Another day passed, and life continued its tranquil rhythm.
Birdsong drifted through the window, awakening Furina.
"Ugh..."
She rubbed her eyes and sat up.
The straps of her nightgown slipped off her shoulders, but the first thing she looked at wasn't the scenery outside the window or the ceiling above.
It was the person beside her.
Luna lay facing the wall, fast asleep.
Sometimes she woke up earlier than Furina, and sometimes later.
"Still... here... hmm..." Furina murmured, feeling relieved.
Her greatest fear now was waking up to find Luna had vanished again.
Today was her turn to do the chores. Although Luna wouldn't mind if she skipped them, cohabitating shouldn't mean one person shouldering all the responsibilities.
Furina slowly got out of bed, washed up, and headed to the kitchen.
By chance, she'd been bored yesterday and decided to learn a new dish.
"Pasta for breakfast? Luna's going to make that face again," Furina muttered to herself.
Luna didn't dislike pasta.
But she hated eating the same thing every day.
How picky, Furina thought. Pasta is so versatile! There's a sauce for every flavor imaginable.
"Noodles it is... Phew..."
Furina decided to make noodles for Luna. Despite being a half-Mondstadt, half-Liyue hybrid, Luna showed no interest in Mondstadt cuisine, preferring only Liyue dishes.
"Hum hum hum..." Furina hummed a little tune as she cracked an egg against the edge of the pot with a gentle tap.
Then she opened it with one hand!
"Ah, perfect! I'm practically born to be a chef! Should I become one someday?"
"No, wait... Kitchen work looks exhausting. I don't want such hard labor. Never mind."
So what to do next?
Staying home indefinitely sounded appealing. After working tirelessly for five centuries, a few months of rest to catch up on unfinished books—what could be wrong with that?
But it would be rather dull without Luna around.
Luna was still working as an actress, though she couldn't perform on stage anymore.
Being a consultant, on the other hand... Hmm...
Furina absentmindedly thought as she continued preparing breakfast.
"Noodles for breakfast?" Luna asked, leaning over to peer into the pot.
"Do you want pasta?"
"No."
"Then that settles it. There's no point in making anything too fancy for breakfast. You're the same—always just toast with bacon and eggs, and milk."
Luna leaned against the counter. "Milk can help you get a better figure, you know."
"Eh? Really?" Furina glanced down at her chest. Could there still be hope?
"I don't know. It hasn't seemed to work for me so far."
"Then forget it," Furina sighed.
Well, at least Focalors' chest is as flat as mine. As long as I'm not the flattest in Teyvat, I'm good.
Breakfast was soon ready and placed on the table.
"This is delicious! I didn't realize you had such a knack for cooking, Furina," Luna complimented.
Furina puffed out her chest. "What did you expect? If you compliment me more, I might even make you a feast tonight!" She propped her cheek in her hand, her eyes sparkling.
"Want to go do something fun today? There's a film I've been wanting to see!"
Luna was about to agree when a knock echoed from the entrance hall.
A knock?
It couldn't be Chiori or Nana; they never knocked after getting their own keys.
Then who could it be?
"I'll get it," Furina said, rising to her feet.
Neither Furina nor Luna had any intention of hiding their cohabitation. They wouldn't bring it up unprompted, but they didn't care if people found out.
Furina opened the door.
"Who is it?"
As the door swung open, familiar faces filled the doorway.
Navia exclaimed in surprise, "Eh? Why is Lady Furina answering the door?"
Chiori stood with her arms crossed, her brow furrowed in a frown.
Even Clorinde, who had been knocking, wore an uncharacteristic expression of surprise.
Wow, it's all people I know! Furina was equally stunned.
"Wait, let me check the apartment number!" Navia hurriedly backed up a few steps and glanced at the doorplate: Apartment 221.
This is Lulu's place, right? Why is Furina answering?
Could Furina be staying over at Lulu's?
Clorinde composed herself, her expression settling into its usual composure after a moment of silence.
"...Long time no see, Lady Furina."
Furina shook her head. "Don't call me that anymore. I'm no longer the Hydro Archon, just an ordinary person now. You're not my subordinates either—please, just relax and be yourself."
