Because she was at home, Furina's sleepwear was quite loose. From the neckline, you could see her collarbones, and since she had just woken up and moved around a bit, the whole pajama top had slipped to the right, revealing a fair, fragrant shoulder.
By logic, it should've been a very alluring sight.
But paired with Furina's dazed, confused little expression, it wasn't seductive so much as overwhelmingly cute.
Furina's pretty face was burning red. Just thinking about her series of actions earlier, everything she had done to Richard, made her want to find a crack in the floor and bury herself in it.
She had actually said things like, "If this isn't a dream, can you pinch my face?"
And then added, "Or maybe you should let me pinch yours."
What had she even meant by that? Was she inviting Richard to pinch her cheeks?
Even Furina's smooth, jade-like toes curled tightly, as if she could dig out a whole three-bedroom apartment on the mattress.
"Anyway, drink the cold medicine first." Richard passed her the cup.
"…Mm." Furina replied with a barely audible sound. She held the cup with both hands, then whispered something even softer:
"Thank you."
Richard didn't mind it. He just waved at her to hurry up and drink the medicine.
"So bitter…" Furina's brows knitted, and she stuck out her tiny pink tongue before she could stop herself.
"Be good and finish it." Richard reminded her.
"I know…" Furina steeled herself, shut her eyes, and gulped down the entire cup of bitter liquid in one go.
It was bitter, but the effect felt good; at least her stomach felt warm afterward, and the dizziness eased a bit.
Though honestly, that was probably just psychological. Cold medicine wasn't that fast.
"You said you fell on your butt last night. Need some ointment?" Richard suddenly produced a bottle of imported Liyue bruise medicine like performing a magic trick.
Just apply it to the injury, rub thoroughly, and it would quickly improve blood circulation and heal the bruise, though the process was quite painful.
"W–what are you talking about?!" Furina nearly dropped the cup and scrambled to keep hold of it.
Then she noticed Richard's gaze drifting toward her small, swollen backside. She instantly used one hand to cover it.
"Don't you dare." Furina was terrified he'd flip her over like in the dream and spank her hard.
Absolutely, utterly, disrespectful to a deity!
Did she have no dignity?!
What made her even more ashamed was that… in the dream, she hadn't been that angry.She remembered feeling… more embarrassed than mad.And beneath the embarrassment, there had been… something else.
If her memory was right, she had even… enjoyed it?
The more she thought about that dream, the less it felt like her. The real her would never make, never produce, those kinds of sounds.
"I'm not doing anything. You'll apply the medicine yourself. I'll just leave it here." Richard placed the bottle on her bedside table and gave a few simple reminders about how to use it.
Though she had been the Hydro Archon, now that her divinity had been stripped away, Furina was essentially an ordinary human.
Because of Focalors' curse she lived far longer than any normal person and remained youthful, but she wasn't immune to physical pain.She could still get injured from falling, and still catch colds.
It was just that Focalors' protection kept her safe from major illnesses.
"Oh… okay." Furina replied. "G-? No, wait, what are you even doing in my house? Why are you in my bedroom?"
Richard pointed at the ring on her hand. "You were sick. The ring told me."
"The ring…" Furina looked at it, then stared at him in disbelief. "You're monitoring me?"
If she'd worn the ring while bathing, then wouldn't that mean-
Her fading blush flared back up, even brighter than before.
"I'm not monitoring anything. It just reacts if you keep thinking about me nonstop. Otherwise, it's just a normal ring." Richard explained. He was not a voyeur.
"If you mind, I can disable that function and leave only the protection feature."
She kept thinking about Richard?
Furina instinctively felt he was lying, but then she remembered her dream.
Suddenly… it all made sense.
Her face reddened again. "F–forget it. Too much trouble. Leave it."
"What time is it, anyway?" she asked.
"Almost noon. Want something to eat?"
"Noon?! Then I, "
"You skipped work," Richard said plainly.
Seeing her panic, he comforted her: "It's only half a day. The City Hall is running just fine."
High emotional intelligence: City Hall is stable.
Low emotional intelligence: Whether you're there or not, nothing changes.
But Furina didn't think that deeply. She simply said, "Then I'll go in this afternoon."
"No rush. Hungry? Want anything to eat? I can have Clorinde bring it up." He stood from the chair, ready to leave.
It wasn't appropriate for a man to stay too long alone with a woman in the Mermonia Palace, especially when he hadn't avoided being seen entering.
Seeing him get up, Furina blurted, "You're leaving?"
Whether from the cold or the dream, she didn't really want him to go.She subconsciously wanted to spend a bit more time with him.
