Yes, Lady Funina!

Soon it was time for the ball during intermission. The lights dimmed, except for the central area which was illuminated. Just as Funina was about to step forward to announce the start of the ball, Richard appeared in the light first.

Furnessa stopped in her tracks, not understanding what Richard wanted to do.

Could it be... that he's planning to ask one of them to dance in front of everyone?

Thinking of this, Funina's heart began to race. At the same time, she subtly moved forward, just barely touching the edge of the central light in the hall, trying to make herself more conspicuous and increase her chances of being invited.

Of course, the other three girls quickly saw through this little scheme, but no one said anything. Instead, they followed Funinna's example and quietly moved next to her, not letting her steal the spotlight.

It's not that I'm worried about losing the opportunity, but rather it's for the sake of fairness, yes, fairness.

However, to their surprise, Richard did not invite any of them, nor did he invite Clarinde and Lynette.

Instead, she announced to the crowd that the star of the ball tonight would be chosen by the noble twin water gods, Lord Narukami, and her retinue, and that the person who becomes the star of the ball would have all expenses within the stipulated amount covered by the city hall during the upcoming cultural exchange activities between the two countries.

Although none of the people present were short of money, their enthusiasm was significantly boosted when they heard that there was a prize involved, especially since it was recognized by the two deities.

The four of them, including Funina, obviously did not expect Richard to directly change them from invited guests to invited judges. As a result, as judges, they naturally could not personally participate in the ball.

Richard not only easily avoided a potential disaster, but also silenced them, ensuring they wouldn't cause him any trouble during the banquet.

"So this is how it was resolved?" Yae no Miko pondered, stroking her chin.

"Isn't it clever and interesting?" Ying thought it was quite good.

Upon hearing Ying's words, Yae no Miko rolled her eyes and said, "In your eyes, is there anything wrong with him?"

"Hmm... fickle?" Ying replied after serious thought.

"Do you even need to tell me?" Yae no Miko was speechless.

Seeing the speechless expression on Yae no Miko's face, Kage smiled gently and said, "Besides, to be honest, aren't you just like me?"

“We’re not the same…” Yae no Miko muttered, but she didn’t say how they were different.

While Fukaros and Furina were somewhat disappointed that Richard hadn't chosen anyone as queen, it wasn't entirely unacceptable.

Fukaros felt that if she really had to choose one person, her probability should be the lowest, while Funina had already danced with Richard before, so she didn't have any obsession with dancing with him.

Perhaps for them, not choosing the other side is a victory?

Lynette and Claudia were clearly unaware of this, assuming it was pre-arranged, and of course, they had no intention of going up to dance with Richard.

Claude was still wearing her secretary's uniform, while Lynette, though dressed in an evening gown, was preoccupied with figuring out what was going on between Claude and Richard. Therefore, she would dance if Richard invited her, but didn't care if he didn't.

Just after Clorind had declined several men's invitations, Lynette suddenly leaned close to her and asked, "Richard said he's coming to your house tonight."

"Huh? Didn't you say you were taking a break?" Clorind answered instinctively, then realized that it was Lynette who said it, and a sense of foreboding immediately arose.

"Rest?" Lynette narrowed her eyes. Seeing Klorind's reaction, she knew she had guessed correctly.

"Uh... what are you talking about? Lynette, how could Richard possibly be coming to my house tonight? Ha... haha..."

However, this attempt to cover up the truth clearly failed to convince Lynette. The cat simply flicked its tail noncommittally and asked only one question.

"Clorind, are you a girl or a woman now?"

Chapter 190 The Fox Spirit's Chewed Sake (8K)

When Lynette asked the question, Claudia knew that she and Richard could no longer hide their affair.

But she still wanted to struggle a little longer, "W-what are you talking about? Of course I am..."

"Ok?"

"...She's a woman now."

Claude surrendered; she knew that since Lynette had made up her mind, it meant that nothing she said would make a difference.

Moreover... there's really no need to hide it from her. If possible, Clarind would even be willing to provide Lynette with some help within her capabilities.

After hearing Clorind's reply, Lynette took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.

'There's nothing to be sour about, Lynette,' Lynette told herself.

So what if she's a little earlier than me? I'll just consider it as letting Clarinde scout ahead for me and train Richard's skills.

Damn it, I can't convince myself at all!

The cat's ears twitched restlessly, and her nimble tail swayed erratically. She took a small sip of the red wine in her glass, and her thoughts drifted back to that night a few months ago.

If I had the same alcohol tolerance that night, would I be the one asking this question now, not Clarinde?

No, the more she thought about it, the angrier she got. Lynette couldn't help but take another sip of red wine. The slightly sour taste exploded on her taste buds, just like her current mood.

