Genshin Impact: I Can Obtain Adventure EXP

Thanks to Eula's reminder, Nolan felt like he had discovered the key to handling Acting Grand Master Jean!

"Honorary Knight!"

Jean hadn't expected Nolan to use Barbara as leverage against her. She stood up in anger, leaning slightly over the table with her hands braced on its surface, and glared at Nolan with a look of discontent. "I am the Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius—I won't be threatened so easily!"

How annoying! The Honorary Knight actually had such a mischievous side? She had always thought of him as a gentle person, Jean thought with gritted teeth.

"..."

Ugh, this might be a bit troublesome—Jean seemed genuinely upset.

But this was a rare opportunity. If successful, he could ensure that Jean would set aside regular rest periods in the future. Given Jean's character, as long as it wasn't an unreasonable demand, she would follow through diligently once she agreed.

Nolan thought seriously for a moment and said, "After thinking it over, I believe my request is reasonable. After all, Acting Grand Master, you work non-stop, and everyone is worried about you. You wouldn't want your subordinates to constantly worry about their leader, would you?"

"Well, even if you say that..."

Jean hesitated, realizing that what Nolan said had some truth to it. As the Acting Grand Master of the Knights, was it immature to be constantly reminded about taking enough rest? Should she make a change? But if she did, would it betray the trust of the citizens? How could she balance the two? Jean fell into deep thought.

Seeing Jean waver, Nolan knew her resolve was starting to loosen. Her dedication to personally handling even minor tasks stemmed from a deep sense of responsibility.

Everyone has a sense of responsibility. For example, Amber, who on Dragonspine, was willing to face formidable enemies with Nolan.

But Jean's sense of responsibility was especially strong, to the point of being excessive. Objectively, that wasn't entirely a bad thing, but as Acting Grand Master, handling everything, big or small, was not right.

After all, one's energy is finite.

The Acting Grand Master should focus on duties that align with her position and rest when possible. Mondstadt was vast, and there were too many issues for one person to handle alone.

If she expended all her energy on minor tasks, she might be too depleted to effectively carry out her main responsibilities—an outcome that would be counterproductive.

Jean's stubborn thinking was starting to shift, so Nolan took the opportunity to outline the pros and cons of being overly occupied with trivial matters.

He smiled and proposed his solution:

"My suggestion is to delegate less critical tasks to other available members of the Knights.

"Even better, you could appoint two secretaries to specifically handle citizens' affairs. Liyue's Tianquan Star does this quite effectively."

Nolan suddenly thought of Ningguang's secretaries, who helped her manage errands and administrative tasks with great efficiency, allowing her to work with ease. That's how a true leader operates.

Jean managed Mondstadt well, with its citizens living in peace, but she neglected her health, working overtime daily without proper rest.

Seeing Jean always so hardworking was admirable to others, but among the Knights, it was clear she was overburdened—so much so that even Katheryne would be impressed by her endurance.

Moreover, as Acting Grand Master, it wouldn't make sense for her not to have any secretaries at all.

If foreign delegations came to visit and saw that Mondstadt's leader had no aides, they might think Mondstadt was poor, leading them to reconsider potential business dealings.

"The Knights all have their duties. While they can help occasionally, relying on them constantly isn't viable," Jean said, shaking her head at first before adding, "But appointing secretaries... that's something I could consider."

Nolan had struck a chord with Jean.

Suddenly, she realized that hiring secretaries might be the best solution. It would help share her workload and maintain the citizens' perception that their leader valued them.

This way, her overly strong sense of responsibility wouldn't be at odds with fulfilling the citizens' trust, sparing her any guilt.

"Oh, does that mean you're agreeing, Acting Grand Master?" Nolan's expression brightened; it seemed all his efforts had not been in vain.

"Well... you made a fair point."

Jean's fair-skinned right hand curled lightly into a fist, covering her mouth as she let out a small cough, a faint blush crossing her face, embarrassed at her earlier frustration.

"Do you have any candidates for the position? If not, I could offer another suggestion."

Nolan wanted Jean to implement this change as soon as possible so she could quickly alleviate some of her burden and avoid her backing out.

"Honorary Knight, rest assured. I won't go back on my word once I've agreed."

Jean found Nolan's eager expression endearing, and she felt a wave of warmth, touched by how much he cared for her.

She slowly sat down, the white tight-fitting pants that outlined the graceful curve of her hips pressing against the chair once more. A soft smile curved her lips as she spoke:

"Well, since the Honorary Knight has someone in mind who would be suitable as my secretary, please share."

[Jean Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 370 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv. 8 (200/800)]

So gentle and beautiful… Nolan was momentarily dazed by Jean's smile before noticing the affection notification that popped up on his character panel.

Jean's affection level for him was already at level eight.

At such a high level, it was possible she might even accept a confession now. However, that would be sudden; it would be better to wait for the right moment.

Also, when he left later, he planned to give her a "waymark," which would likely raise her affection even further.

That would bring him one step closer to maxing out her affection.

Nolan didn't daydream for long before sharing the candidate he thought would be a good fit for Jean's secretary:

"The first person I think is suitable would be Noelle."

"Noelle?"

Jean's impression of Noelle was that she was capable and helpful, but still lacking in experience and a bit too soft, gentle, and kind. She wasn't the best at discerning ill intentions.

Overall, she wasn't ready to be a full-fledged Knight of Favonius just yet and was still gaining experience as an intern.

"Yes, she's still an apprentice knight. Her duties at the Knights' headquarters involve tasks like cleaning and moving things, as well as helping anyone in the city who needs assistance. All in all, she could take on some of your workload.

"Besides, being by your side would allow her to learn a lot, bringing her closer to fulfilling her dream of becoming a full-fledged Knight of Favonius."

