Decompressing

With introductions complete, Paul and Ningguang spent a bit of time discussing the matter of Princess Andromeda before parting ways. Paul was mentally and physically drained after ten days in a carriage, so, even though it was only 4:15 PM, he decided to turn in for the night.

Since Jean, Barbara, Xiangling, and Xinyan had other things to take care of, Paul half-expected to be able to sleep alone for the first time in nearly a year. Instead, Ganyu followed soundlessly behind him, and the moment he entered his room, Paul found one of the three missing people from the Maid lineup waiting for him.

"Welcome home, Master Paul..."

Like when she first greeted him, Ei was kneeling on the ground, the tips of her index fingers touching to create a 45-degree angle as she bowed low enough to have her bangs touch the floor. More surprisingly, at least from the perspective of Paul, was the fact she was wearing a lavender kimono with accents of dark purple.

Recovering from his momentary stupor, Paul adopted a faint smile as he said, "It's good to see you again, Ei. How have you been these past ten months...?"

Raising her head, Ei maintained a neutral yet uniquely resolute expression as she cooly replied, "Though I have become increasingly indebted to our comrades, I have been well. Thank you for asking."

Nodding his head, Paul took a moment to look around his room. It hadn't changed much in the past ten months, but he noticed a very distinct smell present within. His bed was also a mess, a tell-tale sign that someone had been sleeping in it while he was away.

Inhaling the flowery aroma, Paul could feel his body beginning to warm up as he tentatively inquired, "Have you...been staying in my room all this time...?"

"Guh..."

Lowering her head in shame, Ei begrudgingly explained, "Since I can't do much else, I was given the duty of protecting Master's chambers...please forgive me..."

Shaking his head, Paul said, "It's fine..." before stepping forward to help Ei stand. The aroma that had permeated his room was a bit overbearing, but it wasn't unpleasant. It reminded Paul of the greenhouse he and his father maintained in his previous world. His mother, before her death, had really enjoyed gardening. After her passing, his father filled the greenhouse with all of her favorite plants and flowers, dutifully maintaining them even after two decades...

Feeling nostalgic and a little lonesome, Paul's expression softened as he looked between the two budding beauties as he asked, "Care to join me for a nap...?"

Answering before Ganyu, Ei thumped her chest with a bit of conviction as she practically exclaimed, "It would be my honor!" As for Ganyu, she had noticed the melancholy within Paul, so, even though she already had the intention of acting as his hug pillow, her smile became particularly tender as she replied, "Of course..." in a soft, soothing tone.

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Shortly after parting with Paul, Ninggung elected to take a brief respite in her office. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy conversing with Paul, but it often left her feeling fatigued. She wasn't used to prioritizing others or having to restrict her actions in accordance with another's views, so, every now and then, she needed a moment to decompress.

Though she imagined it would trouble Paul quite a bit, Ningguang reclined in her custom-made chair and took a long drag from an expensive, white and gold pipe. The bowl was predominately packed with processed hemp, but it had been laced with trace amounts of opiates and a few stimulating herbs to help keep her focused.

Exhaling a long and thin line of hazy smoke, the tensions in Ningguang's body gradually relaxed as she sunk deeper into her chair. Now that Paul was back, many of the plans she had been drafting could finally be set in motion. This was a good thing, but, at the same time, it meant she would be away from the estate for nearly two months.

While two months might not sound like an exceptionally long time, it may as well be two years from Ningguang's perspective. She was a genius at delegating responsibilities to others, but her burgeoning operations were nowhere near the level where she could place others in charge. All it took was a few people spreading negative sentiments and refusing to put in an honest day's work for an irreversible chain reaction to start...

"I need Keqing and Yanfei here...Zhongli is reliable, but she lacks common sense. And I can't leave everything to Ganyu and Xingqiu..."

Inhaling another lungful of smoke, Ningguang held it for a moment before exhaling through her nose and muttering, "At least Paul is sensible enough to give me free rein...his father though..."

Thinking of 'Lord' Amarant, Ningguang couldn't help rolling her eyes. The man wasn't nearly as bad as he could be, but the 'common sense' of the Asura Kingdom was deeply ingrained into the core of his being. He wasn't much of a 'threat' at the present moment, but Ningguang had noticed him observing even her with a thoughtful yet libidinous gaze. Had she and the others appeared in their original forms, it wasn't even a question whether or not he would harass or assault them.

Though she had no intentions of killing him, Ningguang knew she had to get rid of Paul's father sooner rather than later. Paul's sensibilities made him troublesome to deal with, but they also made him remarkably easy to convince. He would also have no choice but to travel in the future, so, as long as she could deal with Amarant, the entire Milbots Region would fall under her control.

"The problem is convincing my darling fiance to fulfill his responsibility at the appropriate time..."

Though she both understood Paul's and had apprehensions of her own, Ningguang would prefer they tie the knot and get to 'baking' as quickly as possible. Unless he ran away from home, jeopardizing everything she was currently working on, Paul's family would never allow him to travel before he had produced an heir.

