Daelan Ciro found himself dazedly pressed into a seat at the small table, while Furina, thoroughly satisfied, sat across from him.
She propped her chin on one hand, her beautiful eyes scanning the man before her up and down. After a long silence, she let out a soft sigh.
"Honestly, you… why are you so serious all the time? You should leave some time to rest, you know~"
"When you're advising the Maison Gardiennage, don't you talk about weighing pros and cons? Why are you still not resting when you're this exhausted?"
Furina's brows furrowed slightly, as if displeased with Daelan's approach to handling himself.
Hearing this, Daelan shook his head gently, picked up the teapot, and poured a cup of tea for Furina and himself before continuing, "It wasn't a big deal originally, but that bizarre prophecy has started spreading in Fontaine again recently. All the paperwork I've been getting lately is related to it."
After speaking, Daelan placed the teacup in front of Furina, who stared at the clear tea, seemingly lost in thought.
She could deeply understand Daelan's current mindset, but… she wasn't the true Hydro Archon. Right now, she was the one truly lost in a fog.
There were only two things Furina could do. The first was to wait for the real Focalors, who had promised to resolve everything.
The second was to secretly investigate anything related to the prophecy.
That's what Furina had been doing for five hundred years, but clearly… it hadn't amounted to much.
As Fontaine's water levels rose day by day, the panic among the residents grew more palpable.
Could she really… keep acting?—She didn't know.
The red tea before her seemed to transform into a monstrous flood. In an instant, it surged forth, turning into pure "water" that engulfed Furina's room entirely.
Her chair, defying the laws of the world, slowly floated upward, as if an invisible force had shattered the Palais Mermonia's roof. Above her was a bleak, pale sky.
She wanted to escape, but she was trapped in the chair, unable to move.
Furina could only watch helplessly as Fontaine was submerged bit by bit, while she… sat in her seat, weeping silently.
Just as the prophecy had foretold.
For five hundred years, these prophecies had been Furina's nightmare, and she… had no room to resist.
Seeing the girl before him in an abnormal state, Daelan frowned slightly, a trace of worry crossing his face.
He didn't need to ask to know what Furina was going through.
"Inhuman torment…"
Daelan sighed softly, gently patting Furina's shoulder and saying quietly, "Still worried about the prophecy, Furina?"
Perhaps it was Daelan's touch or his concerned voice that worked, but Furina snapped her head up. Her heterochromatic eyes held a flicker of confusion, though she quickly masked it—This was one of the essential skills of Furina's five-hundred-year acting career.
The girl cleared her throat, picked up the red tea, and took a delicate sip before saying, "I'm worried about that prophecy, yes, but… don't forget, Daelan, I am Focalors, the Hydro Archon. As the ruler of all waters, I naturally have the power to reduce that prophecy to ashes."
"No need to worry. Resolving major crises is a required course for an 'excellent' god. A mere prophecy is nothing."
Furina's lips curved upward, her fair face brimming with confidence. To an ordinary person, the deeper emotions on her face would be imperceptible.
But Daelan wasn't an ordinary person. Though he was just a corporate slave in his previous life, his four-hundred-year career as an advisor had exposed him to all sorts of people.
He could see the trace of fear on Furina's face.
But he had no intention of calling her out. At this critical juncture in her performance, exposing her act…
"Would probably be more than just a collapse…"
Daelan's eyes dimmed briefly but soon brightened again.
—Furina had performed for five hundred years, and Daelan had played along with his divine lady for over four hundred.
While Furina hid her helplessness and anxiety, Daelan quietly watched her performance, trying his hardest… not to spill everything.
He looked at Furina, who was tilting her head proudly, and smiled, saying softly, "As long as the esteemed Hydro Archon has a plan, I look forward to the day you resolve the prophecy completely."
Hearing this, Furina let out a smug hum.
"Naturally! As a divine being, I have ways to address the people's panic and demands."
With that, Furina sat back down, her gaze falling on the red tea and petit cakes before her. She waved her hand grandly, declaring, "Our afternoon tea now officially begins!"
Watching Furina, who seemed eager to dive into the petit cakes, Daelan shook his head with a wry smile.
"She's just that kind of girl. I wish… she could live peacefully, without worries…"
"But that day will come soon enough."
Daelan glanced out the window thoughtfully, a smile tugging at his lips.
At that moment, the previously overcast sky began to clear, and a ray of sunlight streamed through Furina's window, illuminating the small table where they sat.
"The weather seems to know its place, doesn't it?"
A smile spread across Daelan's face. For now, he chose to forget all the anecdotes about his colleague.
Whether the Water Dragon cried or not, he didn't know, but Furina's life would soon shift, like the weather, from behind the curtain to center stage.
"Daelan? Spacing out again? This is afternoon tea with a god, you know! My schedule is packed!"
Furina's voice reached his ears again, and he instinctively turned to look, momentarily stunned.
The sunlight bathed Furina's face. Though the "divine lady" was glaring at him with a puffed-up expression, it didn't diminish the shock the light brought Daelan.
From this angle, the shadows cast by the sunlight made Furina's face appear more three-dimensional, softer.
At this moment, she exuded a touch more girlish charm than usual. Her facade was peeling away bit by bit, like… a boiled egg being shelled.
Seeing Daelan staring at her in a daze, Furina suddenly felt a tickle in her heart, her face growing warmer, unsure if it was the sunlight or his gaze.
Feeling the rising heat, Furina shook her head lightly, put her hands on her hips, and said, "Daelan! This is the fourth time you've zoned out in front of me today! As… as punishment, I'll eat your petit cake!"
As she spoke, Furina snatched the petit cake in front of Daelan and began eating it without hesitation.
—Of course, she knew Daelan, who made sweets, didn't like eating them himself. It was contradictory, but it was the truth.
Daelan finally reacted, looking at the girl enjoying the petit cake with a helplessly fond smile.
"Alright, alright~"
As he said this, he picked up his red tea and began sipping it leisurely.
—He certainly wouldn't blame Furina, because… she genuinely loved sweets.
And so, Fontaine's advisor sipped his red tea slowly, quietly watching the girl who shone under the sunlight.
This was their… moment of leisure.