44 Off to the Guillotine!

Tak...

Tak*

Outside, rain started pouring down on the quiet night of Fontaine.

As each drop fell on the roofs of each building, the sounds of each fall echoed throughout the city.

Soon, the cold breeze started gushing over the streets.

Inside Isaac's cafe, however, contrary to the outside, it held a warm and cozy atmosphere.

The small tinge of yellow light emanating from the kitchen paired with the two small lanterns lighting up two tables inside the cafe created a sort of cozy environment.

It was as if one had finally found warmth after a long period of cold.

Or perhaps waking up to a cold morning only to be met with your warm safe blanket.

It was comforting.

Furina, who was sitting on one of the chairs in front of the lit tables, looked outside the glass pane.

She seemed to be pondering something as she rested her chin on her hand.

Just then, Isaac's voice drifted over.

"It's really pouring hard, huh?"

Furina turned around to see Isaac approaching with two silver plates with similar silver covers on top in each hand.

Isaac wasn't wearing his barista uniform. Right now, he was just wearing a casual dark blue long-sleeved shirt.

"I wonder..." Placing down the silver plates with covers on top, Isaac commented with a light smile. "Is it because of the Hydro Dragon?"

He was referring to a famous children's fairy tale in Fontaine.

"Oh? You believe that fairy tale?" Furina heard Isaac's remarks and couldn't help but turn her head. "I didn't think you were the type of person to believe such a children's story."

"It can't be helped," Isaac shrugged with a leisurely smile. "That tale has been around for ages now. Every child in Fontaine more or less knows it."

"Every time the Hydro Dragon wept, it would rain..." Furina mumbled. "That was the tale, yes?"

"Indeed," Isaac nodded before looking at the glass pane Furina was looking at. With a smile, he spoke,

"O Hydro Dragon, O Hydro Dragon... Don't cry."

Hearing this, Furina scoffed as her heterochromatic eyes glanced at Isaac's figure. "Hah, how ludicrous..."

Isaac heard her remark and chuckled internally. He naturally knew who the Hydro Dragon was, as for the person in front of him, she too knew who he was.

And the two of them know that singing the fairy tale in accuracy can, in fact, make the Hydro Dragon stop "crying."

Such is the oddity of the Iudex.

Isaac merely shrugged and didn't retaliate at her claim. Instead, he nudged the silver plate to Furina.

"For you, Miss," Isaac said before pulling the cover away. After the covers were removed, what appeared before Furina was a plate with the most appetizing aroma.

The plate was divided into three sections.

Sliced medium-rare rib-eye steaks were placed along the curve of the upper right plate, while a pot of macaroni and cheese was placed on the adjacent side. Finally, at the bottom, some mixed greens were added.

'This is...' Smelling the aroma of what was being presented in front of her, Furina was momentarily pleased. 'It looks like a very easy dish to make... Yet it looks and smells great...'

"Would you like some gravy with those steaks?" Isaac asked as he also took off his plate's cover. He held a gravy boat in his other hand.

"Just a bit, thank you." Furina didn't reject his offer. "But not too much."

Isaac nodded before lifting the porcelain gravy boat and pouring it on top of Furina's steak.

"Bon Appétit." Isaac stopped pouring the gravy and smiled at her.

"So-so do you..." Seeing his up-close smile, Furina was stunned for a second before turning her head to her plate. "My many thanks, my dear... servant."

Isaac amused himself before taking a seat. He sat opposite from Furina.

There were already glasses and a wine bottle on the table, as such, Isaac didn't have to trouble himself to go back to the kitchen.

He poured himself some wine before taking a sip. After drinking, he smiled. 'I said that I won't sell alcohol... But look at me now. Enjoying one not even long after I said that...'

He was amused by his hypocrisy. Amused, but not disappointed.

Taking his fork and knife, he first started with the 12 rib-eye stakes. He took one slice, sliced one off with a knife, and took it with the knife.

Chewing on the steak, Isaac analyzed it thoroughly before gulping it down. 'As I thought... I should have cooked it to rare...'

'I'm sorry.' Sighing, he looked up as if he was apologetic before returning to his meal. How he hoped he had headphones at that moment.

'Scrumptious... Not bad.' Furina, meanwhile, was also enjoying her dish. However, she couldn't help but glance at the macaroni and cheese on the plate.

"This is certainly an odd combination, is it not?" Furina said as she took some mac and cheese.

Hearing this, Isaac smiled faintly. "But it's a great comfort food."

"Moreover, it blends the extravagance of a rib-eye steak with something as common as mac and cheese..." Saying this, Isaac's deep-amber eyes couldn't help but look at Furina.

As if remembering something, he shook his head with a smile. "Yes... The combination of cooking mac and cheese is... quite simple, in my opinion."

"?" Furina didn't know what Isaac was talking about, but she vaguely understood what he was trying to convey. "So it's all to feel... simplicity?"

