Meanwhile, at a private table on the second floor of Café Lucerne, two figures were quietly observing King and Paimon on the street through half-closed blinds.
Lyney, dressed impeccably as an elegant magician, was gently stirring the rich coffee in his cup with slender fingers, but his gaze was as sharp as a hawk's, locked onto the steady-paced man.
Lynette, the expressionless cat-girl lady, remained as charming as ever. She sat quietly opposite Lyney, her cat ears twitching slightly as she focused on gathering every bit of intelligence from below.
"After observing for so many days, that 'strongest man in Fontaine' has finally stepped out."
Lyney's voice was very soft, almost swallowed by the gentle background music of the café. "It seems today is a lucky day for the both of us."
Lynette nodded slightly, her eyes fixed on King. "Father is very concerned about this powerhouse who appeared out of nowhere. We must gather as much information on him as possible to assess his stance and threat level."
Lyney set down his coffee cup and said seriously, "Be absolutely sure to maintain your distance."
"He was able to defeat the Iudex and even caused Lady Furina to break protocol by granting him the status of personal guard. If we are discovered..."
Lynette interrupted Lyney, "I understand."
Lyney shook his head helplessly. "Alright then, let's keep up."
Like ghosts merging into light and shadow, the two left their seats noiselessly and blended into the crowd on the street, following far behind King.
Their tracking skills—or rather, their magic skills—were extremely sophisticated. Using magic props, pedestrians, and the cover of shops, they remained consistently in King's blind spots while keeping a full view of King and Paimon's movements... King seemed completely unaware of the siblings behind him.
His attention was drawn to a breakfast shop at a street corner that looked quite lively.
The sign 'Lilianes Bakery' hung over the entrance, and the glass display windows showcased freshly baked Baguettes, croissants, and various exquisite desserts, their aroma filling the air.
This place will do. The shop was packed and bustling with noise; the food must be good.
Although King wanted to find a Liyue restaurant, the rumbling in Paimon's stomach was getting louder and louder, nearly rivaling the emperor engine.
King pushed open the door and entered.
The bell on the door gave a crisp 'ting-a-ling' sound.
In an instant, the originally noisy breakfast shop seemed to have been hit by a mute button.
All conversation came to an abrupt halt.
Dozens of gazes swiveled in unison, landing on King.
The faces of the diners who recognized him instantly lost all color, their hands holding forks frozen in mid-air;
Those who didn't recognize him were still oppressed by King's aura, shrinking their necks back uneasily.
King: "..."
He scanned the room expressionlessly. Wherever his gaze landed, people lowered their heads one after another, pretending to be intensely focused on studying the fried eggs on their plates or the print in their newspapers.
King walked toward the only empty small round table in the shop, pulled out a chair, and sat down.
Paimon floated onto the small round table, her tiny body held ramrod straight.
The atmosphere in the shop was subtle.
The diners ate cautiously with their heads down, not even daring to make a sound when their cutlery hit their plates for fear of drawing the dissatisfaction of that great man.
A young woman wearing an apron, her long blonde hair tied in a neat ponytail, walked over quickly with a warm smile on her face.
She struggled to suppress her internal shock: "W-welcome! This... sir, and this little... guest."
"I am the manager, Lilith. May I ask what you two would like to eat? We have Fontaine specialties like Cream of Mushroom Soup, Crepes, freshly baked Baguettes, as well as various flavors of cakes and Egg Tarts..."
As Lilith spoke, she couldn't help but steal glances at King out of the corner of her eye.
Feeling it from such a close distance, this man's pressure was even more obvious!
Lilith felt her heart rate accelerating slightly.
King didn't look at the menu, instead looking directly at Paimon:
"Order."
Paimon had long since lost her soul to the dazzling menu and the aromas. Hearing this, she immediately became excited, her small hand pointing wildly at the menu: "I want this! And this! Cream of Mushroom Soup! The largest portion of Crepes! Chocolate Tarts! Strawberry Cake! And this... and this..."
