Work Text:
Diluc crouched down behind a dark alley as a Knight passed by. He fought the scoff that almost came out of his mouth as he heard the man yawning loudly and complaining about the hour. He did, however, roll his eyes. The Knights and their incompetence, as always.
The redhead carefully stepped out of the shadows once the patrolling Knight rounded the corner. He silently ran to the house in front of him, footsteps light as he jumped off the stone path and hoisted himself up on its wall. Fingers gripping tightly on the jutted stone bricks and feet locked in place, he scaled up the wall, pushing himself up on the roof and looking over the streets.
Everything seems to be quiet tonight. No stray evil-doers or malicious beings out and about. Just him, the soft glow of the moon, and the sleeping houses of Mondstadt.
Diluc stood up, brushing dirt off his pants and giving the streets below another look-over to see where the Knight from earlier is now. Said Knight is now standing in the middle of the road below him, once again yawning, this time accompanied with a big stretch. Diluc has half a mind to pick up a stray rock from the roof he's on and throw it on the pavement below just to give him a fright. But because he's feeling generous tonight, he simply turned around to jump to another roof, black cloak billowing in the wind behind him and feet moving just a little rough to scratch against the tiles and make a sound to startle the person below.
The cold night wind bit on his cheeks as he kept leaping roof over roof, his mask slipping a bit low on his nose. Once he reached the edge of the city, he pushed it back up securely on his face, crouching down to jump off and scale back down the house’s wall.
A warm, yellow light caught his attention. He peered over the ledge of the roof, staring down at the open window on the second floor of the house in front of him. The curtains behind it were drawn, and all he can see from where he was is a table and a lit candle behind the window where the light was coming from. He turned his head left and right and saw that all the windows in the other surrounding houses were already shut and dim for the night. Had the houseowner forgotten their candle?
Just as Diluc was about to debate whether he should sneak over and turn off the candle or not, a shadow appeared on the surface of the table, indicating someone was walking towards it. He leaned backwards and slowly peeked over the edge of the roof again, looking at the same window.
A blue head of hair peeked out from the open window. It also turned to its left and right, before reaching out with arms already clad in long-sleeved sleepwear to pull the windows shut. The curtains were pulled down next, and the candle was lifted into a hand as a tall figure's shadow loomed behind the now shut window and curtains. Soon, the candle's light died as well.
Diluc straightened his back and blinked. Huh.
… Interesting.
—
1.
This is stupid.
No, really. It was. And Diluc really, really needs to make up his mind right now before someone comes around the corner and mistakes him for a robber. Or a creepy stalker. Or worse, a concerned… whatever he is.
He stared daggers at the unassuming door in front of him as if it offended him. His lips curled into a frown, arms crossed over his chest as he contemplated. Why is he even considering this? This is improper. A breach of social etiquette. An unnecessary detour. And most of all, a waste of time. He couldn't care less if—
Footsteps. To his right. He snapped his head towards it, seeing the faintest silhouette of someone walking closer. He immediately bolted, running to the door and pressing himself into the shadows under the awning. He leaned a little forward, seeing the silhouette on the pavement growing bigger.
“Damn it,” Diluc muttered under his breath, reaching into his pocket for his lock pick and kneeling down in front of the doorknob. He expertly picked the lock, eyes glancing every now and then to his right as the sound of footsteps got closer. Once the doorknob gave way, he immediately stood up and opened the door, sliding inside the gap and closing it behind him just in time.
He turned around, eyes dancing across the dark room. Moonlight spilled through the windows and slightly parted curtains that bathed the house in a dim light and shadows. What greeted him inside was a living room in front of an unlit fireplace, a small kitchen, a small dining table, and a narrow set of stairs. There were few bookshelves pressed to the walls, but aside that everything was bare. Not even a plant or two or a picture frame hung up.
Diluc hesitantly stepped forward, testing his footstep on the floorboard. He huffed out a breath he didn't even know he was holding once he put his entire weight on his foot and nothing creaked. He kept walking, familiarizing himself with the place, before going to the stairs and going up to the second floor. A straight hallway is what he saw at the top, with two doors to his right.
He walked over the first one and tried it. It opened, and he peeked his head in. Inside was a bedroom, with a simple bed pushed to the left wall in front of him. Two nightstands on either side of it, a small closet on the opposite wall, and a low dresser pushed to the wall where the door is. It looks untouched. Must be a guest bedroom.
