[Genshin Impact] A world where only travelers are alone.

Chapter 2 Dating

If God gave Chloe another chance, she definitely wouldn't have chosen to suddenly decide to meet up with her dear pen pal on Wednesday.

The time constraints meant she didn't have time to go to a tailor shop to order a new dress, so she had to dig out her old clothes from a long time ago.

Fortunately, it fits fairly well.

Before leaving the house, Chloe looked at herself in the mirror again and again, finally confirming that everything was perfect and that she would never repeat the mistake of forgetting to remove the safety pin that held her clothes in place last time, which resulted in her pricking herself.

The pet sea otter was tilting its head and rubbing its face at her feet, which resulted in her picking it up and giving it a good rub.

This action clearly eased her tension, making Chloe's expression much better. She gently put the sea otter back where it was, saying, "Alright, I'm going out now. Be good while you're home alone!"

The little sea otter whimpered twice, as if saying, "Go, go."

Chloe finally felt relieved enough to go out.

Everything went incredibly smoothly today, except for accidentally stepping into a puddle on her way out, which took her a little time to clean up, but she still managed to arrive ten minutes early.

The coffee shop looked a bit strange today. Usually, this time of day should be the busiest, but now, apart from her who just arrived, there was only one person sitting in the corner.

Chloe stared blankly at the empty seats in "Café Luze".

However, she wasn't one to meddle in other people's business. After glancing casually at the person whose back was to her, she chose a seat and sat down.

Just as she sat down, the man seemed to have heard the noise and turned to look at her.

Chloe, who happened to be looking up, met those beautiful, upturned, light purple eyes.

Both of them were taken aback, but Chloe's reaction was to quickly lower her head as if nothing had happened, while the other guy stood up and walked towards her.

Oh no, oh no, could she have messed with some dangerous guy?!

Chloe felt that she finally understood why the huge coffee shop was completely empty; everyone must have been scared away!

She couldn't help but pray desperately that he wasn't looking for her, but even that couldn't stop the man from getting closer and closer to her, and eventually he sat down right across from her.

The hands under the table instantly clenched into a fist.

Before Chloe could even figure out how to beg for forgiveness, the man spoke, but his tone was far more humble than she had expected: "I'm sorry, did I scare you, Ms. Chloe?"

Chloe had only ever heard the term "lady" used by one person.

After all, people in Fontainebleau nowadays are obsessed with opera and enjoy entertainment, and their daily lives are nothing like those of hundreds of years ago. This kind of term is only used by some elderly people, and by her pen pal who speaks in a manner remarkably old-fashioned way—

"Otter!?" Chloe's pupils dilated in shock as she shouted out her pen pal's signature.

The man's expression finally softened a little, and he nodded: "It's me."

Chloe was stunned.

To be fair, the man in front of her was really handsome. Although it was inappropriate to use that word to describe him, it was the only word she could think of at the moment.

The man was very tall, with a slender and upright figure. His eyebrows and eyes had a kind of aloofness, as if he was born with a pure and noble air.

Chloe was initially intimidated by his aura, which is why she thought he was not someone to be trifled with. But now that his expression has softened, all that's left is the amazement at his appearance.

Oh no, my heart is starting to race!

"Ms. Chloe?"

Chloe was jolted awake from her dreamlike state only when the man spoke again.

"Sorry, I was daydreaming!" she quickly apologized.

Chloe noticed that his hurried behavior seemed to amuse the man, and she noticed that the corners of his lips turned up slightly.

However, he quickly realized that his behavior was inappropriate. He lowered his head slightly, suppressed his smile, and raised his right hand to tuck a strand of silver hair that had fallen by his temple behind his ear, looking rather embarrassed.

In short, this encounter completely shattered Chloe's initial impression of him as aloof, and his serious demeanor suddenly seemed dull.

She felt a bit like she was back when she was communicating with that meticulous pen pal.

Chloe, feeling bolder, took the initiative to strike up a conversation with him, but then, at the last second, she didn't know what to call him, so she could only say, "Otter—may I call you that?"

Although it's a bit strange, his long silver-white hair and blue highlights really made him look like an adorable sea otter, just like the one at her house. That's probably why he used that as his signature.

Chloe's thoughts were wandering, but she didn't forget to continue after the man nodded, "Would you like something to order? The desserts and coffee at this cafe are delicious; I come here every week to buy a small cake to take home!"

As a seasoned dessert lover, this shop absolutely deserves her ten-star recommendation!

The man seemed to have heard of the shop's reputation as well, and said, "Then please give me a 'Tribute to the Water God' drink, and as for the beverage—plain drinking water will do?"

