Furina, Please Let Me Steal Your Heart!

The Phantom Thief White Cat was an utterly illogical creature.

Chevreuse thought she had already grasped this fact, but Luna managed to surpass herself once again, refreshing Chevreuse's understanding of her unpredictability.

Why was it always her?

"Do you find it amusing to toy with me?" Chevreuse asked coldly.

"Mm-hmm," Luna replied. "But I'm not toying with you right now."

"Why is it always me?"

"Who knows... I guess I just feel like doing it when I encounter a girl who catches my eye." Her tone was casual, but she didn't sound like she was lying.

Chevreuse's expression remained unchanged. "Don't project your peculiar desires onto me."

"I assure you, I have no such peculiar desires."

Who would believe that?

This cat is a fraud, just as I suspected.

"I won't submit to such treatment. Give it up. Rather than bow to your impudent demands, I'd prefer capturing you and extracting every last ounce of treasure from your possession."

Swinging her around like in an anime, treasures raining down all over the place?

It sounded intriguing, but unfortunately, Chevreuse couldn't possibly manage it. If she wanted, no one could ever hope to catch her.

Luna wagged her finger. "You won't be able to do that."

"Never say never."

"Then I eagerly await your attempt. I must say, I quite enjoy the sense of justice you possess, Miss Chevreuse."

Chevreuse, somewhat taken aback, pondered how Luna had also expressed high hopes for the special task force during their last encounter.

How strange—someone tainted by sin yet holding onto expectations of justice...

Was everything she told me about her past just a pack of lies?

Unsure how to respond, Chevreuse decided to lean against the wall and change the subject. "Let's get back on track."

Luna smiled. "Now it's my turn to ask. Here's question two!"

She raised two fingers.

"What's your favorite food, Miss Chevreuse?"

Are you planning to ask these inconsequential questions the whole time?" Chevreuse asked, astonished.

Luna rolled over, her chest pressed against the mattress, and propped her face up with her hands. She gazed up at Chevreuse from her sprawled position, legs swinging casually as if she'd claimed the bed as her own.

"No good? Then let me try a different question—how did you feel when you read your father's indictment in front of the Court of Justice officials?"

Chevreuse looked at her calmly.

Luna's tone was light and cheerful. "See, I told you a simple question is best."

Chevreuse opened her mouth slightly. "At that moment, I felt very calm."

Luna was somewhat surprised.

"My father broke the rules, so it was natural for him to be punished. No one can escape the consequences of the laws, not even their enforcers."

"...Yes, that's how it should be," Luna chuckled softly.

Chevreuse also looked at her in surprise but didn't continue speaking. Instead, she examined the Tear of a Maiden in her hand.

"It's my turn now. What makes this Tear of a Maiden special?"

"It makes a sound, but only those with sufficient hydro-elemental perception can hear it. If you don't believe me, you can try giving it to someone else."

A sound? Hydro-elemental perception?

If that was the case... Chevreose already had an idea and made up her mind.

"Is that so? I'll add another question—what did you hear?"

"It's not your turn yet."

Chevreuse shot her a glance. "My previous answer deserves at least one more question."

Wow, she's actually resorting to whining!

It didn't really matter. Luna finally got out of bed and walked up to her, crooking a finger.

"What do you want?"

"Your ears."

Chevreuse resisted. "Is there really any need for that?"

"I think there is."

It seemed clear that if she didn't comply with this request, Luna wouldn't continue. Though highly reluctant, Chevreuse had to prioritize the bigger picture.

She warned, "If you try anything else, don't blame me for being less than gentle."

Luna blushed. "...Now that you mention it, I suddenly have more interest in trying."

"Go ahead, I dare you."

No thanks. Luna decided against pressing her luck and getting kicked out by Chevreuse too soon. She gently pushed aside some strands of hair to reveal her delicate ears. Feeling the closeness of Chevreuse's breath, she once again experienced that subtle sense of discomfort.

The distance between people was hard to overcome; forcibly invading someone's personal space only invited displeasure.

Moreover, they were supposed to be enemies.

Yet here she was, allowing the Phantom Thief—a supposed enemy—to approach her intimately.

"The voice from the jewel said: 'Why must I be... locked in this cage... Let me go back... Don't kill me...'"

But this revelation left Chevreuse no time to dwell on such thoughts.

"Is it a boy or girl?"

"A girl."

Chevreuse's expression grew grave.

Luna sat back down on the bed. "What do you make of this, Captain?"

"It might be connected to the serial disappearances of young girls—but that's pure speculation without any evidence. It's such a stretch."

