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"How rare of you to invite me for tea, Duke Wriothesley.” Furina watched amusedly as Wriothesley calmly poured her a cup of Chenyu Vale tea.
“It's only courtesy that I invited you for guidance, Lady Furina. I hope you can overlook my poor mannerisms.” Wriothesley said, looking slightly apologetic as he handed her the tea.
Furina dismissed the light-hearted apology with a small wave of her hand. “No need for formalities, Your Grace. I’m no longer the Archon, only a human with flesh and blood like you.”
It had been months since Furina stepped down from her role as Archon (even if she had only been acting as one), but he was glad to see her enjoying life as an ordinary young woman, free from the burden of responsibility.
“True,” Wriothesley said with a half-hearted chuckle. “But consider it as a form of respect to someone who had been by Neuvillette’s side for many years.”
Wriothesley set the teapot down on the tray, handed it to him by one of Furina's salon members, Gentilhomme Usher. Huh, so that's another way of using hydro. He briefly wondered if Neuvillette could summon familiars using his powers. But that's a topic for another time.
“Fair enough, what sort of guidance do you require from me? Surely, it’s not about acting or movie recommendations?”
“Lady Furina,” The title was respectful even if Furina was no longer the Hydro Archon. “I'm here to seek guidance about Neuvillette.”
Furina blinked in surprise. An amused smile played on her youthful face. “What about Neuvillette? Did he try to drink from a random water source? Or did he fall asleep on his desk, completing his paperwork?”
“Well, it’s not that. Lady Furina, you knew Neuvillette for a long time. There are some things I wanted to know about him.”
Furina chuckled amusedly, bringing the teacup to her lips. “I worked with Neuvillette for several hundred years, Duke Wriothesley. Read enough books to work with a dragon. Now, spill, what is it that you wanted to know?”
Seeing Furina's confident demeanour as she drank her tea, Wriothesley decided to proceed with the question. “Then, how do you court a Dragon Sovereign?”
Furina choked on her tea upon hearing the question. Her hand waved frantically to reassure Wriothesley that he didn’t need to interfere. Gentilhomme Usher patted her back.
“Court-!? You want to court Neuvillette?” Furina exclaimed, setting down her teacup after a hectic coughing fit. “Aren’t you two married?!”
“So…this is what happened,” Wriothesley concluded his retelling of his meeting with Furina to the blonde traveller and her flying companion. His two guests had stopped by Fontaine after their recent adventure in Natlan.
Hearing the full story from Wriothesley, the two shared an equally deadpanned expression that looked somewhat unnerving.
“...Did you ask Sigewinne at least?” Paimon, the ever sympathetic one, couldn’t help but ask.
“...If she were to tell me, would I still be sitting here drinking tea with you?” Judging by his weary tone, the melusine had either offered to tell him by having him taste-test her ‘experiments’ or acting like she hadn’t had a clue. Most probably, it’s a combination of both.
“You have a point there.” Paimon shared a glance with Lumine, who had dropped her deadpan expression for a moment.
“Honestly speaking, Duke Wriothesley, with the way Neuvillette treated you, we thought you two had been married since the start and only started ‘dating’ after the prophecy ended.” Lumine recounted the times the two had spoken highly about each other and the ‘gifts’ given.
Paimon nodded in agreement. “Yeah, not that we didn’t mind the lack of a wedding ceremony, considering your positions in Fontaine, but Furina’s shock was justified there…”
Neuvillette rarely maintained personal relationships with anyone, drawing a clear line between duty and personal matters; then there’s Wriothesley, who…seemed to be the one exception to all of it. It wouldn’t be surprising that these two had secretly married and only gone public with their ‘affections’ after the prophecy ended. Or as public as Neuvillette’s office in Palais Mermonia can offer.
