Hello I'm back, thy leg is healed but I don't have molars anymore.
===BREAK===
On a bright morning outside Opera Epiclese.
Furina stretched out her arms and gave a long, satisfying yawn, releasing all the fatigue from her body.
She lightly twisted her waist, feeling her energy gradually return, and let out a contented sigh.
"Ah~ Clorinde, staying at your house is wonderful! Even more comfortable than at Palais Mermonia!"
Hearing Furina's straightforward praise, Clorinde responded humbly, "Lady Furina, it's my greatest honor that you enjoy it."
Shao Yun, recalling breakfast, smirked teasingly, exposing Furina's "true motives."
"Come on, she's not really enjoying your house—she just likes the breakfast you made! She ate more than Paimon this morning!"
Furina's face flushed red with anger.
She stomped her foot and pouted, complaining, "Hey, hey, hey! You're as annoying as Neuvillette, always ruining my fun!"
Shao Yun shrugged, feigning innocence. "What can I do? I'm just telling the truth. Honestly, I never thought anyone could compete with Paimon when it comes to eating."
Furina puckered her lips, full of pride and disdain. "Hmph! I didn't enjoy your cooking for nothing—now, I'll take you all to see the play!"
Shao Yun suddenly laughed, teasing her, "Right, otherwise I might have had to send you back to Palais Mermonia. Two Paimons… just thinking about it scares me."
Furina ignored his jests, impatiently waving her hand. "Alright, alright, I won't steal your breakfast next time. Let's go into the opera house."
…
The group entered Opera Epiclese one by one.
A few theater staff stood in the center of the hall, whispering and discussing something among themselves.
Since it was still early, aside from the busy performers and staff handling logistics and maintaining order, no other audience members were present.
Paimon's eyes widened with curiosity as she muttered, "Huh? Over there—are those the performers? Why aren't they in the green room resting? Why are they out here?"
"I thought they'd be quietly resting at this time, conserving energy for the performance."
Her voice carried to the performers' ears.
Instantly, all their eyes turned toward her.
The moment their gaze met Furina's, the hall erupted in excitement.
After all, she was the Hydro Archon, a major celebrity! To the performers, she was an object of admiration.
"Wow, Lady Furina is really coming to watch our performance! Didn't the troupe leader say she declined?" someone exclaimed in disbelief.
"That's right! Lady Furina!" others echoed.
Furina smiled, enjoying their gaze filled with respect and admiration.
She waved gently, responding gracefully, "No need to be so enthusiastic. If you'd like my autograph, I'll sign for each of you after the performance."
At that moment, a slightly nervous actress took a deep breath and stepped forward.
She bowed respectfully and said in a trembling voice, "Greetings, respected Lady Hydro Archon! My name is Solaine, and I play the role of 'Erinnyes.'"
"Meeting you in person is such an honor—I never expected you'd attend our performance…" Solaine's eyes welled up with tears.
Furina quickly nodded to reassure her, gesturing for her to calm down.
After a short pause, she spoke gently, "Oh, your name is Solaine. I'll remember it. Well then, perform well—I'm looking forward to seeing your excellent performance."
Though polite, Solaine felt as if these words carried magical encouragement.
Feeling inspired by Furina's words, Solaine vowed earnestly, "Rest assured, Lady Furina! I'll give my all to ensure you're satisfied with my performance!"
…
After encouraging the performers, Furina led everyone to the VIP seating on the second floor.
Opera Epiclese's second-floor VIP area, designed exclusively for Furina, was the heart of the theater, exuding prestige and luxury.
The seats were at the center of the second floor, with a broad view, allowing her to see every subtle motion on stage and every decorative detail in the hall.
The seating was both artistic and comfortable. Velvet chairs, soft to the touch, with warm colors, seemed to absorb the day's fatigue.
The armrests and backrest were intricately carved.
Beside each seat was a tea table, adorned with exquisite tea sets and snacks, allowing Furina to enjoy a moment of tranquility while watching the performance.
Furina happily sat in her personal VIP seat, laughing softly, "Hehe, what do you think? The view from here is pretty good, isn't it?"
Lumine looked at the stage below and asked, "This view… is it okay? Can we see the performance clearly from this far?"
At that moment, Clorinde returned with several opera binoculars in her arms.
"Lady Furina, I brought the opera binoculars. There are five in total—just enough for everyone."
She handed out the binoculars to each person.
Paimon excitedly grabbed two and gave one to Lumine, then eagerly picked up her own, looking toward the stage.
"Wow! Amazing! I can see so clearly through these!" Paimon exclaimed.
