***
Yomite decided to give Barbara some time alone, and returned to the headquarters of the Knights of Favonius. When there was no one around, the air seemed more solemn or reverent. He was certain that there were no more than five people on duty in the building; if there were more, Yomite would have seen them.
He knocked on Jean's office door once again before immediately opening it without waiting for a response.
"Sorry I'm bothering you again, Jean, but what did you and Barbara talk about...?" Yomite questioned as he entered and shut the door behind him."She seemed quite sad, did you say something bad to her?"
"..."
Jean did not speak as her nails rhythmically drummed across the desk surface.
She inhaled deeply and reclined against the chair. "Yes. I inadvertently hurt someone who meant a lot to me." She rubbed her temples with both hands while staring at nothing. "I never realized how painful my actions could be until now, but it's too late. It won't change anything that happened already. It's far too late..."
"...Do you need any help? I'll help you two, I'm your friend after all." Yomite offered, looking over at Jean who was obviously troubled by guilt.
"A friend, huh...Thank you," she whispered out loud. With her head still down, tears began to gather at the corners of her eyes. "...But no...Please don't come near me right now. I need some time to figure things out on my own."
"Alright then. Let me know if you need anything, alright?" He stated before leaving the room. When his footsteps were no longer audible, Jean hid her face in her arms. The sound of muffled sobs came through her fingers pressed tightly against her mouth.
"I'm such a terrible person..." she murmured to herself. Tears flowed freely as the memories of previous event flooded back into her mind; they made her heartache even more unbearable.
How could she say such a thing to her younger sister, whom she treasured above all else?
Telling her that, in her view, she was worth less than a city of Mondstadt may have been the cruelest thing anyone could ever say to a loved one. This must have been much more painful than being stabbed with a sword.
Jean wanted to find her immediately and apologize, but she knew that Barbara wouldn't forgive her anytime soon for hurting her. It would take a lot of time for them to reconnect, which left her with only one option: waiting patiently until it happened naturally. There wasn't much else she could do to reach out...
"I'll... make up for what I've done to my beloved sister. One day, I'll prove myself worthy of her forgiveness..." Under the burden of remorse, Jean vowed softly.
***
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***
Yomite returned to the area outside the headquarters where Barbara was resting on a bench.
At first, Barbara sent him away, and now Jean did the same...It seemed that both of the sisters were hurt from whatever their exchange was about...
What was he even supposed to do in this situation...?
"I hope you're doing better," he greeted as he sat beside her. "You looked pretty exhausted just now."
"...Tell me...I'm ugly...aren't I...?" She responded quietly before turning to face him
Her face was red and puffy from earlier crying, and the faint outline of her tears could still be seen along her cheeks.
"Nah, not at all. You're cute in my opinion. Why are you saying stuff like that all of a sudden?"
"That's..." she hesitated for a moment before continuing. "I'm always ugly in front of you..."
"Huh...? Don't be ridiculous. Look, I don't see any flaws on you. I kinda want to just hug you because you seem so sad."
"You say that, but..."
"What is it? Just tell me already...Talking to other people might help you a lot." Yomite urged her to continue.
Barbara averted her eyes and inhaled deeply. "The time when you saved my life...I was ugly...this morning I didn't feel well...you helped me again and I was ugly...right now I'm crying and I'm ugly yet again."
"...Hm?"
"It feels like each time I want to leave a good impression on you, so your interest in me would soar, something happens and ruins it for me," she said as she clutched her forehead with her hand. "I'm pathetic. I'm an unsightly, useless, unneeded, horrible girl with no talent or redeeming features, a much more inferior version of Jean and I can't do anything right in your eyes, right..?"
Yomite was taken aback after hearing all of that.
It seemed that the silly girl really hated herself and her own existence. The low self esteem she had must have been eating her alive for years and years...
He could guess why...
Barbara was never able to accept her true worth since Jean existed.
She was always trying to change her image to become Jean, only resulting in her becoming more and more insecure and alone due to her inferiority complex.
