I, Noelle, Persuade With Reason! [7]

How can you easily spot members of the Fatui in a crowd?

Simple—the ones acting the most arrogant and full of themselves.

Of course, their signature look helps: those abstinent masks, ostentatious fur coats, and those tempting black stockings are all dead giveaways.

Even standing inside the heart of Mondstadt, in the Acting Grand Master’s office itself—barely half a meter away from the formidable Jean—these two Fatui envoys still carried themselves with that same haughty swagger, completely disregarding the Knights of Favonius.

Noelle, stepping through the door, instantly recognized them: “Lyudmila” and “Mikhail.” Old acquaintances by now—they were always the ones chatting away by the teleport waypoint.

Hearing the door, the two turned to look at Noelle. Realizing she wasn’t the infamous “Witch of Roses” Lisa or the cunning, powerful Kaeya, they relaxed, ignoring Noelle and turning back to pressure Jean.

“Well? For Mondstadt’s sake, let us handle Stormterror,” Lyudmila pressed, leaning over the table and staring Jean down without a hint of worry that Jean might snap.

Jean narrowed her eyes, taking a deep breath. With her power, she could easily deal with these two fools.

But they were just pawns. The real trouble lay with the Fatui Harbingers behind them, Snezhnaya, and the Tsaritsa herself.

Grand Master Varka had taken the Knights’ elite forces away, leaving Mondstadt dangerously empty. They couldn’t possibly stand up to the Fatui.

No—even if Varka were here, he wouldn’t risk a full-on confrontation. Snezhnaya was simply too strong, lording it over all the other nations. That was the true source of the Fatui’s confidence.

To protect Mondstadt forever—personal pride doesn’t matter. Jean silently reminded herself.

“I’m sorry. The Knights of Favonius are fully capable of handling the Stormterror problem. There’s no need for the Fatui to intervene.” Jean struggled to suppress her anger, forcing a polite smile as she declined.

“Oh? Is that so? Because it looks to me like Stormterror’s been causing havoc for quite a while now,” Lyudmila sneered.

“I suppose the Knights are deliberately sitting back, letting Stormterror terrorize the city so the people of Mondstadt will come to depend on you even more?” Mikhail covered his mouth and chuckled, voice dripping with malice.

Jean’s fists clenched and her cheeks flushed red with anger—but still, she held back.

After all, even if she didn’t actually hurt them, the Fatui’s “La Signora” could easily use the incident as an excuse to increase pressure on Mondstadt or extract further concessions.

“You may leave now,” Jean said coolly, her voice icy with barely controlled rage.

“Are you sure? Maybe you’ve forgotten that La Signora herself is staying at the Goth Grand Hotel. She’d be more than happy to help,” Lyudmila threatened, changing tack when she saw Jean wasn’t rising to the bait, hoping to force her hand with the name of a Harbinger.

Jean didn’t answer—she just fixed the two envoys with a cold stare, letting silence settle heavily over the room.

Just then, footsteps echoed in the quiet. As all eyes turned, Noelle quietly stepped up beside Jean, took her hand, and leaned in to whisper, “Don’t worry. With me here, you don’t have to endure this alone.”

Jean looked at her in surprise, wondering if she’d misheard.

“Noelle, what did you say?” Jean couldn’t help but ask.

“I mean it. I’m really strong—even stronger than Stormterror. Truly,” Noelle repeated firmly.

Jean finally understood, and locked eyes with Noelle for a long moment, as if weighing whether or not she was telling the truth. But Noelle’s gaze was clear and completely steady.

After a few seconds, Jean suddenly broke into a smile.

“You worry too much. This kind of pressure, I can handle myself.” Jean’s voice was strong but gentle. She stood and gave Noelle a hug, awkward but heartfelt—a clumsy way to express her gratitude.

Then, ignoring the confused Fatui envoys, Jean walked to the door, opened it, crossed her arms, and leaned against the frame. Chin held high, she silently signaled for them to get out.

“You—!” Lyudmila was furious, wanting to stay and cause more trouble, but Jean’s icy glare made her think twice. She’d been brave enough to provoke Jean when she was backing down, but when Jean got serious… she might really get taken out.

Mikhail also sensed the danger and gave a cold snort, quickly tugging Lyudmila out.

Before leaving, they both shot Noelle a poisonous glare, as if to warn her: Watch your back—if we catch you alone, you’ll be sorry.

Noelle, unfazed, deliberately lifted the hem of her skirt and curtsied with a bright, mocking smile—as if to say, Go on, just try it!

Lyudmila had never been humiliated like this. She wanted nothing more than to go after Noelle right then, but for some reason, an intense sense of danger swept over her—like prey caught in a predator’s gaze.

Driven by pure survival instinct, Lyudmila and Mikhail pretended not to notice, heads held high as they strode out the Knights’ gates.

Noelle and Jean exchanged a look and burst out laughing together.

With the two nuisances gone, Jean shut the door, sat down again, and prepared to return to her paperwork.

Noelle sat beside her, efficiently sorting the documents by priority.

The two of them worked in perfect sync, just as they always did.

And yet, for some reason, Jean felt oddly nervous—even here in her own office.

Minutes ticked by, but she couldn’t settle her mind. Her thoughts kept drifting, especially to scenes from The Melancholy of Miss Vira, which she’d reread the night before—they lingered, refusing to leave.

What’s wrong with me? Jean wondered in confusion.

Noticing Jean had spaced out, Noelle moved behind her, lifted her hair with practiced ease, and began massaging her shoulders.

“Tired? Take a break,” Noelle said softly. Jean carried so much pressure—people always forgot she was still so young, still just a girl.

“Mmm, thank you.” Jean bowed her head, feeling unexpectedly shy at nothing more than a shoulder massage.

Sunlight streamed through the windows, filling the office with gentle warmth. Enjoying Noelle’s care, Jean slowly began to relax.

The two spent the afternoon working together. Lumine still hadn’t shown up. With Noelle’s help, Jean cleared out all her paperwork and, for once, finished before dark.

At dinner, Noelle cooked up a delicious feast. Lisa and Klee arrived right on time. “I’m exhausted, Noelle, quick—feed us, we need our magic power restored!” Lisa said, expertly making her words sound suggestive as always.

Soon after, Amber showed up with a few slices of pork, and even Jean shyly came over to join them—rarely seen in a deep blue dress, much to Noelle’s delight.

After dinner, everyone left. Noelle bathed Klee, read her a few fairy tales, and soon had her fast asleep.

Night in Mondstadt was always quiet and simple. By ten, the whole city was at rest, most people already deep in dreams. Noelle usually kept to an early bedtime herself.

But tonight, she decided to go for a walk.

Abyss Order? Fatui? Whoever you are—I’ll be waiting.

Noelle wandered alone through the empty streets, anticipation quietly burning in her heart.

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This is a fan translation of 我，诺艾尔，以理服人！ by 暗香浮动 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!