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Childe still refused to give up. He hurriedly chased after them, wanting to strike while the iron was hot and ease the tension between them, but he clearly didn't know the meaning of "enough is enough"…
"Don't be like that! I really think there's still a chance for us to become friends!"
Shao Yun completely rejected this, snapping, "Don't push your luck! If I really want to kill you right now, Lumine and Paimon wouldn't be able to stop me!"
With that, Shao Yun dragged Lumine and Paimon away without looking back. No matter how Childe tried to persuade him, Shao Yun remained completely unmoved.
Even Paimon—who usually couldn't resist food—ignored Childe's edible temptations this time.
After all, with Shao Yun's attitude so firm, Paimon knew exactly how serious things were.
Right now, their relationship with Childe really wasn't good.
The only reason they even talked to him earlier was because he happened to run into them while accompanying his little brother Teucer. Out of consideration for the kid, Lumine and Paimon didn't immediately leave.
…
After helping Lumine complete her Adventurer Registration Transfer procedures, Shao Yun led the pair to look for a suitable apartment.
He had to consider many factors—keeping some distance from the Beaumont Workshop to avoid noise; staying far away from Eula to avoid potential conflicts; and so on.
After thorough searching and comparisons, they eventually chose a fairly decent three-story apartment located not far from Fontaine's most renowned restaurant, the Hotel Debord.
The location was excellent—only a five-minute walk to the Hotel Debord, ensuring a quiet living environment while also making meals easy. Truly the best of both worlds.
After receiving the keys from the apartment manager, the three of them entered their room and began tidying up.
Before they knew it, night had quietly fallen.
…
Shao Yun leaned against the bedroom doorframe, looking at Lumine and Paimon sitting on the bed, and casually asked, "Why did you want to live around here? Because it's close to the restaurant?"
Paimon answered, "That's part of it, but mostly—it's because Lyney and Lynette live nearby! We can visit the sibling duo anytime!"
Hearing that Paimon wanted to visit Lynette for fun, Shao Yun smiled and asked, "You already made friends with them?"
Paimon rubbed her hands excitedly. "Of course! And Lyney even invited us to the Opera Epiclese tomorrow to watch his magic show! He said he'll save good seats for us!"
However, upon hearing this, Shao Yun's expression turned cold, and he replied with a slightly frosty tone, "Hmph, 'when someone's unusually nice for no reason, they're either thieves or schemers.' I doubt this is as simple as it looks."
Paimon's previously joyful expression vanished instantly.
She stared at Shao Yun, obviously displeased. "Hey! Shao Yun, how can you bad-mouth our new friends like that? That's way too mean!"
"And besides—weren't you the one who managed to befriend us in just a single day? Can't you have a little faith in people?"
Hearing Paimon use his own past words against him, Shao Yun was speechless. He had no idea how to retort.
"I… I was actually thinking of taking you two rowing, sightseeing around Fontaine, or maybe we could go rub the bellies of those cute little 'Fontemer Beasts.' Those things are fun too, right?"
However, Paimon was not persuaded at all. She puffed up her cheeks unhappily.
"Hmph! You can look at scenery anytime, but if we miss this magic show, then we won't get to see it again!"
Hearing this, Shao Yun still felt reluctant, but faced with Paimon's firm stance, he could only sigh helplessly and nod. "Fine…"
Not wanting to keep arguing, Shao Yun turned his gaze toward the night-covered scenery outside the window and urged Lumine and Paimon to get ready for bed.
"It's late. We should get some rest."
Hearing this, Paimon suddenly remembered something important. She zoomed onto the bed and plopped down comfortably.
"I'm not sleeping in any baby bed this time! And I don't wanna sleep alone! I'm sleeping with both of you!"
Then, as if afraid Shao Yun or Lumine would disagree, Paimon dove into the blanket, leaving only her little head peeking out, and declared again:
"Anyway! I'm definitely sleeping in the middle! You two sleep on the sides! No room for negotiation!"
Watching Paimon burrow into the blanket, Lumine put her hands on her hips helplessly, looked at Shao Yun, and said, "Be careful when we sleep. Don't crush Paimon."
Shao Yun let out a helpless laugh. "All right, all right. Let's sleep early. We've got a performance to watch tomorrow."
…
Late night, Palais Mermonia.
Most staff members had long finished their work and gone home.
At this hour, only the night-shift security personnel remained. Even so, the grand hall of Palais Mermonia was still brightly lit, as befitted an important administrative building.
Right now, Furina was tiptoeing through the large hall, moving as quietly as a whisper.
Her eyes darted around nervously, her expression filled with unease.
As she passed the door to Neuvillette's office, her heart clenched tightly, and her steps slowed.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, silently praying in her heart.
"Neuvillette should already be asleep… Please don't let him notice… I need to get back to my room quickly…"
Just as Furina prepared to speed up and head toward the lift that would take her to her luxurious suite atop Palais Mermonia, a faint noise sounded behind her.