Clorinde nodded.
A heavy silence fell over the group.
Furina didn't know how to face them, and they were equally awkward.
This was their first meeting since the Judgment.
Chiori sighed. "Let us in first. We need to speak with Luna about something."
"Ah, okay..."
Furina obediently retreated into the house.
The three women exchanged glances before finally stepping inside.
"Lulu, how are you feeling? Are you getting better?" Navia rushed to Luna's side the moment she saw her, her voice filled with concern.
Chiori's gaze flicked to the dining table. Two bowls of noodles sat there.
Moreover, the house seemed to have acquired many new items—all in shades of blue—that didn't seem like something Luna would buy.
Chiori frowned slightly, feeling increasingly uneasy.
"I'm all better now, Nana. Don't worry, my body recovers quickly," Luna smiled reassuringly.
Navia pressed a hand to her chest, exhaling deeply.
"That's wonderful! I was even considering moving in for a few days to take care of you if you were still weak... Wait, what's with all the new stuff in your house?"
Furina froze, her mind racing.
Should I just retreat to the bedroom and hide? This reunion feels so awkward. Maybe I should make a run for it.
But Luna immediately corrected, "Those all belong to Furina."
"Lady Furina's?" Navia was stunned.
Clorinde confidently declared, "I see, you two are living together. It seems we've come at a bad time."
Navia opened her mouth, but no words came out.
Living together...?
Meaning... they live together?
Seeing each other's faces every morning? Chatting freely before sleep? But this privilege belongs to Furina...
A storm of conflicting emotions surged through Navia's heart.
"When did this start?" Chiori asked casually.
"A few days ago."
Clorinde deduced, "That would be shortly after Furina stepped down as Hydro Archon."
She glanced at Furina, who wanted to leave but was now trapped, her gaze softening noticeably.
"I'm so relieved. I heard from Neuvillette that you moved out of Palais Mermonia and into an apartment, and I was worried. But knowing Luna is taking care of you puts my mind at ease."
Furina pressed her lips together. "Clorinde... I..."
"I'm sorry, Furina."
"Huh?"
Navia snapped out of her reverie. Since Furina was here, she could apologize as well.
"I also want to say I'm sorry. The Judgment must have put you under tremendous pressure. I... I won't make excuses. I know we did wrong, and I'm truly sorry," Navia said sincerely.
Chiori nodded. "Me too. To be honest, I even regret agreeing to let those spectators into the courtroom. I know you made a very difficult choice."
Otherwise, Luna wouldn't have chosen to stand by Furina's side.
Luna's sense of justice would naturally lead her to side with what was right—even if that Fat Cat still completely disregarded others' opinions and stubbornly made her own decisions without consulting anyone.
A warmth spread through Furina's chest.
"It's fine. I don't care about any of that anymore... I'm not the kind of person who'd let such trivial emotions get me down."
Clorinde said admiringly, "Indeed, you're very strong."
But in the next moment, she abruptly changed the subject.
"Still, I'm curious—why are you living with Luna? Or did Luna invite you to move in?"
The atmosphere suddenly shifted.
Chiori maintained a poker face, but the way she crossed her arms, her fingertips tapping incessantly against them, betrayed her true mood.
It was downright terrible.
Navia, meanwhile, watched her intently, her gaze unwavering.
"I want to know too," Navia murmured softly.
How terrifying! Furina thought. Why are all the women around Luna so terrifying?!
Knock, knock... Another knock echoed through the door.
Not again?
"I'll get it!" Furina blurted out hastily.
As soon as she left, Clorinde, Chiori, and Navia's gazes all converged on Luna.
"Tsk... Luna, explain yourself," Chiori clicked her tongue.
"Lulu..."
Clorinde, her expression unchanging, added, "I'm curious. Elaborate."
I've never felt like this before, Luna thought.
Meanwhile, Furina, who had rushed to the entrance, flung the door open.
"Who's there—"
The figure at the door was all too familiar, from her radiant smile to her piercing gaze.
Focalors smiled. "It's me! I've come to visit. But..."
Her gaze swept past Furina's shoulder, looking into the room behind her.
"It seems I've arrived at an inconvenient time?"