Gonna live this life as the Heroine Villianess

🌊 Chapter 10- Liyue 🌊

It was funny, how after ten years, she would finally be back in this place. Where she started. Oh, how far she had gone since then, from a smelly orphan girl to one of the Tsarita's 12 harbingers. (Sandrone had become one as well, although he had done nothing but initiate the whole project) Wren smiled wistfully as she stared at the spot where she had first woken up in this world. Ajax jogged up to her, noticing the forlorn expression she had on her face before she broke out into a smile, a tad bit too broad to be genuine. He hated it, how she always tried to keep on a happy face for him. How she never wanted to burden him, instead of being honest.

Wren could tell what thoughts were running through his head. After so many years, she could read him like a book. "Liyue harbor is where I came from," She explained. "It... well I guess it wouldn't exactly be my home, but... it's special. To me." She smiled and pulled him up the endless staircase. As they walked around the harbor, many stopped to stare at them. Or namely, Ajax. It had only been a few months, but Ajax's reputation preceded him. He was already slowly building his image as a loyal killing machine. It was probably a surprise to see such a cold blooded murderer being led around like an obedient puppy. That was really what he was, Wren thought as she watched Ajax squinting in concentration at Shintou's rock guessing game. (He didn't believe her when she said it was a sham.)

The joy of it all left as soon as it came as the envoy that came with them, a woman named Ekaterina, notified them that the carriage was ready. Wren sighed, leaning over to pop the last serving of radish balls into Ajax's mouth, who's hands were stuffed into his pockets. "Alright, let's go..." Beside her, Ajax frowned, but followed her as they boarded the carriage. She turned and leaned out the window to catch one last glance of the harbor. Who knew when she would be able to see it again...

~ 🌊~

"Ah~ so tired..." Wren practically leapt onto the bed with joy. They had spent the day being drilled by Ekaterina about the importance of the upcoming mission. Behind her, Ajax laughed and shut the door. "All those years of endurance training and you'll think a little speech would wear you out that much..." She rolled onto her back and glared at him with her head dangling over the side of the bed. "Hey, don't lie to me- I saw you dozing off earlier." He rolled his eyes, but didn't deny it. Sitting up, she stretched out the kink in her neck before reaching into the box beside her, pulling a cute stuffed bunny. Or at least, she thought it was a rabbit of some kind.

Wangshu inn. Even in real life, it was gorgeous. The architecture was really top notch, and she could never understand how exactly the giant tree wove itself into the building. Or was the inn built onto the tree? She would never know. Wren leapt to her feet. "Ah! I'm gonna go out onto the balcony!" She swept out of the room excitedly, vaguely interpreting Ajax telling her to be careful and disappearing into the bathroom. 

Wren greeted Verr Goldet, who was at the lobby table as usual. The older woman smiled and waved her off, and she went up the stairs and down the hallway of rooms. It was a much different layout than the game, so she didn't really know where anything was- so... she just kept going straight. There! She stopped at one of the open doorways, peering inside to find an open terrance, a gleaming ivory harpsichord sitting in the middle of the room. Wren blinked, slowly walking towards it and brushing her fingers against the surface, frowning when she came away with a thick layer of dust. Whoever had last used this... must have been a long time ago. Glancing up, she noticed that the gold pipes were filled with what looked like woven Qingxin and glaze lilies.

"Wow..." Wren slowly sat down at the piano, lifting up the cover and hesitating before pressing down a key. The sound was top notch, and it seemed in tune... the base keys produced a full, rich sound- while the high keys had a more sweet, lilting tone. She smiled, reaching into her pocket to pull out a white ribbon, then tying her hair back loosely. Cracking her fingers, she placed her fingers on the keys and thought a moment before beginning to play.

A song she had heard from the orchestras in her old world. Wren had long since forgotten the name, as she had never really payed attention to the music industry. But somehow, she remembered every note of the song, all the trilling scales and harmonious chords- it was one of the most famous pieces in her lifetime, and even she could see why. A joyful jig, one that symbolized better times. A dance. And next... this one was one of her favorites. Her parents were just a fleeting memory now, as they had passed away earlier on in her first lifetime. But she could still remember that they would take her to see the nutcracker ballet every Christmas. Wren remembered she would never get tired of the performance, and it made her day when the lead ballerina took a picture with her backstage. She had kept that photo until her death.

Swan lake. Wren smiled to herself as the dancing ballerinas came to her mind. Her younger self had been so envious, at how they had flown across the stage in fluffy tulle skirts and pointed shoes- it had all seemed like a dream. A childish one. The pace of the song quickened, and she began to focus more, pouring her thoughts into the song. What she would give for another day in that life, the life she had wasted away. Another moment with her parents. It was close now. A chance to succeed. The grand final was coming. Just one more... Wren grit her teeth, banging her fingers on the final chord. A single silent tear ran down her cheek, and she wiped it away before it could touch the keys. Wren had long since accepted that she couldn't show emotion. It made her vulnerable, and it made her feel weak. But there were times when it was just so hard... and the longing she had for her old world didn't make it any easier. No matter how terrible her previous life had been, she still wanted to go back. To make it better. Another chance. Wren wrapped her arms around her abdomen and took a shaky breath. One. Two. The familiar flashing of blue light behind her eyelids caused her to startle.

She stood up, keeping her head tilted to the ground and slowly turning around towards the balcony. It was quick, so fast she almost missed it- but Wren swore she saw a flash of purple fabric and dark green hair before disappearing. Wren closed her eyes, ingraining the memory into her mind for later. Photographic memory had its advantages. After all, she would be seeing this stranger again. When, she didn't know...

New target entry. Save? Target saved.

~🌊👺~