Genshin Impact: Fontaine's Regent, driving players crazy.

Themis: Lady Furina, you're making it way too easy for someone to take advantage of you.

"Wh-what... what were you doing?!" Furina stammered, her moist blue eyes brimming with embarrassment. She covered her mouth with one hand, pointing at Themis with the other, resembling a blue-and-white fluffy cat on high alert.

Themis licked the tip of her finger, where a trace of cream remained, her transparent saliva dampening the finger.

"As you can see, I was simply licking cream."

Furina stared dumbly at the sight of Themis licking her index finger, her eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. The ahoge on Furina's head bounced up and down erratically. From the way the ahoge moved, Themis could tell that Lady Furina's emotions were now wildly fluctuating.

Blushing, Furina withdrew her hand, fidgeting uneasily.

How strange! Why is this happening again?

Furina felt puzzled; she recalled something similar unfolding yesterday as well.

No, it's just plain old licking of cream, isn't it?

Why, why did Themis's simple action make her feel...

Feel... Furina searched her mental lexicon, dredging up words from her five-hundred-year-old memories, mostly culled from the scant romantic novels she'd read:

Feel a bit... a bit... suggestive?

Covering her flushed face, Furina felt the heat burning across her cheeks. Mentally grumbling, she blamed Themis's bold actions for startling her, leaving her heart still racing with each thump.

"Never do that again," Furina said softly, her voice tinged with shyness and a hint of reprimand. "No matter what, it's simply not proper."

"Yes, Lady Furina," Themis replied, her eyes narrowing as they fixed on the corner of Furina's mouth. "It won't happen again."

Those cherry pink lips, so moist and inviting. A kiss followed by a lick would surely be incredibly soft. The thought sent a thrill through Themis, making her eager to give it a try.

In a somewhat crude fantasy, Themis imagined pouncing on Furina, pressing her to the seat, and smearing the sweet, creamy frosting all over her lips. Then, with a flick of her tongue, she'd savor the delectable treat.

Just as Themis was daydreaming about devouring the blueberry cupcake, a hand clad in white gloves appeared before her.

Confused, Themis cocked her head, only to see that Furina had reached out and grasped her index finger.

"Oh, for goodness' sake! Don't look at me like that..." Furina protested.

"I assure you, I have absolutely no improper thoughts!" Furina hastily pulled out a soft napkin, wiping away the saliva from Themis's finger, which she had inadvertently licked earlier.

Her gaze darted away, avoiding direct eye contact with Themis.

With a rather stubborn tone, she said, "You should be grateful for the care of the great Lady Furina! As the Water Archon's regent, you mustn't appear before the public in such a manner."

"I was only considering the matter of public image, nothing more!"

The latter half of her sentence was spoken with more force, as if trying to conceal a guilty conscience.

Yet, Furina perhaps subconsciously ignored just how flimsy her excuse truly was.

After all, it was merely a small action—just licking a fingertip. How could that possibly affect her public image?

If anything, besides Furina herself, no third party would even know about it.

A quiet amusement welled up in Themis's heart. Furina, being this stubborn, was twice as adorable.

Without exposing her obvious lie, Themis simply replied with obedient compliance, "Understood, Lady Furina."

Hearing Themis's response, Furina let out a subtle sigh of relief. Her gaze fell upon Themis's hand, and with careful precision, she picked up a napkin and began to gently wipe it clean.

Themis's hands were slender and fair, with well-defined knuckles. Her nails were neatly rounded, and a healthy pale pink tinted the tips.

Furina wiped away the saliva residue with a tissue, then curiously pinched Themis's hand with her fingers.

In Furina's experience, most people developed calluses on their hands due to their profession.

However, Themis's hands were exceptionally well-maintained, comparable to her own.

Grasping Themis's wrist, Furina compared their fingers. Themis's were a full joint longer. Driven by an inexplicable competitive urge, Furina overlayed her entire hand over Themis's, palm to palm, for a closer comparison.

