Hello I'm back, thy leg is healed but I don't have molars anymore.
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Just as everyone was drowning in boredom, the one known as Fontaine's "timely rain"—the ever-present Charlotte, who always showed up wherever something was happening—made a dazzling entrance.
"Wow! Lumine, Paimon, Mr. Shao Yun, Lady Furina, and Miss Clorinde—what a coincidence! Hello, everyone! You're here for the salon too?"
Seeing Charlotte appear, Paimon was no longer surprised in the slightest.
"Wow, Charlotte! I've noticed that no matter what big or small event happens in Fontaine, you always seem to be there."
"Don't you ever rest? You just interviewed Lady Furina yesterday, and now you're already rushing out again to hunt for new stories!"
Charlotte cheerfully shared her professional philosophy with Paimon.
"A truly excellent journalist can't linger on yesterday's glory. You have to keep working nonstop—constantly digging for news!"
Then she asked about someone in particular.
"By the way, have you seen Mr. Leno? The main reason I came to the salon tonight is to interview him."
Furina pointed toward the distance, where Leno was chatting animatedly with a few people.
"Mr. Leno is over there. A few colleagues just pulled him aside to talk."
Following Furina's gesture, Charlotte quickly spotted Leno in conversation with other reporters.
"I see him! Thank you, Lady Furina—excuse me for a moment!" Charlotte waved goodbye and hurried off toward Leno.
...
After Charlotte left, and just as the group once again found themselves with nothing to do, Navia appeared right after her.
"Wow, partners! Long time no see!"
"Navia! I can't believe we ran into you here!" Paimon exclaimed happily.
Navia smiled and nodded at Paimon, looking as lively and energetic as ever.
"The Spina di Rosula has some connections with Mr. Leno. Since I received an invitation, I naturally came along."
Lumine stepped forward and greeted her warmly.
"Navia, it's been a while. You look great—what have you been busy with lately?"
Navia began recounting her recent situation.
"Thanks to everyone's efforts over this period, we've more or less cleared out all of Vacher's backers. The Spina di Rosula has finally returned to its normal operations."
As she spoke, she raised her slender fingers and started listing things off.
"Lately, it's been mostly small, everyday matters—handling neighborhood disputes, mediating conflicts, providing protection for those who need help, and offering legal assistance."
Listening to this, Paimon felt a bit sorry for Navia.
"That's so much to do… Navia, you must be exhausted…"
Feeling Paimon's concern, warmth welled up in Navia's heart. She gently touched Paimon's cheek and smiled.
"Thank you, Paimon."
"Even if they're all little things, this is exactly why the Spina di Rosula exists."
"Helping more people is something my father, Callas, always did. I'm just following in his footsteps."
Suddenly, Navia clapped her hands, excitement flashing across her face.
"Oh, right—there's also something important! The Spina di Rosula recently received an anonymous donation, and I plan to use it to renovate Poisson."
She added enthusiastically, "And about what you mentioned before, Mr. Shao Yun—the idea of reinforcing Poisson's flood defenses."
"I've recently contacted some engineers from the Fontaine Research Institute. In a few days, we should have a concrete proposal."
Hearing the words "anonymous donation," Shao Yun immediately thought of that night when Eula, drunk out of her mind, had mentioned donating part of the money Furina gave her to the Spina di Rosula.
"So, she really wasn't just talking nonsense that night…" Shao Yun murmured thoughtfully.
"Money you earn isn't necessarily yours—only what stays in your hands truly belongs to you…"
Beside him, Paimon lowered her voice and muttered to herself, "An anonymous donation, huh… I've got this feeling I already know who it is…"
That night, when Eula had been rambling drunkenly, Lumine and Paimon—hiding in the bushes—had witnessed the whole thing as well.
Navia noticed the odd expressions on Shao Yun's and Paimon's faces. Trusting her intuition, she felt they probably knew something.
"Huh? The way you two look… do you know who the anonymous donor is?"
"Could you tell me? I'd really like to thank them in person."
Paimon's eyes spun, and she shook her head like a rattle drum, putting on an innocent act.
"Huh? That… Paimon doesn't know anything! I was just talking nonsense—don't mind it!"
Seeing that Paimon wouldn't say, Navia sighed regretfully.
"Is that so? What a shame… I really hoped to thank that kind-hearted person face to face."
At that moment, Navia's gaze fell on Shao Yun's new outfit, and her eyes lit up.
"But that aside, Mr. Shao Yun—nice outfit."
...
The group chatted casually with Navia for a while longer.
Then, a group of staff members carrying various musical instruments filed into the hall.
Watching them efficiently clear out a spacious area, Furina immediately understood what was coming next.
"Oh, looks like the dance is about to begin."
Hearing the word "dance," Shao Yun said in surprise, "A dance? Looks like you really called it."
Furina nodded and explained.
"It's a regular salon activity. Men invite women, or women invite men—but usually, it's the men who do the inviting."
Shao Yun, clearly trying to stir things up, said, "Oh? Furina, isn't this your moment to shine? Make everyone fall head over heels for you—we'll cheer you on as a big star!"
