The Lady sat down and crossed her legs with effortless elegance.
Her posture was flawless—every movement controlled, every gesture carrying pressure.
She propped her cheek on her hand. "Ah~ I've heard Mondstadt is famed across Teyvat for its high-quality wines."
"Yet what I've encountered in the streets is mostly… inferior."
"Boss Kaito—aren't you going to defend Mondstadt's reputation in the wine trade?"
So she was here to drink.
Suspicious.
Why come to a restaurant instead of a tavern?
Kaito still couldn't read her real purpose, so he played along.
"With your distinguished status, Lady, it's only natural you wouldn't look twice at what common folk and adventurers drink."
"Lady?" The Lady's violet eyes studied him.
There was no obvious reaction.
So it was just a polite form of address—nothing more.
After all, she'd never shown herself in Mondstadt before, and this time she'd come in disguise. On the surface, she was only a high-ranking Fatui figure.
"If you've got enough Mora, you can buy fine bottles at Angel's Share," Kaito continued evenly. "But this is a restaurant. You'll be disappointed."
"Is that so?" The Lady neither confirmed nor denied. "How unfortunate."
She was about to speak again when Kaito seemed to remember something.
"Paimon—go to my room. Bring down the long rectangular wooden box."
Paimon had been watching the entire scene like it was a stage play.
Hearing the order, she froze.
"Huh—okay! Wait here!"
She flew up to the loft in a hurry.
She had to keep Boss Kaito happy—otherwise the good food would disappear.
A moment later she returned, dragging a wooden box so heavy it nearly scraped the floor.
"The Lady has good timing," Kaito said, taking it and opening the packaging.
Inside stood two bottles—one white, one red.
The labels were ringed with a hand-drawn sketch of Dawn Winery's exterior, the vintage year, even the craftsman's name.
Matching glassware was packed alongside.
"Pretty thorough," Kaito muttered.
He pulled on gloves, took out the red wine and the proper glasses, and eased the cork free.
A rich burst of fruit and deep aged aroma spilled into the room.
The Lady only needed to smell it once to know—
this wasn't even in the same world as the cheap red Goth Grand Hotel poured for Anastasia.
"This is Dawn Winery's private reserve," Kaito said. "Each bottle's worth at least ten million Mora."
"So expensive…" The Lady sounded mildly surprised. "And Boss Kaito is willing to serve it to me? I'm almost… honored."
Kaito only smiled.
Meanwhile Paimon was losing her mind.
"Lumine—don't hold me back! I want to drink too!" Paimon flailed. "I want to know what it feels like to have ten million Mora in my stomach!"
"…."
Everyone stared at her.
Wine tasting was supposed to be elegant.
In Paimon's mouth it became purely… financial.
"Kids can't drink," Lumine said, locking her arms around Paimon and refusing to let go.
"Kaito," Lumine suddenly remembered something. "We still need to go to the Cathedral."
"Kaito, you told us—tonight…"
Kaito glanced toward the loft. "Lumine, you two go do what you need to do."
His eyes flicked upward, brief but clear.
Lumine understood immediately.
Outside, the restaurant was surrounded by Fatui.
If she left through the front or back, she'd likely be tailed.
And tonight wasn't a night she could afford that.
So she could only leave through the loft.
Kaito's room had a skylight.
She could slip out from there.
"Shh." Lumine signaled Paimon to be quiet.
Paimon was still sulking over not getting to taste "ten million Mora wine," looking like she might die of regret.
Lumine climbed onto the roof tiles, timed the guards' blind spots, hopped to Cat's Tail's roof next door—
then glided down to the street.
Circling wide around Good Hunter, she sprinted toward the Cathedral.
…
Back inside the restaurant—
Kaito poured the decanted red into a glass.
The Lady lifted it, swirled it slowly.
The crimson liquid rolled along the glass like silk.
She raised it to her nose and breathed in.
Oak-aged notes.
A deeper, fuller aroma.
Her expression softened—faintly satisfied.
Then, after a moment, her eyes opened again.
All pleasure drained away.
Before she could enjoy the wine properly…
she wanted to deal with everything else first.
The Lady spoke calmly.
"The two girls just now… were the travelers who helped repel Stormterror, yes?"
Her tone was flat, controlled—
the kind that meant: I'm speaking. You'd better hear me clearly.
Kaito's gaze sharpened a fraction.
"And what's your point?"
"I was simply thinking…" The Lady paused, then her voice dropped into ice.
"As travelers, interfering in another nation's affairs…"
"Don't you find it—"
"Extremely rude?"
A terrifying cold surged upward from the floor.
Frost bloomed around the legs of Kaito's chair.
Ice crawled up—fast—toward him.
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