"Hm?"
Hearing someone call her name, Paimon stopped and looked around. Seeing a familiar figure, she was immediately overjoyed.
She then quickened her pace, flew rapidly to Lumine's side, hugged her, and cheered happily.
"Finally found you! Host, I'm so glad you're alright!"
"Huh?"
Seeing that Paimon had mistaken her for someone else, Lumine held her up in front of her and said with a hint of helplessness.
"You've got the wrong person, I'm her sister."
"Huh? Ah..."
Upon hearing this, Paimon instinctively observed again and realized she had indeed made a mistake. After all, her host was younger, and her eyes lacked Lumine's confidence. Instead, they exuded an aura of cuteness, making her seem easy to talk to and easily manipulated.
"It really is... strange. Where did the host go..."
Paimon's words suddenly made Lumine think of something, and she quickly pressed.
"Wait a minute, weren't you confined by Scaramouche's energy and always with Ying? And what do you mean Ying ran off just now? Weren't you with her?"
The questions were a bit numerous. Paimon took a while to gather her thoughts before answering them one by one.
"Uh, regarding the first question, I was able to come out because I drank the vial of reagent that the Doctor gave you. However, the amount was a bit small, so I could only recover to this form."
"Regarding the second question, I was taking care of our host, who was covered in wounds, in the Raiden Shogun's residence. I accidentally fell asleep, and when I woke up, the host was gone. I found myself lying in the spot where the host had been before, without realizing how I got there."
"Worried, I immediately searched the vicinity and, not long after, encountered you two."
After speaking, Paimon looked at Lumine with hopeful eyes, seemingly wishing she would tell her if she knew the host's whereabouts.
"I see..."
Lumine nodded thoughtfully. Although she had learned that Ying had disappeared again, she didn't feel overly anxious. Seeing Paimon's worried expression, Lumine gently comforted her.
"Don't worry. Knowing that scatterbrain, she's probably thought of another way and decided to solve the problem on her own."
"In any case, come with me to the Tenshukaku first. If my guess is correct, she's either already there or on her way."
Lumine said with certainty, making Paimon doubtfully glance at her.
"Are you sure?"
Lumine smiled confidently.
"I can't speak for others, but I'm sure about her. It's too easy to guess that scatterbrain's intentions."
"That's true..."
After Lumine's explanation, Paimon relaxed, and the three of them walked towards the Tenshukaku.
Inside the Tenshukaku...
"The transgressions of the Inazuman people shall be punished by me. You are not worthy, Signora."
Hearing this, the Signora shrugged and replied in a helpless tone.
"Then I'm truly sorry, Your Excellency the General~"
As soon as the words fell, the door was suddenly flung open, and an angry roar met their ears.
"Signora!"
Upon seeing the person who had entered, the Signora was initially startled. However, after recalling some events, she became calm again and teased with a smile.
"Tsk... One after another, barging in. If I didn't know this was the Tenshukaku, I would have thought this was a noisy marketplace."
Saying that, the Signora looked at Lumine, who was walking slowly, and asked with a playful expression.
"Although your arrival here was within my expectations, I must admit, I'm quite curious. Where did you, a sickly person with no combat ability, get the courage to come here?"
"Could it be... because I taught you a lesson in Mondstadt back then? If so, you're quite the grudge-holder, aren't you."
"Let me guess what you're going to say next. Well... it'll probably be those words about exposing my crimes. But unfortunately, I am merely..."
"No."
Lumine interrupted her, her beautiful eyes fixed on the Signora's, and said earnestly.
"Exposing your crimes was the original intention, but from the moment I saw you, that purpose has changed to avenging my sister."
"Oh?"
Lumine's words made the Signora raise her eyebrows slightly in surprise, then her expression turned interested.
"The sister you're referring to must be that foolish girl I beat up in Liyue earlier."
"If I recall correctly, I handed her over to that idiot Scaramouche at the time."
"After so long, I didn't expect her to still be alive. I thought she would have long since been tortured beyond recognition and died by the hands of that suspected deserter."
After speaking, the Signora deliberately showed a look of regret, as if recalling something unpleasant.
Although she knew the other party was deliberately trying to provoke her, the fact that this bastard in front of her dared to insult Ying in her presence made Lumine's face turn cold. She had already sentenced this woman to death in her heart.
"Fortunately, my sister did not end up as you described. However, you may not be so lucky."
She said slowly, the killing intent in her eyes completely unconcealed.
"Ha?"
The Signora burst into laughter as if she had heard the funniest joke, covering her mouth and looking at Lumine with mockery.
"Miss Lumine, please forgive my presumption, but your mind must be addled. Before you boast, have you realized that you are currently Inazuma's most wanted criminal?"
"Instead of thinking about your predicament, you spout wild words before an esteemed foreign envoy. Tsk tsk tsk... In my eyes, you are like a beggar standing before a throne, full of ignorance."
"I don't know how to praise you... Perhaps for your courage? You've become useless, yet you still dare to speak boldly. Heh heh heh... Thinking about it that way, you barely qualify."
Lumine let out a cold snort, her hands already clenched tightly. Although she knew the odds were slim, she still intended to act.
Noticing Lumine's abnormal behavior, Paimon quickly grabbed her arm, looking at her with worry, afraid she would do something impulsive.
Seeing Paimon's concern, Paimon added from the side.
"Don't rush. Didn't you say the host would be here soon?"
Lumine: .........
Yes, she had just said that herself. But upon seeing this person who had almost caused Ying to leave her, her rationality, like when facing Scaramouche, had been slowly consumed by anger.
Thinking of this, Lumine gently rubbed the heads of the two little ones, signaling them not to worry.
Then, Lumine stared intently at the Signora.
"I will, declare... to you..."