Furina, Please Let Me Steal Your Heart! (Genshin Impact)

Furina stared at her, momentarily speechless.

"Why... why are you here?" she finally asked.

Luna smiled. "Lady Furina called for me, so I came."

"That's not true!" Furina instinctively retorted.

How could such a thing be possible?

"Then what was that tearful spectacle earlier, with you sobbing and calling my name?" Luna stepped down from the window and approached Furina.

Furina immediately sat up straight, hastily wiping the damp tear tracks from her face with the back of her hand.

Of all the things I could have predicted, Phantom Thief White Cat appearing at this moment never crossed my mind.

"I wasn't crying or sniffling, and I definitely didn't call your name!" Furina mumbled defensively. "It was just... a sudden surge of my Hydro Element Power."

That's right, this is it!

She had indeed been thrown off balance earlier, not expecting the White Cat's appearance. But now she had regained her composure and perfectly slipped back into character.

A mere White Cat could never disrupt her inner peace again!

Luna leaned closer to Furina, gently tilting her chin upward, her crimson eyes gleaming.

Furina immediately panicked. "W-what do you think you're doing?"

"I want to taste Lady Furina's tears again."

"There's no way I'm letting you!"

Furina pushed Luna's face away with both hands, forcefully blocking her.

Luna didn't press further. Instead, she smoothly turned and sat down on the bed beside Furina.

"But Lady Furina has let me kiss her so many times already, hasn't she?"

Furina's face flushed crimson instantly. She couldn't sit still when that was brought up. "You're the one who suddenly kissed me! And it was only on the cheek and the corner of my eye!"

Don't make it sound like we have some kind of secret relationship.

Though, being alone together like this might qualify as one... Furina thought.

Right, I need to stay on guard around this girl.

Neuvillette already harbored deep suspicions about me, and Luna turned out to be Arlecchino's daughter.

As the Prophecy continued to unfold, no matter how hard she tried, those around her would inevitably grow suspicious, abandon her, and refuse to stand by her side.

After all, a counterfeit was just that—a counterfeit.

She lacked the true power befitting a God.

My only option is to maintain this charade until the very end, Furina thought.

"Why have you come here? Has a sinner come before the God of Justice to confess their sins?" Furina asked, crossing her arms and continuing her act.

"You want an answer? No problem."

Luna lay sprawled on Furina's bed, her head resting on Furina's pillow.

Don't lie on my bed! Furina wanted to shout, but surprisingly, she felt a flicker of relaxation.

"On one condition, Lady Furina. You must answer my question as well."

"What question?"

"Why were you crying earlier?"

Because of the pain, because of the loneliness, because of the exhaustion... These words remained unspoken.

Furina hugged her knees and turned away. "I already told you, it was just a sudden surge of my Hydro Element power. A God's body often experiences such disturbances—things mortals can't possibly comprehend."

"After all that's happened, Lady Furina, do you still think I'm an ordinary person?"

Impossible.

Captain Chevreuse's report confirmed that she could still wield Electro Element Power. To possess all Seven Elements and control the flow of time—how could she be anything but extraordinary?

"To me, you are," Furina forced herself to say.

"Because I am an Archon!" she declared, puffing out her chest.

Luna gazed at her steadily, while Furina's eyes darted away, unable to meet her gaze.

Stop staring at me! Say something!

"Since Lady Furina has answered my question, allow me to answer yours."

Luna curled a finger, summoning an Ice Thread that snared Furina's wrist. With a gentle tug, she pulled.

"Whoa!?" Caught off guard, Furina stumbled backward, crashing into a familiar, warm embrace.

When Furina regained her senses and realized she was sprawled against Luna's chest, her face flushed even hotter.

No, no, no... She frantically tried to sit up, but Luna's arms tightened around her.

"Shh, Lady Furina. Don't move so suddenly, or—"

"O-or what?" Furina's heart pounded wildly.

"Perhaps I'll devour you whole."

Gah!

Furina froze, realizing she was truly powerless against the Phantom Thief White Cat.

There's a reason the saying "the weak get bullied by cats" exists, she thought suddenly.

Luna gently stroked Furina's hair, murmuring softly, "I won't deny I'm a sinner, but I certainly wouldn't come here specifically to confess."

"Then why are you here...?"

Could she have come just to tease me? Furina wondered. That would be outrageous.

"Lady Furina, are you aware that Primordial Sea water has appeared in Poisson?"

Furina's heart skipped a beat. She pressed her lips together.

"Of course I'm aware."

"Yet some whisper that you've done nothing about it."

"I... That's just the surface of what you see! Don't presume to understand an Archon's will," Furina whispered, feeling Luna's fingertips lightly scratching the back of her neck.

It tickles.

Luna remarked casually, "Is that so? Though frankly, I don't much care about such things."

"Huh? You don't care?"

"If I did, I wouldn't be petting Lady Furina like this. Instead, I'd use methods I'm far more skilled at to pry every secret I desire from your lips."

Furina tensed, then gradually relaxed.

Wait a minute.

