Thanks for _______ ________ and Nefasturis for becoming as Supporters!
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Paimon widened her eyes and looked Neuvillette up and down before asking, "Huh? Why is Neuvillette here too? Navia, did you invite him?"
Navia hurriedly shook her head and explained, "No, I didn't. But if Lord Neuvillette is willing to join our beach gathering, I certainly wouldn't mind—more people always makes things livelier, after all."
Facing everyone's puzzled looks, Neuvillette smiled faintly and softly explained why he was here. "Actually, I was simply out for a walk, as usual. Without realizing it, I ended up here."
"So, I thought I'd take a look—and I didn't expect to run into all of you."
When Paimon heard that Neuvillette had walked here, her eyes widened even further. She quickly turned her head to glance in the direction of the Court of Fontaine, her face instantly contorting into a very strange expression.
"Walking all the way from the Palais Mermonia to Poisson… no matter how you think about it, that's just way too weird! Is it because Neuvillette is the Hydro Dragon Sovereign?"
Seeing how interested Paimon was in his "walk," and how determined she looked to get to the bottom of it, Neuvillette felt a hint of confusion.
"I've always thought my walking speed was fairly normal…"
Sensing that the two of them were completely out of sync, Paimon decided not to dwell on it and instead extended an invitation.
"Eh, forget it! Neuvillette, how about coming with us to play at the beach in Poisson?"
Neuvillette shook his head and declined politely. "Thank you for the invitation, but my walking time is nearly over, and I still have many affairs awaiting my return to the Palais Mermonia. I'm afraid I won't be able to join you at the beach."
"Still, I sincerely hope you all enjoy yourselves in Fontaine."
After saying this, he courteously bid them farewell. "Goodbye, everyone. May you have a wonderful and unforgettable journey in Fontaine."
Paimon nodded understandingly and waved at Neuvillette with a smile. "Alrighty! Bye-bye, Neuvillette! We'll come visit you sometime!"
Neuvillette inclined his head slightly in acknowledgment, then turned around and gradually disappeared at the far end of Poisson's cemetery.
Immediately after, Clorinde stepped forward and stood before Callas' gravestone. A gentle breeze brushed through her hair.
She slowly removed her hat and held it against her chest, deep nostalgia showing in her eyes.
She recalled how Mr. Callas had cared for her after her master disappeared. Without exaggeration, Callas truly treated Clorinde the same way he treated his own daughter, Navia.
It was just a pity that, in the end, he had died by her sword…
...
After paying their respects to Mr. Callas, Shao Yun and the others arrived at Poisson's seaside.
This once-ordinary beach, after careful renovations by the members of the Spina di Rosula, had been transformed into a proper vacation beach.
Navia cheered excitedly, "Woohoo, the beach! It's so beautiful!"
Beside her, Paimon took a deep breath of the fresh sea breeze and exclaimed with feeling, "Even though we see the sea all the time in Fontaine, actually enjoying a vacation by the sea like this is a first for us!"
Hearing Paimon's praise, Navia puffed out her chest proudly, her face brimming with delight as she enthusiastically explained, "To create this vacation spot, I specifically had the Spina di Rosula clean up the entire surrounding area and set up beach chairs and parasols!"
"In the evening, I'm planning a barbecue party right here by the sea—what do you think?"
At the mention of a barbecue party, Paimon's eyes instantly lit up, and she almost started drooling from excitement. "Wow, that sounds amazing! Navia, you're incredible!"
Navia clapped her hands happily, then pointed toward two simply constructed beach changing rooms nearby. She blinked playfully and said, "Hehe, in that case, let's all go change into our lovely swimsuits and have some fun!"
Lumine, Paimon, and Clorinde all nodded in agreement. "Okay."
Navia then took out five boxes that Chiori had handed to her two days earlier.
She passed the box containing men's beach shorts to Shao Yun and said, "We're about to change into our swimsuits, Mr. Shao Yun. You absolutely must not peek!"
As she spoke, Navia narrowed her eyes slightly, putting on a stern—though not entirely serious—expression to warn him not to get any improper ideas.
Taking the box from her, Shao Yun replied, "Don't worry, Miss Navia. I'm not the kind of guy who sneaks peeks at girls changing."
"Hm… how should I put it? I'm not some 'desperately horny' pervert… haha!"
With that, Shao Yun carried his box toward the simple changing room made from cloth partitions.
Once inside, he quickly removed his clothes and neatly changed into his beach shorts.
Just to avoid any misunderstandings about peeking, he didn't rush out afterward, instead standing quietly inside to wait for everyone else to finish changing.
After a while, Paimon's voice came from outside.
"Shao Yun~ We're all changed! Huh? Where did he go?" Paimon looked around, searching for him.
Shao Yun quickly called back, "I'm right here! Coming out now!"
As he spoke, he pulled aside the curtain and stepped out of the changing room.
The moment he did, the sight before him instantly caught his breath.
Standing there were two stunningly beautiful women—Navia and Clorinde—gracefully dressed in alluring swimsuits.
Beside them stood a petite and lovely beauty, Lumine, also dressed in a charming swimsuit.
And floating nearby was an irresistibly adorable little cutie—Paimon.