Anyway, back to the point, how does the courting process work for a dragon again? Natlan’s dragons are different, and there’s no way asking Zhongli, the literal walking encyclopedia, about this will save Lumine any face for this. But, if Wriothesley were to give his courting ‘gift’ in a not-so-obvious way…
“Maybe this will convince you.” Wriothesley slid a piece of paper to Lumine, who picked it up and read. Within a minute, the Traveler and her flying companion had their jaws dropped in surprise. Carefully tucking away the paper into whatever invisible inventory she had, Lumine’s once uninterested expression shifted as she plastered a business-like attitude (or con man-like).
“Well, Duke Wriothesley, you come to the right person for help,” Lumine said with a brazen smile, earning a doubtful look from her companion. “As your trusted friend, I’ll gladly assist in this.”
Neuvillette, that cute Hydro dragon, shouldn’t be hard to please. What could a cute (innocent, maybe naive) Hydro dragon know about grown-up things anyway? Instead of starting from there, why not go along with it?
“Traveler, are you sure this would work?” Paimon asked worriedly, watching Lumine conjure up a strange potion after picking up the basics from their potion-selling venture last year. It had been a fruitful experience, Lumine had to admit. The sooner the two consummate their relationship, the better.
Meanwhile, Paimon silently regretted getting involved in one of Lumine’s crazy schemes. At least, the Fortress of Meropide served decent food.
Lumine smiled sweetly, sending shivers down Paimon's spine. “Of course, Paimon. Knowing Neuvillette’s fondness for water, he wouldn’t suspect that this specially made water is an aphrodisiac.”
Spiking the drink of a Dragon Sovereign? Paimon couldn’t imagine getting flushed out of Fontaine once Neuvillette found out. Traveler couldn’t stand on her own against Arlecchino, the fourth Fatui Harbinger, what more for a Dragon Sovereign?
“This is insane. I can’t believe I’m getting involved in this.”
“Would you rather see a moping husky instead?”
Paimon imagined a moping husky Wriothesley but quickly shook the image out of her mind. “Ugh…a moping husky doesn’t make things better.”
“Exactly, that’s why we’re helping out.”
“Won’t Neuvillette find out that Wriothesley didn’t know about the dragons’ courting customs?”
Lumine paused in her mixing and sighed. “That’s for Wriothesley to deal with. We’re merely assisting behind the scenes to court Neuvillette using the human way.” Then she scowled as she resumed mixing the potion, looking very much like a witch with a cauldron. “Besides, he should be using his words. It’s not like Neuvillette will understand these simple gestures unless someone spells it out for him.”
Paimon had a feeling this wouldn’t be easy.
It was time for the bi-weekly meeting between the two administrators of Fontaine, separated by the water. Wriothesley wasn’t really convinced by Traveler’s plans for this entire courting process, but after shocking Furina the day before, Escoffier glared and shooed him out of the house, asking him to figure it out on his own.
He brought a small gift basket with the additional item, which came in the form of a mysterious potion the Traveler had whipped out after consulting some of her alchemist contacts from Mondstadt. Traveler had brought up creating a customised gift basket, composed of items that Neuvillette may like and not just water from different nations.
“The potion is a bonus,” Traveler told him as she handed him the potion. “Depending on the situation, you wouldn't need this at all.”
Palais Mermonia was only a short walk from the lift entrance of the Fortress of Meropide. The area had been closed off to civilians to ensure that no one would recognise Wriothesley as the Fortress of Meropide’s administrator or even by his code name during Furina's reign as Archon - Cerberus.
He stepped into the Palais Mermonia with a resolve to court this dragon, using the human way.
Wriothesley usually had a free pass to visit Neuvillette, fully aware of the Iudex’s fondness for him. Sedene logged his entry into the system, watching as the small bulb on the machine lit up green to confirm access.
“You’re free to go in, Your Grace. Please don’t push Monsieur Neuvillette too hard, he has a trial later this afternoon.” Sedene said, patting him knowingly on the arm.
“Don’t worry, I won’t hog him too long,” Wriothesley replied with a charming smile, winking at the unimpressed melusine.
Neuvillette’s sharp hearing picked up the familiar footsteps approaching his office, followed by a knock on his door. He felt a small flush creeping up his pale face. Why was he so nervous about? It’s just Wriothesley.
“Come in.”