"Yeah. I'll have Clorinde bring your lunch. Since she's a woman, it's more convenient."
"N–no need! I can go to the dining hall!" Furina waved her hands quickly.
Richard glanced at her sore backside and couldn't help teasing:
"You plan to stand while eating?"
Furina instantly hid her hands behind her, huffed lightly, then realized he had a point, but insisted, "I, I'll just take it to go!"
She could eat it back here, right?!
"Clorinde bringing food up is no different from you going to pack food."
"She's busy."
"Then Lynette?" Richard offered. "If that doesn't work, I can go down myself and bring it up for you."
That last option was tempting.
Very tempting.
But her rationality barely won.
She shook her head. "No… I'll just go down with you. I feel much better. I can eat in the office."
Standing to eat was fine. No one had to know.
"Alright," Richard nodded. "Get changed, then. I'll wait outside."
Honestly, Furina was not presentable right now, shoulder exposed, pajama bottoms uneven, bed hair everywhere, and several new strands sticking up like siblings to her ahoge.
Hearing him mention clothes, she finally remembered she wasn't properly dressed. She scrambled to pull the neckline up, covering the revealed shoulder.
Not that it mattered, she hadn't revealed much anyway.
Only her delicate collarbone.
Below that, well… nothing much.
Compared to towering peaks, Furina's…
Calling it a plain was a bit harsh, maybe a small hill?
There was some elevation. Just not a lot.
Once Richard left the room, she relaxed the collar, fixed her pajama pants, then froze:
'Why am I fixing this? I'm changing anyway!'
She took off the pajama pants, carefully, very carefully around the bruised area.
The medicine? She decided she'd apply it gently later.
If it was less effective, so be it.
At least it wouldn't hurt.
She dressed cautiously. To spare her poor butt, she chose a skirt instead of pants.
It was cold outside, but Mermonia Palace was warm.
And there was no trial today at the, so she wouldn't be leaving the palace anyway.
When she finished dressing, she stepped into the living room and lightly coughed.
"I'm ready."
Richard looked back and saw the long dress. His eyes lit up.
"A skirt?"
He rarely saw her wear skirts. Furina usually dressed more neutrally, in pants and simple tops.
But today she wore a long skirt, showing only a bit of her calves. Her hairstyle remained the same, but her hat changed from a tall top hat to the wide-brimmed, elegant style favored by noble young ladies, adorned with sapphires.
The whole outfit gave her a gentle, feminine charm.
Combined with her slight cold, the frail, delicate look mixed with her natural purity…
She looked stunning.
"Mm. Just felt like a different style today."
Because of her stuffy nose, her voice was muffled.
His stare embarrassed her. She lowered the brim of her hat.
"Let's go. I'm hungry."
"Yes, Lady Furina."
Since they were going out, he had to use her title.
She clearly noticed and puffed her cheeks. She didn't need the honorific, but she didn't say it aloud.
At the door, he turned back and saw Furina struggling with her shoes.
Because of the bruise, sitting or squatting hurt.
She had to brace herself against the wall and bend awkwardly.
She managed one shoe.
But as she reached for the second, the high heel threw off her balance.
Even with the wall, she wobbled dangerously.
Sick, weak, dizzy, and in pain, she was about to fall and "even out" both sides of her swollen butt.
Richard quickly steadied her and sighed.
"I'll do it."
He knelt, took her small foot in his hand, her soft white cotton socks warm to the touch.
Though slim overall, her foot was surprisingly soft and full. Comfortable to hold.
Meanwhile, Furina panicked.
When he grabbed her foot, her first instinct was to reflexively stomp his face, but she restrained herself.
She bit her lip, refusing to make strange noises, obediently watching him put her foot into the shoe and fasten the buckle.
Richard thought nothing of it, but Furina was a nervous wreck, her soles even starting to sweat.
'Does it smell?'
The horrifying thought struck her.
As a girl, she cared deeply about her scent.
If Richard smelled foot odor…
She might as well reincarnate.
Too shameful!
Furina, in her mind, had already turned into a tiny white, curled-up ball of embarrassment, rolling around on the floor and kicking her legs in shame.
The moment Richard helped her finish putting on her shoes, she immediately lifted her foot back like a startled kitten, retreating a full step, afraid he would notice anything strange.
"Okay… okay, let's go."Furina lowered her head, voice soft and flustered.
Richard didn't notice anything unusual, he simply stood up and nodded."Let's go."
He opened the door for her, and Furina followed behind him, small steps, carefully controlling how hard she walked so she wouldn't pull at the injury on her backside again.
Walking beside Richard, Furina kept her head slightly lowered, the brim of her wide hat covering half her face. Even so, the reddish tint in her ears was still visible.
