At the end of the road, Furina strode forward, maintaining her divine dignity, with Clorinde following closely behind.
Fidelle straightened her posture and subtly puffed out her chest.
As Furina approached, she remarked, "Hmph! How does it feel to be personally greeted by the Hydro Archon? Today marks your twenty-fourth day away from Fontaine, and I've cleared my entire schedule just for you."
Furina stopped before Fidelle, her stature dwarfed by the latter's, yet her presence radiated commanding authority.
As Furina's personal bodyguard, closest friend, and exclusive chef, a grand welcome ceremony was essential to demonstrate the Hydro Archon's high regard for her.
Fidelle placed her right hand over her chest and executed a perfect bow:
"I am deeply honored, my Lady Furina!"
She raised her head and met Furina's gaze.
Her heterochromatic eyes were beautiful, but Fidelle saw within them surprise, excitement, anticipation, and even a hint of resentment?
"Lady Furina, my trip to Liyue was very fruitful. I have much to report, and I also learned how to prepare many Liyue delicacies."
At the mention of food, stars twinkled in Furina's eyes.
"Mm-hmm, let's attend to official matters first. We'll return to Palais Mermonia, where I can listen to your report in detail."
With that, Furina turned and strode off, Fidelle hurried after her, with Clorinde flanking her on either side.
Today, Furina's steps were particularly light. Fidelle thought that if it weren't for the need to maintain a divine demeanor before the public, Furina would have been practically skipping.
On the journey here, Fidelle had already planned how to make the small cakes and other Liyue dishes she had learned.
Liyue cuisine... offered a dazzling variety of dishes. Fidelle was confident she could capture Furina's heart with these culinary creations.
-
Palais Mermonia.
At the dining table, Fidelle, Furina, Neuvillette, and Clorinde were enjoying a meal together.
Clorinde and Fidelle both served as Furina's bodyguards, but their roles extended beyond mere protection. Clorinde primarily assisted Neuvillette with his duties, while Fidelle acted as Furina's aide.
This wasn't the first time the four had dined together. In private, they shed their formal roles and treated each other with casual familiarity.
Even Neuvillette, who typically maintained a deliberate distance to uphold his impartiality, couldn't resist these invitations.
After all, the culinary artistry on display was irresistible, even to a god.
The table was laden with not only the daily-requisite small cakes but also with Fidelle's Liyue cuisine, which she had brought back from her recent trip. A full spread of Liyue cuisine, prepared with ingredients largely imported from Liyue, filled the air with an aroma that even overshadowed the special cakes Fidelle had prepared for Furina.
While the others savored the fragrant delicacies before them, Neuvillette had three meticulously crafted bottles placed before him, each filled with water sourced from different regions of Sumeru and Liyue.
Furina's small cakes were placed in front of Fidelle, reserved for dessert after the meal. Today, with Fidelle's extravagant Liyue spread, they couldn't allow Furina to fill up on cake before the meal.
The overpowering aroma of Liyue cuisine meant Furina felt only a slight twinge of annoyance when Fidelle snatched her small cake.
She speared a Golden Shrimp Ball with her fork, popped it into her mouth, and chewed contentedly, her face quickly lighting up with a blissful smile.
"Fidelle, your cooking is as superb as ever!"
"Lady Furina, you flatter me."
"No flattery at all! Fidelle, your culinary skills are absolutely top-notch!"
What Furina didn't tell Fidelle was that Escoffier had recently become almost obsessed with figuring out why Fidelle's food tasted so extraordinary, nearly driving herself mad in the process.
Fidelle herself didn't eat; she simply watched with a gentle smile as Furina poked at the dishes with her fork, her small face radiating pure satisfaction.
Clorinde ate with elegant efficiency, finishing her meal quickly.
Neuvillette wasn't just sampling water; he wielded chopsticks with practiced ease, sampling every dish with meticulous care.
"To taste Lady Fidelle's cooking after a day's work is truly satisfying."
Fidelle worked part-time as a chef, but she mostly cooked for Furina alone. Neuvillette and Clorinde only got to enjoy her creations when she was free and in the mood to cook for them.
Midway through the meal, Furina suddenly forked a piece of beef onto Fidelle's plate and nudged it over with her spoon.
"Fidelle, why aren't you eating?"
"I'm here to enjoy the meal with you, Lady Furina."
The meal was quickly finished. Furina was the first to set down her utensils, saving room for the mini-cake Fidelle had prepared.
Every dish on the table was devoured, not a morsel left behind.
Burp!
Clorinde blushed. "My apologies."
After the tableware was cleared away, Fidelle, under Furina's intense gaze, cut the mini-cake while recounting her experiences in Liyue to Furina and Neuvillette.
Upon hearing that Fidelle had given her all but still lost to Angie, Furina's adorable face was filled with disbelief.
Fidelle hadn't shown her full strength often in Fontaine, but each display had been remarkably powerful. The idea that she could be defeated by someone named Angie was astonishing.
What's more, Angie wasn't even the top contender—the first place had gone to the Traveler...
The Traveler is that strong?!
Furina stroked her smooth chin, pondering her attitude toward the Traveler since her arrival in Fontaine.
"Lady Furina, your cake."
"Oh, oh, thank you."
Waaah~
Life with Fidelle was entirely different from life without her. Without Fidelle, Furina was not only bullied but also deprived of Fidelle's special mini-cakes...
As the sweet cake melted in her mouth, Furina decided to put aside her worries for now and focus entirely on savoring the treat before her.
-
Player World.
After waiting anxiously for over two weeks, the second half of the gacha banner had finally arrived!
This banner featured not only Mu Qingxu—but also Cloud Retainer's other disciple, the World-Transcending Shenhe.
The accompanying four-star characters were Xiangling, Yaoyao, and Chongyun.
Chen Xiyao resisted the urge to pull immediately and instead clicked on the "Trial Run" button to assess Qingxu's combat capabilities.
"First, let's try out Qingxu's practical combat abilities. Then, I'll analyze her mechanics with you. Finally, we'll pull from the banner... But fair warning, my luck is notoriously bad. Don't blame me if you make me pull and I hit the full pity."
Chen Xiyao entered the Trial Run stage, fielding a team of Xiangling, Bennett, and Kazuha.
Since Qingxu's mechanics were still unfamiliar, Chen Xiyao began with a simple rotation: Xiangling's Pyronado, Bennett's Burst, Kazuha's resistance shred, and finally, Qingxu's Burst.
During Qingxu's Burst animation, Qingxu stood in front, with Qingge behind her. The twin sisters wielded matching spears, radiating formidable presence.
A massive tidal wave surged outward from Qingxu, instantly annihilating all the small monsters on the field, dealing over 20,000 damage.
Moreover, Qingge's spectral afterimage didn't dissipate after the Burst. Instead, it coordinated attacks with Qingxu's every strike, each dealing over 10,000 damage. The synchronized Charged Attacks even approached 20,000!