Undercover in Snezhnaya, My Teyvat Spy Life [40]

After pouring out their hearts to each other, one urgent problem still stood before them.

What would Eula do once she returned to Mondstadt, now that she’d lost her [Vision]?

Eula herself didn’t fully grasp the seriousness of it.

But Artem Vetrovski, with his experience in the covert branch, remembered it all too well.

The last time Eula had dared to challenge her family and try to integrate with Mondstadt on her own, if not for Varka cherishing her talent, she would’ve been dealt with—just as Vennessa’s oath decreed:

The Lawrence clan must endure Mondstadt’s contempt for generations to come.

So as long as Eula bore the Lawrence name, she was doomed to live under that shadow—hence why only Amber, Jean, and a rare handful ever showed her kindness.

Amber was pure-hearted, her Liyue heritage shielding her from Mondstadt’s generational hatred.

Jean’s support stemmed from the Gunnhildr clan’s deep sense of justice—she saw Eula as a true and upright knight, so she’d step forward on her behalf. But that bond was more distant, more like respectful acquaintances than true friends.

And there was another issue: the Knights of Favonius placed special importance on [Vision] bearers.

Sure, Eula’s swordsmanship was still among the top five in Mondstadt, but without her [Vision], her standing in the Knights would plummet.

Crepus, for instance, had tried to join the Knights again and again, but always failed for lack of a [Vision].

Even Artem—talented, versatile, a master of all weapons—ended up being sent abroad as an undercover agent, just because he had no [Vision].

In stark contrast, Diluc had received a [Vision] at age ten and was groomed as a future captain, given every resource, so that by fourteen he’d already reached that level.

So for Eula, losing her [Vision] and returning to the Knights was no good idea.

With this in mind, Artem said, “How about just quitting the Knights altogether?”

“No.” Eula refused immediately, then sighed. “If I leave the Knights so openly, my family will be accused of yet another crime they didn’t commit.”

“Leaving the Knights counts as betrayal?” Artem snorted. “After everything they’ve done to you, they have the nerve to call you a traitor?”

If only he could reveal that he was a Mondstadt agent undercover.

Today, he’d have torn open every dirty secret of the Knights for her.

If it weren’t for their thousand-year campaign to ruin the Lawrences, her family wouldn’t have become the city’s scapegoat, and she wouldn’t have suffered so much.

After venting about the Knights, Artem continued, “And as for your so-called family…”

“Let’s be honest—they’re basically a bunch of freeloaders.”

“All they do is drag you down. And they don’t even treat you as one of their own.”

“You’d be better off cutting ties with them—then you could finally be free.”

But Eula only shook her head. “You’re not from Mondstadt. You don’t understand the Lawrences’ dilemma.”

“What, they can’t survive without you?” Artem snapped. “A house full of grown men who do nothing but talk big, never work or earn money. The only reason they scrape by is because of your Knights’ stipend. Even then, you can’t afford new clothes for yourself.”

“And after all that, they still complain about you every day.”

“If you ask me, you’d be better off without them.”

He made perfect sense—every word dripping with contempt for both Mondstadt and the Lawrences.

Yet even so, Eula just shook her head again.

“I could ignore the rest of the clan,” she said. “But my parents, my brothers and sisters—they’re still family.”

“Even if they don’t accept me, I can’t just abandon them.”

“At the very least, I have to make sure they can survive.”

She made herself clear: she would look after her immediate family, no matter what.

Blood was thicker than water, after all—even if ties were broken, she couldn’t let them come to harm.

Seeing how stubborn she was, Artem could only sigh. He pulled a glass bead from his pocket and placed it in her hand.

“Here. If you’re set on going back to the Knights, at least take this for now.”

“I’ll figure out the rest.”

“What’s this?” Eula frowned at the object—something that looked almost exactly like a [Vision].

Artem smiled. “A fake. Made in Inazuma. As long as you don’t use any elemental power, even Varka himself couldn’t tell the difference.”

He’d originally considered giving her a Cryo [Delusion]—she’d used Cryo for years, so the backlash wouldn’t be much.

But if someone noticed it was a [Delusion], that would be impossible to explain.

Better to use a fake for appearances’ sake.

“Fatui really have all sorts of bizarre things…” Eula muttered, carefully fixing the imitation [Vision] where her real one had been.

She stroked the empty shell of her true [Vision] for a while, then tucked it away. Though Artem said there was still hope, she didn’t expect much.

After that, Eula’s expression suddenly grew serious. For the first time, she called Artem by his full Snezhnayan name.

“Artem Vetrovski,” she said solemnly. “We may be together now, but there are some things I need you to understand.”

“Shh.” Artem put a finger to her lips, cutting her off.

Then, just as seriously, he said, “Remember—I’m not Artem Vetrovski.”

“My real name is Lin Feng.”

“I’m not from Snezhnaya. I’m not from Liyue.”

“My hometown is a place so distant, I’ll probably never go back.”

“That name is all I have left of it.”

“Eula, congratulations—you’re now the only person in this world who knows it.”

He let his hand drop.

Eula blinked, repeating softly, “Lin Feng.”

“Mm. Even my foster father doesn’t know that name.”

“It’s my biggest secret—and now I’m entrusting it to you.”

Artem smiled.

“Your biggest secret?” Eula nodded earnestly. “I’ll keep it safe in my heart.”

Then she grinned, poking Artem in the chest. “Now listen carefully to what I have to say.”

“First: I won’t help you with anything that would harm Mondstadt. Not ever.”

“You can do as you please—I won’t oppose you, but I won’t help you either. If you ever try to force me, I’d rather die.”

“Second: I don’t care that you’re with the Fatui. But I’ll never join them. Never.”

“And third—” she paused, voice softening, “promise me that from now on, wherever you go, I can go with you.”

“What about the Knights?” Artem asked, puzzled. “Weren’t you just determined to return? Aren’t you worried about your family?”

“Because—” Eula flashed a sly smile. “Because I know you’ll figure something out for me.”

“You’ll find a way for me to leave the Knights with my head held high—and keep my family safe, too. Right?”

Realization dawned on Artem. He pulled Eula into his arms, laughing, “You’re right.”

“But after all that’s done, the two of us—no home, no roots—will be all we have.”

Eula nestled against his chest, whispering, “From now on, my whole world will be you.”

---

T/N: THIS IS SO CUTE BUT BUT BUT I WANT HER TO BE INDEPENDENT TOOOOO oh well future character development stuff

This is a fan translation of 提瓦特之我在至冬做臥底 by 曉風殘月聽荷 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!