"Starlight—a tale of goddesses guided by starlight, forging bonds through clashes, disputes, and disagreements, only to be tragically torn apart, never to meet again..."
On the troupe's stage, the cast was rehearsing the next opera performance.
Luna swung her blue cloak and threw a prop dagger.
Furina raised her sword to protect the emblem on her red cloak, but—thwack!—the tip of the dagger still struck the emblem.
"Stop, stop, stop!" Furina cried out hastily.
"Fufu failed to block it again," Luna said with a smile, pulling back the string attached to the dagger and squeezing the soft prop blade.
Furina's face flushed with embarrassment. "Ahem, I just wasn't paying attention for a moment. Besides, we've been rehearsing for so long, it's time for a break."
Luna nodded, walked over to Furina, and used a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her face and neck. Furina closed her eyes, obediently letting herself be cleaned.
"But are you sure you want to go with this script? It has a lot of duel scenes," Furina said.
"That's what makes it memorable for the audience, isn't it?"
After drying the sweat, Luna and Furina walked off the stage together. They greeted the other members and sat down in the rest area.
"Nana, how are you two coming along? We'll rehearse your scene next," Luna asked.
Navia, who was memorizing her lines, replied with some frustration, "Just a little longer! I'm almost done!"
Clorinde's tone was calm, but her eyes held a clear glint of confidence.
"I've finished memorizing mine."
"Excellent. A cookie for Clorinde."
Luna offered the cookie with a warm smile.
Clorinde opened her mouth and took a gentle bite, her movements practiced and natural.
Navia narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Is it just me, or does it seem like you and Lulu have gotten closer, Clorinde?"
"It's not your imagination. She told me about her past."
Clorinde traced the outline of a mask over her face with her hand.
Furina threw up her hands. "I knew it. Well, this is for the best. Now we won't have to tiptoe around the topic when Clorinde's here."
"You've talked about me?"
Luna's eyes widened with curiosity.
What did they talk about?
Furina froze, realizing she'd let it slip.
Though they hadn't discussed anything serious, she still stammered, "Well... that's a secret. It's no use being curious. We weren't saying anything bad, anyway."
"But I feel like I've been left out."
Luna pouted.
Furina sliced the cake, forking a piece into her mouth and placing another on Luna's plate. Savoring the flavor, she said, "We couldn't very well talk about it with the subject of our conversation right there, could we?"
Navia nodded vigorously. "Exactly! Lulu, cut me a piece too."
"Alright, alright."
Luna cut slices of cake for Navia and Clorinde, saving the rest for Chiori, Focalors, and Lynette, who hadn't arrived at the troupe yet.
Furina pointed to herself. "What about me?"
"Didn't you cut your own?"
Furina glanced at her empty plate, then at Navia's and Clorinde's, a wave of regret washing over her.
I shouldn't have been so quick.
Luna picked up her knife, cut her own slice in half, and slid one piece onto Furina's plate. Furina's eyes lit up, and she beamed.
"That's my Luna! I'll reward you next time!"
Navia murmured, "'My Luna'..."
Clorinde sipped her tea, seemingly unfazed.
Returning to the matter at hand, after their perfect debut performance, the troupe's next play was set to be Starlight, a script written by Luna.
From its highly difficult, acrobatic combat sequences to the complex stage transformations, the production would challenge every member of the troupe.
As a result, the atmosphere within the troupe was electric.
Why had they joined Luna and Furina's troupe in the first place?
To earn money, hone their skills, and carve out their own place in the world! The generous funding allowed them to tackle ambitious challenges—something other troupes couldn't offer.
Furina didn't mind.
"The more talent we have, the better it is for the entire industry!" she declared. "Only flowing water stays clean; stagnant water just attracts filth and insects. You're welcome to praise my magnanimity, you know. Eheheh."
—Those were Furina's exact words.
Small in stature, but grand in vision.
"...I have a feeling you're thinking about me again," Furina said suspiciously.
Luna stuck out her tongue and glanced upward, striking a classic pose. "Nope! Ehe~"
"You're totally thinking about me!" Furina puffed out her cheeks.
Navia looked thoughtful. "But the characters in this script are so... uh..."
Clorinde finished her thought: "Heavy."
"Yes! The emotions are just so heavy."
