Genshin Impact: The Sharpshooter of Teyvat

Chapter 1308 The Parents of the Mondstadt Sisters

Barbara called out as she ran toward her mother.

Frederica looked at her youngest daughter running towards her, a gentle smile on her face, and opened her arms to warmly embrace Barbara.

She gently patted Barbara's back and said affectionately, "Barbara, my little darling, come here, let Mommy see. Have you gained any weight in the past few years? Have you been taking good care of yourself?"

As she spoke, she released Barbara, reached out and gently pinched her daughter's cheek. The soft touch from her fingertips filled her with joy.

Is this still the little white dumpling she remembers who loved to follow behind her and sweetly call out "Mommy"? She has grown taller and more mature, transforming into a graceful young woman.

Barbara's cheeks flushed slightly from her mother's pinching, and she took a half-step back, a little embarrassed. She swayed gently and said in a slightly coquettish tone:

"Mom, I'm a prayer pastor at the West Wind Church now, I'm not a little kid anymore, stop pinching my cheeks, people will see."

Despite saying that, her face was filled with undisguised joy.

Qin stood to the side, watching the heartwarming interaction between the mother and daughter, and a smile unconsciously crept onto her lips.

This is the first time the house has been so lively since her parents went on the expedition with Grand Master Falgar. Perhaps this will help Barbara get out of the shadow of the death of the Wind God.

Just then, Barbara suddenly came to her senses, looked at Frederica with a puzzled expression, and asked, "Wait, Mom, didn't you and Dad go on an expedition with Grand Master Falgar?"

"And when they left, they said they would only come back after completing their mission. Why did they suddenly come back? Did something happen?"

She remembered that when her parents left, the scene was extremely solemn, and she thought she would have to wait ten or eight years to see them again.

Upon hearing this, Frederica couldn't help but laugh, reaching out to gently pinch Barbara's nose, and explained in a lighthearted tone:

"Silly girl, we're going on an expedition, not running away from home. How can we stay away forever?"

"Of course, the expedition has been successfully completed. Grand Master Falga has instructed us to bring the main force of the knights back to rest. Most of the knights have now settled down in Jingfu Port."

At this point, she changed the subject and jokingly mentioned her ex-husband.

"As for your dad... well, he's a coward. He's afraid to cross the wind field north of Mondstadt for fear of danger, so he's staying in Thornport instead of coming back with us."

"Huh?" Barbara tilted her head in surprise, her eyes wide open.

Is my own father really that timid?

Just then, a series of steady footsteps came from the doorway.

Immediately afterwards, a man dressed in a white and gold bishop's robe slowly walked in.

He had dazzling blond hair, which was meticulously combed, and a pair of exquisite silver-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, behind which his eyes were very gentle.

He was tall and elegant, and attracted everyone's attention as soon as he entered the room. He was Simon Page, the father of Jean and Barbara, who was known as the "Cardinal of the Dawn" in the Church of the Westwind.

It must be said that Simon was indeed a handsome man. The heroic spirit between his brows complemented Frederica's competence perfectly. No wonder he was able to marry the "Alder Knight" and create a beautiful story of a talented man and a beautiful woman.

Unfortunately, this marriage eventually ended in separation due to differences in their identities and positions, which is truly regrettable.

It's no wonder that Mondstadt people always felt there was a possibility between Jean and Diluc... After all, the example of Simon and Frederica is right in front of us, always evoking people's associations with "regret and fulfillment".

Simon had just entered the office when he heard Frederica still joking about how she "didn't dare to go through the wind wall." He couldn't help but adjust his glasses and remind her:

"Frederica... can't you give me some face in front of the children? I only went to the restroom briefly and was delayed for a few minutes. You don't have to make up stories about me like this, do you?"

Upon hearing Simon's voice, Frederica's gentle expression faded slightly, replaced by a distinct sense of "divorce."

She gave a forced smile and said sarcastically, "Heh, for a heartless man like you who abandoned your family for the sake of Mondstadt's stability, isn't this assessment of you already quite lenient?"

Finally, she deliberately emphasized the words "heartless man".

Upon hearing the words "heartless man," Simon knew she was just joking, but he still patiently explained:

"You and I both know the truth about this matter. The marriage between the cardinal of the Church of the Westwind and the noble of Gunnhild easily evokes images of power struggles from the old aristocratic era, which is not a good thing for Mondstadt."

"I did this for the stability of Mondstadt, and also to prevent others from finding fault with it and affecting the reputation of the Knights and the Church."

But Frederica didn't buy it at all; she turned her head away, her sense of impending divorce growing stronger.

"Who told you to insist on joining the Church of the West Wind back then? If you had chosen to remain an adventurer... how would we have ended up like this?"

Simon Page also brought up Frederica's issues, using a strategy of first criticizing and then praising her:

"I'm sorry, I admit that our choices back then were influenced by our respective identities, but weren't you being a bit too harsh on Qin?"

"Back then, she was so young, and you made her shoulder the responsibilities of the Gunnhildr family, without even a moment of carefree childhood..."

"I was doing it for her own good!" Frederica immediately interrupted Simon, defending herself:

"As the eldest daughter of the family, Qin will have to shoulder the heavy responsibility of the Knights and the family in the future. It's better for her to mature early and learn more than to be caught off guard and made a fool of in the future!"

When it comes to educating Qin, she never felt that she was wrong, but rather believed that it was her "foresight" as a mother.

Qin stood between the two, listening to her parents argue about their childhood again, and a pang of sadness welled up in her heart.

She took a deep breath, stepped forward, gently took her mother's hand, and then looked at her father.

"Alright, Mom and Dad, we've finally reunited, let's not talk about those upsetting things anymore. It's pointless to keep going on and on, and it only hurts our feelings."

