Furina, Please Let Me Steal Your Heart!

Chevreuse repeated the name Confrerie of Cabriere to herself as she walked back to the Special Task Force headquarters.

"Miss! Miss Chevreuse!"

A sudden shout drew Chevreuse's attention. She looked up to see a familiar figure running over, gasping for air.

Oh, for heavens' sake...

Charlotte skidded to a halt in front of Chevreuse. "Can I do an interview with you, miss?"

Reporters from any newspaper were all the same—fly in at full speed the moment they caught wind of something.

Though Charlotte was sort of the light of journalists, she also had the trait of chasing after events persistently.

Chevreuse, unwilling to be bothered, said with a cold expression, "No."

"Just a second! I want to write a report about the Phantom Thief!"

The Phantom Thief again.

Chevreuse felt they should go look for other news instead of clinging to the Phantom Thief.

Given the deceitful feline's reprehensible nature, the more attention and scrutiny she attracted, the more spirited and defiant she was likely to become.

"I have nothing further to say," Chevreuse stated, her words dripping with finality as she continued walking without a moment's hesitation.

Charlotte braced herself against her legs, gasping for air.

This scenario wasn't unheard of in the world of journalism. As a reporter, one must possess—phrase it elegantly as tenacity for knowledge or bluntly as the persistence to hound and pester—the determination to persevere.

Unless, of course, the other party was truly unwilling.

So, Charlotte steadied her breathing, grabbed her notepad, and chased after Chevreuse.

"Why did the Phantom Thief White Cat dismantle that Sinthe trafficking ring?"

"I don't know. I see no need to understand a criminal's motivations," Chevreuse replied curtly.

Charlotte nodded, her pen poised over her notepad.

1. The Phantom Thief White Cat did indeed dismantle a Sinthe trafficking ring, but the reason remains a mystery.

"Does the Court of Justice appear to have confiscated some sort of ledger related to the Sinthe trade?" Charlotte pressed on.

"That's not the case. It was merely a notebook filled with random scribbles by the criminal," Chevreuse countered.

Charlotte's pen moved rapidly across the page, committing the information to her notes.

2. The Court of Justice has indeed confiscated what appears to be a Sinthe trade ledger.

In her experience, when journalists asked, "Is this the case," and were told it wasn't, there was a high likelihood that it was in fact true.

"What kind of person do you think the Phantom Thief White Cat is?" Charlotte finally asked, zeroing in on the heart of her inquiry.

Chevreuse felt a spark of annoyance at this question.

What kind of person do you think the Phantom Thief White Cat is?

It was an easy one.

She turned around and replied with a blank expression, "Unfathomable."

-

The next day's Steam Bird newspaper reported:

"A Phantom Thief of Justice? Or a Spontaneous Act of Kindness?"

Last night, between 8 and 9 PM, a Sinthe trafficking hub within Fontaine was bombed and attacked. The assailant was none other than the previously sighted Phantom Thief White Cat.

-

It was said that the Phantom Thief White Cat had sent a crime notice to the Special Task Force, and at the seller gang's location, Marechaussee Phantom's discovered a torn crime notice.

After restoring it, this notice was indeed personally written by the Phantom Thief White Cat. In other words, while she was sending a notice to the Special Task Force, she also sent one to the seller gang.

-

The Phantom Thief White Cat had stolen one of the trading gang's gems, but none of the other valuables showed any signs of being touched.

-

Captain Chevreuse said, "The Phantom Thief White Cat is an utterly incomprehensible fellow."

-

It cannot be denied that the Phantom Thief White Cat successfully struck down a criminal gang who had sold their souls to the devil, bringing justice to countless victims who had been torn from their families and suffered broken lives.

But is this justice merely a whim on her part, or does she have other intentions?

This newspaper urges all readers to be vigilant against various transactions in their lives and to avoid falling for scams. In the words of Captain Chevreuse:

Think carefully about why such a good opportunity would come to you. Then you'll understand it's a trap.

Free is often the most expensive! Large rebates and exclusive member deals can be scams too!

But, your trusted newspaper's new loyalty program for existing customers is definitely not a scam, so rest assured.

-

Yawning, Luna finished reading that day's Steam Bird newspaper.

How absurd...

While it indeed seemed illogical from Chevreuse's perspective, Luna felt she had been quite amicable towards her. After all, why would she want to kiss someone she doesn't like?

Setting down the paper, she glanced at the clock.

