Yes, Lady Funina!

Couldn't you have used some better visual imagery? This makes it seem like I'm being imprisoned by Richard.

You know what, right now Fukaros is bound by chains from her arms and waist down to her thighs and ankles, with the ends of the chains hidden inside her body.

Her delicate, pretty face was deathly pale, with an unhealthy flush on her cheeks, and her pupils were slightly dilated from the faint pain emanating from her soul.

The clothes in the middle were cut open, revealing her smooth lower abdomen, and an unidentified mark was faintly visible below her abdomen.

It really does give off a vibe of a girl imprisoned in a doujinshi.

The only thing missing is the "Immortal" collar around its neck.

Richard seemed to realize that this was inappropriate; if others saw it, they might think he had done something to Fukaros.

Therefore, Richard did not intend to let anyone enter the place before he completely cured Fukaros, so as not to cause any unnecessary misunderstandings.

Considering that Fukaros needs to rest, Richard used the power of the Geo element to construct a stone bed. Grass element began to spread on it, and green vines instantly covered the surface of the stone bed, becoming soft and comfortable under the influence of the Water element.

And just like that, a simple yet comfortable elemental force hospital bed appeared out of nowhere in this dark and desolate space.

Richard helped Fukaros lie down on the bed, and then temporarily left the alternate dimension.

When everyone saw Richard emerge from the mouth of the Star-Devouring Whale again, they all gathered around him.

Seeing that Fucarus was not with Richard, Furina couldn't help but ask, "Where is Fucarus?"

“She needs to rest,” Richard replied. “I’ll go back later to help her repair her throne, and also Vilette…”

Richard handed the pale blue orb of light to Navelette, and the water-shaped orb seemed to be attracted to it, drifting straight toward Navelette.

Richard quickly merged with Navelette, and seeing Navelette's aura suddenly surge, he said, "The rest is up to you."

Navilette nodded, turned and walked out of the Opicclay Opera House.

Seeing Richard turn around and walk back towards the Star-Devouring Whale, Furna couldn't help but follow him.

Richard stopped him, saying without changing his expression, "Lady Funina, the floodwaters have just risen, and Fontaine desperately needs someone to take charge. For now, we'll need you to play the role of 'Water God' for a while longer."

“Well… alright.” Funina thought Richard made sense, so she stopped and watched as Richard re-entered the space inside the Star-Devouring Whale.

Actually, Funina felt that it didn't matter whether she was there or not. Even without her, Vilette could still take charge. But since Richard had said so, she might as well play the role of 'water goddess' for a while longer.

Once the true water god appears, she will be able to relinquish this burden of five hundred years.

At that moment, the real water goddess Fucarus was looking at Richard's hand placed on her abdomen with teary eyes.

"Gulp... I'll never get married."

Chapter 166 Fucarus: A Weak Player Who Loves to Play

Several days later, Richard and Fukaros emerged from the alternate dimension inside the Star-Devouring Whale.

Navelette pardoned the original sins of the people of Fontaine, and the floods in Fontaine, thanks to the ice-attribute divine crystals sponsored by the Winter Queen, resulted in far fewer casualties than expected.

Because of the ice layer, only a small number of Fontaine people came into contact with the primordial seawater.

However, given the total number of people, even if it's only a small portion, the actual number is still quite alarming when it's tallied.

This can be considered the most devastating disaster Fontaine has suffered in nearly a century.

Fortunately, the original sin of the Fontaine people was washed away after Navelette became a complete dragon, so that even if he came into contact with the primordial seawater again in the future, it would not be dissolved.

The reconstruction efforts following the disaster, as well as the relief efforts for the injured and deceased, are proceeding in an orderly manner under Navilette's leadership.

"I wonder how Richard and the others are doing. How long have they been here..." Fu Ningna's beautiful eyes revealed worry, and in addition to worry, there was also an undisguised look of exhaustion.

These days, Funina is arguably busier than Navelette. While Navelette coordinates everything in her office, Funina attends various relief efforts almost every day, appearing to perform miracles and soothe the anxieties of Fontainebleau caused by the rising floodwaters.

It can be said that the reason why Fontaine was able to enter the post-disaster reconstruction state so quickly is not only due to the active assistance of various organizations and groups in Fontaine, but also, in terms of individual contributions, Furina's contribution is the greatest.

After all, although the people of Fontaine have regarded Funina as a lucky charm and deity for hundreds of years, when disaster actually occurs, the first person they want to see is Funina.

To some extent, in a year of disaster, Furnessa was the backbone of the people of Fontainebleau. Even if she did nothing, just standing there and being seen was enough to comfort people's hearts.

