The next day.
Lovia got up early and carefully organized the thick stack of manuscripts on her desk.
She recalled the apprehension she felt when she first arrived in Liyue. However, her state of mind now was completely different from back then.
Back then, it was to fill her stomach, and she was terrified the bookstore wouldn't accept it. Now, it was purely a personal hobby!
The only thing to worry about was whether the Bookstore Owners in Fontaine would accept her "unofficial history," hehe!
"It's fine, Lovia, you can do this!"
She rejected the thought of asking Neuvillette for help in her heart, determined to complete this final step on her own.
Before long, she held the manuscript precious to her heart, pushed open the door, and stepped into the streets bathed in morning light.
Tada! The great cause of Fontaine's Fictional Historiography begins here!
This thought made Lovia's steps even lighter.
She was no longer like when she first arrived in Liyue, clutching her manuscript as if it were her only hope, walking cautiously with every step, and covering herself up tightly.
And now... holding her manuscript, she no longer needed a Hood, and no one would point fingers at her. Although she still felt a bit unaccustomed in her heart, her antennae and tail told her that this was very comfortable!
Lovia walked openly in the bright morning light of Fontaine, her mood as expansive and bright as the Rainbow Roses Bloom in the roadside flowerbeds.
It was the stable life provided by That Visitor that gave her this "luxurious" confidence.
This time, Lovia did not intend to hide her identity from the Bookstore Owner.
In Liyue Harbor, the most important reason she didn't dare confess her identity to the Bookstore Owner was that she had initially written the "unofficial history" of Rex Lapis, and there was inevitably some "disrespect" toward the deity between the lines.
Given the Liyue people's near-devout reverence for the Lord of Geo, if the proprietor knew that an outsider Melusine dared to "fabricate" stories about their god-like Sovereign... Lovia shrunk her neck.
She feared that before the pages could even be turned, she would be kicked out by the proprietor and then "elbowed" out of Liyue Harbor by fanatical Rex Lapis fans (it might even alert the man himself!)
Liyue's cultural heritage was profound, but also relatively conservative and rigorous; the kind of thing she imagined truly could happen.
Moreover, she had even alerted Yelan... Fortunately, Shopkeeper Sun was reliable, helping her cover her tracks and even quietly tipping her off afterward.
Fontaine, however, was completely different from Liyue.
The people here were naturally possessed of great enthusiasm for all sorts of novelties. They pursued fun, loved stories, and one could even say... they particularly enjoyed watching drama.
In Fontaine, even trials were theatrical!
Her "unofficial history" might just suit the taste of Fontainians here.
She didn't need to completely hide her identity as a Humanoid Melusine. While this itself wasn't common in Fontaine, it wasn't something that needed to be concealed. After all, Neuvillette had already proven this to her through his actions.
Thinking of Neuvillette, Lovia's little wings couldn't help but flutter rapidly twice.
A great person—oh wait, a great dragon!
Therefore, she only needed to ask the Bookstore Owner to keep her identity as an author secret; this was a perfectly normal request for privacy in Fontaine.
And the more sensational she wrote, perhaps the owner (and the Fontainians) would like it even more?
As for the owner knowing her true identity and knowing that a Little Melusine was causing trouble?
What did that matter! She was just writing some unofficial history.
Fontaine even had those newspapers that blindly led public opinion; weren't those all just lies told with eyes wide open?
Here, she could breathe more freely and pursue her hobbies more openly.
Wonderful!
...Relying on the route she had worked hard to memorize earlier, she successfully found a bookstore in Fontaine's commercial district that looked quite famous.
Lovia stood at the entrance, looking at the bookstore's name, feeling that something was off no matter how she looked at it.
The Encounter Between Flowing Water and Paper?
Why is it so flowery?
Then Lovia saw a line of small text next to it and realized that was the real name of the shop.
It said: Water Rhyme Bookstore.
Lovia felt this shop owner was quite interesting.
Hiding the real name like "Water Rhyme Bookstore" under the subtitle "The Encounter Between Flowing Water and Paper."
"It seems this shop owner is also a witty person."
Lovia chuckled to herself, and the last trace of her previous nervousness dissipated in this interesting discovery.
A shop owner who could come up with such an idea surely wouldn't be a rigid person; the acceptance of her "unofficial history" might perhaps be higher.
This realization made her even more at ease, even giving rise to a bit of anticipation.
She no longer hesitated and, with a subtle mood as if sharing a secret, pushed open the shop door that had a bell hanging on it.
"Ding-ling—"
The crisp sound of the bell rippled through the quiet bookstore.
The scene inside was no different from what she had imagined—bookshelves reaching the ceiling, with all sorts of books arranged neatly yet somewhat casually on them, and a faint fragrance permeating the air.
A gentle voice came from behind a row of bookshelves: "Welcome to 'Water Rhyme Bookstore,' please feel free to look around."
As the voice fell, an elegant middle-aged man turned out from behind the bookshelves. He was still holding an open, thick book. When his gaze fell on Lovia, a trace of surprise flickered slightly, but it was quickly replaced by a friendly smile.
"Ah, a Melusine miss, a rare guest indeed." He put down the book and stepped forward, his gaze naturally falling on the stack of manuscripts in Lovia's arms, his eyebrows slightly raised.
His attitude was very natural, not showing the slightest surprise because a Humanoid Melusine author had come to submit a manuscript.
Lovia stepped forward somewhat nervously, clutching the manuscript in her arms even tighter. She looked up, her antennae leaning forward slightly, showing her seriousness and a bit of unease: "H-hello, may I ask... do you accept submissions here?"
"Of course we do." The Bookstore Owner smiled slightly, his gaze falling gently on Lovia and the manuscript in her arms. "We at 'Water Rhyme Bookstore' are always happy to discover new works and unique voices."
"Let me introduce myself, I am Lawrence, the owner of Water Rhyme Bookstore."
His tone was calm and sincere, without the slightest perfunctoriness.
Lovia took a deep breath and handed over the stack of manuscripts carefully wrapped in kraft paper. Her antennae trembled slightly unconsciously, revealing the nervousness and anticipation in her heart: "T-this is my manuscript. I thought... perhaps it could be placed in your shop for consignment?"
Lawrence took it with both hands, his movements solemn.
He didn't flip through the content immediately but first felt the thickness of the manuscript and looked at the elegant yet powerful handwriting on the cover.
It was a simple cover designed by Lovia herself, with only her pen name "Fictional Historian" and the title.
It read: "Hip Dynamics: From Meropide Fortress to the Peak of Power."
Lawrence: "?"
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