"Lady Furina, you should know: if our Ministry's expenses truly can be reduced, then next year our budget allocation will be cut."
"I know. You already told me before." Furina gave a slight nod, showing she understood.
"Then why do you still want to reduce expenses…? Is the afternoon tea not to your liking lately?"
Richard's hidden meaning was clear: 'Why bother doing something so thankless? Are you just full and bored?'
"Afternoon tea has been a bit expensive… From now on, replace the macarons with cheaper mousse cakes. And the tea, it's pricey too. A simpler black tea isn't undrinkable."
She knew such reforms couldn't happen overnight, so she chose to start small, step by step, detail by detail.
But it was precisely this sentence that made Richard realize: Furina was serious.
Because she was cutting into afternoon tea.
Afternoon tea to Furina wasn't just a pastime. It was the very reason she came to work.
Now she actually wanted to downgrade the tea and sweets? For someone as picky and strict as Furina, this was as unthinkable as seeing her solemnly pronounce judgment from the high tribunal.
"But even if you cut these expenses, we'll barely save any Mora in a month." Richard tried to dissuade her by arguing that the gain wasn't worth the loss.
"There's an old saying: 'Do not shun a small good; do not commit a small evil.'"
"Exactly. Which means we shouldn't slash the budget. Because while it seems small, the consequences are disastrous." Richard agreed wholeheartedly, though his meaning was the opposite.
He wasn't just talking about snacks. Afternoon tea was one of the most tangible, morale-boosting benefits for civil servants.
In Fontaine, its importance ranked among the top of all perks, on par with Liyue's custom of sending rice, oil, and salt to officials during festivals.
Its weight could not be underestimated.
Cut it, and on a small scale, you lowered happiness. On a large scale, you killed motivation, destabilized civil servants' social standing on the marriage market, and shook the very foundations of Fontaine's administrative system.
The impact would be… immeasurable.
"?" Furina typed out a question mark in her head. 'When had saving money become an evil?'
"Of course, I don't oppose thrift," Richard corrected himself carefully. "But if we cut welfare like afternoon tea, wouldn't that damage morale?"
"Pfft." Clorinde couldn't hold back a laugh.
Both turned to her. Clorinde coughed lightly and straightened her face. "Surely you jest. Civil servants… morale? Since when?"
"Oh? Then tell me, Clorinde. Do you work with enthusiasm?" Richard shot back.
Her body stiffened. A death question. No way out.
"I… I suppose I'm enthusiastic?"
"Good. And you, enthusiastic Miss Clorinde, would slashing afternoon tea hurt your morale?"
"I… don't like tea."
"Then what about others?"
"I'm not sure. Maybe… yes?" She saw Furina watching and quickly corrected herself: "Or maybe… not?"
Fortunately, inspiration struck. Clorinde quickly said, "But rather than cutting, perhaps we should focus on increasing revenue. Open new sources instead of restricting old ones."
"New sources of income? I see. You mean rather than saving, we should find ways to generate profit." Furina nodded as if enlightened.
"…Yes." Clorinde's heart sank. The way Furina rattled off that line so smoothly gave her a very bad feeling.
"Looks like we're thinking alike, Clorinde!" Furina clapped her hands.
Clorinde didn't feel pleased. She only thought, 'Damn it. I've doomed myself again.'
"I have some immature ideas on how to generate revenue…"
Clorinde wanted to stuff a pastry into Furina's mouth to make her stop. 'Immature ideas can wait until they're mature!'
"That temporary shelter for Mondstadt refugees, it was in a newly built commercial street, wasn't it? Constructed by the government?"
Richard nodded. "Yes, it's government property. But bidding for shops has already started."
"Why didn't I know?"
"Because you're not the target group."
"Shouldn't such tenders be public knowledge? Citizens have a right to know."
"They also have a right not to know. Besides, most citizens don't have the ability to manage a commercial street. Rather than waste time publicizing to everyone, it's more efficient to directly inform capable guilds and large companies."
He paused. "We did post a notice, though."
"Where?"
"On the bulletin board downstairs. Bottom left corner. Still there." Clorinde added that she'd seen it in her free time.
"…Does anyone actually read those?" Furina muttered.