The door opened, revealing the man to whom Neuvillette gave his heart. Whether his feelings were reciprocated was unknown. The man, Wriothesley, fought his way to the top for his right to live after being sent to the Fortress of Meropide after murdering his abusive foster parents. Neuvillette recognised his efforts and fought for his 'Duke' title.
“Bonjour Monsieur Neuvillette, how are you today?” Wriothesley greeted him as he stepped into his office.
“Bonjour Wriothesley, I’m doing fine. Thank you for asking.” Neuvillette returned the greeting politely. His eyes trailed to the gift basket in Wriothesley’s hold.
“Ah, this?” Wriothesley held up the gift basket. “This is for you, Monsieur. A customised gift basket full of Fontaine’s specialities.”
His mate gave him something! Neuvillette internally rejoiced, his eyes lighting up in delight.
“Thank you, Wriothesley. I appreciate it.” Neuvillette accepted the gift basket, allowing a smile to make its way across his face. He inspected the items in the gift basket, noting the Romaritime Flowers seemingly blooming from within and a couple of noticeable shells decorating its inside with some Lumitoile.
“I had someone to help me with collecting these items, hope you don’t mind that part,” Wriothesley said with a sheepish smile.
Neuvillette shook his head, not bothering to hide his smile. "I don't mind, thank you for the gift. I will treasure it."
He placed the gift basket on his desk, making a mental note to store it somewhere special where he usually stored the items he received from his mate. Maybe they could be useful for the nest?
"Would you like some tea? I can have Sedene bring some in."
"No need to trouble Sedene, Monsieur." Wriothesley said, declining the offer. "As much as I do want to sit down here all day drinking tea, I'm afraid Sigewinne will drag me back to the Fortress if I waste any more of your time. Besides, you have a trial later. Can't drag any more of your time."
Ah, his mate is afraid of causing trouble. Neuvillette tried to hide his disappointment behind his professionalism. "It is no trouble at all, you may stay for as long as you like."
Wriothesley perked up. "Really?"
Neuvillette sighed softly and nodded. His mate can be really clueless. How unfortunate.
"Then, I guess I'll stay here to go through the usual reports. Anything else requires my attention?"
"Yes, about that strange object from the other day..."
With the two administrative figures engrossed in a serious discussion about the mysterious object discovered by a civilian, they lost track of time, only realising it when Sedene arrived to remind Neuvillette about the upcoming trial in less than an hour.
"My apologies, I kept you here too long," Neuvillette said apologetically.
"No worries. We can continue our discussion once I've obtained some information." Wriothesley reassured him. "Perhaps I should return to the Fortress to collect some of my clothes if I were to continue my investigation further."
"Of course, please let me know your findings soon."
Wriothesley nodded and turned toward the door before pausing in his steps.
"Is something the matter?" Neuvillette asked, sensing something unusual about his sudden action.
"I forgot something," Wriothesley said as he turned back, gently taking Neuvillette's gloved hand and pressing his lips to it.
Neuvillette's face grew warm at the sudden kiss, noting how Wriothesley, his mate, looked so handsome up close with that confident smirk. Before he could respond, Wriothesley winked at him and said, "Au revoir, Monsieur."
When the door closed behind Wriothesley, Neuvillette brought his spared hand to cover his face, unable to calm his racing thoughts as his lips curled into a smile. His mate is really a silly fool, but he loves this silly fool a lot.
Wriothesley arrived at their meeting place at Café Lutece, where the Traveler had somehow gained the owner's approval to make coffee for herself and others using the café's ingredients. He was impressed by her learning skills and adaptability in every situation. Would she consider it if he asked her to help manage the Fortress of Meropide alongside Sigewinne?
"How is it going?" Lumine asked, drinking her special coffee blend.
Wriothesley sighed, taking a seat across from her. "Our rendezvous was cut short because of a case and a trial."
"I see, how unfortunate." Not that anything could be done when Neuvillette is the highest authoritative figure in Fontaine now. The Iudex had begun assigning some court cases to other judges to alleviate some of his burdens, leaving only the more serious cases to him.
