Just as the atmosphere in the office grew increasingly delicate, another knock came at the door.
Without thinking, Furina called out, "Sorry, it's afternoon tea time right now. Whatever it is, come back later."
"Oh? In that case, I'll come back tomorrow then."
The familiar male voice at the doorway made the three women instantly look up.
"Richard!" Furina exclaimed, hastily putting down her beloved little cake. Then, realizing her reaction had been too dramatic, her cheeks warmed. She picked the cake back up and continued stabbing it with her fork, pretending to stay composed.
Cake:You don't have to eat me, but please don't hurt me.
"I'll pour you a cup of red tea," Lynette said calmly as she stood.
Her face seemed indifferent, as if Richard's return didn't stir her, but her twitching cat ears betrayed her. Since his arrival, they'd stood straight, no longer drooping lazily. Even her tail, though not swishing, curled into a graceful arc.
Clorinde, meanwhile, simply thought his timing was impeccable. His presence swept away the awkward tension that had just hung in the air.
"I-I'll get you some cake too. I ordered an extra slice today. Originally, I was going to take it home for later, but since you're back, I-I'll give it to you!" Furina scrambled after Lynette, opening her private cabinet to take out the cake.
Truthfully, she'd ordered four portions out of habit, automatically counting Richard in. Only after placing the order did she remember he wasn't there. But she hadn't canceled it, perhaps because deep down, she hoped he would return today. Or maybe she simply thought an extra slice of cake wasn't a bad thing.
Either way, unless Furina admitted it herself, no one could say for sure what she was truly thinking.
"Then I'll be in your debt, Lady Furina, Lady Lynette," Richard said as he entered, closing the door behind him.
At last, the four of them were together again in Furina's office. That familiar feeling returned. Clorinde felt her lips twitch, an urge to speak.
"Please, enjoy." Lynette placed the tea before Richard and quietly sat back down.
Her seat wasn't very close to him. In fact, Clorinde's position was nearest, while Lynette and Furina sat at a distance that struck a strange balance, neither too far nor too near. Almost as if by unspoken agreement, both sat equidistant from him.
Furina placed the cake before him as well. "Eat."
Richard gave both girls another word of thanks. Seeing this, Clorinde chuckled and couldn't help but remark:
"At this rate, Richard, you seem more like the true minister than anyone else here."
All three turned their eyes on her. Realizing she'd spoken out of turn, Clorinde hurriedly bowed her head and attacked her own cake.
"How was Liyue? Was it fun?" Furina asked the moment she sat down again, unable to hold back her curiosity.
"Well… I witnessed quite a grand play. As for fun, there wasn't much. Compared to over twenty years ago, Liyue Harbor hasn't changed much, aside from becoming more prosperous." Richard thought for a moment before answering.
"A grand play… then the Geo Archon really returned to the heavens?" Furina pressed, intuition telling her Richard must know something.
"Of course…" Richard trailed off, glancing at the three women's eager eyes.
"Oh, don't tease us! Out with it already," Furina pouted.
"Of course, he's dead. But not completely dead. To be precise… he's retired, much like the Anemo Archon," Richard explained. Handing over his Gnosis and relinquishing Liyue was, in essence, the death of Morax, but at the same time, it marked the rebirth of the mortal Zhongli.
"Ohhh, retired…" A trace of envy flashed in Furina's eyes. When would she be able to end her life of pretending to be a god?
Her mind wandered back to what Lynette had said earlier, that Richard had gone to Liyue for her.
She opened her mouth to ask about it, but seeing others present, she swallowed the question. That could wait until they were alone.
"And the Vortex God?"
"Severely wounded, sealed again by the adepti working together."
Gods didn't die easily, and Liyue wouldn't dare kill one recklessly. The aftermath, god remains, was far too troublesome.
Born from such remains, abominations had plagued Liyue for centuries. Even with exorcist clans and immortal guardians like the Conqueror of Demons, they could never be completely eradicated. Not even Rex Lapis, at his full strength, had been able to purge them entirely.
"So the Jade Chamber really fell? Did you see it? How big is it? How many people can it hold? Tell me, if the prophecy disaster comes, would something like that save Fontaine?" Furina shot off questions in a rush.
On hearing of the Jade Chamber, her first thought was whether it could serve as a refuge from the flood prophecy. Her second was sheer awe; Liyue's adeptal arts had achieved what even the collapse of two-thirds of Fontaine's research institutes couldn't.
Perhaps Fontaine could acquire this technology. If possible, she would rally the nation's full strength to build an enlarged Jade Chamber.
"It's quite large. Properly arranged, it could house tens of thousands."
"Only tens of thousands…" Furina sounded disappointed.
"If you crammed people in, hundreds of thousands. But then life on board would be nearly impossible."
"That's still a drop in the ocean…" Saving everyone in Fontaine was her goal. But against tens of millions, even hundreds of millions, a few hundred thousand meant almost nothing.
