Leo's face turned bright red as Furina pinched his cheeks. That was her first and most natural impression of him.
"My little guard…"
Her words trailed off as she kept squeezing his face, clearly entertained.
"What's wrong, Lady Furina?" Leo asked, flustered.
Furina's eyes turned dreamy, almost dazed, as she stared into his and pressed her fingers a little harder against his skin.
"Tell me… are you willing to be the Hydro Archon's guardian forever?"
Blinking, Leo nodded vigorously without hesitation.
Satisfied with the answer, Furina finally released his face and calmly returned to her cake, twirling the fork with a little flourish before taking another bite.
As for Leo, his blush lingered like a second moon, refusing to fade—eternal as the moonlight streaming in from outside.
The next morning, in Neuvillette's office at the Palais Mermonia.
Holding the bill in his hand, Neuvillette frowned deeply.
"Leo, are you certain Lady Furina ate this much?"
Looking up from his desk, the Chief Justice's expression was filled with bafflement. Why would anyone consume so much food in a single sitting?
Sitting opposite, Leo nodded firmly, confirming every word.
They had eaten until midnight, and Furina had truly worked her way through the mountain of food she ordered. It had left Leo utterly defeated.
If not for the hotel running out of samples, he was convinced she would have kept going.
"As expected of her," Neuvillette finally said, exhaling softly. "The Palais Mermonia's Finance Department will reimburse you this afternoon. Thank you for accompanying her."
"It was nothing, really. Lady Furina seemed happy," Leo replied earnestly.
Neuvillette smiled faintly, then stood and walked to a nearby cabinet. He pulled out a folder and handed Leo a set of documents.
"Your leave has been approved. You may take a full month off starting tomorrow."
Opening the file, Leo's eyes widened. A whole month of vacation? It was more than he had dared hope for.
Yet his heart sank almost immediately. He had promised Lady Furina that he would not take time off, so long as she needed him.
Noticing Leo's hesitation, Neuvillette casually placed an orange into his hand. "What's wrong? Do you not like taking holidays?"
Scratching the back of his head, Leo muttered, "Of course I like them… but I promised Lady Furina I wouldn't take leave. I have to take care of her."
Neuvillette chuckled quietly, as if he had expected this exact response.
"When did you and Lady Furina begin courting?"
"Eh—?!"
Leo froze in shock. What kind of question is that? Dating Lady Furina? Me? Has Neuvillette lost his mind, or have I?
Frantically waving his hands, Leo stammered, "N-no, no, Lord Neuvillette! How could I possibly be in love with Lady Furina?"
Taking a calm bite of his orange, Neuvillette only smiled at him knowingly.
"Is that so? Yesterday I saw the two of you together. You were holding her, both of you looked… quite content. In all these years, I have never seen Lady Furina so at ease. If you are not in love, then what exactly are you doing?"
Leo sat in silence for a moment, then reluctantly recounted everything that had happened the night before.
While listening, Neuvillette quietly finished his orange, an apple, and a glass of imported mineral water.
"Well then," he said at last. "You've worked hard. Your martial skills are formidable, yet for Lady Furina's sake you adapt to an entirely different life."
"It's not hard," Leo replied quickly. "Truly."
The two ended up chatting for quite some time, discussing official matters here and there.
"Oh, that reminds me." Neuvillette reached into his desk and pulled out a sealed letter. "Lyney and Lynette's teacher, Cesare Roselyne of Mérope's Fortress, wrote recently. He invited you to visit during your vacation. He was most insistent."
Leo raised an eyebrow, suspicious. Visit Mérope's Fortress for a 'chat'? More likely, he wanted Leo's Cryo Vision to reinforce one of Fontaine's subterranean valves.
Opening the letter, Leo read it carefully:
My good friend, it has been far too long. Please come visit me in Mérope's Fortress. The valve here requires your reinforcement. Also—do not forget to bring good tea. I know your friends from Liyue send you tea leaves often, so don't you dare hide them!
Closing the letter, Leo shrugged. "I'll go."
His personality was simple, but when it came to crucial matters, he knew right from wrong. The valves beneath Fontaine determined the nation's future. He could not ignore such a request.
Later that morning, Leo returned to Furina's residence and knocked on her door, as he always did, to begin her daily routine.
Unlucky for him, this was his role as her ever-reliable guard.
The door opened soon after. Furina appeared with messy hair and half-closed eyes, looking drowsy.
"Why so early?" she murmured.
Blinking, Leo flipped open his pocket watch and held it up. "Lady Furina, it's already ten o'clock."
"Ten o'clock?!" Her eyes flew wide open. "How could it be so late?"
Leo found her dazed expression irresistibly cute, and for a fleeting second he wanted to reach out and ruffle her hair. But he held himself back. If he gave in, she'd probably strike him on the spot.
After all, he stared often at the painting hanging in her living room—Silent Waters Flowing. It reminded him that stillness could be far safer than impulse.
Leaning against the doorframe, Furina yawned before retreating into her bedroom.
"Breakfast can wait. I'm not hungry."
The bedroom door closed behind her, leaving Leo alone in the living room, sighing in defeat.
With no other choice, he headed into the kitchen and began preparing a simple breakfast.
First, he warmed some milk and ended up drinking a fair amount himself. After last night's feast, he hadn't been hungry at all that morning—but now, past ten, his appetite stirred.
Better to drink milk now and save room for lunch. He didn't want to miss the chef's special midday dishes at the Palais Mermonia.
When breakfast was finally ready, Leo glanced at the clock. It was already past eleven.
So much for breakfast. This is basically lunch already.
With a sigh, he finished off the food himself, cleaned up quickly, and left the residence.
At the Palais Mermonia's private dining hall, Leo walked straight into the kitchen, familiar with every corner.
"Old man, prepare a few more lunches for Lady Furina. Quickly. And make sure the quality is perfect!"
The chef, who had been chuckling moments ago, had been ready to tease Leo. But hearing his serious tone, he instead pulled on his hat and rushed to the stove at once.
Why didn't Leo just cook lunch himself?
Simple. He was lazy. Breakfasts, dinners, even feeding Furina's pets from time to time already drained him enough. Cooking and managing lunch? Impossible.
The kitchen staff moved briskly around him as Leo sat in a chair, sipping juice.
As he drank, he overheard two of the younger chefs whispering nearby.
"Did you hear? Another young girl went missing. How pitiful."
"Yeah… When will they finally solve this case?"
"Bob's daughter disappeared just last year…"
The serial disappearances of young girls had haunted Fontaine for twenty years.
Back when Leo was still training, he had even followed Clorinde herself in investigating the case. But the results were bitterly disappointing—no useful clues at all.
Leo could never shake the feeling that the vanishings were too thorough, too complete. Not a single trace left behind.
As if they had vanished from the face of Teyvat itself.
That thought made his temples throb.
How could anyone bypass Fontaine's strict surveillance mechanisms, both within the city and at its borders? Who had the power to erase someone so completely?
Before long, the head chef brought over the finished lunch, muttering, "You've got it easy, boy. I envy you—guarding Lady Furina while I sweat away in the kitchen. Exhausting work!"
Leo rolled his eyes. "Then why don't you try being her guard? Do you have what it takes to face Clorinde in single combat?"
The chef deflated instantly. "Fight Clorinde alone? I'd rather die…"
Back at Furina's residence, Leo set the lunch neatly on the table. Then he knocked lightly on her bedroom door.
"Lady Furina, it's time for lunch."
A pause. Then Furina's voice floated back.
"Oh~ bring it in. I don't want to get up."
"Eh?"