Back in the Duke's Office, Wriothesley was about to resume his work when he noticed the scars on the arm of the Gardemek standing guard nearby.
Though the damaged area was extensive, it was clear the Gardemek had been cut by something relatively sharp.
Since these injuries hadn't been present during the morning's routine inspection, it was highly likely they had occurred while apprehending Furina.
Moreover, the wounds resembled damage caused by Anemo Energy rather than Hydro Elemental Power.
A glint flashed in Wriothesley's eyes, and a slight smile curved his lips.
"This is getting more interesting by the minute."
With a resounding thud, the Gardemek crumpled into a pile of scrap metal beneath Wriothesley's iron fist.
"Duke, are you alright?"
Hearing the commotion from inside, the Overseer called up from below.
"Come in," Wriothesley replied, flexing his wrist. These Gardemeks are tougher than I thought. My hand's numb from the impact.
The Overseers ascended the spiral staircase after receiving the Duke's permission.
"The Gardemek malfunctioned," Wriothesley said, gesturing to the scrap metal on the floor. "Handle it."
"Understood, Duke! We'll take care of it immediately!"
The Overseers worked together to quickly clear away the debris, dragging the scrap metal to the factory for recycling.
As they dragged the scrap away, one of the guards muttered to himself, puzzled, "Strange, how did these Gardemek suddenly malfunction?"
Meanwhile, Furina gave Neuvillette a brief account of the earlier events.
Of course, Furina deliberately omitted any details that might reflect poorly on herself—the fact that she had been pinned against the wall by the other party was definitely not something she wanted him to know!
"That's the gist of it. We still don't know what their next move will be," Furina concluded. "Neuvillette, you need to use your unrivaled power to figure out a plan, quick!"
After hearing Furina's account, Neuvillette found himself even more perplexed.
If the enemy's goal was truly to destroy Fontaine, wouldn't it make more sense to unleash Dottore's Segments? Letting Arlecchino escape seemed pointless.
Could they have somehow learned that all of Dottore's Segments had defected?
No matter. Those questions are irrelevant now. What matters is stopping their next move.
Neuvillette let out a soft sigh. Every deduction and decision he made from this point forward would carry the weight of countless lives. He couldn't afford to make a single mistake.
"Her true goal isn't to destroy Fontaine, but to prevent us from saving it, ensuring that Fontaine is swallowed by the Primordial Sea Water as prophesied."
"Is there really a difference?"
Furina, somewhat bewildered by Neuvillette's explanation, blinked in confusion.
"Of course there is. If she merely wanted to destroy Fontaine, she could easily obliterate all the cities except Fontaine, where we hold sway."
"For reasons unknown, she wants the prophecy to unfold as predicted. This gives us an opportunity."
"By understanding her motives, we can predict her actions. The real question now is: how will she sabotage our preparations for the Day of Prophecy?"
Neuvillette paused, then fixed Furina with a deep gaze.
"So, Lady Furina, you still refuse to reveal what you've done?"
"Ah, me?"
Caught off guard by the sudden shift back to herself, Furina stammered, "Of course I can't tell you! If her goal is to thwart our plan, the fewer people who know about it, the better!"
Seeing that Furina still refused to reveal the truth even as Fontaine faced a life-or-death crisis, a hint of disappointment flickered in Neuvillette's eyes.
She kept her little secret hidden while simultaneously relying on him for all sorts of tasks.
Furina constantly urged him to trust her, but in the five centuries he had known her, he had never once seen her act reliably. How could he possibly trust her now?
Furina, meanwhile, felt a pang of anxiety. It wasn't that she genuinely wanted to hide the truth from Neuvillette, but this matter was simply too crucial.
Although Arlecchino and Dark Furina already knew her true identity, and Fontaine hadn't yet faced any drastic consequences, Neuvillette's position was different. As the Hydro Dragon Sovereign, the repercussions of him learning this secret were unpredictable, and she dared not gamble.
Besides, even if he did learn the secret, what good would it do? She still didn't know where the Hydro Archon Focalors was hiding. Knowing the truth would only bring added worries without any practical benefit.
"Neuvillette, please just trust me! I promise I'll save everyone!"
Furina, terrified that Neuvillette might abandon his duties, quickly reassured him, "Don't worry, I'll make sure everyone is saved!"
If Neuvillette were to abandon his post, Fontaine would essentially be doomed.
Hydro Archon, where are you? I can't hold on much longer!
Fortunately, Neuvillette couldn't simply abandon Fontaine. He sighed, then began analyzing the situation.
"Then the only remaining option is to determine how she learned the information about the Day of Prophecy."
"Currently, we're merely reacting passively to the calamities the approaching Day of Prophecy is bringing to Fontaine. But from her conversation with you, it seems she already knows the exact date of its arrival."
"She might even be capable of prematurely triggering the Day of Prophecy, leaving us no time to prepare."
"We need to uncover her method of calculation. The key likely lies in the two Primordial Sea Water eruptions—the one in the Fortress of Meropide and the one in Poisson."
"Since a prophecy exists, the process leading to it should also be calculable. These two Primordial Sea Water eruptions likely share some common factor."
Hearing Neuvillette's words, Furina nodded in a daze.
"So how do we confirm this?"
Neuvillette looked at Furina and continued helplessly, "We'll have to rely on professional investigators. Let's return to Fontaine first. If my theory is correct, we should find clues quickly."
With that, Neuvillette turned to leave.
"Neuvillette, wait for me!"
Seeing Neuvillette walk away so quickly, Furina immediately hurried after him.
However, after only a few steps, Furina suddenly remembered something and returned to the table to grab her unfinished cake.