She believed that she was worthless...and that was a feeling that would never go away unless she somehow became a "Better version of Jean".
"No, no, no. Not true at all... I always thought you're incredibly cute and lovely...These situations are normal..." he refuted immediately, "If you keep acting like this, I'll have to slap you to wake you up. Do you understand?"
"Ahh...huh? Slap...me? Eh...?"
"Uh-huh. Yes, slapping. I'll slap you across your face as hard as I can until you open your eyes. I don't want to do that but I'm telling you now, if you continue to act like this, I will. I'm going to hit you with my open palm. You got me?"
"Ehhh?! U-um...o-okay then..." she nodded weakly.
"See? Now you should stop being upset. You're fine as you are. A cute nun with beautiful hair and nice eyes; I think you look great."
Her body proportions were, to say the least, also very stunning, a sight for sore eyes.
Despite her petite stature, she possessed feminine curves in all the right places, and her butt was a sight to behold in her white tights.
Barbara's long, slender legs ended in ankles so delicate that they could be considered a work of art.
Her thighs were sleek and supple, while her calves were toned.
He could tell from the condition of her entire body that she spent a great deal of time exercising in her spare time. She had the kind of body that could make any man drool once her clothes came off.
Incredibly cute and adorable, she radiated such a charming aura that it was hard not to fall for her.
To top it all off, she was wearing a nun uniform that hid her ample cleavage behind a ribbon which he wasn't complaining about either.
A nun fetishist such as himself was living out his dream just by looking at her for a few passing seconds.
He wondered if she had any idea how beautiful she truly was, but he doubted it.
It seemed that for whatever reason, there were many women in Teyvat, who thought they were ugly or didn't have enough confidence in themselves.
A man's fantasies came to mind, and he took a deep breath to calm himself down as he stroked her long hair.
"....."
Barbara glanced at him in silence for a moment before displaying a tentative smile.
"Thank you, Yum-Yum. You're always there for me...when not even Jean is..."
"No problem. You're really, really cute, so don't say stuff like that anymore. Well, I guess we should return to my mansion now, before someone sees us together and misunderst—"
Before Yomite finished his sentence, Barbara wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Wai—?! Wait, pause, pause, pause, pause!!! Pause for a second!! I know what you're trying to do but...!?" Yomite cried out, but it was too late.
Her lips were already pressing firmly onto his.
A soft growl, or perhaps a sigh of defeat escaped his throat as he parted his lips and allowed her tongue to enter. It was a very intimate kiss between people who weren't lovers; it made him realize how badly she wanted him to reciprocate.
While her tongue explored his mouth, she wrapped her hands around his head and grasped his hair. She sat down on his lap and used her legs to draw him closer. Their bodies were squeezed closely together as she continued to assault his mouth forcefully.
When her small tongue met his, his mouth was filled with the flavor of her saliva.
Yomite found himself passionately kissing her in response to her overwhelming passion. His hands descended her back and settled on her butt, softly squeezing it.
In reality, he had been attracted to her for a considerable amount of time, simply due to her persistence to be with him.
Compared to those from Earth, the women of Teyvat were just on a different level; their physical appearance, kindness and dedication to their loved one was unparalleled.
It was easy to become infatuated with them if they showed just a bit of interest in him.
He was weak to them.
Maybe it was simply because of the fact he never had a true relationship in his past life and only hooked up with women who wanted to have a fun time, but in this life, he wanted to show his love to everyone who felt that certain way about him.
He knew it probably wasn't a good trait to have, but there was nothing he could do about it...
The two of them ended up kissing for quite a long time before their mouths finally broke apart.
"...Well, now that we kissed for the second time, I suppose we should get married," Barbara stated matter-of-factly.
"Pardon...?" He asked, blinking rapidly.