Furina rolled her eyes. He had conveniently ignored half of what she'd just said.
"Did you not understand me? How am I supposed to dance alone? And besides, I doubt anyone would dare invite me."
Shao Yun shrugged and continued teasing. "You're really that sure? You're Fontaine's most famous star, you know. Plenty of people would love that opportunity."
Hearing this, Furina put her hands on her hips, lifted her chin, and scoffed.
"I'm very picky about dance partners. Ordinary people don't meet my standards."
...
While people in the hall were busy looking for partners, a noble young lady approached Shao Yun. She curtsied slightly, then lifted her head gracefully.
Ignoring everyone else—especially Lumine and Paimon—she extended her white-gloved hand toward him.
"Hello, sir. May I have the honor of inviting you to dance?"
Shao Yun was momentarily caught off guard, but he quickly recovered.
He glanced at the hand she offered, then gently shook his head and declined.
Placing his hand on Lumine's shoulder, he naturally pulled her closer and said, "I'm very sorry, but I think you'd be better off finding another partner."
The noble girl blushed, clearly embarrassed, but her refined upbringing allowed her to regain composure quickly.
She lifted her skirt once more and bowed politely to Shao Yun and Lumine.
"My sincerest apologies for the interruption."
With that, she turned and left, her retreating figure lonely yet dignified.
Furina, who had witnessed the entire exchange, stared wide-eyed in astonishment.
"Wow… I never expected you to be this popular with girls. You really can't judge a book by its cover…"
Suddenly, realization struck her.
"Wait—wasn't that girl just now the young lady of the Blanchette family? I didn't imagine it, did I? I can't believe she actually invited you!"
Shao Yun looked utterly uninterested.
"Maybe I've just done too many good deeds lately. I should probably go kill a few people in the street to balance it out."
Furina shuddered at his words, an inexplicable chill running through her.
"Y-You're joking… right?"
Furina tried to treat it as a joke, but Lumine hurriedly spoke up.
"Don't! I'm just going to assume you're kidding—we've finally had some peaceful days!"
Shao Yun patted Lumine's head and smiled.
"I know, I know. Just joking. But that aside, Lumine—are you sure you don't want to try dancing with me? Let all those Fontaine girls envy you a little."
As he spoke, he teasingly lifted Lumine's chin.
Lumine puffed out her cheeks, clearly reluctant, but eventually sighed and nodded.
"Fine… just don't step on my feet later!"
Laughing, Shao Yun took her hand. "Don't worry, I'll try my best. And if I do step on you, make sure you stomp back hard!"
...
As the gentle melody of violin and piano intertwined, the dance officially began.
Relying on muscle memory, Shao Yun naturally led Lumine across the floor.
Feeling his confident guidance, Lumine couldn't help but praise him.
"Wow, I didn't expect you to be so good at dancing. I thought you'd be stiff as a plank!"
Shao Yun smiled modestly.
"It's nothing special. Just hold hands like this, my other hand on your waist, yours on my shoulder, move with the music, spin you around a bit now and then. It's not that hard."
...
From a distance, Furina, Clorinde, and Navia watched the pair dance.
Furina commented with interest, "I didn't expect Shao Yun and Lumine to dance this well."
"Though honestly, with that height difference, it feels like he might lift her up any second."
Unable to resist joining in, Navia turned to Clorinde.
"Clorinde, everyone's having so much fun—why don't we go too?"
Clorinde immediately shook her head. "Me? No. I can't dance."
But Navia ignored her protests, grabbing Clorinde's hand without hesitation.
"Don't worry! Who's going to laugh at you?"
And so, despite her reluctance, Clorinde was dragged onto the dance floor.
"Navia… sigh… I give up…" Clorinde muttered awkwardly as she tried to keep up.
Watching Shao Yun, Lumine, Navia, and Clorinde all dancing while she was left alone, Furina stomped her foot in frustration.
"Hey! Aren't you all being a bit unfair? Everyone's dancing—what am I supposed to do? Just stand here and watch?"
No one responded.
"Hmph! Whatever… it's not even that special. It's just dancing. I don't care."
Despite her words, Furina felt a little dejected.
Being left out wasn't a pleasant feeling.
So, she turned her gaze toward Paimon, who was busy stuffing food into her mouth.
...
Just as Paimon was about to eat her eighth macaron—having already downed seven—she sensed something off. A warm breath behind her?
She cautiously turned around.
The instant she did, Furina's enlarged smiling face appeared right in front of her, far too close.
"Hehe, Paimon! You're the one! Come on, let's go dance together!"
Paimon froze, eyes wide in disbelief.
"Huh? Me? Furina, are you serious? Are you kidding?"
Furina sighed helplessly. "I've got no one else left. Guess you're the lucky one. Stop stalling—let's go!"
Without waiting for an answer, Furina grabbed Paimon's hand and dragged her straight into the dance floor.
To the sound of piano and violin, Furina began dancing with Paimon.
The biggest height difference had once been between Shao Yun and Lumine.
Now, it was between Furina and Paimon.
She had teased them earlier—now it was her turn.
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