At the very time when the Court's Marechaussee Hunter was busy to the point of exhaustion with the explosion case at the Fontaine Research Institue, a long-dormant organization quietly surfaced.
"Has that 'Sinthe' drink resurfaced again?" Richard raised his eyebrows after hearing Lynette's words and set down the papers in his hand.
"Yes," Lynette nodded. "Our intelligence personnel from the House of the Hearth noticed that 'Sinthe' has recently been appearing in a town near the Court of Fontaine, and even around the temporary camp near the Fontaine Research Institute."
"And they're pushing it under the slogan of 'easing grief and relaxing the mind,' which has made the drink particularly popular among the families of the victims."
"'Easing grief and relaxing the mind'? Hah, more like numbing the nerves!" Richard sneered. Thanks to the samples of 'Sinthe' he had obtained earlier, he already knew what effects the drink really had.
"The other side is slippery. Even the Fatui haven't managed to catch their trail," Lynette added, her tone full of distaste for those who would prey on people's suffering.
Unfortunately, neither the Fatui nor the Spina di Rosula had been able to uncover any useful information.
"An inside mole?" Richard speculated.
"Not sure, but it's possible," Lynette admitted. She too suspected that the enemy had planted insiders in both the Fatui and the Spina di Rosula.
Otherwise, there was no way they'd be coming up empty-handed every single operation.
"This organization has been operating in Fontaine for a long time. It's highly likely they have agents embedded not just within the Fatui and the Spina di Rosulay, but even the Special Patrol as well." Richard thought for a moment before continuing. "For now, dispatch people to seize all 'Sinthe' being sold in the market, and inform the victims' families about the dangers of the drink."
Richard hesitated over whether or not to make the dangers of 'Sinthe' public knowledge. The upside was that the people of Fontaine would be forewarned and could avoid it. The downside, however, was that the more people heard about it, the more some would inevitably want to try it.
The more the Palais Mermonia banned something, the more rebellious types wanted to dabble in it, defiance practically written into their bones.
And beyond that, the drink was extremely profitable. If news of it spread too widely, many more might get involved in selling 'Sinthe' for the money. With all of the Marechaussee Hunter's manpower currently focused on the Institute case, they hardly had the resources to spare.
After weighing it, Richard decided against a public announcement about 'Sinthe.' Fontaine was already in turbulent times.
With the doomsday prophecy looming and the recent Institute explosion, he knew the whole nation was strung tight with tension. And that tension was the perfect breeding ground for 'Sinthe.' Even knowing the risks, some people would certainly give in and become addicted.
The masterminds had likely anticipated this; that was why they chose this moment to resurface.
Speaking of which, Richard had once packaged up a sample bottle of 'Sinthe' and mailed it to his aunt, Alice. Yet after all this time, no reply had come.
He began to suspect that something had gone wrong in transit and that Alice had never received it.
"Any letters for me recently?" Richard asked his ever-reliable chief secretary, Lynette.
"There have been plenty," Lynette replied. "Quite a few ladies have invited you to their banquets. But I assumed you wouldn't have time, so I politely declined on your behalf. I did set aside a few promising ones, though. Want to look?"
"No need, Lynette. Decline them all," Richard said without hesitation.
It wasn't shyness, he had simply grown tired of it. At first, he'd carefully replied to each lady. But eventually, he realized it only encouraged them, feeding false hopes.
This kind of trouble had never happened to him in Inazuma or Snezhnaya. It was exhausting. Thankfully, once Lynette became his secretary, she began screening everything for him.
"You've really worked hard, Lynette," Richard said, sincerely grateful to the adorable catgirl by his side.
"It's nothing. Just eliminating unstable elements. Hardly worthy of praise," Lynette answered flatly.
But judging by the flick of her tail, Richard concluded she was secretly pleased.
After so many years together, he could already read her moods from the smallest gestures and expressions. Cats weren't really that hard to understand, once you learned their habits.
"Why ask about mail all of a sudden?" Lynette asked curiously.
"I sent a letter to Aunt Alice not long ago, with a sample of 'Sinthe' enclosed. Wanted to see if she knew anything. But it's been ages now, and still no reply…" Richard muttered.
Lynette remembered that it had been she who posted that letter for him.
"Want me to check the post office again?" she offered.
"I'd appreciate it," Richard said, hands pressed together.
But just then, strange sounds came from the window.
Bang, bang, bang.
It sounded like something tapping against the glass. Richard and Lynette looked over.
"…Is that…a letter with wings?" Lynette blinked in disbelief. What sort of letter looked like that?
"I think you probably won't need to visit the post office after all," Richard sighed, rubbing his forehead.
Lynette understood. It was almost certainly a letter from Alice.
The letter thumped harder and harder against the glass, like it was desperate.
"Should I let it in? It looks like it's about to cry…" Lynette said. She could hardly believe she was reading emotion on the face of a letter.
Truly, Alice's tricks were remarkable. No wonder she was Richard's aunt.
