Furina paused for a moment before taking the cup of tea.
"Thank you."
"So, you came here to rest a bit?" Yuxie sat down beside her.
"Yeah, I just feel more at ease here," Furina said, slightly parting her lips as she took a sip of the tea. A hint of surprise appeared on her face. "The tea from Liyue is really good."
"Furina, actually, you..." Yuxie turned to look at her, wanting to say that she didn't have to carry all the pressure by herself, that she could talk to him.
But in the end, the words never left his lips.
Although Yuxie was from another world and perhaps could have been the person Furina confided in, Furina also needed someone to share the immense and invisible pressure she carried. The truth of her role as an Archon could not be known by anyone, or else the crisis foretold in the prophecy would come true, and the entire city of Fontaine would be submerged in water.
But this heavy burden was destined to rest solely on her shoulders.
And those shoulders, in reality, were not very strong.
"Actually, what?" Furina blinked her large eyes.
"Nothing. If being here makes you feel more at ease, you're always welcome to come by. But if you're coming during off-hours, I will have to charge overtime fees." Yuxie smiled.
"Got it," Furina pouted slightly.
Yuxie silently smiled, stood up, and walked over to the bookshelf. He pulled out a popular detective novel — "This Killer is Super Smart."
The author of this book was a newcomer, but there were rumors that this was the latest work from the famous Liyue writer "Zhen Yu," who had changed her pen name and writing style.
Yuxie was skeptical about this claim.
Nevertheless, the book was quite interesting.
He walked back over to Furina, holding the book, and offered it to her.
"Want to pass the time with a novel?"
"Sure." Furina took the novel and began flipping through the pages.
At that moment, there was another knock at the door.
"Come in," Yuxie said.
The door opened, and to both Yuxie and Furina's surprise, the person who entered was Navia.
Navia walked in holding a box of pastries, her face adorned with a smile that could melt anyone's heart.
"Yuxie, Miss Furina is here too? Perfect, I brought some macarons I made myself. Let's all try them together."
She opened the pastry box, revealing macarons in various colors, which she placed on the coffee table in front of the sofa.
Furina tried one and immediately started praising them.
Navia's culinary skills made Furina envious, but what made her more envious was... Navia's "assets" in the chest area.
In comparison, Furina's chest seemed rather plain.
This world is so unfair... damn it...
"Navia, did you come just to deliver the macarons?" Yuxie asked.
"Kind of, but I also wanted to come see you," Navia smiled. "I thought you were going back to Poisson Village last night and would spend the night there, but then you left again."
"I'll definitely go back to Poisson Village when I have time off."
"So when is your time off?"
"That depends on Miss Furina and Neuvillette," Yuxie turned to look at Furina.
"I... ahem, mostly it depends on Neuvillette. I don't really interfere with Yuxie's work," Furina replied.
"Mm... there's always tomorrow," Navia rested her chin on one hand, her gaze fixed on Yuxie, and she didn't look away.
Even Furina noticed the shift in the atmosphere, sensing that it had become somewhat awkward in the office.
Yuxie and Navia's childhood friendship was something Furina was aware of. In many ways, the two of them seemed well-matched.
But for some reason, when she thought about it, Furina felt an inexplicable sensation.
It was as if there was a slight heaviness in her chest.
"Navia, is there something on my face?" Yuxie, noticing that Navia had been staring at him intently, couldn't help but ask.
"Ah! No, nothing," Navia quickly looked away.
She hadn't even realized that she'd been staring at Yuxie, lost in her thoughts.
The atmosphere grew even more awkward, and none of the three spoke.
Furina felt really strange. It was as if she were eating dog food, but at the same time, something sour was in her mouth.
At that moment, the sound of a knock on the door came at just the right time.
"Lord Yuxie, there's been progress on the matter you assigned," a voice came from outside.
Hearing this, Yuxie's gaze subtly sharpened.
He stood up and walked over, opening the door.
After exchanging a few words with the person delivering the report, the messenger hurriedly left.
The content of the report was simple— the Cabriere Merchant Guild was moving some goods, and they were traveling along the main road.
Marcel had started making his move, but this action seemed a bit too obvious. It was hard not to suspect something fishy was going on.
Given Marcel's cautious way of doing things, the visible shipment of goods was probably just a diversion. The real "Sinthe" product should be secretly moved elsewhere.
So, Yuxie decided to play along. He instructed the messenger to take a few men and stop the convoy under the pretext of checking the shipment. They would conduct a quick, superficial inspection and then let the convoy go on its way.
After all, they probably wouldn't find anything suspicious. This was just a show for Marcel to see.
The most important part was the backup plan.
Having been the "Strongest Champion Duelist" for several years, Yuxie had built up some connections within the Marechaussee Phantom. He had already stationed people along the major routes leaving Fontaine, and no matter what, Marcel wouldn't be able to avoid them.
What Yuxie was truly concerned about was one possibility— that Marcel might prefer to destroy the "Sinthe" drugs and bear the huge loss, rather than risk the shipment being uncovered.
If that happened, things could get a bit tricky.
As Yuxie was deep in thought, the messenger who had left earlier returned.
"Lord Yuxie, the scouts have sent word. Several people from the Confrerie of Cabriere have gone to Fleuve Cendre."
"Fleuve Cendre..." Yuxie repeated slowly, something clicking in his mind.
He immediately turned to look at Navia and Furina in the office, saying:
"I need to step out for a moment. If a trial happens to begin while I'm gone, have Clorinde cover for me."
With that, he quickly left, turning to the messenger and adding:
"Take some men and head to Fleuve Cendre."
.....
Underground, the roads are intricate and complex, with various pipes crisscrossing like a spider's web, and water constantly flowing in the channels.
There is no sunlight here—it's dark and damp.
But this place is also home to all kinds of people, and there are shops selling miscellaneous goods, as well as essential facilities for daily life.
Clearly, while it's not as prosperous as the surface above, everything necessary is present, and those who live here seem to make do, finding contentment in their own way.
This is "Fleuve Cendre," the complex underground space beneath Fontaine.
People from the Confrerie of Cabriere walk hurriedly through this area, occasionally glancing over their shoulders to ensure they're not being followed.
What they don't notice is that eyes in the shadows have already locked onto them, like wolves hunting in the night.
End of chapter
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