"What took the two of you so long?" Neuvillette spoke with a heavy tone. It was evident that he was upset at how long Furina and Isaac disappeared.
"Forgive me, Monsieur Neuvillette. It's just that me and Lady Furina got a little too carried away in our conversation." Wearing a feeble look, Isaac wryly smiled as he quickly apologized. "I hope it wasn't much of an inconvenience for you?"
"No, It does not." Neuvillette shook his head with a solemn expression before looking at Furina beside Isaac. "Still, what did the two of you talk about for your conversation to last that long?"
After saying this, Neuvillette's eyes darted at Furina as if trying to convey a message to her.
As for Furina, she noticed his gaze and immediately knew what he meant by those words.
Looking back at Isaac and Neuvillette, she pondered for a moment before speaking. With her usual confident tone, she uttered, "It's nothing much. Me and Isaac just discussed some matters regarding our film."
"Is that all?" Neuvillette inquired, intending to find out more from her words.
"Indeed. There is nothing else."
Neuvillette stayed silent for a moment as if interrogating her inside his mind, his eyes sharp and narrowed at the two's expressions.
Isaac and Furina, on the other hand, remained calm on the surface. Neuvillette might have an exceptional talent in discerning human emotions, but he was currently facing two master actors.
Hiding their true intentions was as easy as breathing, if Isaac were to put it into words.
After a while, however, Isaac finally broke the silence with his similarly usual confident tone.
"Erm, Monsieur Neuvillette? Are you alright? You've been awfully silent for... awhile now."
Although a few seconds had only passed, it was as if an eternity had passed by in Isaac and Neuvillette's perception. To them, such little details were always needed and as such forced them to adjust their perception.
As for Furina, she only saw the two of them look at each other for a few seconds and that was it.
Awakened by Isaac's voice, Neuvillette lingered for a few more moments before shaking his head.
"Forgive me for that incessant stare. That was rude of me."
"No worries. It happens to the best of us." Isaac shrugged his shoulders.
He then looked around for a bit with his deep amber eyes and noticed something peculiar. A confused expression soon appeared on his face.
"By the way... Where's Navia?" He asked, genuinely concerned about his new business partner.
Neuvillette shook his head as if he too was confused about the situation. He quickly followed up to Isaac's question.
"Miss Navia has left not too long ago. We talked a bit about the discovery of the painting, however, she soon abruptly left."
"She merely said that there was still a lot of business she had to attend and gave her apologies to you, Isaac."
After Neuvillette's explanation ended, Isaac fell into contemplation for a few moments.
Looking at Neuvillette, he had a guess as to why she immediately left.
'...she still doesn't like him, huh? Well, that figures.'
Isaac couldn't blame her. Knowing about her father's past, as well as the true revelations of the events behind his death, he had somewhat understood Navia's reluctance and enmity regarding Neuvillette.
Releasing a soft sigh, he subtly shook his head with regret and uttered in the next moment,
"Really? That's a shame... She and I did pretty well for our first partnership."
"I think I'll visit her once this is over."
After he said this, however, an elbow suddenly rammed to his arm. It didn't hurt him too much, but it still stung. 'Ow... What the?'
Turning his head, he looked at Furina and saw her pouting expression as if telling him no.
Accompanied by a silvery voice that she usually never does— as if copying Isaac's demeanor— she spoke.
"Ah, but Isaac, do we not have other pressing matters? Remember?"
If there was one thing Isaac was good at, it was sensing the meaning between lines. Instantly, he knew what she meant.
"Y-Yeah? Yeah! You're right. It's... It's that thing, right?"
Isaac doesn't know what he's talking about.
"Yes, it's that thing." Furina, on the other hand, smiled cheerfully upon hearing his response.
"I see..."
Seeing her happy face, Isaac's mental fortitude collapsed and gave in to Furina's desires.
'Ah... those contribution points... the reward...' Remembering the rewards for retrieving the painting, Isaac grimaced with regret.
Turning his head back to Neuvillette, he conjured a wry smile and said with a hesitant tone.
"Well, I guess I won't be able to meet up and discuss with Navia about my... contribution... for discovering the painting. A pity."
