Fontaine Court, Palais Mermonia.
Inside a spacious office—though stacked high with all kinds of documents—a handsome young man lounged casually in his chair, reading today's newspaper with interest.
After a moment, he heard hurried footsteps rushing toward the door. Shaking his head lightly, he muttered with a small smile:
"Sounds like a certain little blue cake is about to storm in and demand answers again~"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the door burst open with a loud bang!
A delicate-looking, silver-haired girl with heterochromatic eyes marched inside, her expression brimming with indignation.
Bang—
She slammed her hands down on the desk and snapped:
"Aeron Zacharias! Why did you remove the bill I proposed?!"
At this, Aeron simply set down his newspaper unhurriedly, smiling with a calm gentleness.
"Furina, there's no need to be so tense. As Fontaine's regent, your interests are just as important as the court's."
"I only crossed out that little 'no releasing flying objects at certain times' bill."
"It's been over four centuries—have I ever struck down any law that was truly in your best interest? Like, say… 'No naming household pets Furina'?"
Folding his hands under his chin, Aeron smiled at the girl before him—who, despite her scowl, looked suspiciously like she was here to demand something from him.
"Y-you…!"
Furina started to retort, but when her eyes met Aeron's ever-smiling face, she hesitated.
Because… what he said was true.
But she was the Hydro Archon of Fontaine! To have her proposal dismissed so casually—it was humiliating.
Worse still, if she admitted she was wrong, her original plan of leveraging this quarrel into demanding one of Aeron's special cakes would fall apart!
Her little head lifted defiantly as she puffed up her cheeks.
"I don't care! You made me lose face. Today… today you have to make me an extra cake!"
As expected, Aeron chuckled and nodded.
"Alright, alright~ tonight I'll add an extra slice. Consider it my apology for overstepping."
The moment he agreed, Furina's puffed-up expression vanished, replaced by a haughty, tsundere smirk.
"Hmph ╭(╯^╰)╮! This isn't compensation—it's punishment! Punishment for offending a god!"
"Yes, yes, punishment, not compensation~"
Aeron smiled warmly at her little act, amused at how easily she was placated by cake.
Satisfied, Furina spun on her heel and skipped toward the door—only to pause, her voice suddenly soft:
"Do you really have to meet that woman today?"
Aeron lowered his newspaper. His gaze fell on the girl who harbored a natural fear of the so-called "Servant." He nodded firmly.
"Of course. I can't allow the House of the Hearth to keep 'adopting' orphans."
"Furina, you know perfectly well what she intends."
Furina's head dipped slightly. She fell silent for a long while before whispering:
"…Then… I'll trouble you with this."
With that, she bolted out of the office, leaving Aeron alone with a weary smile.
"Ah… just like in the original tale. Only one meeting with Arlecchino, and Furina's been nervous about her ever since."
Sighing, Aeron rose to his feet and walked over to the mirror, straightening his clothes and hair.
Staring at the reflection of a tall, refined man with long blue hair, he couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion.
"Four hundred years already… just like that."
He shook his head, adjusting his tie as memories washed over him.
He was, after all, a transmigrator—a man with no powers except one: immortality.
Relying on his striking appearance and a political instinct honed by his past life as a "keyboard politician," he had swiftly caught the attention of the then-overworked Furina.
Of course, his special cakes had helped.
With his unique talents and sharp administrative skills, Aeron quickly won Furina's trust, earning the position of Fontaine's regent.
From then on, like Neuvillette himself, Aeron became Furina's indispensable right hand.
Or rather…
It wasn't so much that he and the Chief Justice were her "two pillars"… as it was that they had both become guardians of this little blue cake.
Unlike the solemn Neuvillette, Aeron's warmth and charm made him beloved among the people, which naturally placed him in the role of Palais Mermonia's spokesperson to the outside world.
That position carried heavy duties: meeting envoys, conducting diplomatic visits, and other critical affairs.
And today, Aeron would meet the director of the so-called orphanage "House of the Hearth"—a woman better known as the Fourth Fatui Harbinger, the Servant, Arlecchino.
The task was originally meant for Furina, with Aeron merely accompanying. But knowing Furina's fear of Arlecchino, he had chosen to go alone.
This, however, wasn't just his duty as regent…
It was also the task of a golden finger that had arrived over four hundred years late.
He glanced at the translucent panel only he could see and sighed.
[Name: Aeron Zacharias]
[Gender: Male]
[Identity: Regent of Fontaine]
[Current Popularity: 0]
[Current Task: Hold a conversation with "the Servant," Arlecchino]
[Time Until Next Full-View Livestream: 12h]
"Honestly… a golden finger showing up late is one thing, but what's with all this bizarre terminology? Is this really here to guide me?"
Muttering to himself, Aeron straightened his tie one last time and strode out of the office.
"Whatever the case… I'll only know after I speak with Arlecchino."
With that, he left the room, steps echoing through the grand halls.