It was the creaking of Neuvillette's office door opening.
The sudden sound made Furina jolt. She froze, swallowing nervously.
Before she could recover, a tall and dignified figure slowly stepped out.
The man had long silver-white hair with streaks of striking blue, wearing Fontaine's Judge's ceremonial attire. His posture was straight and imposing, his presence radiating natural authority.
In a deep, resonant, slightly icy voice, he called out:
"Lady Furina!"
Hearing her name, Furina's heart jumped like a startled fawn. She spun around quickly.
Seeing that it truly was Neuvillette who called her, she revealed a hint of surprise, stammering, "H-huh?! N-Neuvillette, do… do you need something?"
Neuvillette's usually gentle expression was now uncharacteristically dark.
His tone was cold as he said, "What do you think? Come to my office. Now."
He stepped aside, leaving a clear path for her to enter.
Yet Furina still didn't seem to grasp the severity of the situation. She attempted to gloss things over.
"Oh, is there some important work you need to report to me? Neuvillette, small matters like that you can handle on your own! Why suddenly call me to discuss it?"
Her feigned cluelessness only made Neuvillette's expression grow darker.
"Into. My. Office." he repeated sharply. "That was the second time. There will not be a third."
Hearing his severe tone, a chill ran down Furina's spine. She realized she could no longer weasel her way out of this.
Reluctantly, she nodded, muttering, "Fine, fine…"
She nervously grabbed the hem of her clothes and walked into his office.
As she walked, her mind churned anxiously.
"I'm doomed… He must've found out what I did at the Romaritime Harbor earlier! But how did the news spread so fast?! What do I do…"
Inside the office, Neuvillette stood before Furina with a stern expression, speaking in a low, serious tone.
"Explain. What exactly happened at the Romaritime Harbor this morning?"
Hearing that he hit the nail on the head, Furina stiffened—but still forced herself to act casual, hoping to deflect.
She pulled an awkward smile and laughed artificially. "Oh, come on, Neuvillette, you called me here at night just to talk about my schedule? That's so boring…"
"Ah… suddenly I feel sleepy! I should get back to bed. You should rest too…"
She opened her mouth wide, giving an exaggerated fake yawn, rubbing her eyes to complete the act.
If this had been some trivial matter, perhaps Neuvillette would have let it slide.
But the severity of this incident far exceeded expectations. There was no room for compromise.
His voice suddenly rose sharply, filled with harsh authority.
"You took Clorinde with you—what exactly were you doing at the harbor?! Lady Furina, speak truthfully!"
The sudden outburst made Furina tremble. She was clearly shaken by his overwhelming presence.
But she quickly tried to recover, scrambling to fabricate another excuse.
She straightened up, cleared her throat, and spoke with exaggerated seriousness.
"We were, of course, welcoming visitors arriving from Mondstadt and Liyue!"
"Think about it, Neuvillette— as the Hydro Archon, isn't it only natural for me to show hospitality to travelers coming to Fontaine? How could there possibly be a problem with that?"
Looking at Furina, Neuvillette felt a wave of disappointment.
Even at this critical moment, she still chose to lie.
He took a deep breath, then revealed everything he knew.
"Lady Furina, must you continue this charade? I've already received detailed reports. In broad daylight and in front of a crowd, you made publicly discriminatory remarks, causing severe public backlash."
His voice was grave and commanding.
"If Clorinde had not lost her match due to her firearm being knocked aside—forcing her defeat and drawing the public's attention away from you for the moment…"
"Tomorrow's headlines across all of Fontaine would be about your scandal of making racist remarks in public!"
At this point, Furina's heart finally collapsed.
With Neuvillette possessing such clear reports, any denial was pointless.
Like a child caught after causing a disaster, she trembled, unable to maintain her composure.
"I… I know it was my fault… but I really didn't mean it that way!" Her voice trembled with regret and frustration as tears welled in her eyes.
She had only intended to cause Shao Yun's group a little trouble for fun—not expecting the situation to spiral completely out of control, leading to accusations of "discrimination"...
Seeing that she finally recognized her mistake, Neuvillette's tense expression softened slightly.
His tone became gentler, though still firm, as he proposed a solution.
"Right now, while the public is focused on Clorinde's defeat, you will immediately apologize to those three travelers and obtain a written statement of forgiveness. That is your only way out."
Hearing that she needed to personally apologize to Shao Yun's group—and obtain written forgiveness—Furina's eyes widened in shock.
For the Hydro Archon, such an act was nothing short of a self-inflicted stain, a handle for others to hold against her forever.
She immediately shook her head violently. "No! Absolutely not! I am the glorious Hydro Archon! How could I lower myself and apologize to others?!"
"If word of this spreads, wouldn't it bring shame to all of Fontaine?!"
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