Genshin Impact : Joining the Genius Club

Chapter 10: Alechino: "You All Have Children?"

Columbia glanced down. As expected… from the moment they left the city, Su Ran and she hadn't let go of each other's hands. Alechino had already noticed, but she was more rational than Tartaglia and didn't bring it up.

Even though they were both Fatui executives, the Ice Queen never prohibited executives from falling in love. Perhaps she believed that those capable of rising to such a rank didn't need romantic partners. But even if they did, it wasn't a big deal—as long as it didn't interfere with the Fatui's plans, no one would care.

However, Columbia was a special case. She wasn't human and couldn't fall in love with humans.

"Why not?" Su Ran responded casually, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. After all, he was holding a girl's hand, and she wasn't refusing. Both of them were single, so what was the issue? Tartaglia certainly had no room to object.

Su Ran had talent, and Columbia was beautiful—weren't they a perfect match?

Tartaglia, looking stunned, replied, "I… I guess I was being nosy."

His surprise was written all over his face. He couldn't believe how quickly Su Ran had won over the most beautiful woman among the Fatui executives. In just a short time, he'd taken down such a prize! Tartaglia gave Su Ran a mental thumbs up—this guy was truly impressive.

Getting close to a woman like Columbia wasn't something just anyone could do. It took more than ordinary charm. Meanwhile, Columbia, the center of attention, bit her lip. She was still trying to figure out how to explain the situation when Su Ran spoke again, nearly dropping jaws.

"It's late now, Alechino's right. The children should be asleep. Let's head back. Little Columbia is waiting for me to put her to bed."

"Little Columbia?" Tartaglia nodded at first, then froze. He turned to Su Ran with wide eyes. "Wait, isn't she a bit too grown up for that? Or… are you also some ancient creature?"

"What are you talking about? I'm not referring to this Columbia next to me. I mean the little Columbia in my workshop. She looks just like her 'mother,'" Su Ran said with a smirk, raising his eyebrows at Tartaglia.

Tartaglia stood there, utterly confused. Wait—she even has a child now? Had he slept through an entire year? How had so much happened in just a few days?

Alechino, too, was now eyeing Su Ran suspiciously. Even for someone as unique as Columbia, it was impossible for a newborn to appear within days, right?

"If you have time, feel free to visit my workshop. Little Columbia and the others would love to meet their uncles and aunts," Su Ran offered with a grin.

"Others?" Tartaglia echoed, dumbfounded. Even Alechino's usual calm was starting to falter.

"There are five of them," Su Ran said, giving Alechino a meaningful look before leading Columbia back toward the city.

"Uh… well, it looks like you won't be the only executive with kids in the future," Tartaglia joked weakly, trying to break the strange tension between him and Alechino. Unfortunately, the joke fell flat.

——————

"I didn't realize you had such a sense of humor," Su Ran remarked as they walked toward his workshop.

"I just thought it would be fun," Columbia admitted with a small smile.

The mention of children had brought her mind back to the five little ones in Su Ran's workshop. There was a miniature version of herself, one of Rosalin, one of Sandrone, one of Alechino, and even one of the Queen! Rosalin and the Queen already knew about them, but Sandrone and Alechino had yet to learn of their existence.

It might not be such a bad thing to attract their attention. After all, Sandrone, who rarely left her workshop, could use a reason to come out. It had been a long time since Columbia had seen her outside. She still missed Sandrone and hoped she'd get a break from her cold, isolated workshop.

Look at Su Ran—despite his similar nature, he still interacted with others. Poor Sandrone, on the other hand, had no one but her machines. And unlike Su Ran's creations, Sandrone's inventions weren't cute at all. So, Columbia had gone along with Su Ran's playful talk about "children" without batting an eye. Her smile had been convincing enough to fool even Tartaglia and Alechino.

"I wonder how Alechino will react when she meets my little version of her," Su Ran mused, clearly looking forward to the encounter.

Unlike the Hearth House children, Alechino-chan was one of his creations. He wasn't just her master; he was her father. If the real Alechino treated her as a child, what would that make her? A mother? It was possible, though Alechino might not accept it, as Alechino-chan wasn't one of her Hearth House children.

On the other hand, Alechino-chan might not accept Alechino as her mother. After all, Alechino-chan saw herself as strong and independent, just like her prototype.

"Arlechino's going to be in for a shock when she sees a child who looks just like her," Columbia said, clearly amused.

She didn't dwell on negative outcomes, preferring to focus on the fun possibilities. As they neared Su Ran's workshop, her pace slowed.

"Is there really only one bed in your workshop?" she asked, a bit embarrassed despite not being human.

"Don't worry. I'll be leaving Winter City in three days. One bed should be enough, right? Besides," Su Ran flashed a grin, "I'm a handsome guy—I don't mind sharing."