"Hmph, even if it's me, I won't need it," Navia said, shaking her head.
"I understand," Clorinde replied with a nod.
"Good, then," Navia continued. "Clorinde, did you hear about the latest victim in the young girls' disappearance case?"
"The Maison Gardiennage has it on record," Clorinde confirmed, nodding again. "But right now, we don't have any solid evidence to push the investigation forward."
"Sigh…" Navia nodded, letting out a frustrated breath. "I just don't get it. What could make someone vanish into thin air like that? Not a single trace of evidence."
"The disappearance cases are very strange. Leave these matters to us at the Maison Gardiennage; they're too dangerous," Clorinde said seriously.
"Don't underestimate me. I have a Vision too, you know," Navia retorted, clearly dissatisfied.
"That's not what I meant," Clorinde quickly clarified. "It's just that the culprit is still in the shadows, and we can't predict their moves. I'm worried something might happen to you."
"You, the head of the Maison Gardiennage, should watch out for yourself," Navia said, shaking her head. "I'm not giving up on investigating this. My father's death, the injustice done to Callas—I will clear his name…"
"…" Hearing Callas's name, Clorinde fell silent. After a moment, she nodded quietly. "Just be careful."
"Of course. I value my life a lot, you know," Navia replied. "Anything else?"
"No, that's all," Clorinde answered straightforwardly, shaking her head.
"In that case, I won't keep you any longer," Navia said coolly.
"Alright." Clorinde nodded, standing up to leave.
"Wait…" Navia suddenly called out.
"Hm?" Clorinde turned to Navia with a questioning look in her eyes.
"Take these macarons to that important person waiting for you," Navia said, pointing at the plate on the table. "Consider the plate a gift ˇ."
"Speaking of which, do you think Lady Furina would enjoy the sweets I made?"
"I'll thank you on behalf of Lady Furina, then," Clorinde said with a nod, picking up the plate without hesitation before turning to leave.
"The Hydro Archon…" Navia muttered, glancing at Furina, who was playing with a stray cat nearby. Shaking her head, she turned to Melus and Silver. "Pack up, we're heading out."
"Understood, Miss."
Not far away, Furina, still playing with the cat, noticed Clorinde approaching and stood up.
"Hey there! Looks like your chat with an old friend is over," Furina said with a grin.
"Hm? Macarons!" Furina's eyes lit up as she spotted the plate in Clorinde's hands. It was a beautifully crafted plate, neatly arranged with several macarons.
Macarons were incredibly enticing to Furina. She hurried over to Clorinde, reaching out to grab one, but Clorinde smoothly dodged her hand.
"Furina, while these macarons are indeed for you, you've been playing with stray cats just now, and they're quite dirty. Wash your hands before eating," Clorinde said sternly.
The stray cats were indeed a bit grimy, and Furina pouted. "Ugh, such a hassle. How about you feed me instead?"
With that, Furina opened her mouth expectantly, waiting for Clorinde to comply.
"…" Clorinde was momentarily speechless but eventually picked up a macaron and fed it to her.
"Mmm! Delicious!" Furina's eyes sparkled. This was, without a doubt, the best macaron she'd ever tasted!
"If it's that good, have some more," Clorinde said with a faint smile, picking up another piece to feed her.
"Mmm… slow down a bit…"
…
At the Uyuu Restaurant in Inazuma, dishes were being brought to the table one after another. Akio deliberately placed all the vegetarian options on Ganyu's side.
"Hm? Lord Akio?" Sangonomiya Kokomi and Hiiragi Chisato looked at him curiously. Did Miss Ganyu not eat meat? Was that why she was so slender and elegant?
"Heh…" Akio chuckled lightly before explaining, "Ganyu hails from Liyue and is a Qilin. The Qilin are auspicious beings who avoid conflict. They drink only sweet dew and eat only blessed grains, refraining from meat or anything of that nature."
"Mhm, my husband is right," Ganyu nodded in agreement. "We Qilin don't touch meat at all, not even meat oils."
"I see, that makes sense," Sangonomiya Kokomi and Hiiragi Chisato exchanged a glance before nodding in understanding.
"Ganyu, your figure is so slender and delicate, I'm quite envious myself," Kokomi said with a hint of admiration. "Even Lord Akio has praised how fine your waist is."
"Seems like a vegetarian diet really helps with staying slim. I think I'll switch to vegetarian food from now on," Chisato declared with determination.
"Sweetheart, you're already very slim. You don't need to lose any more weight," Akio said with a smile.
Chisato's figure was already the most petite and slender among all his women. If she got any thinner, it might be too much.
"Uh… not really," Ganyu waved her hand shyly. "To be honest—and I hope you all won't laugh at me—I used to be quite chubby a long time ago. I only managed to slim down later."
"Oh? Ganyu, care to share the story?" Keqing asked with keen interest.
She knew a bit about Ganyu, but very little about her personal life. Surely, the life of an immortal must be fascinating, right?
"Is my dear Ganyu willing to share her past with her sisters?" Akio asked with a teasing smile.
"It's nothing much, really. We're all sisters here, and these stories are just fun little tidbits," Ganyu said, shaking her head.
Since being with Akio, Ganyu had let down her guard and opened her heart, embracing the warmth of her sisters and her beloved. Naturally, she didn't feel embarrassed sharing such things. After all, they were family.
Ganyu and Akio recounted events from over three thousand years of her life, even mentioning a recent incident where she and Lumine had pranked some Fatui Skirmishers, making everyone burst into laughter.
"I always thought Ganyu was just a pure, innocent little flower, but it turns out she has quite the mischievous side. That Fatui Skirmisher probably has lifelong trauma now," Kokomi said, giggling.
"Seriously, though," Chisato added with a laugh. "All they did was go pick some raspberries, and they ended up getting beaten up several times."
"The Fatui's reputation across the nations has never been good. Their sneaky behavior makes it hard not to be suspicious," Ningguang said, shaking her head with a smile. "If it concerns Liyue's safety, even I would have taken action against them."
"Exactly! If anyone dares to harm Inazuma, I'd make them cry for their mommies too!" Chisato nodded enthusiastically.
This was their country, a land they deeply loved. Naturally, they wouldn't allow any outsider to wreak havoc or harm it without consequences.
A/N: Enjoying the story? Read 60+ chapters ahead on Patreon! Your support helps: Patreon.com/nneol