Yuto was dazed as Furina pressed him down in front of the small table, while Furina contentedly sat opposite him.
She propped her chin with one hand, her beautiful eyes scrutinizing the man in front of her. After a long silence, she sighed softly.
"You, you… why are you so serious all day long? You should really leave some time for yourself to rest~"
"Didn't you know the pros and cons when you advised the Marechaussee Phantom? Why aren't you resting when you're so tired?"
Furina's eyebrows furrowed slightly, seemingly displeased with Yuto's self-treatment.
Hearing this, Yuto gently shook his head, then picked up the teapot in front of him, poured a cup of tea for Furina and himself, and continued:
"Originally, it was nothing, but recently, that inexplicable Prophecy has started circulating in Fontaine again. All the documents I've received lately are related to that Prophecy."
After Yuto finished speaking, he placed the teacup in front of Furina, who stared fixedly at the clear tea, as if something had come to her mind.
She could perfectly understand Yuto's current thoughts, but... she was not the true Water God; she was truly at a loss now.
There were only two things Furina could do now: the first was to wait for the true Focalors, who had promised her, to resolve everything.
The second was to secretly investigate everything related to The Prophecy.
This was what Furina had been doing for the past five hundred years, but apparently... it was all useless.
As Fontaine's water level rose day by day, the panic among the residents became increasingly evident.
Could she really... continue this act?
—She didn't know.
The black tea in front of her seemed like a monstrous flood. In an instant, the black tea gushed out and transformed into pure "water," instantly engulfing Furina's entire room.
Her chair, however, slowly floated upward as if defying the laws of the world, as if an invisible force had broken through the roof of Palais Mermonia, and above her head was the somewhat bleak sky.
She wanted to escape, but she was trapped in the chair, unable to move.
Furina could only watch helplessly as Fontaine was submerged by water little by little, and she... could only sit in her seat, crying silently.
Just like the scene described in The Prophecy.
For five hundred years, these prophecies had become Furina's nightmare. She... didn't even have a shred of room to resist.
Looking at the girl in front of him who was in an abnormal state, Yuto frowned slightly, a worried expression appearing on his face.
He didn't need to ask much to know what Furina was currently experiencing.
"Inhuman torment…"
Yuto sighed softly, then gently patted Furina's shoulder and whispered:
"Still worrying about The Prophecy, Furina?"
Perhaps Yuto's pat and his worried voice had an effect. Furina instantly looked up, a hint of confusion in her heterochromatic eyes, but this confusion was quickly hidden by her.
—This was... one of Furina's essential lessons in her five-hundred-year acting career.
The girl cleared her throat, then casually picked up the black tea in front of her, took a small sip, and then said:
"I am worried about that Prophecy, yes, but... Yuto, don't forget, I am the Hydro Archon Focalors. As the one who commands all waters... I naturally have the ability to turn The Prophecy into dust."
"Don't worry, resolving major crises is also an essential lesson for an 'excellent' God. It's just a mere Prophecy."
Furina's lips curved upward slightly, her fair face filled with confidence. If an ordinary person were to look... they would certainly not see the deeper emotions on Furina's face.
But Yuto was no ordinary person. Although in his previous life he was just an office worker, in his four hundred years as Assistant Administrator, he had seen all sorts of people.
He could see the hint of fear on Furina's face.
However, he didn't intend to expose her, because... her performance had reached its most crucial point. If he exposed her acting now...
"It probably wouldn't be as simple as a breakdown…"
Yuto's eyes dimmed slightly, but soon brightened again.
—Furina had been acting for five hundred years, and Yuto, of course, had also been acting with his God for over four hundred years.
Furina concealed her helplessness, bewilderment, and other negative emotions, while Yuto quietly watched her performance, trying... not to reveal everything.
He looked at Furina, who was holding her head high, and couldn't help but smile, then softly said:
"It's good that the esteemed Hydro Archon has made preparations. I look forward to the day you completely resolve The Prophecy."
Hearing this, Furina let out a rather smug hum.
"Of course. As a God, I naturally have ways to resolve the public's panic and demands."
With that, Furina slowly sat down, her gaze fixed on the black tea and small cake in front of her, then waved her hand and announced:
"Our afternoon tea officially begins now!"
Watching Furina, who seemed to have been eager for the small cake for a long time, Yuto shook his head with a wry smile.
"She's just such a girl. How I wish she... could live a peaceful life…"
"However, that day will come soon."
Yuto looked out the window thoughtfully, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
At this moment, the previously somewhat gloomy sky gradually cleared, and a ray of sunlight shone through Furina's room window onto the small table where the two sat.
"It seems the weather is also very sensible, isn't it?"
A smile involuntarily appeared on Yuto's face. At this moment, he selectively forgot all the anecdotes about his colleague.
Of course, whether the Water Dragon cried or not, he didn't know. In any case, Furina's life would be like the recent weather, gradually moving from behind the curtain to center stage.
"Yuto? Daydreaming again? This is time for afternoon tea with a God! My schedule is very full!"
Furina's voice once again entered his ears. He subconsciously turned to look, and for a moment, he was stunned.
That ray of sunlight shone on Furina's face. Although the "God" at this moment was looking at him somewhat pouting, this did not diminish the shock the sunlight brought to Yuto.
From this angle, the shadows created by the sunlight made Furina's face appear more Stereo and softer.
At this moment, she had one or two more hints of a girlish demeanor than usual. The disguises also peeled away little by little, as if... a boiled egg being peeled.
Watching Yuto, who was staring blankly at her, Furina suddenly felt a tickle in her heart, and the temperature on her face kept rising, unsure if it was from the sun or from Yuto's gaze.
Feeling the rising temperature, Furina gently shook her head, then put her hands on her hips and said:
"Yuto! This is the fourth time you've spaced out in front of me today! As... as punishment, just watch me eat your small cake!"
As Furina spoke, she took the small cake from in front of Yuto, then began to eat it without hesitation.
—She knew, of course, that Yuto, who made desserts, didn't like sweets. Although it was contradictory, it was the truth.
And Yuto reacted at this moment, a rather helpless smile appearing on his face as he watched the girl enjoying the small cake.
"Alright, alright~"
He said this while picking up his black tea and slowly began to drink it.
—Of course, he wouldn't blame Furina, because... she genuinely liked desserts.
And so, the Deputy Administrator of Fontaine slowly drank his black tea, quietly watching the girl who shimmered in the sunlight.
This was their... moment of leisure.