"Lady Furina seems to be in particularly high spirits today," Clorinde remarked.
Furina, who had been humming a cheerful tune while enjoying her cake, froze mid-motion. She averted her gaze. "D-do I?"
Clorinde nodded impassively. "Yes."
Is it that obvious? Furina touched her face and cleared her throat. "The sunlight today is exceptionally bright and dazzling! It can't help but lift my spirits!"
"If Fontaine were shrouded in gloomy clouds, my face would reflect that gloom..."
"If Fontaine were drenched in endless rain, I would sigh softly... As Focalors, my heart is forever bound to Fontaine, forever entwined with its fate—"
Clorinde glanced out the window. "It looks like it's about to rain today, yet you show no sign of sadness."
Furina was momentarily speechless.
Instead, she defiantly crossed her legs and declared with forced conviction, "Of course! Sometimes, one must act contrary to expectations! The depths of this principle are beyond even your comprehension, Clorinde! No further questions!"
Come to think of it, Clorinde doesn't seem to have slept well, Furina noticed the faint dark circles beneath her eyes.
But there was one thing Furina needed to clarify.
Furina's improved mood and newfound ease today had absolutely nothing to do with Phantom Thief White Cat!
Absolutely not!
As she thought this, Furina unconsciously touched the corner of her eye.
"Is something wrong with your eye?" Clorinde asked again.
"Huh? Ah, n-no, it's nothing!"
Stop staring at me already, honestly.
Oh, right, as a guard, she can't take her eyes off her charge... Well, I suppose I'll forgive you. Furina speared a piece of cake with her fork and popped it into her mouth.
Mmm, delicious!
Still, the black and red color scheme of the cake reminded her of the attacker.
Furina couldn't help but shudder.
"Are you cold?" Clorinde asked.
"No, I'm not. Your concern warms my heart, but please stop asking," Furina sighed.
"Then you must be feeling too warm."
"..."
Now Furina actually was feeling cold.
She picked up her schedule for the day and glanced at it. Nothing out of the ordinary.
As usual, she would review the latest research reports after finishing her other tasks.
Though Furina doubted that humanity, in its current state, could truly comprehend the Primordial Sea water or avert the crisis foretold in the Prophecy.
But she had to try.
...Besides continuing to play her role, there was little else she could do beyond these trivial tasks.
A mortal's power had its limits.
"Come to think of it, I promised Luna I'd invite her to film a movie," Furina muttered to herself. "I happen to have a longer period of free time coming up—perfect timing..."
She nodded, mentally adding it to her to-do list.
Just then, Sedene pushed open the door. She walked with small steps to Furina's desk.
"Lady Furina, there's a letter for you."
"A letter? From whom?"
"The Fourth Seat of the Fatui Harbinger—The Knave... That's how they identified themselves," Sedene said, scratching her head.
Thump-thump-thump.
So it had finally arrived!
Furina had known that if Childe, the Fatui Harbinger, was put on trial, The Knave, the Harbinger in charge of Fontaine, would seize the opportunity.
Or... perhaps it's just a simple greeting? Furina clung to this unrealistic hope.
She opened the letter.
"To the Esteemed Lady Furina:"
"Regarding the trial of our Harbinger, I wish to act as an 'envoy' and engage in proper diplomatic discussions with you. I trust you will not refuse."
Furina smiled as she folded the letter. "I understand. Oh dear, being so popular is truly exhausting."
But inside, she felt utterly hopeless.
This is a disaster. I'm doomed.
-
Earlier that morning, Chevreuse opened her eyes.
She hadn't slept well again. She gazed at her hands and sighed softly.
Her fingertips had stopped trembling.
Though it wouldn't affect her duties, this abnormality still worried Chevreuse. If this keeps up, could something go wrong?
Come to think of it, would Phantom Thief White Cat really be someone who gets shot by a bullet?
No.
Her intuition told her the shot hadn't hit its mark... at least, that's what Chevreuse thought.
She slowly sat up, ran a hand through her hair, and let out a long breath.
"Time for training."
The Special Task Force didn't participate in regular patrols, but they had the freedom to alter their morning training routes and plan their weighted jogs.
When they "happened" to pass near Charlotte's house, they paused for a break.
Chevreuse surveyed the surroundings.
No troublemakers. Good.
After White Cat's hostage-taking incident and threats, Charlotte probably didn't need them keeping an eye out anymore.
The Phantom Thief White Cat had lost all her so-called "fans."
