mania! ➺ tartaglia

thirty.

The abrupt banging on the door had jolted you from your sleep. The noise was so bothersome, and you couldn't understand who in Teyvat would have woken up so early to have simply paid you a visit.

Pushing away the covers from your body, you ended up walking straight for the door and opening it with a look of annoyance. You were still dressed in your pyjamas, and from the look on the group of Fatui's faces, you wished that you had least changed before doing something so impulsive.

What the hell were the Fatui doing on your property?

"Lord Y/N, we have come here t—"

You had slammed the door shut in their faces. After doing so, you slowly turned around and pinched the bridge of your nose in utter irritation. Every now and then, the Tsaritsa would send some poor buffoons your way, who would either threaten you to come back, or beg, desperately asking for you to spare their lives. Seemed like the Cryo Archon was taking her frustration out on these people for the mistakes that she made.. You couldn't care less.

A yawn was heard from behind you. The banging hadn't only woken you up, you guessed. Childe stretched his arms behind his head before rubbing his eyes.

"Who's that?"

"The Fatui." You mumbled, walking away from the door. And then.. The pounding on the door had recommenced.

Childe blinked.

"I'll take care of this. You can go back to bed." He said with a smile, reassuring you that he was going to take care of the soldiers that had been sent straight to your house to disturb your peace. Though the gentle tone of his voice had easily persuaded you to walk back to bed, you couldn't have helped but feel weird about it.

Should you have felt weird about it?

Whatever. It was too early to think properly.

As soon as you disappeared back into your chamber, the smile from the gingers face had immediately faded away, and he opened the door swiftly, staring straight into the soul of the terrified Fatui skirmisher who appeared to tremble at the sight of his master. He wasn't expecting this. He immediately dropped his head, in a way to show his respect towards the Harbinger.

"L-Lord Tartaglia..! We apologize for disturbing your slumber— Um..
Uh.."

"Well? What is it then? Spit it out." He snapped, while the skirmisher continued to stumble over his words. Nobody had ever informed him about the eleventh staying with you, in fact, he was told that the man was off to find Scaramouche. Regardless of that, Childe's presence itself was enough to rattle the bones of these soldiers.

"We have orders from her majesty, the Tsaritsa to.. e-escort Lord Y/N back to Snezhnaya.." He nervously gulped after finishing his sentence, in which Childe crossed his arms over his chest.

"Against her own will? I hope you are aware of what will happen if you try that." The eleventh uttered, his voice as cold as stone. It was almost like these soldiers could not comprehend anything of their own.. But then again, they were orders from the Tsaritsa, herself.

The soldier flinched beneath the stare of the eleventh. He didn't know what else to do.

"For the Tsaritsa, we mustn't stop trying, Lord Tartaglia.. If you are here to collect her, then—"

The remaining words died on the skirmisher's tongue, the cold sensation of Childe's hydro blade pressing hard into his throat. Childe hadn't even given him the chance to react, but it wasn't like he would have reacted anyways. This was his superior.

"Why I am here is none of your concern." Childe sneered, purposely coming eye level to this subordinate of his to give him a threatening glare.

The soldier continued to shake like a leaf beneath the Harbinger.