TARTAGLIA'S WIFE

With your head spinning during the whole carriage ride, every little bump and sound on the road maximized by your anxiety, the short distance felt eternal

Wearing a simple blue dress, just below knee-length with puffy sleeves and a small bow adorning the chest area, brown leather boots on your feet and a delicate cream colored hat to protect you from the bright evening sun.

The outfit was delicate yet practical, and almost not appropriate for a visit of this much importance.

Was it too bland? Was he going to like it?

You shook your head to clear that thought.

A boundary was already established.

Once the carriage stopped you noticed Diluc was waiting for you outside of it, with a gloveless hand extended for you to take as soon as the little door was opened, it was oh so tempting to take it, but it would probably be uncomfortable for him since your hands were very sweaty, so you just smiled and managed to get off by yourself.

Diluc looked very displeased, but swallowed his comments regardless of the rude dismissal of his help.

“Good evening Miss, I hope you enjoy this visit as much as we will enjoy the pleasure of your company”

Blood rushed toward your cheeks, not because of the cheesy words but because of the way he said them, his bright eyes shifting away from your figure, breath slightly hitched and a playfulness hanging on his lips that made him oh so delightful to see.

Diluc caught you staring, and a spark flashed through his gaze for a moment before you both looked away in embarrassment.

“Of course, I am most grateful for your invitation”

You held your head high, remembering your purpose and your duty, after all, you could not forget how he called you an “irresponsible wife”

To say that the property was breathtaking was not enough, it was enormous, magnificent and elegant; the vineyards were plentiful and extended far and wide, the sun shone through the fruit trees in such a dreamy manner, oh this really was a place you could call home.

Diluc walked next to you and your maid in silence, as you sneaked some side glances many delightful details were revealed; oh such strong arms and oh such delicate profile.

Accidentally, his eyes met yours again and you swore he smirked.

Finally you arrived at the backside of the main house, where a table in which a succulent feast laid before you.

“All of this, just for my catering test?”

Diluc planted himself before you and crossed his arms, smiling in satisfaction.

“All of this just for the motive of your visit, you can choose whichever you like best for your celebration”

He led you to a seat at the table, and pulled the chair, once you were seated he took the spot right next to you.

What a wonderful feast and oh what a wonderful man was he, who would've thought that this mean faced man could be so charming? so smart?

The passage of time was not felt in his presence, minutes turned to hours and before you knew the stars were shining above you.

His mood dropped a little before he looked at you with a strange softness in his eyes.

“It is rather late don't you think?”

Your heart dropped.

He accompanied you to your carriage and this time you accepted his help, just before he let go of your hand a gentle kiss was placed on top of it.

Oh dear Barbatos, what is he doing?

Both you and your maid were quiet during the ride home, that kiss was a common courtesy, if then, why did it feel so personal?

Your darling husband was already waiting at the table with lots of letters and sales reports he needed your help to sort through, so you sat next to him, silently flipping through endless boring letters and reports, the phantom touch of Diluc’s lips still lingering in your hand.

You couldn’t take it anymore,

“May I be excused?”

“Yes, you are my wife not an employee, there is no need to ask for permission”

“Thank you my darling husband”

You practically flew to your room, immediately reaching for pen and paper, the words practically flowing from your heart and into the ink.

“Dear Master Diluc,

Today was such a memorable day; you have put my mind to rest regarding our relationship, it is such a pleasure to be a friend to you. I sure hope we frequent our estates as often as possible.

At first I found your behavior to be rude and intimidating, but after spending such a pleasant afternoon thanks to your generosity and company I must admit that I was in the wrong.

Do not take this as desperation, but please feel free to write as often and as much as you wish.”

A heavy sigh escaped your lips, it did sound desperate and needy, childish and inappropriate.

Either way, the letter was immediately sent to Diluc Ragnvindr’s state.

The chemistry and mutual attraction was undeniable since the first meeting, such a shame that it had to be this way, such a shame you could never express it.

The floor was comfortable.

So you stayed there, and felt tears stinging in your eyes.

Was it true? Were you that miserable? Was Diluc offended or disappointed? Was he going to tell your husband?

Around ten minutes went by before you regained the strength to stand up to walk away, out of town and into the forest.

It was a long walk but the embarrassment was too much, and the tears just kept flowing because it really was true.

You were ungrateful, you hated this life and wanted more.