"It couldn't be helped." Wriothesley shrugged. "Both of us have work tying us down. Sigewinne had been pestering me about getting enough rest these days, although I wish she would say that to Neuvillette instead." Wriothesley was worried about Neuvillette's lack of rest for the first few days of the month, after hearing Sedene and the busybody Gestionnaires mention it.
Hearing that, Lumine seemed to contemplate something. "Rest...yes, I do believe I have something that can help." She pulled her backpack from out of nowhere and began rummaging through the contents. Judging by the sounds, the contents must be a lot.
"By the way, I didn't see Paimon around." The little floating white sprite was not seen with the Traveler, an unusual case since both of them were always together with Paimon, handling most of the talking in Traveler's stead.
"Ah, she's attending Escoffier's cooking class." Escoffier, the ex-head chef of Hotel Debord, Wriothesley recalled catching a glimpse of her at the Fortress of Meropide. It had been a while since she took up the role as a teacher for some aspiring young chefs.
"Found it." Lumine pulled out a small box and placed it on the table. "This, a friend of mine from Liyue, said this will help with rest. Maybe you could use it or give it to Neuvillette. Either way, I could still request some from this friend of mine."
Wriothesley picked up the box and checked its contents. He raised a brow in surprise, "Incense?"
"The incense is said to help calm the mind. Besides, it has a nice smell."
Wriothesley returned to his office at the Fortress of Meropide, listening to the reports from his officials relating to that strange object from Natlan. The officials mentioned that there will be someone coming over from Natlan to assist with the investigation.
Looks like this case won't be a simple walk in the park.
Dismissing his contacts, Wriothesley stood up from his chair and headed out of his office for a meal. Wolsey might be able to whip out something good that was catered to humans' taste buds. No offense to Sigewinne, but Wriothesley preferred a normal tasting food rather than the taste of desolation.
He stepped out of the office, just in time to see a blur-robed figure standing right outside his office.
Fontaine's top administrative figures found themselves staring at each other.
"Monsieur Neuvillette? What a surprise to see you here." Wriothesley was quick to recover from his surprise, putting on his trademark hosting smile. "If I had known you'd be coming, I would have cleaned up the place a little." And maybe send the guards away for a while.
"There is no need to trouble yourself. I merely came here to drop this off." Neuvillette held up the basket containing the food and dining utensils." Sigewinne had told me you have not partaken in any meals the entire day."
Somehow, Wriothesley wasn't surprised at Sigewinne's interference. Did she notice his pathetic courting attempts and decide to lend a helping hand? Well, Wriothesley won't turn it down.
"It is an honour to receive this delicious food from the esteemed Monsieur Neuvillette himself. I shall gladly bring this to my office and consume it immediately." Wriothesley glanced pointedly at the guards standing outside his office. The two guards flinched at the attention and decided to go on an early shift change.
Neuvillette watched amusedly at the guards as they marched away. He turned his attention back to Wriothesley, "Perhaps, Your Grace would like to invite me over for tea?"
"If you don't mind the mess, Monsieur."
Neuvillette shook his head. "I don't."
Wriothesley then stepped aside with a subtle bow, extending his arm. "Après vous, Monsieur."
A way to a man's heart is through his stomach. It was a common saying that has been proven through time, especially Paimon's.
The Traveler may be kind and generous, but they don't do commissions for free. It was not long after the first release of 'The Little Oceanid', Furina's return to the stage. Lumine received an anonymous commission through the Adventurer's Guild receptionist, Katheryne.
'There is a man whom I have loved for years, but I do not know how to win over his heart.' Lumine internally sighed as she read the commission's details, penned in an elegant script that seemed vaguely familiar. Where had she seen this handwriting again? Then, there's this faint smell of- Lumine paused in her thoughts. A person came to mind. She glanced in the direction where Palais Mermonia stood.
'Could it be... no way, right?'
"Traveler?" Paimon's voice snapped Lumine out of her thoughts. "Are we going to take on this commission?"