"Yeah, marriage. We just kissed again, after all. Are you not going to take responsibility for taking maiden's first and a second kiss like this in the public? What if someone sees us? My tongue was thoroughly violated by yours." she grinned mischievously. "Or are you going to chicken out and run away~?"
Yomite gulped audibly.
This was a grave mistake.
Barbara still wasn't of age yet; their relationship would be illegal under the laws on Earth...he knew that very well...
However, he couldn't bring himself to deny her request...
In Teyvat, the age of consent was apparently twelve. Furthermore, a woman could marry a man as young as thirteen if she so desired. No one here would question the decision. This was part of the culture here.
Still, Yomite had some reservations to being in a relationship and getting married to someone so young. But thinking about it logically, he shouldn't care about the legal implications from Earth.
He was living in Teyvat now, and Barbara was 17 years old. Back in Japan, people were already making out as young as 15. In fact, there were girls even younger who did that.
'Come to think of it...this body of mine was created roughly half a year ago...wouldn't that mean I'm not even 1 year old...? In this case I am the one who's basically illegal...'
And yet his mouth was violated by a young girl in the public, twice, not to mention that one time in the Church where she touched his body all over...and now he's being forced into a marriage by the very same girl.
This was already the third time she took advantage of him in public; she was clearly playing dirty with him.
A girl younger than him was leading him around by the nose by her sheer cuteness and charm.
And on top of that, he was actually starting to enjoy it...
If the roles were reversed, he'd probably be rotting in prison by now, but since it was a cute girl, everything was forgiven.
This place was far too lenient on matters like these...
"...Wait one year...And I'll marry you...okay?"
Despite knowing the laws didn't apply here, he didn't want to burden his conscience and wanted to wait a year before crossing the line...
At 13, Japan's base age of consent was the lowest of any developed country. However, many prefectures also had the local "corruption of minors" which raised the de-facto age of consent to 16-18, unless they were in a sincere romantic relationship, which pretty much occured here...
So technically he would be safe even on Earth...
So even if he laid his hands on her now and did it...
'Nah, even if I am allowed, it just feels weird...Restrain yourself.'
The internal fight was real....
"Oh? So you'll agree to the marriage? I just spoke of it as a joke." Barbara giggled and pinched Yomite's cheek playfully, "I just wanted to hear you say 'yes' to me."
"...You're too perverted, you know that?" Yomite sighed, "Who kisses anyone out of nowhere..."
"Ouch. Why did you say that for? I am an innocent maiden who fell for your charms. Should I begin regretting?" Barbara pouted, sticking her tongue out at him.
The two of them kept holding each other for a while, until a certain Cavalry Captain passed by and almost dropped his morning coffee when he saw Barbara sitting in Yomite's lap, kissing his lips and groping his chest without a care in the world.
Kaeya then gave Yomite a wide grin and winked at him before running off.
Yomite was left speechless.
'This little bastard...'
Kaeya was bound to spread rumours about the two of them now; he was sure of it...
"We have a lot to talk about...What will we name our children? How many do we want...? I heard Fischl wanted three, I should go for nine." Barbara mused.
"Err...I think that...can wait for a while while while..." Yomite replied awkwardly.
"Why? Can't we discuss it now?" she inquired curiously.
'...What the hell were the girls talking about yesterday during the Truth or Dare game when I wasn't present...?'
He was sure those girls were plotting something...
He needed to keep an eye on them to make sure they didn't do anything stupid.
Barbara settled down nicely on his lap and snuggled her head against his chest as she stared up at him with her big, blue eyes.
Her face was framed by her long, silky golden hair that draped over his arm. It was soft and fluffy to touch, almost as though it was made of cotton candy. Her pigtails swayed gently from side to side as she slowly moved her face closer to his.
"...Yum-Yum, I want to be with you forever. Don't you want to be with me forever too?" Barbara whispered softly, "Please don't leave me...I've fallen in love with you, Yum-Yum."
"....."
"You're so warm, Yum-Yum. You're like a pyro heater...I can stay like this forever if you let me."