Diluc closed the door and continued to the last one. He hesitated before opening it, hand hovering just above the doorknob.
“... What am I doing?” He asked no one in particular. He clicked his tongue in frustration. He's going to regret this. A lot. Maybe.
He pushed the door open. Another bedroom, almost the same layout as the first one, except this one looked… more lived in, as if all signs of life that there is in this whole house seems to be concentrated in this room only. There were two pairs of identical boots lying by the door beside him, a sheathed sword on top of the low dresser, a pile of books on the nightstand closest to him. On the other side of the bed was a bigger table pushed to the wall, where an open window is. The curtains were drawn once again, letting some more moonlight in. Another candle was burning steadily in the corner of the table. In front of it was a chair, where a figure sat, unmoving and hunched over the table.
Diluc stepped inside the room and walked closer silently. He stopped just a few feet away, looking at the scattered mess of papers on the table. Multiple lines were written on all of them in familiar handwriting, with blue strands of hair spilling over the pages. A hand that was loosely curled around a fountain pen was on one of the pages, ink already blotting through the paper and making a mess.
Diluc looked down at Kaeya who had clearly fallen asleep doing this. He stepped to the other side of the table, getting a good look on his face. There were tired circles under his eyes that looked misplaced on his young face. A gust of cold wind blew through the window, and Diluc saw how goosebumps formed on Kaeya's arms. He suddenly noticed that Kaeya was only in that thin and ridiculously low cut undershirt of his uniform. He clicked his tongue again in disapproval.
He walked over to the bed and grabbed the blanket, setting it carefully over Kaeya's shoulders. He leaned over and took the pen from his hand, setting it down on the table, and tucked the edges of the blanket under his hands. Then, he lightly pulled on the tie securing Kaeya's eyepatch in place, removing it completely and placing it down beside the candle, because surely sleeping with that on can't be comfortable. He closed the windows, put the curtains down, and snuffed out the light on the candle.
He gave Kaeya's sleeping figure another glance, noting the soft rise and fall of his body in response to his breathing. His eyes lingered on the thick and raw scar on Kaeya's eye that peeked through his fallen bangs, moonlight catching on it. Diluc’s jaw clenched as something pulled inside his chest.
He forced himself to look away. Then he turned around and got out of the house, because he really had no business being there.
2.
… Which is what he told himself the first time.
Diluc stepped inside. This time, Kaeya was on his bed, but still in his uniform and boots. The bedroom door wasn't even closed when Diluc got here. His eyepatch was already off, at least. It looks like Kaeya literally just stumbled inside the room and flopped on top of his bed, took off his eyepatch, then passed right out. His limbs were all spread out like a starfish and half his body was dangling off the bed, his neck was bent at an angle where the pillow was too high for his head.
Diluc sighed and walked closer. He first took Kaeya's feet, taking his boots and socks off and setting them on the floor at the foot of the bed. He moved Kaeya's legs to the center of the bed and reached for the pillow, gently lifting his head and placing it under. He froze when Kaeya shifted, rolling around the bed and curling up on his side, back turned to Diluc. Kaeya put his palms flat against each other and placed them under his cheek. Diluc fluffed the pillow when he stopped moving and pulled away.
He watched Kaeya sleep for another 10 minutes, listening to the continuous sound of his breathing. He looks more tired than the last time Diluc saw him (read: sneaked into his house), which was two days ago. Coincidentally, Diluc has also not seen him for 5 days at the tavern.
“Guess you're busy,” Diluc said, crossing his arms over his chest. Kaeya's soft breathing has now turned into quiet snores. “... And really tired.”
He stood there for another 5 minutes. At some point, Kaeya twitched and turned around again to his other side, murmuring something incomprehensible to Diluc's ears.
Diluc exhaled and looked over at the work table on the other side of Kaeya's bed. More stacks of papers.
“... Good night,” he said softly, looking back down at Kaeya one last time. Then he turned around, walking away, making sure to close and lock the bedroom door behind him.
3.
This time, Diluc didn't even get to his bedroom.
He immediately saw Kaeya in the living room, sitting on the floor in his sleepwear and leaning over the coffee table with his back turned to him. The fireplace was lit, fire cracking steadily and enveloping the room in light and warmth. Stacks of papers were placed across the coffee table around Kaeya, but what caught Diluc's attention was the puddle of something that pooled around his head and reflected the light of the fire in front of him.