'Notice the lines!' He internally begged Neuvillette to notice his intentions.
Neuvillette, on the other hand, stared at him for a moment before shaking his head.
"You needn't worry. Navia had already said that you will receive a portion of the rewards for the discovery of the painting."
Upon hearing this, Isaac's mood became brighter. Nothing sounded better than getting more money, after all.
Even if he had become a crime lord with multiple assets under him and is making more Mora than an average person, he still couldn't help but be filled with joy when his pockets got an extra few more.
Was this greed? Of course it was.
Was he ashamed of it? Hell no.
Isaac might be a lot of things but he wouldn't shy away from greed.
Smiling cheerfully, he nodded at Neuvillette's words.
"How considerate of her. Oh— and you too, of course."
Furina, who was beside him, on the other hand, scowled as she narrowed her eyes at him.
"Is money the only thing up there in that thick skull of yours?"
He blinked.
"Yes."
She rolled her eyes.
"Oh really? Then I take it that you have no room for me up there— your dear God and employer?"
He then replied quickly.
"Well... It's not like that..."
Hearing this, she smiled sharply at him.
"Hmph. It better be."
Watching the two of them banter, Neuvillette took a moment to observe them in silence, as if trying to learn from their interaction.
Then, without the two noticing, the impartial supreme judge of Fontaine raised his hand and looked at it with his sharp eyes.
For a moment, it was as if the Iudex was pondering something grander than his work— something more personal, it seems.
A few moments later, however, he snapped out of the illusion he had conjured up in his elusive mind. With a shake of his head, he looked at Furina and Isaac before opening his mouth and speaking.
"If there's nothing more, then may I suggest we return?"
It was evident that the Iudex wishes to return to his... beloved... office, from what Isaac sees.
Neuvillette then continued, "Since you have accomplished your goal here, there should be no more hold ups, right? Lady Furina?"
"Indeed." She replied with a satisfied expression. "Not only had we found my beloved portrait, but I also convinced my dear assistant to do another task for me."
'How come I have no idea about it, though.'
Isaac thought with worry as he felt an ominous feeling from Furina's words. But in the end, he remained composed outside.
Sensing Isaac's confusion, Furina then looked back to him and flashed a cunning smirk as if she was planning something devious.
Isaac had seen a lot of people's expressions, and very few have showed him that kind of smile. Perhaps the only close to doing it was Lyney, but even then, it wasn't intentional.
This one... This one was pure deviousness.
'...this can't be good.'
Isaac's danger senses were going off.
Trying to placate his mood, he nodded his head. He then looked at Neuvillette and shortly added after Furina's words.
"I mean, what can I even do when it's my lady's request?"
He continued with a wry smile, half-joking.
"For her, I'd even go to the stars and the abyss."
Neuvillette nodded his head.
"I must admit that your loyalty is a trait that should be admired by many." Neuvillette said with the same impartial voice of his.
Furina, on the other hand, smiled brightly after hearing Isaac's words. With a cheerful voice and a hidden scheme mixed in, she spoke while looking at Neuvillette.
"Finally starting to see my assistant's wondrous traits, are we? Well, I'll just let you know now that he's occupied for the time being— so no laying any hand on him!"
Neuvillette shook his head. Although it never appeared, Isaac could have sworn that the impartial chief justice displayed a sort of hidden scowl.
"There is no need. You can keep him to yourself. I have no plans of hiring anyone... for the foreseeable future."
Somewhat satisfied with the Iudex's answer, Furina nodded her head. Shortly after, she intertwined her arm with Isaac and dragged him with her.
"If there's nothing more, then me and my assistant will be going now! We still have a lot to do, after all!"
She then looked up at Isaac, her eyes brimming with excitement of what she was planning.
"Let's go, my dear... assistant."
Isaac, who was being dragged away, had enough strength to break away from her but decided to just let her do her thing.
Looking back at Neuvillette, Isaac conjured a wry smile, showing that he too shared the Iudex's problem.
Isaac then raised his hand and waved at him while running with Furina to the hills.
"Sorry for this abruptness, Monsieur Neuvillette. It was nice meeting you!"
With those words, Isaac turned his attention back to Furina and ran with her. To the Iudex, their destination was unknown, and, for the time being, he did not want to know.
