She was actually forced to serve as a maid for an entire month!
Outside the door, three Fatui guards stood watch. Their duty was to ensure security and prevent anyone without a keen eye from barging in and interrupting a Harbinger's conversation. However, the constant, loud noises coming from inside the room left them utterly bewildered.
"What's going on in there?"
"What are those two doing?"
"I feel like... I feel like someone is jumping around."
"Could those two adults have some... strange preferences?"
"Maybe they're practicing a dance for the Ice Hearth Festival..."
Just as they were whispering their theories, a piercing scream from La Signora suddenly echoed from within. The three of them were struck with terror.
"That's Lady Signora's voice!"
"Quick, get in there!"
"The Harbinger is being assassinated!"
They burst through the door simultaneously, only to be frozen in their tracks by the scene before them.
The woman they usually looked up to with both reverence and fearLa Signora! The Crimson Witch of Flame! The Eighth of the Fatui Harbingers!
She was currently sitting beside Ye Xi, her small, fair hands working vigorously as she massaged his shoulders!
This sight sent a shockwave through everyone present.
"Lady Signora, you... what is..."
Before the young Fatui member in the middle could finish his sentence, the two beside him clamped their hands over his mouth, nearly suffocating him.
"Deeply sorry, my lady! We are leaving immediately!"
"Pardon the interruption..."
With that, they hauled their comrade out, sandwiching him between them, and slammed the door shut behind them.
Everything had happened so fast that Rosalyne was still in a daze. When her subordinates burst in, her mind had been a whirlwind of thoughts: shock, panic, shame, regret, and fury. By the time the door slammed shut with a heavy thud, it felt as though a funeral bell had tolled for her world.
She broke down.
My subordinates saw me!
They saw me in this disgraceful state!
Rosalyne's heart turned cold with despair. Once word of this got out, her image in the eyes of her followers would completely collapse. Every Fatui Harbinger relied on their dignity to command respect; if this spread, how could she ever face anyone again?
"Why did you stop? Keep kneading!" Ye Xi ordered impatiently.
Rosalyne sniffled, a soft sob escaping her. Tears were already welling in her eyes, threatening to spill over. Like a scolded subordinate herself, she endured the humiliation and continued the massage.
To be honest, no man had ever treated her like this before.
It's all for the Tsaritsa! she told herself, clinging to her last shred of stubborn pride.
...
Outside the door, the three Fatui guards stared at one another, their eyes wide with shock. A group of guards who had been rushing over to assist them also stood frozen, exchanging bewildered looks.
"What's the situation? Wasn't the Harbinger being assassinated?"
"Yeah, why did you guys come back out?"
"What happened?"
Everyone was confused. The three guards immediately recounted the scene they had just witnessed. The entire hall erupted into an uproar.
"What? Lady Signora is massaging that Harbinger's shoulders?!"
"Are you insane? That's the Crimson Witch of Flame!"
"Impossible. You must be blind! Lady Signora is a pinnacle of authority among the Harbingers, a total queen. How could she possibly be massaging a man's shoulders?"
"If you keep spreading rumors, I'll break you! How dare you insult the goddess of my heart?"
"Stop talking nonsense. Lady Signora is the proudest existence there is!"
"Exactly! Lady Signora is my faith; she is the greatest!"
"In my heart, after Her Majesty the Tsaritsa, there is only Lady Signora! Do not speak such slander!"
Seeing these devotees of Signora reacting with such fury, the three guards narrowed their eyes.
"I swear upon my faith in the Tsaritsa that what we saw was the absolute truth!"
That was the most solemn oath a Fatui could take. The entire organization served the Tsaritsa, and their faith in her outweighed life and death. If a Fatui member swore such an oath, it was impossible for them to be lying.
Hearing the oath, a large portion of the crowd felt their spirits sink.
"How... how could this be?"
"I don't accept it. I can't accept this!"
"I just don't understand!"
While the devotees were grief-stricken, another group began to look upon Ye Xi with newfound admiration.
"Just what is that Harbinger's title? He's incredible!"
"Yeah, to make La Signora massage his shoulders willingly... just how strong is he?"
"I don't think it's just about raw power; it must be his emotional intelligence too!"
"To actually land someone like La Signora... he's a god!"
"So cool! Truly impressive!"