Diluc had to take off his mask and pull back the hood of his cloak to see clearly. He squinted his eyes as he walked closer, heart racing as he realized that the puddle was deep red in color. And very much liquid. And that Kaeya was very much not moving.
His heart dropped. He almost tripped over the rug on the floor as he raced to Kaeya's side, looking over his shoulder—
And seeing the toppled wineglass right beside his head, fingers wrapped loosely around the base, dark red wine spilling out of it.
Diluc closed his eyes for a moment as realization hit and took a deep breath. “You—” he cut himself off, running a hand over his face exasperatedly. Just to be extra sure, he put a hand down in front of Kaeya's nose and felt his warmth breath on his skin.
“Can't you ever just sleep normally?” he hissed, pulling his hand back and glaring at the other. No reply came, which is probably for the best for the sake of Diluc's sanity.
Diluc sighed and looked at the kitchen, walking over and retrieving a rag he saw hanging on the window latch in front of the faucet. He walked back to the coffee table and wiped the rag across the spilled wine, prying the wineglass from Kaeya's hand and setting it upright on the table.
“You and your stupid drinking,” he muttered, making sure not to spread the spilled wine further. “I hope it spills on your paperwork next time.”
He went back to the sink to wash the rag and hang it again on the window latch. Then he went straight out the door and locked it behind him, because he's decided that that's enough stress for the night. Or for his entire life, for that matter.
4.
He decided to come back a week later.
He didn't really want to. It seemed that Kaeya was dead set on redeeming the nights he spent away from the tavern because he showed up there consistently the whole week, bothering Diluc and provoking him on purpose, then staying behind past closing hours and rambling off about things Diluc definitely isn't interested in hearing. To be honest, he's at his limit of Kaeya interactions for the week. He thinks his nerves will combust if he talks to the man a second longer.
But now, standing here in Kaeya's kitchen, he has half a mind to look for Kaeya's wine supply and get rid of half of it. Why not, right? Just to be petty. He doesn't know if Kaeya still hasn't noticed that he's been sneaking into his house. If he has, he's not saying anything about it. And if he really hasn't, then that's… concerning.
… Because he's the city's cavalry captain, of course. How are you going to defend Mondstadt if you can't even notice someone sneaking into your home?
Diluc opened the cupboard underneath the sink. Cleaning supplies, unused trash bags, mop heads, bleach and detergents. The next one was pots and pans. The drawer above it was utensils. The cupboards above were plates, glasswares, and tupperwares.
He went to the big and tall cabinet beside the stove. This must be the pantry. He opened it, hands pulling the double doors open, and found…
Absolutely nothing.
All the shelves were empty, but there were labels on what's supposed to be on them. Fruits. Vegetables. Spices. Produce. Cereal. There was even a mistflower compartment at the bottom, which only contained a singular stick of butter and a half-empty jug of milk. Beside it was another small compartment with a sliding wooden door. When Diluc crouched down to open it, that's where he saw bottles and bottles of wine, all completely sealed and neatly kept in place. Diluc closed it back up and stood up, eyes glancing over the completely empty pantry once again.
“What the hell do you eat?” Diluc asked, eyebrows furrowing. This entire thing was running on hopes and dreams. It's not even running anymore. It's crawling its way through the ground half-dead. How is Kaeya still even alive and standing?
He groaned and closed the cabinet doors, pinching the bridge of his nose as he felt the coming headache. Seriously, what kind of responsible adult lives like this?
Diluc opened the cabinet again. He took 3 bottles of wine from the compartment and left.
5.
By the fifth time, Diluc walked in like he owned the place.
The first thing he did was check the pantry. Much to his surprise, there was actually a little bit of food in it now, although it looks like some leftovers from the last shopping trip. Well. Better than nothing, at least.
Diluc closed the cabinet and went upstairs to Kaeya's room. He moved more confidently now, feet walking exactly where the floors don't creak. Once he reached the door to Kaeya's bedroom, he twisted the doorknob, pushing it open and looking inside.
