[The Unstoppable Phantom Thief? — Fontaine in Crisis?]
Yesterday, the three pieces of evidence transferred by the Court of Justice to the Fortress of Meropide for safekeeping were stolen during an attack by Phantom Thief White Cat. Numerous citizens witnessed the strange phenomena and clashes above the sea.
"This must be what they mean by 'Archon clashes' in Liyue novels."
"I couldn't make out much—just water, fire, light... Phantom Thief White Cat has definitely gotten stronger, hasn't she? Can anyone stop her now?"
"I've given up. It doesn't matter anyway. I'm just going to slack off. My family has no money or treasures to lose."
"Exactly. She wouldn't bother with poor folks like us... So what? Anyone who can afford to have treasures stolen must be rich. Losing one won't affect their lives."
"Actually, it feels kind of satisfying to watch those nobles and rich people get robbed! Why should they live so well when we can't even make ends meet?"
"Instead of chasing Phantom Thief White Cat, shouldn't we focus on stopping the recent surge in criminal incidents?"
However, a significant portion of the public remained indifferent to Phantom Thief White Cat's actions.
But when criminal acts lose public attention, that's when the real crisis begins. Dear readers, please stay vigilant and never become desensitized to "evil"!
-
Inside Chiori's boutique, Chiori picked up her teacup, took a sip, and set down the newspaper.
She wasn't particularly interested in these problems. After all, it wasn't her who needed to worry about them, but the upper echelons of the Court of Justice. Figuring out how to salvage their reputation was their responsibility.
Even without the Phantom Thief White Cat, they would still have faced such issues eventually.
Ding-dong—the doorbell rang.
"Welcome! What can I do for you?"
"I need a hug from ChiChi."
Chiori sighed softly, not even lifting her head. "Come over here, then."
Luna wasn't surprised by Chiori's ready acceptance.
Ever since Chiori declared she would "no longer allow herself to regret anything," she had become much more straightforward.
Luna sometimes missed the stubborn, tight-lipped Chiori of the past, but given Chiori's direct and honest nature, perhaps this was her true self all along.
Perhaps that stubbornness had been a result of her suppressing her true nature.
But it didn't really matter.
Regardless of Chiori's attitude, Luna still wanted to hold her and kiss her.
Luna bent down and embraced Chiori, who remained seated in her chair.
"Chiori."
"What is it?" Chiori replied, absentmindedly stroking Luna's chin and neck.
Since their first meeting, Luna's body seemed to have remained unchanged... except for the occasional slight fluctuation in data around her waist.
"I think I might have torn your Phantom Thief Outfit a tiny bit."
Chiori raised an eyebrow. "Ha?"
Just as I expected!
Luna pinched her thumb and forefinger together, gesturing to show the small size of the tear. "It's just a tiny little rip, see? Yesterday when I went..."
"...Take it out," Chiori said, frowning.
"Okay."
In the fitting room, Luna produced the Phantom Thief Outfit.
She had initially thought she was completely unscathed and that the outfit would be fine too, but upon returning home, she discovered a hole in the cloak!
It must have been a glancing blow. It wasn't hard to imagine what would have happened if she had been hit directly.
"The cloak's torn... but the rest is fine. No fading, no wrinkles, well-maintained. Not bad."
Chiori nodded slightly.
"After all, it was you who gave it to me as a token of our love."
"And then you broke it," Chiori retorted without hesitation.
Luna chuckled. "So, are you going to break me as punishment?"
Chiori took a deep breath.
"I sincerely hope you know what you're saying."
"I do, actually."
That's exactly why I said it, Luna thought.
Chiori raised her gaze to meet Luna's. Luna responded with a gentle smile, showing no hint of embarrassment about her earlier remark.
"...This necklace...?" Chiori stepped closer and lifted the necklace, inquiring.
"It's a gift from Furina, called 'Sun's Tear.' Isn't it lovely?"
Chiori gently rubbed the gem on the necklace with her thumb.
This is a custom design from a merchant, she thought.
"With my craftsmanship, I could create something far more exquisite."
"It's the sentiment that matters," Luna replied with a gentle smile.
Sentiment, huh...? Chiori glanced at Luna. When it came to sentiment, she wouldn't lose to anyone—whether they were an Archon or anything else.
Her fingertips glided up Luna's neck, tracing the curve to her earlobe.
Then she pinched the lobe gently.
"If you want to bite, just bite," Luna said.
"Do you think I'm like you? Always going for the mouth at the slightest provocation? I'm just confirming."
"Confirming what?"
Chiori didn't answer, merely brushed a strand of hair aside, revealing the clear view of her earring.
Is she thinking of getting me an earring too? Luna gently stroked Chiori's ear and the earring.
"Do you like it?" Chiori asked with a faint smile.
"Mm-hmm."
"But this earring wouldn't suit you."
Chiori retrieved the Phantom Thief Outfit's cloak.
Fortunately, she had anticipated this situation and prepared several spare components, allowing her to simply swap out the damaged part for Luna.
"If it gets ripped or torn again, let me know. You should always be at your most beautiful. No amount of mending can compare to cutting it off and replacing it with a new piece."
Chiori's response didn't surprise Luna.
Rather than patching things up, Chiori preferred to shred them and fashion new garments from the scraps.
"Also, I need you as a model and assistant today. Are you free? I heard you've left the Troupe."
Chiori drew back the curtain of the dressing room.
"Yeah, I'm completely free now."
"Lucky you! I have to start preparing for the upcoming Fashion Week."
Chiori yawned, looking a little sleep-deprived.
This wasn't surprising.
Chiori had always been one to act on impulse. If she decided to pull an all-nighter to work on clothes, she'd do it without hesitation.
"Why did you quit?" Chiori asked, picking up her teacup.
"Because I want to start my own troupe."
Luna beckoned, and Chiori extended her teacup for Luna to take a sip.
"I see."
"Want to be our costume designer?"
"Sure."
Chiori casually agreed, sipping her tea while her gaze drifted across the design sketches scattered on the table.
The table was strewn with recent and past designs.
Lately, Chiori had been experiencing a creative drought. Revisiting her old sketches was a good way to find inspiration and gauge her progress.
"Hm?"
"Hm?" Luna tilted her head slightly.
Chiori frowned. "I feel like one of my sketches is missing—one I thought was pretty good."
"Just your imagination," Luna said casually. "Besides, didn't you always keep your drafts organized?"
The missing draft was lying beside the sewing machine at her house.
"Don't make it sound like I litter everywhere! I did save some of my design drafts, but if I can't find them, so be it. I've improved so much since then anyway."
"There's no need to dwell on your past self," Luna added.
As she spoke, Chiori spotted a familiar design draft.
This is...
She picked it up and fell silent.
"What's wrong with that one?"
Chiori glanced at Luna, who was lounging on the sofa, gently patting her stomach, before turning her attention back to the draft. She remembered this one vividly—she would never forget it.
It was the first outfit she had designed for Luna.
Her thoughts drifted back to that day, years ago, when she had first met Luna.