Tartaglia wasn't in a hurry, though. After all, any headaches would be for those higher up to deal with. As the lowest-ranking Harbinger, he had no say in the grand scheme's decisions.
If anything, having no decision-making power was better. Let them rack their brains over it—just tell him what to do, where to go, who to fight, and how many.
As Tartaglia's superior, Pierro himself was reading as well, but he remained calm. He had long anticipated a day like this would come. The only surprise was that it had arrived so quickly.
Now, thinking it over, could the Prophet's decision to reveal some of their "secrets" here be a deliberate move to force them to compromise with his demands?
Was he proving that his foresight was potent enough to discern Snezhnaya's plans, thereby hinting at—or even threatening—them into making concessions?
Writing about this future at such a time… it seemed this Prophet wasn't just skilled in foresight but also in "strategy."
Pierro, believing he had seen through Lucian's "intentions," began to ponder what Lucian's possible "plan" might be.
Looking back at the process after knowing the "answer," Pierro realized that Lucian's "scheme" might have started as early as his first encounter with The Knave in Fontaine.
"So that's how it was—back then, huh?"
No wonder Lucian was present when The Knave met the Hydro Archon. Was that also part of the plan?
According to the Fatui's intelligence, Lucian hadn't even met Furina until just a few days before Arlecchino arrived in Fontaine.
How could it be so coincidental that, in just a few days, he managed to build a good relationship with the Hydro Archon and even got invited to a diplomatic meeting?
Could someone really form such a close bond with a god so quickly, especially right before The Knave's arrival? Was there truly such a coincidence in this world?
Could it be that he was playing a grand game alongside the Hydro Archon?
Pierro marveled at Lucian's "cunning." This time, he had been outplayed. It seemed Arlecchino couldn't escape the Prophet's grasp.
An outsider with the gift of prophecy was like a rogue wielding martial arts—you couldn't predict him, but he could predict you. What a headache.
Pierro's tendency to overthink was understandable. A clever person assumes their "enemy" is as smart as, or even smarter than, themselves.
At that moment, "The Knave" Arlecchino was at the House of the Hearth, legs crossed, reading the book. Her fingers unconsciously rubbed the page she was holding.
She hadn't expected Lucian to reveal their "secrets" here. Thinking back to their meeting a few days ago, he had seemed so harmless.
Being a clever person herself, she, too, began to overthink.
"Lucian…" Arlecchino gave a faint smile. "We've met so many times, and I never noticed you were such a schemer. Well hidden. Interesting."
The clever Harbingers were still analyzing Lucian's "motives," but the even cleverer Rosalyne noticed something off.
The Harbingers rarely gathered, and when they did, there was always a reason. Could that reason be…?
Turning the page, Rosalyne confirmed it. It really was that reason!
The next page revealed the delicate face of "Columbina," lying on a "not-so-noticeable" coffin.
Columbina was sprawled on the "table," head tilted to the side, eyes closed, lips slightly parted, her serene expression evoking a sense of longing yet too beautiful to disturb.
It was like seeing a female classmate sleeping on her desk during class—you wanted to wake her but didn't dare touch her.
This image immediately caught readers' attention. Fatui soldiers, in particular, couldn't take their eyes off it. Lady Columbina truly had the aura of a "white moonlight."
Who wouldn't want to work alongside such a maiden? Who wouldn't want to get close to her? Who wouldn't want to catch a glimpse of her beauty or even catch a whiff of Lady Columbina's scent?
Want to? Then come join us! The Snezhnayan Fatui welcomes you!
The title A Winter Night's Lazzo was confusing at first, but now it made sense—a Snezhnayan recruitment ad!
Rosalyne hadn't expected that even in death, she wouldn't be the star. This was her funeral!
The protagonist wasn't the "Columbina" lying on the coffin—it was her, inside the coffin!
Columbina wasn't surprised by her own appearance, as she would naturally attend such an event. But she hadn't expected to steal Rosalyne's spotlight.
Most readers were so captivated by Columbina's beauty that they didn't immediately notice the coffin beneath her, assuming this was just a Fatui meeting.
But Rosalyne saw it right away. Without a second thought, she knew that coffin was her "eternal home."
In the panel, "floating musical notes" were drawn around Columbina. It didn't look like she was sleeping with her mouth slightly open—she was singing a requiem.
Readers soon realized there was a coffin involved!
Recalling that "Signora" had died earlier, they understood—this was her funeral.
They couldn't help but sigh. Who would've thought the Fatui would do something so human-like? Holding a requiem for a fallen colleague showed a surprising level of care.
Some more eccentric readers had wilder thoughts: If I joined the Fatui and died, could I have "Columbina" sing directly on top of me? The coffin feels a bit in the way.
No wonder the Fatui weren't afraid of death—now they knew why.
Hu Tao grew excited. "I see! In Snezhnaya's funeral culture, they sing while lying on the coffin. Noted, noted! This might come in handy if I ever expand to the Snezhnayan market."
"Hmm… should I sing 'Hilichurl at Home' or 'Roar,' both taught to me by Little Lucian?"
Since the image couldn't convey sound, Hu Tao didn't know what Columbina was humming and assumed any song would do.
But Hu Tao was just talking big—she had no real plans to expand to Snezhnaya.
Besides, she deeply respected funeral traditions and wouldn't mess around even if she did hold a funeral in Snezhnaya.
Back to the story, "Pantalone" spoke up, explaining the purpose of their gathering.
["Today, we gather here to commemorate our dear comrade."]
["Her sacrifice is worthy of a full half-day of work stoppage in all of Snezhnaya to mourn her."]
Readers fell silent. Earlier, they thought the Fatui showed decent care for their own, but now they realized they'd judged too soon.
While a half-day work stoppage across a nation was a significant gesture of respect, readers still found it a bit laughable—and a bit pitiful.
After learning this was "Signora's" funeral, readers felt a complex mix of emotions.
Just minutes ago, they had read about "Signora's" death, and now they were fast-forwarded to her funeral. It was all a bit too quick.
Rosalyne's own feelings were even more complicated. Witnessing her own death and then her own funeral was an experience few could claim.
As for "Pantalone's" mention of a "half-day work stoppage for mourning," Rosalyne felt indifferent. That was just how the Fatui were.
From the start, Rosalyne had no expectations, so she wouldn't feel disappointed for lack of them.