Nolan nodded.

No matter how he thought about it, Noelle seemed perfect as Jean's secretary, for the reasons he'd just mentioned.

Tasks like delivering documents and finding things could be entrusted to her, and Noelle would probably be delighted to do them, as it wouldn't be much different from her usual work.

Helping Jean while learning at her side—it was a win-win situation.

"Thinking about it, Noelle does seem suitable," Jean mused, nodding slightly. "I'll ask her tomorrow if she's willing to be my secretary. And who's the other candidate?"

"For the second, how about Ellin, who frequently practices swordsmanship at the Knights' training grounds?

"I once helped her on a commission and took her out for some field training. I learned that she greatly admires you, Acting Grand Master, and has a strong sense of justice. She's diligent, inquisitive, and capable enough to be your secretary," Nolan explained.

"Yes, Ellin is indeed a hardworking young woman. She has a good chance of passing this year's knight selection. Making her my secretary does sound appropriate."

Jean was quite satisfied with both candidates Nolan suggested.

She exhaled a quiet sigh of relief and looked at Nolan. "Two secretaries should be enough for now. Tomorrow, I'll speak to them to see if they're willing to take on the role. Now, you don't need to worry about me anymore, right?"

"Heh, I feel much more at ease now."

Nolan chuckled softly. "Speaking of which, it's already quite late. Don't you think it's time to end your workday, Acting Grand Master? Why not start maintaining a healthy routine from tonight?"

"You really do worry a lot, Honorary Knight. But since I promised you, I'll keep my word."

Jean rubbed her fair cheeks and looked at the clock in her office. It was already 10 PM without her realizing it. She still needed to go back to the dorm to take a bath, and by the time she was done, it would be bedtime.

Now that she thought about it, Lisa was likely about to go to sleep on schedule. Sharing the dorm, if Jean came back late and woke her up while bathing, Lisa would probably complain again.

With that in mind, Jean knew it was time to clock out and rest.

"Acting Grand Master, shall we walk part of the way together? I have a gift I'd like to give you," Nolan said after a moment's thought.

"A gift?"

Jean's fair face flushed a little as she wondered what he meant. The Honorary Knight had been so concerned for her, and now he was suddenly talking about a gift.

Could it be that he liked her?

Jean recalled some scenes from the romance novels she'd read, which seemed to mirror the current moment.

Would he take this opportunity to confess? Should she accept if he did? Jean's thoughts wandered uncontrollably. To calm the slight flutter in her chest, she took a deep breath, nodded, and said:

"Well then, let's go."

The last time she was ill and spent time with Nolan, Jean realized that she had quite an affection for him. Besides, he was powerful and the Honorary Knight.

No one would question it if they became a couple.

In truth, Jean herself was quite drawn to the idea of romance, so if Nolan did confess, she would be willing to give it a try. But even with two secretaries in the future, her workload would likely leave her with little time for dates, and she worried about neglecting him.

Perhaps because of her strong feelings for him, Jean wasn't hesitant or apprehensive about the unknown, even if she anticipated that Nolan might confess. It surprised her that she felt this way, considering she lacked any experience in romantic relationships.

On the contrary, she felt a faint sense of anticipation, likely because she had read so many romance novels.

After tidying up her things and turning off the lights in the office, Nolan and Jean left the Knights of Favonius headquarters and walked side by side toward the nearby dormitory for the female knights.

The atmosphere between them as they walked along the cobblestone path was slightly quiet.

Nolan glanced sideways at Jean. Was it just his imagination, or did her face, touched by the night's shadow, look a little flushed? Had she sensed his feelings?

If that were true, the fact that she hadn't rejected his offer of a gift or his request to accompany her could mean she wasn't opposed to the idea of them becoming a couple.

Hmm, that was quite possible. After all, her affection level for him was already so high! It would be perfectly reasonable for Jean to be fond of him.

With his extensive experience interacting with girls, Nolan was 90% confident that his assumption was correct.

So, he decided to take a rare bold step.

As they walked, he subtly leaned a bit closer to Jean. Their shoulders brushed, and as they continued, his hand lightly touched hers.

It was just a fleeting touch, but the soft, warm sensation registered clearly on his skin.

Nolan kept his gaze forward, observing Jean's reaction from the corner of his eye.

He noticed her gaze shift downwards as she instinctively reached up to tuck a lock of her golden hair behind her ear, attempting to hide her increasingly flushed face.

She was embarrassed.

Even though Jean, as Acting Grand Master, was accustomed to facing all sorts of challenges, her lack of romantic experience made this rare moment of blushing shyness all the more precious.

Now that Nolan was certain of what was happening, he confidently extended his right hand again and, in a calm, unhurried manner, interlaced his fingers with Jean's left hand.

Before she could react, his fingers gently slid between hers, locking them together.

Since he had already taken this step, he couldn't let her instinctively pull away—otherwise, things might get awkward for both of them.

As expected, when Jean realized that her left hand was suddenly being held, she felt slightly uncomfortable due to her lack of experience and instinctively tried to pull her hand back.

But Nolan's grip was firm, and she couldn't break free.

After two attempts without success, Jean had no choice but to keep her gaze down, staring at the path, her mind a jumble of emotions.

Even though she had mentally prepared herself, when a scene straight out of a romance novel actually happened to her, she couldn't steady her racing emotions.

Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest—so this was what it meant to feel one's heart skip a beat.

Nolan knew exactly what was happening and simply held Jean's soft hand tightly.

The two walked in silence for a while longer until they reached the entrance of the female knights' dormitory. Jean pursed her lips and spoke slowly:

"Um… Honorary Knight, you're holding my hand too tightly."

---

(End of Chapter)

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