Only Luna and Furina remained in the room.
The black tea still steamed gently, and Furina idly nibbled on the last piece of cake. Arlecchino's sweets were undeniably delicious.
But she truly didn't want to see that woman again.
"Lady Furina."
Furina snapped out of her reverie, belatedly noticing Luna's presence. Their eyes met briefly before Furina's gaze shifted slightly.
"So, Luna, you're from the House of the Hearth, just like Lyney and Lynette. It's a pity, though, because no matter what the Fatui do—"
Luna stood up.
Furina startled. "W-why did you suddenly stand up like that?"
Luna began to approach.
"Wait... what are you doing coming over here?!" Furina exclaimed, her voice laced with panic. "Couldn't we just have this conversation properly on the sofa?"
The Knave attacked me... does her child want to attack me too?! Furina's face flushed with fear. The closer Luna got, the further Furina retreated, until her back bumped against the corner of the sofa, leaving her with nowhere to escape.
"Apologize," Luna whispered.
"Uh, I-I'm sorry..." Furina stammered.
Luna's eyes widened in surprise. "Why are you apologizing? I'm the one who should be apologizing to you!"
"Huh?"
Realizing her mistake, Furina immediately felt a surge of embarrassment. Why couldn't she have been clearer?!
She cleared her throat. "Ahem! Of course I knew that. You should repent and apologize to me. Because... because..."
Because why, exactly?
Furina remembered how long ago she had rejected Luna's offer of friendship. Arlecchino was Luna's "Father," and it was only natural for her to side with her family. But having said so much already, she had no choice but to bluff her way through.
"Because as my subject, you show me absolutely no reverence whatsoever!" Furina declared, puffing out her chest and crossing her arms.
Furina exuded an air of authority and solemnity, if one ignored the fact that she was still curled up in the corner of the sofa.
Luna sat on the sofa, a gentle smile on her face. "I've always believed in Lady Furina, but reverence isn't necessary."
Isn't it? Furina wondered.
Luna's smile faded. "Whether Lady Furina believes me or not, it won't change my decision. Whether I choose to cooperate with 'Father' or..."
She trailed off.
Defy him? Furina guessed.
"Of course, I hope that day never comes." Luna pressed a hand to her chest and murmured an apology. "I'm terribly sorry for startling you, Lady Furina. I had no intention of concealing my identity."
Furina remained silent, scrutinizing Luna as if seeing her anew. After a long pause, she finally spoke.
"...Just now, were you on the verge of betraying your 'Father'?" Her tone betrayed a deeper concern for this detail than anything else.
"I suppose I was." Luna lifted her teacup and took a sip of red tea.
Furina was momentarily speechless. "I imagine the House of the Hearth doesn't tolerate betrayal, does it?"
"Of course not. Those who betray 'Father' are executed. No betrayal is too small to be overlooked."
Executed?!
This woman is truly violent and dangerous. How on earth can Luna still call her a parent...? Furina felt a chill crawl up her spine and couldn't help but shiver.
"Why would you do that?"
Is this some kind of good cop, bad cop routine? Furina remained wary.
Lost trust is hard to regain. The mere fact that Luna was Arlecchino's daughter was enough to keep Furina on high alert.
Without hesitation, Luna replied, "Because I want to."
"Your reasoning seems flawless on the surface, but it's utterly unconvincing," Furina countered.
"I have no need to convince Lady Furina," Luna replied.
She set down her teacup and slowly rose.
"As I've said, whether anyone trusts me or has expectations of me, it won't change my choices." With a graceful turn, Luna faced Furina, dipped slightly, and lifted her skirt in a curtsy.
"I hope Lady Furina won't harbor any resentment toward me in the future. Even if you do, it would be futile."
"And rest assured, I trust you."
Furina's expression was complex.
She trusts me? Really?
Even though Luna had just helped her, who knew if it was merely a ploy to win her favor and uncover the truth? Perhaps Luna was deliberately playing the "good cop."
I can't trust anyone, Furina thought to herself.
If the tremor she had felt earlier was truly a harbinger of the prophecy's imminent fulfillment, she needed to be even more vigilant.
Perhaps the grand, dramatic Judgment foretold by her reflection was about to arrive.
When that day came, everyone would be saved.
"Until next time, Lady Furina," Luna's voice snapped Furina back to reality.
"..."
Furina opened her mouth, but no words came out.
She could only quietly watch Luna leave the room, then curl up into a ball, hugging her knees.
I miss the White Cat so much.
But... could even the White Cat be secretly trying to uncover her secrets?
The thought sent a chill through Furina's fingertips. Perhaps, all along, the only thing she could truly trust was everything her reflection had told her.
As Luna exited Palais Mermonia, she noticed that the Maison Gardiennage, the Special Task Force, and the Fatui had all departed, leaving only the palace's original security force behind.
