Fading With Time | Genshin Impact |

Chapter 26

When Lumine woke up to sunlight shining in her face she looked to her right and saw Klee and Albedo still asleep, they were probably exhausted from their trip. 

Lumine turned over in the bed and shut her eyes, wanting to go back to bed. But then she heard Tonia outside the room talking to Childe about getting everyone up for breakfast, Childe was against it and urged her to let everyone rest a little bit longer. Lumine silently thanked him for allowing her to rest longer.

The next person to wake up was Klee, she sat up and rubbed her eyes. Lumine waited for her to make her move before revealing that she was also conscious. Klee climbed out from under the covers into the cold morning air and then jumped off the end of the bed, Lumine watched as discreetly as she could and saw Klee exit the bedroom, then she heard conversation shortly after. 

Albedo should've been waking up by now, Lumine saw him as an early riser but then again there was a time change and he'd been traveling all day. Maybe his age was starting to get to him, Lumine brushed the thought away with an internal laugh.

Albedo seemed to be stirred slightly when Lumine turned again in the bed to face him. He had the longest eyelashes and Lumine almost envied them. His features were on the softer side, so maybe this was why he was called the Chalk Prince once in a while. Albedo was her friend and she didn't often get to see him. So she forget the little details of his face until she saw him next.

There were a few hairs covering Albedo's face and Lumine found that a bit annoying so she reached out and collected the hairs and brushed them out of the way. Just as she was about to pull away Albedo's hand reached upwards to take Lumine's wrist and his eyes fluttered open. A small smiled appeared on his face, "Good morning." '

Lumine attempted to pull her arm back but Albedo wasn't letting go, she wasn't going to have a tug of war for her hand. "Would you, um... Let go Albedo?" Albedo had to acknowledge her request and he let go and lowered his hand. 

They just looked at each other waiting for the other to get up. Until the door to the bedroom squeaked open breaking the silence and the two looked towards the door to see who was there, it was Childe. 

Childe was holding a tray and Klee was behind him. Childe walked into the room not noticing that Lumine and Albedo were awake and he took a teacup off the tray and walked to the side of the bed that Lumine was on, he set down the teacup and Klee entered the room to get her clothes. 

Lumine turned again to face Childe, Childe's eyes widened he wasn't aware she was awake. "Thank you," Lumine said while looking up at Childe. 

"No problem," He nodded his head slightly and turned his gaze to Albedo, he glared at him and exited the room Klee following behind with a bundle of her clothes. 

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A few minutes later Lumine sat up in the bed and took the teacup, Albedo looked up at her and then spoke, "Is it a family thing to not offer me tea?" When Albedo arrived, Lumine was given tea and even Klee got candy but he was given nothing, it wasn't odd as he was just sleeping on the couch but this was definitely off. "I'm sure they don't mean anything by it." Lumine offered the cup to Albedo, "I can go grab more from the kitchen." Albedo took the drink with reassurance from Lumine. 

Lumine got out of bed and collected the clothes she had set on the dresser before. She then left the room and walked to the bathroom to change into the normal attire she wore in Snezhnaya. 

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The coachman that replaced the original had to go to a bigger nearby town to feed and water the horses and for minor repairs on the coach so he wouldn't be back until noon which opened up a time slot for the group. 

"Tonia, here. Thank you for letting me borrow these." Lumine handed back the pajamas she changed out of Klee had already given hers back. "Thanks, I'll go put them away." Tonia walked back down the corridor in the direction Lumine came from and entered her room. 

Lumine peered into the living room only Childe, and Teucer were in there. She could assume everyone else was in the kitchen getting ready for breakfast. But Klee was nowhere in sight, Lumine was concerned that she wasn't around as she didn't seem to like the family much so there wouldn't be a reason for her to go into the kitchen until breakfast was ready. 

"Childe have you seen Klee?" Lumine asked as she watched Teucer make a face at the name, Teucer had never heard that nickname before since he wasn't even aware that his brother was in the Fatui. "I believe she went with my mom to the market." 

"Thanks, do me a favor and tell Albedo we went out when he gets out here." Childe nodded in response and Lumine went to the front door and grabbed her coat off the coat rack. 

Then sliding on the coat and leaving the house. It stopped snowing and the sky was clear, although there was around a foot of snow covering the ground it wouldn't be that bad for traveling. 

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When Lumine entered town she was greeted by curious locals, ones that knew of her and had been around the last time she had visited, and those who didn't know her but were interested in visitors. 

"Lady Lumine!" Lumine looked in the direction to see a village elder calling to her, she decided if she had to interact with someone she'd interact with them so she walked over. "Yes ma'am?" 

"You've returned... But what is the reason you've come back?" The lady's sentence was wordy and she was worried that there was an issue with the village, Lumine showing up without notice beforehand stirred locals even though she returned with Tartaglia and Tonia. 

"I'm passing through. I'm on the way to the capital." Lumine answered while looking for the color red through the small crowd at the market. "Ah, I see nothing to worry about then." 

"Have you seen Ira come through here?" Lumine didn't see Klee, or Ira in the crowd considering that they may have already left, and went back to the house. "Ira, that girl. She's been through here but she was searching for some fish." 

Lumine wondered where Ira would've gone to get fish, fishermen would've been out fishing already to get the catch of the day but maybe there was a stall there for fish and it wasn't in the marketplace. 

It was going to be another long day of traveling and tedious things like this.