Chapter 155: Villain Simulator, Ch 154

Chapter 155: Villain Simulator, Ch 154Although Eula and Diluc were both individuals who had their grievances with the Knights of Favonius, Eula had no particular fondness for Diluc. The idea that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" clearly didn't apply to her.

"Indeed, nothing remarkable," Diluc said nonchalantly. "Just soft beds, fireplaces to dry your clothes, fresh food... and, of course, exclusive, non-commercially available wine."

At the mention of wine, the group's ears collectively perked up. After all, for the people of Mondstadt, wine was as essential as Adobo to the Filipinos, Nasi Goreng to the Indonesians, or barbecue to the Americans.

What's more, this was exclusive, premium wine from Dawn Winery itself!

"Master Jean!" one of the knights exclaimed. "Since we're up against a tough battle tomorrow, it would be wise to let the team have proper rest tonight. Master Diluc is surely extending his hospitality with that in mind. We mustn't decline his kindness!"

That knight was none other than Venti in disguise. No one in the entire Knights of Favonius was more tempted by fine wine than him.

"Hmph, think what you will," Diluc said, his tone indifferent. "I'm only doing this for Lucas."

From a distance, Kaeya couldn't help but smile wryly at this statement. "So, brotherly bonds do fade after all..." he muttered.

Though Diluc and Kaeya often appeared at odds, they kept in secret correspondence and still cared for each other deeply. However, Kaeya was only an adopted brother. Compared to Lucas, who might share actual blood ties with Diluc, Kaeya evidently fell short.

Ultimately, for the sake of the group's well-being, Jean decided to accept Diluc's invitation. The group would rest at Dawn Winery for the night and set out again in the morning.

This decision was met with unanimous agreement. After all, tomorrow's battle might be a deadly one. At the very least, they could enjoy one last feast.

Diluc walked alongside Lucas, casually chatting. After a moment, a thought seemed to strike him, and he asked, "By the way, about the black card I gave you... I've already been notified of the recent transactions by the finance department."

Uh-oh.

Lucas felt a chill run down his spine.

The black card Diluc had gifted him, with its one-billion-Mora annual limit, might have been intended as a polite gesture. But Lucas had gone and spent several million in just a few days. The look on Diluc's face when he saw the bill couldn't have been a pleasant one.

And to make matters worse, fifty million Mora from that amount had been used as "ransom" for La Signora.

"I'm terribly sorry!" Lucas quickly apologized. "A lot has happened lately, but I'll make sure to repay you over time."

After all, he had a smithy in Mondstadt now. Little by little, he could chip away at the debt.

"That's not what I meant," Diluc said, shaking his head. "I realized that one billion might not be enough. I've already raised the card's limit to three billion Mora. Spend as much as you need."

Diluc's reasoning was simple: the more accustomed Lucas became to a life of luxury, the easier it would be for him to naturally assume the responsibility of inheriting Dawn Winery.

Lucas, however, was utterly dumbfounded.

Are rich people happy? No. Their joy is something beyond what the average person can even fathom.

....

After a brief period of organization, the Knights were assigned rooms.

Although Dawn Winery had many guest rooms, accommodating over a hundred people was still a challenge. The solution: four people per room.

"Wait a second—there must be a mistake," Lucas said, bewildered as he looked at the three women sharing his room. "Why am I rooming with girls?"

Indeed, the three sharing the room with Lucas were none other than Jean, Eula, and Lumine.

Of course, Paimon was there too, but as emergency rations, she didn't exactly count.

"No mistake," Eula said, shrugging indifferently. "You're the odd one out. What's the big deal? It's not like we're sharing the same bed. Why are you making such a fuss?"

"Though it's admittedly a breach of etiquette," even Jean seemed unbothered, "the circumstances are unusual. We'll just have to make do."

"Exactly," Paimon chimed in, flopping onto the bed. "It's so soft! Way comfier than Lucas' bed. Right, Traveler?"

"Paimon!" Lumine quickly tried to intervene, but it was too late. Both Jean and Eula turned their gazes toward her, curious.

"It's not what it sounds like." Lucas quickly clarified. "Lumine didn't have any money for lodging, so I let her crash at my place for a night."

"Yeah, yeah," Paimon added, puzzled. "But why do Jean and Eula look so tense about it?"

"I-I'm not tense!" Eula turned away abruptly, lying down. "Let's just get some sleep. I'm tired."

"Y-yes," Jean agreed with a nod. "Tomorrow's a big day. Rest is crucial."

"You guys go ahead," Lumine said with a smile. "I slept too long earlier. I'm not sleepy now."

"Same here," Paimon said, stroking her chin thoughtfully. "Let's do something fun! How about a word game? I'll start—'as you wish'!"

"Not a noisy game," Lucas warned gently. "You'll disturb everyone else."

"Oh, right..." Paimon paused, then brightened. "Hey, I'm curious—what does Traveler's brother look like? Endora, can you recreate the scenes from the Hydro Mirage?"

"I can!" Endora said proudly. "But everyone saw different things in the mirage. I'll have to show them one by one."

"That makes it even better!" Paimon said, grinning. "We'll get to see everyone's dreams!"

"I'd like to see my brother again," Lumine said with a nod. "If I can remember his face clearly, I might be able to use it for a missing-person poster."

Though she still remembered Aether's features, time had made them blurry.

"This shouldn't take long," Lucas estimated. "At ten seconds per scene, we'll be done in under half an hour."

"In that case, could I see mine as well?" Jean's expression turned wistful. "Even if it's just a fantasy, I want to feel that happiness again."

"You're welcome to," Paimon said, turning to Eula. "What about you, Eula?"

"I-I don't want to!" Eula turned her back on them. "I'm going to sleep. Keep it down."

Thus, Endora began replaying the illusions, like a slideshow of everyone's inner dreams.

