As Lumine and Paimon indulged in a feast, clearly relishing the rare opportunity for a free banquet, Kaeya suddenly stepped forward and called out, "Attention, everyone!"
All eyes turned toward him as he continued with a smile, "I have an announcement to make!"
The crowd listened intently as Kaeya declared, "Although Mr. Lucas from Liyue contributed greatly to our recent success, the true hero of this operation is none other than Captain Jean, who stood firm against all opposition to organize this campaign. Therefore, we've prepared a special gift for her!"
"What?" Jean looked genuinely surprised, though she maintained her composure with a smile. "There's no need for gifts. Protecting Mondstadt is my duty."
"No need to be modest!" Kaeya said with a chuckle, gesturing for Lucas to step forward. "Now, let our honorary knight, Lucas, present the gift personally!"
Due to their contributions during the operation, both Lucas and Lumine had been honored with the title of "Honorary Knight" of the Knights of Favonius.
Though Lumine had done relatively little, her role was still vital enough to earn her the title as well.
Lucas approached Jean with deliberate steps, pulling a small, ornate box from his pocket. Holding it out to her with a smile, he said, "Jean, please accept this."
The gesture made Jean's heart skip a beat.
She had seen scenes like this before—only in the romantic novels she secretly read, particularly during proposal chapters.
Wait a second, could the "gift" be an engagement ring?
Looking at the small box, it seemed unlikely to hold anything large.
"I... I accept…" Jean murmured instinctively.
"Ta-da!"
Lucas opened the box, but instead of a ring, a beautifully crafted card lay inside.
Jean blinked in surprise, taking the card to read the simple words written on it:
Three-Day Leave Voucher (Mandatory Use)
"Jean, you've been working far too hard," Lucas explained, scratching the back of his head. "We thought this was the most suitable gift. While it's odd to give you something that's technically already your right, you probably haven't had a proper rest in a long time."
"Thank you, everyone." Jean's eyes glistened with emotion. "I… I truly love this gift."
After all, a marriage proposal had only been a fleeting fantasy.
This gift alone was more than enough to touch her deeply.
---
The celebration lasted well into the night. By the end, almost everyone was thoroughly intoxicated. Even Venti, the Archon with a seemingly bottomless tolerance for alcohol, had fallen asleep clutching his wine jug.
Lucas, too, deactivated his [Never Drunk] ability for the night to immerse himself in the cheerful atmosphere.
"Lucas…" Jean's voice called out to him just as the party was winding down. She seemed slightly tipsy as she approached him. "May I have a word?"
"What's the matter, Jean?" Lucas stopped and turned to face her, noticing an uncharacteristic bashfulness in her demeanor.
"About tomorrow's leave…" Jean mustered her courage and said, "Would you… spend it with me?"
"Of course, I'd be happy to," Lucas replied without hesitation. "If it feels too quiet with just the two of us, we could invite a few others—"
"No, just us two." Jean quickly shook her head. "Actually, I… I'd like to experience something from a romance novel—a date!"
Indeed, almost every romantic novel Jean had read featured depictions of dates. However, she had never experienced one herself, making it a small regret in her otherwise busy life.
"Please don't misunderstand!" Jean hurriedly clarified. "I'm only doing this as research. I want to write a romance novel, so I thought I'd practice by experiencing a date firsthand…"
It was a rather flimsy excuse, and Jean's straightforward personality made it difficult for her to lie convincingly.
"I understand!" Lucas nodded solemnly. "I'll make sure to prepare thoroughly. Tomorrow, I promise you'll have a perfect date!"
As Lucas walked away, Jean felt her cheeks grow hot. But before she could collect her thoughts, a lazy voice spoke behind her.
"Young love, how delightfully bittersweet," Lisa said, holding a glass of red wine and smirking knowingly. "Captain Jean going on a date? Miracles do happen."
Jean jumped, startled. "I-I wasn't—"
"Now, now, no need to explain." Lisa grasped Jean's wrist gently, her smile playful. "This is your first date ever, isn't it? You'd better prepare thoroughly!"
