At the House of the Hearth:
Under Lyney's guidance, Charlotte had thoroughly toured the House of the Hearth. The experience had greatly eased her initial tension.
Despite finding no abnormalities and even conducting an interview with Lyney, Charlotte still maintained considerable vigilance toward both Lyney and Lynette.
As the Fatui's headquarters, the absence of any suspicious findings was itself the greatest cause for concern!
"Miss Charlotte, please allow me a brief explanation."
As if having discerned Charlotte's inner thoughts, Lyney found a private room to discuss matters. After sending away all the children, he chuckled softly and addressed her.
"Perhaps in Fontaine and even throughout Teyvat, the Fatui's reputation isn't particularly favorable. Miss Charlotte, you may not fully trust me."
"But they are still just children."
"Children represent our future."
"It is precisely because of the hardships we've endured that we cherish every innocent, joyful smile on a child's face."
After a moment of silence, Charlotte nodded slowly.
"Mr. Lyney, your words hold truth. I wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment."
"However, I must ask - apart from you and Miss Lynette, are there no older children at the House of the Hearth?"
"Could it be that all have been adopted by kind-hearted families?"
Of course they've gone on missions or to gather intelligence!
When children from the House of the Hearth reach a certain age, they undergo a selection process. Those who pass become Fatui soldiers, while those who don't are sent to infiltrate various industries in other nations as intelligence gatherers. This creates an apparent gap in the children's ages to outsiders.
Though Lyney knew the answer to the question, he couldn't reveal it. Instead, he smiled and said, "Miss Charlotte, this line of questioning isn't conducive to a proper conversation."
"Excessive curiosity isn't always beneficial, is it, Miss Charlotte?"
"That's not necessarily true. My curiosity has always led to groundbreaking exclusive reports!"
Charlotte clearly had no intention of heeding Lyney's advice, instead choosing to confront the matter head-on.
In response, Lyney could only sigh helplessly and say, "I've actually already guessed Miss Charlotte's purpose for being here."
"This matter doesn't really concern you, Miss Charlotte. To be honest, I don't recommend your involvement. The dangers involved far exceed what you could possibly imagine."
"And if I insist on investigating?"
Charlotte remained undeterred by Lyney's words. Had she been truly cowardly, she wouldn't have chosen to infiltrate the House of the Hearth.
"Firstly, whether this matter involves the Fatui or not isn't something you can decide. I'll only believe the truth uncovered by my own investigation."
"Then there's the matter of... I also have reasons I can't compromise on..."
"Is it because of Lofan Shenayevich?"
At the mention of this name, Charlotte's body shuddered involuntarily. Lyney, seemingly oblivious to her reaction, continued speaking as if to himself.
"I'm truly sorry about his death. Lofan may not have been particularly talented, but he was reliable and avoided trouble. A decent kid, really."
"That you, Miss Charlotte, could care for him... as his family, I'm deeply grateful."
"But according to our intelligence, your total interactions with Lofan amounted to mere hours. I can't understand how he left such a profound impression on you."
"The commotion he caused this time also surprised me greatly."
"After all, in my understanding, he wasn't the type to do such things."
Lyney's words plunged Charlotte into silence. Part of her questioned the truth behind his words, while the other part was stunned by the Fatui's intelligence system.
Unfortunately, as a Magician, Lyney excelled at blurring reality and concealing his true thoughts. Charlotte couldn't discern any useful information from his tone or expression.
"Miss Charlotte, there's no need to rush to judgment. Let's hear what Lynette has discovered during her investigation first."
Lyney nodded toward Lynette, who responded with a similar gesture. She then crouched down to place the spotted cat she was holding on the ground, allowing it to play elsewhere.
After standing up again, Lynette began explaining to Charlotte.
First, there was the number of criminals involved. By comparing the locations of the victims and the time intervals between incidents, it became clear this was not the work of a single person.
Then there were the recent suicides that defied all reason. This made the initial theory of induced suicides highly unlikely. The criminal organization was probably in possession of some item that could control people's minds. Their current crimes might just be in the experimental phase - once the technology matures, they might be able to completely control a person's every action!
"What a bold and crazy plan," Lyney remarked. Even the Fatui only used financial incentives to make Fontaine's leaders work for them. This mysterious organization might be trying to control all the rulers in Fontaine, or even the entire Teyvat.
"If they weren't so overconfident, they would never have exposed themselves so quickly."
"If the experiments were only being conducted in secret, we'd all remain clueless even when Teyvat's entire world order changed."
Charlotte was equally stunned by the madness Lyney had described. Even though Lynette didn't stop lecturing, Charlotte remained in a daze for a long time...
"All of this is just your conjecture."
After an indeterminate amount of time, Charlotte finally spoke, her voice bitter.
"Does a mysterious organization that even the Fatui can't trace truly exist?"
"Hahaha, Miss Charlotte, the Fatui isn't omnipotent either."
"The Teyvat continent still holds many secrets, even for the Fatui who are still exploring them."