Seeing the two leave, Neuvillette became silent for a few moments before releasing a deep sigh. Holding his cane, he depended on it for a moment.
"Lady Furina... I hope your judgement is right. Otherwise..."
He shook his head.
The Chief Justice ought to have more faith in the God of Justice, but the latter was making it difficult for the former.
Turning his head, he looked back to the painting resting below the massive tree situated in the middle of the lake.
"..."
Neuvillette lingered for a few moments as he stared at it, observing the painting which had disappeared under their noses not too long ago with interest.
"...hm?"
Just then, Neuvillette noticed something at the bottom of the painting. Curious, he got closer and observed it closer.
"That is..."
Situated near the edge of the painting, a dark stain was present. It blended well with the oil painting, and, with the mix of water from the rain, it produced a unique blemish.
Oil, Water, and Something Else produced such a stain.
From its hue, Neuvillette initially suspected it to be something akin to blood, but he needed more information to verify his suspicion.
The stain had already dried, but Neuvillette sensed that it had been put there not too long ago.
Curious, the Iudex extended his hand to observe it further.
With his elusive power related to water, the impartial chief justice was able to resonate with the stain pretty fast. In fact, it did not even pose any difficulty for him to determine what it truly was.
It was indeed blood.
And indeed, it was from a human.
However, what Neuvillette sensed more left him perturbed. With his affiliation with water, he was able to notice the lingering influences on the blood.
"Such vile contempt..." He mumbled to himself while analyzing the blood.
Hidden in the blood was an endless amount of fear and hatred. It was as if the person the blood came from had suffered an inhumane amounts torture.
What surprised Neuvillette more, however, was that he could still trace the blood's origins back.
...and the source was still inside the Court of Fontaine.
Gazing up at the painting before looking back at the dried blood at the edge of it, Neuvillette lingered for a few moments before his eyes narrowed. He then mumbled a few words to himself.
"An invitation, is it?"
He doesn't even need to guess who was inviting him.
"Clown..." He added as he stared off at the direction of the Court of Fontaine.
A moment of silence soon enveloped the chief justice for a few moments as he deeply contemplated the matter.
As for the person who had invited him, he was currently being dragged away against his will.
It was almost comical.
Such is the perverseness of fate.
- Knock
"Mister Isaac? Are you there?"
Knocking at the cafe's doors, Freminet warily looked around as his gaze lingered on the locked door that separates him from the comfortable cafe.
It was currently the next morning, and the newspapers contained nothing but the latest discovery of the missing painting of Focalors.
Freminet would have usually just ignored it if not for the fact that one of the major contributors of it was Isaac. When he found out about it, he immediately left to congratulate him.
But to the young diver's dismay, the cafe was still closed.
It left him in an uncomfortable mood.
"This can't be right..." Freminet mumbled under his breath as his gaze lingered. "It's not Sunday yet and it's well past the opening hours..."
"Mister Isaac... Where are you?"
As Isaac's pupil, Freminet had always come by and learn from the former without missing a single day. The intricate brewing technique as well as the subtle but beautiful art of mixture had somehow stirred something deep inside the young diver's character, inevitably making him a pupil to which Isaac passes his techniques to.
As such, the thought of missing a day of lesson with his mentor slightly troubled him. It was as though he was being separated from his parent... which was rather odd due to his loyalty to the Knave.
Perhaps, deep in the young diver's heart, he sensed a similar dependable figure of the Knave in Isaac. It was far from being a responsible parent, but more of a pillar of support.
After all, the thought of Isaac acting like a good parent never really crossed his mind. Rather, he could clearly paint a scene of Isaac struggling to even properly handle a toddler, and resorting to underhanded tactics.
Unironically, Isaac wouldn't even doubt him if Freminet were to speak that idea out loud. He could see himself doing it too.
Just then, while Freminet was in the middle of his stupor, a voice reached his ears, slightly startling him.
"Hmm... Is this the place?"
'?!'
Immediately turning around, Freminet looked at the source of the voice. Who it was, however, gave him a bit of shock that he almost didn't manage to contain. His gaze landed on the person's figure and deeply observed their figure.
