Genshin Impact: This Trainee Fatui Harbinger is Too Unreliable

"But…"

Luo Qing let out a soft chuckle, extending his right hand toward her.

"As long as we continue our partnership, we'll remain good friends. You can come over to my place anytime you like~"

"…"

"Who… who wants to go to your place?!" Furina puffed up indignantly, cheeks puffed.

She wasn't about to let him make it sound like she enjoyed visiting his house.

"So…" Luo Qing's smile grew sly as he asked, testing the waters, "does this mean our collaboration can continue?"

"You…"

Furina hesitated, torn.

To be honest, she did enjoy the Void Terminal's livestreaming feature. It was the main reason she kept sneaking over to Luo Qing's house. But his identity as a Fatui Harbinger was just too glaring. With Fontaine's citizens holding such a terrible opinion of the Fatui, she'd considered ending the partnership entirely and pinning all the blame on Luo Qing.

Then she could release a statement, claiming that the brilliant and astute Hydro Archon had exposed the Fatui Harbinger's devious plot and brought him to justice at Melopide Fortress.

It would've been a great addition to her list of achievements.

"If you want to continue working together…" Furina crossed her arms, lifting her chin as she glared down her nose at Luo Qing. "Then you'll have to promise not to let the public find out about your Fatui identity. Otherwise, even I—acting in the people's best interests—will have no choice but to end our collaboration and bring you before the Court of Fontaine for endangering our nation!"

"Thank you, Lady Hydro Archon," Luo Qing said with a calm smile, agreeing to her terms.

Hardly anyone in Fontaine even knew he existed. Furina was the public face of their operations, while he stayed entirely behind the scenes. And with his mind-control abilities capable of rewriting memories, keeping his identity a secret was child's play.

"Then here's to a successful partnership."

Luo Qing extended his hand once more.

"Hmph! You'd better not try any funny business, or I'll have Neuvillette deal with you personally!" Furina huffed, her voice laced with tsundere bravado.

She eyed his outstretched hand hesitantly before slowly reaching out to shake it.

The moment their hands met, a sudden force tugged her forward, pulling her right into Luo Qing's space.

"Wha—what are you doing?!"

Furina's pupils dilated as their noses nearly touched—barely a centimeter apart.

She could feel his breath brushing against her skin.

"Lady Hydro Archon…" Luo Qing's voice dropped to a teasing murmur as his gaze locked onto her watery, teardrop-shaped eyes.

He leaned in closer.

Furina's instincts kicked in, and she immediately began scooting backward.

He advanced; she retreated.

Before long, Furina found herself pressed against the headboard, cornered.

"You, you, you…"

Her wide eyes darted to the hand Luo Qing had braced against the wall beside her, effectively pinning her in place.

To think that she, the dignified Hydro Archon of Fontaine, would be wall-pinned on her own bed by a Fatui Harbinger…

The look in Luo Qing's eyes was cold and unreadable.

Could it be… Was he really planning to…

"Lady Hydro Archon…" Luo Qing leaned in even closer, his face just inches from hers.

The diminishing space between them turned her face bright red, and she squeezed her eyes shut in fear.

But nothing happened.

Moments passed, and the scenario she had dreaded never came to fruition.

"You…"

Furina cautiously opened her eyes, only to find Luo Qing sitting back in his original spot as though nothing had happened.

"Wh-what are you doing?" she stammered.

"What am I doing?" Luo Qing's face broke into a mischievous grin. "What about you? Why didn't you continue?"

He chuckled, his tone dripping with mockery.

"Could it be that while Lady Hydro Archon claims to refuse, her body secretly wants more?"

"I…"

Furina's face burned from her neck to the tips of her ears.

"You—what nonsense are you spouting?!"

"Alright, alright, don't get mad, Lady Furina," Luo Qing said, waving his hand dismissively as though trying to soothe her.

"It was just a joke."

Standing up, he stretched lazily and glanced out the window.

"It's getting late. I won't disturb you any longer. Feel free to drop by my place again sometime~"

"You… you're leaving just like that?"

Furina blinked, caught off guard.

Wasn't he just exuding an oppressive aura as if he were about to… do something? And now he was brushing it all off as a joke and leaving?

Before she could fully process the situation, a faint golden light flickered in Luo Qing's eyes, and in an instant, he vanished without a trace.

"H-he really just left?!"

---

Standing atop a rooftop with a blank expression, Neuvillette had witnessed the entire exchange in Furina's room.

Sensing something behind him, he turned to find Luo Qing standing there with a faint smile.

"Good evening, Lord Neuvillette. Out for a moonlit stroll this late?" Luo Qing asked with a playful smirk.

From the moment he and Furina exited the Void Network, Luo Qing had been aware of Neuvillette's watchful gaze.

The wall-pinning earlier? That had been entirely for show.

He wanted to test two things:

First, whether Furina's fragile, tsundere persona was genuine or just an act.

Second, where Neuvillette's limits lay.

And from the results, it seemed Furina really was as weak as she appeared.

As for Neuvillette… unless Furina explicitly called for help, he had no intention of intervening.

"Luo Qing," Neuvillette said evenly, his tone devoid of emotion. "Trespassing in the Hydro Archon's chambers is a violation of Fontaine's laws. By the Court's rulings, you should be sentenced to Melopide Fortress."

"Ah, but whether or not I'm punished depends on Lady Furina's decision, doesn't it?"

Luo Qing smiled nonchalantly, stepping closer to Neuvillette.

"If I recall correctly, Fontaine's laws state that as long as the Hydro Archon consents, a trespasser may be pardoned. Isn't that right?"

In his free time, Luo Qing often studied Fontaine's legal code.

Though it appeared strict on the surface, there were countless loopholes to exploit.

And if all else failed, one could always challenge the judgment in a duel to reduce their sentence.

Fontaine's laws were, in essence, both rigid and corrupt.

"That is correct," Neuvillette admitted with a slight nod. "It seems you are well-versed in our laws."

He had known Luo Qing would visit Furina and had come out of concern.

But what he didn't expect was to witness Luo Qing pinning the Hydro Archon to her own bed—and worse, Furina didn't seem entirely opposed to it.

The thought left Neuvillette with a complicated mix of emotions.

---

"..."

- Gardevoir

(End of Chapter—Support the translator at [patreon.com/WiseTL]!)