"Hmm~ hmm~"
Furina hummed an unfamiliar tune as she walked briskly toward the card shop.
From a distance, she spotted a few people standing inside, chatting about something. Since they weren't queuing or buying anything, they were probably people who had drawn purple cards?
If they had drawn purple cards and were still lingering in the shop, did that mean… Lu Heng wasn't here, and they were waiting for their cards to be appraised?
"Lady Furina!"
"Good afternoon, Lady Furina!"
"Lady Furina, have you eaten yet?"
The crowd greeted her warmly, and Furina responded with slight nods.
Entering the shop, she asked, "Is Lu Heng not here?"
"No," one of them shook his head. "I heard that Boss Lu went out for something."
"Oh?"
He went out?
I wonder what he's up to.
Furina extended her hand. "Let me see your cards."
"Of course, Lady Furina!"
Though Lu Heng wasn't present, Furina was also capable of appraising purple cards. The waiting group eagerly handed over their cards.
Furina's appraisal differed slightly from Lu Heng's—he could provide more detailed information. But it didn't matter much; with more use, the card's effects would naturally become clearer.
After finishing her task, Furina grabbed a bag of snacks and sat on the sofa, spacing out.
A closer look at her schedule over the past two days would reveal that she spent most of her time here.
"I should've come earlier," Furina muttered.
Of course, a Melusine had tried to wake her up in the morning, but after acknowledging it twice, she had gone right back to sleep.
By the time she woke up again, it was almost lunchtime.
Eating alone was boring, and dining with others meant she had to maintain her poise. Only with Lu Heng could she relax and enjoy a meal.
So, she had come here intending to invite Lu Heng to lunch.
But his absence caught her off guard.
"Ah~ I'm a little hungry."
The shop had plenty of snacks, and since she and Lu Heng were close, she wandered around grabbing food as if it were her own home.
The only difference from the Palais Mermonia was that she had to pay for what she took here.
Not that it mattered—the Mora was nothing to her.
On an unnamed hillside.
Lu Heng gained a new understanding of Navia and her two companions.
Turns out, Navia really was prepared to bake desserts anytime, anywhere.
A portable stove and ingredients were one thing, but she even had small stools and a folding table.
"Mr. Lu, be careful—it's hot." Melus poured him a cup of tea.
"Thanks."
Lu Heng took it, blew on the steaming liquid, and took a sip before nodding slightly. "This kind of picnic vibe is actually quite nice."
"You think so too?"
Navia seemed to have found a kindred spirit. As she busied herself, she said, "Baking is my hobby. Melus and Silver set this up so I could enjoy it anytime. Later, I realized… sometimes I'd get hungry but not enough for a full meal. With this, I could just whip up a little snack—like an afternoon tea. It's convenient and fun!"
In short, she'd never go hungry!
Lu Heng fully approved of this approach—it was flawless.
"All done!"
"Freshly baked chibi portrait macarons, ready to serve~!"
Navia placed them on the table.
Each macaron was crisp and enticing.
The aroma while baking had already been irresistible, and now the finished product was even more tantalizing.
Especially since Navia had drawn patterns on them—adorable chibi portraits of herself, Lu Heng, Melus, and Silver.
"Want to try?" Navia blinked, her blue eyes sparkling with anticipation for his review.
"I've been waiting for this."
Lu Heng didn't hold back, immediately picking up the macaron with his own chibi likeness.
The chibi was exquisitely detailed, even capturing his tea-sipping posture.
Macarons were delicate little pastries, so Lu Heng popped the whole thing into his mouth.
"Mmm~ Mmm!"
His eyes lit up. After swallowing, he said, "The visual appeal is obvious, but the taste—crispy outside, soft inside, rich texture, perfectly balanced sweetness—you've really mastered desserts."
Navia, already in high spirits, grew even happier at his praise.
"That's why I call it my proudest skill!" Navia laughed. "Have a few more. I wasn't sure about your preferences, so each one has a slightly different flavor."
"You've put a lot of thought into this."
Lu Heng didn't hold back.
His lack of restraint only made Navia more comfortable—it meant he genuinely enjoyed her creations.
"Melus, Silver, don't just stand there. I made plenty!"
"As you wish, Young Lady!"
"Every time I taste the Young Lady's desserts, it's a true delight," Melus remarked nostalgically.
"Hey, don't focus so much on serving us that you forget to eat yourself," Lu Heng teased.
"It's fine. I can snack while working. Moments like this are rare~"
"I can't let you handle everything alone."
Lu Heng scooted closer and glanced at her setup. "Is there anything I can help with? I'd feel bad just sitting here eating."
Navia thought for a moment. "Actually, yes. Can you draw?"
"No," Lu Heng admitted. "But I can try?"
"Then give it a shot!"
The tranquil afternoon.
A gentle breeze carried a sense of serenity.
Melus watched as Navia taught Lu Heng how to decorate macarons, a content smile on his face.
Navia didn't have many close friends. With his personality, Lu Heng might soon become one of them.
"Uh… you kinda turned yourself into a blob. I can't even tell it's you."
"Do I really have no artistic talent? How tragic."
"You made mine look adorably ugly. The lines are all wrong—you have to eat that one later!"
"No big deal, don't panic. Look at this one—see any resemblance now?"
"…Okay, that's not bad?"
"Ah…"
"What is Lu Heng doing right now?"
Furina lay on the sofa, rubbing her stomach. She was getting seriously hungry.
If Lu Heng didn't return soon, she'd have to ditch him and go eat alone!
Or so she told herself.
But wasn't she the one who wanted to eat with him?
Huh?
Furina scratched her head in confusion.
Shaking it off, she focused on the present.
No matter how she looked at it, she was genuinely starving now.
She couldn't just fill up on snacks, could she?
"Sigh, guess I'll grab a couple of bread rolls to tide me over."
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T/N:
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