"Lady Furina, if you wish to use Credit Coupons to exempt yourself from labor, it would be best to use the ones you've earned yourself," Wriothesley suggested, assuming she wanted to skip work.
"No, no, I'm not the kind of Archon who shirks responsibility! I spent the entire day polishing parts in the production area today!" Furina exclaimed, a smug expression on her face, as if seeking praise.
Wriothesley was well aware of this, but aside from his initial assumption, he couldn't think of any other reason she would want Credit Coupons, especially since she hadn't bought anything with them today.
"Besides, I'm not asking for them outright! Can't I just borrow them? I'll repay you with Credit Coupons once I earn enough!"
Hearing this, Wriothesley's curiosity grew even stronger.
"Lady Furina, I have no objection to lending you Credit Coupons, but you must tell me why you need them."
Furina felt a pang of awkwardness. She couldn't bring herself to admit she owed someone Credit Coupons, especially since the other party had graciously allowed her to repay the debt gradually. Yet, she had stubbornly declared she wouldn't eat their cakes until the debt was settled, and now she was regretting it.
The mere thought of going even a day without those cakes made her heart itch. After racking her brain, she finally devised a foolproof plan!
As the warden of the tower, Wriothesley must have plenty of Credit Coupons!
"Hmph! Don't presume to pry into the secrets of an Archon!"
"Just lend me the Credit Coupons already!"
"I only need a thousand... no, three thousand Credit Coupons will do!"
Furina abruptly changed her mind mid-sentence. If I borrow more, I can have extra cake every day!
I'm so clever! she thought, silently giving herself a mental pat on the back.
But Wriothesley wasn't about to let her get away with such flimsy excuses.
"Lady Furina, your request doesn't quite align with the tower's regulations."
"If you need Credit Coupons, there are many ways to earn them in the Fortress of Meropide besides your daily labor."
"If you want to borrow Credit Coupons from me, you'll need a legitimate reason. Otherwise, it would violate the long-standing rules of the Fortress of Meropide."
Hearing Wriothesley's words, Furina's small face immediately fell.
After much hesitation, Furina finally confessed that she owed the young woman Credit Coupons.
As Furina recounted her story, Wriothesley frowned.
He had indeed asked the young woman to guide Furina in adapting to life in the Fortress of Meropide, but he certainly hadn't expected her to resort to such methods!
If Neuvillette found out about this, he would surely send a scathing letter of reproach.
Feeling a headache coming on, Wriothesley quickly lent Furina a thousand Credit Coupons and dismissed her.
Ignoring Furina's grumbling as she left—"I was borrowing 3,000 Credit Coupons! How stingy!"—Wriothesley pondered briefly before summoning an aide to summon the young woman to the Duke's Office.
However, the person Wriothesley had summoned had barely stepped out before returning with an odd expression, the captivating figure of the young woman appearing behind him.
"Your Grace, just as I left, I found Miss Emily waiting outside the door."
Hearing this and seeing the smiling young woman, Wriothesley realized she had already discerned his intentions. This realization stirred a slight unease within him, a sense that events were slipping beyond his control.
Maintaining his composure, Wriothesley waved the man away. He then studied the girl before him intently, finally speaking.
"You knew I'd summon you?"
"Of course," she replied calmly.
"After learning that Lady Furina had entered the Duke's Office, I knew you would send for me, so I came ahead of time."
"Hmm, it seems your intelligence network is quite efficient."
"After all, this is the mission you entrusted to me, Your Grace. Naturally, I would pay closer attention to Lady Furina."
The girl continued to smile at Wriothesley. Her earlier remark had subtly implied he was questioning her motives for having Furina's actions monitored, but she effortlessly defused the implication.
"Miss Emily, it seems I underestimated you." Wriothesley fixed her with a penetrating gaze.
"It's never too late to understand, Duke," she replied, meeting his eyes without flinching.
"Hahaha, fascinating! Utterly fascinating!" Wriothesley suddenly burst into laughter. "How could I have been so careless as to overlook such an intriguing person as Miss Emily?"
Wriothesley now felt his competitive spirit had been roused by the girl.
