"What do you mean by that?" Cloud Retainer adjusted her red-rimmed glasses, the light reflecting off the lenses hiding her eyes.
"You're asking me to lie."
"Now, now, True Lord, that's not quite it. Sometimes covering for someone doesn't necessarily mean lying."
"…Why does that sound so familiar?" Cloud Retainer muttered, recalling the day more than twenty years ago when Richard had entrusted Shenhe to her.
"You jest, True Lord. Helping take care of her doesn't necessarily mean I'm adopting her."
The phrasing was almost identical, just with a different subject.
"Same trick, new wrapping," Cloud Retainer sighed, glaring at Richard. "Give me one good reason to help you."
"Hmm…"
"And let's get one thing clear," she interrupted. "Even if you have a reason, that doesn't mean I will help you."
Richard: "…"
Cloud Retainer looked satisfied seeing Richard speechless. She didn't bother listening to whatever excuse he was about to come up with and instead turned to Shenhe.
"Shenhe, what do you think? Should I help Richard?"
Truthfully, Richard's request would only take a few words on her part, a trivial favor. But rather than owe him a debt, Cloud Retainer decided to pass that favor to her disciple.
That way, she could watch Richard squirm as he tried to play dumb.
What Richard wanted was simple: for Cloud Retainer to use a few polite words, "next time, for sure", to placate the Hydro Archon for now.
She didn't know why he wanted to deceive his superior, but she suspected it wasn't for his own sake; it was for Furina's.
From the first moment they met, Cloud Retainer could feel Furina's restlessness, like someone being chased by an unseen force. She wouldn't let go of even the faintest chance.
Cloud Retainer didn't know what could make a god so desperate, desperate enough to come begging to a Liyue adeptus. But she had a strong intuition: whatever burden Furina carried was somehow tied to why Richard remained in Fontaine.
She wasn't one to pry, though. Her curiosity was keen, but never misplaced.
Her only goal was to make Richard owe her a favor. The rest was none of her concern.
"Thank you, Master." Shenhe was slow to express emotion, but not blind. She understood Cloud Retainer's intention and accepted her kindness.
But rather than being pleased, Cloud Retainer frowned. "Hmph. Between master and disciple, there's no need for thanks."
They had lived together for over twenty years, and mutual care and reliance were second nature.
Over a week and a half had passed since the Liyue delegation's arrival. The cultural exchange was nearing its end, and the photography contest that had briefly made Richard a celebrity had concluded.
Fontaine's renowned artist, Lady Furina de Fontaine, won second place with her work "The Cat Who Stole the Fish."
The reason she didn't win first place was simple: audience demographics.
Richard's portraits were immensely popular, but his fanbase was overwhelmingly female. And the voters? Not all of them were.
Many men weren't exactly thrilled seeing their girlfriends swoon over another man's photo. Some even left the exhibition early in protest.
So, second place was already impressive, and mostly thanks to Furina's fame.
If the subject had been a cat instead of Richard, she might have clinched first.
"Congratulations to Miss Charlotte for winning first place!" the host announced, unveiling the framed winning photo.
Charlotte's piece, "The Girl Next Door Grows Up," depicted the beauty of Fontaine through the eyes of a Liyue traveler, Shenhe. It perfectly embodied the spirit of cultural exchange between the two nations.
It also stunned audiences with one unforgettable image: a white-haired woman effortlessly lifting a several-ton ship anchor with one hand.
Everyone praised Charlotte's creativity, convinced it must have been a clever visual effect. After all, in the eyes of most Fontainians, such a feat was humanly impossible.
Special effects, it had to be.
A Liyue judge even quipped, "A girl next door, grown up, with the strength to move mountains and shake the world."
They had no idea it was real. Shenhe had truly lifted that anchor like it was nothing. If not for the sound and tremor it made when set down, even Charlotte would have thought it fake.
So yes, Furina's loss was well deserved.
Charlotte happily took Shenhe up on stage to accept the prize: a custom camera lens and Fontaine's newest model of Leavimage camera.
Since Charlotte already had a personalized one, Mr. Wenhenting, designed by her father and decorated by Chiori, she gifted the new camera to her model, Miss Shenhe.
"Miss Charlotte," the host asked, "how does it feel to have bested Lady Furina for first place?"
As a journalist, Charlotte handled the microphone like a pro.
"First, I must thank Miss Shenhe from Liyue for agreeing to model for me. And second, I wouldn't say I defeated Lady Furina, her photography techniques are something I deeply admire…"
She went on at length, throwing around technical jargon until the host and audience looked utterly lost.
Meanwhile, Shenhe stood quietly beside her, holding the gifted camera with no visible emotion, but deep in thought.
Inspired by Clorinde's example, she began wondering how to convince Richard to be her model next.
For Shenhe, the device itself wasn't novel; Cloud Retainer's adepti arts could replicate the same results, even better. But those couldn't capture Richard.
Whenever she tried adepti image-capture spells, his figure either appeared as a glowing blur or just a bright orb of light.
The Leavimage camera, however, could.
After the ceremony, Clorinde went up to collect Furina's trophy and prize on her behalf. It was fitting, after all, she was the one who'd taken the actual photo.
But even with the trophy in hand, Clorinde didn't look pleased. It felt… heavy.
Still, the whole affair had finally blown over. Just as Richard predicted, the photo frenzy in Fontaine had begun to fade.
But outside Fontaine, over in Inazuma, things were just heating up.
At the Grand Narukami Shrine, Yae Miko held a smuggled copy of "The Cat Who Stole the Fish." After confirming the man in the photo was indeed Richard, she couldn't help but chuckle softly.
She had it framed and returned to her desk, unfolding a sheet of fine stationery. After a long pause, she began to write:
"Since our last parting, months have passed without news. Seeing your photo today, I was relieved to know you are well…"
The letter went on to reminisce about old times before moving to the real point, asking when Richard planned to visit Inazuma again. Both she and the Shogun missed him dearly.
Every line radiated warmth and longing.
And at the end, Miko added a teasing warning:
"If you still refuse to visit, then I shall come to Fontaine myself. But this time… I won't be satisfied with just a kiss."
"I want more."
Yae Miko sighed, a mix of amusement and irritation crossing her face.
She'd been following Richard's movements ever since discovering his whereabouts. He'd gone to Mondstadt, then Liyue, then Fontaine… but never back to Inazuma.
Watching her reflection in the mirror, beautiful, flawless, she couldn't help but wonder:
Was it possible Richard simply… wasn't into women?
Still, with the year's end approaching and now a photo of him sitting on her desk, Yae Miko made up her mind.
If he didn't come to Inazuma soon.
She'd spend New Year's in Fontaine.
She handed the letter to Kirara, who happened to be heading there to deliver a package for Chiori.
"Please make sure this reaches Richard personally," Yae Miko instructed.
"Of course, Lady Miko! I'll deliver it straight to him!" Kirara promised eagerly.
It took her less than two days to reach Fontaine and hand the letter over.
Coincidentally, it was the final day of the cultural exchange.
"Is that… a letter from Miss Alice?" Lynette asked quietly after Kirara left.
The pink envelope, sealed with a fox paw imprint, made it obvious that it wasn't.
"No," Richard replied, opening it. "It's from Miko."
Lynette said nothing more. She simply poured him a fresh cup of tea and excused herself, leaving him alone with the letter.
Richard stared at the delicate handwriting, already guessing Miko's intent before even reading it fully.
He'd been avoiding this for a long time.
Going to Inazuma.
After a long moment of silence, he folded the letter carefully and placed it in his drawer, beside the photo Alice had given him months ago.
He'd decide whether to go after Ningguang and the others departed.