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Furina let out sorrowful sigh once she stepped inside the office of who were once her subordinate, "Making the sad face again?"
"What's wrong, my dear Iudex?" She asked as she walked closer to Neuvillette who was still sitting behind his desk, seemingly unbothered by the presence of Furina in his office. "Shouldn't you be happy to see me again in person?" She added.
"How long has it been? Was it 20 years? No, 30? Good, gracious! It's been half of my lifetime already," she exclaimed as if the numbers were nothing to her.
Many has happened ever since, her appearance was one that notably has changed but her cheerful personality was ever the same. Sure, she had had shortcomings ever since she 'stepped down' from being an Archon, whether it was in form of sadness, exhaustion, or loneliness. Keeping up a facade for 500 years was no easy task, she had to battle with herself for such years too.
But Furina's will was also stronger than any other unyielding wills. If she were allowed to boast, she was sure hers could match those of true Archons. Those words alone should explain the unfaltering will of Furina, shouldn't it?
"Now, now, Monsieur Neuvillette. Weren't you the one who called me here? Why am I getting ignored?" Asked the lady, crossing her arms as she spoke. "Anything the matter that you seek me for help? Was the case so hard that you need me to guide you? Or did you find a dead-end that you need my all-knowing strength to help?" She continued. Although the highest judge of the land remained still in his seat, she knew very well that the Iudex was listening.
She let out her characteristic sigh again, "O Monsieur Neuvillette, what would you be when I'm no longer here?"
"Miss Furina," the Iudex of the Court of Fontaine finally spoke after letting silence fall between the two.
"Yes, my dear Iudex?" Furina answered, voice as soft as her late divine counterpart.
"Please, do not joke about your age ever again, nor should you take it so lightly knowing what I feel towards you," said Neuvillette as he lifted his head to see Furina standing just in the middle of the room.
She looked different, yet all the same at the same time. She has matured, one that was certainly unavoidable, her choice of clothing has also changed, becoming more mature and modest than it used to, she seemed to prefer wearing dresses than pants now. As for the color of her clothing, it was nearly the same, only that now most of her dress was white with a little bit of light purple while the rest are blue and black, her hair that was used to be short now reached her waist, similar to that of Focalors.
Furina laughed at Neuvillette's words, amused by the fact of how much the Iudex has changed over a short amount of time. "Dear Neuvillette, you have changed," she said as her eyes which never left Neuvillette saw him rose from his seat.
A smile still plastered on her face, expectant about what was to come. "I have stood by your side for 500 years, yet you were like an unyielding water. Never change tides, never rippled, nothing seemed to have ever bothered you," Furina continued.
As Neuvillette stood before her, she said, "But I seem to be the one to cause this once called unyielding water to change tides, weren't I?"
The Iudex stayed silent, taking in all the beauty Furina had to offer. "Miss Furina," he called as he brought his hand to carress Furina's cheek.
She hummed contently as she pressed her cheek to Neuvillette's palm, then the lady added, "Please, drop the formality, but yes, Monsieur Neuvillette?"
"Can't you stay?" His question was simple yet it brought so many emotions. The emotions he had learned, he had gotten over the course of his life living among humans.
Furina met her gaze with Neuvillette's, a tinge of sombre was present in his eyes. Over the years she had worked with Neuvillette, never even once Furina caught him being this emotional. To be the cause for the unyielding water she knew to become like this kind of caused Furina to be over proud of herself.
A small chuckle escaped Furina's lips, "I had stood beside you for 500 years, and you just asked me this now?" She said utterly amused by the openness of the current Neuvillette. Having part ways with the highest judge of the Court of Fontaine and never truly talked with each other for about 30 years surely made Furina missed alot of his nearly unnoticable changes.
Furina took the hand that was resting on her cheek to her hands, and squeezed it lightly, trying to send an unspoken message that she too felt the same, but, "I'm sorry, my dear, but it seems that I could not fulfill what you wished. My clock is always ticking, the grains of sand in my hourglass will always slip away."
There was sadness in the silence that once again fell between them. A sadness that Furina could not bear to let it lingered any longer.
"Rejoice, Neuvillette," she added, her smile never faltered despite of how hurt it was to remember that their feelings reciprocated but could never bloom, perhaps not in this timeline. "How about we have a drink and empty this chalice of sorrow once again just like we used to?" she said inviting Neuvillette to start anew once the sun started to set.
The Iudex of the Court of Fontaine briefly averted his gaze away before returning it. He, then, flashed a smile that Furina saw for the first time which successfully made her eyes widen, shocked to see yet another display of Neuvillette's capability in feeling emotions she did not know he could.
"Sure."