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Time quickly reached the evening, as the lingering glow of the setting sun cast a soft golden hue over the beautiful Court of Fontaine.
In front of Chioriya Boutique, Navia and Chiori were standing together, chatting animatedly.
After listening to Navia's request, Chiori couldn't help but furrow her brows slightly. She raised four slender fingers and began counting carefully.
"Four swimsuits, huh. And they all have to match the different styles of you, Clorinde, Lumine, and Paimon respectively… that's really not an easy task."
Even though the job sounded rather challenging, after a brief moment of thought, Chiori's face lit up with a confident smile as she said with assurance, "But it's fine. Just leave it to me—I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"
Navia had originally only planned to bring four people along for a vacation, but upon seeing Chiori, she felt that more people meant more fun and excitement, so she extended an invitation.
"Oh right, Chiori. Since more people make things livelier anyway, why don't you bring Eloffe along too? Let's all go vacationing in Poisson together!"
Hearing this, Chiori hesitated slightly.
After a brief pause, she slowly replied, "Ah… at this time, I'm afraid it might not be very convenient."
Just then, Shao Yun, Lumine, and Paimon—who had just received a generous reward elsewhere—happened to pass by Chioriya Boutique.
When Paimon spotted Navia, she waved her little hand enthusiastically and shouted, "Navia! Whoa, so you're here!"
Hearing the call, Navia quickly turned around and waved back just as warmly, replying, "Wow, what a coincidence! You all came at just the right time!"
Paimon skipped over, tilted her head, and looked back and forth between Navia and Chiori as she asked curiously, "Navia, are you buying clothes right now?"
Navia smiled and nodded, explaining, "That's right. Didn't we plan on taking you all to Poisson? I was thinking we could go have fun on the beach there. What do you think of that idea?"
Paimon strongly approved of the suggestion.
"Whoa, the beach! Just thinking about it sounds amazing! But… what does that have to do with you buying clothes here, Navia?"
Navia put her hands on her hips and replied brightly, "Hehe! If we're going to enjoy the sun and waves on the seaside beach, then a well-fitting and stylish swimsuit is absolutely essential!"
Hearing this, Lumine froze slightly, and a faint blush quietly crept up her fair cheeks.
She murmured softly, sounding shy and a little nervous, "S-swimsuits? Do we really need to be that formal about it?"
Navia nodded seriously and said firmly, "Of course! Since we're going on a beach vacation, we have to make it look like a proper vacation!"
As she finished speaking, she turned toward Chiori and continued, "Perfect timing—everyone's here now. Chiori, help Lumine and Paimon take their measurements."
Chiori gently shook her head, indicating there was no need to be so complicated, and explained, "Actually, I've already measured Lumine before. I have very detailed records of her measurements."
At this moment, Shao Yun, who had been standing nearby, immediately cut in eagerly and asked, "Then how tall is Lumine, exactly?"
Chiori answered honestly, "If we include the height of her shoes, Lumine is about 158 centimeters tall."
After hearing the number, a strange expression surfaced on Shao Yun's face, and he let out a faint, thoughtful exclamation.
"Oh… so that's how it is…"
Meanwhile, Lumine stared at Shao Yun's oddly expressive face, and a spark of anger instantly ignited in her heart.
Almost unlocked the Pyro element before even reaching Natlan…
Her cheeks puffed up like little balloons as she lifted her foot without another word and stomped down hard on Shao Yun's foot.
Then, with her hands on her hips and eyes wide, she demanded fiercely, "Hey! Why are you asking about my height, huh?!"
Shao Yun sucked in a sharp breath from the pain, but hurried to explain himself anyway.
"Hey, don't get mad! I was just curious, that's all. I've always known you're a bit taller than Xiao."
"But exactly how much taller than Xiao you are has always been a mystery."
After hearing his explanation, Lumine shot him a sharp glare and complained unhappily, "Hmph… you're so boring!"
Just then, Chiori gave a light cough, drawing everyone's attention.
"However, I don't have Paimon's measurements yet. So, Paimon, could you come inside the shop and let me measure you?"
Paimon was utterly shocked upon hearing this.
"Huh?! There's a swimsuit for me too?!"
Seeing her reaction, Navia quickly smiled and explained, "Of course there is. This time, everyone gets one! Oh, and Mr. Shao Yun, do you have any special requests regarding your swimsuit?"
Hearing this, Shao Yun waved his hand casually and replied nonchalantly, "I don't really have any special requirements. Just do whatever you think works—no need to worry about my preferences."
Seeing how easygoing Shao Yun was, Chiori felt reassured.
She then made a suggestion following a standard design approach, saying, "In that case, how about preparing a pair of shorts for you? Assuming you don't have body-image concerns."
Shao Yun nodded without hesitation. "No problem."
…
Before long, night fell.
After a long and busy day, Shao Yun and the others returned to the Spina di Rosula base to rest.
Paimon collapsed onto the bed like a puddle of goo, still muttering nonstop.
"Ahhh, time really flies. The whole day feels like it passed in the blink of an eye. But thinking about going on vacation to Poisson in a month… that's still pretty exciting!"
Lumine sat by the bed, looking at the greeting card with the cute penguin illustration, and said, "I think we should find a suitable time first and go meet Lyney and Lynette."
Paimon nodded repeatedly in agreement. "How about tomorrow, then? We don't really have anything urgent to do tomorrow anyway."
…
Meanwhile, on the other side, at Hotel Bouffes d'ete—inside Lyney's room.
After listening to what Freminet said, Lyney could barely contain his excitement. He grabbed Freminet's shoulders tightly and asked eagerly, "Is what you said just now really true, Freminet?! They actually agreed?!"