"Lady Furina, it seems mine are still longer," Themis observed, her voice somewhat indifferent. This broke Furina's concentration from their finger length comparison.

"...Uh..."

Furina looked up, and their gazes met in mid-air. In Themis's radiant golden eyes, only Furina's reflection could be seen.

The covered hand playfully curled, fingertips slipping beneath the glove's edge to intertwine with those inside.

"Like this, wouldn't the comparison be even clearer?" Themis suggested softly, lowering her head.

Fingers interlocked within gloves, in the room, Furina, seated in a chair, stared blankly at Themis's face looming closer. Her entire petite body was enveloped by Themis's shadow, her mind struggling to keep up.

"Lady Furina..."

Unable to resist raising her voice slightly, Themis asked, "How was the cake today?"

"Good..." Furina managed, her thoughts muddled. Her brain felt both blank and like a tangled mess, able only to utter a dazed response.

"May I have a taste of yours too?" Regent Themis persisted, a hint of triumphant amusement flickering across her usually solemn face.

"Huh?"

Have a taste of mine...? Cake? Furina's mind raced, utterly confused.

In the next moment, she felt fingertips gently lift her chin, and a kiss as light as a feather's touch landed on her lips. Snow-white hair cascaded down, tickling her ear.

Furina could feel only a warm breath caressing her face before Themis's features receded.

The kiss had arrived abruptly and vanished just as quickly. It wasn't until it was over that Furina seemed to awaken from a dream, the experience leaving her utterly bewildered.

Themis stepped back, drawing a distance between them.

She gently caressed Furina's cheek, their eyes—golden and blue—intermingling, reflecting only each other's image.

"Lady Furina, you must be more careful next time. This kind of behavior truly makes it easy for others to take advantage of you. Also, your cake was absolutely delicious, so soft and aromatic..." Themis allowed her long eyelashes to sweep downward, concealing the storm of emotions in her eyes. With this parting remark, she turned without hesitation and strode away to leave the airship.

Yet beneath those snow-white locks, her rounded ears were bathed in a rosy blush.

By then, the airship had already arrived at the Opera House, leaving some tasks ahead to be attended to.

Stepping out, the moment Themis closed the door behind her, her keen ears picked up the sound of a small creature's cries coming from within.

It was clear that such a thing was still too advanced for Furina, having caused her considerable distress.

-

Meanwhile, on the other side...

At Romaritime Harbor, the Traveler Lumine had just finished helping Lyney distribute magic pockets. Finally, she and Paimon set off towards Maple Court.

Paimon: "Are we taking this to Fontaine? What an advanced mode of transportation... The Fontaine people really know how to harness the power of water, don't they?"

Eyeing the boats docked along the waterway, Paimon curiously flew over to examine them.

Lyney: "This is a 'aquabus,' connecting all the key points in Fontaine."

"It certainly seems convenient. Though I imagine it might get a bit tedious after a while; the scenery looks the same all along the route. That's why it's important to have friends like you to make the trip more enjoyable."

Lynette: "So what you're saying is, even with me here to chat, you'd still get bored eventually?"

The explosive question from his 'little' sister left Lyney a bit flustered. He hastily tried to explain, "Uh... no, that's not what I meant at all. It's just that, well... you usually don't talk much... you know..."

"And when we're together, it never feels like we're actually traveling... It's almost like we're still at home... doesn't it, ha ha..."

The awkward laughter that followed seemed to finally break the tension, and Lynette's 'death stare' finally relented.

Paimon observed their interaction, her gaze softening with understanding. "Big brothers always seem to be at a loss when it comes to their little sisters..."

Lyney chuckled. "Well, we should probably head on board. The time's about up."

As Lyney led Lumine and Paimon towards the ship, hurried footsteps echoed from behind.

A pink figure, in the final seconds before the departure of the aquabus, made a great leap forward and just managed to catch up.

