private—but it was still strange to be met with only his caution and seriousness.

I nodded. Paused. And then added, "Be careful."

Another soft smile—which was soon replaced with a smirk as he walked backwards towards the two teams that would join him. The other three were to remain vigilant outside. "I'm The Duke of Meropide. What can they do to me?" And at that, I almost chuckled.

Wriothesley gathered the Guards, debriefing them one last time, before they squeezed themselves into the tight, almost invisible space in the wall. Where it led to, I did not know, nor did I know how it formed. I could only guess someone had been secretly chipping away at it, either during my time or from long ago—perhaps even before Wriothesley became the Warden.

I sat myself down on a crate. And waited. And waited some more. I could feel the eyes of the other Guards on me, some disapproving, some merely curious, and some who really had no interest at all. But with every stare, I felt the weight of my uselessness bear down on me. Was I really worthy of being Wriothesley's informant?

After all, I was a convict—a former criminal who still retained some of her bad qualities. No doubt the Guards could do just fine on their own. So why me? No one got these privileges—no one. So why—

Footsteps interrupted my train of thought and I looked up to find a Guard approaching me. Secaille, I think her name was. She smiled slightly at me. "You seem down," she said as she came to a stop in front of me. "Something the matter?" She angled her head, a slight smirk on her face. "Missing The Duke already?"

My face grew red hot at the implication. "H—huh?" I never stuttered. Ever. But I had also never been asked such a question.

She chuckled lightly, aegean-blue hair shifting with the movement. "Come on. I saw how His Grace acted around you, escorting you here like that."

I had to admit, it was among the more caring things The Duke had done for me. We teased and flirted all the time, but it was never real... was it? To even suggest that I might feel such things... or that he might feel those things... I shook my head internally. He wouldn't think like that—especially not about a convict like me. But I asked, "You don't seem mad about it."

"Hm?" Secaille placed a hand on her hip. "About your potential relationship?" I tried not to blush more at that. "Why would I be?" I looked past her and she followed my gaze, looking at the Guards behind her. "Ah... Don't worry about them. Most of them don't actually care about you. They might be a little jealous that you're so close with His Grace, so if they show you any hostility, it's probably just petty denial." She chuckled. "Of course, there are those who find you to be a nuisance."

I laughed quietly with her, my thoughts drifting to Ielmini, before pausing and contemplating. If what she said was true... Could it be true? Really? "Do you... do you really think... he feels that way?"

Secaille hummed. "I was only observing. I cannot say for certain." She smiled again. "But I think there is a possibility."

"How big of a possibility?"

"Aren't you curious?" she grinned and I reddened even more, averting my gaze. "Perhaps you'll find the answer, though I am unsure how straightforward he will be. I've never seen The Duke in this light before."

"No... Neither..."

"Considering taking him up?"

Archons, this woman knew the right questions—to get one to feel flustered, that was. I twirled a strand of my hair subconsciously as I said quietly, "Would it be so bad? To have someone care?" I added. After all, some days it felt like he was the only one that did.

Secaille's gaze softened. "Not at all. I think... with your friendship, it'll be a nice pairing." I only met her gaze once more, her eyes bright. "I'm rooting for you," she said, before turning and leaving to join her squad.

"I—I—" I began, but she had already walked out of earshot. "I never said I liked him..." I muttered to myself, pulling on a strand of my hair as my face turned as red as the surface of an apple.

Did I... like him? Love him? And would he... accept me? Care for me as I needed?

I thought for a while, the time that I waited consumed with only those thoughts. And I came to a conclusion.

No. Just—no.

Even if I did love him—which I was starting to think I did—he wouldn't love me back. Couldn't. I was... useless. Worthless.

But... if I could prove my worth—show him and everyone else that I was strong despite my fears... then maybe... he'd see me. And care for me. I smiled lightly. I shouldn't be entertaining such thoughts—but they filled me with an emotion I had never felt before. And that emotion felt good—so much so I couldn't turn those thoughts away.

Soon enough, Wriothesley and the others filed out from the space between the walls, three convicts with their hands tied behind their backs with them. And Wriothesley... He was furious. The thoughts in my mind instantly disappeared at the anger on his face as he whirled at them. "You cannot keep refusing to tell me things," he said in a voice that was dangerously low. He lifted up a vial. "Tell me which Guard supplied you with this poison."

"I—it's not poison!" one of the convicts insisted. "I swear, Your Grace, it's not!"

"Oh yeah? Then drink it." I had rarely seen him so... threatening before. But I supposed that with innocent lives in danger and uncooperative villains, fury was inevitable.

The convict that had spoken whimpered slightly. "I—I can't."

"And why's that?"

"I'm a—allergic." Wriothesley's eyes narrowed, thoroughly unconvinced. "Please believe me! I—I would never—never lie! Really!" The other two convicts remained silent, either too afraid to speak or having already given up.

