Chapter 18: Chapter 18: The Girl Under the Tree
The carriage came to a stop.
Everyone began to disembark, and Crucabena approached Yu Xie once more.
"This place is called Hearth Manor; from now on, this will be your home."
Yu Xie looked around. The place was quite large, resembling the mansion of a wealthy family. The various buildings and decorations spoke of the owner's nobility.
"Do you like it?" Crucabena asked again.
Before Yu Xie could respond, a youthful voice suddenly called out.
"Mother! You're back!"
A little girl with pink hair, wearing a white dress, ran over, her face beaming with joy.
"Clervie, let me introduce you. This is Yu Xie; you two will be family from now on," Crucabena said, smiling as she introduced the little girl.
"Yu Xie?" Clervie looked at Yu Xie, her adorable face showing a hint of confusion, her clear eyes full of curiosity. "Hello, I'm Clervie!"
"I'm Yu Xie—'Yu' as in 'the rest of your life' and 'Xie' as in 'to grow old together,'" Yu Xie replied.
"Clervie, you came at the right time! I have a few things to attend to, so why don't you show Yu Xie around the house?" Crucabena suggested.
"Okay!" Clervie nodded eagerly.
With that, Crucabena left.
Yu Xie and Clervie stayed behind, waiting until Crucabena was out of sight. Then Clervie spoke up again.
"Your name is really special! Are you from Liyue?"
"Yes," Yu Xie nodded.
"I really like Liyue!" Clervie said with a smile. "I'd love to visit if I get the chance, but it doesn't seem likely in the near future."
"There will be opportunities," Yu Xie assured her.
"What's Liyue like? Is it very different from Fontaine?" Clervie's eyes seemed to light up with excitement at the question.
"Let me think..." Yu Xie recalled the scenes of Liyue in his mind.
The bustling Liyue Harbor, the towering mountains of Jueyun Karst, and the mirror-like waters of Luhua Pool…
"Liyue has many high mountains and beautiful scenery. It also has the largest trading port in Teyvat, with countless merchant ships coming and going every day. Oh, and in the mountains, where few people go, there are also immortals…"
As he mentioned the word "immortal," Yu Xie hesitated for some reason, abruptly stopping his words.
"High mountains, trading ports, immortals…" Clervie completely missed Yu Xie's momentary pause, her eyes filled with longing.
However, Clervie quickly reined in her excitement.
"I hope I can visit someday," she said. "Come on, let me show you around so you can get familiar with this place!"
"Okay," Yu Xie replied with a smile.
Clervie was just as he remembered—innocent and lovely, like the rising sun.
But he couldn't help but think of Clervie's fate.
"By the way, Liyue is quite far from here, right? How did you get here?" Clervie asked as they walked.
Yu Xie fell silent for a moment, pondering how to respond.
He, too, wanted to know how he had ended up here.
Since the beginning of this life, everything from his previous life felt like a long dream. Upon waking, he remembered nothing, only that his feet were now on the soil of Fontaine.
"Ah, I'm sorry!" Clervie suddenly realized. "Anyone who comes here must have an unwelcome past. I shouldn't have asked so much..."
"It's okay," Yu Xie smiled.
Although his silence wasn't due to what Clervie suggested, he appreciated the chance to move on from the topic.
With Clervie's guidance, he began to understand the basic layout of Hearth Home.
The living and training areas were clearly defined, and if they needed any supplies, they just had to submit a request, and someone would bring them quickly.
Overall, the management was strict but quite humane.
Yet, this all concealed a truth that perhaps no one, except Yu Xie, knew.
"Alright, that's about it for Hearth Home," Clervie said with a sigh of relief after giving Yu Xie a tour. "Next, I'll take you to meet someone. She's my best friend. Honestly, when I first saw you, I felt like you two would really hit it off."
"Really?"
"Of course! Let's go—she should be at the park now." Clervie smiled brightly as she led the way.
However, once they reached the park, Clervie suddenly stopped.
"What's wrong, Clervie?" Yu Xie asked.
"Um... I might have eaten too much cake. I need to go to the bathroom; I'll be right back!" Clervie said, her cheeks slightly flushed from embarrassment as she quickly ran off.
Watching her disappear from view, Yu Xie couldn't help but smile silently.
He then looked around.
The cobblestone paths wove through the grass of the park, creating gentle curves.
Flowers bloomed vibrantly in the flowerbeds, their petals swaying in the breeze, filling the air with their sweet fragrance.
Many children were playing in the park, fully engrossed in their games, their laughter echoing throughout the area.
Yet, amidst this scene, a little girl sat alone in the corner beneath a tree, staring blankly at something in front of her, silent and lost in thought.
Yu Xie pondered for a moment before walking over to her.
As he got closer, he noticed that the girl was wearing black clothes, her silver hair streaked with a few strands of black.
She remained crouched on the ground, seemingly oblivious to Yu Xie's approach, or perhaps she was aware but simply chose to ignore him, continuing to gaze at the ground.
Following the girl's gaze, Yu Xie spotted a small black spider.
"Are you watching the spider?" Yu Xie couldn't help but ask.
The girl seemed too engrossed to respond.
"Clervie brought me here," he added.
Finally, the girl turned her head to look at Yu Xie. She glanced at him for a moment but still didn't say anything.
"She went to the bathroom," Yu Xie explained. "She'll be back soon."
"She probably ate too much cake again," the girl finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.
"By the way… it seems like the spider on the ground isn't moving. Is it hurt?"
"It might be dying," she replied.
"…Are you sad about that?"
"I don't know," the girl said. "But everyone dies eventually, right? As long as they're alive."
Indeed, the life of mortals will eventually meet its end—a truth Yu Xie understood all too well.
"Did you just arrive today?" the girl asked, standing up to face him. "I've never seen you before."
"I just got here. Clervie showed me around," Yu Xie replied.
"Welcome," she said, though her tone lacked any warmth.
She was remarkably calm, as unyielding as a mountain, with her uniquely colored eyes revealing no emotion.
"My name is Yu Xie—'Yu' as in 'the rest of your life' and 'Xie' as in 'to grow old together.' What's your name?"
"Peruere—'Pe' as in 'admiration,' 'Ru' as in 'dew,' 'E' as in 'rose,' and 'Re' as in 'sharp.'" The girl introduced each character of her name as if determined to make a point.
End of chapter
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