Chapter 50
Rosalyne: We Must Not Let Barbara Be Deceived by a Scoundrel
What Aiden didn't expect was that, despite having no intention of provoking her, the Harbinger known as "La Signora" had taken notice of him and was now approaching.
"Well, if it isn't Liyue's so-called messenger."
Her eyes lingered briefly on Barbara, standing beside him, before she smirked with clear disdain.
"I didn't expect Mondstadt to be so quick in catching the attention of an ignorant girl. First, you were nothing more than a kept man under Ningguang's wing in Liyue. Then, you got on the bad side of Yuheng because of some unclear relationship and were exiled to Mondstadt. And now—" she scoffed, "in just a few days, you've latched onto the city's deaconess? Truly, some men have no shame."
---
[Ningguang: "A kept man? Excuse me?"]
[Keqing: "'Unclear relationship'—With me?!"]
[Zhongli: "Cough cough! Let's all remain rational while observing this situation."]
[Jean: "This must be a misunderstanding… right?"]
[Venti: "I mean… Aiden is quite handsome. If I were a girl, I'd probably like him too."]
[Aiden: Death stare.jpg "If you can't say something useful, just stay silent."]
---
Aiden was momentarily speechless.
That bastard Childe—he must have spread these ridiculous rumors!
This was payback for the nonsense Aiden had told him back in Liyue, but he never expected Childe to report everything back to the Fatui. Now, thanks to that, Ningguang was probably going to send assassins after him.
Could he even return to Liyue after this?
Aiden made a mental note: Find Childe. Beat him up.
Taking a deep breath, he looked at La Signora and said, "And what exactly does any of that have to do with you? I'm genuinely curious—what reason do you have for confronting me like this?" His voice dropped to a more serious tone. "If you don't have a proper explanation, you might find that I'm not as easy to deal with as you think."
Barbara, meanwhile, stood frozen beside him.
This woman was from the Fatui, wasn't she?
But… could Mr. Aiden really be so messy in Liyue?
She thought of all the noblemen in Mondstadt who made excuses for their flirtations under the banner of "freedom." Maybe they should be spending more time confessing their sins in the cathedral.
But no—this had to be a misunderstanding!
Aiden wasn't like that… right?
Her sister had always warned her about the Fatui's deception.
She clenched her fists. She had to trust him.
La Signora chuckled. "Oh? You think you deserve an explanation? Who do you think you are?" Her smirk widened as she crossed her arms. "You're just a discarded toy. Do you really think Ningguang will keep protecting you now? Please—" she scoffed, "that woman would sell even herself if the price was right, let alone someone like you."
---
[Ningguang: "EXCUSE ME?! This woman dares—?"]
[Keqing: "If she wants to start a war with Liyue, she's on the right path."]
[Zhongli: "It seems Lady Ningguang will have a lot to discuss with the Fatui soon."]
---
Aiden sighed, rubbing his temple.
He glanced at La Signora and said calmly, "I'll give you one minute to apologize. Otherwise, it'll be difficult to control my strength… and I might just end up crushing an ant."
---
[Venti: "Ohoho~ That's a good one! I'll make a poem out of that."]
[Zhongli: "Indeed… It is not easy to balance overwhelming strength with restraint."]
[Jean: "Mr. Aiden, please be careful. If you kill a Fatui Harbinger in Mondstadt, we'll face serious diplomatic consequences."]
[Diluc: "Hmph. The Fatui have never cared about diplomacy. If we let her go now, she'll just come back to stab us in the back later."]
---
Jean was starting to panic.
She didn't like the Fatui either, but killing one of the Eleven Harbingers in Mondstadt's city streets would have serious consequences.
Diluc, however, had a different stance. Whether La Signora lived or died, the Fatui were still enemies. There was no real "peace" between them and Mondstadt.
But what really disturbed him was Venti's silence.
Venti, Archon of Mondstadt, had yet to say a single word.
Did that mean this situation was even worse than it seemed?
La Signora, meanwhile, let out a cold, mocking laugh. "Oh, that's rich! You, challenging me?" She sneered, stepping forward. "Where exactly do you get this ridiculous confidence from? Your so-called self-respect? Or is it just the cheap tricks you use to impress clueless little girls?"
Her eyes flickered to Barbara.
She frowned.
Barbara…
This was different.
Barbara reminded her of her younger self—before her heart was swallowed by hatred and grief.
A girl full of kindness, innocence, and purity.
And now, a man like Aiden—an obvious scoundrel, in her eyes—was trying to deceive her?
La Signora clenched her fists.
She didn't care about Keqing. She didn't care about Ningguang. Those women were strong enough to look out for themselves.
But Barbara?
Barbara was different.
Pure. Gentle.
An angelic voice that reminded her of the one she lost.
If their positions were reversed, La Signora would fight Barbara without hesitation.
But to let this girl be deceived by Aiden?
Unacceptable.
Her gaze turned ice-cold.
She would not allow it.
Especially when she saw Aiden casually resting his hand on Barbara's shoulder.
That was the last straw.
Without hesitation, she lunged, frost swirling around her as she reached for his arm.