My heart is warm like Snezhnaya (ChiLumi ff)

Ten

The next few days transpired happily and eventfully, they had time before the appointed evening of dancing and quite possibly facing the Tsaritza.
Lumine became a pleasant change of pace in Childe's family home, his siblings were exploiting her energies; she was given a snow fort crash course from Anthon, baking with Tonia who also has been more open around Lumine, enough to share her small worries and have sleepovers, trying all of the games Teucer wanted to play, spending a lot of time at home next to the cozy heat of the chimney.

Childe was against her taking commissions from the adventures guild or anyone really.
Knowing how the Fatus controls most information, he wouldn't be surprised if they already know who his guest's identity is, still, not attracting attention is reasonable.

She agreed to take some frequent fishing trips with Tartaglia, she was at first adamant but found herself giving in and enjoying the process, although the household was generously supported by Tartaglia's income, fishing was always the main source of income, in fact, his dad was away too for quite some time already offering his catches in Sumeru market.

"Tartaglia! I caught a big one, I don't think it will fit through the ice opening!", Lumine tugs with the lake creature urging the ginger to give her a hand.

"Let me see", he takes the fishing rod from her hands, and the pulling almost trips him to the ground, "You are right Girlie, use your weapon to make the hole larger!".

"But, the ice may crack poorly and you will fall in".

"Don't mind that!"

Lumine wasn't going to put him in unnecessary danger, but she also struggled seeing how he looked so adamant to take that fish home.
She ran to where their weapons layed, and instead of grabbing her dull blade, she borrows Childe's bow.

He just watches her confused but chooses to just trust her. The tugging war with the creature felt like it was going on forever and his wrists were getting a little tired, but more so the line was starting to tear.

"Whatever you are doing, better be quick Lumine!"

"I got it!" she then focused on the opening in the ice, the water was clear and she locked eyes on the target, she stretched the bowstring, "just a bit more, pull a little!"

"The line will rip if I pull any harder"

Her shot went clean through its skull, the creature's struggle was over. She being ecstatic celebrated her first big catch, and ran to the boy's arms for a hug. Just when she was about to reach him she slipped on the ice making them fall, falling on top of him she gets scared he hurt his head, he squints a little but starts laughing, and he pulls her back in the hug.

"THEY ARE FLIRTING!", yelled Teucer who was back with a new bucket of bait that he lets go of in shock and starts running back home.

"Teucer!", she calls him. "Shhh let him be, It's too late to change his mind anyways", Tartaglia claims.
They sit back up feeling embarrassed She suggests they finish taking the fish out of the water.

The lake wasn't too far from their home, so taking it enormous creature was only challenging because it was slippery, It was bigger than any fish she had ever seen, (still, I bet he has caught even bigger ones from what I'd heard).

"Can I cook it for you?", asks Childe, very eager to commemorate their catch.
"I don't see why not, but first, TADAA", Lumine retracts an object from her bag.

"A Kamera?"

"Yes! I want a picture of us with the fish
Why don't you take it Paim- on"

"You haven't been separated for this long before have you? I bet you miss her a lot"

"It's okay, She is much safer there"

"I'll go look for Anthon to help us take the picture and take this bad boy inside, be right back"

She stood outside fidgeting with the Kamera, spacing out until an object fell almost in front of her boots, She looked to see what it was, (a dice?) She picked it up, and realized "Yelan!", She blubbered. Picked up the object and ran to see where in came from. A kid hiding in a bush took off running and she follows. "Hey, is this yours?" she screams and stops, perhaps she assumed wrong and made a wrong connection. But the lad stops like waiting for her to catch up. "Did you throw this?", she asks again walking closer.
He starts running again, and that serves to her as confirmation that it was his doing.
She follows him through a snowy path, Childe's home was a little far away from the city, there was a forest next to it so it was uncommon to see other people, let alone a child by himself.

She keeps running trying to not lose sight of the boy, and suddenly she is nearly hitting the cold ground face first.

"You were a hard one to track"

She hears a lady's voice speak as she is being approached a very familiar voice, her vision a bit blurry from the sudden impact.

"A string on the trees? Was that necessary?"

"To keep you on your toes, of course, looks like you've been missing a lot of training recently".

"I am okay and Nice to see you by the way", Lumine lifts herself.

"It's Nice to see you too", The indigo-haired lady smiled. "but We don't have much time, here take this", She hands Lumine a letter.

"What's this?"

"Our strategy, of how I'll keep an eye on you when you enter the palace, and how you will help to distract her Majesty while I investigate her possessions"

"Yelan! That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard, if Paimon was here she'd give you a nickname like- Jelly-brain Yelan or something"

"Adorable, anyways I hope you will cooperate, else I'd have a word with that boyfriend of yours"

"Childe? I thought you disliked him."

"You are mistaken, although he might not know about me, I know he has helped me in the past, I can speak of his character".

"It's okay, I was going to tell him anyways, why don't you come to introduce yourself like a normal person?"

"That's not my style, sugar, but before you go, keep an eye on harbingers visiting the premises"

"Thanks, I guess. Take care you too".

(why is she being so secretive? Is she being followed, or threatened?)

"Yeah, wait. Can I understand why you have to in there so badly, what's there?"

"You'll see, when the time is right".