Chapter Text
That night, the Fontainian environment rested undisturbed. The stillness of the waters made them seem as if truly extending over the whole surface of our dear Teyvat. Yet, to me, they seemed oddly enticing, almost inviting one to join their seemingly unfathomable embrace, calling to a silent spectator from the privacy of one's balcony.
I was grateful, I thought, to have acquired a house at one of the highest levels of the Court, where one could hardly miss the mesmerizing sighs of the Nation of Justice. And, ever since Monsieur Neuvillette had taken over the leadership position in Fontaine, I had noticed that the whole land and (mostly) the waters seemed invigorated, almost as if rejoicing along with the humans upon the sigh of a bright, peaceful future, after the prophecy came to pass. At least, so I believed. I had tried asking other fellow Fontainians, only to be met with shrugs, either from ignorance or merely lack of interest in such trivial details. It was worse the more acquainted they were with me, as they would simply resort to blaming it on my interest for fantasy or mythological books.
Perhaps they might be right. I ought to admit, it is a little silly to daydream about all sorts of adventures while taking a walk, or swimming in the multiple beaches in this nation. Am I to blame, though? Someday, I should grow out of them, maybe, except that day is apparently overdue and, alas, nothing has yet changed. Even with a very much independent, adult life, some habits just never disappeared. Sometimes I wonder if other people just switch and simply turn daydreams off once that fateful day comes.
"Don't worry," Aeval had told me during a lunch break at Café Lutete. "They say Lady Furina also fancied fantasy books even back then while she was the acting Archon! Sometimes, it seems as if humans become sadder when they grow up..."
"It's nice to have a source of joy and relaxation after work, even for those living in the Fortress of Meropide", answered Sigewinne, when I asked her about your concerns. Neuvillette had recommended her one day when I was feeling unwell. If it is the Iudex himself recommending her, then she must certainly be a reliable and capable physician. "Although, as always, excess can tend to be unhealthy, for example, if it affects your focus at work."
Work... Why was I even thinking about work, anyway? That's right, I am still on vacation, for two more days, at least. So, all this pondering aside, I decided that heading off to the beach for that desired midnight walk might just be a better idea. Yes, the full moon, the slow swell of the waters, the starry sky... it all seemed like the scenario for one of those imaginary adventures.
Although the sky was clear and the air was dry, by all means there were no signs of possible rain, I couldn't help but think of the Hydro Dragon of legends. It could be argued that it is the most well-known legend in the nation. But, how would it even look? Does it live in a secluded grotto, down in the deepest waters of the region? If that is the case, perhaps it is a scary creature, since deep water creatures look quite different from the adorable blubberbeasts that laid out in the sunlight everyday, on the surface. Or perhaps it prefers the rivers in Erynnes? Not like the adventurer who has managed to discover these mysteries has yet appeared... And, without a Vision, taking on this quest myself might just be about as useful as a broken gardemek in the courtroom.
Suddenly, I heard a voice in the distance, and rushed to hide behind a rock, not knowing the source of this noise. Turning around and facing forward, gazing over the rock, I saw a shining spot from the corner of my eye. I looked more attentively and realized that this was a creature, laying over the rocks that emerged from the waters. Not to scare it, I took a peek, discreetly, trying not to be seen. The creature surely had a visibly human torso, but squinting my eyes a bit I realized that the person had no visible legs, but rather a long, shimmering tail of indeterminate length, as part of it was still submerged.
Something about them, about this mermaid creature, seemed strangely alluring. It was impossible to discern many more details about them, hidden at a distance. But there was another part of me that felt drawn to the mysterious creature. If I could only find out what exactly it was, I'd be satisfied, I told myself, but I knew I would rarely get another chance like this.
Logic then took over momentarily, and I pinched my own arm just to be sure I was awake. Or that I would soon be, if I was. But- ouch, the pain definitely indicated that I was not sleeping. Which, by extension, meant that...
Cautiously, I decided to walk slowly towards them. There had to be a misunderstanding, I might just be seeing wrong. As much as I'd like to see my fantasies materialize into the real world, that was just not the way things worked. I thought I was being quiet, as I tiptoed closer, but then the voice of before was heard again, revealing that the creature was indeed its source:
"Do not come any closer."
