March 20th, Clear weather. With Clorinde...
April 2nd, Light rain. Today, Navia...
The diary wasn't written every day, and the things recorded were just trivial matters in daily life.
Reading this kind of diary, Furina couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt creeping into her heart.
It really wasn't right to sneak a peek at Yu Xie's diary. Maybe she could invite him out for a meal to apologize another time.
Just as Furina was about to close the diary, one particular entry caused her to pause. Her emotions became a mix of many different feelings.
April 13th, Rainy weather. I originally had some things to talk to Furina about, but when I saw her standing by the window, staring blankly at the rain, I suddenly felt so sorry for this girl. I can't imagine what these five hundred years have been like for her. Perhaps she's had moments when she wanted to give up. I really wanted to comfort her, but my position prevents me from saying anything. Forget it, I'll trust her. She is a qualified Archon.
At first glance, this diary entry seemed harmless, but Furina froze.
A complicated expression, one rarely seen in her usually serene blue eyes, surfaced, and the tip of her nose seemed to tingle with a strange feeling.
Her secret had been buried for so long—so long, in fact, that sometimes she forgot about it herself, and it was only left as a feeling that couldn't be described, a pressure in her chest with nowhere to go.
Could she tell Yu Xie? Could she confide in him and reveal everything?
...No, she couldn't.
Once she said it out loud, nearly five hundred years of effort and time would be completely wasted.
At that moment, footsteps were heard from outside the door, followed by a voice.
"Here, this is the key. After you left, no one has gone inside, so everything you left behind should still be there."
"Thank you."
The moment the words fell, the sound of a key being inserted into the lock followed.
Furina's heart skipped a beat, and her hair almost stood on end. She hurriedly closed the diary, intending to put it back in the drawer.
But it seemed it was already too late.
The sound of the lock being disengaged came, followed closely by the sound of the door being pushed open.
In a panic, Furina couldn't react in time. She could only hold the diary in her hand and hide it behind her back.
The door was fully opened, and Yu Xie stood in the doorway, staring at her.
"Furina?"
"Yu... Yu Xie, what are you doing here?" Furina gave an awkward smile.
"Oh, I forgot something, so I came back to see if I left it here." Yu Xie slowly walked in. "What are you doing here?"
"I... I was bored, so I came to take a look around." Furina took a few steps back, trying to distance herself from the 'crime scene,' but then she suddenly realized the drawer was slightly open.
Wasn't it obvious that what was inside was the very thing she had just been holding?
Her instincts kicked in, and she quickly moved toward the desk, trying to push the drawer closed with her hip.
The motion was a bit unnatural, and of course, Yu Xie noticed it. But he didn't call her out. He walked slowly toward the desk, smiling as he said:
"I see. Could you step aside for a moment, Miss Furina? I want to check if I left something in the drawer."
"It's not there," Furina answered without thinking.
"What?"
"Oh! What I meant was, I was just bored and opened the drawer to take a look. There's nothing inside."
When Furina said this, it was obvious that she was feeling guilty, and Yu Xie could see it clearly.
It wasn't just guilt—there was also regret.
She regretted it deeply...
Why did she have to care so much about saving face? Wouldn't it have been better to just tell the truth?
If she had just apologized honestly, nothing would have happened. Why did she have to say things like that...?
Now, things had become awkward, and there was no turning back...
"Is that so..." Yu Xie squinted, noticing the corner of the diary peeking out from behind Furina's back.
It was the one he had left behind.
"R-right... Maybe your diary is somewhere else?" Furina smiled, but it was a very awkward smile.
"Yeah, that could be possible," Yu Xie nodded, but inside, he couldn't help but complain.
He haven't even mentioned that he left diary behind. How did Miss Furina know about it? You revealed yourself too quickly.
However, although he didn't want anyone else to see it, he didn't mind if it was Furina.
Let's just say you're keeping it safe for me.
"Alright, since it's not here, I'll go look for it somewhere else," Yu Xie smiled and turned to leave.
Furina let out a big sigh of relief, but her sense of guilt only deepened.
She quickly called out to Yu Xie.
"Yu Xie! Uh... how about I treat you to a meal at Palais Mermonia sometime, with the highest standard?"
"No need for anything too fancy. If you want to treat me, we can just go to any restaurant, or even a street vendor," Yu Xie said, then left the office.
The door closed again, and only then did Furina bring the diary, which she had been hiding behind her back, back into view.
"What should I do now? Stubbornly clinging to face (pride) is only causing suffering..."
"Furina, are you stupid?"
Furina pouted her lips and murmured softly.
....
When he returned to Poisson Village with his luggage, it was already afternoon.
As dinner time approached, wisps of smoke rose from the homes of the residents.
The aroma of dishes could be smelled mingling in the air."
This passage sets a calm, evening scene with the smells of food and the quiet atmosphere of a small Village.
Yu Xie suddenly had a feeling similar to when he first came to Poisson Village.
Back then, it was the same—around dinner time, Uncle Cales had brought him to this small Village.
The gentle sound of flowing water could be heard below, and the air seemed to carry the scent of home-cooked meals.
Everything felt so ordinary, so beautiful.
Yu Xie smiled softly, took a deep breath, and then walked toward home.
In the kitchen, Navia was busy.
When she saw Yu Xie come back, she greeted him with a smile, her expression still as warm as the sun.
"You're back just in time, dinner's almost ready. Take a rest for a bit."
"Do you need help?"
"No, it's almost done. By the way, Clorinde is in my room. Could you go tell her it's time to eat?"
"Clorinde is here too?"
"Yeah, she should be changing clothes right now," Navia thought for a moment, her eyes seemed to hold a hint of anticipation.
"Okay, I'll go call her."
Leaving the kitchen, Yu Xie came to the door of Navia's room.
He knocked softly, and soon, Clorinde opened the door.
Inside, Clorinde had changed out of her usual clothes and was now wearing a deep blue dress.
The form-fitting dress perfectly highlighted her figure, showing no flaws, and every curve was gracefully enchanting.
For a moment, Yu Xie wasn't sure where to look.
"Does it look good?" Clorinde asked softly, her eyes seemingly shy.
She rarely wore dresses like this.
"It looks great. Honestly, I think you and Navia would both look good in anything," Yu Xie replied with a smile.
"This one was picked out by Navia."
"As expected of her, her taste is excellent."
"..." Clorinde seemed like she wanted to say something, but didn't quite know how to begin.
The dress seemed to transform her into a bashful girl.
"Alright, dinner's almost ready, let's go eat. By the way, Navia seemed really excited to see you in this dress."
End of chapter
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