Lucian slumped in his chair, belly bulging.
His face was listless, eyes vacant.
His arms hung limp at his sides, and an unknown fluid dribbled from the corner of his mouth.
Of course, he wasn't broken. He had simply eaten his fill.
Across from him, Charlotte leaned back in her own chair, gently rubbing her slightly rounded stomach.
She hadn't eaten as much as Lucian, so her belly wasn't as pronounced.
"Ah, I've missed this flavor so much..."
Charlotte closed her eyes in contentnt. It had been ages since she'd tasted ho cooking.
"Shikikan-sensei, do you like Fontaine cuisine?"
Charlotte glanced at Lucian, who looked utterly burned out.
"I used to really like it... until now."
"Now I just hate my own excessive curiosity."
Lucian shot a glance at the "delicacy" still on the table.
Even looking at it nearly made him vomit again.
There on the table sat the infamous Fishy Toast, more commonly known as Stargazy Pie.
Out of curiosity, Lucian had ordered one to try after finishing his al.
But he never expected its destructive power to be so overwhelming.
All mory of the delicious food he'd eaten earlier had been obliterated.
His taste buds had been ambushed, leaving only the phantom wails of fish echoing in his mind.
"Ahaha... This restaurant's Fishy Toast is famously terrible. Next ti, I'll take you sowhere more proper."
Charlotte forced an awkward laugh.
Even she considered this dish borderline inedible.
Once, out of similar curiosity, she'd tried it herself. Fortunately, hers hadn't been the cursed version.
When prepared correctly, the dish could actually be quite tasty.
But this ti... it very much wasn't.
"So it's famously bad?"
Lucian suddenly recalled the waitress's expression earlier, that mix of shock, confusion, and reluctant admiration.
At the ti, he'd wondered why her face was so animated.
Now, glancing back at her, he saw her watching him with a look that plainly said she lived for expressions like his.
He couldn't help but laugh in defeat.
After all his teasing of others, the tables had turned. The jokester had beco the joke.
"If I'd known eating could backfire like this," Lucian lanted, nearly in tears.
He vaguely rembered the ga's description of this dish being relatively normal,
which was why he'd dared to try it.
Who knew he'd have the luck to get the cursed version?
"Here, have so Fonta." Charlotte handed him a bottle.
Lucian imdiately chugged it.
"Ahhh... Crisp, refreshing. The bubbles are coursing through my veins. My body and soul feel reborn."
Or so he claid.
Charlotte couldn't hold back her laughter.
Out of politeness, she didn't laugh outright but covered her mouth with her hands, shoulders shaking.
Then she noticed a familiar face watching them with amusent from a distance.
Charlotte found it odd. Why was she standing so far away instead of coming over?
"Miss Chenee," Charlotte called out.
The garde officer finally approached.
"My apologies, Miss Charlotte. I didn't an to interrupt your date," Chenee said with a smile.
"Date?!"
Charlotte's face, already slightly flushed from suppressed laughter, turned even redder.
"You've got it wrong. We're just friends!" She waved her hands dismissively.
"Just friends?"
Chenee glanced between the red-faced Charlotte and the rejuvenated Lucian, smiling knowingly.
"Yes, this is Lucian, a novelist who just arrived in Fontaine," Charlotte introduced.
To Lucian, she added, "This is Chenee, a Garde officer and a genius too."
Charlotte had t Chenee after the latter turned down an invitation from the Fontaine Research Institute.
How could any journalist resist interviewing soone like that?
"Hello."
The two exchanged greetings.
"Welco to Fontaine, Mr. Lucian. I hope you enjoy your stay," Chenee said warmly.
"But I'm on duty. Senior Frejus is waiting, so I'll take my leave. Let cover your al."
Before Charlotte could refuse, Chenee had the bill charged to her account and departed.
In the distance, a middle-aged man waited for her to finish saying goodbye.
[Emotional Value Obtained: 100]
[Source: Chenee]
[Content: Stupid Frejus, why didn't you recognize ?]
Frejus? Chenee?
Only then did Lucian realize who they were.
Their limited in-ga appearances and generic NPC designs had made them easy to overlook.
Lucian hadn't imdiately placed Chenee's na, but the system's hint jogged his mory.
Watching the two walk away side by side, Lucian thought: Why even live at this point? Just end .
Or so he dramatically declared.
"Well, since Miss Chenee covered this al, I'll treat you next ti, Shikikan-sensei," Charlotte said.
Not one to take advantage, Charlotte insisted.
If she'd promised a al, she wouldn't let soone else's generosity count as her own.
Music to his ears! Another good al awaited!
To Lucian, Charlotte's words might as well have been: Revive, my beloved!
And so, he was reborn again.
"Co on, Shikikan-sensei, let's find you a place to stay."
Charlotte's extensive knowledge proved invaluable.
She knew exactly which areas had good available rentals.
In no ti, she'd secured Lucian a place.
With his last bit of savings spent on rent, Lucian was now officially broke.
Before leaving, Charlotte gave him her contact info and address.
She could tell he was strapped for cash and openly invited him to drop by for als, if she happened to be ho.
"Finally, I can rest properly in a real bed."
Lucian luxuriated in the stationary comfort.
After who-knows-how-long on a ship, even a motionless bed felt strange.
"My novel will be released in Mondstadt soon. I wonder how they'll react."
"And when everything in it starts coming true, it'll be hilarious."
The thought of the chaos to co kept him too excited to sleep.
This thod of foreshadowing wasn't just legal spoilers. It'd have people begging for more.
anwhile, he'd get to watch everyone's reactions from his future-knowing perch.
Especially the key players. Their responses would be priceless.
Imagine Ei being force-fed snacks and light novels by Yae.
If he conveniently paused the story right before her arc, the payoff would be glorious.
Not that he did it just for fun, of course.
It was all to gather more emotional energy.
This was for the world's salvation. Surely Ei would understand.
Though he did wonder if Aha might glance his way at this rate.
If so, he'd need a proper transformation chant. He'd already drafted it:
"I seek joy, I seek mirth, I seek delight!"
"I don the mask of revelry, mocking all, awaiting the grand performance!"
"Everything for the Elation!"
===✧✦✧===
Character Voice Lucian: Disliked Food
"Just ntioning this brings back that day's trauma. Fishy Toast. I suspect its ingredients are so unspeakable horror. rely rembering it drains my sanity!"
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