Genshin Impact: Fontaine's Regent, driving players crazy.

Furina's eyes fell upon Themis's desk, now buried under a massive stack of paper documents.

Her heart swelled with worry for her friend. How exhausting it must be to wade through all these papers.

"Perfect! I have a free day today," Furina exclaimed. "Themis! This Hydro Archon has decided to personally come help you with those files! How does it sound? Can you feel my gratitude?"

Furina leaned in close to Themis, her eyes shining with anticipation.

What could Themis say? If she refused, it would surely disappoint the cat. Though she was full of rebellious spirit, this wasn't the place for such defiance.

"Alright, Lady Furina. Let's get these remaining documents out of the way quickly. I'm sure we'll have plenty of time left."

"How about we go for a stroll in the city afterward?" Themis suggested.

Furina's heart skipped a beat at the idea. Alone with Themis is one thing; we're quite close now, so even getting kissed wouldn't faze me too much.

But walking the streets of Fontaine... The mere thought of being surrounded by curious onlookers made Furina's skin crawl. I can't bear the idea of being constantly scrutinized.

She detested being constantly under the watchful gaze of Fontaine's citizens. In these hard-won moments of rest, she yearned to simply be Furina again.

As Furina fell silent, Themis swiftly changed her approach.

"How about a stroll through the wilderness?" she suggested. "Or perhaps a walk by the sea?"

While Themis's new ideas were certainly better than her previous suggestion of shopping, Furina instantly lost interest at the thought of the out-of-control machines littered across the wilderness and large mobs of Hilichurls chasing her down.

"I still think staying at Palais Mermonia is best for me..."

Furina desperately clung to her pride, unwilling to show her vulnerability before Themis.

Absolutely not! No, no, no! She shook her head vigorously, her refusal radiating from every pore.

"Let's see... hmm, we could enjoy a quiet afternoon tea..."

"Or perhaps read the latest novel published here in Fontaine..."

"Or, uh, we could discuss something else entirely..."

Under Themis's watchful gaze, Furina's voice grew increasingly tentative. "And in any case, I don't wish to leave Palais Mermonia!"

"Furina, is this for my benefit? I must say, I feel quite overwhelmed by your consideration."

Themis helped Furina down from her awkward position, and within a split second, Furina jumped at the opportunity.

"Exactly! That's right!"

"You work so hard every day, Themis. During your rare free time, you should take proper rest!"

"Whether it's shopping or going out to the wilderness and beach, they're all exhausting activities!"

Furina's bangs quivered and stood up, as she pretended to remain calm, wearing an expression that seemed to say: Quick, praise your archon for being so understanding!

"Oh, oh, truly appropriate for the great, kind and benevolent Lady Furina," Themis activated her compliment skill, adeptly stroking Furina's sense of self-worth. "However, compared to staying cooped up in Palais Mermonia, I think venturing out would be much better."

Resting her chin on one hand, Themis looked at Furina and playfully poked her soft cheek, unsurprisingly seeing Furina puff out her cheeks in response.

"Lady Furina, spending all your days in Palais Mermonia, I'm afraid small mushrooms might start growing on your head."

"How could mushrooms possibly grow on my head?!"

"But if Lady Furina stays alone in your room, I worry about your mental well-being."

"I'm perfectly fine! There's not a single issue!"

"Yesterday, in Fontaine's wilderness, I saw a cute talking cat and an adorable talking dog. I want to go visit them. Would Lady Furina like to come along?"

Themis smiled sweetly, and as expected, Furina wavered.

She wanted to stroke the soft little kitten; Furina had zero resistance to cute animals, let alone rare talking kittens and puppies.

Although Themis found Furina herself adorable, not something she shared with the beasts, it was clear Furina didn't realize this.

As Furina remained undecided, Themis decided to add a bit of fuel to the fire. "I heard the bakery you frequent often has developed some new delicious pastries and cakes oh~"

"Furina, don't you want to try them?"

Her voice stretched like a siren's call, enticing Furina as if trying to lure a cute little kitten.

New pastries!

Furina's eyes lit up, leaving her with no reason to refuse.

After all, anything Themis recommended was sure to be exceptionally, exceptionally delicious!

