"It can be eaten both hot and cold. When hot, you can enjoy the texture of the rice, and when cold, you can savor the sweetness of the milk," the vendor explained.
Akio and Murata Himeko nodded. It seemed that rice pudding was indeed a dish worth looking forward to.
Just then, a small, sweet voice sounded beside Akio.
"Uncle Vendor, Klee wants a rice pudding too."
"Sure... Huh? Where are you?" The vendor nodded but didn't see anyone.
Akio and Murata Himeko looked down and saw a cute little figure in fiery red jumping up and down, waving her hand, trying to get the vendor's attention.
After all, Klee wasn't even as tall as the stall.
"Uncle Vendor, Klee is here!"
"Oh~" The vendor nodded, his heart melting at the sight of the adorable little girl. "Little one, wait a moment. I'll finish these two orders first."
"Mm-hmm, Klee knows. Klee isn't in a hurry," Klee nodded obediently. Her mother and Acting Grand Master Jean had taught her to respect the order of things and not to cut in line.
"Wow! Such a well-behaved and cute little girl," Murata Himeko was instantly captivated by Klee's charm the moment she saw her.
Murata Himeko crouched down, looking at Klee with affection. This little one was just too adorable!
With her pointed ears, was she perhaps a little elf?
"Ah! It's my dear Klee!" Akio's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't expected Klee to be in Inazuma!
Well, with Jean in Inazuma, she probably didn't feel comfortable leaving this little sun alone in Mondstadt. With just her and Kaeya, who knows what kind of chaos Klee might cause if left unattended.
"Hello, pretty lady with the red hair... Big sister! Hello, my name is Klee," Klee said politely, looking at Murata Himeko.
Klee patted her chest, almost calling the big sister "auntie." Lisa had told her that calling a girl "auntie" was very impolite.
"Hello, little Klee. My name is Murata Himeko," Murata Himeko said with a smile, then looked up at the vendor. "Boss, put Klee's pudding on my tab. I'll treat the little one."
"No, no, Sister Himeko, Klee has Mora," Klee quickly waved her hands. Acting Grand Master Jean had told her not to spend other people's money.
"Jean gave me 500 Mora as pocket money. Look," Klee held up her little purse.
"Alright then," Murata Himeko nodded with a smile.
"Little Klee, did you come with Jean? Why aren't you with her?" Akio crouched down and asked gently.
"Mm... Klee got separated from Acting Grand Master Jean and Sister Lisa," Klee said softly. The festival was so crowded, and Klee had lost sight of them in just a moment.
Klee had looked for them for a while but couldn't find them. Feeling hungry, she decided to buy some food.
"Fox brother, do you know Acting Grand Master Jean too?" Klee asked curiously, looking at Akio. The masked big brother had a very attractive aura, and Klee liked him a lot.
Of course, it was just the innocent affection of a child.
"Fox brother?" Akio was a bit helpless at the nickname, but with so many people around, he didn't reveal his name.
"Of course, we're friends," Akio said with a smile.
"Wow!" Klee jumped with joy. If he was friends with Acting Grand Master Jean, then this fox brother must be a good person.
Oh, and this Sister Himeko was a good person too!
"Little Klee, keep your money to buy other delicious snacks. Big brother will treat you to pudding," Akio said with a smile. "After all, I'm good friends with Acting Grand Master Jean."
"Eh? Alright then," Klee didn't argue further. If he was friends with Acting Grand Master Jean, it should be fine to accept a treat.
"Little Klee, after we finish eating, we'll take you to find Acting Grand Master Jean," Murata Himeko said, patting Klee's head. "She must be very worried since you got separated."
"Okay," Klee nodded. She was worried too. Although Acting Grand Master Jean could be scary sometimes and liked to put her in confinement, Klee knew she cared for her deeply.
For Klee, during the time her mother was out adventuring, Jean was like a second mother to her at the Knights of Favonius.
To make sure little Klee didn't go hungry, even the vendor sped up his work. Soon, three servings of rice pudding were ready.
"Enjoy, everyone," the vendor said with a smile, handing over the rice pudding.
Akio paid, then took Klee and Murata Himeko by the hand, one on each side, and walked to a nearby table. At first glance, they looked like a family of three.
"Wow! The rice pudding is so delicious!" Klee took a bite and found it incredibly tasty. She quickly finished the entire portion.
"Little Klee, should I get you some sushi?" Murata Himeko asked, worried that Klee might still be hungry.
"No need, thank you, Sister Himeko. Klee is full," Klee waved her hand. Despite her small size, a big portion of rice pudding was enough to fill her up.
Murata Himeko really liked little Klee. She was like a little sun—polite, cute, and warm.
After finishing the pudding, Akio took the two girls to look for Jean at the festival. With a slight use of spatial energy, he quickly sensed Jean and Lisa's location.
Meanwhile, Jean was frantic. She and Lisa had been walking with Klee at the festival, but in a moment of distraction, Klee had disappeared. She had no interest in the festival now.
"Excuse me, have you seen a little girl in red clothes? About seven or eight years old?" Jean stopped a passerby and asked.
"A seven or eight-year-old girl? No, I haven't seen her," the passerby shook their head.
"Thank you," Jean said, continuing her search.
"Klee! Klee!" Jean called out anxiously, looking everywhere.
Lisa was also searching diligently but tried to comfort Jean. "Jean, don't worry too much. You know how strong Klee is. No one can harm her."
"And there are Tenryou Commission samurai everywhere. Klee will be fine."
"I know! But Klee is so naive! What if someone tricks her?" Jean said anxiously. "If Klee gets tricked, how will I explain it to Ms. Alice?"
Jean was on the verge of tears. She had been searching for almost half an hour and still hadn't found Klee.
"Before we continue searching, maybe we should report it to the Tenryou Commission. Don't panic; the more you panic, the more you'll lose your composure," Lisa suggested.
"Alright," Jean nodded, continuing to call out, "Klee! Klee!"
"Acting Grand Master Jean!"
A/N: Enjoying the story? Read 60+ chapters ahead on Patreon! Your support helps: Patreon.com/nneol