Furina whispered softly into Lumine's ear, "Um… don't undermine me, okay? It wasn't easy getting through that."
Lumine tilted her head away with a huff.
Furina lowered her head and pleaded quietly, "Sorry, sorry. I got carried away. Please help me out."
Dulphy covered her face with one hand, unable to watch. "What a pity. I thought we'd get to see something impressive."
Lauwick turned to Lumine and Paimon. "Sorry about this. We're counting on you."
Paimon replied confidently, "Don't worry! We'll take care of it in no time."
[Yae Miko: So Lady Furina has a tsundere side too? How adorable. I really want to pinch her cheeks.]
[Paimon: The three of us are amazing!]
[Charlotte: Clearly it's the Traveler who's amazing. Paimon is just tagging along.]
Sure enough, Paimon watched as Lumine rushed forward and swiftly defeated all the slimes blocking the road.
Furina praised her sincerely. "That was impressive. You live up to the reputation."
Before long, everyone arrived at Vilmant's house.
Vilmant stepped out of the room. "You're here? And… why is Lady Furina with you?"
Dulphy stepped forward. "I'll explain. You're the last one we needed."
After hearing the full explanation, Vilmant asked, "So you think that knowing the truth about the troupe leader will lead to an ending everyone agrees on?"
"Precisely because the Daughter of Water is so important, I wanted to keep the truth hidden until after the performance. Otherwise… who knows if we'd ever stand on stage together again?"
[Ningguang: It seems Vilmant truly knows something crucial—something that could tear them apart.]
[Furina: This troupe's bonds are genuine. Even now, Vilmant still prioritizes the performance. What really happened back then?]
Buraud pressed urgently, "You're avoiding the truth, Vilmant."
"Are you saying Aurelie's death had something to do with you?"
Vilmant replied coldly, "I don't want to talk about it."
Buraud stepped forward. "Listen. I once thought my feelings for Aurelie were shameful. I never told anyone."
"But now, I'm willing to face everything. I'm ready to give everything. Without Aurelie's love, the Daughter of Water is incomplete."
Vilmant sighed. "That's why people say you're slow on the uptake."
"You all know the troupe survives on donations, not ticket sales. It was never enough. We worked side jobs, but things were still dire."
"One day, after a performance, a merchant approached me. He said if we provided their beverages during shows, they'd sponsor us generously. I thought it was a win-win, so I agreed—without consulting Aurelie."
"Only when the shipment arrived did I realize the drink was called Sinthe."
Furina gasped. "That's the substance linked to the serial disappearance cases!"
Lumine nodded. "Yes. It induces excitement, but severely damages the body."
[Lynette: The House of the Hearth investigated Sinthe. It contains traces of Primordial Seawater. It only affects Fontainians.]
[Paimon: You investigated a lot…]
[Lynette: As intelligence operatives, we must track all unstable elements—especially those tied to the Primordial Sea.]
[Ningguang: So that merchant was the culprit behind the disappearances?]
[Lynette: It's very likely. The true culprit rarely steps into the spotlight.]
[Neuvillette: The sale of such substances is illegal in Fontaine. We have long suppressed these organizations.]
Vilmant continued, "When I saw those crates, I panicked and told Aurelie everything. She wasn't angry. Instead, she personally contacted the merchant and refused the deal."
"The merchant accused us of breach of contract and demanded a huge compensation we couldn't afford."
"I wanted to deal with it myself, but Aurelie stopped me. She said this was the troupe's burden—not my mistake."
[Zhongli: A contract founded on deception is invalid.]
[Ningguang: Reporting it to Fontaine's authorities would have been wiser.]
[Charlotte: So Aurelie silently saved Fontaine once… This deserves to be written.]
Vilmant's voice trembled. "Then one day, Aurelie urgently told us to leave Fontaine City. I knew something was wrong."
"After she disappeared, I was too afraid to tell the truth."
Lumine said quietly, "That may be what put Aurelie in the killer's sights."
Vilmant broke down. "So that's it! I killed Aurelie! Are you satisfied now?"
Dulphy protested, "Don't say that!"
Buraud exploded in rage. "You knew she was in danger! Why didn't you tell us? What were you afraid of?!"
Lauwick and Paimon hurried to intervene.
Buraud's voice broke. "How am I supposed to calm down? He killed Aurelie—my beloved!"
Vilmant shouted through tears, "I'm sorry! I wanted to apologize to everyone—but she's gone. Does it even matter anymore?"
[Ningguang: Of course it does. Justice must still be served.]
[Furina: An excuse born of avoidance. I know that all too well.]
[Venti: Hahaha. Furina really has Paimon figured out.]
"I'm a coward," Vilmant cried. "Hit me, kill me—send me to apologize to Aurelie myself!"
Buraud roared, "Get out! Get out of my sight!"
Furina folded her arms. "Enough. Both of you, stop."
"Don't confuse the stage with real life. You claim the final performance is for Aurelie, but you're really just venting your own pain."
Buraud slumped. "You're right."
Vilmant lowered his head in shame.
Furina continued calmly, "On stage, a hero must shine. You all saw Aurelie as the core of the troupe."
"But in life, she didn't want to be the spotlight. She wanted to build a home for her younger siblings—to shield you from the storm."
"She was already your hero."
[Ningguang: And Furina is already Fontaine's hero.]
[Lumine: She speaks with such composure.]
[Paimon: A 500-year-old senior.]
[Furina: Don't talk about a girl's age!]
The troupe members nodded in unison.
Furina said, "Once you understand that, ask yourselves—was your argument meaningful?"
"If you truly didn't care, you wouldn't be here."
Dulphy smiled softly. "For a moment, I felt like the leader was standing right here, scolding us."
[Charlotte: Furina really resembles Aurelie.]
Paimon blinked. "Really? I thought she was gentle."
Dulphy nodded. "She was. But strictness can be another form of kindness."
Buraud sighed. "It feels like I've finally been awakened."
Vilmant whispered, "I'm sorry. I meant to apologize properly."
Lauwick said, "Save it for after the performance."
Paimon clapped her hands. "So—what about the ending?"
Furina replied, "The protagonist should step back from the stage and reflect."
"The story must return to Aurelie. She alone is the true lead."
"If we can find something she left behind, we may understand her feelings."
Soon, Lumine and Furina arrived at the Palais Mermonia. Among Aurelie's belongings, they found an old notebook.
Paimon flipped through it. "Lines… stage notes… props…"
Furina read carefully. "She documented the crimes—including the truth behind the dissolutions."
"If this had been found earlier, it could have been decisive evidence against Vacher."
Paimon whispered, "Her crimes were countless."
Furina continued softly. "Her handwriting grows weaker. She must have been suffering greatly."
Paimon read aloud from the notebook:
"Another one was taken… sixth, maybe seventh…
I don't know how much longer I can write…
I'm afraid of seeing my troupe here…
Did I really protect them… I'm sorry…"
"It's so cold… I gave her my blanket…
If only they survive… that's enough…"
At the end, two final lines were written with great effort:
To become human…
means hiding secrets, enduring pain and loneliness…
Even so, are you willing?
Yes. Because I am their sister. I love them.
[Furina: Yes. Because I am Fontaine's god. I love them.]