Carrying the unconscious Paimon, Lumine followed the three of them back into the courtyard.
Her eyes were filled with clear confusion and puzzlement. Following the principle of asking when in doubt, she spoke up:
"What happened to Paimon?"
Neuvillette was silent for a moment before replying, "She fainted from being frightened by Lord Chen."
…Frightened into fainting?
Lumine looked at Paimon in her arms, then at Gu Chen, who was casually sipping juice, utterly baffled.
She knew Paimon's origins were mysterious, but she had never thought too deeply about it. After all, having this little companion by her side throughout her journey had been quite nice.
Thinking back carefully, Paimon had never shown anything unusual before.
So why did she faint the moment she saw someone today?
And even called him "Father God"?
Lumine pondered. That term… probably meant "father."
But judging from Gu Chen's denial, the relationship between them seemed… complicated.
Seeing that Lumine still had many questions, Neuvillette said, "If you have doubts, feel free to ask."
Lumine didn't hold back. "Then… what is this gentleman's identity?"
Neuvillette's expression turned solemn, even respectful, as he replied softly:
"The Supreme Exalted of the Cosmos, the Source of All Laws, the Sovereign of Heaven and Earth."
Those three titles stunned Lumine.
Even gods—like Rex Lapis of Liyue—had never borne such grand epithets. Just hearing them made one feel that this person was unimaginably exalted.
Seeing her frozen, Neuvillette continued:
"Even if I explain more, you likely wouldn't fully understand. This is not meant as an insult—it's simply that… even if explained clearly, it would be like a frog in a well gazing at the moon. Limited understanding cannot grasp the whole."
He shook his head, then added:
"You may simply regard Lord Chen as the origin of all life and existence. Do you have further questions?"
Though his words carried a certain lofty tone, Lumine felt he was merely stating facts. She didn't take offense and calmly asked:
"Then… Paimon is…?"
"She appears to be the reincarnation of some existence. Before her reincarnation, she likely had significant ties to Lord Chen. That is probably the source of the term 'Father God.'"
Lumine's feelings turned complicated.
At that moment, Paimon stirred faintly, on the verge of waking.
Her eyes slowly opened—star-like pupils filled with confusion.
She glanced at Lumine and relaxed slightly. But the moment she turned and saw Gu Chen approaching—
Their eyes met.
Her lips twitched.
Then she peacefully closed her eyes again.
Before Lumine could even react, Paimon fainted once more.
Lumine fell silent and looked at Gu Chen.
"…Sorry," Gu Chen said, shaking his head. "Why is she so afraid of me?"
Neuvillette pondered briefly. "She likely has ties to the Usurper King of the heavens… Those who seized the authority and status of the ancient dragons. Seeing you now, she probably feels like a thief encountering the rightful owner—guilt and fear."
Furina nodded. "That's a good way to put it!"
Lumine slowly began to piece things together.
So Paimon was connected to the gods of Celestia?
She felt like she had uncovered more clues—but still lacked the key piece to connect everything.
—
As they waited for Paimon to wake, Lumine continued asking Neuvillette questions.
After receiving several answers, her mood improved.
Meanwhile, Furina seized the chance to ask Lumine about interesting events from other nations.
Time passed in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.
—
Back at the Gu Residence.
Paimon sipped her milk tea, looking far less nervous than expected.
"You're really not afraid we'll kick you out?" Lumine rolled her eyes at her carefree attitude.
"Why should I be?" Paimon scratched her head, then placed her hands on her hips. "If their analysis is right, I might even be Boss Gu's daughter—you should all be spoiling me!"
"…That actually makes sense," Raiden Ei nodded thoughtfully.
Guizhong shook her head. "That's not how it works! She's not the Paimon from the video—relationships don't carry over like that."
"Hehe~"
Paimon grinned brightly.
No matter how the relationships were interpreted, her position in the Gu Residence wouldn't change. When it was time to be bossed around, she couldn't escape—but she'd still be doted on too.
Whatever. She gave up thinking about it.
Floating over, she plopped into Buyeer's arms, adjusted into a comfortable position, and said:
"You guys keep analyzing—I'm taking a nap!"
—
Back in the video.
After half a day, Lumine had grown much more familiar with Gu Chen and Furina.
She finally understood why the people of Fontaine weren't afraid of the prophecy.
Though she couldn't fully comprehend how powerful Gu Chen was, those three titles from Neuvillette were enough to tell her it was beyond imagination.
She relaxed, no longer worrying about her Fontaine friends.
After a pleasant afternoon tea, Paimon still hadn't woken up. Lumine decided to take her back to Fontaine City to rest—lest she wake up, see Gu Chen again, and faint once more.
