Hello I'm back, thy leg is healed but I don't have molars anymore.
===BREAK===
After finishing their conversation with Xinyan, Shao Yun and the others headed toward the troupe's lounge.
The lounge was lively at the moment. The actors had already removed their stage makeup and were sitting in small groups, chatting animatedly about the performance that had just concluded.
Solaine sat in a corner, one hand pressed to her chest, still immersed in the dreamlike experience of the performance from earlier.
She let out a long breath and said with deep emotion, "Phew… I really never imagined that today's performance would turn out this well. It far exceeded my expectations. I wonder if Lady Furina enjoyed my acting."
At that moment, a staff member in charge of props joined the conversation.
Brimming with excitement, he said, "It's not just that the performance was a huge success! I heard from Lady Furina's guards that she'll be personally attending our celebration banquet later!"
As everyone buzzed with discussion, a loud "bang" suddenly rang out as the lounge door was forcefully pushed open.
Immediately after—
Lady Furina had arrived!
Furina strode into the room with arms spread wide, striking an exceedingly proud pose as she loudly declared, "Who dares summon my name?"
Her dramatic entrance instantly caused a stir throughout the lounge.
"Lady Furina!"
Faced with such an enthusiastic welcome, Furina couldn't help but feel a little carried away.
Smiling, she waved to everyone and said with satisfaction, "Oh my, there's really no need to be this enthusiastic. You're making me feel a bit embarrassed."
Despite her words, she still walked into the middle of the crowd and began accepting the troupe members' admiration and praise.
Some took out paper and pens to ask for her autograph, while others clustered around her, eagerly expressing their reverence.
Furina maintained a gentle, approachable demeanor the entire time, graciously fulfilling everyone's requests one by one.
...
However, after she had satisfied everyone, she suddenly felt that something was off.
She frowned slightly, scanned her surroundings, and asked in confusion, "Hm? Why don't I see your troupe leader? Where did he go?"
Solaine smiled and replied, "Our leader, Leno, went ahead to the Salon Caricat to make arrangements for the banquet. Lady Furina, shall we go together?"
Not wanting to delay everyone any longer, Furina answered decisively, "In that case, let's not dawdle. Time waits for no one—let's head out right away."
...
Court of Fontaine, Salon Caricat.
To celebrate the successful performance at the Opera Épiclèse, Mr. Leno had grandly reserved the entire venue.
Compared to the other guests, Shao Yun's group arrived a little late.
Under the night sky, the crystal chandeliers inside the hall shone brilliantly, adorning the entire salon with an air of luxury and grandeur.
High society figures from all walks of Fontaine, dressed in exquisitely tailored and opulent attire, gathered in small groups, chatting and laughing with ease.
Paimon looked around excitedly, feeling as though her eyes simply weren't enough.
"Wow! So, this is the legendary Fontaine high society! It's incredible! I feel like my eyes can't keep up!"
Seeing Paimon practically wearing the word "envious" on her face, Furina remained calm. To her, this was all perfectly ordinary.
"Mm, it's acceptable. Ever since the Marechaussee began strictly auditing the income of Fontaine's nobility over four hundred years ago, they've become much more restrained."
"At the very least, you won't see dishes made from rare species here anymore, nor will you encounter those… worldview-shattering forms of entertainment."
Hearing this, especially the mention of "worldview-shattering entertainment," Shao Yun couldn't help but picture some rather indescribable scenes in his mind.
He quickly waved his hand and said, "Let's not get into those past horrors. Let's change the subject… by the way, where's Leno?"
Speak of the devil—no sooner had Shao Yun finished than someone came running over from the distance.
Taking a closer look, it was none other than the troupe leader, Leno.
"Lady Furina! It really is you! You actually came!"
"This is just… ah, my heart can hardly take it! I feel like I might pass out from happiness!"
Seeing Leno's overexcitement, Furina gently reassured him, "There's no need to be so nervous. Just relax."
"I'm here today simply to share joy with the people and enjoy the moment together, so there's no need to dwell too much on my identity."
