Seeing Furina's pained expression, Akio grinned mischievously and flipped her over, pinning her down. He then playfully pinched her cheeks.
"This is your punishment for not trusting your husband and keeping everything bottled up!" Akio teased with a light huff.
"Ow ow ow! Husband, be gentler!" Furina mumbled through her squished cheeks, her words barely audible.
"Will you listen to me from now on?" Akio asked.
"Yes, yes, yes! From now on, I'll do everything according to my husband's wishes!" Furina pleaded, inwardly grumbling about how this jerk always knew how to bully her.
"I hope you mean it." Akio released her and pulled her into his arms, saying, "Alright, let's get up and have some cake."
"Mm-hmm!" Furina perked up immediately. Sharing her worries with her husband made her feel so much lighter.
"Husband, I want some cake too," Raiden Ei said, her eyes fixed on the delicately crafted cake.
"Here you go, Ei." Furina cut off a large slice and handed it to Ei.
"Thank you, Furina." A faint smile appeared on Ei's face as she accepted the cake.
"Makoto, Shogun, and Yae Miko, do you want some cake too?" Furina asked.
"No, thanks. We're not fond of sweets," the three of them shook their heads in unison.
"Okay, then." Furina nodded and started savoring her cake.
"Akio, open your mouth. I'll feed you," Furina said with a giggle, scooping a spoonful of cake and bringing it to Akio's lips.
"Mm, it's delicious," Akio praised.
"If you and Ei like it, I'll have the shopkeeper deliver some every day."
"We'll see what Ei thinks," Furina said after a moment of silence, then turned to Akio. "Husband, in… in a couple of days, Clorinde and I will be returning to Fontaine."
"After all, I'm still the public face of Fontaine's deity. It's not appropriate for me to stay abroad for too long. Fontaine needs me to oversee the Opera House," Furina explained seriously.
"I also need to share this good news with the version of me in the mirror," Furina said happily. "With the prophecy no longer in effect, everyone who was concerned about it can finally breathe a sigh of relief."
"Indeed," Akio nodded, then asked, "By the way, the Chief Justice Neuvillette you mentioned—is he the Hydro Dragon Sovereign?"
"Mm-hmm," Furina nodded.
"Ei told me that the current Dragon Sovereigns aren't complete dragons, and that part of the Archons' authority comes from them," Akio said. "Does this Hydro Dragon Sovereign have any designs on Focalors' Hydro authority?"
"If he does…" Akio's eyes flashed with a sharpness that spoke volumes, though he didn't finish his sentence.
"No, no! He wouldn't!" Furina quickly shook her head. "Husband, Neuvillette has been in Fontaine for five hundred years as the Chief Justice, upholding absolute justice and fairness. He's not that kind of person."
"While it's good to avoid malicious intentions, one should always remain cautious," Akio said after a moment of silence. "After all, the Dragon Sovereigns were defeated by the Heavenly Principles, making them your enemies. It's likely they want to reclaim their authority."
"Most of the current Dragon Sovereigns are no longer the original ones," Ei suddenly chimed in.
"The majority of the first-generation Dragon Sovereigns perished in the battle against the Heavenly Principles. Even if some survived, they're likely barely holding on," Ei continued. "I believe the current Hydro Dragon Sovereign is a newly born one."
"That's for the best. I don't want him to harm you or Focalors," Akio nodded.
"Now that you wield the authority of the Herrscher of Water, Furina, you don't need to fear anyone," Akio said. "As for Focalors, you should reassure her."
"Don't worry, I know what to do," Furina nodded. "After all, she's the divine aspect of me—the true Hydro Archon!"
"In my eyes, you are the true Hydro Archon," Akio said, gently caressing Furina's smooth cheek, causing her to blush slightly.
As the group chatted, Clorinde finally returned. She pushed open the door, saw everyone laughing and talking, and let out a sigh of relief, knowing everything was fine.
"Clorinde, you're back," Akio said with a smile. "Where's Himeko?"
"Himeko went to the Tenryou Commission to find Sara first," Clorinde explained, then turned to Furina.
But she noticed Furina was glaring at her with an intense, pouty expression.
"Clorinde!!" Furina hissed, enunciating each syllable of her name. "It's all your fault! Just now, my husband spanked me so hard my butt's swollen—and half of that was your doing!"
"I… I had no choice. I couldn't just stand by and watch you face your doom…" Clorinde sighed.
"Even so! I'm not letting this go!" Furina lunged at Clorinde like an enraged kitten, pinning her down on the bed and glaring at her.
"…" Clorinde was at a loss for words. After a moment, she sighed and asked, "So, Furina, how do you plan to 'educate' me?"
"Hmph!" Furina snorted. "I'll punish you by making you call me 'big sister.'"
"…" Clorinde was speechless. Furina's obsession with being called 'big sister' was truly baffling.
But since she had technically caused Furina to get spanked, she closed her eyes and reluctantly said, "Furina… big sister…"
"Hehe, that's more like it." Furina grinned in satisfaction.
But when she saw the slightly "humiliated" expression on Clorinde's face, she immediately shouted, "Hey! Clorinde! What's with that look? I'm five hundred years old, you know. Calling me 'big sister' isn't a big deal! Why are you acting so reluctant?"
"Akio! Look at Clorinde!" Furina pouted, turning to Akio. "You should spank her too!"
"Clorinde did something that pleased me. Why would I spank her?" Akio replied, pulling Clorinde's soft, curvy body into his arms. Ah, there was nothing quite as satisfying as holding a mature beauty like her.
"Husband~" Even the usually serious Clorinde couldn't help but soften in this relaxed atmosphere. She called out sweetly, then shot a teasing glance at Furina.
A/N: Enjoying the story? Read 60+ chapters ahead on Patreon! Your support helps: Patreon.com/nneol