Compared to Lyney's near-uncontrollable excitement, Freminet replied calmly, "Yes. Lumine accepted the greeting card I made myself. I think they'll come visit before long."
Upon hearing the news, Lyney kept muttering to himself, "That's amazing! All the effort Lynette and I put in during this time wasn't wasted after all."
At this moment, a figure stood quietly outside Lyney's door—Arlecchino.
Originally, Arlecchino had no intention of prying into the children's privacy, but as she passed by, Lyney and Freminet's conversation inside was so loud that even without meaning to eavesdrop, every word reached her ears clearly.
Leaning against the wall, Arlecchino frowned slightly and muttered, "Shao Yun and those two little ones coming to the House of the Hearth as guests? That's quite unexpected. Should I show myself?"
As she hesitated, the idea of cooperation briefly crossed her mind, but she forcibly suppressed it almost immediately.
Childe's precedent was enough to make her wary—if things fell apart again, it would benefit no one. Maintaining the current state of mutual non-interference was the best option.
"Forget it. This is a matter between the children. Getting involved rashly wouldn't be appropriate. Besides, I still have more pressing matters to attend to."
With that thought, Arlecchino shook her head lightly and turned to leave.
However, after only a few steps, her pace unconsciously slowed to a stop, another thought rising from deep within.
"But that name… Dutch Van der Linde… heh. Why would Mr. Shao Yun give himself such a strange name? Maybe I should take this chance to ask him directly."
…
At the same time, deep within the Palais Mermonia late at night.
Neuvillette's office was brightly lit, illuminating the entire room as if it were daytime.
He sat upright behind the wide desk, focused intently on the documents in his hands, methodically handling the mountain of daily work.
Unlike usual, there was an additional graceful figure beside him today—Furina.
Of course, the Hydro Archon of Fontaine hadn't suddenly taken an interest in governmental affairs; she had come specifically to ask about the situation regarding her guard.
With her arms crossed and lips slightly pouted, Furina asked in a coquettish tone, "Neuvillette, have you found my guard yet? Why is there still no news?"
At the moment, Neuvillette was fully absorbed in reviewing the application Shao Yun had submitted to the Melusine Sero, as well as the investigation report on the joint operation between the Palais Mermonia and the Spina di Rosula to dismantle the protective umbrella of the Confrerie of Cabriere—so much so that Furina's words went completely unheard.
"..."
Seeing this, Furina frowned slightly. She waved her hand in front of Neuvillette's eyes and raised her voice. "Hey! Are you even listening to me? What are you staring at so intently?"
Neuvillette snapped back to reality, lifted his head, and looked at Furina. "My apologies, Lady Furina. I wasn't paying attention just now. What was it that you said?"
Furina shrugged helplessly, took a deep breath, and repeated loudly, "I said, during the time Clorinde is injured and recovering, how is my guard duty supposed to be arranged?"
"It's already been several days. Have you found a suitable replacement yet? Are you really going to let me stay stuck inside the Palais Mermonia?"
Realizing what the issue was, Neuvillette showed a hint of apology and quickly explained, "I'm very sorry, Lady Furina."
"We truly haven't found a suitable candidate that meets the requirements yet. Perhaps it would be best to wait patiently for Clorinde to recover…"
However, the moment Furina heard that there was no suitable candidate, she grew anxious.
She had no intention of waiting around for Clorinde to fully recover—who knew how long that would take!
Standing in place, Furina grew restless like an ant on a hot pan, grabbing at her hair and ears as her mind raced for a solution.
Just as she was feeling completely stuck, a sudden flash of inspiration struck her!
"I've got it! Why not have those three travelers from another land act as my guards for the time being? Judging by how they look, they're all pretty strong." she muttered excitedly.
She then began analyzing the trio carefully.
"Lumine and Paimon are the ones who defeated a dragon and saved Liyue from an ancient god—their combat ability must be solid!"
"Especially that guy named Shao Yun. Anyone who can defeat Clorinde in a duel is definitely not someone to underestimate."
"And besides, I already apologized to him over our previous misunderstanding. Things between us are settled now, so having them serve as my guards would be perfect!"
When Neuvillette heard that Furina had set her sights on Shao Yun, he froze on the spot.
"Hm? Lady Furina, are you really sure about this?" Neuvillette found it hard to understand why she would make such a bold decision.
After all, Shao Yun was no ordinary person—he was the one who had slain the Second Electro Archon!
Even though the misunderstanding between Furina and him had been resolved, Neuvillette couldn't help but feel uneasy.
"Isn't she afraid at all? If her courage is truly that great, then why even need a guard in the first place?"
Noticing the strange and subtle expression on Neuvillette's face, Furina grew curious and asked, "What's wrong? Do you think my idea isn't good enough?"
Neuvillette shook his head, casting the doubt aside.
Given the current situation, there really was no more suitable choice available.
After a moment of thought, he nodded lightly, agreeing with Furina's proposal.
"No, it's nothing. I have to admit, this is indeed a very good option."
Seeing Neuvillette agree so readily, Furina's mood instantly brightened.
She lifted her chin proudly like a triumphant cat, her nonexistent tail practically raised high in delight.
"Hmph! See? I'm still the better one here! I can think of solutions you never would. Neuvillette, you really should learn more from me!"
Yet, in the face of Furina's smug display, Neuvillette showed no reaction at all.
He simply watched her silently as she basked in her own sense of victory, utterly indifferent to her boasting.
After quite a while, when Furina finally snapped out of her blissful daze, Neuvillette slowly spoke, dousing her with a splash of cold water.
"All right, don't celebrate too early. I'll speak properly with Mr. Shao Yun about this matter. As for whether he'll ultimately agree to our request—that's another matter entirely."
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