"As for what I mentioned earlier, it's indeed my speculation, but all based on the clues we've gathered so far."
"Whether you choose to believe it or not is entirely up to you, Miss Charlotte."
Lyney's words made Charlotte involuntarily think of Lofan, who had sacrificed his life to tell her something.
In truth, she had already believed Lyney's words the moment he spoke. Her rebuttal wasn't because she doubted him, but because the truth he revealed was simply too terrifying. Her mind instinctively refused to accept this deduced reality.
But Lyney's words forced her to confront this terrifying hypothesis, even giving Charlotte a plausible explanation for Lofan's actions.
Lofan was actually a member of both the Fatui and this mysterious organization.
Having grown up in the House of the Hearth's warm environment for so long, his heart had been nurtured by that warmth. This was the reason behind Lofan's dual nature.
Emotionally, Lofan leaned toward the Fatui side. However, the mysterious organization might have used some method to control its members, preventing them from directly revealing information about the group.
Thus, Lofan devised a grand performance that concluded with his own death as the final curtain call.
Lofan's final words weren't meant to divert attention toward the Fatui. They were simply an expression of gratitude from his heart, reflecting the many years of happiness he'd experienced at the House of the Hearth toward the Tsaritsa.
Charlotte's imagined explanation closely matched Lyney and Lynette's conjectures, which is why Lyney felt such profound regret over Lofan's death.
Since that incident, few people could still touch Lyney's heart. Lofan was among the very few who could.
"Miss Charlotte, even after knowing the tremendous dangers involved in searching for clues, you still choose to participate in the investigation?"
"Exactly! I will definitely find the truth behind this matter and make it public!"
Without hesitation, Charlotte faced Lyney's probing gaze and spoke with unwavering conviction.
"I've already promised him. I won't give up."
"I respect your choice, Miss Charlotte, and I believe in your capabilities."
"If there's ever a chance for collaboration in the future, I hope you won't refuse."
"Of course, if you encounter any insurmountable difficulties, feel free to seek my assistance."
Lyney nodded, truthfully not surprised by Charlotte's decision.
He then rubbed his hands together, producing a vibrant, fully bloomed flower that he presented to Charlotte.
"Since this is our first meeting, I'm not sure what would be an appropriate gift. Here, take this Rainbow Rose, Miss Charlotte."
"Oh, thank you..."
Charlotte accepted the flower, slightly bewildered.
"Hm?!"
Lynette shot Lyney a jealous glance.
"I don't recall ever receiving a Rainbow Rose from my older brother before."
"Uh, well..." Lyney scratched his hair in frustration, unsure how to soothe his jealous sister's mood.
"It seems I shouldn't keep disturbing you today. I'll take my leave now."
"Thank you for sharing the investigation clues and your personal deductions, Mr. Lyney. I'll analyze them carefully when I return."
"Good luck, Miss Charlotte."
After bidding farewell to Lyney and Lynette, Charlotte left the House of the Hearth.
The moment she stepped outside, all strength drained from her body.
Though she maintained a composed facade, Lyney's relentless probing had exhausted her completely. He'd controlled every move today - this man was terrifying.
Fortunately, he didn't intend harm; instead, he sought cooperation. Otherwise, Charlotte doubted the Maison Gardiennage would find a single trace if she were to disappear.
Though Lynette spoke little, Charlotte could sense her gaze lingering on her like a shadow. The slightest unusual movement would likely trigger an abrupt strike.
Though this experience had felt like a brush with death, the gains far exceeded Charlotte's wildest expectations.
The Fatui's intelligence system proved terrifyingly efficient - with sufficient clues, they could deduce much with ease.
Yet Charlotte's mind churned with conflicting fears: had Lyney's earlier analysis been a deliberate deception? Or worse, was it true? Did Fontaine harbor an organization even more mysterious and terrifying than the Fatui?
After regaining her composure, Charlotte returned to the Steam Bird office.
Just as she prepared to retrieve and destroy the remaining letters, Editor-in-Chief Euphrasie burst into the room.
"Charlotte! Come quickly! We've got a major scoop!"
"Another victim? Isn't that enough for the new reporters to handle?"
"I'm sorry, but I have urgent matters to attend to. I might not have time to write the report..."
"Hey, wait! It's not what you think. This time, the situation is even more explosive. Charlotte, have you heard nothing at all?"
Euphrasie noticed Charlotte's bewildered expression and couldn't help but wonder what she'd been doing all day. Normally, Charlotte would be the first to receive news about such explosive incidents.
However, Euphrasie quickly abandoned further speculation and began explaining to Charlotte.
"Just moments ago, the victim of the serial suicide case died in front of the Hydro Archon Furina herself!"
"What?!"
"Moreover, the victim seemed to have a lover present at the scene. Both of them were men."
"Huh?!"
"The victim's lover appears to have committed suicide in grief!"
"Uh..."
"Charlotte, this report is yours. You must dig up more secrets!"
"...Alright."