Yuto had to admit one thing: he couldn't quite guess Columbina's thoughts.
After all, he had never met her in the story, nor did he know what her personality was like, which left him at a loss.
"Now... can I only take it one step at a time...?"
Yuto sighed softly, seemingly resigned to the fact that he had once again fallen into a state of unplanned panic.
He wasn't a perfect person; the well-ordered life he had led for nearly five hundred years, a life whose end he could see at a glance... had come to an end.
Having been immersed in such an environment for so long, he suddenly felt a sense of panic about things beyond his comprehension.
—It was as if he needed some kind of foresight to feel at ease.
But Yuto himself knew this was a sickness that needed to be cured.
Although that was true, such problems could only be smoothed out through repeated incidents and the passage of time; he couldn't rush it.
Thinking of this, Yuto let out a long breath, then got up and left the reception room.
...
"Oh? Back so soon? Did things not go well?"
Furina put down the resumes she was sifting through and asked Yuto, who had just entered the office.
"It wasn't that it didn't go well, but rather that it was a bit unexpected..."
Yuto sat down at the desk and briefly told Furina what Arlecchino had said to him, then shrugged.
"That's roughly how it went. I don't understand why the 'Maiden,' who ranks higher than The Knave, wants to see me. Is it merely because I'm of her kin?"
Furina shook her head gently upon hearing this, then asked:
"So... that ability, similar to foreseeing the future... is also part of the Immortal Spirit's power? Or... is it inherently your own ability?"
Hearing this, Yuto was slightly stunned, then brought out the explanation he had prepared long ago.
"I'm not sure... according to them, the Immortal Spirit power within me has been completely sealed, which is why I haven't become an empty shell all these years.
But both innate abilities and Immortal Spirit power should theoretically be sealed, so what it really is... I'm not sure either."
Furina nodded upon hearing this, then set aside the topic that neither of them could quite figure out, asking softly:
"What about the god's heart? What do you plan to do? Wait for Neuvillette to handle it?"
"It depends on what Neuvillette decides. If he plans for me to continue negotiations, then I'll certainly extort a hefty sum from Northland Bank.
If he plans to handle it himself, then that saves me a lot of trouble, and I can focus entirely on preparing for that new department."
At this point, Yuto paused slightly, then said:
"As for the Narcissenkreuz Institute matter... we'll talk about it when Lyney and the others make a corresponding response and let me know."
Hearing this, Furina's small face flushed slightly, seemingly a little embarrassed.
Of course, she knew exactly for whom Yuto had suddenly added that request.
However... for her, calmly and completely ending her responsibilities and then living with Yuto—these two points combined were the perfect ending she hoped for.
And now, two-thirds of this perfect ending had been realized; once she resigned and Yuto had more time to rest, this ending would be perfectly presented.
Yuto looked at Furina's flushed face, gently reached out and rubbed her cheek, then said with an expression that saw right through her:
"Alright~ Lady Furina, who saved Fontaine, deserves this, doesn't she?"
"Although that's true, but..."
"There are no 'buts.' After bearing so much pain for so long, a thank you is always in order, isn't it?"
Yuto gently stroked Furina's soft silver hair, then continued:
"I don't ask them to worship you, nor to praise you with words like 'savior'; I only ask that they know who saved them. That's enough."
Hearing this, Furina was slightly stunned, then looked up at Yuto's seemingly broad and warm embrace in front of her. After a brief internal struggle, Furina gently leaned into him.
Yuto, who was originally still thinking about how to handle the public opinion issue, suddenly felt a soft touch in his arms, which surprised him quite a bit.
Yuto subconsciously looked down and found that the little blue cake had leaned into his arms at some point, and then... with her head down, as if avoiding Yuto's gaze.
Seemingly feeling Furina's slightly hurried breathing due to shyness, Yuto chuckled and shook his head, then put down the quill he had just picked up and tightened his arms around Furina.
With such soft, fragrant beauty in his arms, if Yuto were still to work... that would truly be unromantic.
"I just need to finish approving the documents before getting off work today; right now, accompanying her is more important."
A smile unconsciously appeared on Yuto's face, and he held Furina, who had buried her small head in his arms, quietly enjoying this happy and beautiful time.
...
Whether it was the afternoon tea a few days ago or the synchronized work these past two days, Furina simply wanted to find a suitable reason to spend more time with Yuto.
Although Yuto wouldn't refuse even if she directly asked for something, she... was somewhat unable to speak up.
Even though she had lived for five hundred years, she was still a blank slate when it came to matters of the heart. Her initiative and physical closeness with Yuto today had consumed most of Furina's courage.
As for anything further... perhaps it would require more time.
As time passed little by little, after Furina and Yuto indulged in a bit of affection, the two implicitly separated and began to handle their respective work.
Yuto was still dealing with his documents, and Furina... was still helping Yuto sort through those resumes.
After all, for her, once the department Yuto was planning was fully established, they would have a lot of time to spend together.
And she could also achieve her initial wish: to stay by Yuto's side every step of the way.
Of course, Furina deliberately avoided one thing.
That was the matter concerning the Immortal Spirit.
Furina didn't really want this problem to continue bothering her.
After all, she had only just found a moment of peace; if she had to think about the worst possible outcome so quickly...
It would be too cruel.
For her, the most important thing now... was to stay well with Yuto and cherish this hard-won happiness.
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