Diluc cleaned the mugs from that night's crowd. It had been a busy night, having been a festival that night.

A woman came into the tavern, no, it was one of his father's housemaids.

"Master Diluc,"  Adelinde, the head housemaid, said, "Your father requires you as soon as possible."

"Why, what's wrong?" Diluc asked.

"It's--well, I suppose your father would rather tell you himself."

Diluc blinked a little. What in the name of Barbatos would his father deem important enough for him to send the head housemaid to get him?

"I'm done," Diluc said as he put away the last mugs.

"Good, then let's hurry," Adelinde replied, "We mustn't keep your father waiting."

"Why won't you tell me what it is?" Diluc asked, folding his arms as the two made their way to Dawn Winery.

"Like I said before, Master Diluc," Adelinde simply replied, "Your father will want to tell you for himself."

"Can't you give me a few hints?" Diluc humored the housemaid, who simply shook her head.

"You can wait, I've seen you do it before."

"Aw, come on, Adelinde. Just one hint."

"No."

They walked in silence the rest of the walk. Diluc's mind thought of all the possible things that his father could possibly want to talk about.

Did something bad happen? That couldn't be it, for Adelinde would of told him the moment she entered the tavern, so it couldn't be worse than a broken door hinge.

Could it possibly be a new worker? No, that made no sense either, his father would have waited to tell him.

A new wine recipe? But they didn't get their next delivery until next week, and besides, there would need to be extensive experimentation to get a decent recipe, so Diluc would of known by now if his father had been trying out a new wine recipe.

'What could it possibly be!" Diluc couldn't help but scratch his head in confusement.

Soon, he could see Dawn Winery in the distance. His curiosity was stronger with each step he took closer to the winery.

"Master Diluc, stop your shaking!" Adelinde scolded him, "You look like you might faint at any time, and I'm sure it would be most inconvenient to carry you when we're this close."

"My apologies," Diluc fixed himself and got ready to see his father after a long day's work.

"Master Crepus, we're back." Adelinde said as she opened the door. Diluc saw his father was holding something in his arms. From what he could tell, it was a small white cloth he was holding very gently.

"Finally, I was afraid you'd never get back," His father smiled and walked to Diluc.

"What is that, father?" Diluc asked, trying to get a better view of the bundle in his father's arms.

His father gently pushed the cloth away to reveal a brown face and beautiful blue hair.

"A...a baby?!" Diluc cried then covered his mouth.

"Shh, shh," His father calmed the baby as it started to cry.

"But, where...!" Diluc had so many questions that he couldn't get himself to ask any of them.

"I found him on the doorstep with a note,"  His father held up a damp piece of paper, "It's almost impossible to read, most of the ink is rubbed away, but one can make out a little bit of it."

Diluc examined the piece of paper, "Whoever fi...protect my b...me is..." The rest of the letters were spread apart or worn away; the child appeared to have an unknown name.

"We'll have to name him on our own," Diluc's father said.

Diluc looked at all the leftover letters, "K...A...E...Y...A...Kaeya!"

"Kaeya?" His father tilted his head.

"Yes, his name shall be Kaeya Ragnvindr for as long as he is under my protection." Diluc proudly touched his vision.

"I see," His father smiled slightly, "I like that name."

***

"Tell me the story again!" Kaeya said as he took out his hair.

"No, I've already told you a story," Diluc said a little too sharply, "It's time for you to go to bed."

It had been 11 years since the night Kaeya had been gifted to Diluc to protect. He still had the note tucked away with all the other papers regarding Kaeya, from his birth papers to his little drawings he made when he had to go to the tavern with Diluc.

Kaeya pouted, "I'm not tired, I'm not a little kid anymore!"

"Go. To. Bed." Diluc lifted Kaeya with ease and carried him to his bedroom.

"Nooooo, noooo!" Kaeya yelled, "I'm not tired! Stupid!"

Diluc rolled his eyes. It was a constant battle with Kaeya regarding his sleep schedule, despite Kaeya being twelve. His father was always able to get the rascal to bed with no problem.

'I miss you, father...' Diluc thought as he got Kaeya into bed.

Kaeya wiggled a little before looking at Diluc with wide eyes, "I'm sorry for calling you stupid."

"Yeah," Diluc carefully removed Kaeya's eyepatch, "Now go to sleep."

He didn't even stay to make sure Kaeya got to bed. If he stayed awake, that wasn't his problem.

"Master Diluc," Adelinde said as she stood up from her cleaning, "It's getting late. Don't you want to go to bed?"

"Not yet," Diluc carefully wrapped a small clay pot in a brown papyrus wrapping, "Send this to the finest painter in Mondstat."

The small clay pot was for Kaeya's 'birthday'—at least, the day Diluc's father had found Kaeya on the doorstep to the Dawn Winery. The little guy loved the brightly painted pots that they saw on their way to the tavern every day, so Diluc thought it fit to get one specially for Kaeya.

"Yes Master Diluc, but don't you think-"

"Have it done before sunrise."

"Yes, Master Diluc."

-

The morning came and Kaeya rubbed his eyes. The sun was shining through his window. Almost blinding him.

'I wonder what time it is..' Kaeya thought to himself as he stretched.

He smelt something very sweet as he walked out of his room. He inhaled the sweet scent as he walked down the stairs.

"Happy birthday!" Kaeya was greeted by Adelinde. Diluc held a cake in his hands; that's where the smell was coming from.

"The lord Barbatos!" Kaeya yelled, only to be lightly hit by Diluc.

"Just because it's your birthday doesn't mean you get to swear."

Kaeya giggled a little before Adelinde handed him a small package. He quickly unwrapped it and gasped in pure joy.

"It's a colorful pot!!" Kaeya cheered, his legs shaking.

"You like it?" Diluc asked, though he already knew the answer based on his younger brother's reaction.

"Yes! A million times yes!"

Adelinde gave a small smile as Kaeya wrapped his arms around Diluc in a bear hug—or as much of a bear hug the small boy could give.

"Thank you, big brother Diluc." Kaeya whispered to Diluc's chest.

Diluc froze. The wide, sparking eyes and the big smile gave Diluc deja-vu to the day his father was killed.