Paimon let out a sigh, recognizing the newcomer.

Charlotte, hearing the sound, lifted her head. Upon seeing the figures before her, her eyes widened in shock.

"Lu-Lumine? Paimon?" she stammered.

"Charlotte!" Paimon exclaimed.

"Charlotte!" Lumine echoed.

At the sight of both of them, Charlotte's excitement surged, her voice trembling with palpable emotion. "I never thought I'd encounter you here on a aquabus! This has to be the most explosive news in my life! How did you end up in Fontaine? I've heard nothing about your plans to come here."

Paimon chimed in, "Oh hey, what a coincidence to meet you here! As fellow travelers, we're always running around. It's perfectly normal no one knew we'd come to Fontaine..."

In Paimon's mind, she had already conveniently excluded Furina from the equation.

After all, Furina is the Archon of Fontaine, not a mere mortal. Of course she'd know about Lumine and my comings and goings.

"Uh..." Paimon continued hesitantly, "though I don't quite understand how the Hydro Archon found out. Oh right, these two are friends we just met..."

Charlotte glanced at Lyney and Lynette standing beside Paimon, showing little surprise; they were all acquaintances now.

"No need for Paimon to introduce you. You're the renowned magician Mr. Lyney and his sister and assistant, Ms. Lynette..."

She added, "If I didn't recognize you, I wouldn't be fit to be a journalist. It's an honor to meet both of you today. I'm Charlotte from the Steam Bird.

Lyney responded, "What a pleasure! So you're from the Steam Bird. We've often relied on your newspaper for publicity with our performances in the past."

"It's a great honor to meet you," said Lynette.

"Ah~ we're all friends here! I suddenly feel like Fontaine isn't so unfamiliar anymore!" Paimon remarked cheerfully.

"Oh right, what has Charlotte been up to lately? Has there been any big news?" she asked.

"Recently... it's been alright. When I don't have any new material, I just report on cases being tried at the Opera House or similar things..." Charlotte replied.

"As long as you approach the same story from a unique angle, you can still grab readers' attention. For example, reporting on how fraudsters tricked girls' emotions in the past, or how economic criminals once had to stretch a single piece of bread for five days..."

"That... does sound pretty attention-grabbing," Lumine agreed.

Upon further reflection, these types of stories were indeed incredibly intriguing.

Especially when Lumine thought of a certain great astrologist, Miss Mona, who was far away in Mondstadt.

In the future, maybe I could interview Mona, Lumine mused. After all, Mona's experience in surviving against all odds was virtually unmatched!

"I never expected to encounter Charlotte here, but come to think of it, she's originally from Fontaine, so I guess it's not that surprising."

However, when CatCatEatsNoMedicine saw the case Charlotte was referring to, for some reason, they instantly thought of Mona from Mondstadt.

[Damn, five days on a piece of bread, then turn the tap and drink for seven more? That guy's a beast, not dying from starvation!]

[These practical tips are exactly what I need!]

[Curse you! Mahaha, I order you to present the method immediately!]

[Broke ass here, says this report's topic is incredibly hot, can quickly achieve cost-cutting efficiency.]

[Don't know why, but hearing this makes me think of Mona.]

[Mona's real estate, right?]

[I'm different, I thought of Haibasha straight away...]

"Anyway, let's put that aside. I'm more interested in the con artist's little tricks to win hearts. I really need something like that!"

"How exactly do you make my wife Themis fall in love with me?!"

Once again today, CatCatEatsNoMedicine remained a staunch advocate for Themis alone.

"Of course, if you're talking about the hottest case at the Opera House right now, it's definitely the murder-for-hire scandal involving Lady Themis!"

At this, Charlotte expressed deep regret that they couldn't interview the central figure, truly a colossal loss.

"Murder-for-hire? Yes, Lumine and I heard mention of this case when we were at the port," Paimon said, her curiosity piqued. She had initially considered buying a newspaper, but then realized the reporter was right in front of her.

