Furina had never encountered anyone who seemed to embody all the beauty in the world. She felt an inexplicable pull toward this person, finding it difficult to tear her gaze away.
In the other woman's presence, Furina even felt her own existence seemed to fade into the background.
This won't do! she thought. I must be the one who captivates everyone's attention!
Refusing to be overshadowed, Furina boldly asserted her presence.
"It seems you must be one of my fans. Consider yourself lucky to have this opportunity to spend time with me up close."
"You should know that on any ordinary day, the queue to meet me could circle Fontaine three times over!"
"Of course, someone of Lady Furina's stature wouldn't casually meet with a mere prisoner like myself."
The young woman's face remained radiant with a spring-like smile.
"Actually, I'd like to befriend Lady Furina. I hope she'll grant me this opportunity."
"Ha ha ha ha! You want to befriend an Archon?!"
Upon hearing the girl's words, Furina clasped her hands to her chest and burst into laughter before replying.
"Hmm, hmm, hmm... I must say, I admire your courage."
"But earning an Archon's approval is no easy feat, you know!"
"Is that so?"
"Actually, I've prepared a small gift for both of you."
The young woman smiled and, with a flourish like a magician, produced two small gift boxes, handing one to Furina and the other to Neuvillette.
"This is just a token of my sincerity. Please accept it."
To reassure Furina and Neuvillette that the boxes contained nothing sensitive, the young woman deliberately turned the transparent side of each box toward them, allowing them to see the delicate cakes inside.
Upon seeing the cake, Furina could hardly contain her excitement. After thanking the young woman, she eagerly opened the gift box.
"The cake... it's glowing!"
The moment the box was opened, the cake erupted in a dazzling light. Furina and the surrounding onlookers instinctively closed their eyes, waiting several moments before cautiously opening them again.
Then, the intoxicating aroma wafting through the air caused tears of sheer delight to involuntarily stream down the corners of their mouths.
Furina quickly forked a piece of cake and popped it into her mouth. Her eyes lit up with radiant delight, and her expression transformed into one of pure ecstasy.
"This is... beyond delicious!"
"The cake's delicate, airy texture, combined with the perfect balance of creamy richness and fruity notes, creates an exquisite harmony of taste and sensation."
"The sweetness is perfectly balanced, the aroma is utterly captivating, and the colors are so dazzling! Anyone who sees this masterpiece would be powerless to resist its allure! It's undoubtedly the pinnacle of all cakes I've ever tasted!"
"Absolutely divine!"
Furina devoured the cake with gusto, tears of pure joy streaming down her face.
"Just the thought that there's so little of this heavenly cake left... it fills my heart with unbearable sorrow!"
After hearing Furina's review, the prisoners who had gone out to earn Concession Coupons suddenly found their cornmeal buns unappetizing.
Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?
As Neuvillette listened to Furina's evaluation of the cake, his toes began to twitch.
Finally, with a curious mindset, Neuvillette opened the gift box and took a bite.
His eyes lit up slightly. Even he had to admit that this cake ranked among the most delicious foods he had ever tasted.
Just then, Neuvillette noticed a slender arm reach out from beneath the cake box. The hand, wielding a fork, speared a piece of cake before swiftly retreating into hiding.
Neuvillette silently lifted the box higher and discovered Furina crouched beneath it, poised to bring the fork to her mouth.
Caught red-handed by Neuvillette's unfathomable gaze, Furina wore a momentarily awkward expression.
But she hesitated for only a second before promptly devouring the cake. Chewing rapidly, she planted her hands on her hips and declared in a muffled voice:
"I was just curious if these two cakes tasted different!"
"Just one bite isn't enough! Let me try another one!"
Neuvillette shook his head helplessly as he watched Furina.
"Since Lady Furina enjoys it so much, you may have the rest of the cake," he said calmly. Though he had to admit the cake was delicious, it wasn't a necessity for him. A single bite had sufficed.
"Is that acceptable?"
He then turned his gaze to the young girl, inquiring.
"I've already presented the gifts to both of you," she replied with a smile. "Whether you choose to eat it yourselves or give it away is entirely up to your preferences."
Furina's eyes sparkled with tiny stars as she received the larger portion of the cake. Before Neuvillette could change his mind, she quickly began eating, accompanied by the sounds of people swallowing their saliva around her.
"Did Miss Emily personally make this cake?" Neuvillette asked the girl, his curiosity piqued.
"That's right!"
"Is Monsieur Neuvillette satisfied?"
"The flavor is quite excellent," Neuvillette nodded, offering a fair assessment.
"I'm delighted to hear Monsieur Neuvillette's praise," she said.
"What?! You made this cake yourself?!"
Furina exclaimed in surprise as she overheard the conversation after reluctantly giving away the last small piece of cake for others to taste.
"Yes, Lady Furina," Emily replied.
"It seems Lady Furina enjoys my cakes very much. It's truly gratifying to receive the approval of two such esteemed figures," the young woman said with a smile, clasping her hands together.
"Alright, it's getting late," Neuvillette interjected. "Lady Furina, we should be heading out now."
Neuvillette nodded at Emily's words. "Then I'll leave the rest to you, Miss Emily."
"Neuvillette, won't you stay with me until the end?" Furina asked.
Neuvillette gently shook his head.
"Coming this far is sufficient," he replied. "Besides, with the Hydro Archon being imprisoned, I need to find ways to mitigate the negative impact on Fontaine as much as possible."
"Ah..."
Furina, realizing Neuvillette's increased workload, showed a hint of embarrassment.
"Very well, then. You should hurry back to your duties."
Neuvillette nodded again before turning and departing.