"He managed to make Lady Signora so submissive. From now on, I'm a follower of that Harbinger!"
"If even La Signora is serving him like this, just how high is his status?"
"He must be the Tsaritsa's most trusted right-hand man!"
The crowd chattered away, everyone desperate to know the current situation inside the room. One by one, they pressed their ears against the door, trying to catch any sound from within.
Inside the room, Ye Xi stretched his shoulders, feeling incredibly refreshed. "Not bad. You really do have a talent for being a massage therapist!"
His praise was genuine.
A miserable Rosalyne, seeing that Ye Xi was finally satisfied, reached out her hand. "Now, give me the Gnosis."
"Huh?" Ye Xi blinked, his eyes filled with mock confusion.
Seeing his expression, a wave of panic surged through Rosalyne's heart. She grabbed the corner of his clothes with both hands. "You said you'd give it to me! You can't go back on your word! Give it to me now!"
Ye Xi looked at her with a strange expression. "I only said I'd let you massage my shoulders. I never said I'd give you the Gnosis for it."
"Ehh?"
Rosalyne froze. Then, the tears began to stream down her face.
"Waaaaah... you're a bully..."
"You bastard! I'm going to kill you!"
"You've gone too far! Waaaaah..."
The tears fell like broken pearls, tracing paths down her cheeks. Watching the girl cry so pitifully, her beauty marred by distress, Ye Xi actually felt a twinge of guilt.
This was the Eighth HarbingerLa Signora! And here she was, crouching on the floor and wailing like a child. Where was the decorum?
Rosalyne was breathless from sobbing, her hands constantly wiping at her eyes. Ye Xi suddenly felt like a massive villainlike those scumbags who trick innocent girls and then refuse to pay up afterward. Truly heinous.
"Alright, stop crying. You're the Eighth Harbinger, for heaven's sake!"
Hearing his attempt at comfort, Rosalyne only cried harder. Ye Xi was at a loss; he had no idea how to handle a girl who was a complete "crybaby."
[Sigh, I'm such a typical straight man. I just can't stand seeing girls cry.]
[It actually hurts a bit to see her like this.]
[I need to think of a way to comfort her.]
Hearing Ye Xi's inner voice, Rosalyne felt slightly better. At least this man knew how to feel sympathy. Then, Ye Xi's voice reached her ears again.
Ye Xi crouched down and patted Rosalyne's shoulder. "How about this? Stay by my side and be obedient, and in one month, I'll give the Gnosis to you."
Rosalyne was stunned. A month!?
Was this comfort? This was just him thinking she wasn't crying hard enough!
"Go to hell! You scumbag! Waaaaah..." Rosalyne wailed. She felt like she had never been so wronged in her entire life.
Ye Xi, however, felt quite smug. Bullying a woman was actually pretty satisfying.
[Actually, keeping this Gnosis doesn't seem to have much use for me anyway.]
[In less than a month, Mondstadt is going to face Stormterror's threat.]
[I have to go there to get the Anemo Archon's Gnosis; I can't delay that.]
[I'll just talk it over with Barbatos. He'll probably just give it to me.]
[Wait, damn. Last time I was in Inazuma, I forgot to ask Ei for her Gnosis.]
[I should have never let Miko give the Gnosis back to Ei in the first place.]
[Oh well, I'll find another chance. For now, what use is there in holding onto this one?]
Rosalyne, who had been crying past her limit and was now just sniffling, hesitated as she heard Ye Xi's heart.
He's going to Mondstadt too?
What is this 'Stormterror's threat'?
And why is he collecting Gnoses too?
Wait, 'Ei'... he must be talking about the Raiden Shogun!
This man is so mysterious. He seems to be on very good terms with the Anemo and Electro Archons!
After thinking it over, Rosalyne had a sudden realization. Their goals were actually the same. Ye Xi also wanted to collect the seven Gnoses. The Tsaritsa had mobilized so many people and spent such a massive price just to get them.
If Ye Xi did the collecting instead, wouldn't they be able to "sit back and reap the spoils" later? In that case, Ye Xi would just be another worker for them!
I feel like I should discuss this with Her Majesty the Tsaritsa.
So... should I stay by his side for a while and see how things go?
Rosalyne decided there was nothing wrong with that logic. She wiped the tears from her eyes and sobbed, "I'll trust you one last time!"
