A little before Sai went through the trouble of going to lunch with Lisa, in a dark room somewhere in Mondstadt two relatively tall women spoke to each other.
"So she is still nearby… Should I try taking it back?"
"We cannot risk our diplomatic relations turning sour. Specially now that she has possession of the gnosis: her worth has increased manyfold, and we cannot offend her backer. We don't have the power to war against them, at least not yet."
"Indeed." The wine-coloured haired woman nodded.
"But we cannot simply let them do as they want, either. Jean will surely retaliate, given her worship of Barbatos."
"Tsc. She is too naive…"
"Though unknowingly, that naivety is precisely the best move against us… Rosaria, you know what to do: make sure she leaves Mondstadt immediately."
The nun nodded and gathered elemental energy. Seconds later, she vanished into thin air.
"Time to report…" The other woman mumbled.
Two minutes after the two entered, the windowless room was once again empty, and the door had yet to open a second time.
…
The sandwiches and tea she had ordered finally arrived, together with a bucket of cold water. Sai had already placed her honey roast in front of her. He had hesitated to take his own order from the bag, as it was a bit embarrassing, but his grumbling stomach forced him to do it.
Lisa stretched both her hands out, and the maid poured the water over them. She was even scrubbing one against the order.
"You're… washing your hands?" Sai asked with incredulity.
This world didn't see washing hands before eating as something normal, it was usually just a quick check for dirt spots and ruffling them on their clothes. It wasn't like medieval Earth. They put a lot of effort to stay clean and take a bath every day, as well as cleaning themselves after doing their necessities. Straight out hand-washing was unseen by Sai so far.
"It is a habit of mine." Lisa shrugged.
"Can– can I have some, too?" He was not used to not having washrooms everywhere, it was an unpleasant feeling for a modern man.
The witch turned to him with a raised brow. She perceived his honesty and addressed her maid with a nod. After Lisa was done, the girl approached Sai and gave him the bucket containing at most 200mL of water. He shrugged and washed his hands, relief pouring unto him once he finished.
"Thank you." He smiled at the maid and at Lisa.
"Do you wash your hands frequently back at your nation, Sai?" Lisa noticed how 'skilled' he was utilising that little water.
"Indeed. It's very healthy and refreshing." He was actually cheerful now that he felt cleaner.
"Do you perhaps come from Sumeru?" Lisa continued.
"Well…" Sai recalled what he knew about the land of Dendro. "Not quite. But let's eat before talking more. The food's gonna get cold."
Lisa nodded and bit a sandwich. Sai unwrapped his meal: a single toast. His mouth watered but his heart bled. He had hopes that she would let him try one of the sandwiches, so he looked up at Lisa.
The moment she saw what he was having, she burst with laughter.
"Pfffftt…" It was neither silent or loud, but fitting of her personality. And above all, it was cute. She struggled a little to contain herself, then asked with a slight smile: "You got me the honey roast and yourself… one toast. Hahaha… Never thought you would actually… Ahem. Well, enjoy your meal."
He barely managed to hold back a scowl. They silently ate, and Sai reluctantly finished his single onion toast before Lisa even took a bite out of the meal he bought. She instead nibbled on the sandwiches and sipped her tea. The drink remained untouched.
It looked like Lisa wouldn't offer any sandwiches, and he wouldn't ask for them, either. He could manage a little hunger if it meant getting answers to his questions.
When Lisa felt satisfied, she called for her maid again, who quickly cleared the table and left the garden altogether. Sai was pained to see all those unfinished sandwiches and the untouched Sticky Honey Roast.
'She's so mean! She didn't even try the food I brought for her! And worse: she didn't offer it to me! It's a complete waste! And it looked so good, too… And the drink… I'm thirsty…'
"So… Sai. We have some time before work, so tell me what you came to me for."
"Lisa, Miss Lisa." He corrected. "I came here to negotiate."
She crossed her arms, and then crossed her legs into a businesswoman-like position.
"I am offering almost all the knowledge I have, plus my gratitude and debt, in exchange for some informations from you."
"I have given up on knowledge." Her eyes were serious. Though, they were still pretty enough to make one lose themselves while staring at them.
"Hm? What??"
Lisa looked down for a moment before answering:
"I am unsure of the value of your knowledge."
"Oh– I have plenty to offer. Inside information about Liyue, Inazuma, the Abyss Order, the Fatui… Sal Vindagnyr… the gods—"
"Stop." She interrupted him. And for the second time, Sai started feeling the oppressive power of Electro numbing his skin. Lisa apparently was not liking that direction. He had no choice but to use another front:
"I know who are the most likely to be summoned by the Traveler next, and who are extremely unlikely too. I also know who has no way of being summoned, at least in the near future. I also know of some major events that have yet to happen in the future."
Lisa frowned, the static slowly decreased to zero, and she silently pondered.
"What do you want to know?"
"There are two major things I want to know. Firstly, I need to know your thoughts about the Traveler and his abilities. Add to that any possible problems that might have happened since he appeared and started summoning people left and right. The second thing is much easier for you to answer, I believe, since it deals with a witch's field of study, so I'll leave that to later."
Lisa looked at the garden as she fell into deep thought. Her delicate legs uncrossed and crossed in the inverse position. A gentle breeze blew, and the pair remained in silence. Sai decided not to bother her thinking, so he once again simply enjoyed the view.
'I would never have guessed that Lisa liked to wear white… Seeing her without the hat really gives a whole different vibe to her.'
"Very well. I agree to impart with that knowledge, but regarding my 'field of study', I still have to hear your question before deciding. Additionally, I will…" She trailed off, looking down again. "I will ask some questions and you will answer as accurately as you can, without adding unrelated information. Also, don't tell me how you got the knowledge, I don't care."
Sai was very startled by her demands, but eventually answered:
"That's fine. Don't worry about it, I'll only ask superficial stuff, nothing deep. Why don't you ask first?"