Then her gaze swept across the audience seats. Suddenly, she froze as she recognized a familiar figure.
"Eh! Look! The person in the front row is… Neuvillette! Why is he here?" Paimon shouted.
Hearing this, Furina, who had been casually adjusting her binoculars, stood abruptly and looked toward the front row.
Sure enough, Neuvillette sat neatly in the front row, waiting to watch the performance.
"Ah? It's really him! How strange. Shouldn't he be at Palais Mermonia handling matters right now? Why is he here watching the opera?" Furina muttered, frowning.
Shao Yun glanced at Neuvillette in the front row and said, "Maybe he's worried about you. You didn't return to Palais Mermonia last night, after all."
Furina immediately recalled her conversation with Neuvillette yesterday, frowning in displeasure.
"Hmph! Who cares if he worries? I bet he's just here to watch the show, nothing more."
She angrily lowered her binoculars.
At that moment, Neuvillette's familiar voice suddenly came from behind her.
"I am indeed here to watch the performance…"
The sudden voice startled Furina, making her shiver. She quickly hid behind Clorinde.
Flustered, she stammered, "Ahhh! Neuvillette, when did you sneak up behind us like that? I just saw you in the front row!"
Neuvillette's teleportation shocked not only Furina but also Paimon, who quickly hid behind Lumine, peeking out nervously.
"I almost had a heart attack! Neuvillette, you scared us!"
Neuvillette looked at them awkwardly, apologizing, "Sorry, I heard you talking about me and thought it was necessary to respond."
Furina took deep breaths to calm her racing heart.
After a while, she composed herself, still pouting, and demanded, "Hmph! How did your meeting with the Fatui go yesterday?"
Neuvillette, assuming Furina was concerned about his work, reported truthfully,
"The meeting went smoothly. Lady Arlecchino was very enthusiastic and even offered substantive assistance to Fontaine."
"For the sake of maximizing benefits, I accepted her offer and plan to send personnel to assist them over the next few days."
"Of course, 'assistance' is also a form of surveillance, considering the Fatui are not an organization to be trusted fully."
Hearing this, Furina felt a wave of frustration and resentment.
Four hundred years of history, yet not as valuable as the benefits they provide—it hurt.
"Oh? So, in your eyes, I'm just constantly getting in your way? Do you find me so annoying? A burden to Fontaine?"
"Dealing with me is more troublesome than dealing with the Fatui, right?"
Neuvillette looked at Furina, completely baffled by the hidden meaning in her words.
He furrowed his brow, trying to reason it out, finally responding as honestly and directly as possible,
"Huh? Lady Furina, please don't belittle yourself. You are Fontaine's undeniable gem in the performance field."
Furina, hearing this, exploded like a powder keg.
She glared at Neuvillette, shouting, "Ah! Neuvillette, are you doing this to deliberately make me angry?"
Neuvillette, confronted with her sudden fury, looked lost.
He stood dumbfounded, asking, "What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"
Furina, turning her back to him, crossed her arms and muttered, "Hmph, is your brain filled entirely with water? I'm done with you!"
Shao Yun couldn't stand it. He leaned close to Neuvillette and whispered,
"Neuvillette, Furina just wants you to care about her more. She wants to hear you say that Fontaine would be lost without her, that you can't do without her."
"She wants to see that you care, because yesterday, you gave her the feeling that you didn't. She lacked security."
Neuvillette understood. "Ah? I thought she just wanted a report on last night's diplomatic work. But I was only stating facts, not ignoring her."
To prevent misunderstandings, he elaborated, "Even if she's the Hydro Archon and acts unpredictably, I am sincerely assisting her. Do you understand?"
Shao Yun, knowing Neuvillette's intentions, offered guidance based on his experience with Lumine:
"Girls think differently. Even Lumine can be reserved and sensitive at times. Sometimes, when I upset her or Paimon, I use what I just said to reassure them—always works."
Furina, overhearing their whispering, got so mad her forehead veins bulged, thinking her relationship with Neuvillette had become overly complicated.
"Hmph! You and Lumine are nothing alike!" Furina turned sharply, pouting, shouting,
"You might as well have the Steambird report that Neuvillette is my dad!"
Shao Yun gestured to Neuvillette to observe Furina's prideful tantrum, commenting,
"See? Even if you tried to soothe her now, it wouldn't work. Still, though she can be annoying, her safety is guaranteed. Consider her on a little trip to relax."
Relieved, Neuvillette nodded appreciatively, "Thank you, Mr. Shao Yun."
He then returned to his seat in the front row, mainly to avoid frightening Furina with his teleportation again.
===BREAK===
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