"Of course," Luo Qing nodded again.
From Furina's reaction, he could already tell—the fish had taken the bait.
"Can I start right now?!" Furina exclaimed eagerly. "Right this moment, I want all of Fontaine's citizens to see me and hear my speech!"
"Well, about that..." Luo Qing feigned hesitation, a troubled look crossing his face.
"Since Fontaine is your domain, Your Grace, Lesser Lord Kusanali hasn't extended the Akasha Network here without your explicit permission..."
He paused, letting the implication hang.
"If you're willing to collaborate with us, I can inform Lesser Lord Kusanali immediately to have the network extended, and we'll arrange your first live broadcast."
In other words, Furina needed to approve the "installation" of the network first.
"Permission is mandatory, huh?" Furina pouted slightly, disappointment flickering across her face.
"Well..." Luo Qing sighed inwardly, holding back his thoughts. You want a free trial without agreeing? Nice try, cheapskate!
With a dismissive wave, Furina relented. "Fine, fine. I agree. When can you have this 'live broadcast' ready?"
"Given the distance between Fontaine and Sumeru, transmitting the request back to Lesser Lord Kusanali should take about a week," Luo Qing explained.
"A week?" Furina's expression darkened with displeasure. "That long?"
It was clear she was itching to dazzle Fontaine's citizens with her grand debut.
"Fine, let me know when it's ready," she huffed. "I have other matters to attend to, so I'll leave you to it."
With that, Furina exited the reception hall, her disappointment evident.
The tall, stoic woman in the black stockings gave Luo Qing a brief, scrutinizing glance before following Furina out, taking the attendants with her.
A moment later, only Luo Qing and his team remained in the room.
"My lord..."
Natalia leaned closer, her voice lowered. "Is she really the Hydro Archon? She feels... different from the other Archons we've encountered."
"Other Archons?" Luo Qing raised an eyebrow. "You mean... the ones at home?"
"Uh... yes, my lord," Natalia murmured, her eyes darting to the side.
For a moment, Luo Qing wondered if Natalia suspected him of attempting to recruit the Hydro Archon into his ever-growing household.
"Let's head back. We're done for the day," Luo Qing said, waving her off. He reached over to lift a pastry-gobbling Theresa from her chair, flicking her forehead for good measure.
"You're turning into a second Ei—can't resist sweets, huh?"
"B-But the desserts here are just so good..." Theresa mumbled, rubbing her forehead.
---
"...So, she agreed?"
Back at Palais Mermonia, Neuvillette sat at his desk, his usual calm expression faintly tinged with something unreadable as he listened to Luo Qing's update.
"Yes, Lord Neuvillette," Luo Qing replied with a grin. "The Hydro Archon has given us permission to extend the Akasha Network and prepare her first live broadcast in a week."
"Rest assured, the Akasha Network originates from the World Tree, the foundation of Teyvat itself. It poses no harm to people, including expectant mothers and children."
"That's not my concern," Neuvillette said, shaking his head, looking more exasperated than relieved.
Does she really not fear Sumeru's god encroaching on her faith? Neuvillette thought to himself. Or is she simply that confident in her citizens' devotion?
"Still, if the Hydro Archon has granted permission, I'll refrain from further questions," he said aloud. "If you require anything else, please don't hesitate to inform me."
"Noted, Lord Neuvillette," Luo Qing said with a polite nod. "We'll be in touch."
With that, Luo Qing and his team left the palace.
---
Standing outside the Palais Mermonia, Luo Qing glanced at the sprawling structures of Fontaine's administrative district, letting out a soft sigh of relief.
He had initially worried that the Hydro Archon would be difficult to handle, but their interaction had revealed otherwise. Beneath her theatrical demeanor, she was an excitable and somewhat naive individual.
The true challenge, Luo Qing realized, was Neuvillette. Though polite and approachable, the Chief Justice radiated a subtle but undeniable sense of danger.
"Now that I've been noticed, the coming days won't be easy," Luo Qing muttered under his breath, stretching his arms.
The constant visits to Palais Mermonia hadn't gone unnoticed. While Fontaine's citizens might not recognize him yet, Arlecchino's spies certainly would.
After all, many of her operatives worked right here in Fontaine. There was a good chance word of his presence had already reached her ears.
"My lord, where to next?" Natalia asked, her tone wary, as if bracing herself for yet another fishing trip.
"You all focus on preparing the equipment for Furina's broadcast. I have other matters to attend to and won't be joining you for the next few days," Luo Qing instructed.
He needed to probe Arlecchino's intentions—figure out the meaning behind her earlier warnings. If she really planned to act against him, it was better to investigate without dragging his less combat-capable subordinates into potential danger.
"W-What about me, my lord?" Theresa piped up, raising her hand. "Can I come with you?"
"You?" Luo Qing gave her a once-over. "And what exactly would you do?"
"I could help you relieve stress!"
"..."
"Stick with Natalia and the others," Luo Qing said, poking Theresa's forehead. "And don't even think about disobeying me, or you'll regret it."
"W-Where would I regret it?" Theresa asked cheekily, leaning closer.
"..."
"Natalia, she's your responsibility now," Luo Qing said, patting Natalia's shoulder.
Before anyone could respond, he vanished into thin air.
---
Elsewhere...
In a lavishly decorated room, Arlecchino sat at her desk, her expression complicated as she examined a stack of reports.
"Are you certain it's him?" she asked, her tone calm but laced with subtle tension.
"Yes, my lady," replied the girl standing before her.
This was no ordinary operative—she had a long, dark gray tail swishing behind her and a pair of fluffy cat ears perched atop her head.
"So... he's here," Arlecchino murmured, her fingers tapping rhythmically on the desk. Her gaze lingered on a photograph of Luo Qing entering Palais Mermonia.
After a long pause, she stood and gave a simple order.
"Go. Find him. Figure out why he's here."
"Yes, my lady," the girl said, bowing before swiftly departing.