Yes, Lady Funina!

Some might think that breaking through the barrier is simple: just summon Richard to the top floor of the Mo Mang Palace and have him serve you in bed.

Or you could take the initiative, have a few drinks, and sneak off to Richard's house under the cover of night...

Another example is asking Fukaros for help, since they look exactly alike, so they could switch the baby out.

In short, as long as you don't give up, there are always more solutions than problems.

Not to mention that Funina knew Richard's feelings and understood her own feelings for him; in this situation, the unspoken understanding between them would be easily broken.

But the problem is—Furina's thinking has gone astray.

She originally thought she was in a very safe position, believing that she only needed to make a slight move to reach the pinnacle of pure love.

But when she actually decided to take action, she found herself at a loss for where to begin.

"Having too many ways to pass the test isn't necessarily a good thing," Fu Ningna said, a hint of worry on her face.

To describe Funina's current state in a vivid way, it would be like saying she's suffering from decision paralysis.

One moment she thinks this method is good, the next she thinks it's too unreserved, making her seem like she's in a lustful mood.

Although Funina admitted that she was indeed a little lecherous, she was by no means to the point of being desperate for sex.

Moreover, in addition to these, Funina also saw this statement in that book.

That is, lasting love should not only be judged by what the other person has given, but also by what you can bring to the other person.

So the question is, what can she offer Richard?

Hmm...troublesome?

After thinking for a long time, Funina finally realized that since they had known each other for so long, the most she had ever brought Richard seemed to be trouble.

Whether it was taking up a position at the city hall or the Fontainebleau crisis, she never seemed to truly help Richard; on the contrary, she was always receiving help from him.

This discovery was hard for the proud Furina to accept; how could she be so weak?!

Although most people knew they were mediocre, when faced with the stark reality, it's still difficult to accept that mediocrity.

Especially someone like Funina, who has been revered as a deity and held a high position since birth.

Even if she knew at the time that she was not a real god, but just an actress playing the role of a god, the long-term adoration around her inevitably made her feel that even if she was just an actress, she had her own unique talents.

She is special.

Indeed, that is true; Funina is indeed special. But the problem is that this specialness depends on who she is compared to.

Compared to the ordinary people in Fontaine, she was indeed special, even unique.

However, compared to the people who surround her, her specialness seems rather ordinary.

In terms of wealth, she can't compare to Ningguang, the richest woman in Liyue.

In terms of ability, she dares to say that she is second to last among everyone, and no one dares to claim that they are last.

She was indeed quite beautiful, and her exquisite features were top-notch. But the problem was that Fukaros was no less attractive. Not only did she look exactly like her, but she also possessed a special divine aura that Fukaros lacked.

As for status, even excluding Fukaros, there is another god in Inazuma whose status is similar to hers.

His strength is truly top-notch, making him one of the best among the Seven Gods.

In this light, it seems that there is not much to praise about her, Furnessa. Even Lynette, at least, has a fluffy cat tail and a pair of cute cat ears!

The more Funina thought about it, the more guilty she felt, and the more anxious she became.

Under mental strain, she subconsciously resorted to escapism, shifting her attention to the shadows and deliberately avoiding Richard.

And since Frynn couldn't possibly share these feelings with Clarin and the others, a combination of factors led to her current state.

"Lady Fu Nina...Lady Fu Nina..."

The familiar voice pulled Funina back to reality, and before her stood Secretary Richard, the very person who had been making her uneasy.

Seemingly because Funina was distracted, Richard moved very close and reached out to touch Funina's forehead, wanting to see if there was anything wrong with her body.

"Huh? I... I'm fine." Realizing what was happening, Funina instinctively leaned back, dodging Richard's hand.

However, after doing this, Funina regretted it a little, wondering if doing so would cause Richard to misunderstand something.

Do you have any issues with him?

As Funina hesitated whether to put her head back on Richard's hand, Richard had already pulled his hand away.

Now that she couldn't post it anymore, Funina was a little annoyed, thinking that Richard must have misunderstood.

But Richard didn't misunderstand anything. He just felt that Funina had been acting strangely lately. Could she be planning to do something big like Lynette did?

After all, Richard had heard a little about the private meetings between Furnessa, Lynette, and Claurind.

Of the trio, Lynette and Clorinde have both 'graduated', leaving only Frynn still in preparation, which is indeed behind the current version in terms of progress.

And even without comparing her to Clarinde and the others, just looking at her isoform, Fucarus, Furna is far behind. Richard asked, "Lady Furna, have you been very busy lately?"

But these words were interpreted differently by Funina, who thought that Richard had noticed her distance from her.

"I'm... I'm alright, a little busy, but not completely busy. Um, I mean, I can be less busy if you want." In her panic, Funina was basically just rambling nonsense.

Perhaps realizing she had spoken too incoherently, Funina, having forced herself to calm down, spoke directly without waiting for Richard to speak:

"Do you have any plans this weekend? Maybe we could go see a movie?"

As she spoke, Funina opened a drawer and showed Richard the promotional poster she had seen earlier.

The poster advertises a romantic film, and the original work of this film is the same romance novel that previously caused Funina mental distress.

Originally, Funina wanted to go alone quietly. After all, if she went with Richard, what if he discovered her useless side and then stopped being with her?

But the question is, even without this movie, would Richard have missed the discovery? It was just a matter of time.

Furthermore, Funina understands the psychological problems she is facing, and if she continues to bottle them up alone, she will probably become ill.

She already suffered from severe psychological stress and a series of related psychological problems due to her long-term portrayal of the water goddess.

After the doomsday prophecy was resolved, the psychological pressure was greatly reduced, and the situation improved.