He didn't know what he was expecting. Maybe Kaeya sleeping over his work table again with the candle still burning bright, or sprawled across the bed in his uniform still, or maybe even sleeping normally for once for his own good and for Diluc's. But what he didn't expect was Kaeya, lying still in bed and deeply asleep, hands folded over each other on top of his stomach, with a folded cloth on top of his forehead.
Diluc frowned and walked closer. There was a small basin on the nightstand with water in it, and Kaeya's cryo Vision was inside as well, glowing faintly under the water. The window to the right of the bed was slightly open, curtains swaying to the cool air going inside the room. There was a thin sheen of sweat on Kaeya's face, and his skin looked a bit pale. Diluc could hear his heavy breaths that sounded like he was having trouble breathing.
“You're sick?” Diluc said, taking off the glove on his right hand. He pressed it firmly on the crook of Kaeya's neck, his cold sweat clinging to his hand. Diluc naturally ran a bit hot due to his pyro Vision, but even Kaeya's skin which should be cold given his cryo Vision was too warm on Diluc's skin.
Diluc pulled his hand away. He carefully sat down on the bed beside Kaeya, reaching over and taking the damp towel on his forehead. The side that was pressed on Kaeya's skin was already warm, having already soaked up his temperature. Diluc reached for the small basin and dipped the towel inside the water again, which was ice cold due to the cryo Vision submerged inside it.
He wrung the towel a bit dry over the basin and carefully wiped Kaeya's face down to his neck, brushing away the wet strands of hair that clung to his skin. He gathered all of Kaeya's hair to one side and let it spill over his pillow away from his face to give him better circulation.
He dipped the towel into the cold water again and wrung it slightly. He folded it back up, and pressed it again on Kaeya's forehead, leaving it there.
Diluc stopped moving when Kaeya's eyes fluttered. He held his breath, hand suspended mid-air, watching Kaeya closely as his head turned from side to side. Eventually, his eyes blinked open, glassy and bloodshot due to fever. Diluc's heart thumped wildly in his chest when Kaeya's eyes started wandering around the room, and eventually landed on him.
They stared at each other. But in Kaeya's case, eyes confused and heavy, it looked more as if he was staring through Diluc. The redhead didn't dare move a single inch. He stayed perfectly still, like an ominous shadow, silently praying to whatever god is awake at this hour that Kaeya would just go back to sleep. Or not give himself a fright and think that Diluc is some sleep paralysis demon watching over him.
Kaeya reached upwards, enclosing a hot hand over Diluc's. He said something that Diluc didn't hear, then brought down Diluc's hand to his chest and closed his eyes again. A few minutes later, Kaeya's head lolled lightly to the side, and his breathing smoothened over once again.
Diluc put the basin back on the nightstand and watched Kaeya. He tried wiggling his fingers free, but Kaeya's grip was strong even in feverish sleep. So he stayed there for a few more minutes, maybe hours, lending Kaeya his hand as an anchor.
And if Kaeya shifted around in his sleep and squeezed Diluc's hand multiple times in what looked like a fit of nightmares, then no one else was around to see that Diluc squeezed his hand back to ground him in reality.
+1
The very next night, Diluc came back with medicine and tea.
He might as well have a house key already with how much he's memorized how to pick open Kaeya's front door. It pushed open seamlessly, and Diluc stepped inside, closing it behind him and walking forward.
He was about to go up to the second floor when he suddenly heard footsteps coming from above, sounding like bare feet on wood. Was Kaeya awake?
Diluc quickly moved to duck under the stairs, listening to the sound of footsteps growing closer above him. They were light, barely even audible, but lighter than Kaeya's… As far as he remembers.
The footsteps moved from above him to his direct left. Diluc crouched down, leaning forward just enough to see past the edge of the staircase, eyes squinting at the figure that's now walking away from him.
Just by seeing the outline of the figure’s shadow, Diluc is certain that this person can't be Kaeya. The silhouette is of a much smaller man, both in height and frame. The way the person walked forward, steps sure and knowing, made Diluc think that this person has been here before and probably also knows the layout of Kaeya's house.
The figure walked into the kitchen, opening a cupboard above and reaching for something. Then, he walked to the pantry, opening it and retrieving a pitcher of water.
Diluc's eyebrows furrowed. What is he doing?
The redhead stood up, moving stealthily along the floor. He creeped closer to the man, at the same time watching his movements. Once he got close enough, he raked his eyes over the figure, storing in mind the details he could see.