Even if it's just a tiny bit less tasty than something Themis made herself, Furina thought.

Furina's mental shields had been breached, her defenses wiped clean.

"Themis! This Archon orders you: Hurry up and finish these chores with me, then let's go out and have some fun!"

The blue-white kitten, chest puffed out and head held high, returned to the scene with renewed vigor, shaking off its previous gloom and resistance.

Themis observed this transformation, a smile blossoming within her heart.

"Very well, Lady Furina."

That's more like it, Themis thought. A blue-white kitten should spend more time basking in the sun to avoid getting moldy.

Unaware that Themis was mentally referring to her as a kitten, Furina moved half of the documents from her desk to sit across from Themis. Gripping her quill, she brimming with determination, set her sights on her goals—whether it be a talking kitten or puppy, or perhaps the latest pastries and cakes from the bakery—she, Furina, would claim them all!

As Neuvillette passed by, he caught a glimpse of Furina in Themis's office, the two engrossed in document work. This heartwarming scene elicited a contented smile from him.

"To see their relationship is as strong as ever puts my mind at ease," he remarked.

Sedene, hovering beside Neuvillette, peeked inside and nodded in agreement with her master's sentiment.

It was widely known among the Fontainans that a amicable relationship between Lady Themis and Lady Furina was considered good fortune for both Palais Mermonia and Fontaine. After all, when it came to keeping their nation stable, Themis's word carried great weight.

If ever Themis and Furina fell out of favor, while Furina might quietly slip out of bed to shed tears, Themis would merely wear a stormy expression that would make everyone tremble in fear. They'd worry that so much as setting foot in Palais Mermonia could result in immediate dismissal—or worse, exile. Okay, perhaps those fears were exaggerated, but such was the awe and reverence Themis had built as Fontaine's Regent for five centuries!

Not even Neuvillette dared to show up unannounced before Themis, with many cautionary tales still fresh in everyone's minds.

In short, the consequences of upsetting Themis were too severe; everyone was best advised to be mindful.

After all, the gentle and kind Regent is beloved by all. We should ensure Themis remains ever amiable and approachable.

If any fool dares to disrupt the relationship between Themis and Furina, don't blame the Fontainians for orchestrating their "suicide" via seven stabs in the back.

One could only say that the unwritten rules accepted by all Fontainians came from Focalors' influence within the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale—a testament to how deeply her five centuries of fictional storytelling and Themis x Furina fanfics had seeped into the culture and shared consciousness of the nation!

The thought alone of orchestrating this grand shipper narrative brought joy to her dreams, even as it spilled into reality.

Thus, whether in the past or now, Focalors never ceased submitting her work.

Even though the themes of the Regent and the Hydro Archon had been written about for five hundred years, nearly to exhaustion, she, Focalors, could still find a fresh angle for all her fans!

As a result, the comments on these romance novels nearly matched the fervor of those under her historical fiction.

[Author, are you sure you don't live in Palais Mermonia?]

[One book spanning three generations—people may leave, but the stories endure. Can we get some more? Let's make it a family heirloom.]

[Thank you, author! As a traveler from afar, I now completely understand why the people of Fontaine love watching their leaders so much.]

[Hiss—It's been five hundred years! Author, how are you still writing?! What kind of species are you?!]

[Can I suspect that Lady Themis and Lady Furina were being spied on? Is the Security Team just eating their pay?!]

[Is there a chance—I mean, is there any chance at all—that the author might be one of these two?]

[Impossible! Absolutely not! Would you trust the author or me as the God of Justice?!]

["Of course, I trust you as the God of Justice!"]

Focalors stood with hands on her hips.

She continued to edit her manuscript on the notepad while observing Themis's office through the mirror. She watched as Furina, effortlessly stroking Themis's hair, shook her head and sighed.

Heavens above, would she be able to see Furina stand up for herself at least once before she died?

However, regarding Furina's psychological state, Focalors could only place her hope on Themis.

As a divine being, no matter how well she disguised herself, it was impossible for her to fully comprehend the thoughts of a human.

Take our neighboring archons, for example. Even when disguised as humans, there's always something off about them—whether in their speech, mindset, or daily habits—that sets them apart from true mortals.