Neuvillette quickly returned to the mainland. As he pondered whether to wait here for the next Judgment, return to Palais Mermonia to finish some work, or perhaps accept an interview with reporters to provide a detailed and comprehensive response to Furina's imprisonment, a Melusine rushed toward him.
"Monsieur Neuvillette, disaster!"
Hearing her words, Neuvillette's expression immediately turned grave as he signaled her to continue.
"Just now, a horrific incident occurred in Fountain Plaza in Fontaine."
"Approximately forty people poured Primordial Sea Water over themselves in public, dissolving into water before countless citizens. Among them were even innocent individuals bound hand and foot..."
At this, Neuvillette's grip tightened on his cane.
The timing of this attack made it clear that the perpetrators had deliberately chosen the moment when Furina was undergoing Judgment, knowing that the Court of Fontaine's defenses would be severely weakened.
To prevent any unforeseen incidents at the Opera Epiclese, Neuvillette had been forced to divert significant manpower to protect the audience attending the Judgment.
"I understand," he said. "Inform the Maison Gardiennage officers to prepare to return to Fontaine City and resume their original posts."
"Yes, Monsieur Neuvillette!"
The Melusine hurried away with Neuvillette's orders.
Neuvillette gazed at the overcast, drizzling sky and let out a deep sigh...
Meanwhile, guided by the young girl, Furina boarded the ship bound for the Fortress of Meropide.
After briefly glancing at the surrounding scenery, Furina quickly lost interest and turned to the girl.
"Emily, your baking is truly remarkable! Are you a pastry chef?"
"Not at all, Lady Furina. Making cakes is just a little hobby of mine."
"If you like them, I'd be happy to make more for you sometime."
That would be wonderful! Furina nodded eagerly, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.
She had initially worried that life in the prison would be rather dull, but now her only regret was not coming to inspect the Fortress of Meropide sooner. How many glowing cakes had she missed out on all this time?
Speaking of which, why did the cakes you make glow? Furina voiced her curiosity to the girl, who replied matter-of-factly:
"Because I add onions!"
Furina: "???"
Next, the girl gave Furina a detailed overview of the Fortress of Meropide's layout and operations.
Through the girl's explanation, Furina gradually gained a rough understanding of the Fortress of Meropide.
By the time the girl finished explaining, the ship had already docked.
As soon as Furina disembarked, she was immediately greeted by dozens of Gardemeks lining the path in a grand welcome ceremony.
"Duke, Lady Furina has arrived."
"Hmm, thank you for your efforts."
A robust man with short, gray-black hair, piercing icy-blue eyes, and clad in a refined charcoal-gray suit with a sweeping cloak nodded to the girl.
"Then I'll take my leave now."
"Farewell for now, Lady Furina."
"See you next time! Don't forget about the cake!" Furina called out, still yearning for its unforgettable flavor.
"Hehe, very well, Lady Furina."
The girl smiled radiantly before vanishing like a gust of wind, disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye.
Wriothesley frowned slightly at the spot where the girl had vanished, but his expression quickly returned to normal as he turned his full attention to Furina.
"Lady Furina, I trust your journey here was smooth enough."
"Mm, quite pleasant."
"The arrangements are quite grand. Yes, yes, befitting my status as the Hydro Archon!"
"Wriothesley, you've done a splendid job."
Hearing Furina's praise, Wriothesley couldn't help but crack a smile.
"Lady Furina, if you've forgotten your status, perhaps you should glance at your inmate number. That unique code is assigned to every prisoner who enters the Fortress of Meropide, and you are now one of them."
"Or perhaps Lady Furina wishes the journalists arriving in three days to witness you enjoying luxurious treatment in prison? Imagine the headline: 'Hydro Archon Indulges in Opulence Behind Bars!'"
"Wait, this isn't what we agreed upon!" Furina exclaimed, sensing the situation turning dire.
"Neuvillette said I could come to you with any problems!"
"Monsieur Neuvillette did indeed inform me of your arrival, but he also made it clear: you will adhere to my rules."
"That's settled then. According to my rules, you're now a prisoner, and I'm the warden."
"Lady Furina, please refrain from acting in ways that violate our established roles!"
"On this basis, I am willing to grant some of your minor requests."
"For instance, adding a small cake as dessert to your daily lunch."
Hearing Wriothesley's words, surprise flickered in Furina's eyes. She had only just negotiated this concession with Neuvillette, yet Wriothesley already knew about it.
Even if Furina had been slow to grasp the situation before, she now realized Wriothesley was a formidable man. She couldn't help but worry that he might see through her true identity.
"Two!" Furina held up two fingers to Wriothesley. "I demand cake as dessert for dinner as well!"
"Sigh, alright, alright. Who am I to deny such a special prisoner?" Wriothesley spread his hands in mock resignation. "As long as Lady Furina is willing to abide by the rules of my little domain, two cakes will be prepared for her each day."
"I want Emily to make it herself!"
Furina added another condition, but this time Wriothesley didn't immediately agree.
"That's a tricky request. Miss Emily's position is quite unique."
"Persuading her won't be easy."
Wriothesley stroked his chin, his expression troubled.
"I've noticed Lady Furina gets along well with her. Perhaps you could try convincing her to make your daily cakes yourself?"
Intrigued, Furina turned to Wriothesley and asked, "What exactly is Emily's role in the Fortress of Meropide?"
"She's the President of the Mutual Aid Network," Wriothesley replied.
"Originally, the Mutual Aid Network was a small organization within the fortress. But since Miss Emily joined, its influence has grown considerably."
"Her reputation is excellent, and her involvement has attracted many new members to the network."
"Since the organization's primary purpose is mutual assistance, I've refrained from interfering with it for now."
Wriothesley explained to Furina.