"What?!"
The news quickly reached the Hotel Bouffes d'Artistes.
Lyney, who had been practicing his magic tricks, froze in shock. "You're saying that once the Palais Mermonia tightens its investigation, they plan to pin the blame on us, the Fatui?!"
"Yes."
Damn it, how could there be people even worse than the Fatui in this world?
Lyney was speechless.
As for Vacher's death, all he could say was: Good riddance.
"Lyney, regarding the Mirror of Transient Journeys, I think we need to be extremely cautious."
"It's too powerful—unfathomably so. If the Palais Mermonia wishes, there's no way we can hide!"
Lyney sighed helplessly. "What can we do? Even if Father were here... she'd be powerless against it, right?"
The abilities of the Mirror of Transient Journeys were practically invincible.
It possessed terrifying surveillance capabilities—even diving deep into the ocean wouldn't escape its detection.
It could even rewind time. Though its exact range was unknown, the Vacher case had already proven that the Palais Mermonia now had the ability to revisit past crimes!
And most terrifying of all, it wielded unimaginable power. No one knew its limits, but at the very least, it held the might of an Archon-level entity!
How horrifying was that?
Past crimes, even if escaped at the time, could now be reopened and punished at any moment—if the Palais Mermonia so desired.
Lyney and his companions had never harmed innocent people, but as members of the Fatui, espionage, bribery of officials, and other such acts meant they could never escape charges of treason.
Even if the primary mission of the Hotel Bouffes d'Artistes was to resolve the prophecy crisis, it wouldn't spare them from punishment.
"Father"—the Fourth Harbinger, "The Knave"—was undoubtedly powerful, but she was no Archon!
"Sigh... Our only hope now is for Father to arrive as soon as possible. Tomorrow—no, the moment the Palais Mermonia starts drawing cards—our lives will never be the same again." Lyney shook his head.
There was one silver lining: Fontaine had no death penalty, and their crimes weren't severe enough to warrant execution.
"Ugh." Lyney rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.
Meanwhile, Neuvillette was busier than ever.
After dealing with the aftermath of Marcel's case, he rushed straight to Poisson.
Navia was there too. Having learned the truth about her father's death, she wasn't in the mood to draw cards right now.
Poisson Cemetery.
"Ever since that day with your father, I've been thinking... constantly thinking... What exactly is justice?"
"I once refused to believe that humans could value something more than their own lives."
"No—perhaps it's more accurate to say that I couldn't believe humans, as living beings, could defy their instincts, defy the laws of nature, and hold something above their own survival."
"That was why I didn't stop your father from stepping onto the duelist's stage... Because I believed that a truly innocent man would never throw his life away like that."
"Nothing should be more important than existence itself... That's how it should be."
"And yet..."
Neuvillette let out a long sigh. "Mr. Callas has thoroughly disproven my beliefs... and taught me a crucial lesson."
"Without his sacrifice, the serial disappearances of young women would still remain unsolved. Mr. Callas made his choice—for the sake of his family, for those around him, and even for complete strangers..."
"Now, looking back, all of it can be seen as an act of justice."
"Justice that transcends life itself."
"I owe Mr. Callas an apology... I should have realized sooner."
A light drizzle began to fall.
Neuvillette's voice was low. "I feel sorrow... and regret."
"It's all in the past now, Monsieur Neuvillette."
Navia spoke softly. "The true culprit has been punished, and my father's name will be cleared... If his spirit is watching from above, he must be at peace. We didn't waste the preparations he left behind, did we?"
Neuvillette paused, then nodded. "Yes."
The rain gradually lightened, and sunlight broke through the clouds once more.
Neuvillette, who was not one to openly express emotions, solemnly paid his respects at Callas' grave.
Only after he bid Navia farewell and left did she murmur to herself:
"Our Monsieur Neuvillette... is both complicated and simple."
"Why do you say that, Miss Navia?" Melus asked.
