The subsequent days of sailing passed smoothly amidst the sound of waves and Neuvillette's silent company.
Lovia gradually grew accustomed to the rhythm of life on the ship.
She would wake up in the early morning and sometimes go to the deck to briefly feel the sea breeze; she was always drawn to those white figures soaring between the sea and sky.
The seagulls would sometimes fly high, sometimes dive, sometimes steal her snacks (scratch that), or chase the spray kicked up by the stern, or quietly perch on the mast to preen their feathers; that unrestrained freedom left her entranced.
Of course, more often than not, she stayed quietly in her cabin, conceiving the unofficial history of Fontaine, a joyful smile on her lips.
She had already written down several inspirations for the upcoming Fontaine unofficial history, interspersed with a few pieces of Liyue unofficial history.
Since communication was possible, if Shopkeeper Sun of Sanyu Bookstore agreed to continue their cooperation, she would mail all the subsequent Liyue unofficial history to him.
Lovia had already planned how to arrange the unofficial history; once she settled down, she would ask Neuvillette to help her find a bookstore.
The first book was titled "hip dynamics: From Meropide Fortress to the Peak of Power," the second was tentatively titled "Brother in Black Silks' Four-Character Mantra," and the third... Neuvillette visited her every day, for varying lengths of time, sometimes simply to check on her condition, and sometimes to engage in a few brief sentences of conversation; the content was trivial, but it effectively helped her adapt to his presence and contact with the outside world.
One afternoon, as Neuvillette was watching the sea with Lovia again, she suddenly spoke softly, asking the question that had been circling in her mind for a long time: "Lord Neuvillette, how... did you know I was in Liyue?"
Neuvillette's gaze shifted from the sea, looking calmly at Lovia. He didn't answer directly but asked softly, "What do you think?"
Lovia fell silent for a moment, a multitude of thoughts racing through her head, but in the end, she shook her head.
Neuvillette's gaze swept across the shimmering surface of the sea, his voice calm as usual: "It was Mamere, a Little Melusine who heard Elynas's voice. Do you know of Elynas?"
Lovia was slightly startled.
Father? So he had sent word back to Fontaine as early as then?
"I know, it's Father," Lovia nodded. "Was it Mamere who told you?"
While speaking, Lovia was thinking to herself: Mamere is a Little Painter; maybe I can collaborate with him to create unofficial history when the time comes? That would be great!
"Yes," Neuvillette looked at her. "Mamere can hear Elynas's voice. Through him, I learned that a Melusine had ended up in Liyue, so I wrote two letters to Liyue to confirm."
Hearing this, her thoughts about unofficial history vanished instantly, and Lovia subconsciously curled her fingers.
Sending letters to the Liyue authorities? So he didn't just launch a direct strike on Liyue?
Neuvillette continued, "One was sent to the Liyue authorities, and the other was sent to the Feiyun Commerce Guild, seeking their assistance."
He paused briefly, the sea breeze ruffling his silver-white hair.
"The reply from the official channels reached me a few days late due to some unknown reasons. As for the Feiyun Commerce Guild..." Neuvillette shook his head slightly. "I have yet to receive a response. Because of that, I arrived a bit late."
This approach was very reasonable and consistent with Neuvillette's style—parallel lines of action to ensure the information was delivered.
Hearing Neuvillette say he had also sent a letter to the Feiyun Commerce Guild, Lovia suddenly realized.
A previously overlooked detail clearly surfaced at this moment.
Xingqiu knew she was a Humanoid Melusine. As the Second Young Master of the Feiyun Commerce Guild, he must have seen that letter from Neuvillette and known that someone from Fontaine was looking for her.
That day in the backyard of Wanmin Restaurant, Xingqiu's seemingly casual mention of Fontaine wasn't out of simple curiosity. He was testing her, perhaps wanting to convey the news in a gentle way that wouldn't alarm her, or at least to gauge her attitude.
However, her withdrawal at the time made him immediately retract all his probing antennae.
Instead of forcing the issue or exposing her, he helped maintain a facade of calm, quietly suppressing the letter that might have caused her panic, allowing her to continue staying safely in Liyue, within the temporary haven of Wanmin Restaurant.
He chose silence, respected her wishes, and even helped conceal her identity by not sending a reply to Neuvillette.
A feeling called "peace of mind" suddenly surged in her heart, and she felt as if she missed her friends in Liyue a little.
Lovia pursed her lips, deciding in her heart to write back to her companions in Liyue as soon as she settled in Fontaine.
"So... that's how it was. Thank you," Lovia replied in a low voice, lowering her eyes to hide the turmoil within.
Neuvillette watched her quietly for a moment, not speaking to interrupt her silence and thoughts, simply casting his gaze back toward the boundless sea.
A long time passed.
"The wind and waves are about to pick up," Neuvillette reminded her gently. "Go back to your cabin and rest."
Lovia nodded obediently and turned to leave the deck... The attendants would deliver meals tailored to her taste on time every day, and the cabin was always kept at a comfortable temperature.
One day, as the voyage neared its end, the outline of a city finally appeared in their field of vision.
Neuvillette and Lovia happened to be on the deck looking at the scenery. His gaze turned toward the gradually clearing view in the distance, and he announced calmly: "Lovia, we are almost there. Look, that is Fontaine."
Lovia: "!"
Hearing this, Lovia immediately perked up.
On the distant horizon, the silhouette of a massive city gradually emerged.
It was a city on the water with an architectural style completely different from Liyue's, with tall clusters of buildings arranged in a grand and orderly fashion.
That's... Fontaine? It's so big?!
As the ship drew closer, the details of the pier became clear. People in various outfits could be seen busily moving about, and among them were indeed some figures with non-human traits similar to Lovia's—those were the Melusines.
They walked naturally among the crowd, conversing and collaborating with humans.
Lovia's heart began to beat faster uncontrollably; this time, it wasn't just nervousness, but a mixture of anticipation and the trepidation of returning home.
Neuvillette looked toward the approaching city with her.
Soon, the hull gave a slight jolt, making a dull sound as it bumped against the pier, announcing the end of the voyage.
Lovia unconsciously held her breath, her eyes widening slightly at the sight before her.
Neuvillette turned to look at her, his voice steady and gentle: "Welcome home, Lovia."
[extra chapter progress bar: 22%]
-------------------------
If you enjoy this story, you can read 70+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
Webnovel will keep getting 1 new chapter every day but Patreon readers can stay far ahead.
Maybe it's not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
[email protected]/Greyhounds
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"