"Acting Grand Master Jean!" A sweet voice called out from not far away.
"Klee!" Jean heard Klee's voice and quickly turned around with Lisa. They saw three figures.
A man in white with a half-faced fox mask was holding the hand of a red-haired woman on his left and Klee on his right.
Klee saw Jean and let go of Akio's hand, running over.
"Klee!" Jean and Lisa rushed over, and Jean immediately hugged Klee.
"Are you okay, Klee?" Jean quickly checked Klee over, relieved to see she was unharmed.
"Acting Grand Master Jean, Sister Lisa, I'm fine," Klee said quickly.
"It was Fox Brother and Sister Himeko. They're good people. They treated me to rice pudding and brought me to find you," Klee pointed at Akio and Murata Himeko.
"Fox Brother? Sister Himeko?" Jean and Lisa finally looked at Akio and Murata Himeko. Jean didn't recognize Akio and didn't know Murata Himeko.
"Yes, Fox Brother said he's your friend," Klee nodded.
"Uh... friend?" Jean's eyes widened. She looked at Akio, the man with the fox mask, and thought for a long time. Was there any other man in Inazuma she knew?
"Long time no see, Acting Grand Master Jean," Akio said with a smile. "You look well. It seems you've been resting properly these past few days."
"Eh? It's the Great... Mmm..." Jean recognized Akio's voice and was about to exclaim, but Lisa quickly covered her mouth.
"The Divine Sovereign changed his clothes and wore a mask to avoid making the people feel uncomfortable at the festival, Jean. Don't call him the Divine Sovereign directly," Lisa whispered in Jean's ear.
Jean nodded, and Lisa let go.
"I'm sorry..." Jean apologized, unsure how to address Akio now. Calling him by his name risked exposing his identity, and it would also be disrespectful to a deity.
"It's fine. The festival is meant to be enjoyable. If my presence makes people feel uneasy, it defeats the purpose," Akio said with a smile. "Let's talk over there."
Akio pointed to a corner, and the group walked over.
In the secluded corner, Akio removed the fox mask, smiling at Jean.
"Lord Akio..." Jean's heart fluttered as she saw Akio's face again. She had always thought Akio was the most charming man she'd ever met, and seeing his face again still stirred her heart.
"Lisa told me about what happened before. Thank you, Lord Akio, for your help," Jean said, bowing slightly.
"It was nothing. No need to be so formal," Akio shook his head. "Aside from your dedication as the Acting Grand Master, if a representative of the Mondstadt delegation fainted in Tenshukaku, rumors would surely spread."
"Lord Akio, you can just call me Jean," Jean said earnestly.
"Alright," Akio nodded.
"Wow! Fox Brother, your name is Akio?" Klee said happily. "Akio is so handsome."
"Haha, thank you, little Klee," Akio patted Klee's head, feeling very happy. Klee was like a little sun, and being around her lifted everyone's spirits.
"Klee, the Akio you're talking about is the Great Divine Sovereign of Inazuma, a deity. You should respect him," Lisa explained with a smile.
"Eh? A deity? Like Lord Barbatos?" Klee was stunned. Her Fox Brother was a deity!
"Don't scare little Klee," Akio said with a smile. "I really like Klee."
"Hmph~" Klee giggled happily, clapping her hands. "I like Akio too!"
Children's worlds are simple. Klee might only have a vague understanding of what a deity is, but Akio's identity as a deity was far less important to her than his identity as Akio.
"This child is the daughter of the great adventurer Alice. Since Alice is out adventuring, she left Klee in the care of the Knights of Favonius," Jean explained.
"Klee is our youngest knight. Isn't that right, Klee?" Lisa said with a smile.
"Mm-hmm! Akio, Sister Himeko, I'm the Spark Knight of the Knights of Favonius, Klee!" Klee said proudly.
"That's amazing! You're already a knight at such a young age?" Murata Himeko praised.
As they chatted with Akio, Jean realized that this deity didn't seem to have the aloofness of a god. He was very approachable, and her initial nervousness began to fade.
"The festival is still going on. Why don't we all explore it together?" Murata Himeko suggested, pointing to the festival.
"Yay! Klee wants to explore the festival with Akio and Sister Himeko!" Klee said happily.
"Ah... are you sure we won't be intruding?" Jean asked.
"Of course not," Murata Himeko shook her head. She really liked Klee and wanted to spend more time with her.
Klee's presence had awakened Murata Himeko's maternal instincts. Such a cute child! She really wanted to have one of her own!
Murata Himeko secretly thought, would her future child look more like her or Akio?
She thought it would be better if the child looked more like Akio. That way, the child would surely be more beautiful or handsome. She also wondered if Akio preferred boys or girls.
"Himeko? Himeko?" Akio gently patted the daydreaming Murata Himeko, asking curiously, "What are you thinking about? You're so lost in thought."
"Nothing... nothing," Murata Himeko's face turned red. Damn it, they hadn't even done anything yet, and she was already thinking about children.
"Really?" Akio didn't believe her. She had been smiling like a flower just now.
"I really like little Klee," Murata Himeko whispered in Akio's ear. "Let's have a child together in the future."
"Of course," Akio nodded with a smile, gently kissing Murata Himeko's lips.
"..." Watching the sudden display of affection, Jean and Lisa exchanged glances. They felt a bit out of place.
Jean quickly pulled Klee over and covered her eyes.
"Eh? Acting Grand Master Jean, what are you doing?" Klee had been watching with great interest. Kissing looked so interesting, but now Jean was covering her eyes.
"Children aren't allowed to watch," Jean said, swallowing hard and trying to sound serious.
"Wuwu..." Klee was forcefully suppressed by Jean, letting out a muffled protest.
"Why do I feel so envious of Miss Himeko?" Jean asked herself. Seeing Akio kiss Murata Himeko, she suddenly felt a pang of jealousy...
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