No one was at fault; the world itself was to blame.
As for the Primordial God Phanes...
"Youyue... are you alright? You look like you're in pain."
Nahida approached, tugging at his sleeve and gazing up at him.
If she truly wanted to know what was wrong, Nahida could simply use her authority to see, but that would be disrespectful to Li Youyue, even though she was his closest companion.
"It's nothing. I was just thinking about some old friends..."
Li Youyue lit a self-made cigar. He hadn't used to smoke, but after that girl died, he'd picked up the habit of smoking and drinking.
"..." Nahida understood. If he didn't want to talk about it, she wouldn't press him.
"Venus!" Li Youyue suddenly called out, stopping her in her tracks.
Venus turned to look at him.
Li Youyue spoke with deep meaning, "If you're determined to walk this path, I'll support you to the best of my ability. But I still urge you—don't make an enemy of the Heavenly Principle. She might not be your true enemy."
Venus rarely showed such a genuine smile. "Even if we don't fight, we need to demand an explanation from her," she declared. "We haven't even settled accounts with her for the Seven Archons of the Mortal Realm incident yet." She was genuinely pleased to have Li Youyue's support.
Hearing this, Li Youyue thought, *Didn't you all volunteer to become the Seven Archons? I don't recall anyone forcing you.*
"Alright, now you'll finally tell me why you came to Sumeru, right?" Li Youyue remembered the real purpose of their meeting.
Every time Venus mentioned her God's Heart plan, it led to a long, pointless tangent—a complete waste of time.
"Remember when you asked me to make something for you?" Venus finally began to address the matter at hand.
"Here, take a look."
Venus handed Li Youyue a deck of cards.
Li Youyue accepted them.
Venus continued, "Following your instructions, I added Void Projections to each card, along with basic effects, domains, and materialization..."
Li Youyue flipped through the cards, examining each one.
"Before coming here, I played a round with Columbina. It was quite interesting."
"Do you want to give this new toy a name?"
Without hesitation, Li Youyue declared, "Let's call it Seven Saints' Summons."
"If you mass-produce this thing, it could be quite profitable across the seven nations," Venus suggested.
"I'm not interested in money..." Li Youyue said, though he was currently living off Buer and Nahida's salaries, having no job of his own. He refused commissions, choosing instead to laze around, doing nothing but chasing women and sleeping with them in an endless cycle.
*Working is out of the question. Never in this lifetime. I'll just keep living off others.*
"How about a game?" Li Youyue looked up at Venus.
Buer intervened, "I don't mind you playing cards, but can you eat first?"
"..." Li Youyue froze.
"..." Venus gave an awkward smile.
Whether it was playing cards or making love, they still needed to eat to have the energy for it.
Li Youyue sat down next to Nilou, while Venus settled on his other side, clinging to his arm. Columbina took the seat beside her.
Buer and Nahida sat across from them.
Venus scrutinized the petite Nahida, noticing her striking resemblance to Buer. *Could she be their child?* she wondered.
She also eyed the red-haired woman beside Li Youyue. *Pretty enough, but her figure is lacking. Her chest isn't nearly as full as mine.*
"Is this your daughter?" Venus asked, pointing at Nahida.
Li Youyue glanced at Nahida, his expression awkward. *How am I supposed to explain this to her?*
Buer chuckled. *We do have a child, but she hasn't been born yet.*
"This is my younger sister, Nahida," Buer explained. "I recently abdicated the throne in her favor. She's also our sister."
"Sister?" Venus looked at Li Youyue with suspicion, then sneered, "You don't even spare someone this young? Are you some kind of pervert?"
Nahida greeted Venus politely, "Hello, Empress Venus. My name is Nahida, and I'm over five hundred years old."
"Five hundred years old? You're lying!" Venus was speechless with shock.
Li Youyue also found himself at a loss for words.
"Venus, this is Nilou. In a sense, she's the successor to the Flower Goddess Nabu."
"Oh, oh, oh..."
Venus introduced her companions with equal fanfare: "And this is Columbina, the second-ranked member of my Fatui Harbingers, the Maiden."
"H-hello," Columbina said, rising to greet them.
Buer nodded in acknowledgment, though Columbina didn't strike her as a particularly well-behaved child.