However, with the emergence of new internal conflicts, if they are not addressed in time, the old problems may resurface and even become more serious.

So rather than sitting idly by and waiting for death, it's better to face it sooner rather than later. At least you can see what Richard is really thinking, and you won't keep wasting your time like this.

"I'm sorry, Lady Funina, I probably won't be free this weekend." Richard shook his head regretfully.

"Ah... well, okay then." Funina was completely unprepared for the rejection, and even the ahoge (cowlick) on her head drooped.

She looked extremely listless, like a severely dehydrated lily of the valley.

Even so, she forced a smile and said, "I'll go see it myself."

"It's okay, you're busy too, it's good to be busy..."

At this moment, Fu Ningna is like a lonely old woman in a charity program, full of desolation and loneliness, but she has to cheer up and say that she is fine in front of her lover.

I felt so wronged.

In just a short while, Funina's eyes were already misty, and it looked like she was about to shed small pearls at any moment.

Richard was speechless at the sight, and kindly reminded him:

"Not only am I busy, you are busy too."

"I'm busy too?" Funina was taken aback. What did that mean? What was she busy with on weekends?

"Have you forgotten that we're going to visit Inazuma this week?"

"Going to Inazuma? This week?"

“This week!” Richard answered confidently.

"Didn't Inazuma extend an invitation to you before? And you agreed, didn't you? You even said you wanted to go to the top of the castle tower to watch the fireworks."

Richard chuckled as he spoke:

"Was this itinerary decided just last week?"

"Oh, right." Funina suddenly realized, yes, she was going to Inazuma as an envoy.

Looking at the slightly dazed and adorable Funina, Richard said:

"Of course, if Lady Funina really wants to see the film, she can make an appointment before leaving for Inazuma."

“I’m free whenever I’m not at work,” Richard said.

Perhaps Funina is unaware that these past few days have been 'rest days,' but this 'rest day' is not the same as the other kind of rest day. This 'rest day' means taking a break and not taking any more days off.

This special day off was clearly not for Richard, but for Clarin and the others. Even if they took turns, they were already finding it too much to handle.

Especially with people having to work during the day, Clarinde, Fukaros, and even the newly joined Lynette were finding it difficult to cope with the intensity.

After all, they aren't like Arecino, who can run back to winter to recuperate when she knows she's in trouble.

Therefore, whether it's for the sake of sustainable development through overfishing or for their health,

The establishment of 'rest days' is necessary in every way.

"Never mind, never mind," Funina said awkwardly, having completely lost the courage she had when she invited Richard.

Although it is said that a short pain is worse than a long one, there is also a saying that it is better to live a miserable life than to die a good death. What if things take a turn for the better?

Perhaps this trip to Inazuma will allow me to discover my own strengths?

With this in mind, Funina didn't mention anything about the film, and instead started talking to Richard about work, appearing determined to improve herself.

Richard didn't pay much attention, after all, this wasn't the first or second time Funina had done this; she came almost every month, but each time it didn't last long.

This time will probably be the same.

Of course, Funina has made great progress now, because even if she works hard, she will no longer cause him trouble.

Therefore, Richard was happy to see Funina working hard.

Chapter 243 Inazuma, Kuri, and Rongcai Festival

Today, Funina wore a well-fitting dark blue blazer with a white undershirt, and instead of her usual white shorts, she wore dark blue trousers that matched the overall style.

The reason she wasn't wearing shorts was because when Fu Ningna got home yesterday, she accidentally bumped into a table leg and had a very noticeable bruise on the back of her calf.

Funina felt it looked a bit awkward, so she simply changed into long pants to cover it up.

These are all minor details. If it weren't for the fact that she needed to wear formal attire for her mission to Inazuma, Funina would have loved to just slip on a dress, sandals, and go on a trip.

"I heard that Inazuma is preparing a grand festival called the Radiant Splendor Festival. Richard, didn't you spend a long time in Inazuma before? Do you know the origin of this festival?" Funina asked as she boarded the ship following the staff's instructions.

“The Rongcai Festival…it shouldn’t be a traditional festival of Inazuma.” Richard naturally reached out to support Funina, who was swaying on the boarding deck, and then said.

"According to Inazuma's explanation, this festival is an international cultural event that is both unique to Inazuma and distinctive."

After Funina boarded the ship, Richard very gentlemanly released his hand from Funina's waist, and Funina blushed slightly and thanked him softly.

"You can think of this festival as a special event held by the Inatsuma Shogunate after lifting the isolation edict, in order to showcase the country's features, attract investment, promote the economy, and enhance its international image."

"Deceit? There are so many rules?" Funina was stunned. She thought that the Inazuma Rongcai Festival was a traditional festival in Inazuma.

"This is actually standard procedure, just like our previous cultural exchange activities. There's not much difference between the two in essence," Richard said.

"Since it's an international festival, there should be people from other countries coming, right?" Frynn asked curiously. She suddenly wondered if people from Liyue would also be attending.

However, since Richard is here, Ningguang, the Tianquan star from Liyue, might come too.

“There are definitely some, but most of them are actually from the cultural side. Foreign dignitaries probably wouldn’t go,” Richard replied after thinking for a moment.

"Then what are we?" Funina blinked.

Richard pondered for a moment and said:

"Guest and diplomatic envoy."

"In terms of its nature, it should be a normal diplomatic exchange that happened to run into Rong Caiji."

Richard smiled and said again:

"You are free to participate in the Rongcai Festival as a tourist at that time."

"Really?" Funina's eyes lit up.

"I heard there are many street games at the Rongcai Festival. Is it okay to just go and play them?"

“No problem, but please be mindful of your manners while you’re playing. At the very least, don’t cry if you lose a game,” Richard reminded her.