She ordered every signature dish and dessert on the menu before finally licking her lips unsatisfied, looking at King and asking cautiously, "Is this okay?"
King glanced at Lilith: "Serve the meal as she said."
Lilith nodded vigorously: "O-okay! Coming right up!"
So nervous, so nervous!
She turned and walked quickly toward the kitchen, her pace so fast she almost seemed to be fleeing back into the back kitchen.
As a shop manager who had run a bakery in Fontaine for many years, she prided herself on having seen many big figures—be they judges or great merchants; even Lady Furina would occasionally come to buy some snacks.
But a'super powerhouse' like King was someone she was encountering for the first time.
Lilith leaned against the kitchen door, clutching her pounding heart. She took several deep breaths before she managed to calm down. Then, an excited flush appeared on her face.
"Quick! Everyone, move it!"
She lowered her voice and commanded the kitchen assistants, her eyes sparkling: "Use all the best ingredients! Be fast, but more importantly, be exquisite! Every piece of bread, every dessert, must be perfect!"
"Being able to host such a great figure is an unprecedented honor for our Lilianes Bakery!"
Lilith wiped the cold sweat from her brow. Although the pressure was immense, if she could satisfy that man... she could almost see the future scene of long queues forming at the shop's entrance!
The staff of Lilianes Bakery, like athletes injected with stimulants, began preparing the desserts at an incredible speed.
In just a few moments, the small round table in front of King and Paimon was completely occupied by a dazzling array of food.
Various Egg Tarts, cakes, Macarons, Fruit Tarts... colorful and vibrant, it was like a feast of desserts.
There were even some items not on the menu, clearly a small gesture from Lilith.
"Wow!!"
Paimon's eyes instantly turned into heart shapes, her drool almost flowing like a waterfall. Her small hand gripped a silver fork, her eyes wide: "C-can I start eating now?"
King nodded slightly.
Paimon cheered, no longer caring about decorum as she lunged at the nearest plate of Strawberry Cake.
"I'm digging in!"
"Mmm! Delicious! This cream is so dense!"
"The Mushroom soup is also super great! There are even truffles inside!"
"The Baguette is so crispy! It's a perfect match with this cream sauce!"
She exclaimed in satisfaction while eating, her two short legs swinging happily in the air.
King watched Paimon's wild eating manner, the corner of his mouth twitching imperceptibly.
He picked up a crepe and began to eat slowly and methodically.
The taste was quite a bit worse than the Opera Epiclese, and it was still a bit too sweet for him.
The atmosphere in the shop was eerie. Other diners had either finished their meals hastily and slipped away along the walls, or they were biting the bullet, eating the food in front of them with tiny bites as delicate as an archaeologist studying an artifact, their eyes occasionally drifting toward King, full of curiosity.
Lilith stood behind the counter not far away, hands clasped at her chest, her face flushed with a mixture of nervousness, excitement, and adoration.
She stared intently at every one of King's movements—the angle at which he held his fork, the line of his jaw when he chewed, the way his eyes occasionally scanned the surroundings... 'So imposing! Even dining has such a sense of ceremony! This is a true powerhouse!'
Lilith screamed inwardly, feeling that her shop had been graced with such brilliance today that it was worthy of being written into the family history.
She was already conceptualizing how to cleverly promote the fact that "Fontaine's strongest man once personally dined at this establishment" after the man left.
Time passed as Paimon devoured the food like a whirlwind and King tasted it quietly.
Soon, the mountain of food on the table disappeared at a visible rate, most of it going into Paimon's tiny stomach that seemed connected to another dimension.
"Burp~~~"
Finally, Paimon let out a long, satisfied burp, patted her round little belly, and slumped on the table, her face glowing with a happy flush: "So... so tasty... Paimon has come back to life..."
King also set down his utensils and wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin.
It was time to settle the bill.
King subconsciously reached into his pocket.
Then, his movement paused slightly.
Empty.
It was over.