Yes, Lady Funina!

"Actually, if it's just a matter of borrowing, I can still borrow from Qunyu Pavilion. However, how to get Qunyu Pavilion to Fontaine is also a problem. The most crucial thing is, as you said, Lady Funina, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of people are just a drop in the ocean when it comes to the flood crisis facing Fontaine."

Richard looked at Funina and continued, "So..."

"I understand, you don't need to say anything more." As soon as Fu Ningna saw Richard's expression, she knew that he was trying to persuade her to reveal the secret again.

To reiterate, unless Richard can gain Funina's absolute trust, complete peace of mind, and absolute assurance that he will not leak the secret, Funina will absolutely not tell Richard about that matter.

Even if... the other party has already guessed pretty much right.

If Frynn is not mistaken, Richard's trip to Liyue was likely for this very reason.

So, is there a result yet?

Richard smiled slightly and said nothing more. Instead, he opened his magic pocket and took out the gift he had brought back from Liyue.

Furnessa, Lynette, Clarinde, and everyone in the city hall staff received gifts, all of which were carefully selected by Richard.

Of course, the gifts will vary depending on how close the relationship is. The gifts given to Funina, Lynette, and Clarinde will definitely not be the same as those given to ordinary staff members.

"This is for you, Clarinde." Richard took out the lipstick he had bought from [Spring Fragrance Kiln], implying that she should be more careful about what she said.

"Thank you." Clarind took the lipstick, but instead of using it on the spot, she put it in her pocket.

“This is yours, Lynette.” Richard then took out a set of precious blue and white porcelain tea set, which he had taken from Ningguang; its quality was beyond question.

This tea set is expensive, but everyone can use it when having afternoon tea, so it's not considered biased.

Of course, Richard himself doesn't seem to realize this. For him, Mora has never been the key to measuring the value of things; what matters is whether it is suitable and whether the other party needs it.

Then it was Funina's turn. Funina clasped her hands together in front of her chest and looked at Richard with anticipation in her eyes.

They practically had "Where's my gift?" written all over their faces.

Richard thought for a moment. He couldn't just take out the blank contract directly, and besides, a contract obviously couldn't be considered a gift.

Fortunately, he was prepared and took out a bag of tea from his magic pocket.

This tea is no ordinary tea; it's a special supply for the Seven Stars in Liyue, something even Mora can't get her hands on. Its quality is similar to what Frynn usually drinks... Hmm, thinking about it this way, Richard suddenly realized that this tea isn't so precious after all.

However, Funina didn't think too much about it. She happily took the tea leaves, picked them up and looked at them from left to right, treasuring them like precious treasures.

For Funina, the value of a gift is not important; what matters is the person who gives it and the sentiment behind it.

"Let's have a tea party this weekend, using this packet of tea!" Funina announced. She wasn't a stingy person; having good tea meant sharing it to make the most of it.

She looked at Clarinde, "You can invite Navia too. Tea parties are more fun with lots of people."

“No problem,” Claurind agreed, thinking that Navia would also be interested in the tea party.

With the gifts mostly distributed and everyone quite satisfied with their presents, Richard brought up the more serious matter.

"In a few days, Tianquan, one of the seven stars of Liyue, should be making a diplomatic visit to Fontaine, with the aim of 'cultural exchange'."

"【Tianquan Star】? The builder and owner of Qunyu Pavilion?" Fu Ningna immediately became interested upon hearing this. If this person was visiting, could she take this opportunity to discuss matters related to levitation technology with him?

Lynette, however, had a bad feeling. If she remembered correctly, the "Tianquan Star" should be a young, single woman.

Moreover, Liyue has just weathered a crisis and is in the process of rebuilding and rebuilding. It would be too unusual for the Seven Stars to be in Fontaine instead of Liyue.

Most importantly, this news came from Richard himself, not from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Clearly, this is related to the other party again. Could it be another 'Eightfold Divine Child'? Linette thought with a solemn expression.

So how many 'enemies' does she actually have?

The acting leader of Mondstadt, the priestess of Inazuma, the matriarch of Tianquan in Liyue...

Isn't this putting too much pressure on a mere secretary like her? Thinking this, Lynette glanced at Funina, who seemed completely oblivious to the impending crisis.

Forget it, I can't count on them.

Life is not easy, cat sighs.jpg

"Approximately when?" Lynette asked, needing to know the arrival time to prepare accordingly.

"It's not finalized yet, but they should come over after things have stabilized in Liyue. It'll probably be a while," Richard said.

When he left, Ningguang was still busy arranging the post-disaster reconstruction work in Liyue, and it seemed that she would not be able to come for a while.

After all, Ningguang only told him about this before he left, and the timing and occasion were not very formal, so it must have been a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Moreover, since it is a cultural exchange, Fontaine also needs to make some preparations. Therefore, if Ningguang really wants to visit, she will definitely inform the Fontaine officials in advance, and the cultural exchange activity will only be carried out after both sides are ready.

This will take even longer, and the efficiency of the Fontainebleau government... well, those who know, know.

What troubled Richard even more than Ningguang's visit was the immortal who approached him before leaving—the True Lord Liuyun Borrowing Wind.

After the disaster passed, Zhenjun found Richard and told him that the child she had entrusted to her years ago had grown up and had been looking for him all these years.

However, seeing that Richard was in a hurry to return to Fontaine, Lord Liuyun did not force Richard to see the child. He simply told Richard that if he had time, he could go and see the child.

Upon hearing the proposal to visit Ningguang Culture, the True Lord added, "If you're really too busy, you can have Shen He come to you. It's infuriating, really. I've been taking care of that child for so many years, but it feels like that child cares more about you."

Zhenjun didn't hide these words from Ningguang, and his meaning was clear: if Ningguang was going to Fengdan, Shenhe could naturally go with her.

Ningguang merely glanced at Zhenjun's arrangement before readily agreeing. Before departing, she would send someone to Jueyun to inform him and bring Shenhe along to Fengdan.

Richard seems to have foreseen the trouble that Zhongli mentioned, that "Richard will face a problem even more troublesome than Liyue Harbor."

Volume 1: Chapter 94 The Contract & Fucaros (4K+)

After afternoon tea, Richard did not linger at Mo Mang Palace. After all, he was theoretically still on vacation and had already used his leave slip, so there was no reason for him to only rest for half a day. He obviously couldn't waste the afternoon.

However, before leaving, Richard made an appointment with Furness to see the latest musical at the Opicclays Opera that evening; he had already prepared the tickets.

Furina said she never needs a ticket to go to the Opikley Opera House; she can go whenever she wants, and sometimes people even pay her to go.

This time was clearly different. The water god's seat at the Opiclie Opera was too conspicuous, so Richard prepared a private business box where he could both watch the performance and discuss important matters.

Fulina agreed, and Richard didn't ask why she would rather spend so much money to book a business suite with Mora than enjoy a free, high-view private viewing spot with her.

Because Frynn had already guessed Richard's purpose in meeting her alone, and after this trip to Liyue, he must have found a way to 'completely' gain her trust.

After leaving the Palace of Moman, Richard arrived at the Opiclie Opera House, where a middle-aged man rushed to greet him upon seeing him.

"Mr. Richard, you've arrived."

"Hmm, how's the preparation for the musical going?"

"Please rest assured, all the actors are ready and waiting, and tonight's performance will definitely satisfy you."

The middle-aged man was the general director of tonight's musical, and the reason he was so respectful to Richard was naturally because Richard was the biggest investor in the musical, the kind who didn't interfere in anything.

Aside from providing a story and arranging necessary financial oversight personnel, he left everything else to these professionals. He didn't interfere with anything, from casting to behind-the-scenes preparations. He provided money and connections as needed, and even avoided product placement.

For musical directors who are constantly suffering from being pressured by clients, such a wealthy patron is a once-in-a-century dream, and naturally, they must be treated well.

These days, there are fewer and fewer investors who understand art. That's bad enough, but they also like to interfere in professional matters and add meaningless plot points to promote products.

They always turn the sublime, pure, and elegant art theater into a large-scale commercial product launch.

Customers pay to watch ads, and they even get a free musical performance. I'm so happy!

He's a business genius.

While Richard's story outline is somewhat clichéd and lacks originality, the concept is good, and with ample funding to hire top talent in the industry, the final performance is highly anticipated.

The musical director was full of confidence, believing it would be a significant milestone in his directing career.

“Then I’ll leave it to Mr. Michel.” Richard nodded.

Richard wanted the best possible performance, because sometimes when the atmosphere is right, many things that you wouldn't normally say will naturally come out.

Whether it's a musical or the choice of Opikley Opera House as the venue, it was all carefully considered. Richard had already begun preparing for these things after returning from Mondstadt.

The musical Richard is preparing is about a princess from the Water Kingdom who accidentally learns of a divine revelation that will destroy the world, and then a series of stories unfold around the three themes of divine revelation, destruction, and salvation.

In this story, the princess makes many efforts to avoid the end of the world, encountering numerous difficulties and hardships. Unlike ordinary stories where efforts bring rewards, the princess's efforts in this story are all in vain. Countless setbacks and hardships lead her to place her hopes on the ethereal 'god'.

As for the divine revelation, she buried it deep in her heart, because 'God' told her that if she told others about the revelation, then the gods would not send down salvation, and the Water Kingdom would be swallowed by the flood and destroyed, just as prophesied.

From then on, the princess put on a mask, smiling at the world and telling everyone that the crisis would definitely be over. Until then, all they had to do was enjoy the feast, and she would bear everything, take responsibility for everything, and save everything.

And this is exactly what the princess herself considers her 'duty'.

One day, a capable minister arrived in this joyous kingdom. He noticed the princess's unusual behavior and offered to share the burden.

The princess trusted this minister very much, but some things cannot be solved by trust alone. The princess told the minister not to ask any further questions, but simply to enjoy the present moment like the people of the Water Kingdom.

However, the ministers did not give up and tried to use various means to get the princess to talk. They persuaded her with classical allusions, appealed to her with sincere words, and even used seduction. Unfortunately, the princess was like a spy in a movie, and she was not swayed by reason. This led to many laughable situations.

As predicted, the world was destroyed. The disaster swept away the capital, submerged the villages, and everything in the Water Kingdom was wiped out as if erased by an eraser. The 'god' that the princess longed for did not appear.

As the sole survivor of this disaster, what kept her alive was the 'ark' prepared in advance by her minister. Because he had not been able to obtain information from the princess beforehand, when the disaster struck, the minister could only do his best to prepare such a small boat that could only carry one person. He left the hope of life to the princess, while he himself perished along with the Water Kingdom.

This concludes the story.

The first half unfolds as a classic storyline, interspersed with romantic comedy elements, and ultimately ends in tragedy.

With all the elements piled up, this plot, which seemed destined to flop at first glance, surprisingly turned out quite well thanks to a generous budget and a top-notch production team!

"It's a very good musical. It would have been even better if the scriptwriters hadn't included their own personal opinions," said Funina, arms crossed.

For Furnessa, who has been immersed in musicals for many years and has participated in many well-known productions, understanding the various metaphors in the story is a piece of cake.

And... can this be considered a metaphor?

The princess of the Water Kingdom, the loyal minister, the divine revelation of world destruction... this is already an open and undisguised statement!

Speaking of which, the character of the minister in the drama is probably based on Richard, right? Is it really okay for this guy to be so self-aggrandizing?

“I actually think the script is quite good,” Richard said, looking at Furnessa. “It’s very realistic, isn’t it?”

"Do you think Fontaine will eventually be flooded?" Funina met Richard's gaze without flinching.

“The prophecy will definitely come true, and Fontaine will definitely be flooded. This is something I have known for a long time,” Richard said.

Upon hearing Richard's words, Funina's pupils contracted, and she gripped her clothes tightly with her arms crossed, wrinkling the once-smooth fabric.

“Your information is wrong,” Furina said. “Fontaine will not be flooded, and the prophecy may not come true. Even if it does, I will save everyone. The musical’s story will not happen in reality.”

"I believe you, Funina."

“G?” Fulina was taken aback, not expecting Richard to say that. Normally, shouldn’t the other party question her and then ask her what she wanted to know?

Why did you suddenly say that? Is it an admission of defeat?

"Of course I believe you, Funina. I know you are not the princess in the story, and I am not the subject in the story either."

"The future is unpredictable, but it certainly won't end in tragedy like in the story."

“But…” Richard changed the subject.

When Fulina heard Richard say "but," she had a knowing look on her face. She knew Richard wouldn't admit defeat like that; his seemingly "softening" words were just a prelude to what he would say after "but."

"All of this is based on the premise that Lady Funina will not, like the princess in the story, keep the secret until the very end."

'I knew it!' Funina thought.

All of Richard's previous words were a prelude to his goal of 'uncovering her secret'. Whether it was asking her out alone or going to see a musical, Richard's purpose was never hidden from the beginning.

"I told you before, the condition for telling you the secret is that I won't say anything until I gain my 'absolute' trust." Funina crossed her arms, closed her eyes, and turned her head to the side, adopting an uncompromising stance.

Then he opened one eye and glanced at me sideways, saying, "And you don't actually think you can gain my trust with a decent musical, do you?"

'Isn't that a bit too far-fetched!' Fulina thought angrily; her trust wasn't so cheap.

“Of course not.” Richard shook his head and took out his ultimate trump card from his pocket—the Book of Contracts.

"What is this?" Funina asked, puzzled, as Richard suddenly pulled out a slightly yellowed, antique-looking piece of paper.

"The Book of Contracts, which contains 'rules' and was personally created by the God of Contracts."

"The reason I told you so confidently before that the prophecy would come true and that Fontaine would be submerged was because of the 'rules'."

"Furina, do you know about the World Tree?"

“I know. The legendary World Tree records the past and present of Teyvat. Everything on Teyvat can be found in the World Tree.” Although Frynn does not have the authority of a god, she has been constantly seeking ways to deal with the flood crisis for the past four hundred years.

During this time, I naturally learned some secrets about the continent of Teyvat.

"Then you probably don't know that in addition to recording the past and present, the World Tree also contains records about the 'future'. The [prophecy] is the 'future' that was already inscribed in the World Tree."

"And that is precisely the basis for my certainty that the [prophecy] will come true."

It was clear that this was the first time Funina had heard of such a thing, and as Richard finished speaking, the last shred of hope she had for the "prophecy" vanished.

If the prophecy is certain to happen, then what is the point of everything she is insisting on now? And can the god in the mirror, K, truly keep his promise and save everyone?