Jing Chen took Columbina's hand, walking through the alleyway back to their home in the eastern part of Snezhnaya.
Snow-white and sky-blue—Columbina's favorite colors.
Together, they formed the home's main theme, simple yet warm.
Columbina skipped happily into the kitchen, preparing a sumptuous dinner for Jing Chen. Then she used her Pyro Element to light the candles on the table.
Jing Chen picked up his chopsticks to serve Columbina some dishes, while Columbina smiled faintly as always.
She cupped her chin in her hands, smiling softly, her eyes open as she gazed at Jing Chen.
"Jing Chen, your eyes are really beautiful."
"Hm? Columbina, you're saying that again. Be good and eat."
"Alright, alright—but you have to feed me."
"Sigh, you really leave me no choice."
Jing Chen picked up a spoon beside him, gently feeding her spoonfuls of rice and dishes.
Columbina kept her eyes tightly shut, her face glowing with a radiant smile.
"How wonderful… to have days where someone cares for you like this."
Hearing Columbina's soft murmur, ripples stirred in Jing Chen's heart.
Before he appeared, Columbina would sing ancient Xianling songs from dawn till dusk—whether day or night.
Along with her constant smile and closed eyes, she seemed detached from everything in the world.
Because of that, both the Fatui and the people of Snezhnaya feared and kept their distance from this Third Seat.
But after Jing Chen appeared—
They discovered that when Columbina was with him, she would show all kinds of emotions: joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness.
When Jing Chen worked as an Executive, he often dealt with others such as the Puppet and the Servant, both women like Columbina.
At such times, Columbina would appear behind Jing Chen, pouting, her ruby-like eyes staring deeply at them.
Her face would show vigilance and jealousy—that's how she earned the nickname "Jealous Queen of Snezhnaya."
And when Tartaglia shouted every day about wanting to duel Jing Chen in the Ice Palace, Columbina would show a fierce protectiveness.
Still, Jing Chen actually wanted to duel Tartaglia too. After all, he was taught by Liuyun Jiefeng Zhenjun, and the Raiden Shogun herself had instructed him in the basics of Kamisato-ryu swordsmanship.
Combining both, along with his Xianling bloodline, he should be able to suppress Tartaglia easily.
However, every time Columbina showed that resolute protective expression—
Tartaglia would awkwardly smile, politely saying he was only joking with Jing Chen, telling her not to take it seriously.
A few days ago, Tartaglia had been sent by the Ice Queen to Liyue. According to Jing Chen's memories from another world—
At least before Tartaglia released Osial, relations between Snezhnaya and Liyue were still fairly good.
Because of Columbina's behavior toward Jing Chen, the other Executives and citizens of Snezhnaya began to understand that this mysterious girl also possessed rich, human emotions.
And because Jing Chen was upright by nature, he often brought Columbina along when managing the Executives' affairs.
Naturally, over time, the people around them lost much of their fear, mystery, and wariness toward Columbina.
Seeing Jing Chen's face filled with thought and memory, Columbina reached out, plucked a grain of rice from his cheek, and put it into her mouth.
Then she softly asked,
"Ah Chen, what's wrong?"
"Ah?! It's nothing."
Columbina leaned closer to Jing Chen, gazing into his eyes.
"Really nothing?"
"This… Ah Ya, actually, I wanted to ask you something."
"What is it? Don't worry, Ah Ya will tell you everything she knows."
"The Xianling curse—if one falls in love with someone, they turn into a soulless, empty form, right?"
Columbina nodded slightly.
"Indeed. Many of my kind have already turned into those soulless forms.
But Ah Chen, have you forgotten? You were assimilated into a Xianling by me."
"So… if a Xianling falls in love with another Xianling, the curse won't apply. That's what you mean, right?"
Columbina smiled gently, taking Jing Chen's hand, softly stroking the white wings on his head.
She murmured to herself,
"So beautiful… wings as pure as mine—the colors of white clouds and blue sky. That's why the love between us will never be cursed."
Looking at Columbina so close to him, Jing Chen froze for a moment, then directly…
—
The next morning, a slow knocking echoed through the door.
Columbina rubbed her sleepy eyes and nudged Jing Chen to answer it.
Yawning, Jing Chen got up and went to the door.
"Who is it?"
From outside came a cold, biting, and rather angry voice.
"It's me. Sandrone."
"Ah?! Sandrone?!"
Jing Chen quickly opened the door—he didn't want to start the morning with an argument with a colleague.
This fellow Executive looked like a sweet, petite girl, yet behind her stood a strange mechanical Puppet.
She looked up at Jing Chen, her sky-blue eyes reflecting his figure—delicate and doll-like.
But Jing Chen knew better than anyone: among the Executives, aside from Columbina, every girl had her share of problems.
For instance, the Puppet Sandrone—everyone in Snezhnaya knew how poisonous her tongue could be.
Even the Doctor, whose rank was far above hers, had been fiercely scolded by her.
Aside from the Jester and the Ice Queen, this girl probably dared to mock heaven and earth alike.
Sandrone huffed coldly, her brows full of disdain.
For some reason, she deeply disliked the man before her—yet at the same time, she envied Columbina.
By logic, if she hated Jing Chen, she should hate Columbina too. So why was she jealous instead?!
Sandrone had never been in love, so she didn't understand such feelings at all. Someday, when she turned back and saw Jing Chen and Columbina with a child, that jealousy would…
"Sun's already high, do you even have the awareness of an Executive?! If not, maybe you should crawl back to Liyue and play your part as an acting Tianshu Star—or perhaps return to Inazuma as a Divine Priest!"
Though he didn't want to argue so early in the morning, maybe teaching her a small lesson wouldn't hurt.
"Sandrone, do you want another spar with me?"
"You—!!"
Sandrone trembled with rage. This guy's mastery of mechanical arts and talisman techniques had left her defeated several times—he was undeniably strong.
Before absolute strength, words lost all meaning.
If she spoke further, she'd probably just get beaten again—while Columbina stood to the side, smiling at her.
That smile was the same as always, yet to Sandrone it somehow felt mocking.
"Hmph!! The Ice Queen commands that you depart for Liyue tomorrow, then board a ship to Inazuma to retrieve a Gnosis."
"Huh?! Inazuma?!"
Jing Chen frowned. La Signora should be in Mondstadt right now, Tartaglia in Liyue…
And he was being sent to the most dangerous place—Inazuma? Wouldn't the Raiden Shogun just strike him down?
Though he'd once had a good relationship with Ei, serving for years as a Divine Priest at the Grand Narukami Shrine,
the Shogun didn't care about such things. The last time he confessed to Ei,
that Raiden Shogun nearly struck him dead with one blade. Just the memory made Jing Chen's back go cold.
"Let me test my sword…" But that one strike from the Thunder God was truly terrifying.
"You're sure she wants me to go to Inazuma?"
Sandrone smirked, half amused, half mocking—she enjoyed seeing her "happy rival" look flustered.
"Aren't Columbina and you both Third Seat Twins? And yet the Ice Queen sends you to Inazuma?"
"The Ice Queen's decree—how dare you disobey?! Or are you truly an agent sent by Liyue's Qixing to spy on Snezhnaya?!"
"Sandrone, don't slander me! I served as a Divine Priest at the Grand Narukami Shrine in Inazuma for years. Returning there will be easy for me."
.......
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