A few days later...
Since that heartfelt conversation in Whitespruce Town, Luo Qing noticed sothing unusual: Furina's affection for him seed to have skyrocketed, to a rather absurd degree.
Where he once had to chase after her everywhere, now this girl wouldn't leave his side. Other than when she bathed or used the restroom, she insisted on bringing him along at all tis.
She even started clinging to him at night, holding onto him while they slept.
Even when Luo Qing would "accidentally" slide his hand into her blouse, instead of getting furious like she used to, she'd only blush shyly.
Though, if he pushed things too far, she would still turn red-faced, and with a swift kick, send him flying off the bed.
It was oddly endearing—like a shy, young girlfriend.
anwhile, the societal aftermath of the Whitespruce Town disaster continued to fernt.
The dia had amplified the prophecy crisis, and what was once casual gossip among Fontaine's citizens had transford into a tangible dread looming over their lives, a fear that soday it would befall them too.
The growing anxiety birthed more cris, and society gradually plunged into chaos and panic.
Voices of doubt against Furina also began to grow louder.
So went as far as publishing headlines openly questioning why their Hydro Archon had remained silent in the face of such a dire prophecy, offering no plan of action or reassurance.
But compared to the escalating unrest in Fontaine, Furina seed happier than she had been in a long ti.
As though it didn't matter if the entire world misunderstood her, so long as Luo Qing trusted her.
That was enough.
That day, another cri linked to prophecy-induced panic was being judged at the Opera Epiclese.
It was a relatively minor trial, yet Furina, who had taken a peculiar interest in trials recently, had been attending every single one without fail. Naturally, she dragged Luo Qing along.
To make things more convenient for herself, Furina had even ordered a seat to be added beside her official throne, creating a "queen and consort" vibe.
Though, in their case, the roles seed reversed.
"I'm telling you..." Luo Qing glanced uneasily at the crowd below, feeling the weight of their stares.
Every audience mber who entered would inevitably cast him a look—so envious, others jealous, and many filled with silent resentnt toward Furina.
"You're putting so much pressure on ," Luo Qing muttered, exasperated.
The way they looked at him made him feel like so fox spirit corrupting the ruler, the reason Furina wasn't addressing the prophecy crisis or managing Fontaine properly.
"What does it matter?" Furina chuckled softly, utterly unbothered by the crowd's judgntal gazes. She leaned closer to Luo Qing, wrapping her arm around his shoulders and pressing her slender fra against him.
This affectionate gesture sent the young n in the audience into a frenzy.
Knuckles whitened, teeth clenched—they all looked as if they wanted to replace him on the spot.
That's our goddess!
And she's clinging to another man...
Damn it... Why not ?!
Once the crowd was seated, Neuvillette, presiding over the trial, tapped his gavel lightly to signal the start.
This case revolved around a robbery.
Several impoverished youths, despairing over their inability to secure food for even the next day, decided the world's impending end absolved them from obeying the law.
Under the banner of "If the world is ending, who cares about the rules?", they looted a store, distributing stolen food and supplies to others before being apprehended by the Gardes.
Ordinarily, this would be a straightforward criminal case, handled routinely by the courts.
However, because the cri was rooted in societal inequality and prophecy-driven fear, public opinion sided with the perpetrators.
Neuvillette himself was compelled to oversee an open trial.
"Defendants Hild, Val, and Ed," Neuvillette addressed them calmly from the judge's podium, "do you have any objections to the charges brought against you?"
"If you do, this is the ti to state them."
"Of course, Lord Neuvillette!"
Hild, one of the accused, stood up without a trace of fear, raising his voice to address the crowd gathered in the Opera House.
"Of course I object!"
He raised his head, his eyes locking onto Furina and Luo Qing on the thrones above.
"I am a native of Whitespruce Town. After the recent disaster, my family has been left starving. We had no food—none! That's why we were forced to resort to these actions."
Hild pointed a trembling finger at Furina, his gaze filled with indignation.
"If anyone is to bla, it's the Hydro Archon herself!"
His words struck a chord, electrifying the audience.
For weeks, many had been tornted by sleepless nights, consud by the prophecy's terror. Now, seeing soone bold enough to question Furina directly, they were eager to fan the flas, whispering their own criticisms among themselves.
"And why do you say that?"
Neuvillette glanced at Furina, his expression calm, as if this confrontation had been inevitable. He gestured for Hild to continue.
"Because..."
Hild took a deep breath, his voice rising with emotion.
"The Hydro Archon is the protector of Fontaine. If she could solve the prophecy crisis, the disaster in Whitespruce Town wouldn't have happened! My family wouldn't have gone hungry, and we wouldn't have had to break the law to survive!"
"But she didn't!"
"The Archon hasn't done anything about the prophecy—not even a single public statent!"
"She's betrayed our trust!"
"She's the one truly responsible!"
His impassioned words set the crowd ablaze, their whispers growing into a roar of accusations.
Even the Oratrice, Furina's divine judgnt chanism, tilted slightly toward the defendant, signaling agreent with his argunts.
This revelation only further stoked the flas.
If the Oratrice, created by Furina herself, supported his claims, then perhaps the Archon truly was at fault.
The crowd's questioning grew louder, emboldened by the Oratrice's decision. So even stood up, shouting angrily:
"Why are you wasting ti on romance instead of helping us?"
"Isn't it your duty to protect Fontaine?"
"Furina..." Luo Qing frowned.
A master of reading emotions, he recognized this was no re trial. It was an orchestrated public confrontation designed to break Furina's composure.
Just as he prepared to intervene and silence the crowd, he noticed Furina lowering her head, tears slipping down her cheeks.
Without a word, she turned and ran out of the Opera House.
---
T/N: KILL KILL KILL
...
If you're reading this, then you've wandered all the way to the end. I'm impressed. Stories are like wine—ant to be savored, not rushed. So if you took your ti? Thank you.
Of course, the real thanks goes to WiseTL—the one who turned tangled words into sothing beautiful. I just got asked to wrap things up with a ribbon. Hopefully this counts!
If you enjoyed the journey and want to support the person who made it possible, you can find them here:
👉 /WiseTL]
Go on. Be generous. They've earned it.
Until next ti—read well, rest often, and maybe co visit at the Hostess of Fertility soti.
– Syr ✨
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