When Clorind saw that Lynette had started drinking silently after she finished speaking, she couldn't help but feel a little flustered.

Please don't do this, it scares me.

"Um... don't you have anything to say?" Clarin asked cautiously.

“What else can I say, Mrs. Clorind?” Lynette emphasized the word “Mrs.”, showing that she was indeed very concerned about Clorind’s sneaking away.

“Madam…” A blush appeared on Clarinde’s icy face, clearly embarrassed by Lynette’s form of address.

"Tsk." Seeing Clorinde's shy demeanor, if Lynette hadn't known about her sneaking off, she might have teased her a bit, but now... all she wanted to do was drink, chug chug chug.

When Clarind saw Lynette start drinking red wine without warning, she quickly drank half a glass and her cheeks were flushed. However, her eyes were still quite clear and she did not show any signs of being drunk.

Knowing that the other person was definitely upset about her sneaking away, she took the initiative to say to Lynette:

"Actually, I can help you."

"Help me? Are you kidding me?"

"I mean it."

Lynette frowned, but then she noticed that Clorind looked serious and didn't seem to be joking with her or teasing her.

This caused Lynette to pause as she brought the wine glass to her lips. She then placed the glass on the table and asked a waiter for a bottle of red wine, which she poured for Claude herself.

Then they heard the cat's impatient voice: "Tell me in detail."

Clarin looked around. Although the melodious music could easily drown out the noise of the crowd after the ball started, the crowd was still too dense, making it very easy for someone to overhear.

This isn't the right occasion to discuss how to gracefully feed the cat to Richard, especially since Richard is still here. What if he hears us... well, it doesn't seem like a big deal.

After all, she was just helping Richard out, not trying to harm him or anything. If anything, Richard should give her a reward!

Seeing Clorind's actions, Lynette understood what she was worried about, but this was indeed not the place to talk. After a moment's thought, she said:

"Come to my house tonight."

Although this statement sounds a bit strange, as if it involves some unspeakable transaction.

If Lynette weren't a woman, saying such things to Clorind would inevitably raise some eyebrows.

But it's clear that Lynette is an outstanding woman who is no less beautiful or capable than Clarinde, so there's no problem with that.

Clorind readily agreed to Lynette's invitation. She glanced at Richard, who was standing next to Funina and the others, smiling and talking about something, and thought that Richard probably wouldn't come to see her tonight.

Richard, who was outwitting Yae no Miko, noticed Clarin's gaze. He looked up and met her eyes, giving her a cryptic smile.

When Ying saw the smile on Richard's face, she followed his gaze and realized that the smile was for a woman who was top-notch in both figure and appearance.

Her gaze lingered on Claurind for a moment. If she remembered correctly, the other woman's name was Claurind, and she was Funina's personal secretary, as well as Richard's colleague and subordinate.

According to Funina's description, the reason why the other party was able to become her secretary was largely due to Richard's "keen eye for talent".

In the work that followed, Claurind proved Richard's keen eye and provided great help to Funina, becoming an indispensable assistant.

Now it seems that the other party must be the pioneer who got ahead of everyone else, right?

From her walking posture to the mature charm she exudes that is absent in young girls, it is clear that she has become a beautiful young woman.

Richard never showed any interest in married women. Ying knew that although Richard liked beautiful things, he had no treacherous intentions and would never destroy other people's families.

In fact, a hundred years ago, when Richard was still a married woman, many married women wanted to sleep with him because of his outstanding appearance, but without exception, Richard rejected them all.

When the priestess learned of this, she wanted to bring Richard to live at Narukami Shrine. However, since Narukami Shrine was quite a distance from Inazuma Castle, it would be a waste of time for Richard to go up and down the mountain every day, even though he was in good physical condition. So she sent Richard directly to the shogun's mansion and asked her to help look after him. She was very protective of Richard's food.

Well, everyone should know what happened next. As the 'guardian,' Kage played the role of embezzler, and it was because of this that Yae no Miko only found out recently that hundreds of years ago, Kage had already tasted Richard's pleasure for her...

We've gone a bit off-topic. Ying is pretty sure that Clarinde was the first to try it, because under her careful perception, she could still sense a faint Richard aura lingering around her.

Although these auras were faint, they seemed to be rooted in the other person's body, just like Fukaros and the others.

This couldn't be explained by just being colleagues, Ying thought to herself, and she made a mental note of Clarin's appearance, planning to ask her about it properly when she had some free time.

I wonder if Funina knows about this, but judging from Funina's appearance... she probably doesn't.

Although Ying had thought about so many things, only a moment had actually passed, and Richard and Claurind's eye contact lasted only a few seconds.

