Furina paced nervously.
Today was the day for her diplomatic meeting with "The Knave," Arlecchino. Despite having Neuvillette by her side, she couldn't shake her anxiety.
If only Phantom Thief White Cat were here... Why am I even thinking about her? Furina shook her head inwardly. Could a phantom thief actually be useful in a situation like this?
Furina sighed silently, dreading her upcoming meeting with Arlecchino.
She knew all too well the reputation of the Fatui Harbingers. Each member was a force to be reckoned with. But what choice did she have? A God couldn't afford to show weakness!
Hold it together, Furina! she mentally urged herself.
Neuvillette glanced at her. "I still don't think agreeing to these talks was wise. We're at a disadvantage, and until we provide a satisfactory explanation, they'll undoubtedly use this opportunity to exert diplomatic pressure."
I know that all too well, Furina thought, biting her lip. But if I refuse to attend, I'll surely arouse suspicion.
Diplomatic pressure versus Fontaine being submerged? The choice was obvious.
"W-well, with you here, Neuvillette, we can adapt to whatever comes our way!"
"...I'm not particularly skilled at communication," he replied.
"Nonsense! You're Fontaine's very face! Just standing there exudes authority! You know, given the right circumstances, I could even put a foreign God on trial!" Furina declared, planting her hands on her hips.
Neuvillette touched his cheek. Fontaine's face? Authority? Do I really look that intimidating?
Just then, the door swung open.
"My apologies for the slight delay. I was held up on the road, but it was only by a few seconds. I trust it wasn't an issue."
Wait, that voice...
Arlecchino's gaze settled on Furina.
The "Archon" Luna had been watching...
A smile bloomed on her face. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Furina."
Furina's expression flickered. She couldn't possibly mistake that voice.
It belonged to the black-clad woman who had attacked her that night!
Yet the terror of that night seemed strangely overshadowed by something deeper. After a moment of stunned silence, Furina crossed her arms, a confident smirk spreading across her face.
Just The Knave, she thought. Let's see how she handles this.
"The pleasure is mine, Madam Arlecchino."
Arlecchino settled into the sofa. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, she cut to the chase.
"I require you to return Childe to Snezhnaya. If that's impossible, I demand a meeting with him. Or perhaps—Lady Furina—you're incapable of fulfilling such a simple request?"
"For instance..." Arlecchino leaned forward slightly, crossing her hands over her lap. "What if... a key figure from Snezhnaya has gone missing?"
Furina's bravado crumbled. "Uh, about that..."
What a terrifying woman!
-
The meeting had been far from pleasant. Both sides had made concessions, but ultimately it was just a way to buy time.
I can't shake the feeling that Arlecchino is testing me, Furina thought, rubbing her arm as a slight chill ran through her.
...But I absolutely cannot let anyone discover my true identity.
Childe had recently disappeared from the Fortress of Meropide. His whereabouts and the reasons for his disappearance remained unknown. If he had escaped, the method he used was equally mysterious. This complication only made the situation more precarious.
Neuvillette had said, "I will arrange for suitable personnel to investigate the Fortress of Meropide."
The Fortress of Meropide was an autonomous territory. Even Palais Mermonia couldn't directly intervene. Considering this, Furina suspected Neuvillette might choose the Traveler for the task.
Furina slumped onto the table, sighing repeatedly.
"I'm truly grateful to everyone. After all, it seems foreign Archons are constantly dealing with all sorts of messy problems, while I'm spared those headaches and simply need to make an appearance..."
Yet she couldn't shake the feeling that she was somewhat useless.
It wasn't as if she could actually help.
Maintaining her disguise and continuing her charade was already pushing her limits. There was only so much an ordinary person without special abilities could do.
"...All I can do is keep a close watch."
And then figure out what to do next.
Adjusting her mindset, Furina rested briefly before setting out to tackle her day's agenda.
Aside from the diplomatic meeting with Arlecchino, there was only one main item on her schedule today: filming.
The entire production crew had assembled, arrangements were made, and she couldn't possibly back out now.
"Why did Arlecchino attack me?" Furina wondered, a faint unease creeping into her heart. Could she have sensed something?
"...."
I hope this ordeal ends soon.
-
Meanwhile, Arlecchino had returned to the House of the Hearth.
It was still naptime, and the younger children lay sprawled across the floor, fast asleep.
"Father, you're back. Did things go smoothly?" Lynette asked softly, sipping her tea as she noticed Arlecchino.
"Palais Mermonia's attention should now be focused on me, so I'd say that part went according to plan. But I didn't expect Childe to disappear in the Fortress of Meropide."