"Hello," Nahida replied. *Could she be one of my husband's women? She's so beautiful, she probably is.*
"H-hello," Nilou said shyly. *She's such a pretty girl. But why does she keep her eyes closed?*
"Venus, I've been meaning to ask," Li Youyue said. "I understand why you're here, but what's Columbina doing with you?"
"Well..." Venus hesitated, then quickly explained, "When Columbina heard I was going out, she asked if I was coming to see you. When I said yes, she insisted on coming along to meet you too."
"Your Majesty the Empress...!"
Columbina suddenly became extremely shy, looking as if she wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear. She hadn't expected Her Majesty to be so direct, revealing her thoughts so bluntly. It was quite embarrassing.
Venus, however, continued without missing a beat: "Ever since you left Snezhnaya last time, Columbina has been talking about you every day, asking when you'd return."
"Uh..." Li Youyue mumbled, listening intently while eating his meal.
"Actually, this girl Columbina has liked you for a long time, but she's just not good at expressing her feelings. She tends to keep them hidden in her heart." Venus stroked Columbina's soft, wine-red hair.
"I'm quite fond of this child. It's rare for her to find someone she likes, but I never imagined it would be my own beloved. Still, I'm happy... I feel at ease entrusting her to you."
"Wait..." Li Youyue interrupted. "You're not planning to..."
"I'll leave her by your side, both as your guardian and to help take care of you. And, of course, to nurture your relationship." Venus stated with utmost seriousness.
"To put it simply, I want you two to fall in love," Li Youyue said.
He was right. As the Ice God, she couldn't stay away from Snezhnaya for too long. If a major crisis were to occur, the nation would be left without a leader.
"This..." Li Youyue glanced awkwardly at Columbina.
Columbina avoided his gaze, a faint blush rising on her cheeks, and dared not look at him.
Li Youyue hadn't expected Venus to actively push a woman into his arms.
*Should I refuse or accept?*
"Venus, I'd still like to hear her own thoughts on this... After all, falling in love is a two-person affair. Of course, I personally have no objections." *As if!* With a beautiful maiden like Columbina offering herself so willingly, practically begging to be taken, Li Youyue was more than happy to oblige.
Venus turned to Columbina, giving her a subtle nod.
Columbina understood instantly. In a soft, emotional voice, she whispered to Li Youyue, "I'm willing... I want to be with Lord Youyue... I love him..."
Venus turned back to Li Youyue, a triumphant glint in her eyes. "Well?" she asked. "Are you going to reject a confession from such a beautiful maiden?"
"Anyway, I wouldn't reject her. It's just a pity she likes you, and I happen to like you too."
"I'm so jealous!"
After hearing these words, Li Youyue wondered if she also liked Columbina.
"...What could he say?" With a beautiful maiden throwing herself into his arms, how could he possibly refuse? He'd be popping champagne right now if there were any here.
Feeling embarrassed, he awkwardly replied, "Alright, I accept your confession." In reality, his mouth was practically twisted into a grin that reached his ears.
"!!!"
Columbina's jade-like cheeks flushed crimson, her lips parted in speechless shock, and even her closed eyes instantly transformed into heart shapes. The next moment, she released Venus and threw herself into Li Youyue's arms.
"This... uh..." Caught off guard, Li Youyue still managed to wrap his arms around her. *Hmm... she smells so fragrant and feels so soft.*
Columbina nuzzled against him like a puppy, her face radiating infatuation as she giggled foolishly, her heart bursting with joy. All the emotions she had suppressed finally erupted in this moment.
*Finally... finally, I've got him!*
So happy!
Your Majesty the Empress, you're the best!
"Sigh..."
Li Youyue awkwardly scratched his head. *This girl...* After all, she had come all the way from Snezhnaya to Sumeru for him, so he couldn't bring himself to refuse. Though he was a romantic, he was no scumbag who abandoned his lovers.
Nilou, Nahida, and Buer exchanged amused glances.
They weren't surprised by Columbina's sudden appearance. Li Youyue was just that kind of man—he owed many emotional debts and had to repay them. Besides, there were plenty of women like Columbina who were willing to chase after him.
*What can you do when your husband is so irresistible...?*
The Maiden, Columbina, third-ranked among the Fatui Harbingers, possessed terrifying power that secured her position. Some even speculated she might be the strongest among all the Harbingers.