"Of course," Lumine replied, folding the paper inward. "We can't be choosy with commissions, otherwise I might have to cook my emergency food to survive for a few more days."
"What do you mean by- Hey, I'm not emergency food!" Paimon said indignantly, stomping her tiny feet in the air.
"Yes, yes, for now." Lumine casually dismissed Paimon's protests. "I believe our commissioner may need some help."
Lumine borrowed a pen from Katheryne, scribbled something on the note and handed it back to the guild's receptionist. "Please hand it back to the commissioner with this reply. He'll know what to do with this."
Wriothesley lit up the incense brought by the Traveler, using a lighter he carried on his person. Neuvillette stared questioningly at the lighter.
"Hm, this? Ah, I kind of borrowed it for this incense. I don't have a Pyro vision or adepti magic to light it up." The actual reason for lighting up the incense was to cover up the foul smell that's been dominating the Fortress, knowing Neuvillette's sensitive senses were sure to pick up on them. After all, Neuvillette wouldn't have suggested to Wriothesley about using Emillie's forensic cleaning services in cleaning up bloodstains that'll sure to reek when certain time period passed. "Ah, I don't smoke as well." Because Sigewinne would haunt him more with her specially made milkshakes.
Neuvillette relaxed slightly in relief, setting the food container on the table. "I brought over some broth, it will be beneficial to your health for these upcoming late nights."
Wriothesley perked up. "Oh? I appreciate the thought, Neuvillette. Let me help you out there."
"Ah, there is no need, let me-"
Their fingers brushed as they both reached for the bowl. They looked up at the same time, searching each other’s face for a reaction.
"Sorry, you go first-"
"My apologies, you first-"
They both stopped mid-sentence, then, laughed at the awkwardness between them.
Wriothesley was the first to recover from his laughter. "Looks like we're both thinking the same, Neuvillette."
Neuvillette chuckled softly. "Apparently so," He picked up the bowl and added, "Shall we eat?"
"Of course, this is my first time tasting your cooking." Somehow, Wriothesley wished this simple domestic life could go on a little longer. He scooped up the broth and tasted it. His eyes widened in surprise. It tasted good and...familiar. Where had he tasted this? A nagging feeling told him that this wasn't the first time he tasted this.
"Is it not to your liking?"
"No, no," Wriothesley hurriedly reassured. "It's just-well, the taste is good but I felt like I tasted it somewhere and I'm sorry if it offend you-"
Neuvillette shook his head. "I'm not offended but," The Chief Justice lifted a gloved hand, one finger slightly bent in thought. "I made this broth for a young boy I saw on the streets many years ago. He seemed to have nowhere to go, so I asked one of the Melusines to give him this soup."
He looked knowingly at Wriothesley and smiled. "He has since grown into a fine young man."
Wriothesley's jaw slacken in surprise.
"So it was you who made that?" Wriothesley said, eyes widening in realisation. He had initially assumed that the Melusines were the ones who made the soup until he tasted their handmade delicacies. It was a miracle he hadn't passed out from the experience.
Neuvillette nodded. "I hadn't thought about telling anyone until I heard that you were feeling under the weather because of the workload and that you were craving some soup."
It took a moment for Wriothesley to connect the dots. He hadn't remembered having a craving for Neuvillette's soup, and he vaguely recalled sending Sigewinne away during the meeting-
Aha, so she did pick up some scheming along the way.
"Wriothesley?" Neuvillette looked at Wriothesley in confusion, startled by his sudden burst of laughter.
"Don't worry, Neuvillette, I believe there's been a misunderstanding about that." Wriothesley set the spoon down and looked at Neuvillette straight in the eyes. "If you allow me, I would like to clarify something about my craving."
Neuvillette, unaware of the other man's intentions, simply nodded. "Please do tell, Wriothesley."
Wriothesley chuckled as he rose from his seat, heading over to Neuvillette's side. "Well, it may take some of your time, Neuvillette."
"I cleared my schedule before coming here," Neuvillette replied calmly, breathing slowly. "Please don't concern yourself with it."