The entire scene was simply breathtaking.
Navia wore a wide-brimmed straw sunhat decorated with colorful flowers and gemstones, giving it an elegant, luxurious feel.
Her golden hair flowed out from beneath the hat, fluttering gently in the breeze.
She wore a black, leather, backless swimsuit. Though it covered much of her body, a golden thigh ring tightly wrapped around her soft thigh, creating a striking and uniquely charming contrast.
Compared to Navia's relatively conservative look, Clorinde's swimsuit was clearly a product of Chiori letting loose.
It fully showcased Clorinde's perfectly sculpted figure. The main body of her swimsuit was white, trimmed with purple ribbons and gold ornaments.
Both the top and bottom featured crisscross lace-up designs, with the purple accents standing out vividly against the white base.
Noticing Shao Yun's gaze on her, Clorinde grew flustered and shyly clasped her hands behind her back, unable to meet his eyes.
Even in the changing room, she'd felt that this swimsuit might be a bit too bold—but she had no choice except to steel herself and wear it.
Shao Yun casually swept his gaze over Navia's and Clorinde's distinct swimsuits before, as if drawn by a magnet, fixing his eyes firmly on Lumine.
Lumine's swimsuit style struck a delicate balance—between Navia's conservative elegance and Clorinde's unabashed boldness.
She wore a thin, translucent sun-protection mesh cover-up, beneath which her classic white bikini was faintly visible.
The bikini's design was simple yet elegant, with ruffled trim along the bandeau top that added a sweet, charming touch.
Through the gauzy mesh, Shao Yun could only glimpse Lumine's graceful figure.
It was precisely this hazy, half-concealed beauty that radiated an irresistible allure.
Shao Yun stared at Lumine in her swimsuit and couldn't help but exclaim sincerely, "Wow… Chiori really did an amazing job. This swimsuit suits you perfectly—you look just like the flower in your hair!"
Wrapped in her nearly transparent cover-up, Lumine lowered her head shyly after hearing his praise. "It's… okay, I guess… I just feel a little embarrassed dressing like this…"
Nearby, Paimon wore a white dress and had her hair styled into two cute twin ponytails.
Seeing Shao Yun praise Lumine so much, she hurried over expectantly. "What about me? Compliment me too!"
Shao Yun gently pinched Paimon's cheek and praised her, "Wow, you look great too! Paimon is super cute!"
Just then, Navia placed one hand on her hip and the other lightly on her chest, asking energetically, "Mr. Shao Yun, who do you think looks better among the three of us?" She blinked playfully as she spoke.
Shao Yun carefully looked over Navia's sexy black leather swimsuit, then turned to Lumine and smiled. "Of course—it's Lumine."
Hearing such a straightforward answer, Lumine froze for a moment, suddenly at a loss.
Flustered, she awkwardly twirled her hair with her fingers and said shyly, "H-Hey… Shao Yun, how can you just say it like that? That's so embarrassing!"
Despite her outward embarrassment, the smile in her eyes betrayed how happy she really was.
Seeing this, Navia immediately realized she had asked a rather foolish question.
For a brief moment, she almost wished Neuvillette hadn't left so quickly.
Though even if he were still here, he probably wouldn't give a useful answer either.
(Neuvillette: I feel like the Melusines are cuter…)
Clearing her throat to hide her awkwardness, Navia pressed on, "Alright then—if we don't count Lumine?"
Following her words, Shao Yun shifted his gaze to Paimon, who was floating beside Lumine.
Without the slightest hesitation, he answered, "Then it's Paimon."
"Huh?! I'm included too?" Paimon asked in surprise. "Now I'm embarrassed as well…"
Seeing Shao Yun try to dodge the question again, Navia persisted. "Come on… fine, I'll narrow it down further. Just tell me—between Clorinde and me, who looks better in a swimsuit?"
Looking at Navia's stubborn expression, Shao Yun silently groaned inside.
You're really putting me on the spot… how am I supposed to answer that?
"I honestly can't tell which of you looks better. Please, spare me."
Hearing this, Navia sighed helplessly. "Well, we can't help it—there's only one man here. If we don't ask you, who else can we ask?"
Shao Yun replied nonchalantly, "If you ask me, you're both beautiful—but compared to Lumine, you're still just a little behind."
Lumine, who had been secretly pleased by the earlier praise, immediately frowned upon hearing herself dragged into the comparison again.
"Hey… Shao Yun! Navia asked you to judge them, why do you keep dragging me into this?"
Navia sighed and said helplessly, "You know… out of every three sentences you say, two and a half are about Lumine."
Clorinde, who had been shyly silent the whole time, suddenly spoke up. "It's normal for him to think that way. After all, in a husband's eyes, his wife is always the most beautiful."
After saying that, she followed up, "But seriously—can't you really tell the difference at all?"
Shao Yun waved his hands frantically, half-laughing, half-crying. "Hey, hey—stop putting me on the spot! You're both stunning. If you ask me, I genuinely can't tell who looks more alluring in a swimsuit."
Seeing that there was no result to be had, Navia finally gave up.
"Haha, fair enough! Alright then—today's beach party officially begins!"
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