On the way down from the upper floors of the Palais Mermonia, a few attendants and staff passed by. When they saw Furina accompanied by Richard, they looked surprised but quickly bowed.
"Lady Furina, Lord Richard."
Furina stiffened a little."嗯…嗯." She managed a reply, forcing herself to straighten her posture despite her sore backside complaining silently.
Richard noticed the way she moved, awkward, stiff, clearly trying to hide something."Does it still hurt?" he asked quietly.
"It, it doesn't!" Furina denied immediately, voice rising half a pitch. "I'm just… walking normally!"
Richard gave her a look that said "Sure, whatever you say," but didn't argue.
Soon, the two entered the quiet corridor leading to the main hall. The area was warm and bright, sunlight pouring in through the large windows, making the dust in the air shimmer like faint gold.
Furina slowed her steps, tugged lightly at Richard's sleeve."Um… Richard."
Richard turned."Hm?"
Furina avoided his eyes, her voice soft as a whisper, almost like a mosquito hum."…Thank you. For… everything this morning."
The tips of her ears reddened again.
Richard smiled."You're welcome."
Furina took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heartbeat. The dream earlier kept flashing in her mind no matter what she did.
She shouldn't be thinking about it.But she kept thinking about it.
Especially the end of the dream.
Her throat tightened.Her fingers nervously clenched the hem of her skirt.
"…Richard."
"Hm?"
Furina looked up at him through her lashes, cheeks faintly flushed.
The words slipped out before she could stop them, softer than falling snow:
"Later… can you… walk a little slower? My… my butt still hurts…"
Richard almost laughed.But he held it in.
"Okay. I'll slow down."
Furina quickly turned her face away, mortified.
She didn't realize that in the moment she said it, she looked unbelievably cute.
The two walked slowly through the halls of the palace, with Richard deliberately matching his pace to Furina's smaller, careful steps. Every time her heel hit the ground a little too hard, her expression would stiffen ever so slightly, a tiny twitch at the corner of her eye that betrayed her pain.
But she refused to admit it.Absolutely refused.
They reached the main entrance, and Richard pushed the door open.
A cool breeze drifted in from outside, the early afternoon air of Fontaine, crisp and refreshing, brushing against Furina's cheeks. She shivered lightly, more from the sudden change in temperature than the cold.
"Do you want a coat?" Richard asked.
"No, I'm fine." Furina tugged her hat lower. "I can handle a little wind."
Her voice sounded stuffy from the cold, and that only made her look even more fragile than usual. The palace guards glanced at her with concern, but she kept her chin up, maintaining the dignity expected of the Hydro Archon.
They walked down the steps together.
But on the second step, Furina misjudged the height.
"Ow, !"
She froze on the spot, pain flashing across her face as the impact jolted her backside.
Richard immediately turned."Are you alright?"
"I, I'm fine! I'm fine!" Furina insisted, though her voice trembled slightly. "I just… stepped weirdly."
Richard didn't call her out. He simply extended a hand."Hold onto me."
"I don't need, "
Before she could finish, a gust of wind blew, strong enough to wobble her already unsteady footing. She swayed dangerously.
Instinctively, she grabbed Richard's arm.
And then immediately regretted it.
"Um… you can let go," she whispered, flustered.
"You're the one holding onto me," Richard replied calmly.
Furina looked down.
She was clutching his arm with both hands like a terrified little kitten.
"...I-I knew that," she lied quietly.
But she didn't let go.
They reached the bottom of the stairs safely, and Furina finally released his arm, reluctantly, but pretending she wasn't.
"So… the restaurant first?" she asked.
"If that's what you want."
Furina hesitated for a moment, then tugged lightly at his sleeve again, her voice dropping lower.
"Richard… I had a question."
"What is it?"
She hesitated for several seconds.Her fingers twisted around each other.Her eyes darted everywhere but his face.
Finally, with her voice so soft it almost vanished, she said:
"In my dream… you were much gentler."
Richard blinked."Gentler?"
Furina's face immediately went red.
"No, ! I mean, ! Forget I said anything!"
She buried her face in the brim of her hat and marched ahead, tiny steps, stiff posture, the picture of mortified dignity.
Richard watched her for a moment, amusement flickering in his eyes.
"Furina," he called out lightly.
She paused, though she didn't turn around.
"Yes…?" Her voice came out strained.
"Next time you dream something like that-"
"D-Don't say it!!" she squeaked, fists clenched, hat trembling.
Richard smiled."…remember to tell me the details when you wake up."
A loud thud sounded.
Furina had tripped.Again.