He had just received detailed investigative reports on her and every member of the Mutual Aid Network. The reports showed no irregularities, yet she had managed to monitor Furina's movements undetected. Her true depth of concealment far exceeded his initial estimates.
Was it a failure of his intelligence operatives, who had been outmaneuvered? Or had a traitor infiltrated his ranks?
If the opponent had been hiding so deeply, could the previous intelligence still be considered reliable?
Wriothesley had initially believed his opponent to be a harmless kitten, but now he realized he had misjudged her entirely. She was, in fact, a ferocious tiger.
Even after recognizing that she was far more complex than she appeared, Wriothesley remained unable to act against her for the time being. He lacked concrete evidence.
Launching an unwarranted attack on the young woman would undoubtedly create significant trouble for his rule, given her popularity within the Fortress of Meropide.
This was precisely why she dared to appear here with such brazen confidence.
Moreover, her visit today was clearly a declaration of war.
Despite maintaining such a meticulous cover, she had deliberately revealed herself to him, demonstrating unwavering confidence in her abilities.
By coincidence, Wriothesley was equally self-assured. He readily accepted her challenge.
"Miss Emily, I trust we'll enjoy the games ahead."
"Of course, Your Grace. I won't disappoint you."
The girl lifted her skirt in an elegant curtsy before continuing, "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now."
"Mm, remember to close the door on your way out."
Their conversation flowed smoothly, the atmosphere so cordial it was hard to believe they were on the brink of war.
Of course, this was partly because the girl had yet to make any overtly hostile moves.
She nodded and glided away with light, graceful steps.
After she left, Wriothesley stroked his chin, deep in thought.
The most pressing task now was to discern the girl's true motives. Having concealed herself for so long, if her target was indeed Furina, her ambitions must be substantial.
However, Wriothesley hesitated to warn Furina directly. He lacked concrete evidence to convince her, and their relationship remained superficial, while Furina had already grown quite close to the girl.
Moreover, the girl's deliberate exposure suggested either indifference to whether Furina learned the truth or unwavering confidence in her plans.
The girl's methods bore a striking resemblance to those of the mysterious organization, though Wriothesley couldn't be certain she was a member. After all, she had remained hidden for so long, only revealing herself now.
"Well then, let's see what you're capable of," Wriothesley murmured softly. "Let's see how far you can go."
He summoned a subordinate and issued his orders.
"Prepare a new dormitory for Lady Furina, one that's slightly more comfortable."
"As the esteemed Hydro Archon of Fontaine, we cannot afford to mistreat her here at the Fortress of Meropide."
"Yes, Duke Wriothesley."
The subordinate's expression straightened slightly upon hearing Wriothesley's words, and he immediately withdrew to carry out the order.
However, he soon returned to the Duke's Office, a troubled look on his face as he addressed Wriothesley.
"Duke Wriothesley, I've just checked the Fortress of Meropide's dormitory records. It appears there are currently no vacant dormitories available."
"There's been an overwhelming influx of prisoners arriving by water these past few days. Every living space is completely full."
Hearing this, Wriothesley paused, slightly surprised. Even when he had jokingly suggested the idea to Neuvillette in his letter, he had never truly imagined the Fortress of Meropide would ever reach its capacity.
Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he immediately asked, "When did the last vacant room get occupied?"
"Um..." The man thought for a moment before replying, "Duke, I believe it was three days ago."
"Three days ago?"
This answer deviated sharply from what Wriothesley had expected, causing his thoughts to momentarily freeze.
Could his intuition have been wrong?
Then another possibility occurred to him. He spoke again, "I haven't heard of any new prisoners arriving at the Fortress of Meropide in the past three days, yet we're now facing this housing shortage."
"Hmm... I'm not entirely sure about that either, Lord Wriothesley."
"Give me some time. I'll investigate and get to the bottom of this as soon as possible."
"Very well. Dismissed. I expect an answer within two days."
With the deadline set, Wriothesley dismissed the man, his mind still locked in a state of puzzled stagnation.
Could it be that Emily discovered the rooms were full during her investigation?
But... something still feels off about this...