Neuvillette also had matters to attend to in the city, so he left with her.
—
After they had gone some distance, Lumine suddenly asked:
"Are Mr. Chen and Furina a couple?"
Neuvillette raised a brow. "What makes you think so?"
"…Anyone with eyes can tell, right?" Lumine said with a strange expression.
Neuvillette paused, then sighed. "Regrettably, it is not as you think."
"Why not?" Lumine's curiosity flared.
"Physical closeness is merely the result of long-standing habits," Neuvillette explained as he walked. "There may still be some distance between their hearts… perhaps they need an external push."
Lumine's eyes lit up. "You mean—leave it to me, right?"
Neuvillette blinked, then studied her briefly. "…Very well."
Lumine smiled. "Don't worry. I'll talk to them privately. As long as they express their true feelings—it'll be easy!"
Neuvillette nodded.
—
Back at their residence in Fontaine City.
After waiting a long time, Paimon finally woke up.
She looked around groggily, then sighed in relief upon recognizing the room.
Lumine crossed her arms. "Awake? Got anything to say?"
Paimon scratched her head awkwardly. "Say what?"
"You fainted just from making eye contact—and called him 'Father God.' I heard it clearly," Lumine said flatly.
Paimon froze. "Why would I call him that?"
"You don't know?" Lumine frowned.
"I don't!" Paimon shook her head, brows furrowed. "The moment I saw his eyes… I just blurted it out. Why?"
Seeing her genuine confusion, Lumine chose to trust her—for now.
"You're afraid of him?"
"Afraid… yeah!" Paimon nodded quickly, her expression turning uneasy. "I don't know why, but the moment I saw him, I felt like I was about to die… Like I'm extremely, extremely guilty!"
Lumine understood immediately.
So Paimon really was the reincarnation of some being.
A being tied to the heavenly usurpers who stole the dragons' authority?
Her feelings became conflicted.
Part of her suspected Paimon might have ulterior motives… yet after all this time together, she was also her best companion.
Suspicion and trust clashed within her.
Seeing Lumine fall silent, Paimon grew anxious. "What's wrong? Don't go quiet—you're scaring me…"
"I'm fine." Lumine rubbed her temples. "But we'll have to meet him again eventually. You can't keep fainting every time."
"…Can we just avoid him?" Paimon asked hopefully.
"No." Lumine shook her head. "Now that we've met—and learned some things—it's not right to avoid him. Some issues don't disappear if you run from them. You understand?"
Paimon hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. "Alright… I'll try to prepare myself… I just hope I don't get killed…"
Lumine sighed. "If he wanted to kill you, do you think we'd have made it back here?"
"…That's true." Paimon felt slightly reassured.
"Let's spend the next couple of days getting familiar with Fontaine. Then we'll bring gifts and visit them properly."
"Okay!"
"And you must be hungry after being out for so long. I saved you some dinner."
"Waaah! You're the best!"
—
Two days later.
Lumine and Paimon arrived at the estate with gifts.
At the entrance, Paimon floated nervously, her small body trembling so much Lumine worried she might drop out of the air.
"I… I can do this…"
She took deep breaths to psych herself up.
Lumine knocked on the door.
Soon, it opened.
Neuvillette looked at them. "Prepared yourselves?"
"We've come to visit," Lumine explained.
He nodded. "Come in."
—
Entering the courtyard, they saw two figures in the distance.
Furina lay on a reclining chair, gently swaying.
Beside her, Gu Chen sat with one leg crossed over the other, reading a newspaper.
They approached.
Gu Chen lowered the paper and looked over.
The moment Paimon met those golden eyes—
Her very soul trembled.
Her teeth chattered, her breathing faltered.
Lumine quickly patted her back to steady her.
Darkness swam before Paimon's eyes. The familiar dizziness surged again—but this time, prepared, she didn't faint.
Instead—
A unique aura began to emanate from her.
Neuvillette immediately turned, his expression sharpening. "As expected… a usurper!"
Furina looked surprised. "So it's true?"
The aura around Paimon grew stronger. Lumine felt her becoming… sacred, unfamiliar.
"I… I…" Paimon clutched her head in pain.
After a long moment, she slowly descended to the ground.
On the verge of tears, she knelt and bowed deeply:
"Greetings… Father God…"
In that instant, all eyes fell upon her.
Something about her had changed completely.
Neuvillette narrowed his eyes, letting out a cold laugh. "You require another to appear in your stead, even for an audience?"
"N-no, no!" Paimon stammered, tears brimming. "She… she's about to die… Teyvat is facing a terrible crisis… she… she really can't come…"
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