Still, this presented a perfect opportunity for the House of the Hearth.
Arlecchino sat down opposite Lynette.
"Lynette."
"I understand, Father. As you said before, it's our turn to act now," Lynette nodded slightly.
Tartaglia's disappearance in the Fortress of Meropide, combined with the complete vanishing of the Fatui informants planted there—not a single message escaping—made it difficult not to suspect the Duke's involvement.
This was a calculated scheme, a transparent move.
With the informants gone, if Arlecchino still wanted to uncover the secrets of the Fortress of Meropide, she would inevitably have to send her own people deep inside.
The Duke could then seize the opportunity to manipulate them.
Regardless, they still needed to uncover the truth of the Prophecy.
Arlecchino naturally chose Lyney, Lynette, and Freminet for the task. They were the most capable candidates after Luna.
"I'm ready," Lynette said, twitching her cat ears.
Arlecchino crossed her legs. "A good answer. However, you'll likely have to stay down there a little longer before returning to the surface."
"Well, it's not like she'll be back anytime soon anyway."
Arlecchino had informed the children that Luna had agreed to return home for a family dinner. This news had kept Lynette in particularly good spirits these past few days.
However, Lynette knew Luna couldn't possibly arrive quickly. After all, Luna was returning to her own home—the House of the Hearth.
The scene of Luna's departure remained vivid in Lynette's memory.
"I haven't forgiven her yet," Lynette whispered.
Arlecchino stood up, patted Lynette's head, and turned to leave. "Contact me immediately if you need anything. No matter how much you grow, you'll always face problems you can't solve alone. As your 'Father,' I'll always be someone you can rely on."
The same applied to Luna.
But Luna probably didn't need to rely on anyone anymore. Arlecchino rubbed the back of her neck.
"Is something wrong, 'Father'?" Lynette keenly noticed the gesture.
"Nothing. Just a cat brushed against me."
"Huh?"
A cat in the House of the Hearth? But they all seemed terrified of "Father"...
-
On the film set:
"Wow, the sun is so strong today! Luna, let's grab some ice cream later, okay?" Navia fanned herself, her parasol shielding both herself and Luna, who stood close beside her.
Luna chuckled. "I think we should get it now. We'll be waiting forever once filming starts."
"Oh, I'm sure you'll nail it in one take!"
Earlier that morning, Navia, Luna's manager, had delivered her work invitation. As promised, it was for a film.
The production team was fully assembled, awaiting only their lead actress. But upon arrival, Furina discovered:
What kind of film are we making? Nobody knew.
What's the title? Unknown.
What's the genre? Also unknown.
The entire crew couldn't help but scratch their heads in bewilderment. It felt like they'd all been pranked, leaving them utterly confused.
Yet Furina would never pull such a stunt. Perhaps only she herself held the answers to this enigma.
"Lady Furina has arrived!" a booming voice rang out. "Yes! The radiant sun today heralds the birth of a magnificent work! Rejoice, my people!"
"The great Archon you've all been longing for—Focalors—has descended upon this place!"
The voice was instantly recognizable.
Applause erupted as Luna and Navia turned to look.
"Clorinde! And Lady Furina! Good afternoon!" Navia greeted with a cheerful wave.
So I'm just the "and" in this group? Furina scoffed inwardly.
Luna joined in with a warm smile. "Good afternoon, Clor."
"And what about the 'inde'?"
"Good afternoon, Lu."
Navia sighed in exasperation. "Haven't you two grown tired of messing with each other's names yet?"
Luna smiled faintly. "Not yet, Na."
Clorinde remained impassive. "I'm simply responding in kind, Ya."
"Vi! Where's the 'vi'?"
These three really are close, Furina mused.
Her gaze drifted to Luna's face.
"Good afternoon, Furina," Luna greeted with a gentle smile.
"Are you aware you're addressing a dignified God right here?" Furina retorted, planting her hands on her hips in mock exasperation.
The moment Furina saw Luna's face, she was reminded of the Phantom Thief.
And thinking of the Phantom Thief, she couldn't help but recall all of her daring exploits.
Furina's cheeks flushed slightly, but thankfully, everyone's faces were flushed from the sun, so no one noticed.
If they ever found out that the God Focalors herself was blushing because of the Phantom Thief, who knows what kind of chaos would ensue?
She cleared her throat and clapped her hands. "Alright, everyone! You're probably wondering what kind of film we're shooting today. Well, the moment of truth has arrived!"
"Today, we're making a Phantom Thief film!"
Navia and Clorinde exchanged bewildered glances.
A Phantom Thief film?
Luna blinked in surprise. Are they asking me to play myself?