The other man was much shorter than him, maybe a full head shorter. He's currently standing by the counter beside the sink and with his back facing Diluc and pouring water into a glass. From the moonlight shining on him through the window, Diluc can tell that he's blond. He's wearing a short-sleeved blue shirt and some black shorts.
Diluc faltered for a bit. This isn't someone he recognizes, and definitely not someone he's ever seen before in the city. Who is this intruder? Why did he come from the second floor? Did he do something to Kaeya? Did he harm him?
His hand reached into his belt, unsheathing a dagger he kept with him at all times. Diluc moved slowly, footsteps silent, walking closer to the man. He stopped a few inches behind him, bringing the dagger in front of his neck, blade turned on his skin.
“If you know what's good for you, you'll tell me who you are,” Diluc said, voice low and dangerous.
The man didn't even flinch. His actions were calm, precise, and unhurried. He put the pitcher down on the counter, turning to look over his shoulder up Diluc.
Teal eyes. Pale skin, paler than the moon’s light. Long blond lashes that were almost white. But what struck Diluc the most is the way how the man's eyes looked like they were glowing , like two luminous orbs shining in the dark. Diluc stepped forward, grip tightening on the dagger, leaning forward just enough to let the moonlight catch his eye, glinting sharply like freshly cut ruby.
“Who are you?” he asked the man.
The man didn't speak. He turned back around, completely unbothered by Diluc's presence and the dagger pointed at him, and took a sip of water from the glass. Diluc's jaw clenched.
“Answer me—”
He stepped back in surprise when something wet splashed on his face and poured on his entire body. The man quickly spun around, arm coming up to hit him on the head. Diluc recovered from his surprise and blocked the incoming attack, catching the man's wrist and using his height and weight advantage to pin him down on the floor. As they crashed on the cold tiles below, Diluc saw a yellow glow on the man's neck. It was a geo Vision, sitting at the base of his throat.
“What are you doing here?” Diluc questioned, pinning the man's wrists and applying a bit of heat on his skin. His pyro Vision flickered to life at his hip, and he saw the way the man's teal eyes looked down on it as well. At that moment, Diluc realized that the man's eyes were actually glowing and it wasn't just a trick of the mind.
What the hell?
The ground started rumbling beneath them, sounding like shifting Earth and rocks. A geo spike erupted beside the man's head, aiming for Diluc, and the redhead quickly moved out of the way. He rolled over, quickly getting up on his feet, and the man moved to do the same. Diluc got into a defensive stance, fists up, dagger pointing outwards, pyro Vision glowing brighter in response to his actions.
Suddenly, more footsteps resounded from the second floor. This one sounded more like Kaeya's. Diluc quickly moved to block the path to the staircase, sharp eyes still watching the man. The intruder didn't move an inch, carefully watching him back as well, teal eyes still glowing, more brighter now that he's in the shadows of the room.
The footsteps grew closer and louder, almost as if in a hurry. Another light came from behind Diluc, this time yellow and blue. There was something cold coming closer as well, like frost biting into his skin.
Kaeya appeared at the bottom of the staircase to his left. He was holding a burning candle in one hand and a cryo ball that's emanating a soft glow in the other. He looked at Diluc, blinking wildly, then at the intruder in front of him, then back at Diluc again.
“Diluc?” Kaeya said confusedly, looking at him, voice groggy and hoarse from sickness. “What— What are you doing here?”
Diluc swiftly glanced over at him, noticing the still pale and greyish pallor of his skin. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Why is Kaeya asking him ?
“Me?” Diluc said, surprised. He pointed at the man standing right in front of him, whose eyes are still glowing and for some reason is not bothering Kaeya at all. “Why is he here? Who is this man?”
Kaeya looked over at the other person. He stepped forward, holding out the candle closer to the man. Diluc held his own hand out and formed a ball of pyro that's bright enough to fill the entire room with light.
Kaeya winced, turning away for a bit. Diluc narrowed his eyes again as the man's features came into his sight. He realized just how naturally pale the man's skin is and how much paler his blond hair is now that he's not covered in moonlight. If Diluc didn't just see him moving earlier, he would think the other is just a statue with the way he stood very still. He didn't even blink at the sudden brightness, but his eyes seemed to glow less and look more normal as Diluc's pyro lit up the room.
