"Haven't you prepared yet?"
The Empress looked at Qin Yu, who had suddenly frozen, her clear voice betraying a hint of unnaturalness.
After speaking, she lifted her fair, slender leg and looked at her rain-soaked hemline, a slight frown on her delicate brow.
So dirty…
And sticky, it feels awful.
The Ice Empress, as pure as snow and ice, had a slight obsession with cleanliness.
If she could still wield divine power, dealing with these issues would be a mere thought.
But now that her "divine license" had been temporarily revoked by the gods, she had to change manually.
The one providing her with clothes, naturally, was Qin Yu.
"Alright, this one will do."
Qin Yu rummaged through a pile of emotionally stimulating attire and finally found a set of OL wear.
Please don't overthink it, this is perfectly proper office attire.
Yes, especially suitable for a cold, aloof toy store owner like the Empress, who is extremely career-minded.
"Where did the black stockings go?"
Qin Yu mumbled and began to rummage again.
The Ice Empress couldn't go around with bare legs all day.
Now that she was weak, keeping warm was essential.
He felt something was off.
"Here, your clothes."
Qin Yu finally prepared the clothes and handed them to the Empress.
"..."
The Empress flipped through the clothes, her beautiful brows furrowing even deeper.
This style of design… she had never seen anything like it.
It felt so strange.
"Ahem, this is a white shirt, and this is a hip skirt."
"And the black…"
Seeing the Empress's gaze becoming more dangerous, Qin Yu stopped.
His improper thoughts had been seen through at a glance.
"There are no other clothes."
Qin Yu feigned ignorance under the Empress's scrutinizing gaze.
Well, he wasn't entirely wrong.
Other clothes, like a maid outfit, wouldn't be suitable for the Empress either.
He would never admit that the 'great leader' had worn similar clothes during their martial arts sparring.
Qin Yu wanted all the gods to wear peculiar outfits.
"...How long are you going to stand there staring?"
The Empress slowly tightened her grip on the clothes, causing them to become wrinkled.
The subtext was clear: she was going to change.
"I'll leave now."
Qin Yu came to his senses, scratched his head awkwardly, and turned to walk away into the distance.
"Call me when you're done—"
He waved his hand at the Empress, gradually moving further away.
Of course, he didn't go too far.
Don't misunderstand, Qin Yu wasn't planning anything.
After all, the Empress still needed protection, and he couldn't be at ease if he went too far.
It had to be this way.
"..."
The Empress watched Qin Yu's retreating figure, lost in thought for a moment.
It was this man who had defeated her head-on with absolute power.
Protection?
She murmured to herself, a barely perceptible curve appearing at the corner of her lips.
She wanted to tie this man back to the Tsaritsa's palace more and more.
Clearly, she was still the arrogant Empress.
For anything she desired, she would find any means to conquer and possess it.
The Empress shook her head and observed Qin Yu for a while longer.
Confirming he wasn't making any sly moves, she gently raised her hand and placed it on her fragrant shoulder.
The fabric slowly slid down.
A dazzling white, delicate glow, as she moved, was exposed to the air.
Her skin was like congealed fat, so tender it could be pierced by a single blow.
Under the warm sun, the air after the rain seemed even sweeter.
Her Imperial Majesty began to change her clothes.
Everything was so tranquil and beautiful.
"..."
On the other side, Qin Yu stopped under a tree.
He squatted down and stared at a small cat not far away.
Furina's water manifestation.
The little cat was lazily basking in the sun, occasionally lifting its fluffy paws to scratch its small round face.
Elegant, exquisite.
Its cat tail swayed lazily, its little bottom perky.
It squinted its eyes, seemingly unaware of Qin Yu's arrival.
"Miss Furina, can you open your mouth?"
Qin Yu waved his hand and asked curiously.
In fact, he wasn't sure if this "little ancestor" before him was really the Hydro Archon in disguise.
If she could talk, they could chat for a while.
"..."
The little cat basked in the sun, emitting a contented purr.
Qin Yu was ignored.
"?"
Qin Yu smiled and stared at the cat.
It seemed Furina's consciousness wasn't in it…
As soon as this thought crossed his mind.
"You look quite spirited, my future subordinate and Inquisitor."
An elegant and lazy voice sounded, and the little cat let out a soft hmph, slowly opening its eyes.
In its sapphire-blue eyes, a hint of playfulness flickered.
"?"
Qin Yu was stunned. It really was Miss Furina.
How did you turn into a little cat, Fufu?
"The gods have gathered, and as the most elegant and beautiful deity, it's only natural for me to greet them."
Fufu, in her cat form, lifted her chin, elegant and composed.
She extended a small paw, as if wanting to shake Qin Yu's hand.
"So that's how it is. Welcome to Inazuma."
Qin Yu was amused by the cute, elegant, and slightly narcissistic Fufu the cat and reached out to shake its paw.
He hadn't expected that even in her water manifestation, the feel would be just like the real thing.
Fluffy, soft.
And warm.
"Hmph."
Fufu rolled her eyes and flicked her tail in dissatisfaction.
She pulled back her paw and placed it on Qin Yu's hand.
She wanted to be on top.
"?"
Qin Yu was surprised and placed his hand on top of the cat's paw again.
What is the deal with you gods?
It's one thing for the married woman and the recently wedded woman.
But why do you, the Hydro Archon, also want to be on top of me!
"..."
The cat's paw swatted away Qin Yu's hand and elegantly placed itself on top again.
"I don't believe it…!"
Just as the battle over who would be on top between Qin Yu and Miss Furina grew more intense.
Plop.
Behind him, a muffled sound.
"Oh no, it's the Empress."
Qin Yu's expression changed slightly, and he subconsciously stood up, about to turn back.
Had she collapsed from exhaustion?
As his gaze shifted, Qin Yu's peripheral vision caught a glimpse of a graceful, alluring curve.
And mounds of snow-white flesh.
"—!"
Before Qin Yu could get a clear look, his vision went black.
The next moment, his face was engulfed in fabric.
It carried a faint, warm fragrance…
Wait, warm?
Qin Yu blinked and instinctively tried to pull away the clothes covering his face.
"How dare you!"
The Empress's voice, laced with icy coldness, threatened him in her exasperation.
In the chaos, the sound of rustling fabric could be heard.
She instinctively grabbed nearby leaves to cover her upper body.
The proud and pure Empress had never been so flustered.
"I…!"
Qin Yu's hand froze.
He finally realized what was covering his face.
It was the original scent of the proud Empress's discarded clothes… pfft!
What was he thinking at a time like this!
"These clothes… don't fit."
After a long silence, the Empress, who had finally regained her composure, slowly spoke.
"Ah? Where don't they fit?"
Qin Yu asked instinctively.
"—!"
Qin Yu felt as if he were being pierced by sharp eyes.
"I'll get you another one!"
He had made a mistake.
The clothes he had given her earlier seemed to be for Keqing.
But that was the largest size available.
What about bigger… ?
Qin Yu fell into contemplation.
"Qin Yu, hurry up and give them to me," the Empress urged.
Qin Yu gritted his teeth.
Fine, he'd have to use the 'great leader's' emergency clothes first!
ps: Sumeru's map isn't even fully updated, and yet there are already doujinshi of Fontaine's Hydro Archon, Fubao (sadness).