Furina, Please Let Me Steal Your Heart!

"I shouldn't have come with you," Chiori muttered resentfully.

"But it's all hypothetical now, isn't it?" Luna replied with a shrug.

Chiori sighed and continued dancing with Luna. Her attire might have been slightly incongruous for social dancing, but she didn't mind—since Luna seemed unfazed, it didn't bother her either.

As they swayed to the music, Luna caught fragments of whispered conversation from nearby patrons:

"If only Miss Sali were here..."

"There's nothing to be done about it, given what happened..."

Miss Sali?

Noticing Luna's interest piqued by the conversations around them, Chiori whispered, "Sali... I heard she's supposed to be the harpist for the band at this banquet, but seems like something came up and she can't perform anymore."

"You're informed about everything, aren't you?"

"I overheard it while you were dancing with Navia."

Luna laughed, "If you worked at the Marechaussee Phantom, you'd surely excel."

"Not interested. If this were the past, running a novelty shop might be possible."

If only Chiori could provide me with treasure-related intel, Luna thought.

But then again, how would Chiori truly feel about her being a Phantom Thief?

Would she send her to the fortress of Meropide with open arms, or perhaps turn a blind eye to her activities?

"...What are you looking at?" Chiori asked.

"Can you guess?"

"Don't answer a question with a question—"

Before she finished, a startled cry rang out from the crowd.

"What?! You received one of the Phantom Thief's notices?!"

"Hm? A notice?"

Luna couldn't recall sending any such notices recently. After all, she hadn't even found a single treasure worth coveting, so there was no reason for the Phantom Thief to make an appearance.

Chiori glanced at the crowd. "Looks like the Phantom Thief White Cat is in high demand these days."

"Indeed."

No treasure yet, just a forgery.

But that's fine—this real Phantom Thief should at least see what's going on.

-

After the dance party ended, Luna, Chiori, and Navia found a noble surrounded by a crowd of people.

This noble was the one who had spoken earlier, and the woman beside him was tightly holding a card.

"It really is a warning letter..." Navia said, surprised. She pushed her way through the crowd. "Could I take a look at it?"

"Oh, it's Miss Navia! Of course, please go ahead..." The woman handed the card to Navia.

Luna leaned in to look. The card's design was similar to hers, but she could tell at a glance that it was a deliberate imitation of her warning letter.

Someone's actually faking the Phantom Thief's warning letters.

What "good deed" are they planning to do with this? Luna pondered.

She glanced at the other two.

"Who are you two?"

"I am the current head of the Franget family, Gran Franget, and this is my wife," the man replied.

The woman nodded slightly. "Hello, Miss Luna. I am Aire Franget..."

Franget? I haven't heard of them. They're probably a minor noble family.

Navia examined the warning letter carefully for a while before shaking her head. "This isn't the Phantom Thief White Cat's warning letter."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I've seen what hers look like before," Navia said firmly. "It's true that you've imitated the style and font very closely, but it doesn't have her unique feel. This is a fake warning letter!"

Aire Franglet's expression shifted slightly, momentarily speechless.

"A feeling? You're basing your belief on just a feeling?" Gran Franglet challenged.

"Yes. The Phantom Thief White Cat's letter has a certain... how should I put it? An incredibly arrogant tone!"

Luna nodded in agreement. "Indeed, I felt the same."

Gran snorted softly. "That's just your opinion. Let me tell you, this is definitely—"

His sleeve was tugged.

"Honey, let me handle this," said Aire gently.

"...Alright," Gran relented.

Aire spoke earnestly. "Miss Navia, you may be correct. However, receiving this letter is also a fact. Undoubtedly, someone is determined to steal our family treasure—the 'Jade Cup'."

Navia nodded, acknowledging this perspective.

"But what is this Jade Cup?" she asked.

"The Jade Cup is a treasure our father acquired in Liyue. It was crafted by a master artisan there, modeled after a cup once used by the Geo Archon, and enhanced with modern artistry."

Treasure information discovered: Jade Cup

Now, even the real Phantom Thief took notice.

"I've heard of a gentleman named Zhongli—a renowned critic within the industry—who praised its exquisite design. Though his words may be slightly exaggerated, the craftsmanship borders on miraculous. It's truly a rare masterpiece," Aire continued.

If even the "consultant" says it's of high quality, then it must indeed be true.

[Treasure information updated]

"I understand," Aire sighed. "Such a treasure, invaluable, would naturally attract the attention of black-hearted individuals."

Who could be swiping these treasures? Leakage from the auction house? Someone disguised as the Phantom Thief White Cat trying to snatch the goods? If they succeeded, they could easily frame the phantom thief.

However, even the phantom thief had committed crimes and couldn't be considered innocent.

After a long moment of contemplation, Navia finally spoke up, "I see... We, the Spina di Rosula, will protect this treasure!"

"Is that possible?" Navia asked, placing a hand on her chest and smiling.

"Of course," she replied. "There is a score to settle between us and the Phantom Thief White Cat."

"But as you've said, it might not be the Phantom Thief White Cat who comes. It might be someone else disguised as them."

"That wouldn't be possible," Glan suddenly said.

"Why are you so confident?" Luna asked, her eyes shining with interest.

"Well... I just know! Such a brazen thief would only be the Phantom Thief White Cat!" He hesitated, unable to articulate his reasoning, yet his tone was strangely resolute—as if certain the phantom thief would come, or rather, had to come.

...Hmm. Luna pondered, already forming a theory, waiting for further evidence to confirm her suspicions.

Navia also found this strange, but she didn't press further. Instead, she briefly exchanged information with them, confirmed their address, and then returned to her original position with Luna.

"By the way, where did Chiori go? We arrived together, didn't we?"

No sooner had she spoken than Chiori walked over.

"The Franglet family is a clan that has already fallen into decline," she said.

"Where were you just now?" Navia asked.

"I just made some casual inquiries. I figured since Navia would help them, it was a move to ensure my insurance." Chiori's tone was placid, as if it were just a minor effort.

Touched, Navia said, "Chiori, that's so thoughtful!"

"It was just a business transaction. You owe me a favor now."

"So aloof as usual," Luna chuckled.

"I'm not aloof. And about the dance party—don't expect me to forget that. I'll be coming back for payback."

"Wow, such a pettiness!"

Chiori smiled, as if taking this as a compliment. Of course, if anyone else had said the same thing, her expression would have been entirely different.

She briefly shared the information she had gathered.

The Franglet family's businesses had failed one after another, leading to their decline and plummeting reputation.

They were practically at rock bottom.

So what would these nobles do in such circumstances?

Take a gamble.

Navia's eyes widened slightly. "Are you saying they're betting on the Phantom Thief coming?"

"More like they're inviting the Phantom Thief to come," Luna said with a smile.