"You want to live with Luna too?" Furina asked casually.
"Of course! And it's not just me—Chiori wants to as well, even if she hasn't said so. I know for sure."
There are too many people who want to live with Luna!
Furina murmured, "I see."
"Don't worry, I won't try to steal her from you."
Furina's expression softened slightly.
"Besides, I still get to see Lulu every day."
At this, her cheeks puffed out a little.
But then she thought, At least I get to see Luna's sleeping face every morning, and her heart settled.
Who else can claim that? Hmph.
Navia put down the towel, beaming with satisfaction. "Perfect! The color is so vibrant, it's absolutely flawless!"
"You're treating me like some exotic animal."
"Ah... a-ha ha, no, not at all!" Navia's eyes darted away guiltily.
Such a transparent lie!
Luna, on the other hand, could lie without so much as a blush or a skipped heartbeat.
Furina exhaled softly, relaxing slightly. She didn't want to blame Navia or the others for their past behavior; the real culprit was that damned whale.
Nor did she want Navia to speak to her with this thorn of guilt pricking her heart.
No apologies or remorse needed. Just treat me normally... I want to be treated normally too, Furina thought to herself.
"Speaking of which, Furina, what do you think of Phantom Thief White Cat?"
"Hmm?"
Why bring that up now?
Furina immediately tensed, her guard going up. Could Navia be starting to suspect Luna? Or is this just casual conversation?
Regardless of Luna's plans, Furina had no choice but to respond:
"As long as she's alive, that's all that matters."
Whether to reveal herself was Luna's decision alone. Furina's only role was to provide cover for her as best she could.
Furina desperately didn't want Luna to be captured and sent to the Fortress of Meropide.
But right now, the only one in Fontaine who could catch Luna was Neuvillette.
And Neuvillette didn't participate in law enforcement actions; he only presided over Judgment... unless he was directly provoked.
Focalors certainly wouldn't care about Luna, needless to say.
Still, one could never be too careful.
If Luna's identity were exposed... Furina thought they'd have to move to another country.
Mondstadt?
Liyue?
Forget Sumeru—too many plants and bugs. Liyue seemed the most ideal.
Furina idly mused that moving to another country with Luna might actually be quite nice.
Snezhnaya? Absolutely not!
She had no desire to go anywhere near Arlecchino.
Considering the Phantom Thief White Cat had previously helped Furina, this was a perfectly reasonable and airtight response.
That is, if one ignored Furina's true feelings toward the Phantom Thief White Cat.
"You... you seem to have known she was alive all along," Navia cautiously ventured.
A test!
"How could that be? Do you think that girl would ever tell anyone the truth?" Furina shrugged.
"Impossible," Navia agreed.
"Right?"
If Focalors hadn't instructed Neuvillette to tell her, she'd probably still be in the dark, shedding tears every day.
Just thinking about it made her indignant.
"Didn't you try to find her?"
"...At that time, I truly believed she was dead," Furina admitted.
"Alive or dead, I needed to see her—that thought crossed my mind. But I was terrified of seeing her truly lifeless. I was so afraid."
Just imagining it sent shivers down Furina's spine.
Navia said softly, "I'm sorry for bringing this up so suddenly. Let's just forget about it."
No matter how desperate she was for the truth, she couldn't reopen old wounds.
Perfect! I deflected that probe with just a few words—as expected of me! Furina secretly rejoiced.
What she said was, of course, the truth.
But the truth could also be used to craft lies and deception.
Still, Navia had already begun to suspect Luna, hadn't she?
With this thought, Furina couldn't help but ask, "I've been wondering... why are you so fixated on Phantom Thief White Cat? Are you trying to uncover her true identity?"
"If you find her, what do you plan to do?"
"Send her to the Fortress of Meropide?"
One question after another assailed Navia.
Furina's tone was casual, her inquiry purely curious.
Yet these were precisely the questions Navia had been grappling with herself these past few days—If I find her, what will I do then?
Her understanding of the Phantom Thief White Cat had evolved far beyond the initial impression from their first encounter. She no longer saw the Phantom Thief as a purely malevolent criminal.
The Spina di Rosula wasn't an official organization, but a civilian one.
Its stance depended entirely on Navia's judgment as the current President.
Unlike the Special Task Force, which was destined to oppose the Phantom Thief White Cat relentlessly until she was arrested and brought to Judgment.
Navia fell silent.
"I see you can't answer."
"Hmm, you're right. If you were in my place, what would you do?"
Furina shook her head.
"You ask me? I can't answer you, because there are no hypotheticals. I've already made my decision—based on my identity and will as 'Furina.'"
Luna was the greatest Phantom Thief in the world.
And Furina was the supreme treasure the mischievous cat had claimed for herself, the very chain binding the feline.
Luna could no longer recklessly risk her life as she once had.
Thus, she accepted the invitation to cohabitate, choosing to live together.
Furina had accepted Luna, just like that.
"With her own identity and will..." Navia murmured.
"What are you two talking about?" Luna asked, emerging from the bathroom and gazing curiously at them.
"We're talking about White Cat," Furina replied bluntly.
"Talking about what part of her?"
"The part that causes so much trouble."
Luna chuckled. "Will you ever run out of things to discuss?"
"What do you think?" Furina countered with a sly smile.
"Instead of gossiping about her, let's play some cards! I've got a deck in the drawer."
Luna retrieved the cards from the drawer.
Navia snapped out of her reverie, clapping her hands and laughing. "Great! Let's play until we drop tonight! It's a shame Clorinde and Chiori aren't here; we could have continued our Tabletop Troupe game."
"I don't think Clorinde will want to continue playing with that Troupe anymore," Furina sighed. "Otherwise, her blood pressure might explode."