Though it couldn't compare to Emily's homemade treats, it would at least satisfy her craving for now.
Back in Fontaine, Lyney returned to his room as usual, pondering the latest intelligence on the two Furinas.
Just as he stepped inside, Lyney's instincts flared. A deck of playing cards materialized in his hand, which he immediately flung toward a corner of the room.
Before the playing cards could leave his hand, another hand—belonging to Arlecchino—seized his arm, instantly sinking Lyney's spirits.
Just as Lyney was strategizing his escape, the other person spoke.
"Excellent alertness."
The familiar voice immediately revealed the speaker's identity to Lyney.
"Father, you're back?" Lyney asked, his tone tinged with excitement. He had thought he wouldn't see Arlecchino for a long time, never expecting her secret return to Fontaine.
"What's the situation lately?" Arlecchino released her grip and slowly walked to a chair, settling into it with a calm gaze fixed on Lyney.
Hearing Arlecchino's question, Lyney composed himself and hurriedly replied:
"Recently, due to Neuvillette's announcement, the Fatui's operations within Fontaine have become incredibly difficult. Intelligence gathering and transmission have been severely hampered, creating informational blind spots. In certain areas, our intelligence agents have been expelled..."
As Lyney spoke, a flicker of guilt crossed his face.
"I'm sorry, Father. This was entirely my fault. My negligence even led to you being wanted by the Fontaine authorities. Please punish me, Father!"
"Lyney, you're misunderstanding," Arlecchino interrupted.
"My actions were solely a response to that man's provocation. My retaliation was to eliminate the hundred-plus spies he had planted in those two towns."
"I didn't act because you and Lynette were in danger. Though you are my carefully nurtured agents, I would not hesitate to abandon you if necessary."
"As intelligence operatives, you must not harbor inappropriate sentiments, Lyney."
"If you hadn't lingered in overcoming this weakness, you would have already taken my place."
Hearing Arlecchino's words, Lyney felt no resentment; on the contrary, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Father, this is as it should be. When necessary, please abandon us without hesitation."
"Your benevolence towards us over the years has already been more than enough for us to repay in a lifetime. We do not wish for you to bear any further costs on our behalf."
Arlecchino shook her head. It wasn't the answer she wanted to hear, but she knew it was exactly what Lyney would say.
She had chosen Lyney not just for his abilities, but also for the very emotions she lacked. The less one possesses, the more one values what they have, and it was this principle that gradually drew Lyney into her sight.
Yet, seeing Lyney occasionally make foolish mistakes driven by his emotions, she couldn't help but want him to discard them, to overcome this weakness.
Over time, even she had been subtly influenced. The children who worshipped and respected her had softened her heart.
That's why, when she learned of Lyney and Lynette's disappearance, she found it difficult to control her emotions, ultimately falling into that man's trap.
Logic told Arlecchino this was not good for her, but changing one's nature was never easy.
"How are the 'children' at the House of the Hearth?"
"Everyone is doing well. Neuvillette hasn't given us any trouble, but everyone misses 'Father' dearly."
"We thought it would be a long time before we saw Father again. Your return will be a huge surprise for them."
"No, my return must remain a secret."
Arlecchino's words froze the expression on Lyney's face.
"Yes..."
Arlecchino had no obligation to explain her reasons to Lyney, but she couldn't resist adding, "The circumstances are... complicated. I was captured by Neuvillette as soon as I entered Fontaine territory and only recently escaped from the tower. A woman claiming to be the Hydro Archon Focalors helped me."
Upon hearing this, Lyney's expression turned serious.
"Father, I actually have something to report to you."
Lyney then told Arlecchino about the other Furina who had appeared in Fontaine, showing her the photographs taken with his Kamera. Arlecchino immediately recognized the woman as the one she had spoken to earlier—the same aura was unmistakable.
"How intriguing," Arlecchino murmured, a glint of interest in her eyes. "To reveal herself directly to the Fontaine citizens... It seems she'll be making her next move soon."
Seeing Arlecchino's intrigued expression, Lyney immediately spoke up.
"Father, I'll have my people keep a close watch on intelligence regarding her."
However, Arlecchino immediately dismissed his suggestion.
"No need. Don't interfere in this matter. It's beyond your capabilities."
Arlecchino recalled Dark Furina's terrifying power and took a deep breath.
"Besides, I have my own methods for gathering information on this matter."
Upon hearing Arlecchino's words, Lyney immediately replied, "Yes, Father."
"I'm leaving now," Arlecchino suddenly announced.
"Father, you're leaving?" Lyney's heart jolted with alarm, though he quickly masked his reaction.
"Mm. Neuvillette should be returning to Fontaine soon, and his first act upon arrival will be to come here looking for me."
"I can no longer linger at the House of the Hearth. I need to depart immediately."
Arlecchino's decision to return this time carried immense risk, revealing that she wasn't as cold and heartless as she claimed to be.
Lyney naturally understood this and silently committed it to memory.
"You know how to handle the rest," Arlecchino said, preparing to leave.
Before departing, she couldn't resist reminding Lyney, "Do you remember what I told you before? If you can't overcome your weaknesses, never let them be exposed to others."
Arlecchino knew that after so many years of relying on each other, it would be impossible for Lyney to completely sever his emotional ties to Lynette. Moreover, if he truly became purely rational, she wasn't sure if that version of Lyney was the one she wanted.
With these thoughts, Arlecchino's figure swiftly vanished from Lyney's sight.
"Yes, Father..." Lyney said with utmost solemnity, gazing at the spot where Arlecchino had disappeared. "I won't let Lynette be in danger again!"