A smirk tugged at Wriothesley’s handsome features as he leaned in closer to Neuvillette. "Then, I guess you don't mind if I tell you a little story about myself? About how the man was once a boy with a crush on the almighty Chief Justice Neuvillette."
Long ago, on a rainy day, the boy saw the revered Chief Justice from a distance in the streets of Fontaine, not long after he had escaped from the hellish foster home. He was taking shelter in a building when he saw him. At the time, Chief Justice Neuvillette was standing there, drenched in the rain.
Despite the unapproachable air of rigidity that surrounded Chief Justice Neuvillette, the boy couldn't help but stare longer than usual. The soft white locks that complement those lilac eyes, which always seemed lost in thought. The boy thought, how could someone be this beautiful and exist? A strange feeling took place in his heart when a sudden chill made him sneeze.
The boy hated how loud that sounded and how the Chief Justice turned slightly to him. He didn't wait for Neuvillette to fully look his way before running off to find shelter elsewhere, unaware of the lingering gaze that followed him.
That night, a patrolling Melusine handed him a blanket and soup. It was the only source of warmth the boy knew was genuine. How comforting to know that, the boy thought to himself as the Melusine sat with him, talking randomly about their latest excitement before taking away the bowl as the boy drifted off.
The boy saw the Chief Justice again in the court, not as an audience but as a convicted murderer. He had kept his gaze low the entire time, if he hadn't, he wouldn't have noticed the slight widening of Neuvillette's eyes and how the Hydro Archon's facade cracked slightly at the boy's confession of his crimes. The Hydro Archon excused herself not long after, citing boredom, leaving the Chief Justice to sentence the boy to the Fortress of Meropide.
Fontaine rained heavily that day, somehow echoing the sadness, frustration, and pity of the legendary Hydro Dragon.
"Hydro Dragon, Hydro Dragon, don't cry." The boy murmured, staring at the pouring rain as he was escorted to the Fortress of Meropide.
Sigewinne spoke fondly of a boy who was too young to be at the Fortress yet showed the resilience of a man fighting for his survival in the Fortress, where one wrong move could mean an end to a life. Neuvillette perked up, remembering the boy he had failed to protect from the cruelty of humans. He set his teacup down and asked, "Could you tell me more about that boy, Sigewinne?"
The boy was known as Wriothesley. He had shown far more courage and resilience than any other adult in the Meropide, but the Fortress was a harsh place. Neuvillette went through the laws in his head, for once, desperate to find a loophole in which he could at least protect the boy's life in that place.
His loophole came in the form of his daughters - Melusines, namely Sigewinne and her sisters.
"Could I trouble you for this, Sigewinne?"
Sigewinne smiled brightly. "Of course, Monsieur Neuvillette! I will have the others informed."
It was his way of making amends for failing to provide the boy with the protection he deserved.
From the blankets and soup to the bandaging of his injuries, the boy named Wriothesley received the necessary care from the Melusines, gentle and attentive yet not overstepping their boundaries at the same time.
"The Duke has the highest pain tolerance of anyone I've ever met. He wasn't always big and strong like he is now, but even in the beginning, he'd always refuse an anaesthetic injection when he came to the infirmary to get stitches. He'd say something about wanting to keep a sharp mind, or something. I thought to myself, wow, what an impressive little grown-up he is. He's gone on to become an equally impressive big grown-up, too." Sigewinne reminisced about the boy named Wriothesley, who had been under her temporary care in the Fortress.
The boy had grown into a fine young man, with a good head on his shoulders, and perhaps he harboured feelings for the ethereal-looking Chief Justice, though he never found the chance nor the courage to confess. Breaking the stalemate was something Wriothesley, an ex-convict, was unwilling to take.
"So you cooked up a plan to get both of them together," Lumine pointed out with a raised brow.
"I'm surprised Wriothesley hasn't noticed your little schemes," Paimon remarked in disbelief.
Lumine would agree if not for the fact that Neuvillette trusted his daughters way too much; he wouldn't doubt them to do something like scheming. She wondered if scheming were part of the traits she picked up while in Meropide or...
