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The next morning, sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains and spilled onto the bedroom floor of the apartment.
Paimon rubbed her eyes with her small hands while yawning sleepily, mumbling as she did so.
"Ahh, last night's sleep was so comfortable. This bed is soft and warm…"
At that moment, Shao Yun was sitting at the edge of the bed, adjusting the hat on his head.
Hearing Paimon's words, he couldn't help but turn around and joke with a smile, saying, "I don't feel the same way at all. Last night I was on edge the entire time, afraid that if I wasn't careful, I'd squash you into a little Paimon meat patty."
While the two were joking around, Lumine had already gotten out of bed.
Now, she leaned quietly against the doorframe, smiling as she watched the just-awakened Shao Yun and Paimon.
Suddenly, she teased Paimon with a laugh, saying, "Haha, Paimon, you're really not well-behaved when you sleep! When I woke up this morning, I found your foot pressed right against my face!"
Paimon was instantly shocked upon hearing this, her big eyes widening as she cried out in disbelief, "Huh?! How is that possible?! No way! I always sleep very properly, okay?!"
As she spoke, she scratched the back of her head somewhat guiltily.
Seeing Paimon's reaction, Lumine couldn't help but chuckle softly.
Then, she waved her hand lightly and said, "Alright, alright, don't dwell on it anymore. Hurry up and wash up, then come eat breakfast."
"I already made breakfast. It's waiting for you on the dining table."
Hearing the mention of breakfast, Shao Yun put on his boots, stood up, and stretched a bit.
He asked casually, "Say, why are we even eating breakfast at home? Why don't we just go eat at Debord Hotel?"
"Since we're living here, if we don't take advantage of such a convenient location, wouldn't that be a bit of a waste?"
Lumine crossed her arms and tilted her chin slightly upward, raising an eyebrow playfully at Shao Yun as she urged him on, saying, "Enough. I cooked, so just eat without worrying about whether I'll get tired."
"Today we're going to watch Lyney and Lynette's magic performance together, remember? If we go early, we might even have time to chat with them."
Shao Yun shrugged helplessly and replied, "Alright, alright. Since I get to enjoy food you made yourself, I really shouldn't be nitpicking your arrangements anymore…"
With that, he began eating heartily.
Before long, the two of them finished Lumine's carefully prepared breakfast in a whirlwind.
Just as Shao Yun stood up and was about to head out with Lumine, she suddenly reached out and grabbed him by the arm.
She looked him up and down, frowning slightly as she said, "Wait a second. You're really going out dressed like this? You're not planning to change?"
Shao Yun lowered his head in confusion to look at his current Gunslinger outfit, feeling completely baffled as he asked, "What's wrong? My clothes aren't dirty."
Lumine stepped closer and gently pinched the hem of the brown coat of his outfit, asking with mild dissatisfaction, "I mean, are you really sure you want to wear this brown coat on a date? Where did you put your red outfit?"
Hearing that word, Shao Yun froze, his eyes widening as he stared at Lumine in shock. "A date?"
Lumine nodded firmly and explained, "Of course, a date."
"And this time it's not just the two of us. It's a warm little group outing, like a family of three. So you should dress a bit more handsomely!"
Shao Yun hurriedly corrected her, saying, "Hey now, a family of three going out together isn't called a date. That's more like a family trip, isn't it?"
Hearing this, Lumine was momentarily stunned, then said in sudden realization, "Oh, so there's a special term for that… But whether it's a date or a family trip, Shao Yun, you really should change things up and pay more attention to your image!"
At this point, Paimon had already silently accepted her transformation from guide to daughter and said nothing.
After all, not calling Shao Yun "Dad" was already the last shred of dignity Paimon was holding onto.
Shao Yun turned back toward the bedroom and walked over to the wardrobe to change his clothes.
However, when he opened the wardrobe, he realized that all the clothes he usually wore were with that block of code, and there were none inside the closet at all.
Helpless, Shao Yun could only call out to the code, "Hey, are you saying I only have these two outfits to choose from?"
Soon, the system responded quickly.
[No, you still have many outfits available.]
Shao Yun continued asking, "Then what do you think I should wear?"
As soon as he finished speaking, lines of text suddenly popped up on the system screen.
[Automatically coordinating an outfit for you…]
...
Not long after, Shao Yun looked at himself in the mirror, his brows knitted tightly as he muttered in disgust, "What the hell is this? I look like a clown who escaped from a circus. And why does this outfit even look a bit like Tartaglia…"
The system urged him impatiently.
[Stop whining and go on your family trip!]
...
Lumine saw Shao Yun walk out wearing a brand-new outfit.
Shao Yun showed off his carefully selected attire and asked, "Lumine, what do you think of this outfit?"
Lumine looked him over and praised him, saying, "Wow, it looks amazing!"
"Shao Yun, you look like a true gentleman right now!"
As she spoke, Lumine took the initiative to link arms with Shao Yun, making the atmosphere between them especially intimate.
However, hearing Lumine call him a gentleman made Shao Yun feel uncomfortable all over. He frowned and muttered, "Now that you've said that, I suddenly regret dressing like this…"
"Forget it. Since we're already here, let's hurry to the Opéra Epiclese!"
