"Man, it was a complicated situation I just had to solve."

Aether said that as he entered the Serenitea Pot.

"Aether, you've returned! What situation, indeed?"

"It's with Yelan. We had to find out what one of the Qixing candidates was truly hiding. To think that he would poison his own master who trusted him so much..."

"Did Yelan did anything else with you?" Ayaka asked.

"Not really. She's not going to take a seat on one of the positions in the Qixing anytime until at least someone truly retires."

"Now what are we planning to do, for the upcoming summer?" Noelle asked.

"I was called back to Mondstadt..."

Noelle shook at the mention of the city she once called home. It's been months, and she has missed it so.

"What happened in Mondstadt?"

"Nothing big. I was just stopping Albert from pestering Barbara for the tenth time. Then I met both Fischl and Mona. They've gotten closer since the last time we met, and now they want to spend the summer somewhere. I've been thinking about going back to the Golden Apple Archipelago which me and Paimon visited last year."

"Can I come with you as well? I would like to accompany you alongside Lady Ayaka this summer."

"Sure. I will signal you when me and the others get there. You and Ayaka can scout the islands on the archipelago for any threats."

"Understood."

"What? Let me rephrase this. You met two girls who you've been talking to in the past, agreed to take them on a summer retreat, and I only get to clear off threats instead of having time with you?" Ayaka asked.

"I promise you, Ayaka, that I will have time with you both after we make sure everything is fine at the archipelago."

And so, a day later, Noelle and Ayaka teleported to where Aether is, standing on top of a small hill on a small island adorned with Dodoco decor.

"This looks like as if the Spark Knight set this up." Noelle looked in amazement.

"I have to agree with you on that. These looked... Rather cute."

"Good, you both arrived. So, I found presence of some Fatui members on the archipelago. Particularly on that island." Aether said, pointing to a small island north of Broken Isle which he drew on a makeshift map.

"Apparently, they have this machine that creates mirages around the island, which makes us see stuff from within our memories. Keep an eye on Fatui activities, scratch the order of having to clear the area since they didn't attack us."

"Got it."

With that Noelle and Ayaka went away towards that specific island, Ayaka's aura freezes the water beneath their feet as they traversed across.

A few days afterwards, after having explored Mona's mirage and see what her memories are, Aether noticed something at the first island where they arrived at during the start of their summer retreat.

"There seems to be one more mirage for some reason. You guys can go ahead to check on that Fatui infested island."

"Eh!? Why'd you want to go to this mirage alone?" Xinyan asked.

"Let him be, Xinyan. I have a feeling that this is personal." Mona stops Xinyan, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"We get it. Stay safe, traveler." Kazuha said.

Aether then teleported to the first island, and checked the anomaly.

"So, what was it, Aether?" Paimon asked.

"It's coming from around the hill, somewhere..."

"Well, Paimon doesn't think that golden roses exist, do they?"

Paimon pointed towards a small patch of grass, there stands a single stalk of rose, glowing in a golden light.

"That's strange. This wasn't here until Noelle arrived. Maybe this is her mirage?"

"It could be. Even Noelle has something in her memories that made her... Sometimes went in a klutz."

"If it is indeed hers, let's just try to see what--"

Upon touching the rose, suddenly Aether lost his consciousness and fell down to the ground.

"Aether!? Aether, what's wrong!?"

When Aether came to, he finds himself in a small room in a townhouse in Mondstadt. There, he sees a silver haired woman holding a baby in her arms. He went forwards, and put his hand on her shoulder.

Afterwards, Noelle's voice is heard.

"After over a decade in my life, I never knew who my mother was, and what she did. Eventually I learned why she was never there during my childhood, after so long. Understandably because the grandmaster is hesitant to tell me what she has done. However, I understood her intentions as well, to not have me grow up into what she has become, a terror on her home nation."

Aether's vision is then blocked by a falling rose petal that emits a golden light, as the scene changes, to a young Noelle in her childhood, reading about tales about the Knight of Favonius, and the legend of Venessa.

"I grew up, idolizing the knights for their valor in protecting Mondstadt, wether within the walls and outside them. I heard whispers among the knights at that time, before they went on with Grandmaster Varka in his expedition about the existence of a Silver Knight, puzzling me because almost everyone in the knights wore silver colored armor. I went to the library, and learned of the history of the knights and that of Lady Venessa, but none of the Silver Knight. Instead, Lady Venessa became one of my idols that I looked up to the most, after Grandmaster Jean."

Another petal flew pass, and the scene changes, where Aether sees Noelle out matching other cadets during the tryouts to become a knight.

"I spent my years, training hard to the bone. My want to be a knight just increased, but year after year I failed. I found out the reason in the end, but I accepted it."

A petal flew pass, and the scene changes. Aether now sees the scene where he and Noelle were lying down under the great tree in Windrise.

"I met my fated one. An outlander, by the name of Aether. He solved the Stormterror Crisis and his fame as the honorary knight spread, reaching up to me. We would train together, and go on walks together during our breaks. I never would have thought that someday Grandmaster Jean would have me assigned to be his companion... Which is the turning point in my life."

A storm of petals shook Aether, then after the petals stop, he finds himself in Tenshukaku, witnessing Noelle's fight with Signora.

"I still remember when I was gifted with a vision. I got a Geo vision instead of Anemo. I was at first disappointed, because I couldn't become the same as both Grandmaster Jean and Lady Venessa. I found out the reason I was gifted with geo, the hard way. Lady Mona said that my constellation is Parma Cordis... Heart's Shield. I exist to protect the innocent, and those that I cared for."

However this memory is not static like the others, here Aether sees Noelle walking away from Tenshukaku, after having defeated Signora by having her cleaved by her own pyro tornado, and healed by Noelle afterwards. Aether then finally learned how Noelle said she took a life. Even after Signora is healed, she still attempts one last attack on Noelle, who attacked back reducing Signora into atoms. The golden light from the attack changes the scene, to where Noelle's spirit awakens in front of Cloud Retainer.

"Not long after, I learned that my ascension would set me on a different path. A path similar to Venessa when she went to Celestia, having only served as Grandmaster for some time. I had mixed thoughts, until Aether told me of what he is."

The scene then changes, after a bright light blinds Aether's vision. After it dissipated, Aether finds himself at The Chasm, where Noelle uses her final attack against her impostor. No lines were spoken, until the scene shows Aether's private marriage with both Noelle and Ayaka.

"I reach the end of the trail to become a Knight of Favonius. Now, I am simply a Maid-Knight, transcended from humanity to serve him. I find out, that I do not have to be entirely similar to the one that I have idolized and that fate has chosen my best path... That I will never regret."

Then everything went black. When Aether came to, he opens his eyes to see Noelle sleeping against a rock, and he finds his head rested on a lap pillow.

"Aether, you're awake!"

"Ayaka, what happened?"

"Paimon said that you touched a rose and you fainted. We thought we lost you, and we did what we could but... Oh, you made us worried!"

"It's nothing much, really. I just learned more about Noelle's past and her thoughts during our journey together."

"Oh... And what did you learn?"

"Maybe we can talk about that sometime later, alright?"

Aether then sets his sight on the sleeping Maid-Knight's face. Her peaceful smile remained even during her deep slumber.