Immediately afterwards, Qin's eyes lit up with anticipation as she suggested, "How about we have a big family get-together tonight? Should we go to the Deer Hunter's for a big meal, or go back to our hometown?"

"No matter where we go, let's sit down as a family and have a good chat, okay?" She hadn't experienced a complete family meal in a long time, and at this moment, she was filled with longing for reunion.

Simon looked at the expectation in Qin's eyes, his tense expression gradually softened, and he nodded gently.

"Okay, I'll do as you say. You and your mother can discuss this and decide on a place and time. We can meet at the Knights' headquarters tonight."

He didn't want to disappoint his daughter again, and he understood that arguing about right and wrong in the past was pointless at this moment.

After speaking, he turned to look at Barbara, who was silent to the side, and softened his tone considerably.

"I'll go check out the Cathedral of the West first. Come on, Barbara, if you want to come with me."

Barbara stood still, her eyes darting back and forth between her mother and father.

She wanted to stay with her mother, but she also wanted to spend more time with her father, whom she hadn't seen in a long time.

After hesitating for a few seconds, she nodded gently and chose to follow her father: "Okay, Dad."

Immediately afterwards, Barbara remembered to "treat them equally," turned to her sister and mother, gave them a sweet smile, waved, and said:

"Well, sister, Mom, we'll be going now. See you at the dinner party tonight!"

Frederica watched Simon and Barbara turn and leave, a smirk playing on her lips. She then loudly complained at their retreating figures:

"Don't use 'going to church' as ​​an excuse to have our daughter handle church affairs for you. Don't make her work too hard like I have!"

Simon didn't stop walking, but turned around and waved, replying with the same words: "You too... Don't talk to Qin about the Knights' business, let her rest too."

……

After Simon left with Barbara, Jean, who had been maintaining the facade of the Knights Commander, immediately dropped her pretense and revealed her most vulnerable side in front of her mother after confirming that only she and her mother were left.

She turned around, looked into Frederica's gentle eyes, and could no longer hold back the pent-up grievances and pressure. She quickly stepped forward, hugged her mother's waist, buried her face in her chest, and choked out:

"I'm sorry, Mom... I didn't take good care of Mondstadt, and I even... drove away Yura and Diluc-senpai."

Her voice was muffled, and every word conveyed a sense of self-doubt.

"I couldn't even protect the Wind God properly, allowing Him to do something so unexpected, and causing disaster to befall Mondstadt..."

“I am a completely incompetent acting leader. I have let everyone down and I have also failed your expectations.”

These days, she carries the heavy burden of the Knights, appearing calm on the surface, but her heart is already riddled with wounds.

Now, in front of her mother, she no longer needs to pretend to be strong, and like when she was little, she can snuggle in her mother's arms and act like a child...

Frederica sensed her daughter's fear and felt a pang of heartache.

She gently patted the back of the piano, and tenderly stroked her head as she had when she was a child, soothingly saying:

“Silly child, there’s no need to apologize. On the way back, we already heard Grand Master Falgar explain the situation in Mondstadt in detail.”

"We know about Shao Yun, who single-handedly saved Mondstadt from the army of Hilichurls, the newly promoted Honorary Knight Ying, and that adorable Paimon."

She paused, gently pushed the piano aside, placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders, and looked at her earnestly.

"The Lawrence family's problems have been piling up for so many years... and then they made a foolish mistake at the wine festival... Yura's departure is not solely your fault."

"You've done a great job maintaining order in Mondstadt and protecting ordinary people amidst such chaos."

Frederica was all too aware of the difficulty of governing Mondstadt, especially with the remnants of the old noble forces and constant external threats. Jean's ability to achieve what she had done far exceeded her expectations.

She reached out and wiped away the tears from Qin's eyes, her tone becoming increasingly gentle.

"Don't take all the responsibility on yourself. You are human, not an omnipotent god. It's normal to make mistakes and be vulnerable sometimes."

At this point, Frederica paused. Not only did Jean not understand the matter of Barbatos "kidnapping" Luminosity, but even she and Grand Master Falgar found it unbelievable when they discussed it.

She paused for a few seconds before slowly saying, "As for Lord Barbatos... to be honest, I don't know what He's thinking. This matter is just too outrageous and beyond everyone's expectations."

"But don't worry, the Grand Commander said he will take the time to handle this matter and won't leave you to face such a difficult problem alone."

Qin looked up and felt her mother's heartache and trust, and the grievances in her heart gradually dissipated.

She sniffed and forced a smile.

"Really? Did I really not do a bad job?"

"Sometimes I feel that if I had been more decisive or smarter, many things wouldn't have turned out the way they are now."

“Of course not.” Frederica shook her head firmly, reaching out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “You are already far more outstanding than I was at the same age.”

"Back when your mother was handling the affairs of the Knights, she messed up countless things. I'm already very proud of you for what you've achieved so far."

Qin gently wiped away the remaining tears from the corners of her eyes with her fingertips, and her emotions gradually calmed down.

She remembered her mother mentioning earlier that Grand Master Falgar would handle Barbatos's matter, and asked expectantly:

"Mom, when will the Grand Master be back? I feel like with him around, many of Mondstadt's problems will be easier to solve."

Upon hearing this question, Frederica's smile faltered slightly. She clicked her tongue awkwardly, avoided her daughter's gaze, and explained with a hint of helplessness:

"The Grand Master... He went to Nordkare to handle the follow-up matters of the expedition. Things there are quite complicated, and he won't be able to return to Mondstadt for a while."

"But don't worry, the main force of the Knights has returned safely. We can help you with the burden for now, so don't worry."