However, compared to the thoughts of the people of Fontainebleau, Furina's thoughts were much simpler. After she finished her last performance, she would go back to her hometown to get married (not really), and then let Richard take her out to play!

She has done more than enough for the people of Fontainebleau over the years, and it's time for her to have a life of her own.

Richard is her guarantee for the future. Fryna has decided that once Fukaros has fully taken over the position of water god, she will have Richard take her around Teyvat.

I have to visit all the Liyue and Inazuma places, no, I have to do it once a year!

Springtime was spent in Liyue, summer in Fontaine, autumn in Inazuma, and winter in Mondstadt; the main theme was wandering and displacement.

I've played the Water God for five hundred years, can't I enjoy myself a bit?

"Lady Furina, Richard and Lady Fukaros have come out." Due to the temporary freezing of the Prophecy Machine, the Opicley Opera House has also been temporarily designated as a restricted area.

Meanwhile, the Star-Devouring Whale, which provided a ward for Fucarus and Richard, has been residing on the stage of the Opiclie Opera these days.

What's reassuring is that this cosmic behemoth doesn't seem to need to eat. Ordinary food doesn't provide any energy for it, or rather, the energy it consumes is too small and the efficiency is too low. The energy it expends to open its mouth and eat is probably more than the energy it replenishes after digestion.

This saved Fontaine a lot of money on food. The only problem was that the star-devouring whale was constantly weeping, so the stage needed to be dewatered every now and then.

Otherwise, over time, the tears of the star-devouring whale might flood the Opiclie Opera House.

Although the trial was temporarily moved away from the Opiclie Opera House and the oracle had almost ceased functioning, Frynn still went to the Opiclie Opera House whenever she had a spare moment.

On one hand, she wanted to try her luck and see if she could see Richard as soon as he came out. On the other hand, the Star-Devouring Whale was very interesting. Despite its huge size, it had an unusually good temper. Even if Funina climbed on its body and ran and jumped around, it didn't matter at all.

For this purpose, Frynn even had Clorind take a picture of her standing on top of the Star-Devouring Whale, holding a scepter in a victory pose.

The photo was published in Steambird the following day to appease the public.

"You're out? Can I rest now?" Upon hearing Clorind's words, Funina quickly pulled out the little notebook she had prepared beforehand.

The above is not a list of precautions for taking over as Minister of State, but rather a Liyue travel guide that she commissioned a professional (Ningguang) to create after consulting a large amount of information.

After all, being the Chief Executive is quite an easy job. All you have to do every day is sit there and sign a document when it's almost time to leave work. There's nothing special you need to pay attention to.

Furina believed that with Frucaros's abilities, he would be able to get the hang of it quickly.

While Funina was making her plans, Fukaros was also examining her own soul.

The good news is that Dr. Richard's skills are superb, and this extraction of the Water Power was a great success. The recovery after the surgery was also very good, and the Water God's throne was successfully restored to its original state under the blessing of the [Immortal] authority.

However, one thing that left Fukaros somewhat unsure how to assess was that the restored throne of the water god seemed to differ somewhat from the previous one.

The original throne was made entirely of jade, radiating a pale blue halo, and looked pure and sacred.

Now, thanks to Richard's restoration, the texture is still there, but the original light blue halo is gone.

Fukaros could understand this, since the power over water had been taken away, and the throne of the water god would inevitably be affected.

But the impact of this is... far too great.

Fucarus stared at his water god throne, which had turned deep blue. The water ripples on the throne also vaguely resembled the shape of a dragon. The overall style still looked sacred and inviolable, but it had lost a bit of purity and gained a touch of majesty.

Although no one's name is engraved on it, it feels as if this throne has completely taken the shape of someone.

Thinking of this, Fukaros couldn't help but rub the seal of the contract below her navel. Now, she was truly marked by someone from the inside out.

"How are you feeling?" Richard asked.

Although he had absolute confidence in his skills and the authority of "immortality," Richard still wanted to ask about the 'patient's' condition just in case.

“I feel…” Fukalos hesitated.

Richard frowned upon seeing this. Could it be that something was really wrong?

Just as he was about to use [Immortality] to bind Fucaros again.

Fukalos suddenly smiled and said, "I feel so much lighter, like all the debts I was carrying have been paid off at once, and I feel so light."

Upon hearing Fucaros's words, Richard, expressionless, skillfully bound Fucaros with the [Immortal] Chains.

"Hey, hey, what are you doing! I was just joking." Fukaros panicked, but faced with Richard's restraints, she, a weak woman, had no ability to fight back and could only watch helplessly as Richard's hand returned to her lower abdomen.