...
Because they wanted to arrive early to enjoy Lyney and Lynette's breathtaking magic performance, Shao Yun and his group hurriedly boarded the Navia Line Aquabus bound for Erinnyes.
Unlike the energetic and lively Melusine beside Aeval, the Melusine responsible for receiving passengers on this ship—named Elphane—gave off a completely different impression.
She was expressionless and rigid, indifferent to everything around her, carrying out her duties like an emotionless broadcasting machine.
Just as the ship was about to depart, a figure suddenly appeared in the distance.
Looking closely, it turned out to be Eula, rushing over in a hurry.
She was wearing a brand-new Fontaine Security Force uniform. The tailoring was crisp and precise, with solemn and dignified colors.
Although the uniform didn't showcase her graceful figure as fully as her usual attire, it added a distinct sense of sharp heroism to her presence.
Eula's face was filled with anxiety and urgency.
She stared intently at the Aquabus about to set sail, her feet breaking into a sprint without hesitation.
As she moved quickly, the loose strands of hair by her ears fluttered wildly.
"Wait for me! I'm going to be late for work!" Eula shouted loudly as she pushed herself to run even faster.
Fortunately, Eula's athletic ability was no joke.
At the very moment the ship began to slowly leave the dock, she suddenly leapt into the air.
In the next instant, her body seemed to fly, landing steadily on the deck of the Aquabus.
After landing, Eula quickly adjusted herself and stood firmly.
She lightly brushed off her clothes, and only then did a relieved smile appear on her face.
However, all of this was seen clearly by Paimon aboard the ship.
When Paimon saw Eula wearing a Fontaine Security Force uniform, she froze on the spot.
Her eyes widened, her mouth forming a perfect "O" as she stared in shock, unable to speak for a long moment.
After a while, Paimon finally snapped back to her senses and stammered, "E–Eula!"
Hearing someone call her name, Eula instinctively turned her head.
But when her gaze landed on Shao Yun beside Lumine, her entire body stiffened as if struck by lightning.
Immediately afterward, she turned around without another word, looking as though she intended to jump straight off the ship and wait for the next Aquabus instead.
At that moment, Elphane, the Aquabus guide, noticed Eula.
With an expressionless face and an unusually calm tone, she reminded her, "Esteemed Security Force passenger, please take a seat as soon as possible."
"The Aquabus is currently in motion. For your safety, please find an appropriate seat immediately."
Hearing this, Eula helplessly glanced at the dock already receding into the distance, fully aware that getting off the ship now was impossible.
"Oh… alright," Eula responded softly as her eyes quickly scanned the seating area.
To her surprise, the only remaining empty seat was right next to Shao Yun's group.
Though hesitant, she had no other choice. She could only brace herself, walk over to Lumine's side, and slowly sit down.
She had just promised yesterday to avoid running into him as much as possible, yet today she ran straight into Eula again.
Thinking of this, Shao Yun couldn't help but sneak a glance at Eula sitting beside Lumine and mutter quietly, "Man… this is really awkward…"
Hearing this, Eula immediately lowered her head, biting her lip tightly, her hands unconsciously gripping the hem of her uniform jacket.
She lowered her voice and said to Shao Yun, "Remember, we don't know each other… That's what you promised me."
Shao Yun immediately understood and sensibly shut his mouth.
Although Shao Yun stayed silent, Lumine and Paimon, stuck between the two of them, could clearly feel the awkward tension hanging in the air.
They exchanged glances, not knowing what to do, feeling as though they were sitting on pins and needles.
Paimon was the first to break the silence, taking the initiative to chat. "Ah—Eula! Long time no see! What interesting things have you been busy with lately?"
Toward Lumine and Paimon, these familiar "friends," Eula actually felt no resentment or dislike at all.
Suppressing the intense physiological fear and nausea that surged up at the sight of Shao Yun, she did her best to remain calm.
"Oh, I've become a probationary officer in the Fontaine Security Force now. Today, I was assigned to the Opéra Epiclese to help maintain order."
Lumine picked up the conversation and asked, "Oh, that's great! Is there anything we can help you with?"
Eula gave a wry smile and shook her head honestly. "Thanks for the thought, but there really isn't anything in particular."
"Most of what I do every day is just running errands—delivering writing paper, ink, typewriter parts, and other supplies to the various offices in the Palais Mermonia."
"Standing guard like this today is actually my first time doing something so new."
...
As the three chatted idly, one thing led to another.
Before they knew it, the Aquabus followed the waterway and arrived at the Marcotte Station of the Opéra Epiclese on Erinnyes.
As soon as the ship docked, Eula hurried off first.
On one hand, she was worried about being late for work. On the other hand, she truly didn't want to stay around Shao Yun for even a second longer.
Paimon called out toward Eula's retreating figure, "Eula, let's go together—"
However, to Paimon's surprise, before she could finish her sentence, Eula sped up like a startled bird and left in a hurry, leaving behind only hurried words echoing in the air.
"No! I have to work! I'll head off first!"
Watching Eula's increasingly distant and hurried back, Paimon slowly lowered the hand she had raised, a complex and indescribable emotion welling up in her heart.
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