Arriving at Neuvillette's office, Leo recalled the embarrassment from that morning and didn't know how to start the conversation. Especially Neuvillette's smile and those gentle, calculating eyes—they made him uneasy just thinking about them. How could he even explain what had happened?
Earlier, Furina had rushed out of her room in disheveled clothes, still in only her undergarments. There was no polite way to describe it.
Raising his hand, Leo knocked on the door and said, "Master Neuvillette, are you looking for me?"
Inside the office, Neuvillette, who had just finished organizing documents, paused. Looking for you… or was it me looking for you? Something felt slightly off.
"Come in first," Neuvillette replied.
Receiving the answer, Leo pushed the door open and stepped inside, still uncertain how to proceed. Sitting in her chair, Neuvillette propped her chin on her hand and remarked, "It seems like you and Lady Furina are getting along well."
He scored a direct hit right away. Leo had expected Neuvillette to be more tactful, but instead, she went straight to the point.
"Ah… this…" Leo stammered. It's complicated!
"It's fine," he finally muttered, unsure how to respond. If he said "no," it would seem dishonest—they had spent the night together. Yet to say "yes" would imply a closeness that wasn't fully accurate.
Neuvillette narrowed her eyes. "Just handle your own affairs. I'm merely asking."
Scratching his head, Leo dared not say more. Any wrong word, and he feared Neuvillette might reprimand him on the spot.
"Well… actually, I didn't come for you. I think it was just an excuse Lady Furina made because she didn't want to see you this morning."
Neuvillette's words suddenly clarified the situation for Leo. Understanding dawned immediately. Seeing the recognition in his eyes, Neuvillette realized she might have overexplained—if she said too much, it could make Leo seem suspicious or clever enough to see through Lady Furina's ruse.
"Judging by the timing, Lady Furina has probably already arrived at the Opera Epiclese, waiting for the trial to begin."
Leo nodded. That certainly matched Furina's temperament.
Downing the water in his cup in one gulp felt torturous. Ah—the taste of water.
"Then I'll head to the Opera Epiclese first."
"Good," Neuvillette replied.
Leaving Momang Palace, Leo checked his pocket watch. There was still time to stop by the dessert shop and café to pick up some treats; otherwise, Lady Furina would grow bored during the trial.
After collecting a variety of foods, Leo arrived at the Opera Epiclese carrying large and small bags. He had only taken two steps upstairs when he saw Clorinde sitting comfortably at a corner table, sipping tea.
"Sister, why are you here?" he asked, gesturing toward her. The table was ten meters from Lady Furina's location. How could they protect that space?
Clorinde put down her teacup, pointing toward the fenced-off area. "I wanted to go in too, but Lady Furina had the members of the Lonely Heart Salon surround this area. No one is allowed inside, especially you."
Looking back, Leo noticed that the area around Lady Furina had been fenced off with clear markings: a large, crossed-out sign reading "Leo".
Ah…
"Did you make Lady Furina angry? I saw her smiling at times, but not smiling at other times this morning," Clorinde said, smiling as she sipped tea. She had gathered plenty of information from Leosli and now liked observing the dynamic between Leo and Furina even more.
Angry? Not exactly.
Carrying the bags, Leo approached the fence and looked at Squidward, who was blocking the way.
"Leo, Lady Furina specifically said you cannot enter."
With pleading eyes, Leo whispered, "Please, just let me in! Look—I've already brought the desserts. If I don't, Lady Furina will be upset."
"No! Lady Furina's orders cannot be disobeyed!" Squidward replied firmly.
Seeing the unyielding stance, Leo had no choice but to return to Clorinde, carrying the bags. Covered in dust, he arrived at her table—Clorinde held back her laughter.
Leo took out bread, desserts, and coffee from one of the bags and placed them on the table.
"What are you doing?" Clorinde asked, confused.
Leo took a bite of bread, sipped coffee, and wiped his mouth. "Since Lady Furina doesn't want to eat, I'll eat it. Would you like some? It's freshly made."
Without hesitation, Clorinde replied, "Why not?"
Opening the second bag, Leo revealed more exquisite desserts, cakes, and even a cup of milk tea. Why was he being so generous? Why wasn't he worried about Lady Furina's potential retaliation?
He was confident he could get reimbursed—and strangely, he didn't feel afraid of her.
While tasting the desserts and sandwiches, Clorinde praised them. "They taste wonderful, fragrant and sweet, just like Lady Furina's taste."
"That's to be expected," Leo said. Fontaine's officials had never doubted Lady Furina's standards. He recalled a banquet where all desserts were custom-made under her direction—they were all devoured in delight.
Meanwhile, Lady Furina, bored, caught a familiar aroma and glanced back. Her pupils instantly dilated. That's mine! Mine!
Seeing Leo and Clorinde enjoying her desserts pained her more than she could admit. She tried to stand and confront him—but had just vowed to ignore Leo for three full days. She could not break that vow after only an hour. No, absolutely not!
Instead, Furina forced herself to look away, focusing coldly on the Opera Epiclese, as if her mind were consumed only by the thought of the remaining desserts. They smell so good! I want them!
"Excuse me, what are you eating? Give me one too!"
Hearing that voice, Leo and Clorinde turned, shocked. They had heard correctly—Neuvillette wanted some too!
Seeing their expressions, Neuvillette waved her hand. "What's wrong?"
"No, it's fine. Really, it's okay," Leo replied. Picking up the last bag, he handed it to Neuvillette.
Neuvillette pulled over a chair, sat down, and opened the bag. Inside were all kinds of breads, cakes, and desserts, each exquisitely made. Just looking at them made one's mouth water.
As she tasted the desserts and sipped coffee, Neuvillette thought it had been the right choice to skip a heavy breakfast—she no longer felt any appetite for it earlier.
On the other side, Lady Furina clenched her jaw. At least one bag remained, she noted—but when she turned, she saw Leo, Clorinde, and Neuvillette had already finished their desserts and were chatting happily.
Leo! You're finished!
***
4 chapters today bc i missed yesterday 😅
Got caught up ordering parts to upgrade my gaming laptop…
Im going from 16gb ram to 32gb
Also got 1TB of storage
In total $110 was spent 😵💫