Chapter 41 Girls and Ladies

As Tsumugi Kujo and Shinobu Kuki were arguing, in the Kingdom of Snezhnaya, one of the Fatui Harbingers stood by a window, gazing into the distance.

"What's on your mind, Girl? Something interesting outside?" asked "Rooster," another Harbinger who happened to be passing by.

"No, nothing," the girl replied calmly. "I just felt something calling me from that direction... toward Mondstadt and Liyue, I believe."

"Yes... Mondstadt," Rooster replied, his voice tinged with cruelty as if remembering something unpleasant.

"What's bothering you?" the girl inquired.

"Just some business," Rooster answered, irritation evident. "One of the pigeons I trained died in Mondstadt yesterday."

Rooster, responsible for the logistics of the entire Fatui, also trained carrier pigeons for communication, ensuring the movement and supply of the Fatui forces, and even keeping an eye on potential betrayals.

"I see," the girl responded, her tone steady.

The girl, once full of life, had changed over the years. Now, she remained in the Fatui only to protect Rosalyne, her former lover, from the shadows.

"Mondstadt, you say? I've heard there's been another dragon disaster recently," she mused, her thoughts drifting back to memories of a certain White Knight. The guilt she felt for not aiding Mondstadt during Durin's attack had driven her to Liyue, where she met her.

A strong urge to visit Wangshu Inn surfaced, but she quickly dismissed it.

Meanwhile, in a carriage bound for Mondstadt, Rosalyne, one of the Fatui Harbingers, awoke from a brief nap, her mind clouded with confusion.

Was that a memory from my past?

The thought felt ridiculous to her. Five hundred years ago, she had sacrificed her memories for power, and for years, she had searched for a way to restore them, to no avail. Eventually, she accepted that even if she regained her memories, it wouldn't change anything—her friends and family from back then were likely long gone. She believed it was better to live without those memories.

So why did they return now?

But even if the White Knight of Liyue from her memory was truly her, that person was surely dead after five hundred years.

Rosalyne shook her head with a sigh.

As she gathered her thoughts, a carrier pigeon arrived with a letter. It was from Anastasia, a Fatui agent stationed in Mondstadt, reporting a deal with Tsumugi Kujo, the second daughter of the Kujo Clan from Inazuma. She had learned of Barbatos' true identity but hesitated to act, urging Rosalyne to return to Mondstadt quickly.

That name... Tsumugi...

For a moment, Rosalyne's heart skipped a beat, but she quickly calmed herself. In Inazuma, the name "Tsumugi" symbolizes tenacity and the bonds of marriage, a common name among women. It wasn't unusual for the Kujo Clan's second daughter to bear such a name. Yet, it reminded her of someone who had taken that name in Mondstadt five hundred years ago.

Rosalyne chuckled at the thought, but her expression soon darkened as she remembered that Tsumugi had been responsible for destroying the Doctor's Delusion factories in Inazuma. What is she doing in Mondstadt?

Then, Rosalyne recalled a Thunder Witch in their ranks who had once been captured by Tsumugi. What was her name again...?

"Katarina, is Katarina here?"

"Yes, Lady Rosalyne!" replied a Cicin mage, stepping forward.

"You were captured by the second daughter of the Kujo Clan during a mission in Inazuma, correct? Tell me everything you know about her."

"Yes, my lady!" Katarina began recounting her experience, though her account was filled with personal bias.

"That woman is a monster in human skin! She's cruel, ruthless, and takes pleasure in killing humans! I once saw her tie a debtor's limbs to five cows and then... then ordered them to move in opposite directions. It was... horrible..." Katarina gagged, recalling the gruesome scene.

"She even summoned Lady Cangjing to her tent, and strange noises came from within... She must have tortured her!"

"Wait," Rosalyne interrupted, her expression unreadable. "Are you sure it was the Kujo Clan's second daughter who called her into the tent, and not a man?"

"Absolutely! I'll never forget the way she looked at us, like a predator sizing up prey. She eventually summoned Lady Cangjing into the tent."

"Hmm... I see. Continue."

As Rosalyne listened to Katarina's account, she couldn't help but feel surprised by this revelation.

So, she has an interest in women...

"Did anything else happen after that?" Rosalyne asked.

"No, nothing. I used Blink to escape and didn't see what happened afterward."

So, she's a ruthless person with a taste for women... Rosalyne mused, finally gaining some understanding of Tsumugi Kujo's character.

"Is there anything else you can tell me?" Rosalyne asked.

"Nothing more, my lady," Katarina replied, hesitating. "Since I escaped, she's stopped taking prisoners."

"I see."

Looking out the carriage window, Rosalyne saw Mondstadt's outline emerging on the horizon. Her lips curled into an arrogant smile.

"In that case, when we arrive in Mondstadt, I shall personally meet the Kujo Clan's second daughter, who has been causing so much trouble for the Fatui."