Her nerves snapped taut again. Who knows if White Cat is telling the truth?

She was the queen of deception!

"You'll get nothing," Furina said, pursing her lips.

"What I obtain is not up to you, Lady Furina," Luna replied.

Wow, this person isn't buying my act at all, Furina thought.

"...If you truly don't care, why are you even asking?" Furina probed, trying to gauge Luna's reaction.

The warmth rising and falling against Luna's chest with each breath made it impossible for Furina to calm down.

"Confirmation," Luna said.

"Confirmation?"

Luna chuckled softly. "I suspect Lady Furina is starting to doubt me. You suspect I want to uncover your true nature, to expose some hidden truth you're concealing."

She's caught on! Furina's chest tightened sharply.

"But I don't care about this so-called 'truth'," Luna continued.

Because she already possessed the truth.

At least, the full picture of the plan.

"Who would believe such a thing...?" Furina muttered.

With a slight push, Luna straightened up and pinned Furina beneath her.

Furina felt her balance shift, her perspective flipping. By the time she recovered, Luna was already straddling her. She blinked rapidly, her eyes wide with pure, confused bewilderment.

How did she suddenly pin me down like this?!

"Y-you...!"

What is she trying to do?! Furina's face flushed crimson, her gaze darting nervously.

Luna cupped her face between her hands.

"Don't take your eyes off mine. I don't need Lady Furina to believe me, but when I express my will and thoughts, I want you to see them clearly."

Furina cautiously shifted her gaze back to Luna's eyes.

"That's right. Don't look away. Keep watching me."

Luna gently stroked Furina's cheek. "I'm a phantom thief, Lady Furina."

"You know exactly what I desire most."

Treasure.

"I don't want the truth you're hiding. I want you, Lady Furina, yourself, and... the treasure you possess."

Furina drew her hand back, unsure of what to do with it. Yet Luna's tender, delicate touch sent waves of relaxation through her.

Her eyes remained fixed on Luna's, slowly searching for any hint of deception, her lips parted slightly.

Can I trust you? The question remained unspoken. She couldn't ask it. She couldn't trust anyone.

But the Phantom Thief White Cat didn't need her trust.

"I was merely confirming Lady Furina's resolve."

"..."

Furina is not a true Archon.

It's highly likely she knows nothing of the plans being orchestrated within the Oratrice.

To deceive Celestia, an Archon must exist in the public eye and deceive everyone.

And to deceive everyone, she must first deceive herself.

Furina's true secret is likely this: she is not an Archon, but an ordinary human cursed with immortality.

Yet she must play the role of an Archon, becoming "Focalors."

Her resolve must never falter. For five hundred years, she has walked this tightrope daily, steeling her determination and will with each passing day.

All for a promise and the future of Fontaine.

"This also confirms one thing for me: Lady Furina is extraordinarily beautiful."

Furina pursed her lips.

Suddenly, her cheek was pressed against something cool and soft—lips.

"I came here to confirm that, and to help you, Lady Furina."

"Help... me?" Furina stammered, stunned.

"Yes. Whether you want it or not, I will stand by your side."

"Of course. The price is simple: Fontaine's greatest treasure, Furina de Fontaine, and... any other treasures you possess."

Furina's heart pounded in her chest.

Is Phantom Thief White really offering to stand by my side? Is this truth or deception?

She desperately wanted to confirm his sincerity, but how could she?

"Can I refuse?" Furina whispered.

"You may."

"Then..."

"But that won't change my decision."

Your refusal doesn't mean I'll back down.

Furina sighed in exasperation. "You're truly impossible. What exactly can you help me with?"

"Concealment. Neuvillette intends to force your secret from you."

"What...?" Furina's eyes widened.

Yet this wasn't entirely surprising.

Neuvillette sought to save Fontaine, and to do so, he needed the truth.

But Furina couldn't allow him to succeed, for she too wanted to save Fontaine—a mission that required her secret to remain buried forever.

Conflict was inevitable, unavoidable.

Luna smiled faintly. "And he'll pressure you in the way you know best."

"...Judgment?"

"Precisely."

Furina remained silent for a long moment. She knew she couldn't evade this Judgment forever. She might escape it once, but not twice.

This time, Neuvillette was truly serious.

"I can't give myself to you," Furina declared.

But other treasures...

"Other things might be possible. What do you want?"

Furina couldn't discern the truth behind Phantom Thief White's words, but she had to maintain her deception at all costs.

If Neuvillette intended to subject her to Judgment, she might indeed need an ally.

Even if that ally was Phantom Thief White.

A sinner who has deceived Fontaine for five centuries, paired with a notorious Phantom Thief—how fitting, Furina thought, her expression softening slightly.

At least she wasn't alone now.

"Let's get one thing straight," Furina said. "I won't share any of the burden with you, and I never asked for your help. You forced your way into this."

From the beginning, this mission was destined to be hers alone.

"...But thank you," she whispered. "I won't forget what you've done for me."

Let the Archon and the Phantom Thief once again share the stage.