There was a certain tremble in the voice, as if surprised to be found in these conditions. He did not fully turn around though, as if still trying to cloak his gaze under his pale locks. And I only stood there for a while, observing him from a closer angle. And the person that I was observing was none other than Neuvillette himself. Or a merman that was suspiciously similar looking to him, at least.
He let out a sigh of resignation, but remained in silence for a while. I took the time to appreciate this strange morphology of his, the tail, the small patches of scales that seemed to cover parts of his arms, face and torso. Just what exactly was going on? It was widely known that Neuvillette was not human, given his extremely long lifespan during which he had been acting as the Iudex of Fontaine. But, to witness it with one's own eyes was just different. Baffling, even. I stared in awe for a few seconds, immobile, observing him, not as an employee looking at their boss, but rather as someone witnessing a marvelous image, an occurrence only possible in one's most vivid dreams.
I wanted to ask what his true identity was, to satisfy the itching curiosity beating in my ingenious heart. But before I could even voice such thoughts, he swam towards me, slithering over the coast, almost, and examined me.
"Felicitas... What are you doing here so late at night?", he spoke, confusion apparent in his voice. I, for one, took a couple steps back in slight shock at how quickly his silhouette leaned closer, easily towering over mine. From that (almost non existent) distance, I could clearly discern the myriad of azure scales scattered over his body, the deep blue claws at the end of his hands and the aquamarine fins adorning his tail. His hair seemed even longer than usual, ruffling over the smooth surface of the rocks. And his eyes...
"...Felicitas?"
I shook my head and turned to face him, this time out of the daydream. He now seemed slightly concerned, but as soon as I began moving again, he sighed and turned back, as if attempting to leave.
"Wait. I don't intend to sound nosy, but..."
"...I am afraid that the answer to those questions does not pertain to you,
He seemed determined not to pay heed to my questions, so I could merely watch as his entire form disappeared underwater, still in mild disbelief. I trusted him, even after the multiple bizarre situations we had been involved in. But I was determined to find out the truth as well. Knowing Neuvillette tended to be one of the most desired objectives of the press, I could understand him not wanting people to know what exactly he was, and I possessed no intent in leaking such information to the editorials. But I was still determined to find out the truth, at least for my own satisfaction.
******
The following day, Neuvillette acted as if the events of the past day never happened. As a sort of an implicit pact, I acted in the same way, but still kept a careful eye over his office. As his secretary, I got to spend a decent amount of time there, and I knew of a shelf with books seemingly unrelated to law that rested almost as if it had been untouched for centuries in a corner of the room. So, as I saw him leave for a short lunch break in the afternoon, I sneaked in without trouble, off to explore this small shelf that had elicited no interest up to this moment.
One of the titles quickly caught my eye, as it dealt with mythological creatures all over Teyvat. I carefully held the tome in my hands and placed it on top of the desk, eager to leaf over its yellowish pages.
At some point, I found a huge illustration of what looked like an abyssal sea serpent. I quickly began sketching the creature, which apparently sported fins of a color similar to those of Neuvillette... I was about to keep leafing through the tome for more information on it, but the sound of very familiar steps on the corridor stopped me right on my tracks. I hurriedly returned the book to its place and crumpled the paper inside a pocket, just in time for the boss not to suspect anything... Hopefully, at least.
"Mademoiselle Felicitas. May I be of assistance, somehow?" The door closed behind Neuvillette as he reentered the office. He held a bottle of water in his hands, presumably for him to enjoy over the evening.
I got the hand out of my pocket after making sure the paper wouldn't be visible.
"Ah, Monsieur, it's alright. I only needed to check a few old expedients in the archive. I'll take my leave now to keep working on this case."
"Very well then," he materialized his chalice and filled it with the contents of the bottle. "Although..." He remained in silence for a brief moment, and I could only wait, feigning normalcy, praying he wouldn't ask the specific expedient I had checked, or call me out for picking a book from that isolated shelf. "...nevermind. You may leave and proceed with your tasks."
Holding back a deep sigh of relief, I bid him my goodbyes and quickly left the office, thanking the Archons for not allowing my plan to end up in a spectacular failure. Apparently I got to keep my job... For one more day, at least.