Tired of the convict's whining, Wriothesley turned to one of the Guards. "How quickly can we get this analysed?" he asked, pertaining to the potential poison in the vial.

"Working alongside standard procedure would have it at roughly five days or so days, Your Grace."

"Tch, that's too long. Something else might occur by then and we'd be back to square one."

Suddenly, one of the convicts jumped towards him, her hands reaching desperately for the vial. "P—please!" she shouted.

Wriothesley and the Guard stepped back as she tackled him with her body, unable to use her hands, and the vial slipped from his fingers in surprise. They easily kept her at bay, the Guard saying, "Perhaps it's a drug if she has such an attachment to it. If you want my opinion, it looks a bit like Sinthe."

"Perhaps... but it seems a bit unlikely."

The other two convicts soon joined in with the first, one attempting to make a run for it while the other helped bash her body against the Guards.

As I stared at the mild chaos, I didn't notice the vial rolling towards me until it hit my bare feet, the glass cold against my skin. I bent down and picked it up, examining the pale blue translucent liquid inside.

Prove my worth... I looked up at Wriothesley as he further restrained the convicts. No... I had zero chance with him. And life in the Fortress was beginning to feel more and more stressful despite his efforts to make me feel safe. I couldn't help anyone, not even myself. But if I could do this one thing...

I held up the vial, the light illuminating the liquid inside. "Hey!" They all stopped and turned, the convicts' eyes widening at the familiar face. Some of them, I recognised also. "Why don't I test this out for ya?"

Wriothesley's eyes widened as he turned fully. "Y/n, don't—"

"If I faint, you'll know it's poison." I grinned at him one last time, and amidst cries from all parties, I opened the vial with my thumb and drank the liquid inside.

The reaction was almost immediate, my insides burning like hellfire, my airways constricted. As I instinctively reached for my neck, figures rushing towards me in my fraying vision, I was quite certain that what I had just consumed was, in fact, poison. A most potent kind. One that would be useful in an assassination.

I collapsed to my knees, feeling arms surround me before my head could hit the floor. I had the vague sense of Wriothesley crying out for order and assistance as he cradled me in his arms and I looked up. My vision had almost fully blurred, but his face was clear as I saw him practically scream out, "Somebody help her! Find an antidote! An antidote!!!"

A soft smile settled on my face at those words, even as my eyes shut. It seemed he really did care enough to cry for me. Maybe I did have a chance... Oh, well.

I was glad to have helped him... one last time.

⁜※⁜

My eyes slowly opened. Bright lights... a soft feeling beneath me... like cushions... like clouds... Was I... dead? Was this where we ended up? In the Fortress infirmary?

My eyes narrowed slightly. That didn't seem right.

I was so... so tired. So drained. So in pain... I saw a small face with magenta eyes look down at me, caring for me, before another figure filled my blurry view. I heard words spoken and then felt strong arms pick me up. Steel-grey eyes filled with abject worry were the last things I saw before I passed out again.

⁜※⁜

I woke up on a couch this time in Wriothesley's office. It didn't take me long to figure out where I was, despite the pounding in my head. After all, I had visited this room numerous times, laid down on this couch in attempts to tick The Duke off more instances than I could count and stared at this very view.

I groaned as I sat up, holding my head as I gazed at my surroundings. Wriothesley leaned against his desk, eyes closed, a steaming cup of fresh tea beside him. I smiled a little. "It's quite late, Your Grace. Or is it early morning?"

He opened his eyes to look at me—glare at me—and my smile was instantly washed away. His stare was so fierce that I almost trembled beneath it and I remembered. This man wasn't just an unlikely friend. He was Wriothesley, Duke of the Fortress of Meropide. He didn't just make the rules around here. He was Law itself.

"Why did you do that?"

".. Do what?" I asked, though I knew perfectly well what he was referring to.

He stood and strode over with such command that for a moment I forgot I was anything but his subordinate, my legs instinctively curling up to my body as I hugged them, cowering beneath that withering glare. "Do you know how close you were to dying?"

I was hesitant to answer. He was... seething. Livid. At... me. For endangering my life.

"Do you?" he asked again, firmer this time. I quickly shook my head. "The assassins found a poison that couldn't be cured down here, fast-acting and efficient. We had to rush you to the surface once we realised we had no antidote. I took you myself. I heard and remember every word the doctor said about you—your condition. Counted and savoured your every breath."

He paused, as if needing the time to calm himself after recalling the memories.

"Five minutes. You had five bloody minutes to spare." His eyes filled with pain and I could've sworn they began to gloss over. "If we had realised any later that we had no cure, if the boat had taken any longer to reach the mainland, if—if the doctors didn't get to work as quickly as they could, you would've been gone." His voice choked up unmistakably as he added, "I would've lost you."

Lost... me? As if my loss would have made much difference.

