Faced with Furina's stern and decisive response, Luna remained unfazed.
"Please accept my mask. It's a gift from me to you. You can do whatever you want with it, but I hope you'll cherish it."
"After all, it's the first one I spent so long crafting."
"Your first?" Furina stared in surprise at the smooth, jade-like mask in her hand.
"...I don't want to accept it."
It was too important. She couldn't.
"Then please throw it away. I won't accept a rejected gift either."
Throw away something so meaningful to her?
Furina couldn't bring herself to do it. If it were a mass-produced item, she would have already... already...
Tossed it in a dusty box to gather dust for eternity!
No, she'd bury it under a tree to rot in the soil forever!
Suddenly, she understood Luna's intention and couldn't help but wonder: Did you give this to me because you knew I couldn't throw it away?
If that were true, it was utterly despicable!
Furina pursed her lips slightly, gripping the mask tightly.
"How cunning."
Luna sat on Furina's bed, chuckling softly. "Care to punish me for it? I promise to lie perfectly still, Miss Furina, and let you do whatever you wish."
"Hmph, I don't believe you," Furina retorted, turning her face away.
Anyone who trusted Luna would be a fool.
If she dared to overpower the Phantom Thief White Cat, she'd likely find herself the one being taken advantage of next.
Besides, she had already resolved to maintain her distance from this woman.
Her invitations? Refused.
Her teases? Ignored.
Her words? I'll cover my ears.
If I don't listen or look, even the Phantom Thief will realize she's wasting her time.
Furina nodded inwardly, convinced it was an excellent plan.
"Miss Furina, as much as I would love to spend more time with you, I must take my leave now."
"Huh?"
She's leaving already?
Luna stood up and picked up the necklace Furina had placed on the table.
It was the Heart of the Ocean, a dazzling Hydro gem set in a teardrop-shaped casing—a masterpiece of craftsmanship.
Furina had no objection to her taking it.
She had used the treasure to invite Luna, and an Archon must keep her word.
Besides, the necklace was useless to her anyway. She'd found the gem while strolling by the water—a complete freebie. She wouldn't miss it at all.
But if the Phantom Thief tried to steal her cake, she'd be the first to jump up and shout, "No way!"
"Has Miss Furina ever worn this necklace?"
"Worn it... No, I don't need to answer that. You've claimed your treasure, so you should leave as agreed and never return," Furina snapped.
No matter what Luna said, Furina would stand firm in her resolve: to say no to the Phantom Thief!
Luna clutched the necklace and began to approach Furina.
Wait, why is she getting closer?
"Y-you... what do you want?"
"Don't be afraid. I always treat my treasured possessions with care, and Miss Furina, you are a precious treasure to me."
As Luna spoke, she gently guided Furina toward the mirror in the corner of the room.
Furina involuntarily tensed, wanting to turn around, but Luna's scent and presence made her acutely aware that Luna was standing right behind her.
Luna's chest pressed against her back...
Are hers really bigger than mine? Furina glanced down at her own figure.
Her curves were far from the "standard" ideal.
Sigh, this comparison is truly tragic... As she thought this, a pair of hands descended from above, holding a necklace. Slowly, the hands lifted it upward.
Click. The necklace was fastened around her neck.
"Why are you giving this to me? Don't you want it anymore?" Furina couldn't help but ask.
Luna tucked a strand of hair behind Furina's ear. "Because I wanted to see how Miss Furina would look wearing it. The 'Heart of the Ocean' is truly a magnificent treasure, exquisitely beautiful."
"But with the greatest treasure right before my eyes, why would I waste my gaze on mere trinkets?"
A faint blush crept up Furina's earlobes.
Ignore it, ignore it, ignore it... She took a deep breath and said nonchalantly, "Spare me the flattery. The invitation is over. If you don't leave now, I'll—"
"Just?" Luna snatched Furina's hat.
"I just... Hey, why did you take my hat?" Furina blurted out.
Luna murmured, "Because it carries Miss Furina's scent?"
"Scent... Are you a dog?" Furina retorted.
Realizing her words might sound insulting, she quickly added, "Ah, I didn't mean that as an insult."
Wow, she sure knows how to stack her defenses quickly.
"I'm a cat, you know."
"You don't have a single cat-like trait about you!" Furina protested.
Yet her free-spirited nature and mannerisms did resemble a cat's...
No! Why am I even responding to her? I swore I'd ignore her! Furina inwardly berated herself.
Fine, let's try again. This time, I'll definitely ignore her.
As Furina steeled her resolve, a warm "Meow" tickled her ear.