Pale skin, violet eyes fading to pink, and long violet hair with the tips all swept upwards...
...And a musket that hung on her left shoulder.
Freminet could never mistake someone like that for anyone else even if he wanted to. After all, it was the very same person that the spies of the Heart were actively avoiding.
Noticing the young diver's curious gaze, the person looked at him with a similar gaze and asked sincerely, "Excuse me, this is the cafe run by Isaac Alder, right?"
After a while, however, she immediately recognized the young man standing in front of her.
"Hm? Hold on... Freminet? That's you, right? The star diver?"
Upon hearing his name uttered by her, Freminet forced a calm demeanor taught to him by Isaac and nodded his head, quickly responding to her question.
"Y-Yes... That's me, Miss Chevreuse..."
This lady was none other than the captain of the Maison Gardiennage's Special Security and Surveillance Patrol. Using unorthodox yet conventional methods, she had garnered a bit of a reputation for her high efficiency in capturing criminals.
For Freminet, who was associated with an espionage orphanage, he and his siblings naturally know her. After all, they had been avoiding her after every operation.
Chevreuse nodded her head. "Ah, I was right. Recognizing a star diver has never been easier."
Her claims weren't groundless.
Even though Freminet prefers to be reclusive and avoids the limelight frequently, his capabilities weren't hidden completely. The young diver, too, had earned a bit of fame from his outstanding diving capabilities among his peers.
Though, if Freminet was a tad bit more paranoid, he would have thought that she recognized him as a suspicious individual.
Fortunately, he has an alibi for his presence here today.
Mustering a bit of courage to speak, he opened his mouth. "What brings you here, Miss Chevreuse? Do you need something from... Mister Isaac?"
Aware of Isaac and the Knave's connection, he made sure to ask the question as mundanely as possible. He doesn't know if Isaac was part of something far more sinister to catch the Knave's attention, but he was determined to protect his mentor. This stems from the fact that he was both a mentor figure and an acquaintance of his Father.
Chevreuse gazed at the young diver and nodded. "That's right. I wanted to discuss something with him and express the Special Security's gratitude. I already know Navia and have talked to her first, and now it's his turn."
"However... It seems that I've come at a bad time."
She shook her head lightly before continuing, still looking at Freminet.
"You're waiting for him, aren't you? I'm sorry, but I don't think I'd be able to stay for a bit longer. Can you give Mister Isaac my regards? It would be much appreciated."
Freminet nodded his head, slightly relieved that the officer wouldn't be lingering further.
"Yes... I'd make sure to send him your regards, Miss Chevreuse. That is... If he opens today."
She smiled softly at his answer.
"Thank you. Well then, farewell."
With that said, Chevreuse waved him goodbye before turning around and leaving, returning to her duty as a Captain.
Watching her leave, Freminet lingered for a bit before turning around and looking at the closed doors of the cafe. It was still there, closed and never changing. There were no sights of Isaac anywhere.
...at some point, Freminet even entertained the idea of breaking in.
But he restrained himself and convinced himself that Isaac would be quite upset if he did such a thing, as such, he waited outside for nearly half an hour.
Still, there were no signs of Isaac ever opening the doors.
'Maybe he really isn't gonna open today...' Faced with this thought, a defeated sigh escaped his mouth.
Reluctantly looking at the cafe one last time, Freminet lingered for a bit more longer before finally leaving. It was obvious that Isaac was absent today, which was a rare occurrence.
As the deterred young man walked the streets of Fontaine, he couldn't help but contemplate in his mind what he should do for the time being.
'There really aren't any new mission issues out by Father... She had just been training us as if preparing for something...'
'As for Lyney and Lynette, ever since they were granted free reign by the Archon with their magic pockets project, coupled with Isaac's financial support, they've been quite busy.'
He then stopped and looked at the distant blue skies of the nation of waters, pondering his purpose for the day.
'Maybe I should just go home and brew coffee...'
The young man was about to entertain this idea, when suddenly, a figure suddenly dashed in the distance and quickly turned a corner to where Freminet was, determined to get away from something.
"...huh?"
Freminet, who saw the figure rapidly approaching him, froze as he quickly recognized who it was. That lean figure, coupled with that memorable brown hair...