Hmm, do you not like coffee?

Chloe began to regret not asking about his preferences before making the invitation to the coffee shop.

To make up for this shortcoming, she began to seriously recall the strategy she had prepared the night before, and soon found all the topics she had prepared for conversation because she was worried about awkward silences.

However, please forgive her dense mind. She had already written about all the interesting things that had happened recently in their correspondence a few days ago. She could only ask him for help with the new workplace problems she had encountered. The man was obviously quite willing to help her solve these problems, and every point he made was clear and logical.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Chloe exclaimed in amazement. "But speaking of which, Otter, your behavior and way of handling things don't seem like that of someone from the Tribunal at all."

Their legal court is full of people who talk nonsense and pass the buck; they don't have anyone with such logic.

"I am indeed not a member of the Tribunal for the Advancement of Justice." The man admitted her guess. "I was very interested in the Tribunal's new policy after hearing about it, and I happened to see the letter you left in the suggestion box. I took it upon myself to write a reply. I am truly sorry."

This was the second time Chloe had heard him apologize, and she couldn't help but think: He's so well-behaved!

She suddenly felt a urge to touch the man's hair to see if it was really as soft and smooth as her pet sea otter's.

Not knowing what outrageous things she was thinking, the man continued, "And Ms. Chloe is too kind. Actually, I'm not very good at handling these kinds of things."

"Huh?" Chloe's eyes widened in surprise.

"I learned all of this from a book on the art of language, which is said to be highly praised and useful in foreign countries. But for some reason, the techniques I learned from it don't work at all when applied to me or the people around me." The man looked dejected, as if he regretted it.

Chloe couldn't understand.

She felt that no one should dislike a man who speaks humbly and politely.

However, she quickly figured out why.

After enjoying dessert, Chloe asked the man what he thought about where to go next, and after receiving his answer that it was up to her to decide, she prepared to take him to the Opiclie Opera House.

She had already inquired and found out that the performance this afternoon was a light and cheerful piece, perfect for them to watch together.

Just as she stood up to leave, she bumped into Officer Mei Xin, who happened to be there to buy coffee.

The petite Mei Luxin walks with a bouncy gait, which looks incredibly cute.

As regulars at "Café Luz" and both government employees of Fontainebleau, Chloe and Luz were on good terms, so Chloe naturally stopped to greet her.

Upon seeing them, Mei Xin's expression froze slightly.

Before Chloe could even tease her about not recognizing herself, she excitedly called out to the man behind her, "Lady Vilette!"

Chloe: Huh?

She was stunned, wondering if she had misheard, and turned back to look at them blankly.

The man bent down slightly and greeted Mei Xin in a gentle tone.

However, the pleasantries did not last long. Mei Xin had patrol duties in the afternoon, so despite her reluctance, she had to say goodbye.

The man then looked at Chloe, only to find her frozen in place.

"Ms. Chloe?" he asked, puzzled.

Chloe finally recovered from her immense shock, pointing at him and stammering "you, you, you" for a long time before finally blurting out, "You're Navelette? Your Excellency the High Inquisitor?"

Villette looked bewildered, but still replied, "Yes, Ms. Chloe. Didn't you know?"

After all, he never intended to hide this matter, and even the handwriting he used in his initial reply was exactly the same as the handwriting he usually used when signing documents.

He assumed Chloe must have already guessed his identity.

Moreover, even if one is not familiar with his handwriting, one would recognize it after meeting him in person, right?

—But Chloe really didn't recognize her at all.

Even though she and Navelette both worked at the Palace of Moman, and even though her office was just a short walk away from her workstation and a right turn away, Chloe had never actually seen him before!

The judge, always the first to arrive at work and the last to leave, seemed to have no desire to be seen by them at all.

Moreover, she is, after all, a newcomer to the Court of Justice, and important documents will not be handled by her during the cautious period; those that can be reviewed by the judge naturally belong to this category.

So it wasn't until Mei Xin inadvertently revealed his identity that Chloe finally recognized him.

Now, however, she finally understood why, even though she arrived so early that day, she only saw the suggestion letter with a reply, and why there was only one person in the huge coffee shop.

I doubt anyone could comfortably enjoy afternoon tea in the same place as the high and mighty Supreme Judge.

Although she didn't choose to say all of this, Violet still understood the answer from her eyes and expression.

The originally sunny weather suddenly turned gloomy, and fine raindrops fell on Chloe's cheeks.

At the same time, she heard the dejected voice of the man in front of her—

"I'm sorry, Ms. Chloe..."

(End of this chapter)

The author says: Today's weather in Fontaine: Sunny turning to light rain.