Moreover, Luc Vaudelier was not a bad person by nature. In fact, he was quite kind to her, though inexplicably dense when it came to understanding her feelings.
"No! I am Lady Furina, adored and revered by the people of Fontaine! He must apologize first—absolutely!"
Furina's inner conflict raged. "You can't be so naive, Furina," she told herself sternly. "Don't fall for his tricks. Maybe he's just playing you for sympathy…"
Furina quickly pulled her hand back, regaining her pride. She wasn't going to be the first to give in. Glancing once more at Luc curled up on the prison bed, she turned on her heel and left the cell.
The soft click of the door closing stirred Luc slightly. He opened his eyes and stared at the door, sensing someone had just been there. But this was a prison—who could it have been? Shrugging it off, he shut his eyes again.
Not long after, a soldier approached his cell with a folded blanket.
Hearing the key in the lock, Luc immediately sat up, hopeful. "Are you letting me go?"
"No," the soldier replied dryly. "We're just providing you with an extra blanket. Humanitarian policy."
The light in Luc's eyes died instantly. What kind of nonsense is that? he thought bitterly. Real humanitarianism would be letting me out!
Left with no choice, he lay back down and pulled the blanket over himself.
Outside the cell, on the far end of the corridor, Furina quietly observed from the shadows. Seeing Luc now covered and warm, she finally felt a bit of relief. She was the one who'd ordered the guards to deliver the blanket—but made sure they didn't tell him it was from her.
"It's fine. I still care a little… but that's it. Everything that happens from here on is his own fault."
Furina tossed her curls and smirked with satisfaction. "Besides, I'm in a good mood now—maybe because I saw him getting what he deserves. Hehe, I'm going home to play Solitaire!"
The next day…
Chief Justice Neuvillette issued an order for Luc to be brought before the Opera Epiclese courtroom.
Though Luc had no idea how the investigation had gone, he knew one thing for sure: the origin of his Mora was technically untraceable. Still, he had no criminal record, so surely the punishment wouldn't be too severe.
At best, he thought, they let me go and I live discreetly. At worst? Life imprisonment means I won't need to worry about food or rent. And even if I'm sentenced to death… well, that still solves the "survival" problem.
In court, Neuvillette reviewed the evidence and stood solemnly. The room held its breath as he spoke:
"Based on the current evidence and investigation, I hereby declare the suspect Luc Vaudelier—not guilty."
A wave of stunned murmurs swept through the courtroom.
Everyone was bewildered. Luc had been caught with a suspiciously large sum of Mora—definitely more than what any average citizen should possess—and he'd refused to explain its origin. All signs pointed to illicit dealings. How could such a person be declared innocent?
Some members of the public grew anxious. They whispered among themselves:
"Is Fontaine's justice system becoming lenient?"
"What if he's truly dangerous?"
"Lady Furina fought so hard to restore order… we can't risk another downfall!"
A voice from the crowd spoke up boldly:
"Then, Lord Neuvillette, if you say he's innocent, where did all that money come from?"
Everyone turned, expecting Neuvillette to present a thorough explanation, as he often did.
But surprisingly, the Chief Justice simply scratched his head and sighed. "Please don't inquire further. Just trust that the source of the funds is legal and poses no threat to Fontaine's stability."
There was silence. Then, reluctantly, the crowd dispersed, accepting his words as final.
Luc was just as confused. Legal? Since when? But he wasn't about to question his good fortune. He was free—and more importantly, he was getting his Mora back.
He gathered his belongings and prepared to leave, when he noticed a familiar silhouette waiting just outside the courtroom—Furina, arms crossed, tapping her foot impatiently.
Probably waiting for Neuvillette, Luc guessed. They were old acquaintances, after all.
Not wanting to be seen, Luc casually pulled his magic sack up to cover part of his face, trying to sneak past.
But Furina spotted him instantly.
"Hey! Are you seriously avoiding me? Is this Lady Furina so annoying to you now?"
Luc turned, stiffened, and lowered the sack. "What do you mean? I wasn't avoiding anyone. I was… swatting a mosquito. Didn't even notice you there, shortstuff."
"Oh please," Furina rolled her eyes, "You don't need to pretend. Go ahead, thank me all you want. I won't mind."
Luc blinked. "Thank you? For what?"
She scoffed, hands on her hips. "You really think you're standing here as a free man because of your luck?"
She then recounted the full story.
The day before, instead of going home, Furina had gone straight to Neuvillette's office.
"That man is my friend," she said flatly.
Neuvillette raised a brow. "Furina, you of all people should not associate with suspicious characters. You risk compromising your reputation—and your values."
"He's not a bad person," she replied stubbornly.
"But the origin of his wealth—"
Furina froze. That was the hardest part to explain. Not even Luc himself could justify where the Mora came from. No documents, no work record, no banking trail.
Her mind raced for a solution. Beads of sweat dotted her forehead. Then she blurted out the only lie she could think of:
"…I gave him that money."
Her face flushed scarlet. Archons help me! That's so embarrassing! What will Neuvillette think? Why did I say that?! He's going to misunderstand everything!
Neuvillette sat back, expression unreadable.
Funds from Furina? Her personal friend? Untraceable yet not criminal?
It added up too neatly.
A sudden possibility dawned on him—but he immediately dismissed it. No, Furina is the nation's idol. Surely this isn't… He shook the thought away.
Regardless, Furina had stepped forward to clarify the situation. With her testimony and status, there was no legal ground to detain Luc any longer.
Now, standing face to face, Furina gave Luc a sideways glance and smirked. "Don't forget, you owe me. Big time."
Luc stared at her in astonishment. He'd expected to be executed, not bailed out by Fontaine's own Archon in disguise.
He gave her a half-smile, adjusted his sack, and said, "Well… I guess I'll owe you a thank-you dinner."
Furina turned, her face slightly pink, but her tone confident.
"Hmph! I'll think about it."