It seemed that Lumine and Paimon's shouts awakened the man's few remaining senses. He struggled to get up from the ground, but failed after several attempts.
"Damn it... if I had known I'd be in such a sorry state, I would have prepared more bread and water. Otherwise, I wouldn't be making such a fool of myself in the street..."
As the man spoke, he tried to prop himself up with his arms, but his body only heaved twice before he collapsed onto the ground like a puddle of mud.
Lumine and Paimon naturally witnessed his entire struggle, so they unhesitatingly helped him up from the ground.
With Lumine's help, the man barely managed to stand leaning against the wall, and Paimon asked at this moment:
"Hey, why did you faint directly in the street? Are you sick? Do you want us to take you to a doctor?"
The man first shook his head, then softly said:
"I apologize... for letting two travelers from afar see my predicament. I'm not sick, I just haven't eaten for four days and suddenly lost all strength in my limbs..."
Hearing this, Paimon, who could eat 300,000 mora in a month, suddenly widened her eyes and asked incredulously:
"How long? Four days?! How did you manage to go four days without eating?!"
"Well... it's a long story, but could you two please help me into Hotel Debord first? If I stumble in like this... who knows what kind of trouble it might cause."
Paimon turned slightly to look at Lumine upon hearing this, and softly asked:
"He looks so pitiful... Should we just buy him something to eat?"
It seemed the man heard Paimon's words, and he shook his head with all his might, then said:
"...You two, I am not a beggar. I have mora to afford food. I just got a little carried away with my work..."
The man's words made Paimon instantly cover her mouth, a hint of embarrassment appearing on her face, and she then looked at Lumine, signaling for her to save the situation.
Lumine gave Paimon a rather helpless look, then helped the man walk towards the interior of Hotel Debord.
...
After Lumine helped the man into the hotel and found a seat, she finally had some free time to observe his appearance and clothing.
The man's hair was as messy as a bird's nest, as if he had been troubled by something frequently these past few days.
He was wearing a gentleman's suit that was quite exquisite in style and design, but somewhat faded in color.
—These two points combined made Lumine feel as if this man was a down-and-out noble from Fontaine.
Thinking of this, she glanced at Paimon beside her, and Paimon also looked at Lumine with the same strange gaze, seemingly not believing that this man could afford to eat in such a restaurant.
But the next second, Paimon's definition of "meal" was refreshed by this man.
The waiter at Hotel Debord walked to their table, and just as he was about to hand them the menu and ask what they would like to order, the man spoke in a faint voice:
"A large slice of toast, and a glass of warm water, please. Thank you."
As the man spoke, he laboriously unfastened a small pouch from his belt and handed it to the waiter beside him.
"This is for the meal... please make it a little quicker..."
Hearing the man's faint voice, the waiter hastily took the small pouch of mora, and without even asking Lumine and Paimon what they wanted to order, he rushed into the kitchen as if fleeing—as if afraid the man would starve to death in their restaurant the next second.
Before Lumine and Paimon could say anything, the hastily departed waiter hurried back with a tray, placing a plate of sliced toast sufficient for four people and a glass of water in front of the man.
"Here is your order, please enjoy."
With that, the waiter looked apologetically at Lumine and Paimon. Just as he was about to hand them the menu, Lumine subtly shook her head, indicating that they would not be ordering for now.
The waiter looked at her and Paimon, then at the man who was wolfing down the slices of bread, and immediately nodded as if understanding, then went to attend to other guests.
As an excellent adventurer, Lumine possessed not only the inherent talent for causing trouble wherever she went, but also a perception for certain special commissions—which, to put it plainly, was curiosity.
She wanted to know what kind of profession, what kind of job, would make a Fontaine resident refuse the labor law revised by Yuto and work overtime?
And in the next five minutes, Lumine saw someone who could eat more than Paimon in a state of hunger.
The man picked up the bread slice by slice, then unhesitatingly stuffed it into his mouth, chewed it briefly twice, and swallowed it with water.
This action was repeated about seventeen or eighteen times. He was like a human bread destroyer, completely annihilating the bread in front of him. Then he elegantly wiped the bread crumbs from his mouth and softly said:
"Thank you two for extending a helping hand to me. Oh, by the way, I almost forgot to introduce myself. My name is Claude, and I am a playwright."
"A playwright? Do you write scripts for Fontaine Operas or musicals?"
Paimon tilted her small head, asking quite lightly.
Claude nodded upon hearing this, and softly said:
"When there are no Judgments to be publicly held at Opera Epiclese, its stage is open to the public. As long as you make a reservation and pay a certain rental fee, you can perform on stage."
"However... because Fontaine Opera always has a 'slow burn' feeling, compared to Judgment, which offers more direct 'excitement,' Fontaine Opera is not as appealing..."
At this point, Claude paused slightly, his emerald eyes scanning the two people in front of him, then he asked:
"Oh, I forgot to ask, did you come to Fontaine because of the recently promoted 'Fontaine Opera Art Festival'?"
Paimon tilted her head, asking somewhat confusedly:
"'Fontaine Opera Art Festival'? I haven't heard of it. I've only heard of Ritou's Lantern Rite, and Mondstadt's Wine and Song Festival and Windblume Festival. What is the Fontaine Opera Art Festival...?"
"As the name suggests, it's a festival for showcasing the art of Fontaine Opera."
"For the next three weeks, the Opera House stage will no longer have rental restrictions. As long as a troupe passes the review and approval of Palais Mermonia and registers, they can perform publicly!"
At this point, Claude seemed to suddenly recall something, and the excitement on his face instantly faded, replaced by a look of regret.
"However... as a playwright, I still haven't been able to write a script that 'is both contemporary and artistic'..."
"If I blindly follow the trends of the past, then even I will be washed ashore... perhaps to my demise?"
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