Furina shuddered, covered her ears, and grumbled, "Stop whispering in my ear all the time!"
The ticklish, unsettling sensation made her deeply uncomfortable.
"Miss Furina is so easily flustered."
"Flustered? Hah! This is the prelude to my fury. Don't push your luck, Phantom Thief White Cat. I give you ten seconds to leave. If you're still here after those ten seconds..."
Luna smiled faintly. "Please allow me to finish one last thing."
One last thing?
"What is it?" Furina asked.
Luna gently nudged Furina back toward the mirror, setting her hat aside. In the next instant, a familiar crown materialized in Luna's hands.
It was the Radiant Crown, previously used to lure the Phantom Thief.
Luna cradled the crown in both hands and placed it on Furina's head.
"Please, take a look," she said.
Furina gazed at her reflection in the mirror.
"Isn't it beautiful?" Luna asked.
"Hmph... after all, I am an Archon!" Furina replied with a grin.
Her reflection mirrored her smile.
It was a confident, proud, and utterly perfect smile.
Yet, for some reason, when her eyes met her reflection's, she instantly averted her gaze as if burned.
"Miss Furina seems to be mistaken," Luna remarked.
"Mistaken? About what?"
A comb had materialized in Luna's hand as if from nowhere. She gently smoothed Furina's hair with it.
"It's not because Miss Furina is an Archon that she's beautiful. Rather, the moment a true treasure is born into this world, it possesses an allure that surpasses all other treasures."
Furina pressed her lips tightly together.
Ignore it, ignore it, ignore it...
"Time's up," Luna announced.
"Huh?"
Furina glanced at the clock. More than ten seconds had passed; it felt like several minutes had gone by.
"Ah..."
Several minutes meant hundreds of seconds. How could the second hand have moved so quickly?
The time had come. Luna gently turned Furina's face toward her.
"Good night, Miss Furina. I hope we meet again in our dreams."
"I've left you a small gift. I'm sure you know exactly where to find it."
Another gift?
Furina was about to protest—she couldn't accept it.
But the moment her lips parted and her first breath escaped, before she could form words, Luna pressed a fingertip against her delicate lips.
"Just a token of my affection. Please accept it."
"May the lovely Miss Furina always sleep soundly." Luna's fingertip brushed across Furina's lips.
The lights dimmed again, and Luna's elegant, white figure vanished.
Furina whirled around and noticed for the first time that the window was open, the night breeze ruffling the curtains.
The weight on her head reminded her that the Radiant Crown was still in place.
Did Luna not want it?
No... the Heart of the Ocean was gone. Furina touched her chest and realized the necklace Luna had placed around her neck was missing.
Furina removed the Radiant Crown and walked to the window.
Looking out, she could only see the nightscape of Fontaine and the moonlight illuminating the tranquil city.
Inside her hat lay a small, wrapped candy and a card.
"I return the Radiant Crown to you now, lovely Lady Furina. Don't worry, someone will pay the small price for returning this treasure—a kiss for a treasure."
"What?!"
Someone was making deals with the Phantom Thief White Cat? Who could it be?
But... does it really concern me?
Furina touched her chest, still feeling inexplicably uneasy.
A kiss for a treasure? Who on earth...? Furina exhaled slowly.
It doesn't matter if it's not returned. After all, I am the rightful owner of both treasures. I can decide what to do with them.
Besides, the Phantom Thief had granted her a much-needed respite.
Sufficient energy and mental fortitude were crucial for facing future challenges. She couldn't let her facade crumble. She had to continue her act.
In that light, perhaps the Phantom Thief White Cat had done more than she realized.
A treasure exchanged for a moment of genuine rest. Furina could accept that.
Nothing was more important than the lives and futures of her people. She couldn't afford to fail.
But...
"You return my treasure, but you won't let me return your gift," Furina muttered.
"Just as I suspected—you're quite cunning."
Furina picked up the candy, a gift from the Phantom Thief. She shouldn't accept it.
But wasting it seemed wrong...
She glanced left and right, sat up, lay down, pondered, and sighed. After an hour of hesitation, she finally made up her mind.
I can't let it go to waste. I'll eat it and pretend I threw it away!
Furina tore open the wrapper and popped the candy into her mouth.
The sweet flavor spread across her tongue, slowly melting away. Afterward, she drifted back into a peaceful slumber, this time sleeping soundly.
...Did she really not put anything in it?
Meanwhile, elsewhere...
Chevreuse woke from an unsettling dream.
"...Why would I dream about that woman?"