Neuvillette's POV
As I thought. This is unpleasant.
I was back in my office far earlier than expected because of the matter of the Primordial Seawater and...
I miss Wrio.
I can't concentrate.
"-lette? Mosieur Neuvillette?" A voice suddenly called out.
"Yes?"
I was met with Navia's questioning gaze.
Oh, dear Teyvat!
I am in a meeting!
"Please excuse my discourtesy, Miss Navia. I am somewhat distracted as of late."
"You miss Wriothesley?"
"Yes, I do-"
My words cut off as realization hit me.
I looked at the smiling woman across me with some doubt.
How did she know?
"Monsieur, if I had a letter from the Duke, would you allow me into your archives?" She asked teasingly.
"You have a letter from him?"
Instead of answering, she pulled out a neatly sealed letter with a familiar seal on it.
"Do you want it, Monsieur?"
I snatched- took the letter from her hand, replacing it with a set of keys.
"The door to the archives is the second one to the right down the hallway. You can ask Sedene for help if you cannot find what you are looking for."
"Am I getting kicked out?"
"I could also take back my keys-"
"No, thank you. Have fun with your letter, Monsieur Neuvillette."
And with that, she slipped out the door.
I was just about to open the envelope when Navia glanced back inside.
"Oh, and please be kind to Wriothesley. He doesn't know what it's not good to tease."
And then she was gone once more.
Wrio doesn't know when not to tease?
That isn't exactly wrong, but to give a warning...?
I opened the letter and I found out just why exactly I was given a warning.
There was only a single line within the letter.
This is payback for the empty box.
.
.
.
I slowly placed the letter back inside the envelope and tucked it away in the back of my drawer.
Then, I got back to work.
The box was only empty because he had no intention of keeping his end of the agreement in the first place.
I also gave him a box of his favorite tea the next day.
This letter...
I will remember it.
...
"Sedene." I called out.
Soon, her head poked through the opening of the door.
"Yes, Monsieur Neuvillette?"
"Please go and request Furina's presence in my office."
"Of course. Anything else I can do for you, Monsieur?"
"If you would be so kind, please use the contents of the box I left on your desk to brew her a cup of tea."
She stiffened for a moment, cautiously asking:
"Did Lady Furina do something wrong, perhaps?"
"No, nothing of the sort. Why?"
"No reason. Then please excuse me, I will find Lady Furina as soon as possible."
"Please take your time, Sedene. There really is no rush."
She nodded at my words but slipped away at lightning speed nonetheless.
Did I say something that alarmed her?
Unsurprisingly, Furina was sitting on the couch across from me just minutes later. Tea in hand and all.
"What do you want, Neuvillette?"
"How is the tea?"
"The tea?"
She took a sip and luckily, her face brightened up.
"It has a most elegant taste! Sweet bit just the slightest hint of bitterness! It has a light flavor but it is there, nonetheless. Pray tell, my dear Iudex, where did you acquire such a superb blend of tea?"
I'm glad that she likes it.
After Wrio, she is the biggest fan of tea I know.
"I made it."
"Pfft! Cough! Cough! Cough! You. Did. What?"
"I made the blend."
Luckily, I was also fast enough to block it when you just attempted to spew it across my face after choking on it.
"You made this?"
"Yes."
"And it actually... tastes good?"
"Only you can be the judge of that, Lady Furina."
Seeing as how you choked on it, it might not-
"Can I have it?" She asked, eyes full of excitement.
Maybe she likes it after all.
"Yes."
"Really?!"
"On one condition."
"What is it? Tell me. Spit it out already!"
"I would like you to go and share a cup of it with Duke Wriothesley."
She instantly started pouting.
"You want me to share? Come on! I can't just give up-"
"A single cup, Furina."
"Just the one?"
"Yes, just one. And please be sure to reveal its origin and that this is the first and last box ever made."
Her jaw dropped as soon as I finished my words.
"Are you two fighting?"
"No."
"Then what is this... petty revenge?"
"There is no petty revenge, Furina. Now do you want it or not?"
"I want it! Of course, I want it!"
"Sedene has the rest of it. You can take it on your way-"
Bang!
"-out."
I can't believe that this is what she uses her power on.
I looked at the closed door for a few more seconds before settling down behind my desk once more.
Quite a lot of work has piled up in just a few days of my absence.
~
Furina's POV
"What brings you here, Lady Furina." Duke Wriothesley asked with false politeness.
Heh!
Let's see how long you can keep that up.
"Well, first of all, I came across Navia In Palais Mermonia. When she heard that I would be coming here, she had quite an interesting message to give you."
"A message?"
"She said that with how Neuvillette's whole office lit up at the mere mention of your letter, it was perhaps not a good idea to tease."
I could see the corner of his mouth twitch, but his expression soon hardened once more.
"And why is it that you were coming this way, Lady Furina?"
"Oh, nothing much. Neuvillette merely requested that I share a cup of tea with you. Perhaps he was worried about your well-being."
Worried my ass!
This is revenge!
This is clearly revenge!
I want to know what was in that letter to cause Neuvillette to do something so petty!
He smiled hearing my words and brewed us some tea from the little bag I had brought.
I didn't bring the whole box for fear of losing it to him.
It was amusing to watch his face light up and he praised the tea to Celestia and back before asking for its origin.
"Neuvillette made it."
That was when his polite smile began to crack.
"He... made it?"
"Yes. It's the only box ever made. I got it as a present." I smiled at him.
"You... got it?"
"Yes!"
"The only one?"
"Exactly." He looked like his words had just fallen apart.
He actually started tearing up.
"That's not fair." He muttered pittyfully.