Hello I'm back, thy leg is healed but I don't have molars anymore.
===BREAK===
"That man… I really did knock him out, but I had my reasons!"
On the main stage of the Opera Épiclèse, under the watchful eyes of the audience—who had been ordered by Furina not to leave their seats—Patricia struggled to defend herself:
"After I got into the magic box, I stayed quiet, waiting for the trick to unfold. But then, I don't know how, the balloon above me popped—and there was water inside it!"
"The box was already dark, and suddenly I was drenched head to toe. Of course I panicked a bit. Instinctively, I kicked open the box door, only to realize that both I and the box were no longer in the audience aisle… it seemed like we had ended up beneath the opera house?"
"The change in environment left me completely confused, so I looked around curiously. Then that guy called Cowell appeared from who knows where and immediately tried to push me back into the box."
"I assumed he was dressed like a magician's assistant and just wanted me to cooperate with the performance. But with water all over me, including my upper body… I explained to him, asking if I could change clothes. He refused and even seemed like he might touch me… I'm just a weak girl, I couldn't handle that kind of shock, so I punched him and knocked him out."
Awkward…
"I looked around the passage alone, left and right, but couldn't find the exit.
"Being clever, I realized that if Lyney wanted to complete the magic, he would surely move me back to the stage. So, I pretended nothing had happened and got back into my box… and, just to be considerate, I also brought that naughty guy with me. I couldn't just leave him unconscious alone, could I?"
"When I sensed another change outside the box, at first I didn't mind hearing the cheers, but then fireworks went off on stage, and I panicked again, kicking the box open and rushing out."
"And after that… well, that brings us to now…"
"Knocking out Cowell was never my intention. The water tank falling has nothing to do with me either. If anything, if I hadn't reacted quickly, both I and that guy named Cowell would have been dead!"
"Please, Lady Furina, believe me—I'm a good person!"
Victor Wang quietly sighed. This girl, Patricia, described her ordeal vividly, but her sense of drama seemed a little… over the top.
Furina, however, was fully in character. She stepped down from the VIP section to stand in front of Patricia, inspecting her thoroughly—up, down, left, right. Halfway down, she had donned a Sherlock Holmes coat and swapped her hat, fully becoming a true veritable Holmes.
This was her first time actively requesting Victor Wang to let her play detective, and he had no choice but to accommodate her.
After scrutinizing Patricia, Furina said: "Whether you are a good person or not will depend on all testimonies, but I've already noticed two very obvious points of suspicion in your story. I hope you answer honestly."
"You may speak! I will tell everything truthfully!"
"Very well," Furina said seriously. "First point: according to our investigation, you impersonated Miss Hershey to attend the performance. But is it really as simple as you claim? Why was it your seat that the selection device picked? Doesn't that seem… too coincidental?"
"Too coincidental? You can ask Miss Hershey. The process of getting the ticket from her was completely legitimate—she volunteered, I also agreed willingly. I really love Lyney's magic!"
Victor Wang shook his head silently. The performance was stiff, exaggerated, and her acting left room for improvement.
Furina didn't reveal that she had noticed, instead continuing to scrutinize Patricia with a suspicious gaze, as if to break down her mental defenses.
Meanwhile, Lumine and Paimon returned from their investigation with information that would counter Furina's doubts.
Paimon reported:
"There's a problem with Lyney's selection device. No matter how it's operated, the result is always fixed."
"Also, the rope above the water tank was tampered with. It looked sturdy, but a section had been replaced with flammable material, which was then ignited by the stage fireworks, causing the water tank to fall."
"Additionally, the box Patricia entered contained a punctured water balloon. We don't know what significance that had…"
Furina finally stopped staring at Patricia, pondering aloud: "So someone inside Lyney's team deliberately selected Patricia to be the lucky audience member, intending for her to be killed by the falling water tank… this really is an attempted murder, targeting Patricia!"
Victor Wang added: "It could also have been Hershey."
"Yes… it could be Hershey. Now for the second point: Patricia, you were able to knock out Cowell with one punch and drag him out of the box at that incredible speed. You're clearly no ordinary person. This is critical; you must answer truthfully."
Patricia answered honestly: "Because I'm Fatui! I usually train my body a lot, and I also have a Delusion… see, having this isn't illegal, right? With this, even knocking that water tank away wouldn't be difficult!"
"You… you're Fatui?" Furina blinked.
"So? Are Fatui not allowed to watch performances at the Opera Épiclèse?"
"There's no such rule. But if you're Fatui… Lyney is too… then he'd have no reason to harm you, right?"
Paimon and Patricia exclaimed simultaneously: "Lyney is Fatui too?"
Feeling the same shock, Paimon turned to Patricia: "Wait! If you really are Fatui, how could you not know whether Lyney is Fatui? Who exactly is Fatui… don't falsely accuse Lyney!"
Patricia shrugged: "I am Fatui. I even showed you my precious Delusion. But I was recently transferred from elsewhere, never came to Fontaine before. It's normal that I don't know Lyney is Fatui."
Furina said: "I can confirm Lyney's Fatui affiliation. He belongs to the 'House of Hearth'."
Upon hearing this, Paimon buried her head in disappointment: "How… how could this…? House of Hearth… Lyney really is Fatui… he tricked us?"
Lumine, however, only frowned, unsurprised by this development.
Furina also frowned: "Now, the possibility that Lyney intended to harm Patricia is null. And Patricia just arrived in Fontaine, so it's unlikely she has any grudge against Lyney's team… which means their target was probably Hershey. Did they have to find Hershey from outside?"
"I happen to have relevant information," Neuvillette's voice interjected. He had returned to the stage after Lumine and Paimon. Looking at everyone, he said: "It's not just 'Patricia and Hershey.' Among the audience, any young woman of Fontaine nationality was almost entirely impersonated by foreign young women… only Navia and Charlotte were exceptions."
Having quickly confirmed the presence of Navia and Charlotte via seat numbers, Neuvillette turned back to Patricia: "May I understand that those responsible for the impersonations acted in an organized and premeditated manner?"
Patricia objected: "Impersonations? We're all Lyney fans. The tickets were bought through proper channels at great cost from the original owners. Or is the highest judge of Fontaine saying Fatui can't attend a magic show in groups? Say something like that and I'll sue the Court of Fontaine for discrimination!"
===BREAK===
Like the story and want more chapters?
Join and support me by joining my Patreon!
[email protected]/SiRoasa