Still some time left. Might as well level up!

Last night, upon returning home, Luna had rushed straight to the shower before collapsing into bed, too weary to check her mission completion rewards.

-

[Operation Successful] Security Level: High

Treasure Rarity: C-grade Operation

Fame: Widely Known

Grandeur: Heart-stopping Settlement Points: 200 (C-grade treasure) x 3 (Security Level) x 3

(Operation Fame) x 2

(Grandeur) = 3600 points

-

Is that considered high security though?

Upon reflection, it made sense—had she not dismantled those security mechanisms beforehand, confronting them head-on would have been somewhat challenging.

But only just slightly.

When would the security level become "Practically Impossible"?

Maybe when faced with something like Neuvillette?

It would've been great if the treasure's rarity rating was even higher, but even Luna could tell this gem paled in comparison to the Tears of a Maiden.

"What else can I possibly say?"

Precious Gem, Out!

But 3600 points was still a significant sum, primarily because of the increased elegance factor. At level 1, elegance only added 100 points, but from level 2 onwards, it became a multiplier. Impressive.

Indeed, being a Phantom Thief meant mixing things up with dramatic flair and dropping some cryptic quips here and there... Luna nodded and began allocating points.

First, she'd beef up her existing skills.

-

Wind Blast Kick (LV: 2/3)

Gathers Anemo elements at the feet to deliver a powerful kick that can knock back enemies or enhance one's own leg strength—affecting speed and agility—Currently, it allows you to tread through voids;

-500 points

-

She instantly felt like the protagonist of an action game.

Though there are some who still can't master a double jump—no names mentioned.

-

Steal (LV: 3/5)

Can steal up to three items from a target at a distance of 3 meters

-

The cost to upgrade increased... Luna glanced at the requirement: 1000 points.

Still worth it, she thought. She had a hunch that maxing out this skill would be game-changing.

The most useful skills often seem the most ordinary at first glance.

-1000 points

2100 points remaining.

-

Sing (LV: 3/3)

Your voice is the universe's greatest treasure

-1000 points

[Acting (LV: 2/3): You are born for the stage, and the stage shines because of you. Indeed, you are the stage girl! Your acting can rival that of theater masters.]

-500 points

-

Luna lounged on the sofa, legs crossed. "Hmm, leveling up was easier than I thought."

This isn't bad at all.

For the final 600 points, she decided to acquire a more unique skill.

[Thousand-Faced Phantom Thief: You can immediately change your appearance and voice. The makeup technique that every Phantom Thief must master is useless to you, as you can directly change your face—but of course, you cannot change your gender. You can't create something out of nothing!]

With my public identity already established, this skill is essentially mandatory. Without it, I'd surely be suspected of wrongdoing. Now, there's no need to change clothes or disguise myself—I can simply switch faces as needed.

Luna pulled out a hand mirror and experimented with altering her appearance.

Transform into a long-haired maiden!

"...How come I feel like I'm channeling a gal game protagonist? Ahem!"

Next, she tried changing her voice.

"Feeling absolutely fantastic! Wow, the voice matches perfectly too..."

She attempted to morph into Furina's appearance, but it was futile.

The limits of transformation prevent me from straying too far from my original features. It seems I can't distort myself into something ugly.

After indulging in a while of playful shape-shifting, Luna finally felt content and departed her home.

Her next task awaited.

In the troupe's quarters, soon...

Everyone was engaged in laughter and conversation, biding time before rehearsal. Yet, an unexpected guest appeared before them.

Who here is playwright Judith? Chevreuse's cool voive sought an answer.

All eyes turned to the bewildered Judith.

It's you... Although it's not part of my official duties, even the Special Task Force cannot overlook the pleas of the public—Miss Judith, you are accused of "murder." Please proceed to the opera house this afternoon for your trial.

"Accused?"

"Huh? Murder?"

"Isn't there some kind of mistake... Who made this accusation?" The troupe manager, Romi, instantly fretted.

"I did," Luna calmly emerged from the shadows, taking a stand beside Xavere.

Chevreuse glanced at Luna.

When a leading actress accused a fellow playwright from her troupe... life was truly full of drama.

Speaking of which, her hair and eye colors were identical to the Phantom Thief White Cat...

She squinted for a closer look, but Luna's acting was impeccable, giving nothing away.

Chevreuse had no choice but to look away. "If you're not at the meeting place by the appointed time, don't blame the security team for coming to 'invite' you."