Ye Xi was stunned. [She actually agreed!? She can even agree to this?]
He smiled and nodded. "A wise choice, Rosalyne. It's a contract!"
Hearing that, Rosalyne looked up. She could tell just by looking at him that Ye Xi was from Liyue. Liyueans valued contracts above all else! Therefore, a contract would not be broken.
She stood up urgently. "You said it yourself. This is a contract. Contract-breakers shall suffer the Wrath of the Rock!"
Ye Xi nodded, thinking to himself: I'm not from Liyue; I'm from Earth!
Rosalyne grew smug, though her brow remained furrowed. "Just you wait. Once I get that Gnosis, I'm going to kill you!"
She threatened him shamelessly. Since Ye Xi had established a contract, he had to follow it.
Ye Xi shrugged. "That depends on how well you behave. If you aren't good, you'll be the one breaking the contract and suffering the Wrath of the Rock."
Rosalyne huffed. "So what if I'm your dog for a month? What's your name!"
Ye Xi's eyes lit up. [Not bad. Why didn't I think of that suggestion? Keeping such a bully-able little puppy sounds fun!]
Rosalyne was about to explode with rage. She hadn't expected her own words to give him ideas. He wouldn't actually make me sleep in a kennel for a month, would he?
Ye Xi answered her question calmly. "You can call me... Master."
"You! You're taking this too far!"
Seeing Rosalyne about to snap again, Ye Xi laughed. "Just kidding, just kidding. Call me Ye Xi. Though if you want to use the other title, you're more than welcome to."
"Go to hell!" Rosalyne barked, exasperated.
Seeing this beautiful, mature woman acting like a little girl in front of him gave Ye Xi a strange sense of accomplishment. She was a beauty with a regal persona, after all. This felt great.
He reached out his hand. "Let's go. I'll fill you in on the current situation, as well as my contract with Morax."
Rosalyne huffed but placed her hand in his.
Outside, the Fatui guards were still staring at one another in silence when the door finally opened. Ye Xi walked out, actually holding La Signora's hand.
This scene shocked everyone all over again! As they watched the two leave the Northland Bank, the place fell into total chaos.
"HissHoly crap! Tell me I'm dreaming!"
"That Harbinger actually subdued Lady Signora!?"
"They probably had this kind of relationship from the start!"
"Talk about an eye-opener!"
"Impossible. Lady Signora has never had any contact with this Harbinger before!"
"Did you see? Lady Signora had tear tracks on her face!"
"So that crying we heard... was it really Lady Signora?"
"To actually make Lady Signora wail like that... I'm officially impressed!"
"I want to be a follower of that Harbinger!"
"He's my idol!"
"Do you think he might even... Her Majesty the Tsaritsa..."
"Shut up! Mind your manners!"
The "ill-mannered" Fatui guards had their entire perception of La Signora rewritten. They stood frozen on the spot, slack-jawed and speechless.
Meanwhile, outside the Northland Bank, the Millelith Chief Instructor sat to the side in plain clothes, sipping tea. Several squad leaders were also keeping a close eye on the bank's entrance.
"Chief Instructor, have you heard? The Eighth Harbinger, La Signora, returned late last night!"
"What? You mean the Crimson Witch of Flame!?"
The Chief Instructor frowned, his expression turning grave. "This is dangerous. I heard Lord Ye Xi is currently inside the Northland Bank!"
Upon hearing this, the squad leaders grew worried.
"What is Lord Ye Xi doing in there?"
"Does this mean the person who sent us here must be Lady Keqing?"
The Chief Instructor shook his head.
"Then it must be Miss Ganyu," another leader added.
The Chief Instructor shook his head again. "It was Lady Ningguang!"
"Lady Ningguang?!"
The realization dawned on them.
"To think Lady Ningguang values Lord Ye Xi this much!"
"It seems he must be an Adeptus!"
The Chief Instructor frowned. "Stop with the chatter. Our mission is to monitor the Northland Bank and protect Lord Ye Xi! That Signora is a troublesome Harbinger. If a fight breaks out, we might not be her match!"
The squad leaders nodded immediately. "Yes, sir! I'll notify the brothers immediately. Stay on high alert!"
"We have plenty of men; the whole area is surrounded! If it comes to a fight, we won't show any mercy!"
Just then, there was movement at the doors of the Northland Bank.
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