At the top of the Palais Mermonia, Furina sat gracefully at her exquisite desk, her every movement exuding unparalleled elegance.
She savored a bite of her favorite petit four before picking up today's Steambird newspaper, engrossed in her reading.
The trial of Baron Lorraine yesterday had caused a huge stir in Fontaine, with the Steambird even dedicating an entire page to a detailed analysis of the case's origins and development.
Reporter Euphrasie described the trial as the most reversed and bizarre case in Fontaine in nearly a century.
Although she had always enjoyed stories full of twists and turns, this time, as a person involved, she didn't know how to feel.
After reading the report, Furina felt somewhat depressed.
Furina picked up her coffee and took a gentle sip.
The coffee's fragrance and richness spread across her tongue, slowly soothing her inner turmoil.
At that moment, a gentle knock sounded on the door.
She opened the door to find her Melusine butler, Sedene.
"Lady Furina, a Mr. Yide has requested to see you," Sedene said respectfully.
Furina paused, wondering why Yide would suddenly visit her. After a moment's thought, she said, "Very well, have him wait for me in the drawing-room."
Sedene nodded. "I'll take him to the drawing-room right away."
With that, she skipped away.
The Melusine race is naturally optimistic and cheerful, and few worries can trouble them.
Watching Sedene's departing figure, Furina couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.
How she wished she could be like the Melusine, living happily and carefree every day.
However, the cold and despairing prophecy always loomed over her, preventing her from escaping the heaviness and oppression in her heart.
A moment later, she appeared in the drawing-room.
Yide was casually lounging on the sofa, legs crossed, sipping coffee.
A hint of displeasure flashed across Furina's face.
This fellow is far too informal.
She asked with a touch of arrogance, "Yide, what brings you here?"
Yide put down his coffee cup and looked up at Furina.
A faint smile played on his lips as he said, "Of course, I have business, Lady Furina."
Furina frowned slightly, disliking the feeling of being controlled by the other party.
She said bluntly, "Get to the point. This goddess is very busy."
Yide didn't rush to answer but looked at her deeply before saying softly, "Furina, you are not a god. You are just a human."
The words struck Furina's heart like a bolt of lightning.
Her eyes widened as she stared at Yide in disbelief.
Panic and anxiety instantly filled her mind, leaving her unable to react.
But she quickly recovered from her shock, forcing a smile to her face in an attempt to hide her inner turmoil. "Yide, your words are utterly absurd.
Do you think that winning a trial allows you to arbitrarily declare that I am not a god?
I, Furina de Fontaine, as the Queen of All Waters, All Forms, All People, and All Laws, am an indisputable god."
Yide listened to her defense without any change in expression.
He said calmly, "Furina, stop acting. You must be tired after playing the role of a god for hundreds of years."
Furina gritted her teeth, still insisting on her position. "Yide, what evidence do you have to prove that I am not a god?"
Yide didn't want to dwell on the issue. He said directly, "Furina, I know far more than you think, including the prophecy about Fontaine.
I also understand what you have been working towards. Our goals are the same: to save Fontaine."
Hearing this, Furina's heart stirred, but she still asked tentatively, "The prophecy of Fontaine? What prophecy are you referring to?"
Yide looked at her deeply and said softly, "All will be dissolved in water, and only the Hydro Archon will cry on her throne."
Furina was completely shocked by Yide's words. Her eyes widened, and her voice trembled slightly as she asked, "Who… who exactly are you? You're not Yide, are you? What do you want?"
Yide chuckled, his smile revealing a hint of depth and mystery. "I am Yide, but not entirely the Yide you know.
My goal is simple: to save a hapless fool, and myself. And now, I need your help."
Furina's mind was in chaos as she struggled to sort out her thoughts. "What… what do you need me to help you with?"
Yide took a deep breath and said slowly, "I plan to form an organization dedicated to preventing that prophecy from happening. I need your full support, Furina."
Furina was silent for a moment, her heart undergoing a fierce struggle.
However, when she thought that she was finally no longer alone and that someone was willing to share this responsibility with her, she felt an unprecedented sense of relief.
She nodded and said firmly, "Alright, I will fully support you."
Yide continued to elaborate on his plan: "This organization will be named 'Saving Furina Association', but when promoting it to the public, we will use the name 'West Factory'.
Its main responsibility will be to supervise the Fontaine government and handle those intricate cases, all of which will be directly responsible to you, Furina."
Hearing this proposal, Furina frowned and commented, "Both 'Saving Furina Association' and 'West Factory' are strange names. Moreover, Neuvillette will absolutely not agree to the matter of supervising the Fontaine government."
However, Yide didn't seem to care about Neuvillette's reaction. He replied calmly, "Neuvillette's attitude is not the deciding factor. The key is you, Furina. As the goddess of Fontaine, you should have such influence and decisiveness."
With that, he stood up and slowly walked towards Furina. "After all, you don't want the fact that you are not a god to be made public, do you?"
His tone was light, but it was full of irresistible power.