After a thorough examination, Richard withdrew his hand, while Fukaros blushed deeply, looking like a cat with its fur standing on end, staring at Richard with her heterochromatic almond eyes, both embarrassed and angry.

Is she just being a joke because she can't take a joke? Is it really necessary to check it again?

However, in common sense, examining the soul is actually a very difficult thing, especially when examining someone else's soul. The soul will instinctively resist the power released by the examiner, thus making the examination impossible.

However, Richard did not seem to encounter such obstacles when examining Fucarus's soul; the process was exceptionally smooth.

Just as Fukaros's soul had completely accepted Richard's existence, when Richard's power entered her soul, she was not only not rejected, but even felt a sense of perfect harmony when she came into contact with this power.

Richard's influence on Fukaros felt less like a doctor visiting for a check-up and more like a husband returning home from work.

—This familiar feeling is just like coming home.

Fukalos clearly felt as if an electric current had passed through her body when Richard's 'gaze' swept over her soul.

It felt strange yet stimulating, and even somewhat comfortable.

It was precisely because of this feeling that Fukaros felt somewhat embarrassed and annoyed. You see, although she quite liked Richard, she was still a novice who had never been in a relationship.

They forcefully entered her soul right from the start, without even asking for her consent.

Even if lovers are called soulmates, they can't just move into each other's arms, right?

Besides, she and Richard weren't even lovers!

This...this is completely against the law!

Facing the ruffled white kitten, Richard smiled and said, "This is a necessary check."

After all, you can't just say everything's fine and expect it to be fine, right? You have to follow the doctor's orders, and it's strictly forbidden to harass the doctor.

Dr. Li is very petty.

When Fukalos saw Richard's upturned lips, she became even angrier, but what angered her even more was that she couldn't do anything about him.

After all, Richard was her savior. Without Richard, she would probably have had to follow her original plan and sacrifice herself to save Fontaine.

As for checking her soul, strictly speaking, it was also for her safety, not to mention that she couldn't help but think of teasing Richard first.

It's entirely his own fault; he tried to steal a chicken but lost the rice instead.

He's bad at cooking, but he loves to have fun.

This is quite similar to Funina; it's true that birds of a feather flock together.

Fukaros knew she was in the wrong and understood just how cunning the man before her was; she knew that she couldn't gain any advantage over him with such superficial methods.

Immediately, Fukaros changed her attack, her anger and embarrassment vanished, and she said reproachfully, "I don't care, you have to take responsibility."

“Of course I will take responsibility.” Richard nodded in agreement without hesitation.

"Huh?" Fukalos didn't expect Richard to agree so readily, and then she heard the other side say something.

"Before this, I felt that there were some oversights in the previous inspection, and it needs to be done again."

Fukaros's pretty face changed, and she quickly used Flash to get away from Richard, fearing that he might tie her up again if they disagreed.

As she backed away, she said, "I was just joking. How could I expect you to take responsibility? Do you think I'm that kind of unreasonable woman?"

Then, Fukaros put on a pitiful look and said, "Besides, I've already been marked by you from body to soul. I guess no one in this world knows me better than you. There's absolutely no need for any kind of examination."

Fukalos's words are indeed true. Generally speaking, the term "soulmate" is an exaggerated metaphor used to describe the spiritual connection between friends or lovers.

However, Richard and Fukaros are true soulmates, and Richard's influence even remains deep within Fukaros's soul.

As Richard delves deeper into Fucarus's soul, his own soul inevitably comes into contact with it.

They have a very deep understanding of each other's souls and can truly be called the people who understand each other best.

Before Richard could reply, Fucarus jogged up behind him, placed her hands on Richard's back, and pushed him forward.

"Alright, alright, let's hurry up and get out of here. Funina and the others are still waiting for us outside. Besides, we can't just leave the command machine like this. Keeping it running at high power all the time will seriously affect its lifespan."

Fukaros dared not provoke Richard again, fearing that he might tie her up again and subject her to some kind of 'soul interrogation'.

Although it no longer hurts and even feels somewhat comfortable, Fukalos still finds it hard to get used to it.

To describe this feeling with a somewhat inappropriate analogy, it would be like a girlfriend who has just tasted forbidden fruit still feeling shy about it and hasn't yet changed her mindset.

The solution is simple: just do it a few more times.

Having left the alternate dimension inside the Star-Devouring Whale and stepped back onto the stage of the Opiclay Opera House, Fucarus took a deep breath and then stretched out a big yawn.

"Ah, it's finally resolved." Fukalos's tone was unusually lighthearted.

It was as if a bird had been freed from heavy shackles and was eager to take flight.

"Does the Imperial Proclamation Machine need my help with the trial?"