Just as Wriothesley was pondering in confusion, Furina had already paid off her debt and was savoring a delicious cake.
After finishing the cake, Furina licked the plate clean, her face glowing with satisfaction.
But when she snapped back to reality and realized how undignified her behavior had been, she immediately covered her flushed face with the plate, trying to hide from the young girl's gaze.
The girl, however, promptly snatched the plate away.
"I still need to wash it, even though Lady Furina has already cleaned it thoroughly enough," the girl teased, making Furina's face burn even hotter.
"Honestly, Emily, you must be my secret hater!" Furina muttered under her breath, then watched the girl's retreating figure.
Because no matter how un-Hydro Archon-like Furina behaved, the girl never suspected her true identity, Furina felt completely at ease in her company.
Ever since the girl had noticed the wound on her hand without raising any suspicions, Furina had completely relaxed, just as she did around Clorinde and Neuvillette.
If only I had met Emily sooner, Furina thought. Then I would have had another friend to talk to.
Although the girl showed no mercy when it came to debts, Furina had already come to consider her a friend.
If nothing else, her exceptional cake-making skills alone meant that Furina would find a way to get her out of the Fortress of Meropide after her release.
"Speaking of which," Furina asked once Emily returned, "what crime did someone as kind as you commit to end up here?"
Emily paused, a flicker of surprise in her eyes, before smiling warmly at Furina.
"Lady Furina, are you sure you really want to know?"
Furina nodded vigorously, her curiosity piqued.
Seeing this, Emily casually found a seat and adopted a pensive expression, as if recalling a distant memory.
"Though it's been so long, I still remember that day vividly."
"It happened several years ago. My family passed away early, leaving me all alone in this world..."
Hearing this, Furina hastily interrupted, "I'm so sorry, Emily! I didn't realize this would bring up painful memories. You don't have to continue if you don't want to."
Upon hearing Furina's words, the girl simply smiled softly.
"Lady Furina is truly kind."
"But to be honest, I don't feel much about that anymore. I've even forgotten their faces."
"It's alright though. Later, I adopted a stray dog, and it became my new family."
"We were inseparable during that time. Those were the happiest days of my life."
"Until later, when I noticed you, Lady Furina."
Just as Furina was wondering why the girl hadn't mentioned the reason for her imprisonment, she suddenly heard her own name mentioned. Flustered, Furina scratched her head awkwardly.
"That was the first time I saw Lady Furina perform on stage. I still remember that performance vividly to this day."
"Hahaha, oh dear! Being so popular can be quite a burden!"
"By the way, Emily, which role of mine did you see me play back then?"
"That's not important."
"Huh?"
Furina's soul seemed to cry out in protest.
But the girl continued as if she hadn't noticed.
"What matters is that I was torn by a great dilemma at the time."
"I had sworn to love only it forever, but the moment I saw Lady Furina, I betrayed my family."
As she spoke, a hint of sorrow flickered across the girl's face.
"No, surely it wasn't that serious..." Furina said awkwardly. The girl simply shook her head gently.
"Lady Furina, you don't understand. If it hadn't been for it, I might not even be alive today."
"At that time, it was my whole world, and my actions were undeniably a betrayal!"
Furina scratched her head awkwardly, unsure of what to say.
"But later, I resolved the problem perfectly!"
The girl's face suddenly lit up with a radiant smile—so dazzling that it seemed to convey her overwhelming joy and excitement to anyone who witnessed it.
"I merged the two things I loved into one!"
"That's right! I renamed my dog 'Furina'! Now I no longer have to agonize over betraying my family!"
"Though not long after, this very solution landed me in prison."
Furina: "???"
The girl, seemingly oblivious to Furina's bewildered expression, sighed softly and continued.
"I've always felt wronged. I only had my family change their names because I truly admire Lady Furina."
"If I didn't genuinely care, why would I give such an important name to my family?"
"But the officials at the Court of Justice insisted I was guilty, refusing to listen to my explanations."
"Lady Furina, do you really think I'm guilty?"
Faced with the girl's hopeful gaze, Furina repeatedly opened her mouth to speak, but in the end, she couldn't say a word...