When Stelle returned to the gates of Mondstadt, she noticed that the weather seemed much better today.
The sky was no longer covered in dense clouds.
Although she didn’t know the exact reason, her mood improved as well.
On top of that, completing the commission would earn her a reward, and selling the materials she had picked up would bring in a bit of extra income.
For the time being, she probably wouldn’t have to worry about what to eat.
So, with money in hand, she headed straight for the Cat’s Tail.
“Diona, long time no see!” Stelle pushed the door open, sounding far more confident than before.
Having money really did make a difference.
“M-meow?!” Diona, who had been lying on the counter spacing out, jumped up in shock.
“Y-you!
Why are you shouting so loudly?
Are you trying to scare me to death?!” Diona puffed up angrily.
“Besides, we just saw each other yesterday, didn’t we?” “S-sorry, sorry…
um, I’m here to pay you back.” Stelle gave an embarrassed smile.
“I told you, you don’t need to pay me back.
I don’t want it—take it away!” Diona snorted and turned her head aside, refusing outright.
Stelle walked over and sat at the counter.
She knew Diona probably wouldn’t accept it, so she didn’t insist.
She had other ways.
“Then…
now that I have money, can I get another non-alcoholic drink?” Stelle reached out and gently patted Diona’s small head.
The feeling was even better than she expected, especially those little cat ears…
Purr…
Diona’s eyes half-closed, and a suspicious sound escaped her throat.
But she quickly snapped back to her senses and hurriedly slapped Stelle’s hand away.
“Y-you…
j-just wait there.” Diona’s cheeks flushed red.
She stammered for a while before finally throwing out that line and turning to mix a drink.
“Okay~” Stelle watched her with a smile.
Although she felt that her constitution was somewhat dangerous, being able to so easily gain the trust and affection of a catgirl like this was actually pretty nice.
Maybe she should look at the bright side.
People in this world were probably quite simple and honest.
Like Amber—although she had been affected, she had only fainted from embarrassment in the end.
Rosaria, on the other hand, seemed completely unaffected.
So she probably didn’t need to worry about being taken advantage of, as long as she didn’t actively provoke anyone.
Maybe she could even use this constitution to gain a bit of convenience…
“Here.” Diona placed a drink on the counter and pushed it toward Stelle.
“Thanks.” This one was noticeably larger than the last.
“Come to think of it, there aren’t many people in the tavern today.” Stelle glanced around the interior.
“Not many” wasn’t quite accurate.
There wasn’t a single person.
“At this hour, everyone has already gone home.
But yeah, there really aren’t many people today.” Diona nodded, a trace of worry on her face.
She wanted to destroy Mondstadt’s wine industry, but at the same time, she didn’t want to see the owner, Margaret, struggling with poor business.
It was a contradiction, but Diona was too simple-minded to think too deeply about it.
“I wonder when the dragon storm will finally end…” Diona’s ears drooped as she spoke, her face filled with dejection.
It wasn’t just the tavern—the dragon storm had affected all of Mondstadt.
Her hometown, Springvale, was no exception.
During this time, her father had been drinking more and more because of it.
“It won’t last too long.” Seeing Diona’s low spirits, Stelle couldn’t help but reach out and pat her head again.
“The Knights of Favonius already have a plan.
And my friend is helping too.
I’m sure they’ll resolve it soon.” Stelle had great faith in Lumine’s abilities.
Especially after seeing her drive away that giant dragon in the sky using nothing but her glider, she had witnessed her strength firsthand.
She wanted to help as well, but unfortunately, she currently had no long-range attack methods.
Fighting in the air would put her at a disadvantage.
Besides, survival was her priority right now.
If Lumine encountered something she couldn’t handle, Stelle would think of a way to help then.
This really does feel amazing…
…
“The first thing she does after earning money is come drink?” Rosaria frowned.
She had personally seen Stelle enter the Cat’s Tail.
She had said she would keep her distance, but…
For some reason, on her way back to Mondstadt, her mind had been filled entirely with Stelle’s figure.
She kept replaying every word Stelle had said, every movement, every expression.
The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to see her again, to speak with her a little longer.
Her willpower was strong, yet in the end, she still gave in to her inner thoughts.
She had deliberately hidden near the gates of Mondstadt, waiting for Stelle to return.
And then she watched as Stelle turned in her commission, sold her spoils, and headed for the tavern.
She felt a bit dissatisfied.
While it was someone else’s freedom, that girl didn’t look like she was of drinking age.
After hesitating for a moment, Rosaria walked up to the Cat’s Tail and pushed the door open.
As long as she didn’t sit at the same table, it should be fine.
Besides, in a place like a tavern, with many people around, as long as she wasn’t alone with Stelle, her emotions shouldn’t fluctuate too much.
…
“Meow?
W-welcome!” Diona, who had been enjoying the petting, jumped back suddenly, her tone becoming oddly stiff.
“A drink.” Rosaria didn’t pay attention to Diona’s reaction.
After glancing at Stelle, she casually found a seat and sat down.
“Ah—o-okay.” Diona seemed somewhat afraid of Rosaria.
Normally, she didn’t show much friendliness to customers who came to drink, but toward Rosaria, she didn’t dare act that way.
Was it because Rosaria’s pale complexion and aura were too intimidating?
“Hey, we meet again, Rosaria!” Seeing this, Stelle greeted her warmly.
Since Rosaria didn’t seem to be affected by her constitution, she could talk to her without worry.
“You’re not of drinking age.” Rosaria glanced at her, then looked away again.
“I ordered a non-alcoholic drink…
and I don’t even like alcohol,” Stelle explained.
“Oh.” Rosaria nodded and fell silent.
Seeing this, Stelle tilted her head in confusion.
After thinking for a moment, she got up and sat down at Rosaria’s table.
Rosaria’s body instantly stiffened, though Stelle didn’t notice.
“Let’s chat.
You left in such a hurry earlier—I still have a lot I want to talk to you about.” “…” Rosaria regretted it.
She only remembered that the Cat’s Tail usually had good business.
But she had forgotten that during the dragon storm, and at this time near evening, the usual drunkards would have already gone home.
Now, in the entire tavern, aside from Diona, there were only her and Stelle.
This is bad…