Because it was so brief, apart from Ying, the other girls didn't notice anything, and even if they did, they wouldn't have thought about it that way.

At least neither Fukaros, nor Funina, nor Yae no Miko expected anyone to get ahead of them.

Just like back then, Yae no Miko was unaware that Richard's first kiss had been taken by Kage without her noticing.

The ball at the banquet soon came to an end, and after deliberation by the four judges, the honor of "Star of the Banquet" was awarded to Inazuma Hotaru.

Although the other party did not follow the rules of Fontaine's ball to find a male partner for a duet, her shrine maiden dance, which had a distinct Inazuma flair, was refreshing for Funina, who was used to seeing Fontaine's dance styles. She immediately decided that the other party was the star of the party in her eyes.

Yae no Miko and Kage naturally had no objection to this recognition, since Inashiro Hotaru belonged to their side, and it was naturally a good thing to gain Funina's approval.

Fukaros has always unconditionally supported Fryna's decisions, just like a mother who dotes on her daughter, or perhaps an older sister would be a more appropriate term.

Moreover, Fucarus was quite knowledgeable about dance. In the days before she became the water goddess, she was particularly passionate about this art. In fact, in her original plan, she even intended to use dance to face her final judgment...

Richard stood aside, not joining the four women's discussion about art. However, even if he didn't want to join, Yae no Miko wasn't going to let this womanizer off so easily.

Then, our Lord Palace Attendant, holding a wine cup, gracefully approached Richard.

Yae no Miko's beauty is undeniable; every move she makes captivates people's hearts. If it weren't for her noble status as a member of the gods' family, many people present would have wanted to fix their gaze on her.

"I heard you got promoted?" This was the first thing Yae no Miko said to Richard after arriving in Fontaine.

Yes, the previous formal greetings were not considered by Yae no Miko; those were merely diplomatic rhetoric based on her role as Inazuma's envoy. What she was saying now was what she, as Yae no Miko, was saying to Richard.

"No, I'm just an ordinary executive secretary." Richard didn't mention the invitation, just as the other party hadn't mentioned it either.

Both sides seemed to have deliberately forgotten about their mutual scheming, which was the norm for them.

Just like a hundred years ago, although they were outwitting and outmaneuvering each other, they would never bring it up in public.

You could call it tacit understanding, or you could call it a form of flirting?

At least both Richard and Yae no Miko enjoyed it. Ying couldn't understand this way of communicating; she preferred something more direct. This was why, even though she met Richard later than Yae no Miko, she was still ahead of her.

A straight line is always the shortest distance, and a straight shot is often the quickest way to bring people closer together.

Shadow is well-versed in this.

"An ordinary executive secretary-general..." A hint of amusement flashed in Yae no Miko's eyes. Only a fool would believe that.

Did you not see that when Richard stood in the center of the banquet hall and forcefully took over the announcement that should have been made by Funina, none of the Fontaine officials present raised any objections? On the contrary, they thought it was a matter of course.

It should be noted that although the Permanent Secretary of the City Hall has more power after the reform, he is still only the second-in-command of the City Hall. As the Prime Minister, Furina should be the true master of the City Hall. However, it seems that Richard is the true master of the City Hall.

"So, when is the unremarkable Secretary-General planning to come back to Inazuma for a visit?" Yae no Miko continued. "You know, I remember you saying that Inazuma was your second hometown."

Richard thought about it for a moment and realized that he seemed to have said those words in his memory. He also said that he was half a rice wife.

But this statement is clearly just an excuse; it serves no purpose other than to build rapport.

He is a citizen of whichever country he is from, and his main characteristic is that he has no fixed abode.

After all, when he was in the winter, he often told others that he was half a winter person, but was he really a winter person?

As it is.

He wasn't even human.

Richard's answer was simple: "The past is the past, and the present is the present. Inazuma is my second home, but that doesn't mean I can abandon Fontaine, my third home."

Yae no Miko took a deep breath, feeling a slight pain in her chest. She said with a forced smile, "Didn't you say before that your third home was Liyue? Now it's Fontaine."

Before heading to Inazuma, Richard had also briefly stayed in Liyue, though not for as long as in Inazuma, so calling it his third hometown wouldn't be wrong...

“You don’t need to worry about these details. First and second are just terms used to describe the order in which I arrived; they don’t represent their importance to me,” Richard replied.

"Like me, Shadow, and Funina and the others?" Yae no Miko chimed in, "Richard, during the hundred years you disappeared, did you also work in a restaurant?"

Otherwise, why would they be so frugal?

Richard understood the unspoken meaning in the Divine Child's words, but he paid no attention to the Divine Child's sarcasm, only noting it down in his notebook.