The sun was gradually setting.

Time was getting late.

Furina had finished playing with the cats and was preparing to head back.

Yu Xie and Furina walked together on the way back to Fontaine.

The scenery was pleasant, and Furina's steps were light.

For ordinary people, having the honor of traveling with the Hydro Archon was seen as a blessing from the heavens—something they could boast about to their family and friends for a lifetime.

But for Yu Xie, he had already gotten used to being dragged by Furina to all sorts of strange places.

As an officially appointed Champion Duelist, it was his duty to ensure the safety of the Hydro Archon.

After sending Furina back, Yu Xie returned to Poisson.

It was already dark.

In the kitchen, a golden-haired girl was deeply focused on perfecting her macaron-making skills, working with great seriousness.

The girl's golden curls fluttered slightly behind her, and her delicate face occasionally broke into a smile, like a warm and gentle sunbeam.

The serious-looking girl didn't notice that Yu Xie had already appeared behind her.

"Navia, making macarons again?" Yu Xie broke the silence in the kitchen.

"Yu Xie? You're back!" Navia turned around in surprise upon hearing his voice. Then she picked up a macaron and handed it to him. "Here, try it! I adjusted the ingredients a bit, so the flavor should be even better this time!"

"Hope it won't fail again?" Yu Xie teased.

Although Navia's cooking skills were excellent, even she had her mishaps from time to time.

Last time, when she experimented with a new combination of ingredients for the macarons, they ended up being too sweet.

After eating those macarons, Yu Xie couldn't bring himself to eat anything sweet for several days.

"It won't fail this time! I've learned from the last mistake," Navia said confidently. She picked up the delicate macaron and held it out to Yu Xie. "Here, I'll feed you. Open up~"

Yu Xie opened his mouth, and the delicate macaron slipped right in.

But whether it was by accident or Navia's intention, her finger ended up entering his mouth along with the treat.

For a moment, Navia froze.

The warmth from his mouth lingered on her finger, and she instinctively pulled her hand back, her face flushing with embarrassment.

"Wh-what do you think? It tastes good, right?" she stammered, trying to act nonchalant but failing to hide the blush spreading across her cheeks.

Yu Xie chewed the macaron, nodding in approval. "Mmm... Compared to the failed batch last time, this one is perfect."

At his compliment, a proud smile spread across Navia's face.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

She then took another macaron for herself and brought it to her mouth. Perhaps it was because she wasn't paying much attention, but the hand she used was the one she'd fed Yu Xie with earlier. After taking the bite, she unconsciously sucked the leftover crumbs from her finger.

This time, Yu Xie was slightly stunned.

If he wasn't mistaken, just now, besides the macaron crumbs, there was something else on Navia's finger...

Had Navia not noticed? Or... was it intentional?

Noticing that Yu Xie suddenly fell silent, Navia was a bit puzzled at first, but then she quickly realized what had happened.

She glanced at her finger, and the redness on her face deepened.

The atmosphere in the kitchen became a bit awkward.

"By the way, where's Uncle?" Yu Xie quickly changed the subject.

"Oh, Dad's in his study," Navia quickly replied.

"Then I'll go find him," Yu Xie said.

With that, he gave a smile that he wasn't sure was awkward or not, and turned to leave.

"Wait a moment!" Navia called out to Yu Xie, quickly placing the freshly baked macarons on a plate. "Why don't you take some to Father and let him try them too?"

....

Yu Xie arrived at the door of the Spina di Rosula president's study and knocked.

"Who's there? Come in."

He pushed the door open and walked up to Callas, placing the plate he was holding on the desk.

"Navia just made these. They're really good. Try one."

Callas paused his work and looked up at Yu Xie. His gaze seemed to carry some unspoken meaning, but he then picked up a macaron and took a bite.

"Hmm... As expected of my daughter, her cooking skills are top-notch!"

Callas chuckled loudly, his face full of pride.

"I wonder which lucky guy will get her in the future," Callas said with a glance at Yu Xie. "Kid, what do you think of Navia?"

"What do you mean, 'what do I think'?" Yu Xie sat down on the sofa beside him.

"Don't play dumb with me. After all these years, I've been watching you two. You think I can't see through your little feelings?" Callas squinted his eyes. "My daughter's grown up, and eventually, she's going to get married. Although I'm not entirely at ease with you, I know you well enough. If I had to entrust my daughter to anyone, I suppose I could reluctantly accept it... but still, what do you think?"

"What?" Yu Xie froze for a moment.

"Don't play dumb," Callas said, narrowing his eyes. "Don't tell me you only think of Navia as a little sister."

Think of Navia as a little sister… well, that's not quite it.

But after all these years, having spent so much time with Navia, and also with Clorinde, Yu Xie couldn't help but feel like he was a bit of a heartless fool...

Between Navia and Clorinde, he truly couldn't make a choice.

If i said i want both of them, wouldn't that mean Uncle Callas would split me in half?

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Callas's piercing gaze fell on Yu Xie, like a blade.

"I'm just thinking," Yu Xie replied, trying to deflect the conversation, "does Navia even know about your... thoughts?"

"Don't worry about that," Callas said, his tone softening. "After all these years, how could she not see what kind of look you're giving her? You can't possibly be blind to it." His voice suddenly turned more serious. "Wait a minute... you don't look down on my daughter, do you?"

This question really put him in a tough spot.

After thinking for a long time, Yu xie finally spoke:

"Uncle, let's talk about this later. Let's first deal with the 'Mysterious Girl Disappearances' case and the 'Sinthe' issue. Otherwise, I'm always worried that one day, the killer might target Navia."

"..."

Callas fell silent for a moment, then spoke again, "You're right. Let's solve this first."

The "Mysterious Girl Disappearances" case had been under investigation by Callas for some time.

As for "Sinthe," it was an addictive substance — in simple terms, a type of drug. It was a vile method used by unscrupulous people to make money.

During his investigation, Callas discovered a connection between the disappearances of the girls and "Sinthe." It seemed that the true culprit behind the disappearances could very well be the same person who was trafficking "Sinthe."

In fact, knowing how the plot developed, Yu xie was well aware of who the mastermind behind the case was, but at the moment, he lacked the evidence to prove it.

The president of the Confrerie of Cabriere, whom Callas had supported, was named Marcel, but his real name was Vacher. In order to bring back his beloved, who had dissolved into the Primordial Seawater, he kidnapped young girls to conduct experiments with the Primordial Seawater.

Although Yu xie couldn't remember all the details, the general direction of the case was still clear in his mind.

However, because he had forgotten some of the finer details, Yu xie couldn't locate the facility where Marcel was conducting the experiments. Moreover, Marcel was extremely cautious in his actions, never leaving a trace or a clue behind.

"Uncle, if one day Navia really becomes a target, whatever happens, you must come and discuss it with me," Yuxie said, looking at Callas with a serious expression.

"Alright, don't worry," Callas replied, his gaze sharp as a blade. "If they dare to target my daughter, I'll fight them to the very end!"