"Your Grace—"

"Don't Your Grace me," he snapped. "Why—why did you do that?"

"I... I just—wanted to help."

"Help? By poisoning yourself?!"

"If not me, then someone else!" He stopped and waited as I rose from the couch, though my head pounded and my body ached. "You and I both know what was bound to occur. By waiting for the analysis, someone would have to die. And then the criminal mastermind would all but disappear."

"Yes—but there are other ways to help us than drinking dangerous substances!"

"I just—" I paused and sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I didn't like seeing it, that's all..."

"Seeing what?"

"You... all stressed out and angry." I raised my gaze back to him. "You didn't know what to do. Don't deny it cause I know you didn't."

He exhaled through his nose in a deep sigh. "I didn't. But that wasn't a signal for you to endanger your life."

"What does it even matter?"

He only blinked incredulously. "Y/n, what do you mean—"

"I mean, why do you worry so much? I'm a convict, remember?" I spread my arms out, gesturing to the hundreds of people within the Fortress. "No one else gets this treatment. Not even the Meropide Guards. So tell me, Your Grace, what you want to get from treating me with this much care."

He stopped again, before repeating softly, "Care?"

I nodded. "I've never... never seen you like this. So... so overwhelmed."

He hesitated, before stalking around the table towards me. I had to keep myself from shrinking beneath him—beneath the embodiment of power. He reached for me and I almost flinched—but he gently grabbed my chin and tilted my head up, leaving my mouth agape in slight surprise. "Why do I care?" he mused.

I waited as he continued to stare down at me, the Feline rendered to nothing in The Duke's grip. A spark—just a tiny hint of light began to shine in his eyes and I knew he was going to say something mischievous.

He leaned down until his lips were right beside my ear and whispered, "Because how am I supposed to taste you when you're six feet under?" Colour bloomed on my face. Taste... T—taste...

He pulled away from me and smirked. "Joking, of course." Except he wasn't. I knew from that look that he wasn't joking, wasn't playing around with me. And every time he had flirted with me in the past, I began to wonder if those instances were real, too. And how I made him feel every time I brushed them off as mere teases. Brushed him off.

He was The Duke. He was Law. And yet I could make him do things that no one else could. I should have seen it sooner—seen how he bent the rules for me. Because... because—

I inhaled and exhaled deeply, calming the raging red on my face. My gaze remained averted as I murmured, "It felt nice, you know..."

"Hm?"

"Felt nice... to know that you weren't far away. Every time I was afraid... I knew I only had to walk for a few minutes to reach your door... and know that you would care. Wouldn't brush me off or push me to the side or say how stupid I was..." I looked up at him. "I'm grateful for that."

That smirk grew softer. "I would do... anything for you."

"Including save my life, it seems."

"Oh—well..." He rubbed the back of his head and chuckled lightly. "Ielmini was actually the one who gave us time to get you to the surface."

I blinked. "Ielmini?" Didn't he... despise me?

"The moment you drank the poison, he rushed to Sigewinne's office to find something that would slow the poison while we searched frantically for a cure. While I... cried out for help."

I smiled a little. Perhaps thanks were in order. And I wondered if he would accept my thanks or just shove me aside with some sarcastic remark. That smile faded slightly. Cried... "I'm sorry," I said quietly. "For scaring you."

Wriothesley gripped my shoulders. "Y/n, I was beside myself with fear. You were in my arms all the way from the Fortress to the hospital bed. And I was... terrified... that you were going to die right there. While I held you." He paused, gaze dropping to the ground. "I've never felt that way before. So helpless."

"I'll never do it again."

His eyes snapped up. "You better not."

"I won't. I promise."

".. Alright."

And we stood there, his calloused hands on my shoulders, his stare meeting mine with the most pain and fear I had seen from him yet. As if he was afraid that I would still disappear right there in front of him. So I reached up a hand to cup his cheek. I was not used to such intimate gestures. But it somehow... felt right. Felt right as he leaned into my touch and closed his eyes.

"I love you," I whispered.

He opened his eyes slightly—and the smile that spread across his lips almost made my knees buckle. Yes, it appeared I adored him. And cherished him. And everything in between.

And I realised, that more so than the poison, more so than the fears that would forever wrench my very being... it was him—it was Wriothesley... that intoxicated me the most.

⁜※⁜

A/N: We both love tea way too much. Is it really a problem, though? Happy New Year and happy 10k reads!!!

I am also happy to announce that a Diluc fic is in the works. I am unsure when it shall be released but I am hoping to have it done by sometime this year (vague lol). I look forward to sharing it and hope you all will enjoy it, too!

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Completed: 1-1-2024
Published: 2-1-2024
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Fanart credits: https://www.reddit.com/r/Genshin_Impact/comments/16s5vfg/wriothesley_fanart_i_made_let_me_know_what_you/