Outside the Palais Mermonia, Leo followed Furina with a miserable look on his face.
Feeding stray cats and dogs after work felt like torture. It hurt—truly hurt.
"Leo, hurry up! If you're too slow, the little ones will run away!"
The moment Furina called out to him like that, Leo shuddered from head to toe.
"As you command, Lady Furina!"
When they arrived at the courtyard, they were greeted by kittens and puppies wandering about. Leo stood by, feeding them while Furina played happily among them.
The moonlight fell gently on Furina, making her appear divine. Her long, blue-tinted hair shimmered under the glow, a sight that made Leo feel strangely uneasy.
If he remembered correctly, Lady Furina's hair had always shone with this brilliance… yet it still made his heart skip.
But still—he just wanted to get off work.
"Little one, don't run! Come here quickly!"
"Leo, squat down! You're scaring them by standing so tall."
"As you command, Lady Furina!"
Obediently, Leo crouched down on the ground, not caring whether his uniform got dirty. Soon, the cats and dogs were rubbing up against him, demanding attention.
After a while of playing, Furina finally released him. Officially, the day's duties should have been over.
But in truth, they weren't. After becoming her personal guard, Leo had moved his residence to the Palais Mermonia, only a few meters away from Furina's chambers…
It was just a short walk—close enough that he could reach her instantly if anything happened.
But was he really going to go back now? Impossible. After work, enjoying a bit of nightlife was the most important thing!
He escorted Furina to the palace steps, already preparing to slip away.
Yet tonight, Furina was clearly in a playful mood. She suddenly turned around and called out:
"Wait! The pigeons haven't been fed yet."
***
And so, holding a basket of feed, Leo found himself dragged along once more, following Furina to the poolside under the night lanterns to feed pigeons.
Not only did she scatter the feed carelessly, but she was also scattering away Leo's precious free time.
Running back and forth after her, Leo felt more like a servant than a knight. By the time they had fed every pigeon around the Palais, his legs felt weak.
He checked his pocket watch. Half past ten.
No—my nightlife!
Noticing his glance, Furina leaned close and snatched the pocket watch from his hand.
"Lady Furina, I really can't give you that. It's a treasure I worked hard to find."
"Tsk, who cares? But your pocket watch is so plain. Just you wait!"
After fiddling with it for a moment, Furina returned it to him and continued feeding the pigeons as if nothing had happened.
When Leo opened it, confusion filled his eyes. Inside, she had slipped in a small self-portrait of herself—posing as if she thought she looked gallant.
Should he say it looked good? It was a little childish. Should he say it didn't? Impossible. Furina was flawless—whether in beauty or figure. Well… except that her day-to-day demeanor was far too plain for a god.
But what could he do about Lady Furina's long legs? Every day at work, seeing those pale, slender legs made the job feel… worth it.
(S tier gooner right here 🥀)
Of course, he had no blasphemous intentions.
It was just… pure appreciation.
When she noticed Leo staring dazedly at the photo, Furina covered her mouth, giggling secretly.
"Well, your work is over for today! Accompany me to the Opera Epiclese tomorrow."
"As you command, Lady Furina!"
As they climbed the marble steps, Leo rubbed at his tired eyes. Though the day hadn't been filled with heavy labor, he was simply exhausted.
Suddenly, Furina stopped without warning. Leo, too distracted, bumped directly into her back.
"Really, Leo! You're following a god, and you still dare to be so absentminded? I should accuse you of negligence in your duty!"
Leo's face turned bitter. He wanted to cry. It's already off-duty hours…
"Lady Furina, it's time to rest. Not… work."
At this hour, aside from Neuvillette—who was no doubt still buried in documents—no one in Fontaine was still working.
Sometimes, Leo truly admired him. Despite the crushing workload, the Chief Justice never seemed to tire.
Pretending to be angry, Furina placed her hands on her hips, gazing down at Leo condescendingly.
"Hmph! I told you to take your duties seriously, and you still dare slack off. Protecting the safety of the Hydro Archon is the highest honor."
Yes, yes—it was an honor. But why did it feel more like he was a nanny than a guard?
At over 1.8 meters tall, Leo usually towered over most. But on the steps, Furina's height nearly matched his, sparing him the awkward need to bow his head.
After bickering for a while, Furina noticed Leo's weary expression and relented.
"Good night, my little guard."
"Good night, Lady Furina."
When they reached the last staircase, Furina suddenly stumbled—her left foot catching her right. She was about to fall forward, face-first.
Leo's instincts took over. With a swift movement, he slid sideways, twisted, and caught her before she hit the ground.
For a moment, Furina thought only of silencing the witness. No one must ever know of this embarrassment.
But the expected pain never came. Instead, warmth.
Nestled against Leo's chest, Furina's face turned crimson. She sprang upright almost instantly, dusted herself off, and fled to her room.
It all happened in barely a second—almost like she had teleported.
Inside, Furina fumed. This won't do. I'll have to silence him…
But then she remembered: without Leo, who would serve her? Requesting another guard from Neuvillette would be suspicious. One Clorinde was already enough.
In truth, Furina had once thought Leo was small and adorable. Back then, he had only been a little over 1.5 meters—shorter than her. Yet he was fierce enough to nearly defeat Clorinde in sparring. Cute, even.
But now? He had grown tall—taller than her.
Throwing open the door, Furina called out viciously:
"If you dare tell anyone about this, I'll send you off to Merope's Fortress for the rest of your life!"
***
Outside the hall, the corridors were empty. Only one chamber downstairs still glowed with light—Neuvillette's office.
Meanwhile, in his quarters, Leo was collapsing.
I just hugged Lady Furina. I'm doomed. She'll kill me. Or worse—she'll lock me away in Merope's Fortress. My future, ruined!
But… Lady Furina smelled so sweet. And she was so soft…
"What am I thinking?!" Leo shook his head violently. This was dangerous. She was Lady Furina—the Hydro Archon herself!
Yet even as he scolded himself, her flushed face lingered in his mind.
In a panic, Leo rushed into the washroom and doused himself in cold water, hoping to wash away the sin. But it was no use. Every thought circled back to that fleeting embrace.
Frost crept across his skin—the side effect of his Cryo Vision suppressing his restless thoughts.
Shivering, he curled up in bed, letting the chill numb him.
With a sigh, he placed the Vision on the table and glanced at his pocket watch. Midnight.
But still—he had to admit it. He was probably the first person to ever receive a personal photo from Lady Furina herself.
And that thought alone left him… excited.