Sigewinne giggled. "I simply learn from the best."
Lumine's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "How long have you been planning this?"
"Hm, not long after His Grace earned the title of 'Duke'," Sigewinne replied. "It was cute watching him smiling like a lovestruck puppy!"
Lumine and Paimon imagined the fluffy ends of Wriothesley's hair as husky ears twitching in excitement. Paimon made a face upon imagining it, "I don't know whether to call it cute or weird."
It was brief, but the kiss alone spoke volumes about their longing for each other. Wriothesley stared at the beautiful man lying beneath him on the office sofa, his lips swollen from the kiss.
"You never know how much I wanted this," Wriothesley murmured, his voice thick with feeling. "I thought my feelings would fade the moment I was sent to the Fortress of Meropide, but it grew stronger the moment I saw you again on the surface."
Neuvillette smiled wryly. "To think I ended up falling for you when I saw you on that day, receiving the award from me."
It was ironic that both had initially thought of keeping their distance, but in the end, they grew closer.
"I better thank Sigewinne for her little schemes," Wriothesley said with a laugh. "If not for her, I probably would not confess in the first place."
"Are you giving her a title now, Your Grace?"
Wriothesley smirked, then leaned in by pressing a firm kiss to Neuvillette's lips. "Even better. We're going to show her the proof of what we are."
"Yes," Neuvillette exhaled slowly. "I like the sound of that."
"Traveler, Paimon, please wait a moment." Katheryne called out to Lumine as soon as the latter passed by after meeting up with her Natlan friends for the latest Fontaine event.
"What's wrong, Katheryne? Is there a new commission?" Paimon asked curiously.
"It's related to the anonymous commission from the other day." Katherine replied with a smile, bending slightly to lift a large sack from the floor and placed it on the counter, startling the two girls.
Annonymous commissions? Lumine knew very well the details of the commission she received the other day. Did her reply help?
"Can we open it?" Paimon asked eagerly, bouncing in place as she looked up at the guild receptionist.
Katheryne gave her a small nod, her voice tinged with amusement at the evident curiosity of the Traveler's flying companion. "Certainly, the commissioner was grateful for the advice you've offered."
Paimon's eyes sparkled. "Oohh, what could it be inside? Food coupons? Some rare treasures?"
"Only one way to find out." Lumine loosened the cord wrapped around the sack and peered inside with Paimon.
Their eyes widened as Lumine quickly closed the sack opening. The two companions exchanged a glance with each other.
"...This must be a dream." Lumine murmured.
"Y-Yeah, there's no way, right?" Paimon glanced at the sack once more.
The contents inside the sack were truly out of this world because there's no way someone is generous enough to give so many primogems.
"Are you sure this isn't a bug? Or a prank? Did Ho-" Lumine looked around the area for any signs of surveillance.
Katheryne chuckled lightly. "The contents are real. Although the commissioner did say that you might not believe this, thus, he left a letter for you."
Lumine took the letter, tore open the envelope and read the contents alongside Paimon. Tucked along with the letter was an elegant invitation to a private wedding in the Merusea Village.
Lumine grabbed the sack of primogems to the Chevalmarin Film Fantasy land, an amusement park built by the Spina di Rosula on Lepine-Pauline's idea, seeking out someone who's likely to be there assisting.
Walking towards Escoffier's kitchen, the chef greeted Lumine with a warm smile but her expression faltered upon seeing the serious look on her face. Without a word, the renowned Traveler of Tevyat suddenly kneeled on one knee and did the unthinkable.
"Escoffier, my lovely head chef, please come back to me! I promised you'll be treated to the finest delicacies I learned in my travels in Tevyat." Lumine revealed the shimmering, colourful primogems inside the sack.
Furina, who was seated nearby, dropped her fork in surprise while Charlotte took advantage of the situation to snap a couple of photos.
"Oh wow... No way, bro!" Cacucu exclaimed from the side, only to be shushed by Ifa.
Needless to say, this took Fontaine's or maybe Tevyat's headlines for several days.