"Maybe bored civil servants do," Clorinde shrugged. Then, under their stares, quickly added: "I mean, the… dedicated, hard-working ones."
'If any exist,' she thought.
"So how much profit did it bring?" Furina asked.
"Correction," Richard said. "We're a government, not a company. Profit is not our priority."
"Then what is?"
"The people's benefit, of course."
"Then tell me, my dear Richard, exactly how much benefit, how much mora, did the people gain from this project?"
"91,500 mora in total."
"…That little?" Furina's eyes went wide.
She couldn't believe it. A whole commercial street, just 91,500 mora? You could earn more working odd jobs!
"I'll have Neuvillette investigate this mess!" She stood, ready to storm into his office.
"Lady Furina, it's normal. There's no corruption."
"No corruption, and yet so little?" Her gaze drilled into him, silently asking: 'Do you take me for a fool?'
That was prime real estate near the Opera Epiclese! Even if not right next door, it was close enough to benefit from the crowds.
And this was all it earned? Impossible.
"In truth, Lady Furina, this project was never meant to make money. Turning a profit at all was already unexpected. Originally, the Administration expected to subsidize it."
"Subsidize?!" She looked at his perfectly calm face, wondering if he was mad, or if she was.
"Yes. It was designed as a cornerstone of stability."
"Cornerstone?"
"Employment. Economy. Consumption. The hidden benefits outweigh any direct profit."
He even used sweets to explain: Fontaine's economy is a cake. The commercial street is not part of the cake; it's the plate. Only a big plate can hold a big cake.
Furina still felt fuzzy, but the analogy made her hungry. It was about tea time, after all.
She reached for the little cream cake Clorinde handed her, only for Richard to cough.
"Lady Furina, didn't you say we're cutting the tea budget?"
"Ah, ah, yes, I… I…" Staring at the exquisite cake, she swallowed hard, then waved it away with heroic pain.
"Take it back."
Clorinde sighed at her pained face. 'Why torture yourself like this?'
You'll never outplay Richard.
"I'll take it," Richard said. "And Clorinde, please buy a cheap mousse cake from a street shop for Lady Furina's tea."
"Oh, and tell Lynette to just prepare our usual red tea. As for Lady Furina, "
"I'll drink plain water!" Furina ground her teeth, glaring.
"Very well. You heard her." Richard nodded.
After Clorinde left, Furina suddenly realized something. "Wait, why only downgrade my tea? Shouldn't you join me?"
"Because policies take time to implement. Your proposal is still in its draft stage; no formal report exists. No need to rush."
"But I- " She wanted to protest, 'Why can't I have my cake?!'
"Since it's your idea, shouldn't you lead by example?"
"…Savings should begin with me?"
"Exactly. Lead by action, inspire by example."
She put on her own "pain mask," watching as Richard calmly ate the cake that should've been hers. Her throat bobbed.
"This won't save much…" she muttered.
"Of course not. But the symbolic impact, like that street project, is priceless."
"…Fine. Then at least eat it farther away. Don't let me watch."
"What's wrong? Didn't we always share tea together? Since when do we sit apart?" Richard looked innocent, then added slyly: "Unless I've started to annoy you. In that case… I'll leave."
Furina's heart panicked. She hated that line most of all. Even knowing he said it on purpose, she gave in: "Stay… Just stay."
She consoled herself: once her mousse cake arrived, things would feel better.
But fate was cruel.
"No mousse left?!" Furina cried as Clorinde returned.
"Yes. It's Thursday, discount day. Sold out. Only premium cakes remain, but they don't fit your budget policy. They are making more, but it'll take over an hour."
"By then, tea will be long over…" Furina whispered.
So she had no choice: sip tasteless water while watching Richard and the others enjoy top-tier tea and cakes.
'What level of torment is this?!'
Even Lynette pitied her, quietly offering: "Lady Furina… Would you like me to share some of mine?"
"Really?!" Her eyes sparkled like stars.
"Ahem." Richard cleared his throat.
Furina glanced at him and instantly forced a smile. "…Forget it. I'm not hungry. You eat."
Lynette felt certain that as Furina said this, her heart was weeping.
But since she insisted, Lynette reluctantly kept her cake.
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu