"Hello, Furina."
Nahida's small ears twitched as she greeted her.
She had been preparing to cuddle up and sleep beside the Great Lord Rukkhadevata when Luo Qing suddenly contacted her through the Void Terminal in the middle of the night, claiming it was sothing urgent.
Luckily, it was Luo Qing—her dear father.
If it had been anyone else, no one would have dared to interrupt her precious ti with Rukkhadevata!
"You... you're..."
Furina froze, unable to recall ever seeing this petite, white-haired girl before.
"Allow to introduce you..."
Luo Qing's figure suddenly materialized between the two of them.
He stepped behind Nahida and gently ruffled her hair. She leaned into his touch, wearing a contented expression.
"This is the Void Network, Lady Hydro Archon. The green threads you see around us are the connections between the Void Network and the citizens of Fontaine..."
"And her..."
Furina glanced at Nahida, and a realization dawned on her.
"You've guessed it correctly. This is the current god of Suru, the Archon Buer. Of course, you can also call her by her na—Nahida~"
"The... the Dendro Archon?!"
Furina's voice trembled as she recoiled in shock.
Even though she had braced herself for sothing unexpected, hearing Luo Qing's introduction left her reeling.
Truth be told, despite being the Hydro Archon, Furina had never t any of the other ruling Archons before.
"Hello, Furina. I've heard a lot about you from D—uh, Luo Qing."
"I... I..."
Furina stamred, too flustered to respond.
She had always boasted about being the most remarkable of the Seven Archons, but standing face-to-face with the very real Dendro Archon, her pride faltered.
She wanted to put her hands on her hips and proclaim her status as Fontaine's Hydro Archon.
But the words just wouldn't co out.
"I understand you might have so doubts about Luo Qing's identity," Nahida began gently when Furina remained silent. "But I ask you to trust . Luo Qing's role as Suru's envoy is just as legitimate."
"I assure you, Luo Qing harbors no ill intentions toward Fontaine. Please, believe in him."
Nahida's tone was poised and asured. While she was asking for Furina's trust, her words carried a hint of maturity and dignity—a sign of the wisdom she had learned from Rukkhadevata.
As for a certain other white-haired goddess...
Let's just say comparisons wouldn't be fair.
"But... but he's a Fatui!" Furina exclaid, her voice filled with disbelief.
"You know as well as I do how terrible the Fatui from Snezhnaya can be! Half of Fontaine's criminal cases are tied to them!"
"Luo Qing is different."
Nahida shook her head, her defense of her father unwavering.
"Please believe in him. And believe in . The Void Terminal is not just his endeavor—it is mine as well..."
Nahida then launched into a detailed explanation of the Void Terminal's uses and benefits, tying it to the current state of Teyvat and the diplomatic relations between Fontaine and Suru. She proposed key points for strengthening the bond between their nations.
To summarize in one line:
If you refuse to cooperate and recall the Void Terminal, don't expect our nations to work together in the future.
"Wha..."
Furina was on the verge of tears by the ti Nahida finished.
She was only a symbolic Hydro Archon! She knew nothing about politics—that was always Neuvillette's responsibility.
Though her mind wasn't particularly sharp, even Furina understood that her words right now could have serious consequences for diplomacy between their nations.
As the academic hub of Teyvat, Fontaine benefited imnsely from scholars returning from Suru's Akademiya each year.
If she accidentally cut off that path, her reputation among her people would plumt to an all-ti low.
"I... you two..."
Furina glanced between Nahida and Luo Qing, who stood behind her with a look that clearly said, "My daughter is amazing." Her heart suddenly felt utterly wronged.
"I... I don't want to play anymore! Let go back!"
"Huh?"
Nahida blinked in confusion.
She had envisioned many potential scenarios for negotiating with Fontaine's Hydro Archon, but this...
"I said, you two are ganging up on ! I don't want to play anymore! Let go back!"
"This..."
Nahida looked up at Luo Qing for help.
Dealing with this situation wasn't sothing Rukkhadevata had prepared her for. For a mont, she was at a loss.
"You've worked hard, Nahida," Luo Qing said softly, patting her head. "Leave the rest to ."
"...Alright. Co back soon, Luo Qing."
With that, Nahida transford into a streak of erald light and vanished from the Void Network.
"She... she left?"
Furina peeked around cautiously.
"Yeah, you scared her off."
Luo Qing huffed lightly. With a wave of his hand, their surroundings reverted to Furina's bedroom.
"I an... you're a Fatui Harbinger, right? Why are you so close with the Dendro Archon? What's your relationship with her, anyway?"
Without Nahida's intimidating presence, Furina relaxed noticeably.
"Are you sure you want to know?"
Luo Qing leaned in closer.
"Say it if you want. Don't if you don't."
"Fine, I'll tell you." Luo Qing smirked and leaned closer to Furina, his tone dripping with mystery.
"Nahida and I... are family~"
"What?!"
Furina was stunned.
No wonder their dynamic earlier scread father and daughter!
"You two... don't tell ..."
The previous Dendro Archon was the Great Lord Rukkhadevata herself.
If the current Dendro Archon was Luo Qing's... that, then wouldn't that an...
Her train of thought halted abruptly.
"Exactly. You're quite perceptive."
Luo Qing's enigmatic smile deepened.
"Well then, my dear Hydro Archon, now that you know a secret even my Empress doesn't, you're obligated to cooperate with ."
"What?!"
Furina's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Why didn't you say this was a secret earlier? And why does it co with strings attached?!"
"You didn't ask."
"..."
Furina crossed her arms, huffing indignantly.
"Hmph! And what if I refuse to cooperate?"
"Well, then I'll have to kill you to ensure the secret stays safe," Luo Qing said nonchalantly.
He shifted his position, sitting closer to Furina's legs, his hand nearly brushing against her feet.
If Furina wanted to keep up her fragile yet haughty act, she would have to react in line with her persona.
And if she didn't, it would break her façade, revealing her true self—sothing Luo Qing would undoubtedly seize upon.
Either way, he wouldn't lose.
"You... you're going to kill ?!"
Furina's voice shot up in alarm.
How could this man be like this?!
Just days ago, they were sharing late-night conversations, candles burning low. And now, at the first sign of disagreent, he was threatening to kill her to keep his secret?!
What a scumbag!
---
T/N: YOU SCUMBAG
"..."
- Gardevoir
(End of Chapter—Support the translator at /WiseTL]!)
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