Navia scratched her cheek sheepishly. "Ahem, next time I'll just buy her some Fonta!"
If I offer the Host a bottle of Fonta, maybe she'll give us a more lenient ruling and more opportunities.
"Trying to persuade the Host offstage, are we?" Luna remarked wryly. "Clorinde probably wouldn't fall for that trick anyway."
"It's worth a try, though! Oh, right, Lulu, I've already sent the letter to Melus. They'll definitely prepare for Romeuf."
After all, there's a high chance things will escalate into a direct confrontation.
Furina asked, puzzled, "Rome-what?"
"Romeuf."
"Right, Rome... wait, no, that's not right!"
While playing cards, Navia and Luna filled Furina in on everything they'd witnessed that day, including the stalking and the ambush.
Furina snorted dismissively. "Pregnancy affecting judgment? What nonsense!"
"While pregnancy can indeed affect a mother's physical condition, Ms. Clementine is known for her rationality. This is clearly just an excuse."
"Do you know what my mother was like?" Navia asked, blinking.
"Rumors and hearsay," Furina replied. After living for five centuries, one can't help but have heard things.
"Your parents' unwavering commitment to the Aquabus construction project has benefited countless people today: efficient cargo transport, thriving tourism, and the creation of numerous related jobs."
"Infrastructure is like a foundation. Only with a solid foundation can you build a towering skyscraper."
"Your parents truly did something remarkable."
"Of course, Fontaine at the time was unable to assist you and your father..."
As Furina spoke, she kept her eyes fixed on her cards.
Luna pinched one of them.
Draw this one! Draw this one! Furina's eyes seemed to plead.
Luna shifted her fingers, gripping another card.
No, not that one! Furina pressed her lips tightly together.
Move back!
Yes, yes, that's the one...
Seeing this, Luna drew the card, and Furina's face lit up with a triumphant smile.
"I've definitely won now!"
Navia gazed at Luna and sighed. "You really spoil her."
Adorable children deserve a little extra spoiling, Luna thought to herself, offering no response.
Navia turned to Furina and said, "...Thank you for what you said earlier, Furina. The Aquabus incident caused quite a stir in the Spina di Rosula back then."
"But you and Lulu are so alike," Navia added with a smile.
They share the same views on the Aquabus, she thought.
"Alike?" Furina glanced at Luna.
Then she glanced down at Luna's chest—one with curves, the other without.
Not really alike, huh?
"Nana meant you're alike in your thinking," Luna sighed.
Suddenly, she leaned in close to Furina's ear.
"Or... does Furina want to try something else?"
"Try what?!" Furina's face flushed crimson.
Navia looked utterly confused. "What's going on? Try what?"
"I was just asking if Furina wanted to try touching it. Since she doesn't, maybe Nana you could—"
Furina urgently grabbed Luna's face. "It's your turn! Hurry up and draw a card!"
"Mmm-hmm..."
Honestly, if Furina and Navia were both here, she wouldn't mind.
But it's better not to say such things aloud.
Luna continued drawing cards as the night deepened, and before they knew it, it was time for bed.
Since Furina had insisted from the start that she didn't want to share a cramped bed, Navia seemed prepared to sleep on the floor.
"...You can sleep with us."
Furina suddenly declared.
"But didn't you say you didn't want to be crowded? Lulu's bed really is a bit tight for three people," Navia pointed out, surprised.
Sleeping on the floor might actually be more comfortable.
Furina cleared her throat. "Ahem, as the other mistress of this house—er... I don't mean anything by that! Just... as a cohabiting housemate! I must extend proper hospitality."
It's definitely not because I can't bear to let her sleep on the floor, she insisted to herself.
"But I get to sleep on the inside!"
Otherwise, I might get pushed off the edge.
"Then I humbly accept your offer!" Navia laughed.
"Mm-hmm."
Seeing that the arrangement was settled, Luna climbed straight into bed.
She had no objections anyway.
"I'm turning off the lights now, okay? Hehe, I remember the last time Chiori stayed over, I also slept on this side of Lulu's bed, on the outside."
Click. The switch flipped, plunging the bedroom into darkness.
"Want to chat?"
"Want to chat?" Navia asked again.
"No, I'm tired," Luna replied.
"Me too..." Furina was already dozing off.
"Alright then, let's talk tomorrow. Good night."
"Good night..." Furina murmured sleepily, closing her eyes and curling up slightly. But after lying still for a moment, she sensed something was amiss. She reached out blindly, groping until her hand closed around Luna's sleeve. She scooted closer and leaned against her, finally settling into a peaceful slumber.
"Lulu," Navia whispered.
"Hmm?" Luna opened her eyes and turned to Navia, who lay on her side facing her.
"Can I... kiss you?" Navia asked softly, gently tugging at Luna's hair.
Now? Luna was surprised. Navia had never asked for this before.
"Sure, anywhere is fine."
"Just on the cheek," Navia murmured.
She propped herself up slightly, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and leaned down to press a soft kiss against Luna's cheek.
Navia's gaze lingered, her fingers gently caressing Luna's face before she leaned in again, her lips brushing Luna's corner of her mouth.
"...Good night," Navia whispered with a faint smile.
Even without the light to reveal her flushed cheeks, Luna knew they must be burning crimson. Her own face felt just as hot.
"Good night," Luna replied softly.
Why did she do that?
Luna didn't ask, and Navia didn't offer any explanations. But in Navia's heart, a vague decision had already taken shape.
If it's proven that Lulu is the Phantom Thief White Cat, then I...
Navia gripped Luna's hand tightly, holding it until they both fell asleep.