For the first time in a while your bed felt uncomfortable.

Two days went by before the lady of the house stepped out of her room, and a third would've gone by if it were not for the unexpected visitor.

One of the maids stormed into the room.

“Miss, you must get dressed now, Master Diluc is here”

Oh. Master Diluc.

“Tell my husband I am not in condition to receive visitors”

And then you felt it, the slight raise of temperature, the sudden lack of air, a heavy presence on your doorstep.

“My business with your husband is done, I need to speak with you; are you such an irresponsible wife as to forfeit the preparations for your anniversary celebration?”

You didn't even raise your head from the pillow to turn and look at him.

“Master Diluc I must ask you to leave”

“I won't”

The poor maid was holding onto the door-frame for dear life, torn between helping her mistress or running away from the scene, and ultimately opting for the latter.

Diluc took that as a good sign and stepped into the room to take a seat on the edge of the bed.

“I would like to offer a sincere apology regarding my behavior the last time we saw each other; I was childish and disrespectful to you and your marriage, please consider this as me extending my hand in order to form a mutually beneficial… friendship”

You remained immobile.

“Thank you Master Diluc, now please leave”

This time he listened, and the air felt cold once the door was closed and he was gone.

It was merely two hours later that the first letter arrived.

The door to your room flung open, your husband squeaking excitedly with an envelope in his hand.

“Looks like Master Diluc has taken a liking to you my dear wife! This is very important for us, he is a very influential person in Mondstat you know?”

Of course you knew, so you sat up and looked at him with pure confusion across your face.

“He wrote to me?”

“Of course he did! You are the wife of one of the best businessmen in Mondstat!”

He handed you the letter and left the room, muttering to himself about riches and new royalty.

The envelope was simple, with only your name written on the outside and a small red wax seal keeping it shut; the paper was of nice quality, and you didn't notice your hands shaking until you were already reading the contents.

“My lady,

Once again I apologize for insulting your marriage, your honor and your name; I am deeply ashamed by my behavior and my words and if you no longer wish to speak to me that is understandable, but please do not deny me that pleasure, you are but a fine woman and I sincerely wish to be of your acquaintance; I am not a person fond of socializing and formalities, but to gain your trust and to demonstrate my good wishes to you please accompany your husband tomorrow to my state for the last catering review for your anniversary celebration.

Even if you do not wish to see me, please write soon.

Yours, Diluc Ragnvindr”

Oh so dreamy, was he not?

He kept moving and was now behind you, his grip on your shoulder tightening just a little, you could feel him leaning in his lips close enough to your ear that a whisper was all it took to get his point across.

"Miss, I want to ask you a question and I expect an honest answer"

Your breath hitched.

"Why are you here?"

Your mind went blank.

"Master Diluc... I don´t know... I just..."

He sat in front of you and your shoulders felt cold because his hands were gone.

"I was very surprised to see you walking around town, your portrait doesn't really compare"

Your heart skipped a beat.

"My portrait?"

Diluc smiled, as if he couldn't believe it either.

"Do you really think your pathetic excuse of a husband was your parent's first choice? of course not, but it's not like they would tell you I refused their proposition when they arranged a meeting to offer your hand in marriage, and if I'm being completely honest, I only refused because I thought an arranged wedding would only be unfair but now that I got to meet you... I can't say I don't have my regrets"

Now he wasn´t looking at you, as if a certain shyness had suddenly overcame him despite his crude words; you on the other hand truly couldn't believe what was happening, tears started filling your eyes and your shaking resumed.

"Diluc, what am I doing here?"

"I couldn't stand seeing you with that man, and I'm glad you came here... but as much as I'd like for you to stay this is a mistake... please forgive me"

He stood up, and you watched him walk towards the stairs, and Barbatos himself must have possessed you because you don't know where did that sudden urge to stand up and reach him came from, you basically ran towards the man before he even took one step down.

And there the both of you stood frozen, your hand firmly gripping his arm, both avoiding each other's eyes because your faces were red and your breathings heavy.

"Diluc please, coming here was not a mistake, I've felt more alive these past ten minutes than in the entirety of this past year, please let me have this I cannot go back"

"And what is it exactly that we're doing here?"

"We're making a second chance for ourselves; one that is fair, we get to know each other"

He finally turned back at you, and the nasty look in his eyes startled you again.

