Chapter 24: "You Are the Meaning of My Existence"
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Neuvillette, as the second-generation Hydro Dragon Sovereign, was incomplete because part of the sovereignty of the Ancient Dragons had been taken by the Heavenly Principles and integrated into the Divine Throne.
But… his status still stood. Even if it was incomplete.
With the standing of the Hydro Dragon Sovereign, even if the Hydro Archon confronted him with the Sovereignty of the Ancient Dragons drawn from the Divine Throne, it would at most be a parity of status. How could there be a suppression of status? And such an obvious one at that?!
Neuvillette's expression shifted, wariness and gravity settled into his eyes.
As the second-generation Dragon Sovereign — reborn after the death of one of Teyvat's original seven Dragon Sovereigns — Neuvillette inherently commanded absolute mastery over Teyvat's waters. And yet, now there was an existence stronger than him, directly sealing Furina's room…
Neuvillette fell silent, unsure how to proceed. From the aura wrapping the room, he did not sense Furina herself— rather, what he felt was an immense, abyss-like ocean of presence.
Neuvillette drew back his hand, deciding not to act rashly for now.
He could not be certain whether the master of this Hydro power was Furina or someone else. If it were Furina, that would be somewhat tolerable.
After all, the portion of the Ancient Dragon's sovereignty fused into the Divine Throne might have produced powers surpassing the original Ancient Dragon. That was possible. And if Furina wielded such power, it wouldn't necessarily wreak havoc across Fontaine.
But if it wasn't Furina…
A solemnness passed across Neuvillette's face.
An unknown entity had imprisoned Furina, and there was no assured way to rescue her… If this news spread, it would provoke severe unrest across Fontaine.
After a moment's hesitation, he dismissed the guards at the door, leaving only himself.
Once he confirmed he was alone, Neuvillette spoke aloud, firm and composed:
"Unknown entity, can you tell me why you are restricting Ms. Furina, the Hydro Archon of Fontaine, from leaving?"
Though victory was not guaranteed, he could not show fear, in that moment Neuvillette stood as the representative of Fontaine.
After a long, tense silence, nothing answered. Then characters formed from Hydro power slowly arranged themselves on the closed door.
"She's asleep. Do not disturb her."
Asleep…?
Neuvillette was taken aback, not fully understanding the meaning behind those words.
You're telling me you used that much Hydro energy to envelop an entire chamber and bar everyone from entry — all because Miss Furina is asleep?!
Neuvillette felt incredulous, but he was certain he could not breach this barrier. A vague intuition warned him that any attempt to break it would simply meet an even stronger defense.
The characters dissolved as gently as they had appeared, as if they had never been there.
Neuvillette opened his mouth to say more, then closed it and left.
Out in the corridor, scores of guards stood at attention. After a beat, Neuvillette announced:
"Ms. Furina will remain in her room for a while due to special circumstances. There is no need for alarm."
Whether from reassurance or relief, the people around him seemed to relax noticeably.
After he turned and departed, those who remained exchanged looks and returned to their posts.
Ms. Furina's temporary absence did not trigger great upheaval in Fontaine. After all, the Chief Justice Neuvillette had confirmed she was fine — merely unable to appear publicly for special reasons. There was nothing to worry about.
If the Chief Justice says it's fine, then everything is fine.
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When Liu Yuan reported that there had been no disturbances outside and that Furina's absence hadn't caused much of a stir, Furina felt both relieved and a little disappointed.
She was glad Fontaine had not suffered any calamity during the two weeks she had been asleep. But she was also a little let down.
Her brief disappearance had barely registered among the people — most likely just causing comments like, "Oh, she can't make an appearance just now? What a pity." That was about it.
For some reason, Furina felt a little deflated. As the "Hydro Archon," she had expected to be indispensable.
That faint disappointment tugged at her, making even the small cowlick atop her head droop slightly.
"What's wrong, Furina?" Liu Yuan asked.
Furina never put on an act for Liu Yuan, it was too taxing. So Liu Yuan had easily noticed Furina's low spirits and, out of unconscious concern, asked.
With her cowlick sagging, Furina admitted, flatly: "Liu Yuan, am I… useless?"
Liu Yuan paused, then asked quietly, "Why do you say that?"
"Because my sleeping had almost no impact on all of Fontaine…" Furina's voice sank again. She'd expected her absence to matter more. At most, a few meetings and diplomatic matters were postponed — but nothing crucial.
To Furina, it felt like she functioned as a mascot for Fontaine.
Her mood dipped further. Normally she wouldn't be so affected — centuries of solitary duty had taught her to endure. But after the release of those five centuries of suppressed emotions, the feelings that would once have been minor now felt acute.
Still, emotions come and go. Furina was not entirely alone.
"No. For me, without you, I would have no reason to exist." Liu Yuan's soft words struck Furina's heart like a bolt.
This, this, this — what was this?!
Is this a confession? Is she confessing?
Furina panicked. The mild disappointment she'd felt evaporated, replaced by jittery excitement.
Her heart galloped, on the surface she stared blankly into Liu Yuan's deep blue eyes.
After a long breath, she forced herself back to composure and demanded, "You… what are you saying? Be clearer!"
"I'm saying…" Liu Yuan's lips curved into a small smile, her tone had grown unconsciously gentle. "You are the meaning of my existence."
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