Richard reluctantly opened the window. The letter promptly slapped flat against his face, before fluttering off like a panicked bird, managing to smack him again with its flapping wings.
"Haha, sorry, sorry. I've grown rusty at controlling 'letter-birds,' it's been a while," a woman's voice laughed from inside the letter.
"The letter spoke!" Lynette gawked. If she told her brother about this, he'd probably get a dozen new ideas for magic tricks.
"Auntie…you did that on purpose, didn't you?" Richard sighed.
"How could you say that? Do you really think of me that way? So hurtful," Alice's voice crooned melodramatically, though Richard knew it was all an act.
He was long used to Alice's antics. In fact, much of the verbal sparring he'd used against Furina had been tricks he'd learned from her. And they worked wonderfully.
"So you received my package?" Richard asked.
"Mhm. But the drink you sent didn't taste very good," Alice said. The letter-bird landed on his desk, then dissolved into starlight.
"…Wait. You drank it?!" Richard's face went pale.
"Haha, you're still so easy to tease, Richard. Unlike the little Guuji. You haven't improved much at all."
From her tone, Richard could practically picture the elegant woman laughing herself breathless.
"…You lost to the Guuji?" he caught a slip in her words.
"What? Ahem, of course not! She may no longer be that little girl I used to tease, but she's still not quite on my level…just a little short," Alice said quickly, trying to cover.
"…So you did lose," Richard concluded.
"Enough of that. I did receive your diluted sample of 'primordial sea water.' Tried a bit. The taste wasn't much. Fontaine soda tastes better," Alice remarked casually.
"Primordial sea water?" Richard repeated, latching onto the term.
"Yes. The original primordial seawater. As the name suggests, it's a special kind of ocean water. In the distant past, there was a unique sea on this planet, different from Teyvat's current oceans. Most of Teyvat's life forms were born from that sea; it nurtured life itself." Alice explained without any riddles this time.
"A fitting name," Lynette murmured.
"Oh? Another voice. Sounds like a young girl. Richard, aren't you going to introduce me?" Alice pressed, curiosity piqued.
Like a mother discovering her son had been stealing someone else's cabbages.
"Hello, Miss Alice. I'm Lynette, Richard's secretary," Lynette said calmly, though inside she felt a strange nervousness, as though meeting a parent.
"Secretary? Oh, a secretary! Secretaries are wonderful. Hello, Lynette," Alice greeted warmly. Then her voice dropped, muttering faintly: "Kids these days sure know how to play…"
Richard heard it clearly. So did Lynette, thanks to her sharp ears.
His face darkened. He coughed loudly.
Alice, realizing she'd been overheard, quickly changed the subject. "Ahem…have you eaten yet?"
"It's afternoon here. Still work hours. Our times aren't the same. Please, tell me more about this primordial seawater," Richard said dryly.
"But I don't know much more. Oh, right, Richard, make sure your little Fontainian gir- ahem, your friends in Fontaine stay far away from primordial sea water. For people of the other six nations, it's just ordinary seawater. But for Fontainians, it's deadly. If the concentration is too high, a terrible thing happens."
"People dissolve into water?" Richard recalled the Fatui treasure hoarder leader he'd seen.
"Exactly. Looks like you've already encountered it. Frightening, isn't it?"
"Not really." Richard shrugged.
Perhaps because the ones dissolved hadn't been anyone he knew.
"Not really? I thought you'd come crying to me for comfort. But alas, sons do grow up, don't they?"
"No one would do that! And that saying doesn't even fit here!" Richard snapped, exasperated. Then he noticed Lynette watching him.
'Wait, you didn't actually believe her, did you?'
Of course Lynette didn't. She just found it amusing to pretend, feigning doubt to see his reaction.
But Richard disappointingly stayed composed.
"So, Lynette," Alice suddenly asked, "what do you think of Richard?"
"Serious. Reliable…" Lynette touched her ears, then added, "…very gentle. Though he keeps wanting to touch my ears and tail."
"Is that so? Then I'm relieved. Miss Lynette, please take good care of him," Alice said in the solemn tone of a father entrusting his daughter to a son-in-law.
"…I will," Lynette replied earnestly, as if accepting a sacred mission.
"…You two can't be serious," Richard muttered, looking at them both.
"Lynette, may I have a few private words with Richard? You know how thin-skinned he is. If we discuss things he doesn't want others to hear, he'll sulk at me afterwards," Alice said slyly.
"…Alright." Lynette rose, leaving the office. Before she stepped out, she glanced back at Richard. He sat frozen, expression blank, like a puppet drained of feeling, neither protesting nor asking her to stay.
Lynette understood. It wasn't consent, but weary resignation.
And Richard really did have things to discuss privately with Alice. So he let her shoddy excuse stand.
Once outside, Lynette didn't feel left out at all. Her eyes sparkled. Thinking back on Richard's behavior with Alice, she realized she'd discovered the key to winning him over.
She had to get close to Miss Alice!
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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