The moment King escaped from the Opera Epiclese, he felt completely relaxed.
Standing on the steps, he took a deep breath of the crisp morning air, feeling the fragrance of freedom fill his lungs.
Behind him, the faint sounds of Furina's frustrated stomping and Columbina's bell-like laughter drifted from the Opera Epiclese's dining hall.
King's lips twitched slightly.
"I can't live like this anymore."
Just as he was about to find a quiet place to hide, he spotted three figures sneaking into a tavern at the edge of an alley not far away.
King narrowed his eyes.
"Weren't you three supposed to be looking for a doctor?"
His voice wasn't loud, but it acted like nails, pinning the three of them to the spot.
Neuvillette, who had only wanted to go into the tavern for a glass of water, stiffened for a moment.
Then he slowly turned around, forcing a smile that could only be described as stiff.
"Mr. King, what a coincidence."
Wriothesley, who had been provoked by Venti and was about to have a drinking contest with him, was drenched in sweat, a similarly stiff smile plastered on his face.
"Too coincidental."
Venti, the instigator, flopped onto the ground with a "thud" and closed his eyes, playing dead.
King walked over, his gaze sweeping across their faces.
Silence.
A drop of cold sweat broke out on Neuvillette's temple, his heart racing.
Wriothesley felt his position as Duke wavering.
Venti even held his breath; he didn't want to die here!
Then King spoke with a smile.
"Why are you drinking so early in the morning?"
"Let's find somewhere for breakfast. My treat."
The three of them breathed a sigh of relief simultaneously.
Neuvillette almost lost his grip on his cane.
Wriothesley felt that his title as Duke was safe.
Venti "timely" woke up, rubbing his eyes with an innocent "what just happened to me?" expression.
"Oh my, why am I here? What just happened?"
Neuvillette and Wriothesley looked at him as if he were an idiot.
Still acting?!
Ignoring them, Venti approached King with a grin. "What would you like to eat, Mr. King? The Thousand Winds told me... there's an amazing bakery in Fontaine. Their breakfast bread is absolutely superb!"
King glanced at him and gave a small nod.
"Let's go then. If it's not good, you're paying."
Venti immediately perked up and took the lead, floating ahead.
"Follow me, follow me! I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"
...
Ten minutes later.
King stood before a building and fell into silence.
This was a castle.
A real castle.
The snowy white marble exterior glowed softly in the morning light, arched floor-to-ceiling windows were set with stained glass, and wind chimes on the spires tinkled in the breeze.
The heavy oak doors were carved with exquisite wheat patterns. A golden sign hung above the lintel—
[Lilith's Bakery]
In the bottom right corner of the sign was a line of small text:
"Thanks to the sponsorship of our benefactor, Lord King, 10% of this shop's monthly profits will be donated to Fontaine's charitable causes."
King's eye twitched.
He remembered this place.
A few months ago, he and Paimon had been here.
Back then, it was just an ordinary street-side shop. Though exquisite, it was of a normal size.
Then he encountered Tartaglia here, and the two of them had a fight.
He had beaten that Fatui Harbinger to a pulp and accidentally reduced the entire shop to ruins.
Even though it was ruined, he remembered clearly that it hadn't been large back then.
At least not this large!
But now...
What was with this castle?
Seeing King's expression, Neuvillette knew what he was thinking and took the initiative to explain.
"Mr. King, this matter is actually related to you."
King raised an eyebrow. "Related to me?"
"Yes." Neuvillette nodded, his cane lightly tapping the ground. "When you subdued the Fatui Harbinger 'Childe' Tartaglia here, the aftershocks of the battle completely destroyed Lilianes Bakery. According to Fontaine law, those who cause damage to another's property are liable for compensation."
He paused and continued, "The Iudex of Fontaine ruled that this battle was an official act to maintain Fontaine's security."
"Therefore, the Opera Epiclese stepped in officially and provided Manager Lilith with compensation three times the value of the shop."
"Three times?" King repeated the figure.
"Yes, three times." Neuvillette's expression turned subtle for a moment. "Furthermore, the Fatui also proactively offered compensation. Arlecchino personally ordered not only to compensate Manager Lilith for her financial losses but also to rebuild the shop for free, while paying for all losses during the closure, including projected profits."
Wriothesley added from the side, "The reason those Fatui fellows agreed to Arlecchino wasting funds like this is likely because they were afraid your impression of them would worsen because of this, Mr. King, so they were exceptionally generous."
Venti rested his chin on his hand, enjoying the gossip. "And then? And then? How did a small shop turn into a castle?"
Neuvillette glanced at him and continued, "Manager Lilith received triple compensation from the Opera Epiclese, double compensation from the Fatui, plus compensation for the closure... The funds in her hands far exceeded what was needed to rebuild an ordinary shop."
"She is a woman of great boldness."
Wriothesley chimed in, offering a rare word of praise.
"Instead of saving the money to earn interest, she took out a loan and bought the entire street."
"Bought the entire street with a loan?" King repeated.
"Yes, bought the entire street." Neuvillette nodded. "She expanded the original shop, connected it with several neighboring storefronts, and hired Fontaine's most famous architect to redesign it, eventually creating this gourmet castle."
"It has now become one of Fontaine's tourist attractions. Every day, a large number of tourists come here, drawn by its reputation to taste Manager Lilith's handiwork."
"The loan has long since been paid off."
"It's said that her daily income now is more than what she used to earn in an entire year."
Wriothesley wore a teasing expression. "A blessing in disguise—that's probably the best way to describe her situation."
King smiled.
Triple compensation, plus the Fatui's proactive compensation, plus the closure loss compensation...
Lilith really hit the jackpot this time.
"Shall we go in and see how Lilith is doing?"
Venti was already impatient, his emerald eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Neuvillette and Wriothesley shared a look, then turned to King.
King nodded and stepped forward.
"Let's go."
Pushing open the castle doors, the sight before him made King pause for a moment.
Resplendent and magnificent.
It could only be described with those words.
The hall had a ceiling nearly ten meters high, with three massive crystal chandeliers hanging from the dome, each shimmering with a warm glow.
Sunlight streamed through the stained glass windows, casting mottled and kaleidoscopic shadows on the floor.
The hall was filled with exquisite dining tables covered in snowy white tablecloths, adorned with fresh flowers and silver cutlery.
Tables by the windows offered views of the street, while against the walls were rows of display cases filled with various breads and desserts.
The air was thick with the rich scents of milk, wheat, and sweet fruit, making one's mouth water just from the smell.
Although it was still early morning, the hall was already packed with guests.
Some were holding Fontas and talking softly, others were devouring freshly served bread, and a few guests, clearly tourists, were taking photos with Kameras.
"Whoa—!"
Venti was the first to float inside, his eyes shining brightly.
Neuvillette and Wriothesley followed behind, their expressions calm.
As the actual rulers of the Opera Epiclese and Meropide Hold, such a scene wasn't enough to move them.
Venti, however, acted like a country bumpkin, touching everything and clicking his tongue in wonder. "This is too luxurious! It's even more grand than Mondstadt's Dawn Winery!"
Wriothesley's lips twitched, barely holding back a laugh.
Fontaine is the fashion capital of Teyvat.
Why are you comparing a Mondstadt winery to a Fontaine castle?
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