She could only file it away as a backup plan. Perhaps negotiate with Liyue to obtain the construction techniques.
After all, the Jade Chamber belonged to Tianquan Ningguang, a merchant. Surely, with enough Mora, she'd part with the secrets. Perhaps even sell the Jade Chamber itself.
"Though, if it's only for borrowing, I might be able to arrange it," Richard said. "But as you yourself said, Lady Furina, whether it shelters tens of thousands or millions, it's still far too little against the crisis facing Fontaine."
"I know, I know. No need to go on." Furina instantly caught his meaning. He was nudging her to reveal her secret again.
But unless Richard became someone she trusted absolutely, someone who would never betray her, she would never share it.
Even though… he had already guessed most of it.
In fact, wasn't that why he'd gone to Liyue in the first place?
So, did he succeed?
Richard only smiled, saying nothing more. Instead, he reached into his enchanted pouch and began producing gifts he'd brought back from Liyue.
Every staff member of the Administration had something carefully chosen. But naturally, those closest to him, Furina, Lynette, and Clorinde, received special items.
"This is for you, Clorinde." He handed her a lip balm from Chunxiang Kiln, a subtle hint to mind her words.
"Thank you." She tucked it away without trying it immediately.
"And this is yours, Lynette." He placed before her a fine porcelain tea set, courtesy of Ningguang herself. Priceless, elegant. Perfect for their afternoon teas.
It was expensive, yes, but everyone could use it, hardly favoritism. Richard never valued gifts by cost anyway. Suitability and whether the person needed it were what mattered to him.
Finally, it was Furina's turn. She clasped her hands together before her chest, eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Her face might as well have read: 'Where's mine?'
Richard thought a moment. The blank contract he carried wasn't a gift, nor appropriate to present.
Luckily, he had prepared something else: a pouch of rare tea leaves.
This tea was exclusive to the Qixing, unobtainable with Mora alone. Its quality rivaled the teas Furina usually drank… which, on reflection, made Richard wonder if it was really that special after all.
But Furina didn't care. She accepted it with delight, cradling it like a treasure.
For her, it wasn't the gift's value that mattered, but the person who gave it, and the thought behind it.
"This weekend, we'll hold a tea party. We'll use this tea!" Furina declared. She wasn't stingy. Good tea should be shared to reveal its full worth.
She turned to Clorinde. "Invite Navia too. Tea parties are more fun with more people."
"No problem." Clorinde agreed, Navia would surely be interested.
After the gift-giving, Richard got to business.
"In some time, Tianquan Ningguang of the Liyue Qixing will visit Fontaine, officially under the banner of 'cultural exchange.'"
"Tianquan? The very one who built and owns the Jade Chamber?" Furina's interest spiked immediately. If Ningguang herself came, perhaps she could discuss floating technology directly.
But Lynette frowned. Something about this felt wrong. If she remembered correctly, Ningguang was a young, single woman.
And with Liyue just emerging from crisis, shouldn't she be busy with reconstruction? For her to travel abroad now was… suspicious.
Most importantly, the news came not from the Foreign Ministry, but from Richard's own mouth.
Which could only mean this involved him.
Was this another "Yae Miko situation"? Lynette's expression grew grave.
How many rivals was she supposed to face?
Mondstadt's acting grand master, Inazuma's shrine maiden, now Liyue's Tianquan…
For one little secretary, wasn't this too much pressure? She glanced at Furina, who looked utterly oblivious.
'Forget it. No use relying on her.'
'Life is hard.' Cat-girl sigh.jpg
"When?" Lynette asked. She needed to know the timing to prepare.
"Not set yet. Probably after Liyue stabilizes. It'll take some time." Richard replied.
When he left, Ningguang was still neck-deep in reconstruction. She'd mentioned the visit only in passing, almost as an afterthought.
And since it was "cultural exchange," Fontaine would also need to prepare. There would be plenty of notice. And Fontaine's bureaucracy… well, enough said.
But more troubling to Richard was his last encounter before leaving, Cloud Retainer.
After the crisis, she had approached him and said: The child entrusted to her years ago was now grown, and had been searching for him all this time.
She hadn't forced him to stay, seeing his urgency to return to Fontaine. But she had told him: when he had the chance, he should meet that child.
And then, hearing Ningguang's plan for a visit, she had added: "If he cannot come to Liyue, then send Shenhe to him. Hmph! I've watched over her all these years, yet somehow she still cares for you more."
She had spoken this plainly in front of Ningguang, making her intentions clear: if Ningguang went, Shenhe would follow.
Ningguang's eyes had flickered briefly before she agreed, promising to notify Jueyun Karst before departure and bring Shenhe along.
Richard could already see the truth in Zhongli's words; what awaited him outside Liyue would be even trickier than Liyue Harbor itself.
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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