would never bend the rules for personal feelings.
From now on, I'll completely cut out my girlish heart. You and the Traveler and the others—I'll capture you; the Fatui—I'll capture them too.
Su Han: "The timing of Mondstadt's original Grand Master Varka's expedition couldn't have been worse. Now Mondstadt is plagued by troubles both inside and out, with all the burdens piled on Jean's shoulders..."
"Jean is a strong, kind girl, a reliable knight, the guardian in the hearts of Mondstadt's people."
"But she's flesh and blood too. Working without sleep or rest like this, one day her body will break down."
Jean: The wind will cleanse my weariness and restore my strength to press on. Jean won't fall.
For Mondstadt, to become the Acting Grand Master everyone can truly rely on, Jean will keep striving.
Su Han: "Tch, beating up that Fatui attaché bitch earlier felt incredibly satisfying."
Jean: ?
Su Han: "The Lawrence Clan... what the hell is that? I haven't looked into it since arriving here. How are they connected to the Fatui?"
"From what that bitch said, they're eyeing Mondstadt's city defense maps and planning to start with the Lawrence Clan."
Jean: !!
Su Han: "Seems like... that knight guarding the city gate is named Lawrence. Maybe I should beat him up tomorrow and see if I can get anything out of him."
Jean: No, he's not from the Lawrence Clan!
Su Han: "It's decided!"
Jean silently mourned for the Knight of Favonius, Lawrence.
Su Han: "I'll take Grand Master Jean back first. Once she wakes up tomorrow, I'll explain everything properly."
"Jean is so innocent; she'll definitely believe what I say."
Jean: ...
Su Han: "Also, I deliberately let that Fatui who stole the Holy Lyre der Himmel tonight get away."
"But her soul is fragile. After facing my spiritual pressure head-on, her soul will suffer some damage."
"Once I drink the [Tracking Potion], her soul will shine like a firefly in the night."
At this point, Jean seemed to catch on. Was Mr. Su Han helping her in his own way?
"As long as the Fatui aren't idiots, the Holy Lyre der Himmel absolutely won't stay in Mondstadt City."
"Then, when I chase after it with Grand Master Jean and the others, we can retrieve the Holy Lyre der Himmel and turn around to wipe out the Fatui's stronghold."
"That way, there'll be no evidence left. Since it's outside Mondstadt City, Snezhnaya can't hold us accountable, so the Fatui will have to swallow this bitter pill in silence."
Jean felt a bit at a loss; she hadn't expected Mr. Su Han to think so far ahead.
Su Han continued his analysis: "That attaché definitely didn't realize that while she was scheming against me, I turned the tables on her."
"After such heavy losses, the Fatui will surely look for someone to blame."
"If the accountability comes from Snezhnaya's higher-ups, I bet that mysterious [Lady] will choose to shove the responsibility onto the attaché."
"If the [Lady] is smart, she'll ask for details about everything that happened during this period."
"If the [Lady] is an idiot, she'll kill the attaché before the accountability process even starts, staging it as a suicide out of guilt to avoid taking the blame herself."
The more Jean listened, the more her heart surged with excitement; she wished she could jump up right then and discuss a counterattack plan with Su Han over candlelight.
Then, when Jean came back to her senses, she realized she had pinned Su Han down on the sofa in an extremely indecent position.
Su Han: "..."
Jean: "..."
She took a deep breath, her snow-white, ample bosom rising and falling with it, a moist, sweet fragrance escaping.
Su Han forced an awkward yet polite smile: "Good evening, Grand Master Jean. When did you wake up?"
Jean thought for a moment, then mimicked Su Han's tone and said flatly: "Jean, I promise, I'm just borrowing you temporarily. Once I'm done, I'll return you right away."
Perhaps fearing Su Han might escape, Jean maintained this highly aggressive posture. Unnoticed by anyone, her fair earlobes had quietly turned red.
"Mr. Su Han, I think we need to have a proper talk."
"Thanks to you, I'm feeling incredibly energetic right now. Don't worry, the night is still young—we have plenty of time for a heart-to-heart."
—
Knights of Favonius Headquarters, first-floor hall.
Dozens of knights had gathered there, their expressions filled with anxious unease.
The Holy Lyre der Himmel had been stolen, and they hadn't caught the culprit.
Their comrades Miles and Otto had inexplicably been beaten up, stammering and refusing to speak, and even Grand Master Jean was missing.
Could Mondstadt's darkest hour be upon them?
From the side door of the library, Jean and Su Han hid in the corner, secretly observing it all.
"See? They're way too dependent on you."
"Without you, they're just a bunch of useless sacks, completely worthless," Su Han said.
Jean remained silent, momentarily unable to find a suitable rebuttal.
"The Knights of Favonius are the sword and shield protecting Mondstadt."
"Besides clearing monsters from the wilderness and guarding the city and roads, the knights' most important duty is maintaining order in Mondstadt."
"But without me, they can't even handle the basics of keeping order. Have I been spoiling them too much?" Confusion flickered in Jean's eyes.
Su Han: "Be confident—drop the 'have I been' part."
Jean: "..."
Su Han: "They're really not as disciplined as you imagine, Jean."
"Bet I could make them scatter without a fight, just with one sentence?"
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