Su Yuan had no idea when he had fallen asleep the previous night.
As the sun rose and the first ray of morning light streamed into the top-floor suite of the Palais Mermonia, he felt a rare warmth...
A piercing scream jolted Su Yuan awake.
"Who are you?! Why are you in my bed?!"
Dazed and groggy, Su Yuan opened his eyes and saw Furina curled up at the corner of the bed, trembling as she clutched the blanket.
Her eyes were already turning red, glistening with tears as she stared at him with a mix of fear and wariness.
"Wuuuu... The Gardes! The Court of Shadows! The Tribunal! Neuvillette!!!"
"There's a pervert!!!"
Su Yuan was completely baffled.
Pervert? Was she talking about him?
Come on, last night you were way more terrifying than this, okay?!
The next moment, with a thunderous crash, a massive water column blasted the door wide open...
Su Yuan instantly felt an incomparably majestic gaze lock onto him, pressing down on him with overwhelming intensity.
"Wuuu... Neuvillette... you finally came!"
Seeing her savior arrive, Furina didn't even bother putting on her shoes and ran straight to his side, hiding behind him.
"Ahem... Lady Furina, you are the Hydro Archon of Fontaine. Please be mindful of your image..." Neuvillette sighed, looking somewhat helpless at her panicked and tearful state.
"Now then, sir—who exactly are you?"
Neuvillette's piercing gaze fell on Su Yuan. "Appearing suddenly in the top-floor suite of the Palais Mermonia, Furina's exclusive quarters—what exactly is your intention?"
For a moment, Su Yuan had no idea how to answer.
He couldn't possibly say that he was a transmigrator, and that he had been tormented the entire night by a fake Furina...
Suddenly, a sharp pain pricked at his palm.
But this time, it wasn't his left hand—it was his right.
Su Yuan raised both hands to check.
The writing on his left palm had completely vanished, only to be replaced by a new set of words, now carved into his right palm...
[Welcome to the Eerie Teyvat]
[First of all, congratulations on surviving your first night.]
[Currently available intel:]
[1. During the daytime, Furina is the real, normal Furina.]
[2. Neuvillette can be trusted at all times—day or night—but only when the weather is clear.]
[3. After sunset, do not appear in Furina's sight. If you are accidentally discovered, make sure to return to her bed before she does. Once you are there, no matter what happens, do not leave the bed until sunrise.]
[4. After surviving the second night, new intel will be unlocked.]
Su Yuan stared at the words engraved in his right palm, overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information.
Supernatural horror? A rule-based anomaly?
But no matter what, he finally had some clues to work with!
"This gentleman, you have the right to remain silent, but anything you say can and will be used as evidence in court." Neuvillette spoke up upon seeing Su Yuan remain silent for too long.
"Misunderstanding... this is all a misunderstanding..." Su Yuan quickly raised both hands in a gesture of surrender.
"I can explain, I can explain everything..."
Seeing Su Yuan cooperate so readily, Neuvillette nodded slightly and said, "Lady Furina, I will take this gentleman away for now for trespassing in your private suite."
"In the meantime, you should compose yourself and change into a new outfit."
"Also, the cost of repairing the door... I will make sure this gentleman covers it."
Inside Neuvillette's office, he was speaking with Su Yuan.
"Every year, there are always a few people who attempt to trespass into Lady Furina's suite, but those who succeed are extremely rare..."
"Some of them are admirers or fans of Lady Furina, while a few belong to hostile factions attempting assassination..."
"But they all share one thing in common now—they are currently living quite well in the Fortress of Meropide."
"However, in all these years, you are truly the first person to so brazenly and openly lie in Lady Furina's bed."
"You claim this is a misunderstanding, that you can explain... I'm quite curious, what kind of new excuse do you have?"
Su Yuan scratched his head awkwardly, feeling both helpless and embarrassed.
The moment he had appeared in Furina's bed, he had already anticipated the likelihood of such a misunderstanding...
He glanced at his right palm, then at the bright sun outside the window, and finally back at Neuvillette.
Neuvillette could be trusted, whether day or night—but only when the sky was clear.
Right now, all the conditions were met.
"Mr. Neuvillette, have you noticed that Lady Furina has been acting strangely lately? As if something is off about her?" Su Yuan asked.
"Please do not answer my question with another question," Neuvillette replied calmly.
"Although we are not in the courtroom right now, this is still, in essence, an interrogation. I ask that you do not withhold information or lie—just state the facts clearly and concisely."
"No, Neuvillette, listen to me!" Su Yuan said urgently.
"I seriously suspect that Lady Furina has been affected by some kind of corruption—something foul, evil, eerie, and ominous! The Furina we see now is no longer entirely herself. We need to help her, save her, and expel whatever malicious force has taken hold of her!"
"Sir, do you realize what you are doing right now?" Neuvillette's tone remained even, but Su Yuan could detect a hint of anger beneath the surface.
"You stand before the Chief Justice of Fontaine, and instead of explaining or reflecting on your own actions, you dare to speak ill of this nation's deity?"
Su Yuan suddenly felt stuck in a difficult situation.
He trusted Neuvillette completely—but what could he do if Neuvillette didn't believe him?
"Sir, if you have nothing meaningful to say, then I shall proceed with the formalities and have you sent to Meropide Fortress for proper reflection," Neuvillette stated.
"Wait! Neuvillette!" Su Yuan shouted.
"No... I should call you the Hydro Dragon Sovereign!"
According to Su Yuan's previous deductions, since Furina was still residing in the Palais Mermonia, it meant that Fontaine's prophecy had yet to unfold—Focalors had not been judged, and Neuvillette's identity as the Hydro Dragon had not been publicly revealed.
Hearing those three words—"Hydro Dragon Sovereign"—a ripple of emotion flickered in Neuvillette's usually calm eyes.
He slowly spoke, "Who exactly are you? I have never shared this identity with anyone."
"Neuvillette, allow me to introduce myself first. My name is Su Yuan. I come from beyond the world of Teyvat..." After a moment of contemplation, Su Yuan carefully chose his words.
"A strange and eerie force has descended upon Teyvat, and I fear that Lady Furina has already fallen under its influence..."
"In order to defeat this anomaly and save Furina, I need your help and your power!"
Exclusive access : 21ch on paetron
Join now : *com/DeCakraWnloverz