She looked so adorable, and he couldn't help but stroke her hair softly as he tried to comfort her.
"...I'm just worthless, but you treat me like a princess. I am nothing special, but you're so kind to me... I've never met anyone like you before, and I don't think I ever will again. I can't imagine anyone else more perfect for me than you...I seriously cannot live without you, Yum-Yum."
Her voice was trembling with emotion, and it was obvious that she was crying again.
Still, there was a thought he had...
Was this why she was so desperate to stay by his side? Because she was lonely? Was he a substitute for the lack of love in her life that Jean never offered her, or was she seriously in love with him?
Perhaps he could try to fix her insecurities, but he wasn't sure if he would be able to...
After all, this girl had been neglected for years. Her mental state was fragile and easily broken.
Yomite was aware of this problem, but he felt powerless to resolve it.
"Hmm. Maybe I'm going too fast for you, Yum-Yum."
"Yes. You definitely are..."
They barely just kissed, and there were already children on her mind...
Nine at that...shockingly so...Why so many...?
"I see... Well, that's fine."
Yomite was certainly surprised by her forwardness but he could understand why she was being like this. After all, she seemed obsessed with him and wanted to be with him for a long time now...
His first impression of her was that she was a shy, gentle beauty, but ever since saving her life, she changed into a stalker like figure who was obsessed with him, and now that she found out she wouldn't be rejected from her advances, she became increasingly aggressive towards him to get what she wanted...
There was barely shyness left if any...
She was definitely growing in her love for him, and it was showing itself in her actions and personality itself. The way she was pushing herself upon him was proof enough of that.
He was just afraid that...
Something bad might happen...
"Hey, Yum-Yum." Barbara suddenly spoke up.
"What is it?" he asked.
"...Will you stay with me forever...? You will, right? I am sure you will. You wouldn't abandon me, right? After all, I'm cute, right? You said so."
"..."
...
..
.
It was as though the entire atmosphere transformed in a single instant.
Something seemed amiss. Something wasn't right.
He could sense danger lurking beneathe those words; he could feel it in his bones.
He knew he had to tread this question carefully or to avoid it altogether...
"...Of course I will...but for now, let me ask you this...you wouldn't hurt my other girls...right?"
"Huh? Why would I...?"
Out of jealousy or fear...
A wry smile formed on Yomite's face. He knew how Yandere's operated, however, he still wasn't sure if she was one, or if she just had similar stalker symptoms.
"You would never do anything to harm them, right?" He repeated.
The fact that he didn't get an answer outright worried him...
"...Of course not. They're my friends. Why would I hurt them?"
She seemed legitimately confused by his weird question.
It took her ages till she finally found a few girls in her life she could get along with, why would she want to hurt them?
That didn't make sense!
"Good. I'm glad to hear that." Yomite nodded in relief.
Barbara was rather unstable, and he still had reservations about her, but he opted to trust her for the time being. She was not a Yandere who would straight up hurt or murder other girls behind his back. That was a relief in itself.
Still, it seemed that her personality was changing because of her feelings for him without a stop. He was worried about where this might actually lead to...It was hard to say whether she was sane or not, but at least she wasn't an absolute psychopath.
'Just a stalker...Just...a stalker...A stalker is alright...I can deal with that.'
But the fact that she just had a huge fight with her big sister didn't help her mental state whatsoever either...
He decided to give her the benefit of the doubt for now. If there were any signs of her going overboard with hostility, he would have to use force or his wits to stop it.
The one good way to stop a Yandere was to give her whatever she desired, and then she wouldn't know what to do. A good strategy.
A kiss? A house? A child?
He would do it all.
But for now, he would need to manage things carefully one by one...
He had to continue giving her the attention she craved for and show her that he was interested in her, just as much as she was into him.
"So, Yum-Yum...I also have a question."
"Mhm? Go ahead, shoot," Yomite replied
"I know that you are very popular...but have you ever...done something with my older sister?"
A big question. One clear answer.
