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It has always been an occurrence that once a trial ends, the rain will fall upon the Fontaine region, leading the people who exit the Opera Epiclese to bring umbrellas whenever they visit for court hearings. People say that rain occurs when the Hydro Dragon weeps but some people say that is just natural weather.
But, what is the truth as to why does it rain in Fontaine? Why is it that it pours down every after trial?
Fortunately, only you knew the truth.
It hasn’t been that long ever since Neuvillette entrusted you with one of his deepest secrets – him being the Hydro Dragon. Honestly, it didn’t much surprise you since you had always been interested in his eyes and why were they different from yours – so it didn’t take you long to conclude that he wasn’t human. However, of course, it was a shock to you that you were actually dating the Hydro Sovereign and not just someone you know as a friend.
“Mademoiselle, it is still raining. Where are you going off to?” Aeife asked you, upon exiting the door of Opera Epiclese, handing you an umbrella. The curious Melusine had tilted her head trying to see who she was talking to and just to realize it was you. “Oh! It is you!”
“Yes, little one. It is I,” you giggle in such a manner because of the cuteness of the Melusine in front of you.
The Melusines had already considered you as their mother since they have known that Neuvillette is dating you; and your relationship with him is only between you, him, and the Melusines, whom he trusts so much with all his life. To be honest, it was quite a surprise to the Melusines that Neuvillette had found someone who had taken his heart, thinking that their perfect father wouldn’t be lonely anymore. You were glad that they have accepted you as someone dear to him and now called to be their mother.
You had taken the umbrella she was handing before waving off and proceeding to walk to the Navia Line in order to go to the Court of Fontaine. It was quite a journey, with the unending rain pouring to reach Palais Mermonia, where Neuvillette’s office takes place. It’s kind of a funny thing that you must go to reach out to him after trials because he had always used his power to immediately lock himself in his office while you needed to still take the aquabus to get to the place.
“Y/N, you’re here again. What brings you here?” the Champion Duelist had questioned you as soon as you enter Palais Mermonia. Clorinde had always been wary as to why you were here after trials, then sooner became suspicious after hearing you with Sedene, the Melusine at the desk, looking for the Iudex (prior to this). “I’m becoming more suspicious each time you go here and why are you looking for Monsieur Neuvillette?”
You couldn’t answer her question but just gave her a small smile before heading to Sedene to ask for permission to enter his office. Clorinde gave you a curious look before exiting the place, giving you a sigh of relief.
“She must have been suspicious of you, Mademoiselle. I’m sure she’ll know about the two of you in no time,” Sedene tells you while arranging things. “It’s time that the people that are close to Monsieur Neuvillette must know your relationship.”
“I’m the one who suggested having it as a secret in order to keep clean Neuvi’s reputation, Sedene,” you gave her a keen smile. “I shall go now. Thank you, little one.”
“Alright, Mama.” The Melusine nods as she now permits you to go to your lover’s office, which is locked when you got there. You sigh before grabbing the spare key that Sedene secretly gave you and opening the door seeing him breaking down crying with his head on his desk.
And the second you enter his office, you put down your things and immediately wrapped your arms around his torso, him surprised with your appearance at this rainy hour. He lifted his head, facing you with his teary purple eyes. This makes you chuckle, cupping his cheeks to wipe his continuous tears away.
“It’s okay to cry, mon beau. I’m here now.”
The moment you said that caused him to bring you closer, burying his head on your stomach, before breaking down into crying once again. The stress of being the one announcing the final verdict after the Oratrice Mecanique d’Analyse Cardinale delivers its judgment to the people. You knew how much stressful he is whenever trials are adjourned especially when the verdict is against his morals and this breaks him, as much as it breaks you. Fontainians say that he is apathetic and has no such feelings he does feel but you, you see him as someone who just does not understand such human emotions and someone who needs to be understood under the mask he is wearing as Fontaine’s Chief Justice.
“I… I’m sorry...” you heard him crack his voice as he murmured. “I made it rain again… I cannot help it…”
It shattered your heart how he breaks into tears, wanting to stop the rain from pouring but couldn’t help it because of the feelings he held for himself. The translucent tears fell from his eyes, non-stop, while he kept apologizing for the rain he is causing all throughout Fontaine. This kept you from letting him go from your hold, caressing his hair trying to comfort him, telling him you’re here, while you kiss his temple.
Eventually, he lets go of your waist to grab your arms to put them around his chest, causing you to lean your chin on his shoulder. You slightly chuckle as he makes it obvious that he wants your arms around him, and this was a sign he was ready to talk.
“Y/N, I’m sorry if your trip to my office has been hard due to my weeping,” he begins. “I… why do I cannot control my tears from falling?” his draconic eyes stared at yours, wanting to search for answers as he constantly breaks down into more tears. “Why… am I even the Hydro Sovereign reincarnation?”
Those words he says devastate you, to the point you don’t know what to even say as someone who’s just human. You cannot say that you empathize with him because you had never lived a hundred years. You were just someone who was born in the same current timeline as his. All you can do is sigh heavily as your right hand reaches out to cup his left cheek, caressing it gently with a small smile, unable to express something.
You see him sniff before you felt him pressing his lips to your arm as light as a feather. “I always hear pleas for people from the past and present trying to beg for my mercy… but what can I do? I just follow the Oratrice’s judgment.” The tears that continuously fell from his cheeks on your sight break your heart. The sound of the rain pouring down more pierced into your ears, a sign that he was deeply hurting. “Y/N, I… I… don’t know what to do. I feel guilty,” his voice cracked as he continues. “Is this what I want to become? Is this… who I am?”
Neuvillette’s words break your heart. You knew deep down inside of him; he wasn’t that person to begin with. “Neuvi, look at me,” you say softly to him. He looks at you in your eyes, ogling them before you continue, “When I met you, I’ve known for the fact you need to no show of remorse at the trials you hold. You are the Chief Justice who announces the final verdicts of the Oratrice and we know that… that machine itself is capable of having an own consciousness – a mind of its own. It’s just your job. If you tamper with what is said by the machine, it will cause chaos.”
He avoids your eyes, letting go of your arm from his hold. “But I still have the final say, don’t I?”
You slightly laughed before gently grabbing his cheeks to make him look at you. “You know that I know what evidence is, correct?”
“But still—” he cuts himself off sighing, removing your hands from his cheeks. He couldn’t say more and slumped himself down on his own chair. “I… you’re right.”
“But you know, Neuvi,” you again gently grabbed his chin, smiling at him. “I know the real you. That’s what matters.”
Neuvillette sighs before he grabs your hands, holding them like his treasure to place his lips on your right palm gently, kissing it with admiration and a bit of longing. He knows he’s still understanding the way humans feel, but one thing is for sure, he knows how to love and the reason for that is the one he’s holding right now.
“Thank you, mon amour,” he whispers in your palm. “Thank you for being my comfort. I don’t know what to do without you.”
A tender smile latched on your lips as your lover says those words. He doesn’t much say I love you but you knew he meant it like that. “I love you too, mon beau.”
They said that every time the Hydro Dragon weeps, the skies will cloud up and pour out rain.
That’s the truth of why it rains in Fontaine, and only you know that.
And you, the person who only knows that truth is the reason why the sun is brightly shining upon the both of you.