"Spent a staggering ten million mora..." Lumine repeated, wondering what else one could have done with such a sum.

Isn't it just to meet Themis in person? If this money came to me, I'd gladly arrange a face-to-face chat!

"This case is indeed incredibly hot. It was just tried a couple of days ago—the dramatic twists were straight out of a play," Lyney couldn't help but chuckle, recalling the comprehensive coverage in the newspaper.

"So, what exactly happened? Why does mentioning this case make you all crack up?!" Paimon seemed to stamp her feet in mid-air, wearing an expression of utmost curiosity and eagerness.

Seeing Paimon's keen interest, Charlotte and Lyney eagerly recounted the entire case, each adding details in turn.

"Ugh... How to put it? It seems even big shots have their own set of troubles," Paimon sympathized with Themis' predicament.

"Things are going along well enough. Most of Lady Themis's fans are incredibly obedient and law-abiding."

Charlotte felt little concern; after all, Lady Themis—the Hydro Archon—was always present with her. With Lady Furina's protection, it was clear that no harm could come to her.

[Nested subcontracting, huh? Are we doing this now?]

[Huh? Previous poster, what're you babbling about?]

[A Nobel Comedy Prize-worthy case: the serial murders caused by nested subcontracting.]

[LOL, Mihoyo, you really pull out all the stops! This region has made me, a pioneer, feel right at home!]

[Is this real? Let me perform a search.]

[Search's done: Turns out it is real! You guys, this is bonkers—Brother Da Wei actually included it?]

[For most authors, their novels come to life—but for him, reality is coming to life in his games.]

[Art imitates life, you see...]

Charlotte said, "Oh right, I just remembered—I've actually been tracking a case. Or no, I should say—a series of cases..."

Lynette interjected, "*Are you referring to the 'Serial Disappearance Case'?"

"Exactly," Charlotte said. "Whenever this comes up, it's clear that it's Fontaine's most mysterious and talked-about event."

"If I could be the first to write a news article when the 'Serial Disappearance Case' is solved, and it made the front page of the Steam Bird..."

"At that moment, wouldn't all my colleagues be green with envy? I've been collecting so much material for it, just waiting for the truth to come to light."

Paimon: "The 'Girl Serial Disappearance Case'... just what kind of case is it? Hasn't the criminal been found even now?"

Charlotte: "Yes, the first girl disappearance can be traced back almost twenty years..."

"Ever since then, girls have been going missing at regular intervals. They're all around the same age, and there's not a single trace of them."

"The most terrifying thing is that not a single one of those missing girls has been found to this day."

"During this time, there have been quite a few people arrested as suspects in the girl disappearance cases, but soon after, the cases would continue occurring."

At this point, the atmosphere inevitably grew somber. Even Lyney, usually so optimistic and cheerful, lost his smile.

Lumine stroked her chin thoughtfully. "Could it be that there was more than one perpetrator from the start?"

Charlotte nodded. "That's a possibility too. But no matter what, I believe there must be a definitive 'truth' to every matter, and that 'truth' will always come to light eventually."

Lyney chimed in, "I agree. At the very least, we owe it to the families of those missing girls to give them some closure."

Lyney continued, "I can just imagine... If Lynette were to go missing, I'd spare no effort to bring her back, and then figure out who the culprit is."

Lynette, her face devoid of expression, retorted sharply, "Please, spare me that terrifying future and don't even think about it."

She truly couldn't bear the thought of being the subject of such a horrifying prediction from Lyney.

Realizing his words might have been tactless, Lyney chuckled awkwardly and quickly changed the topic.

Thanks to Lyney's quick wit, the heavy mood was swept away like magic, and everyone began chitchatting happily once again.

As their conversation flowed freely on the rail patrol boat, time flew by unnoticed, and before they knew it, their stop was approaching.