“Who is this man?” Diluc asked again, eyebrows furrowing as he looked at Kaeya.
Kaeya looked back at him, looking unimpressed and very exhausted. “That's my boyfriend , Diluc.”
Diluc's eyebrows shot up so high they disappeared into his bangs. He looked back at the strange man, who was now smiling slightly in an amused manner as he watched the two of them. Boyfriend?
“Boyfriend?” Diluc echoed, voice rising an entire octave. Why the hell does Kaeya have a man with glow in the dark eyes for a boyfriend? And most importantly—
“Since when?”
Kaeya scoffed, looking at Diluc like he's the weird one. “Since a year ago?”
Diluc glared at him. “And I didn't know?”
Kaeya rolled his eyes so hard and threw his arms out. “Oh, I don't know, maybe because you decided to go all the way to the other end of Teyvat and not talk to me?”
“I—” Diluc cut himself off, brain short circuiting with all this information. He looked back at the other man and gestured to him. “Then what is he doing here?!”
“What do you mean, ‘what is he doing here’?” Kaeya asked, baffled. “He's my boyfriend! He stays here sometimes!”
“I thought he was an intruder,” Diluc muttered.
Kaeya huffed in disbelief.
The man, who was allegedly Kaeya's boyfriend and very much not an intruder, cleared his throat. They both looked at him as he stepped forward, looking at Diluc. His whole demeanor was still far too calm for someone who was apparently in his partner's house and got attacked. He coughed lightly into his hand, schooling his smile into a neutral expression. “Greetings, Master Diluc. My name is Albedo. It's a pleasure to finally meet you.”
Diluc's mind reeled. Albedo. Albedo. He's heard that name before, although just in passing from Adelinde when he first came back and asked about new happenings in the city—
His head snapped back to Kaeya, leveling him with an accusing stare. “You're dating the chief alchemist.”
Kaeya's eyebrows furrowed, now looking very much annoyed. “I'm the cavalry captain. Of course I'm dating him. We work together.”
“Why are you even here?” Kaeya asked him again.
“I think he's just checking up on you, starlight,” Albedo said, looking at Kaeya, voice so gentle it was almost a whisper, and it took everything in Diluc not to drop the ball of pyro in his hand to the floor at the very casual mention of the endearment.
Kaeya looked back at Diluc uncertainly, eyes questioning as if to confirm what Albedo just said. Albedo turned to look at him as well, an amused smile back on his face.
“I have a lot of questions,” Diluc said instead, eyeing both of them warily. “But I'm leaving.”
“Would you like me to walk you out?” Albedo offered, stepping closer to him.
“No, thanks,” Diluc choked out, turning around on his heel and walking away before he could end up burning Kaeya's entire house down.
Bonus:
Diluc sat in his chair at the Winery's tea table in the gardens the morning after, eyes fluttering across the copy of today's newspaper in his hand. Across him, Elzer was seated, doing the same. All around them, the gentle morning breeze passed by, ruffling Diluc's hair and the corners of the newspaper he was holding.
Adelinde stood beside him to pour him a cup of tea. Then, she sat down at the other side of the small table to his right.
“Adelinde,” Diluc called, setting down the newspaper on his lap and looking at her.
“Yes, Master Diluc?” she said, opening the can of biscuits and setting some on a plate for them.
Diluc hesitated. “Did you… Did you know that Kaeya was dating someone?”
A small smile immediately tugged at the corners of Adelinde's lips. Even Elzer looked up momentarily from his newspaper, eyes glancing between the both of them and also smiling slightly.
“I did,” Adelinde said, now closing the can of biscuits.
Diluc raised an eyebrow. “Since when?”
“Since a year ago,” she answered, taking a sip of her tea. “I see them in the city often. They're quite the pair.”
“How about you, Elzer?” Diluc asked, turning to the man in front of him.
Elzer looked up from his newspaper, nodding. “I did, Master Diluc. I saw them at the Angel’s Share one time having a drink together. I think that was their first date.”
Diluc’s eye twitched. “And both of you didn't even tell me?” he frowned, sounding a bit betrayed.
At this, Adelinde's smile grew wider, almost teasing. She put her cup of tea down on the table. “Ah, well,” she said, shrugging innocently at him. “We didn't think you'd be interested in knowing, Master Diluc.”