---
Meanwhile, after leaving the Knights of Favonius' headquarters, Lucas didn't return home immediately. Instead, he slipped into a small, inconspicuous tavern and settled into a quiet corner.
Before long, a cloaked figure entered and sat down behind him. Beneath the hood was Lyudmila, the Electro Cicin Mage Lucas had planted as a spy within the Fatui.
"Ask quickly if you have questions," Lyudmila whispered. "Mondstadt is crawling with Fatui spies, and my movements might already be under scrutiny."
"Was it the Fatui who sent assassins to silence witnesses at the Stormterror ruins?" Lucas asked bluntly.
"It was the Fatui Harbinger, the Doctor," Lyudmila confirmed.
As I suspected!
Lucas suppressed his rising anger and asked, "Where is the Doctor now?"
"Don't act recklessly," Lyudmila warned immediately. "The Doctor is heavily guarded. It's impossible to harm her—"
"I asked, where is she?" Lucas repeated firmly.
After a moment of silence, Lyudmila discreetly passed him a slip of paper. "I need to leave."
Lucas unfolded the note under the dim tavern light, revealing a detailed floor plan of the Goth Grand Hotel. It included room assignments and even patrol routes for the guards.
---
As Lyudmila entered the Goth Grand Hotel, a Fatui agent approached her. "The Doctor is waiting in her room. Go immediately."
Lyudmila frowned but nodded. "Understood."
After glancing around cautiously, she climbed the stairs and navigated the hallways before knocking on a door.
"Come in," came the Doctor's voice from within.
Taking a deep breath, Lyudmila pushed open the door to find the Doctor, clad in nothing but a bathrobe, drying her hair with a towel. "Lyudmila, I've been looking for you. Where have you been?"
"I just… went out for a drink," Lyudmila replied truthfully.
"With whom?" The Doctor's eyes narrowed.
"Alone," Lyudmila said, meeting her gaze with a hint of wariness.
"You must think I'm an idiot," the Doctor said coldly, her smile vanishing as she stepped forward and seized Lyudmila's hair. "I know all about your betrayal!"
Lyudmila's face immediately showed a look of alarm.
The Doctor grabbed her hair and slammed her hard against the wall, her voice icy cold. "I've long planted a Transmission Stone on you. I know exactly where you've been and who you've spoken to!"
The sound of Lyudmila's collision with the wall quickly alerted the guards outside. "Doctor, is there danger?" one of the Fatui guards called through the door.
"It's nothing," the Doctor replied with a sinister grin, staring down at Lyudmila. "I'm interrogating a traitor tonight. No matter what you hear, do not disturb me."
"As you wish!"
"Lyudmila, I've treated you well. Why have you betrayed me?" the Doctor's tone was venomous. "Speak! Who was that person you met with? If you cooperate, you might suffer less."
"I'll talk! I'll talk!" Lyudmila cried in apparent terror, nodding hastily. "That person is—"
"It's me."
Before she could finish, Lyudmila's eyes turned sharp. Taking advantage of the Doctor's momentary distraction, she grabbed the Doctor's jaw and forcefully pinned her to the ground with a loud thud.
Outside, the guards heard the commotion but merely shook their heads.
"The Doctor's interrogation methods are as brutal as ever," one murmured. "That poor traitor likely won't survive the night."
---
"Lyudmila" pulled off her mask, revealing Lucas's face.
At the tavern earlier, Lucas had discovered the Transmission Stone on Lyudmila. He had written her a note instructing her to stay behind while he used the Mask of Disguise to take her place and infiltrate the Goth Grand Hotel.
Facing the person responsible for tormenting Ursa, Lucas felt no pity. The Doctor's struggles were futile, her attempts to scream muffled by Lucas' iron grip on her jaw.
Though an exceptional scientist and sadistic manipulator, the Doctor lacked physical strength and was no match for Lucas' raw power.
"If you promise not to scream, I'll let go," Lucas said, towering over her. "Nod if you agree."