Furina laughed. "That's what makes it compelling! If the audience could just accept it lightly, where would the drama be? We should toss out those bland, 'realistic' elements."
"Don't we watch opera for its 'truth,' not its 'reality'?"
Navia nodded in deep agreement. "Spoken like a true master. Your words carry a different weight."
"That's right, I am a master!" Furina puffed out her chest proudly.
Just then, the sound of rapid footsteps approached.
Luna didn't need to turn around to know it was Chiori. Chiori's shoes were distinctive, and the sound they made was unlike anyone else's.
But before anyone could greet her, Chiori spoke with grave seriousness.
"There's trouble."
"What is it?" Luna asked, puzzled.
"Chevreuse has been accused."
"Accused?!" Navia exclaimed in shock.
Clorinde asked, "Is it because she's too rough with criminals? Too forceful during arrests? I remember that being the reason many times before."
Furina shook her head. "Exactly. I don't see why that warrants an accusation."
Are they supposed to politely invite criminals to 'please step into your cell'?
Luna was aware of those past complaints, but Chiori's expression made it clear this was different.
"I just found out," Chiori said. "She's been accused of—suspicion of colluding with the Phantom Thief White Cat."
Luna frowned. "What's the evidence?"
"I don't know..."
Though Luna acted flamboyantly, she would never leave behind such damning evidence for others to find.
Chevreuse was well aware of her relationship with Luna; she would never be so foolish.
The members of the Special Task Force?
They had no direct evidence, only vague knowledge of things like "the Phantom Thief White Cat treats our Captain differently" and "our Captain is obsessed with the Phantom Thief White Cat."
"Who's the accuser?"
Chiori shook her head again. "You'd be better off asking Chevreuse directly."
Good point.
That night, as Chevreuse was writing a report, she sensed a familiar presence approaching from the direction of the Opera Epiclese.
A hand pressed down on her desk, and strands of golden hair fell into her view.
"What's this about an accusation?" Luna asked.
Chevreuse replied casually, "You found out already? Your sources are fast."
"Who's behind it?"
"No one important. No big name, not famous at all. They're like a temporary hire."
Luna pondered, "Someone wants to take you down?"
"Perhaps."
Chevreuse put down her pen and sighed. "These troubles just keep piling up. But you don't need to worry. I can handle this myself."
"Neither of us left any evidence. They're just using the trial as a pretext to spread rumors. The Court of Justice will take care of it."
"But what if your superiors get ideas?" Luna murmured, perching on the edge of the desk.
It was true that Chevreuse was efficient and powerful.
But it was also true that she completely disregarded the Court of Justice's public image. Just look at the people on her team: a former bank robber, Fontaine's "Lockpick King"...
Their loyalty to her now didn't erase their less-than-stellar reputations.
And Chevreuse herself was the so-called "daughter of a sinner."
The descriptions in her official file were far from "pretty."
Chevreuse leaned back in her chair. "You really have no faith in the Court of Justice," she said lightly.
"I have every right to have no faith in it."
"..."
"I know the Court of Justice underwent a major shake-up after the Vacher and Ronat cases." Luna swirled the water in Chevreuse's cup. "But that also means the people who were indifferent to you might have been replaced. We don't know what the new officials think. They might make the wrong judgment."
Chevreuse sighed. "I don't want to think about these things."
She just wanted to fulfill her duties and obligations—to catch criminals.
But...
Chevreuse gazed into Luna's eyes, thinking: If our deal is to continue, I can't leave this matter for others to handle.
The gun must be in my own hands.
Whether I pull the trigger is my decision, but I must have the gun.
Their accusations had hit the mark by sheer luck—the deal was real. And precisely because of that, she needed to hold her own "gun."
Chevreuse closed her eyes. "..."
Luna gently embraced her, whispering in her ear, "Regretting it?"
Chevreuse lightly pressed Luna's head. "No. I never regretted it from the start, and I never will. This was in line with my inner 'justice.' Besides, we only made a 'deal.'"
She fell silent for another moment.
"Luna."
"Hmm?"
"Help me."
Luna gently kissed Chevreuse's lips, smiling. "Of course. It's time to put on a good show."
The lingering sweetness on her lips softened Chevreuse's gaze.
"...But you have to listen to me," she added.
"I have a plan."