Gonna live this life as the Heroine Villianess

❄️ Chapter 23 👑

"This is Albedo," Kaeya introduced them with a small smirk on his face. Wren turned to the sandy-blond haired man, giving him a once over. She didn't miss how he did the same with her. "He's the chief alchemist of the Knights of Favonious." Yes, she knew. She waved goodbye to Kaeya as he left on his patrol. "Greetings," Albedo said in his soft, monotone voice. "Klee has told me lots about you." His voice softened when he mentioned his sister. "I... thank you for keeping her out of trouble, and protecting her." "It's nothing," She said quickly. "Klee's so cute! And she's talented too... the knights have themselves a good spark knight!" Albedo raised his eyebrows, a change from his usual expressionless face. "Cute...? Talented..? Well, that's the first time I've heard someone refer to Klee in that way... most of the time they see her as destructive for her age..." Wren shook her head. "No, she's just at that stage in life. Let her have her fun. You're only a kid for so many years you know... childhood is always the best part of someone's life." "...And why is that?" "Because when you're young, you're innocent, I guess. Protected from the dark side of the world- and the people on it. Naive almost, until something happens that brings you to reality. That's when you grow up, and become an adult." Albedo stayed silent. For a moment, neither of them said anything. "Interesting..." Albedo muttered. "They always say a different perspective is most enlightening when it comes to research." He gave her a small nod. "I shall see you around, Miss Wren."

~❄️👑~

It was strange, especially because back at home, the Chalk Prince had just as many fans as the other characters... she would have thought that he would have been one of the capture targets. She felt relieved, though. Wren didn't feel like taking on multiple targets at once. No, one was enough. Kaeya was enough of a handful as he was. Despite this, she continued to see Albedo frequently through the next few weeks, usually when completing commissions or delivering packages. Kaeya usually tagged along, and although she hated to admit it, he made decent company- his stories of his past fights and battle tactics were interesting enough. 

On one particular day, Albedo had commissioned them to bring several bottles of whopperflower nectar and mistflower extract to his lab in Dragonspine. The second the sun was up, she and Kaeya headed up to the mountains, loaded with thick, fleece coats and gear. Wren couldn't help but grumble under her scarf as they trudged through the snow. What was the point of all these things if they encountered monsters on the way? How would she fight in this stuff? Beside her, Kaeya whistled a simple tune as they made their way up the path, seemingly unbothered by the cold. Having a cyro vision had its perks, she assumed.

"Is it cold?" Kaeya asked. It was uncharacteristically kind of him. Wren narrowed her eyes in suspicion, clutching the sack filled with vials tightly to her chest. "I can give you my coat, if you like-" "I'm fine,"  She said, rolling her eyes. "Besides, I wouldn't want you to freeze to death either." "Believe it or not, I am quite proud to say that I have a particularly high tolerance to the cold-" "Far greater  men have succumbed to the sheer cold, Kaeya. You don't want to turn into a living popsicle, would you? Or a dead one, same thing either way-" Kaeya chuckled. "AH, are you worried for me?" Wren turned towards him, puffing out her cheeks in annoyance.

Cute.

"No, you idiot- do you know how much paperwork I'll have to do if you die? I'm not gonna carry your body all the way back to Mond either, you can bet that I'll just leave your corpse to rot..." "Are you calling me fat-" "STOP TWISTING MY WORDS-" Wren huffed. She had already used too much of her energy today. How far away was this place, anyway? As if on cue, the two of them rounded into a short tunnel leading to the broken wooden platform of Albedo's lab- straight into the middle of a hilichurl camp. The hilichurls, donned in white and blue clothing, paused their erratic dancing to stare at them. "Archons, why-"