"Indeed," Isaac nodded his head before taking a sip of wine. "It's these simple and mundane serene things that I love... In my opinion, that's what makes me love the simplicity of things."

"It's the simplicity that resonates with my humanity— or self." Isaac smiled.

"How about you, Lady Furina?" Isaac pointed his fork at her. "As a God, how do you enjoy your... Godhood?"

"That's... I..." For a moment, Furina didn't know what to say. But in just a second, bursts of thoughts appeared in her mind. After a second, she composed herself, "Well that's simple! It's by enjoying my role as the God of Justice and caring for the people. Oh, and watching over the trials."

That's right.

She was the God of Justice.

A symbol of Godhood and one of the Seven Archons of Teyvat.

She couldn't possibly enjoy mundane things a normal human can have.

...after all, she still must uphold the end of her promise before anything else...

"..." Isaac listened to her and nodded his head. His deep amber eyes reflected her figure, 'It seems like I can't pierce through her shell... Oh well.'

Curling up a smile, Isaac sighed inwardly. "In that case, wouldn't this be a first good try?"

"Come on, Lady Furina! Let's eat to our heart's content tonight!" Isaac raised his glass of wine at her.

He could never save her from her fate.

Nor could she abandon her role to fight against fate itself.

But at the very least, he could provide her a sort of place for tranquility.

A place where she can rest and wind up.

Where the true "Furina" can put down the mantle of the God of Justice for just a moment and find refuge here.

That was, after all, Isaac's main purpose for a while now— providing a tranquil space for all troubled minds.

Furina was stunned for a moment as she looked at Isaac. She watched as this human raised his cup with a soft smile on his face, waiting for her to toast with him.

For a moment, her ahoge seemed to have swayed for a bit.

Her head lowered as if she was contemplating something before looking up. In her mind, she had just fought with her inner monologues in just a fraction of a second. 'Perhaps... Perhaps I can experience being human, without putting down my role as the God of Justice...'

'Yes, as long as I still maintain my persona, nothing will change.' Making up her mind, Furina took her glass cup and raised it, toasting Isaac. 'I can still fulfill my part...'

Ting!*

"Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

Both Isaac and Furina said at the same time with smiles on their faces as the wine in their glass cups spilled a bit.

On this rainy day, inside Le Souffle du Silence, a hearty dinner occurred, and laughter emanated from the cafe from time to time.

Isaac and Furina ate and drank to their heart's content. Isaac even set up his smart TV and started singing along with Furina.

Soon, the two of them started a singing competition.

"My dear servant, might I remind you! To truly serve me, you have you give it your all!" Furina laughed as she watched Isaac sing.

"I'm trying!" Glancing at Furina, Isaac sang with more emotions laced in his voice.

Isaac sang to his heart's content with passion as he slowly unwinds his stressed mind.

Soon, Furina took the microphone from Isaac and started her turn.

"Woah, as expected of you, Lady Furina..." Isaac clapped as he listened to Furina. "Your high notes are amazing!"

"Hehe, it's nothing new to me, of course." Furina giggled as she held the microphone. "But yes, shower me with praise!"

The two of them continued to sing together as they both drank wine Isaac had on the table.

Neither of them wanted to lose.

Soon, time ticked by in a blink of an eye. It was already midnight.

"My dear... Servant..." Furina slowly said with a slurring voice.

"Lady... Furina..." Isaac also said with he similar slurry voice.

A moment of silence appeared between them before being interrupted by their loud voice.

Both of them yelled at the same time as they pointed at each other. "You drank all the wine!"

On the table, three bottles of wine were present. It seems like both of them had drunk a lot.

Both were very drunk.

Their competition, now slowed down by the wine, had already been dragged on to the late of night.

"..."

"..."

Before they knew it, both of them had already fallen on the couch asleep. Isaac was still holding his microphone, while Furina was sleeping on his shoulder.

It was truly a night to remember for the human and the god.

---

Morning.

The morning light of dawn started basking Fontaine with its golden blanket.

Puddles were present all around the Court of Fontaine because of the torrential rain that occurred last night however, it didn't stop the Fontainians from going with their everyday lives.

In Le Souffle du Silence, the golden light of the sun also shined on the cafe.

Beams of light pierced Isaac's bedroom window.

However, Isaac, who was usually asleep at this time, was sitting up.

More precisely, it was as if he had lost his soul.

'Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god...' Isaac panicked as sweat beads fell down his face.

His deep amber eyes moved and glanced over to the pillow next to him.

This side of the bed, which was usually empty, now had someone in it.

And that someone had grayish-white hair and fair skin.

It was none other than the God of Justice, Furina herself.

She was curled up and hugging Isaac's arm!

Looking at the person who was sleeping so peacefully on his bed, Isaac felt a looming danger as a shiver ran down his spine.

Isaac panicked as he felt his death sentence hanging over his head. "Will I... Be sentenced to the guillotine?"

What a predicament.

* * *

A/N: My internet is slow in the area I'm at right now, so I can barely open anything. But the chaps will keep coming, lads.