Furina, Please Let Me Steal Your Heart!

Since the playwright's gone to squat in Meropide, leaving the position vacant, why couldn't I step in as the new playwright?

If my reputation as a playwright grows, I'll be able to expand my social circle.

This would enable her to hear more about other treasures.

But creation has never been easy, and it consumes a great deal of time.

So Luna keeps this idea on hold for now.

There's no rush; the next performance isn't until two months from now.

"I need to take a sick day today."

"Of course, of course..." Luna is already the undisputed ruler of the troupe, so she gets whatever she wants. She tosses out these words before leaving the room.

What is she planning to do?

The answer is rest. Not at home, but at her second house.

Ding! The doorbell chimes.

"Welcome. Are you here for a custom piece or something from stock... Ah, it's you again." Chiori lifts her head to see Luna, then lowers it again, engrossing herself in making clothes.

Luna smiles. "Don't you want to see me?"

"It's not that. It's just that whenever I think about having one more mouth to feed here, I can't help but sigh."

"Would you like me to scratch your chin to help you relax?"

"I have no such fancy."

Isn't this a little too trivial to call a fancy?

Luna sprawls carelessly on the sofa. "I've already gotten ready to scratch you here, or on your belly too, if you'd like."

"How much for a session?"

"One hundred million. After all, I'm a popular actress."

"What a PR agent you'd be."

"Because I know my worth."

"Definitely worth more than your weight. You should go lose some fat."

Luna let out a dismissive snort.

Chiori glanced at her and sighed. "If you're going to stay here, don't bother me—I need to concentrate—and wait for your turn to model for me next."

"It seems another person with a chest on par with mine." Luna remarked.

"Oh, very funny," Chiori retorted offhandedly. "As if you can compete."

Luna bristled. "Hey! I'm not that small. It's just slightly smaller than average. If the standard is B, then I'm just B-minus!"

Chiori responded exasperatedly. "Whatever. Just be still and don't drag."

If I keep talking to her, she'll really lose her cool.

Don't provoke Chiori under any circumstances—I—* whether I know her well or not—must abide by this unwritten rule. Otherwise, I'd be asking for a painful lesson.*

"Fine."

"Read this book if you're bored, it's over there."

Her tone was as perfunctory as a child who'd been dragged to see their mother at work.

Lost in thought, Luna casually picked up a novel and lounged on the sofa, idly flipping through its pages to the rhythm of the sewing machine.

Ping!

The doorbell chimed.

"Welcome—"

Before Chiori could finish her greeting, a cheerful voice called out from inside.

"Chiori, darling! I need a custom outfit!"

Navia burst through the door, her face beaming.

Chiori sighed, thinking to herself, Another troublesome customer.

But at least she's a paying one, she reminded herself.

"Hmm? Luna! You're here too? What are you doing?"

"Being Chiori's pet," Luna quipped.

Chiori set down her work and responded coolly, "Don't listen to her nonsense."

"Meow."

Chiori ignored Luna's attempt at mischief, turning instead to inquire about Navia's customization requests.

"Let me be clear: a ten-meter-tall hat is not possible."

She's been asking for something like that before, Chiori remembered. Recalling the even stranger design requests that had come before, she felt compelled to nip this in the bud.

Navia laughed awkwardly. "Of course, I know that now. I wasn't planning on wearing something so ridiculous to a formal event anyway. My request is actually quite simple: I just need an elegant outfit suitable for a banquet!"

"A banquet?"

Luna felt as if she'd caught a whiff of treasure. She set down her novel.

"What banquet?"

Chiori, quite pleased with Navia's request, had already begun sketching out designs. She loved working for clients who let her creative team run wild.

Navia had no intention of leaving just yet. She perched on the arm of the sofa instead, clearly thrilled about something.

"The Trial yesterday helped restore some of the Spina di Rosula's reputation. This morning, we received an invitation to a banquet. Oh right—"

Suddenly remembering something, she fished out an envelope from her pocket.

"You're invited too, Lu-Lu."

The envelope carried a hint of warmth, still tinged with Navia's perfume.

As they unfolded the invitation, its contents were simple: a sincere invite to a banquet hosted by the city's elite.

It's finally here, Luna thought. This is the best opportunity to gather intelligence on the treasure!

Luna read aloud, "'You may bring a friend along.'"

"I'm not going," Chiori replied immediately.

"I didn't ask you."

"But you don't have any other friends, do you?"

"Nonsense, I have friends."

Though their relationships were merely casual, it wouldn't be accurate to say she had none.

Navia pressed a hand to her chest, her smile radiant. "That's right, I'm Luna's good friend too!"

"You see?" Luna said triumphantly.

"I don't care," Chiori replied half-heartedly. After a moment's thought, she picked up a piece of paper and began sketching.

She knew Luna would certainly need a dress, and she absolutely refused to let a gown from any other tailor touch Luna's body.

Other dressmakers are just too ugly, she thought. If she's going to wear anything, it'll be a Chioriya creation, no other choice.

"Chiori."

"What is it?"

"Didn't you want your Chioriya boutique to captivate Teyvat?"

Chiori's dream was both simple and ambitious: she wanted her brand to sweep across Teyvat, becoming an absolute "gatekeeper" in the fashion world—a force that could never be ignored.

But achieving this would require more than just dedication to design and creation.

"Yes."

Luna sat up, waving the invitation in her hand. "This could be a great opportunity for publicity, you know."

"...Sigh, you can't go by yourself, can you?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Liar."

But after a moment of silence, Chiori let out a resigned sigh.

"Fine, I'll go," she acquiesced.

"That's more like it." Luna promptly flopped back onto the sofa.

Navia blinked. "Your relationship is really close."

"Just a twisted fate, I suppose," Chiori replied nonchalantly.

"Have you known each other for long?"

"More or less. I've known her since she was just starting out as an adventurer. To be honest, she was even cuter back then. Now she's just..."

Chiori glanced at Luna, who was reading a novel on her sofa without a care in the world. As if lost in thought, her expression softened slightly.

"...Now she's just a fat cat," she finished.

"I told you, I'm not fat!"

Navia nodded knowingly. "I see."

...It makes me kinda jealous…