Interestingly, while Endora could project these dreams, she didn't understand their deeper meaning—she simply mirrored what had been seen.

Each dream was unique.

Some knights dreamed of being celebrated heroes like Vennessa.

Others fantasized about mountains of Mora or lavish harems.

Watching these scenes, Jean couldn't help but reflect. Even the noble knights of Favonius harbored worldly, and sometimes sordid, desires.

"Whoa! It's Master Jean!"

Paimon's exclamation drew everyone's attention to the latest scene—a vision of Jean herself.

"This..." Jean's cheeks turned a faint pink.

"Well, that's understandable," Lucas said, trying to defuse the situation. "Every man has an ideal girl he admires."

As expected, the appearance of Jean in the mirages didn't surprise anyone. If anything, it would have been more unusual for her not to appear.

In addition to Jean, images of Lisa and Amber also surfaced in the illusions.

Most bizarrely, even Kaeya made an appearance!

Considering that the only women in the expedition were in this room, and the rest of the team were all men, this revelation left everyone scratching their heads.

Jean, her cheeks faintly pink, tried to explain. "Ahem... Well, this is Mondstadt, a nation that celebrates freedom..." S~eaʀᴄh the Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"Wait, even Eula is here!" Paimon exclaimed loudly. "Looks like you're quite popular, Eula. Don't you want to see for yourself?"

"Stop spouting nonsense!" Eula, her back still to the group, grumbled in a low voice. "I'm not interested."

"Wow! It's Eula without clothes!" Paimon blurted out.

"What?!" Eula shot upright in alarm, jumping off the bed, only to see her projected image fully clothed on the screen.

Realizing she had been tricked, Eula grabbed Paimon by the cheeks, squeezing them with frustration. "This mouth of yours—always making trouble! I'll remember this grudge, you little brat!"

"Shyoo save mee! (Jean, save me!)" Paimon's muffled cries for help were ignored as Jean simply smiled. "You brought this upon yourself, Paimon. I can't help you here."

The mirages continued to roll. The next image of Eula showed her holding the family heirloom sword, standing atop a grand platform while the crowd cheered wildly below.

Behind her, the Lawrence family banner billowed majestically in the wind—a scene that exuded prestige and power.

"Wait, this scene feels... different," Paimon said, puzzled. "Could this be Eula's own illusion?"

Restoring the Lawrence family to its former glory could only be Eula's dream.

"So what if it is?" Eula said without hesitation. "One day, I'll make this vision a reality."

"Hey, look!" Paimon suddenly pointed excitedly. "Are those children standing next to Eula hers?"

In the projection, several well-dressed children stood by Eula's side, all with striking features and an air of nobility.

"Indeed," Eula replied matter-of-factly. "Once the Lawrence family is revitalized, I'll ensure that its excellent genes are passed down through the generations."

"And that man over there—he must be your husband, right?" Paimon teased.

Paimon's remark immediately drew everyone's attention.

Sure enough, the mirage now showed a man's figure from behind, holding Eula's hand with a tender intimacy. Her gaze toward him was filled with deep affection.

"Wow, so Eula has a soft side too?"

"Turn around! I want to see what Eula's future husband looks like!"

Paimon and Lumine were both chattering excitedly, unable to contain their curiosity.

Even Jean, typically calm and composed, looked a little intrigued. Who was the man Eula envisioned herself with?

"Don't you think..." Paimon said, squinting at the screen, "this guy's back looks familiar?"

"Yeah," Lumine added, tilting her head. "I feel like I've seen him somewhere before."

"No... Stop it right now!" Eula's voice broke through, her embarrassment reaching its peak. A surge of icy energy appeared in her hands as she threatened, "Skip this scene or I'll freeze you all into popsicles!"

Startled, Endora immediately halted the projection. As a pure-water elemental, she was naturally vulnerable to ice.

"Aww, what a pity!" Lumine and Paimon groaned in unison, their disappointment palpable.

Jean, however, seemed relieved—almost as if a weight had been lifted.

"Lumine, look over there!" Paimon gasped suddenly, her voice filled with astonishment. "That boy... doesn't he look like you?"

Lumine's gaze snapped to the screen, and sure enough, a slender golden-haired boy appeared in the mirage, waving warmly.

"It's... my brother!" Lumine exclaimed, her voice trembling with excitement. "It's really him!"

Though it was only an illusion, the sight of Aether stirred a deep, emotional chord within her.

Just as Lucas had speculated, the boy in the vision was indeed Aether. Here, he appeared bright and cheerful—a stark contrast to the brooding, somber Abyss Prince he had become.

If Lumine knew her brother's current state, it would surely break her heart.

"Even if it's just an illusion, it's comforting to see him," Lumine said softly, turning to Lucas with a grateful smile. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me just yet," Lucas replied with a reassuring grin. "Save it for when we find your brother."

Finally, the last mirage began—the one Jean had been quietly waiting for.

In the image, Jean's family—her parents and a younger Barbara—were happily gathered together, sharing a moment of peace and joy.

Compared to Eula's ambitious vision of restoring her family's glory, Jean's dream was simple and modest—a longing for familial harmony.

When the mirage ended, Lucas handed Jean a small, ornate box.

"What's this?" Jean asked curiously.

"It's a recording of the mirage," Lucas explained with a gentle smile. "You can play it back with a projector. For you, this wasn't just an illusion—it was a memory."

Indeed, the scenes depicted in Jean's vision were moments from her past, from a time when her family was whole and unbroken.

Moved by his thoughtfulness, Jean clutched the box tightly to her chest and said earnestly, "I'll treasure this. Thank you. Good night."

"Good night."

As the hour grew late, the group, including their small emergency food, soon drifted off to sleep.

That night passed in peace and tranquility.