Of course, there were still a few self-proclaimed loyalists. But they no longer posed any threat.
It wouldn't be long before the Marechaussee Phantom announced their findings.
Once they did, they could proceed with purging the "rot" within the Court of Justice and perhaps even unmask the mastermind behind the entire scheme.
But what about the White Cat?
Chevreuse twisted open her water bottle, gulped down the water, and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
"One more minute of rest, then we're back at it! When we get back to headquarters, you'll be practicing your marksmanship. These new rifles require fresh training, and anyone who falls behind will be scrubbing toilets for a week!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Ever since learning that their captain had hit the Phantom Thief, Chevreuse had noticed a newfound clarity in her team's eyes.
The captain, who had consistently been outmaneuvered by the Phantom Thief, had finally turned the tables.
A victory!
Yet she herself remained stoically silent about it.
She had even declined any formal commendation.
"It was just one shot," she told others, but truthfully, that's exactly how she felt.
Without capturing the White Cat, it couldn't be considered a true win.
...Still, the White Cat hadn't shown her face since then.
Could I have actually hit her? Chevreuse mused absently as she wiped away sweat with a towel.
"Hmm?"
Chevreuse spotted a familiar figure in the distance.
"Luna?"
Luna was yawning, carrying a basket overflowing with groceries. She must have woken up early to visit the morning market.
"Chevreuse?" Luna noticed her too and walked over.
Chevreuse smiled faintly. "Good morning. Grocery shopping?"
"Yeah, living alone means I have to take care of everything myself. Would you and the other Special Task Force officers like some fruit?"
Chevreuse politely declined. "We're in training, so we can't. Speaking of which..."
Luna was close to Chiori, and as a detective herself, she might have some information. After all, Chiori's boutique was known as an "information broker." If Chiori felt the price was worth it, she'd provide information to anyone who asked. And Luna? Given their close relationship, Chiori would likely tell her anything she asked directly.
Chevreuse carefully chose her words. "Have you been following the Phantom Thief?"
"Phantom Thief White Cat? I've been keeping an eye on her activities, but there haven't been any new developments lately," Luna chuckled softly.
"Chiori too?"
"Yep."
"That's a pity," Chevreuse said softly.
Why does this feel so frustratingly familiar?
It was almost as if Luna was the Phantom Thief White Cat herself. Wait a minute, could she actually be the Phantom Thief in disguise? After all, there was precedent.
"By the way, when are you returning my towel?" Chevreuse asked casually.
It was a test.
Luna feigned confusion. "Towel?"
"...Never mind, I must be mistaken."
So, it really was Luna.
But if the Phantom Thief White Cat were acting, she'd be an expert. She could probably even fool the world's top detectives.
"Hiss—" Luna suddenly gasped.
Huh?
What was that reaction?
Chevreuse nonchalantly said, "What's wrong? Did I hit you too hard? I saw a little bug on your shoulder and flicked it off."
"Thanks, but it's not that. I just have a minor injury on my shoulder."
"...What kind of injury? If it hurts, I'll take you to see a doctor."
Luna slightly lowered her collar, revealing her smooth, pale shoulder to Chevreuse.
"It's nothing serious. See? I just strained it during rehearsals. It'll heal quickly, but it still stings when touched."
Chevreuse averted her gaze. "I'm sorry."
She had initially thought it was a gunshot wound.
But she was mistaken. Chevreuse's heart, which had been racing, finally calmed. She realized she must have been too focused on Phantom Thief White Cat.
She needed to reflect on this, as there were other criminals the Special Task Force needed to deal with.
"Time's up. Actually, it's already past," Chevreuse announced.
The members of the Special Task Force shuddered.
Captain, why do you have to be so sharp?! They had hoped to steal a few more moments of rest while Chevreuse was chatting, but now it was clear—she had an internal clock.
Chevreuse nodded. "Let's part ways here. Goodbye."
"Good luck!" Luna waved with a smile as she watched the Special Task Force jog away.
She touched her lips. "Looks like Miss Captain missed me quite a bit."
In that case...
Later that night, after her shower, Chevreuse dried her hair and approached her bedroom door. Before her hand could grasp the handle, she paused.
A familiar sensation washed over her.
Could it be? Chevreuse narrowed her eyes and pushed the door open.
"Good evening."
The Phantom Thief, clad in her sleek platinum-gold bodysuit, sat on her bed, propping her cheek on her hand with an elegant smile.
"My dear Captain."
"You... missed me?"
Chevreuse blinked.