"Miss Luna."
Neuvillette, who appeared to have just arrived, greeted her.
"Mr. Neuvillette," Luna replied with a nod.
"It seems the conference has concluded."
Luna smiled faintly. "Yes, but I'm curious as to why you chose me to attend."
Neuvillette hesitated for a few seconds before revealing the truth.
"Something seems to have happened at the meeting. As I mentioned in my letter, you're the only one who can truly reassure Furina right now."
"From my observations, she trusts you in a way she doesn't trust others, though she's never explicitly said so."
It was hard to believe such words were coming from the Chief Justice himself.
"You could tell?" Luna asked.
"It wasn't easy, but the Melusines trust me. Even I, who feel detached from most emotions, can sense the emotion of trust."
Luna remarked casually, "Too bad she won't trust me anymore."
"...I'm sorry," Neuvillette said.
"I know," Luna replied.
Neuvillette pressed, "Could you tell me exactly what happened?"
He clearly didn't know Luna was a child of the House of the Hearth.
Did Father erase my traces? Luna wondered.
"I'm a child of the House of the Hearth," Luna confessed.
After Luna recounted the gist of the meeting to Neuvillette, he fell into deep thought.
"I see... So that's why Furina no longer trusts you. I apologize for extending the invitation without knowing this, thus disrupting your relationship with her."
"It's alright," Luna said.
Neuvillette didn't know the truth, but he was certain of his own identity.
"I accepted this," Luna said. "I don't regret it, and you don't need to feel guilty."
"Is that so..."
Neuvillette remained silent for a long moment.
"Let's get back to the matter at hand. Your theory is quite intriguing."
"In what way?"
"The idea of extraterrestrial life and the connection between Fontainians and water. It suggests a possibility I hadn't considered, but I need to verify some information preserved from ancient times..."
Could there actually be something to this story I made up to give Furina a way out?
Neuvillette, the Chief Justice who had lived for centuries, his origins shrouded in mystery, every attempt to uncover them had failed.
"Who exactly are you?" Luna asked.
"...As far as I know, when the first Descender arrived in Teyvat, they stole a portion of the Elemental Dragons' power. The authority of the Seven Archons stems from that stolen power."
Neuvillette paused, then continued, "I am the successor to the Hydro Dragon Sovereign."
He was the legendary Hydro Dragon himself—the one from the myth that said whenever it rained, the Hydro Dragon was weeping!
So that was it. Everything fell into place, finally answering Luna's lingering questions.
If Furina wasn't an Archon, then neither was Neuvillette.
The true Hydro Archon might be someone Luna had already met, she mused.
"You don't seem surprised," Neuvillette remarked.
Luna smiled faintly. "To me, there's little difference between Archons, dragons, or humans."
"...I trust you'll keep this confidential."
"Of course."
Luna asked curiously, "The Elemental Dragons' Authority was stolen. Was yours stolen as well?"
"That's the nature of Authority. All the Elemental Dragons in Teyvat, myself included, are currently in an 'incomplete' state."
"If the God who obtained the Authority were to disappear and return it, I might be able to do something about this so-called Prophecy..." Neuvillette gazed at his hand.
But the feasibility of that plan was too low. It was better to seek an alternative.
"You'll want to know the source of the tremors we just felt," Neuvillette shifted to another topic.
"The Fortress of Meropide," Luna replied. "I know the Primordial Sea lies beneath it."
"...Impressive, as always," Neuvillette said, a hint of surprise in his tone. He hadn't expected Luna to know this.
But he knew this unlicensed detective was exceptionally perceptive. Given even the slightest clue, she could deduce the whole picture.
"That makes things easier to explain."
Neuvillette recounted his mission to the Fortress of Meropide and what he had encountered there.
In short: the steel gates of the Fortress of Meropide had been blown open.
Neuvillette arrived just in time, using his power to temporarily stem the surge of the Primordial Sea and seal the floodgate, preventing a further eruption.
But this was merely a stopgap measure.
"We must find a fundamental solution," Neuvillette said earnestly.
"Wait a moment," Luna interjected.
"What is it?"
Luna smiled. "Remember to apologize to Lady Furina. Just tell her the truth—admit you don't know who I am."
"Very well. Though I suspect Furina has already lost faith in me."
Luna turned her back to Neuvillette.
"Isn't that because you've been doubting her all along?" Luna chuckled, hinting at his suspicions that she was hiding truths and secrets related to the Prophecy.
Neuvillette couldn't refute her words and fell silent.
"I don't want the Prophecy to come true," he confessed. "I don't want everyone to be dissolved."
"Who does?"
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Put ur favorite Umas here.
Tokai Teio for the win...tho Agnes Tachyon...