Inside the House of the Hearth,
Arlecchino silently clasped her hands. Last night, she'd had a rare dream—or rather, a vivid recollection of the past as she drifted to sleep.
"It's such a shame. You're so beautiful... I think you'd look stunning in a dress."
Many years ago, Luna had rested her head on Arlecchino's lap and sighed those words.
Even as warm memories surfaced, Arlecchino's expression remained unchanged.
The past existed only in "yesterday."
Now, they faced a threat from the future.
"Father," a knock sounded on the office door.
"Come in," Arlecchino replied coolly.
Lyney, Lynette, Freminet, and several other children entered.
"Father, we're here. Do you have any missions for us?" Lyney asked proactively.
"I heard Childe has been arrested?"
"Uh... yes, that's right," Lyney nodded.
Even the Fatui's intelligence network hadn't anticipated Childe's immediate incarceration in the Fortress of Meropide upon arriving in Fontaine, transforming him from a Harbinger into a prisoner.
Yet no one within the Fatui would dare mock him for it—except perhaps the other Harbingers.
"Do you intend to rescue him?" Lyney pressed.
"Rescue?" Arlecchino shook her head. "There's no need. He's a valuable pawn where he is."
The relationships between the Fatui Harbingers could hardly be described as harmonious. Their divergent ideologies often put them at odds, and mutual exploitation was commonplace. They worked together only for shared objectives.
Lynette twitched her cat ears. "But it seems he's suspected because of that Dar—"
"Darduffe," Lyney supplied.
"Right, because of Darduffe's death."
The House of the Hearth was responsible for gathering intelligence on Darduffe, and Arlecchino herself carried out the assassination. Therefore, "Childe" Tartaglia was essentially being used as a scapegoat.
Arlecchino was well aware of this. "It doesn't matter," she murmured. "I'll send his family some gifts later. They'll be satisfied."
Consider it compensation.
"Of course, before that, he'll have to endure staying a bit longer in the Fortress of Meropide—or perhaps he'll uncover something significant. We'll just have to wait and see."
The House of the Hearth also had informants planted within the Fortress of Meropide. Some were criminals, others guards. They had no shortage of ways to monitor the fortress.
Unless the "Duke" noticed them...
"But if trouble arises, I might send Lyney, Lynette, and Freminet to investigate the Fortress. Be prepared."
"Understood, Father."
A satisfactory answer. Arlecchino nodded.
"As for the rest of you, I want you to search for ancient ruins or anything else that might relate to the Prophecy."
The prophecy of the Fontainians dissolving had emerged long ago. There was no reason to believe records or clues about it didn't exist.
"We understand," the other children nodded in unison.
Just then, a voice called out, "Lyney, Lynette, you have a letter!"
"A letter?" The siblings exchanged puzzled glances.
Lynette sighed. "Is it another one of those tedious letters from the nobility? All flowery greetings and endless invitations..."
"We'll know when we open it. Maybe it's from Luna?"
Lynette's cat tail began to sway slowly at the possibility, betraying her anticipation. Yet she stubbornly insisted, "I doubt she'd write."
My sister's getting more stubborn by the day... Lyney shook his head with a sigh. How did she end up like this?
He took the letter from his companion, tore it open, and began to read aloud:
"'To Mr. Lyney and Miss Lynette, we urgently request your assistance as technical advisors. To bring the Phantom Thief White Cat to justice, we require your unique expertise. - The Franglet Family...'"
Lyney's expression grew increasingly complicated as he continued reading.
They're trying to catch the White Cat by enlisting her family? How ironic.
Lynette's ears flattened against her head, her face darkening. "Burn it."
See? The White Cat's feline companion is already bristling, Lyney thought wryly.
"We can't just burn it! We at least need to reply," he said with a wry smile.
"Remember," Arlecchino had taught them, "always maintain your manners and etiquette. Never be dismissive."
Lyney glanced at Arlecchino, their "Father," who stood by the window with only his back visible.
Freminet pondered, "The Franglet Family? I think I remember reading about them in the newspapers."
"Indeed..." Lyney murmured, crossing his arms in thought.
"Don't recognize them. Burn it."
"I told you, we can't burn it!"
Who exactly are the Franglet Family? The name sounded vaguely familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.
"They were Luna's defeated opponents," Arlecchino suddenly declared.
Recognition dawned on them.
Freminet's eyes widened. "Ah, the Jade Cup! They tried to trick Luna with a fake, but she easily saw through their scheme..."