Even if you were grateful for the beautiful house, the dresses, the delicious food and basically anything you could ask for, the life you were living was empty and you hated it to no end; you were not seen as a woman, only an acquisition to this rich family...and especially to your husband who never even glanced your way despite indulging you with everything you could ever wish, he didn't even sleep in the same room, and barely made any chit chat when he dragged himself into the dining table to have a meal with you; he was not mean nor abusive but his apathy towards your situation pained you, the man noticed this and started asking for favors every now and then, giving you tasks and duties as to entertain you...and in a way, it made your entrapment slightly better.

Almost a year went by without you even noticing, your friends had stopped visiting long ago and letters from your family were scarce, but still somehow you kept yourself busy managing the house and tending to several business affairs; and one day out of the blue just before diner time you were greeted by your husband with a magnificent rose bouquet, the flowers were in full bloom and laced with a white ribbon, his face was serious and he seemed a little bit uncomfortable by the gift but still he was as polite as always, it was unexpected to say the least and it made you happier than what you would like to admit, but still in your heart you knew that it was not truly a sincere gesture and soon enough loneliness came rushing back.

He calmly explained that because of your wedding anniversary, a party was expected and that the both of you needed to sort everything out in the city; get a caterer, new clothes, decorations and new stationery for invitations.

You couldn't remember the last time you were in the city of Mondstat since you barely left the manor and it was, after all, in the middle of the forest, and in your excitement you put on your prettiest dress; it was red, with a thick layered skirt and silver embroidery along the long sleeves, the brown corset that held it together was tied with a black ribbon...that you left slightly loose under your chest and some extravagant heels that we're definitely not meant to walk that distance; your husband was taken aback by such a bold choice, but stayed as silent about it as always.

The excitement was hard to contain but still keeping up with appearances was important, so even if the need to run through the busy streets was overwhelming; you remained calm and composed as you chose new pottery, wrote on dozens of stationary samples and tried on several constricting dresses one after another.

The sun was setting when you finally headed to your last stop, your feet hurt like hell and you felt like crying, not even a lovely day in town was free of the responsibilities of the convenient marriage.

"I specifically chose to arrange the preparations today because it has come to my attention that Master Diluc is also spending the evening in Mondstat-" your husband started to whisper in your ear "It is of great importance that we make a good impression; especially you my beloved"

Before you could even articulate a reply a weird feeling spread through your body, and as you looked up at the Angel's Share balcony; the gaze of a certain young man locked with yours.

His eyes were sharp and mean, the bright color made you feel uneasy and exposed, the way his gaze slided through your body immediatly reddened your cheeks, especially considering the fact that you were dressed rather temptive to say the least.

Embarassed, you lowered your gaze and as soon as you looked up again the gentleman had vanished back inside.

Your husband rushed into the tabern, not even noticing the exchange.

As if he was waiting for you, Diluc was reclined against the bar, looking straight at the entrance as you both walked in.

Between greetings, negotiations and endless ass kissing from your husband to Master Diluc, there weren´t a lot of things for you to say, besides... ever since he looked at you for the first time, you were too flustered to look back at him.

Before you knew it the redhead was delicately holding your hand to his lips...

"It was a pleasure to meet your acquaintance Miss, and it will be an honor to attend your celebration"

The moment your eyes met your heart skipped a beat and suddenly the world made sense.

If your husband noticed the tension he didn't say a word.

The silence between you on the way home was deafening.

That night you couldn't sleep, and for the first time in what felt like a million years, the longing for something you couldn't have burned you from within.

When you dressed up for the day and stared in awe at your own reflection, noticing how pretty that blue dress made you look the decision was already made.

Your husband was late for dinner, but as soon as he sat down the question was out of your lips.

"May I go to Mondstat on my own again?"

The look on his face was undescribable, but when he saw that this was a serious request he just raised an eyebrow.

"My darling you are free to come and go as you please, this is your home not an enclosure"

The word home made you nauseous, but as soon as the food was gone from the plate so were you.

Time went by quickly, in such a way that when you were in front of the Angel's Share you couldn't believe it.

Hesitation plagued your thoughts as you reached for the doorknob; and someone opened the door just as you were about to take a step back.

"I was hoping I got to see you before the anniversary party"

Diluc Ragnvindr in all of his glory, his sharp mean eyes staring right into yours.