Leno replied with extreme courtesy and respect, "How could that be? For the Hydro Archon to grace our salon with her presence, I must personally receive you, no matter what!"
Seeing how earnest he was, Furina found it hard to refuse and nodded helplessly.
"Very well. Since Mr. Leno is so hospitable, I'll trouble you to act as our guide for a bit and show us around."
Overjoyed by her acceptance, Leno immediately led Shao Yun and the others through the spacious, ornate hall, enthusiastically explaining the details of the salon.
"This banquet is buffet-style—just take whatever you like. Though, honestly, I doubt many people are paying much attention to the food."
"But if Lady Furina would like any custom-made desserts, I can have them prepared right away."
As he spoke, Leno pointed toward a long table draped in a pristine white tablecloth, covered with an array of delicate and tempting pastries.
Though called a buffet, it was filled entirely with high-sugar sweets like cakes, cookies, and macarons.
Following the direction of his finger, Paimon's eyes immediately lit up.
"Wow, so many tasty treats!" she exclaimed, mouth hanging open, practically drooling.
Seeing this, Lumine shook her head helplessly, reached out, and lightly tapped Paimon on the head, gently reminding her, "Paimon, don't focus only on eating. There'll be plenty of time to enjoy them later."
Startled back to her senses, Paimon quickly rubbed the spot she'd been tapped, stuck out her tongue playfully, and nodded obediently. "Oh, okay, okay! I got it!"
After that, Leno led Shao Yun and the others on a slow circuit of the hall.
As they walked, he patiently offered brief explanations, giving everyone a general understanding of the venue.
Although Furina didn't wish to become the center of attention, it was simply unavoidable.
With her striking presence, beauty, and identity as the Hydro Archon, she naturally drew countless gazes wherever she went.
After the short tour, Shao Yun's group chose a relatively quiet corner to rest and avoid trouble.
Shao Yun and Clorinde brought over a few chairs so everyone could sit down and relax.
While seated, Furina leisurely enjoyed a sweet, fragrant mousse cake when she suddenly remembered something important and casually asked Shao Yun, "By the way, Shao Yun, have you prepared a formal outfit?"
Hearing the words "formal outfit," Shao Yun scratched his head and replied hesitantly, "Uh… do I really need to wear one?"
Furina didn't seem bothered at all. She speared a small bite of cake with her fork, smiled contentedly, and offered her suggestion.
"If you have one and change into it, you might gain some… unexpected benefits."
Hearing the phrase "unexpected benefits," Shao Yun gave a forced smile and joked, "What kind of unexpected benefits could there be? Don't tell me someone's going to come up and hand me a pile of mora out of goodwill."
As he spoke, he eyed Furina suspiciously.
Holding the small fork smeared with cream, Furina pointed at Shao Yun's brown jacket and blue inner layer, teasing him with a grin.
"In my opinion, you should just wear that outfit, grab a bowl, and sit somewhere busy on the street."
The implication was obvious—dressed like that, he might earn plenty of pity donations.
Rolling his eyes, Shao Yun replied irritably, "Then maybe I should bring a weapon and apply for a no-liability loan at the bank."
In other words, rob it.
After their verbal sparring, Shao Yun still stood up from his seat.
After all, taking advice never hurts. He decided to follow Furina's suggestion and change into a formal outfit.
"Alright, give me a moment. I'll find somewhere empty to change."
With that, Shao Yun temporarily left to look for a place to change clothes.
After some thought, he realized the only suitable place was probably the restroom.
That led to a new problem—where exactly was the restroom?
Just as Shao Yun felt a bit lost, he spotted a server nearby weaving through the crowd with drinks in hand.
He quickly walked over, stopped the server, and asked politely, "Hello, sorry to bother you. Could you tell me where the restroom is?"
The server raised a hand and pointed in a certain direction.
"Head that way, then turn left when you get there."
Shao Yun nodded in thanks.
"Thank you."
After expressing his gratitude, he followed the indicated route and briskly headed toward the restroom.
===BREAK===
Like the story and want more chapters?
Join and support me by joining my Patreon!
[email protected]/SiRoasa