Born into extreme hardship, Columbina had always been treated as a monster due to her unique nature. She harbored no goodwill toward the world until she met Li Youyue, who pulled her from the depths of despair and gave her the love she had lost in childhood. Though her affection for him was twisted, she still loved him deeply, wanting to repay his kindness and stay by his side.
Once, she had joined the Fatui to follow in his footsteps. Through her exceptional performance, she swiftly rose to become the Third Harbinger, earning the title "Maiden." As one of the few beauties among the Harbingers, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her the most beautiful and mysterious of them all.
During dinner:
"My darling Buer," Li Youyue suddenly remembered something and asked, "Why haven't I seen Nabu these past few days? Where did she go?"
If too much time passed without any news, Li Youyue would inevitably ask about her whereabouts.
Although no one in Sumeru would dare harm the Flower Goddess, her current lack of power, coupled with her pregnancy, made it difficult for him to feel at ease.
Buer paused her meal, set down her chopsticks, and replied, "My dearest husband, Nabu only said she was going out for a bit before leaving. She didn't tell us where she was going or when she'd be back, so we don't know either."
"I see..." Li Youyue murmured, still worried. "Nabu has no real strength. I'm quite concerned about her safety. I'm afraid something might happen to her."
Li Youyue was genuinely worried that some unscrupulous person might target her. Even based on her appearance alone, some lustful individuals would undoubtedly try to take advantage of her.
"If you're really that concerned, I can use my authority to ask her, but there's no guarantee she'll respond," Buer said to Li Youyue.
"Go ahead and ask. Just say it's from me," Li Youyue agreed, following Buer's suggestion. After all, Nahida had used this same authority to call for Lumine's help in the past.
*Let her ask first. We'll deal with it if something happens.*
"Alright."
Buer closed her eyes and activated her authority over thoughts. The green leaf pendant in her snow-white hair immediately emitted an emerald glow.
Buer transmitted telepathically: *Nabu, your husband is very worried about you. Please hurry back as soon as you're finished with your work.*
After a moment...
Buer opened her eyes. "Nabu says she's already on her way back and should arrive around evening."
"That's good," Li Youyue nodded, picking up his chopsticks to continue eating. With this reassurance, his worries eased considerably.
The meal resumed.
After finishing their meal, Li Youyue and Venus chose a relatively spacious area to play cards, with Columbina acting as the referee.
Among everyone present, only Venus, Li Youyue, and Columbina knew the rules. Since Li Youyue wanted to play cards with Venus, Columbina was the only suitable choice to officiate.
Out of curiosity, Nahida, Nilou, Buer, and others gathered to watch.
**True Machine Realm.**
After the True Machine God, Scaramouche, was defeated, this vast space had been left empty, making it the perfect venue for their card game.
The arena was large enough to accommodate hundreds of spectators without any crowding.
"Lord Youyue, Your Majesty the Empress, are you both ready?" Columbina asked.
Both nodded simultaneously.
"Begin!"
At Columbina's command, the two players shouted in unison:
"Spirits awaken! Seals released!"
The watching women couldn't help but find their dramatic declaration rather cringeworthy.
"Duel!"
In the initial phase, each duelist threw down their main battle character card, creating the duel arena.
"Go forth, Elemental God, Anahita!" Venus declared, tossing a completely blue card forward.
Simultaneously, Li Youyue threw a black card forward.
"Rise, Dragon of Despair, Bahalom!"
The two cards collided, sparking several times before forming a spherical domain of starry skies that enveloped both duelists.
Their decks floated to their respective left hands.
Suddenly, the starry domain transformed into a vast ocean. Dark clouds filled the azure sky, accompanied by flashes of lightning and thunder.
A colossal creature, a whale, breached the surface.
A tornado erupted from the sea, exploding violently to reveal a humanoid elemental being with a completely blue body, wielding a scepter.
It appeared as real as life itself, right before your eyes.
"Venus, darling, you've got some serious skills," Li Youyue exclaimed involuntarily. "The special effects are insane—it feels completely real! You've done an amazing job."
Li Youyue's side of the domain transformed into a volcanic wasteland.
...................
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(End of Chapter)