Lynette sighed. "So what's their angle now? Are they looking for a rematch?"
Another chance to be the laughingstock?
"Hard to say."
Something about this felt off.
"Father, what do you think? Should we accept?" Lyney asked.
"The decision is yours. But if you're seeking my opinion... someone is trying to exploit Luna—to use her identity as the Phantom Thief."
"The Franglet Family has been struggling financially, nearly bankrupt, and has lost a significant amount of Mora," Lynette added.
"Of course, they could try to cash in on the Jade Cup Luna returned, but that's all they could do. After becoming a laughingstock, they wouldn't dare make a spectacle of themselves to grab attention."
They could only monetize the treasure itself, not their infamy.
Even disgrace could be turned into profit if handled skillfully.
"Having learned their lesson once, they should realize Luna is an opponent they can't defeat—unless someone powerful is backing them."
"Even fools gain courage when they have someone supporting them."
Lyney's expression turned grave.
"Lynette, I think we should accept this request."
"...Hmm."
Lynette nodded softly.
"She helped us last time. It's only right that we return the favor," she murmured, rubbing her arm.
Freminet whispered, "Isn't it because you want to see Luna again, Lynette—"
"I don't."
Everyone else, including Arlecchino, glanced at her tail.
It was wagging. Swaying.
Best not to mention it.
"By the way, I think I saw Luna and Miss Clorinde, the Champion Duelist, strolling around town together earlier. They seemed to be getting along really well..." Freminet blurted out.
"Wait, Freminet!" Lyney's face paled in alarm.
Don't say that!
Sure enough, Lynette's cheeks puffed up.
"Ah, sorry..."
He quickly decided against mentioning seeing Navia, Chiori, and Luna holding hands as they walked.
Arlecchino averted her gaze, looking out the window again.
Luna seems to have made quite a few new friends. That's not necessarily a bad thing.
[Operation Successful]
[Security Level: None]
[Treasure Rarity: A-Rank]
[Operation Notoriety: Unknown]
[Glamour: Heart-Stirring]
[Settlement Points: 300 (A-Rank Treasure) + 0 (Security Level) + 0 (Operation Notoriety) x 2 (Glamour) = 600]
This was undoubtedly the lowest score Luna had ever received as a Phantom Thief.
No security level? No operation notoriety?
Yet the facts spoke for themselves. Furina hadn't been wary of her at all. This was merely a private rendezvous with a God, hardly worthy of being called a Phantom Thief operation.
Well, might as well consider it a little extra pocket money.
[Heart of the Ocean]
[Intelligence: Two centuries ago, Furina stumbled upon a naturally flawless gem while strolling along the beach. Even without polishing, its smooth, organic form was breathtaking. She later had the gem set into a teardrop-shaped necklace, christening it the "Heart of the Ocean."]
[The Owner of the Jade Chamber once attempted to purchase this necklace for their collection but was unsuccessful.]
[Treasure Rarity: A-Rank]
[Fixed Points: 300]
After admiring it briefly, Luna stored the necklace in her Storage Space.
Ever since Luna realized Furina was hiding something, their interactions had only deepened her sense of the layers of barriers beneath Furina's flamboyant facade.
Furina wouldn't let anyone get close.
But as Luna had just declared:
No matter what Furina thought, it wouldn't change what Luna intended to do.
"After all, I am a Phantom Thief," Luna murmured, lying on her bed as she pulled out a photograph.
It captured Furina's sleeping face.
Naturally, Furina was unaware of this photo's existence, as Luna had snapped it while Furina was dozing earlier.
In the picture, Furina's face was serene and tranquil, utterly devoid of her usual exaggerated expressions. Rather than resembling an aloof Archon, she looked like a pure and flawless young girl.
"What are you hiding, Lady Furina?"
The Oratrice's erratic behavior might be signaling that fate was hurtling toward its inevitable conclusion.
But even if fate had been decided, it wouldn't stop Luna from making her own choices.
As Arlecchino had said, she would follow her own inner compass and make her own decisions, regardless of whether they were right or wrong, and heedless of others' wishes.
"Perhaps I'll stand by your side, Lady Furina."
Or perhaps I'll oppose you.
Only time would tell which path she'd ultimately choose.
Luna decided to leave the answer to this question to her future self, countless tomorrows away.
For now, she simply closed her eyes and smiled softly.
"Good night, Lady Furina."