"Hmm... It's like a reef in the ocean—jagged and uneven."
Shaking her head, she turned her attention back to her father's tombstone.
She stood in silence for a long while.
"Miss Navia..."
Just as Melus was about to console her, Navia straightened up with renewed vigor.
"Alright! I've never been one for wallowing in sadness."
"People can't live in the past. Now that the knot in my heart has been untied, it's time to move forward—toward the future!"
"Understood, Miss Navia!"
Meanwhile, Lu Heng and Furina returned to the shop.
Earlier, many citizens had gone to watch the spectacle, but there were still plenty of unaware patrons continuing to draw cards.
Furina glanced at the handful of people waiting for Lu Heng—no more than four or five. Seeing the purple glow of their cards, she relaxed.
So gold cards really are that rare!
Thinking back to her own draws, her already-good mood improved even further.
Two minutes later, Lu Heng finished appraising and explaining the cards.
Those who pulled strong cards that suited them were overjoyed.
Those with mediocre or mismatched effects were disappointed.
Take, for example, the five-star gold card [Abyssal Maw] that Furina had dismantled—it was undoubtedly powerful, but Furina simply didn't like it. What kind of elegant beauty would tolerate a grotesque, monster-like mouth growing on their stomach?
The same logic applied to these people. However, since four-star cards were still four-star, even if the effects weren't ideal, their inherent value remained high.
Lu Heng hadn't yet seen anyone trading four-star cards. Some strong two- and three-star cards had changed hands, but only when the seller had no use for them.
Who would be foolish enough to sell their chance at defying fate?
Unless, of course, they had no other choice.
"Not dinner time yet? Then let's rest for a bit."
Furina checked the wall clock and shook her head before turning to Lu Heng.
An elderly man—not a noble but comfortably well-off—stood at the counter. Having only heard vague rumors, he asked Lu Heng a few questions, which Lu Heng patiently answered.
Sitting here watching him work feels a bit awkward, doesn't it?
Furina tilted her head.
She stood up, boiled water, and brewed a pot of black tea. When Lu Heng returned, she poured him a cup. "Made this for you."
"Thanks." Lu Heng raised the cup in acknowledgment.
"What's there to thank me for?"
Furina shook her head. "We're good friends, even if I can't really help with much."
"Hey!"
Lu Heng smirked. "Who says you can't help?"
"Huh?" Furina blinked in confusion.
"Since we're friends, I won't hold back." Lu Heng grinned. "You've got the Insight Eye, right?"
"Hey, you—!"
Furina raised a fist in mock anger. "I treat you as a friend, and you treat me as an employee?!"
"That's what friends are for!" Lu Heng said solemnly.
"Being your friend sounds exhausting."
Furina grumbled, but when she saw another lucky customer pull a card, she immediately dashed over to look.
Moments later, she returned, barely suppressing her laughter.
Clearly, the "lucky" winner had been lucky... but not that lucky.
"This is actually pretty fun," Furina mused.
Then she suddenly tensed and turned to Lu Heng. "Wait—what kind of expression did you have when watching me draw cards?"
When Lu Heng didn't answer, Furina gritted her teeth.
But after that last round, she understood: watching someone draw cards only evoked three emotions.
If they got lucky, you'd think, Damn them!If their results were average, you'd feel nothing.If their draws were terrible, you couldn't stop yourself from smiling.
"I'm very neutral about it," Lu Heng said.
"Really?"
Furina squinted at him, searching for any hint of deception.
"Fine, I usually don't laugh too loudly," Lu Heng admitted with a shrug.
Oh, wonderful.
"How... considerate of you."
"Of course."
Glancing at the clock again, Furina declared, "Let's eat!"
"If you're not enthusiastic about food, there's something wrong with your brain. Let's go!" Lu Heng agreed without hesitation.
Meanwhile...
An urgent letter, expedited through various channels, had already arrived in Snezhnaya.
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T/N:
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