"I see. But aren't you intrigued by how the merchant guild obtained such a treasure? And if we assume this gemstone was once one of the victims, we can work backwards from there."

Chevreuse pondered this. "The method used could potentially..."

"Transform someone into something—something that could be made into a gemstone," Luna finished her thought.

"...There's no evidence to support this theory."

"That's where you come in, my dear captain."

Chevreuse ignored Luna's comment and walked over to the intelligence board instead.

Luna's footsteps approached as she picked up a thumbtack from the board.

"This marks the approximate location of the first disappearance in the serial case, here's the second... and the third..." Luna explained. "The culprit employed a unique method, turning them into something so inconspicuous that they went unnoticed."

She pinned a thumbtack onto the map at a specific point.

Chevreuse muttered, "That's not right. We can't assume anything without evidence. If the method is like this, it doesn't have to be used on the spot. Maybe it's only used after they're taken away."

"Destroying the bodies to erase all traces?"

"That's possible."

After saying this, Chevreuse glanced at Luna.

Why would a Phantom Thief pay such close attention to a serial disappearance case? She even knows the last place where the victims were seen.

"Even with such a method, completely vaporizing a person seems impossible."

"...Perhaps Sinthe," Chevreuse speculated.

"The illicit trade industry is often closely linked to human trafficking, isn't it?"

Chevreuse turned around, staring at Luna.

"Why are you investigating this?"

Luna smiled faintly.

"Of course it's for treasures. Treasures born of sin often have a unique charm. I want to get my hands on them, that's all."

"You're truly just a pure thief."

"I'm a Phantom Thief. The name 'thief' is far too tasteless." Luna said as she walked towards Chevreuse's desk.

She had been very interested in the documents on this desk since entering the room.

"What is this?"

Chevreuse didn't turn around. "A report."

"What report?"

"The investigation report. You can read it if you want."

Luna's hand froze mid-air.

"Really?" she exclaimed, astonished. "I can read it? I might—"

"It's just a list of suspects we don't have hard evidence against. We can't nail them anytime soon."

"Hm, interesting," Luna replied, intrigued.

So this is what an investigation report looks like.

Even so, the fact that Chevreuse was showing it to her came as a shock.

Luna began flipping through the pages. "Are you finally warming up to me, Miss Chevreuse?"

"No, I'll still lock you up, but perhaps the timing will be different."

"I see."

I'm probably just being used, aren't I?

Luna's hands stopped turning the pages.

Treasure intelligence discovered: Pearlescent Harpsichord

Chevreuse still didn't turn around. "Does that pique your interest?"

"Oh yes."

"When will you send out the notification letter?"

Now intrigued, Luna asked, "What's your plan?"

"Nothing much. It just gives us an excuse to thoroughly investigate, using 'forceful protection' as our pretext. This way, we can send our target straight to where they belong."

"This is my first time seeing the police want a thief to steal something," Luna mused aloud.

Although aware that Chevreuse might employ unconventional methods to apprehend criminals, Luna never imagined she'd go this far.

Chevreuse responded coolly, "You merely infiltrated my bedroom and snooped at my report."

"It's true that doesn't constitute collaboration, but do you really think this is acceptable?" Luna produced a card from her pocket.

*"'The Arbiter must trust their heart's 'justice' and manifest it through their actions,'" Chevreuse recited. "My father once imparted this wisdom upon me."

"I will not allow any criminals threatening Fontaine's peace to escape my grasp."

"And neither will I."

"I'll arrest the suspects, as well as you. Don't imagine you can evade me forever, Phantom Thief White Cat."

With that, Chevreuse turned away.

Yet Luna had vanished from the room, leaving behind only a card and a wine glass on the table, standing out starkly.

When Chevreuse gazed at the window, she realized it was now wide open, with the curtains billowing in the wind.

What a truly elusive apparition, Chevreuse marveled inwardly, her gaze lingering on the wine glass. Its rim was smooth and pristine, betraying no visible hints of tampering. At first glance, it appeared utterly ordinary.

Meanwhile, the card bore the following message:

"Miss Chevreuse seems to have forgotten to ask why I chose to 'reveal' my face. The answer is quite simple: without the mask, I could be anyone. If you truly wish to capture me, you'll have to catch me while I'm wearing the mask... After all, I'm not as idle as you might think. Oh, and do remember to check the backside."

The backside?

She turned over the card, and a simple sentence caught her eye:

A treasure for a kiss. Don't forget.

Could this be the Jade Cup? Chevreuse glanced at the goblet, then closed her eyes.

...It still manages to irk me.