At night, a different guest arrived at the Fontaine Debo Hotel.
When the waiter spotted Furina and Leo, he froze in surprise.
"Lady Furina! Welcome to the Debo Hotel!"
At the waiter's words, everyone in the restaurant turned to look, their eyes locking onto Furina.
As for Leo, he was just her guard—though a rather high-ranking one.
The ever-popular Furina responded cheerfully, clearly enjoying the attention. She relished the feeling of being the center of everyone's gaze.
Those who wanted to approach for autographs or photos were swiftly blocked by Leo.
"Everyone, Lady Furina is on break now. If you'd like an autograph or a picture, please schedule a meet-and-greet."
Standing before Furina, Leo was like a mountain. His Cryo Vision, under certain conditions, gave his presence an almost inhuman sharpness.
Thankfully, once the diners noticed Leo's stern expression and his silent authority, they tactfully returned to their seats.
Guiding Furina toward a quieter corner, Leo called over a waiter to take their order.
But this time, the one who came was not a regular waiter—it was the owner of the Debo Hotel himself.
Handing the menu to Furina, Leo said calmly, "Lady Furina, what would you like to eat?"
Taking the menu, Furina flipped through the dishes one by one, humming thoughtfully, as if carefully considering what might be delicious.
But in truth, her real intention was to trick Leo just once, so she suddenly declared:
"Everything on the menu. Let's try it all!"
???
The hotel owner left delighted, while Leo sat there still reeling from confusion.
All of it? Can she even finish all of that?
Seeing Furina lean back, arms crossed, humming smugly to herself, Leo couldn't help but ask, "Lady Furina… are you sure you can finish everything you just ordered?"
Glancing at him with a sly smile, Furina rested her chin in both hands. "Of course I can finish it."
…Not that she believed that herself.
As one exquisite dish after another began arriving, Leo's expression grew increasingly strained.
The table, already small, quickly became overcrowded, until even the table next to them had to be filled with plates.
Knife and fork in hand, Leo didn't even know where to begin. Every dish was so tempting, yet overwhelming.
Across from him, even Furina looked briefly stunned by the sheer quantity of food.
Perhaps… she had ordered a bit too much. How much would this cost? Would Leo's salary even cover it?
Thinking of that, Furina secretly resolved to compensate Leo from her allowance next month.
But despite her thoughts, she continued to eat without slowing down. She devoured desserts and cakes with elegance but also remarkable speed, polishing off each in just a few bites, utterly unbothered by calories.
Her appetite was large, but she didn't finish everything herself—often taking just one bite before casually tossing the rest to Leo, nearly stuffing him to death.
After only a few bites, Leo was already full, sitting back helplessly while watching Furina enjoy herself.
Her manners remained graceful even at that speed.
One cake in particular was decorated with delicate care. Furina gently raised her fork, cut a small piece, and placed it against her alluring lips.
As she chewed softly, the flesh of her cheeks shifted slightly, catching the light.
Leo blinked more than once, recognizing immediately that this dessert was to Furina's liking.
And as he kept watching her, he found himself admiring her beauty more than the food.
Her unique heterochromatic blue eyes, her pale aqua hair with darker streaks falling loosely across her face—all of it lent her an otherworldly charm.
Her occasional playful gestures only made her seem cuter, as if every new dish was its own delightful discovery.
Really… so cute.
In the first twenty years of his life, Leo had spent eighteen in rigorous study and martial training.
At eighteen, his name had already become known in Fontaine, and he had risen to become Furina's personal guard.
Though "guard" wasn't exactly his formal title, he accompanied her every day.
Yet this was the first time Leo had truly observed the Hydro Archon up close, so carefully.
Compared to the lofty, untouchable deities described in legends, Furina, to him, was strikingly real.
Unreasonable tantrums, whimsical moods… was that not still better than distant gods who acted high and mighty? In Leo's eyes, it was.
Noticing Leo's gaze lingering on her, Furina lifted her head and met his eyes.
Leo, caught staring, froze in place.
Furina propped her chin on her hand, a mischievous thought flashing through her mind.
She picked up a small piece of cake with her fork and held it out toward Leo's lips.
The sudden sweetness caught him off guard, making him pause.
Looking into Furina's eyes, Leo couldn't make sense of what she intended.
"Come on, take it."
When he finally bit down, the dessert somehow tasted sweeter than any he'd had before.
That clean, non-greasy sweetness made his head swim.
Immediately, Leo's face flushed scarlet. He lowered his head, shyly grabbed the Fonta bottle beside him, and sipped through the straw to distract himself.
Seeing his crimson cheeks, Furina clutched her stomach and burst into laughter.
"Leo, you're adorable! Hahaha! I command you, in the name of the Hydro Archon—lift your face!"
Obediently, like a child, Leo raised his head. His innocent expression was almost unbelievable.
Furina glanced at the bright red cherries on the plate, then back at his face. The resemblance struck her at once.
She plucked up a cherry, holding it between them under the light for comparison.
"Hahaha! Look at you—your face is as red as this cherry. Be good now, open your mouth. Let your Archon feed you!"
Leo's blush deepened, burning like fire.
When he parted his lips slightly, Furina—rather than offering the cherry to him—popped it playfully into her own mouth.
Leo felt his whole body shudder. His heart, especially, pounded so violently it was nearly unbearable.
After all, he was still a young man in his early twenties. Being teased and toyed with by Furina stirred something uncontrollably within him.
Struggling against the impulse to move, Leo abruptly stood, his face scarlet.
"Lady Furina—I'll go settle the bill!"
And before she could reply, he bolted away, running so quickly it looked like he was fleeing a famine.
Watching him dash off, Furina laughed again and went back to savoring her meal with leisure.
At the front desk, Leo arrived drenched in sweat. If this went on any longer, he thought, he might actually start bleeding from embarrassment.
The waiter, seeing him flushed head to toe, nearly burst out laughing but held back. "Master Leo, are you here to pay the bill?"
"…Yes. How much?"
The waiter quickly tallied up the bill and handed it over.
"Master Leo, the total comes to 850,000 Mora. How about a discount—let's say 800,000, nice and round?"
"…How much?"
Seeing Leo's stunned face, the waiter swallowed and repeated carefully, "Eight hundred thousand Mora, sir."
With a heavy heart, Leo pulled out his card and swiped it. The printed invoice felt like a death sentence in his hand.
Could this be reimbursed if he took it to the Palais Mermonia?
Eight hundred thousand Mora! His monthly salary was only five hundred thousand. This was daylight robbery!
Returning to the table in agony, his blush was long gone, replaced by a haggard look of age.
And yet, watching Lady Furina continue to enjoy her feast so happily, Leo felt… maybe it was worth it.
After all, she had fed him cake and cherries with her own hand.
He had even held Furina close before, shared fleeting brushes of intimacy. Wasn't that enough to make it all worthwhile?
Yes. He convinced himself it was.
By the time he raised his head again, Leo had fully accepted his financial ruin. He focused once more on Furina's radiant figure across the table.
Noticing his gaze, Furina blinked playfully.
"So bold? You keep staring at me? Who gave you the right?"
Leo answered without hesitation, "You did, Lady Furina."
Hearing his reply, Furina smiled, reached across the table, and pinched his cheek.
"My little guard…"