A glint of cunning flashed in the Doctor's eyes before she nodded obediently.
Slap!
Lucas struck her across the face with such force that two of her teeth flew out, clattering to the floor.
"What a heavy hand!" one of the guards outside remarked upon hearing the sharp sound. "That slap must've knocked out a few teeth."
"Quiet," the other guard muttered, frowning. "Let's move further away. We don't want to get on the Doctor's bad side."
The two guards exchanged knowing glances and walked away.
Inside the room, the once-composed Doctor was now trembling with rage and humiliation. Tears welled in her eyes as blood dripped from her mouth.
"I hate liars," Lucas said, flexing his hand. "But don't think you would've avoided that slap even if you'd been honest."
The Doctor glared at him with bloodshot eyes, but Lucas leaned closer, extending two fingers toward her face.
"Keep glaring, and I'll gouge those eyes out," he warned, making her immediately shut them in fear.
"There's no need to be so scared," Lucas said, his tone suddenly soft and calm. "I don't hold grudges overnight."
The Doctor hesitated, cautiously opening her eyes.
"Because I always settle them the same day," Lucas finished, his voice turning icy again.
Producing a sharp sewing needle seemingly out of nowhere, he added, "Relax, I'm all about fairness. Everything you did to Ursa, I'll repay twice over."
He pressed the needle against her lips, whispering, "You stitched Ursa's lips shut with twelve stitches. So, I'll give you... twenty-seven."
"Mm-mmm!" The Doctor shook her head frantically, eyes wide with terror.
"Apologies, my math isn't great," Lucas said with a mocking grin. "If you keep squirming, I might lose count and add more."
The Doctor froze in fear as Lucas worked methodically. The sharp needle pierced through her lips, drawing muffled cries of agony.
"Stop squirming," Lucas said coldly. "If I mess up the stitches, I'll have to start over."
Lucas's innate kindness and compassion were reserved only for those who deserved it. Toward his enemies, he allowed the darkness in his heart to take full control, relishing the act of retribution.
"There, perfect."
Lucas stepped back to admire his handiwork. The Doctor's lips were now tightly sewn shut, rendering her unable to speak.
"How does it feel?" Lucas asked, his tone chilling. "Do you understand now what Ursa endured?"
The Doctor's body trembled as she nodded weakly.
Lucas pulled out a small notebook, crossed off one item, and read aloud, "Next: 237 lacerations across the body…"
He closed the notebook and smirked at her. "Too hard to count. Let's round it up to 500. Your small body—how did you even manage to inflict so many wounds?"
Though his voice was filled with anger, his words carried a deeper sadness for what Ursa had suffered.
"Do you know," Lucas whispered in the Doctor's ear, "that Liyue had an ancient punishment called Lingchi? It means cutting off pieces of flesh bit by bit while keeping the victim alive. I've always wondered if it's truly possible…"
Suddenly, Lucas heard a faint sound of running water. The room filled with an unpleasant odor.
He glanced at the Doctor, whose face was flushed with shame. She had wet herself in fear.
"Tsk, tsk. Did you really wet yourself?" Lucas wrinkled his nose in disgust. "How filthy."
The Doctor's pride had been utterly shattered. Her body and mind were both ravaged by Lucas's unrelenting cruelty.
"Relax, I'm not into anything that perverse," Lucas said dismissively. "But every ounce of suffering you inflicted on Ursa—you will pay for it twofold."
The Doctor's pale skin, normally flawless, was now marred by a thin, shimmering ice blade that Lucas conjured.
He lightly dragged the blade across her back, leaving a long, bloody gash.
The combination of searing cold and sharp pain made the Doctor's body writhe uncontrollably. Each precise cut felt both freezing and excruciating.
Lucas wasn't torturing her out of rage alone. His movements were calculated, almost like a master craftsman carving into a precious gemstone. Each slice was deliberate, as if part of a dark, methodical process.
----
Author's Note: Torture her more... Fucking trashy bitch