One of the things Ningguang was currently worried about was Paul using their marriage as an excuse to delay things until he believed they were of an 'appropriate' age. That would severely inconvenience both of them, so even if Paul were against it, Ningguang would find a way to 'convince' him.

Fortunately, as much as she disdained them, Ningguang had the laws and culture of the world on her side. People also seemed to mature quite a bit faster than in her previous world, so much so that she had mistaken many 10-12-year-olds as 14-16-year-olds. Lilia was an excellent example of this, as, despite being just over seven years old, certain parts of her body were already beginning to fill out while others had started to contract.

*tok* *tok* *tok*

"Hmmm...?"

Since it was pretty rare for anyone to knock on her door, the faces of four people crossed Ningguang's mind before she called out, "Jean...?" without attempting to hide her pipe.

Leaving Ningguang feeling a little delighted, the door opened to reveal a somewhat surprised Jean standing outside, asking, "Were you expecting me?"

Before answering Jean's question, Ningguang inhaled from her pipe one final time before capping it off and placing it within a long silver container. Then, as if a switch had been flipped within her mind, the haze faded from her eyes as she cooly replied, "Of course. While I consider myself and the Archons to be the most dedicated to our cause, you are inarguably one of the most dutiful within our group. I would have been far more surprised if you hadn't sought me out to give a report."

Though she took a moment to observe the thick cloud lingering near the ceiling, Jean didn't say anything about it. Instead, she made her way over to Ningguang's desk before producing a small journal, explaining, "This is a record of events that took place at the Academy. While there are bound to be a few gaps, I believe it should suffice for your purposes?"

Accepting the journal, Ningguang took a moment to peruse some of the pages before nodding her head in approval and saying, "To be perfectly honest, this is beyond my expectations. I presumed the Grandmaster of the Knights of Favonius to be capable, but the concise yet detailed nature of your reports is beyond exemplary. If you didn't have such an important mission, I would have wanted to make you my Secretary..."

Setting aside the journal, Ningguang gestured for Jean to take a seat as she asked, "Speaking of which, how are things progressing between you and our Master? I assume you've written about it, but I've come to find that certain matters are better discussed in person..."

Having anticipated Ningguang's inquiry, Jean only hesitated for a brief moment before answering, "It's difficult to put into words...while I have developed a definitive affection for Master Paul, there is also a certain feeling of distance between us. I initially thought I was simply jealous of his burgeoning relationship with other girls, but the most recent incident with Princess Andromeda has caused me to reevaluate many things..."

"Oh? And have you reached any conclusions...?"

Though she was interested to know the specifics of Paul's encounter with the Princess, Ningguang was far more interested in Jean than some stray Royal from another country. Jean, at least in her eyes, was worth at least three, maybe even five Crown Princesses...

"I think we underestimated Master Paul's convictions...I'm not sure if it's because of something we did or because his confidence is increasing, but he appears to be changing into someone...different than the man I initially considered him to be. There is now a certain...gravitas about him...an aura that both distinguishes and elevates him above normal people..."

Blinking in surprise, Ningguang took a moment to look back on her most recent interactions with Paul. She had also noticed he was a bit strange, but, perhaps due to him deferring to her on nearly every matter, she just interpreted it as him becoming more mature.

"Do you think it will become a problem...?"

Though she wanted to shake her head, Jean's brows furrowed for a brief moment before she answered, "Perhaps...while I also believe it's a good thing, Master Paul's growing confidence and desire to help people might jeopardize our mission if he acts recklessly. I don't think it will happen any time soon, but I can imagine him declaring war on the Asura Kingdom at some point within the next ten to twenty years..."

Catching Jean by surprise, Ningguang remarked, "Oh, is that all? Then it shouldn't be a problem. The Asura Kingdom was bound to try and meddle with us. Master Paul's beliefs and convictions have no meaningful impact on that fact. So long as he doesn't go storming into the Royal Capital on his own, it's okay if he develops a bit of a hero complex. In fact, that's one of the reasons I decided to keep Minne. Once Master Paul matures, I plan to have him escort her back to the Great Forest. By the time he returns, I should have everything in place to either take over the Asura Kingdom or start our own..."

Overwhelmed by Ningguang's assertions, Jean found herself with her mouth agape and a completely stupefied expression on her face. She had heard rumors about Ningguang back in their world, but she never thought the woman was so...ambitious...

"It's no wonder Master Paul so readily placed you in charge..."

Squinting her eyes in satisfaction, Ningguang playfully mused, "You're going to make me blush..."

Contrasting Ningguang's words, her complexion was precisely as fair as it had always been. The only three things to ever make her blush were the first time she saw two dogs having sex, the first time she visited a public bathhouse, and the time Keqing walked in on her when she was feeling a little gassy.

Simply put, with very few exceptions, Ningguang only showed people the expressions she wanted them to see. Jean and Paul were no exception...

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