Furina suddenly found herself not quite as excited about this trip to Mondstadt anymore.
It wasn't because she felt unsafe; ever since the treasure hoarder incident, she had developed a clear understanding of Richard's strength.
He might not be able to take down the dragon single-handedly, but at the very least, she was confident he could protect her from harm.
What truly bothered Furina was… desserts.
Richard had informed her that Mondstadt had been severely impacted by disaster, and many people had been displaced by the rampaging Stormterror. While the Knights of Favonius had organized relief efforts and provided supplies, the atmosphere in the city remained bleak, with morale at an all-time low.
Under such conditions, luxurious items like alcohol and desserts would not be served at the welcome banquet.
After all, if word got out that "the people of Mondstadt are suffering, while the elites are indulging in fine food and drink," the resulting backlash would be more than Mondstadt could afford to bear.
That said, in terms of hospitality, Mondstadt would still provide the highest standards. Aside from food, all other aspects, lodging, transportation, and accommodations would be top-class. Only the culinary offerings had been scaled back in light of the situation.
And the Knights' caution wasn't unfounded. Right now, some very unsavory guests were lurking in Mondstadt.
The Fatui, of course, would have no qualms about stabbing an "ally" in the back. In fact, they were already doing so under the guise of "support."
A bit of agitation was all it would take to incite the citizens. Before the Knights could fight dragons, they might have to fight their own people first.
"So... there really won't be any desserts at the embassy?" Furina asked anxiously.
"There are desserts at the embassy," Richard replied, "but the reception and banquet will be held in the Knights' hall. There will be juice, though, Sunsettia juice. It's in season and very sweet." He shrugged.
Furina didn't care much about the wine; she didn't drink anyway.
But the thought of not having any desserts at the banquet made her feel utterly defeated.
"How long will the reception and banquet last?" she asked, a little unwilling to give up.
"Looking at the schedule… it won't exceed seven hours. Usually, they last four to five."
"Five hours… that's exactly my afternoon tea time…" Furina said, completely dejected. Even the little strand of hair on her head drooped in sync.
The juice was fine and all… but she was used to red tea and desserts.
With a small pout, she inched closer to Richard, grabbed onto his arm, and glanced around to make sure no one was looking.
Then, in a voice only the two of them could hear, she whispered: "What if I hide a cake inside my hat? What do you think?"
Richard glanced at her lovely little blue hat and had to admit, Furina had a brilliant, if absurd, mind. She always came up with ideas that made him want to cover his face.
"Great idea," he said dryly. "But Furina, how exactly are you planning to eat the cake you've hidden?"
Furina imagined herself standing in the center of the banquet, gracefully lifting her hat under the gaze of the entire room… revealing a plate of chocolate cream cake on her head.
She'd nonchalantly ask a waiter for a fork, then slowly lower the plate and cut herself a slice. All the while, everyone else would be holding fruit juice, while she alone enjoyed a delicious dessert.
The image made her toes curl from embarrassment.
She was here to make friends on behalf of Fontaine, not to make enemies.
So, clearly, this plan had to be scrapped.
Still unwilling to give up, Furina quickly came up with another idea:
"What if we set up a break room or a discussion lounge? Somewhere we can review the cooperation proposals mentioned during the banquet. Place it right next to the hall, and then we sneak in the embassy's desserts there."
Richard opened his mouth… but found himself speechless. A thousand thoughts condensed into one sentence:
"That's a remarkably constructive idea, Lady Furina."
'If only she'd put this much thought into improving Fontaine...On second thought, it was fine, at least this dessert sabotage was manageable.'
Soon, the delegation arrived in Mondstadt. Acting Grand Master Jean Gunnhildr greeted them and led them to the grand hall.
At the same time, Furina's request was granted.
The room next to the main hall had been transformed into a dessert lounge, with all kinds of beautifully crafted pastries lined up for display.
Meanwhile, in the banquet hall, the formally dressed attendees raised their glasses of juice with the elegance of wine-drinkers.
None of them wore bright smiles, though. The current state of Mondstadt allowed no room for celebration.
In times like these, the so-called "city of freedom" could feel anything but free.
It served as a reminder that "freedom does not mean unlimited freedom." Fortunately, Furina was well-trained in handling such formal situations.
She easily became the center of attention at the banquet. Even if she hadn't performed so flawlessly, her divine identity alone would've made her the star of the evening.
After all, in the land of Teyvat, a god's presence was sacred, and as long as she didn't behave outrageously, she would be forgiven for nearly anything.
Richard honestly thought Furina didn't need to go through all this trouble to get her desserts.
If she had just stuck to her original plan, pulling a cake out of her hat like a magician and eating it in front of everyone, no one would've dared criticize her.
Some might even admire her for embodying the spirit of freedom and respect her for embracing Mondstadt's values, a gesture of cultural assimilation.
As Richard sipped on his Sunsettia juice and discussed Klee's recent behavior with Jean, he noticed Furina winking at him from across the room.
He glanced at his watch. About an hour had passed since the reception began, right on cue for the end of Furina's usual afternoon tea time.
So Richard politely excused himself and approached Furina.
In a clear, formal tone, he said: "Lady Furina, Monsieur Macaron in the reception room requests your attention on an important matter."
He then courteously greeted the surrounding nobles and dignitaries. Most of them clearly recognized him and returned his smile warmly.
Some officials, unaware of the specifics, even said generously,"If Lady Furina has matters to attend to, please don't let us hold her back."
In their minds, any matter requiring the Archon's attention must be of great importance.