He wouldn't mistake it for anyone even if he wanted to.
It was Isaac.
And... He was running while wearing a suit.
Confirming who it was, Freminet shouted, with curiosity and a bit of longing present in his voice.
"Mister Isaac! Where have you been all this time?"
Isaac, who was running with all his might, heard someone call for him and looked at the young man.
"Huh? Oh, Freminet?"
Recognizing who it was, Isaac quickly turned around as if looking out for someone before changing his direction towards the young man at full speed.
With his physical fitness, it wasn't hard to dash quickly. In less than a few moments, the student and mentor reunited, albeit in an alleyway.
Huffing, Isaac looked out and made sure he wasn't caught. "Huff... I should be safe here... For the time being, at least."
Looking at his mentor, Freminet's eyes trembled as many thoughts flashed through his mind, trying to piece together what was happening from the clues present currently.
A loose suit with a lingering fragrant scent, an exhausted stature, and a cautious expression only resulted in Freminet forming a dangerous thought.
When he formed that thought, a foreign feeling emerged from the young man's mind. It was a feeling he had seemingly long lost.
"Mister Isaac... A-Are you being followed?"
He recognized those sharp and alert eyes. It was the very same eyes he had seen in his siblings before when doing undercover missions. Those stark, keen eyes which seem to look like a hawk were nothing new to him.
Hearing the young man's words, Isaac lingered for a bit before smiling wryly. "Ah, well... It's a complicated story."
Freminet pursued the matter.
"Do you need any help then? I-Im sure I can be of help?"
Isaac shook his head lightly.
"There's no need. There had just been... a mild misunderstanding. That's all."
'Misunderstanding...?' Freminet was just about to ask this question when he suddenly saw Isaac's expression change.
"Uh oh." Isaac said with a cautious expression. He then looked at the young man. "Come on, let's not get caught."
With that said, Isaac grabbed Freminet by the hand and backed to a corner in the shadows. With a reluctant hesitation, Isaac paused for a moment before grimacing.
Shortly after Isaac's grimace emerged, it was as if the darkness around them thickened. The dark became darker and the light became lighter— it was quite surreal.
But it was also thanks to this that they managed to escape the eyes of the pursuers.
Not too far away, the two hidden men heard the voice of women.
"Keep looking, Chevreuse. He couldn't have gotten away."
A stern voice echoed throughout the alleyway.
Followed by it was the voice Freminet was familiar with.
"Why are you even so bent on capturing Isaac, Chiori? Did he do something to you?"
The woman named Chiori shook her head and quickly responded.
"No, not me entirely. Her too."
Then, not far away, the familiar visage of the Archon of Fontaine appeared. Similar to Isaac, she was wearing a dress unfit for the current situation.
If the two were put together, one can't help but suspect that they were attending a classical ball... or perhaps...
A ceremony of sorts?
Whatever it was, it made the two of them look stunningly gorgeous as if they were about to be the center stage of it all.
Furina, who had an irritated expression, looked at the other two women and spoke candidly.
"No matter what, you have to capture him, my dear captain. He still owes me his presence for our important ball, and the two of us need to be of perfect outfits!"
Chiori then added after Furina.
"Also, he dashed out while I was dressing him, and, on the way, bumped to Emilie who came to visit me. The result was her new perfume splashing onto him."
"That should add more reasons to the urgency of your help, yes?"
Chevreuse didn't know what to say for a moment before coming up with a response.
"I guess so... Well, since it's a request from Lady Furina and you, I guess I'll put in more work."
"I'll count on you, Chevreuse."
As the three women spoke, not far away from them, the hidden Isaac shuddered as he heard them talk about what they'd do once they found him.
Freminet on the other hand, remained silent and merely grabbed on to Isaac's arm as if trying to comfort him.
"Should we... Hide somewhere else, Mister Isaac?"
Isaac smiled wryly.
"Yeah, I think we should... God knows what would happen to me if Furina gets her hands on me again."
After saying this, he looked down on his suit and remembered where Furina had dragged him to this morning. From saloks to various boutiques, he was dragged everywhere for a supposed ball they would attend.
Along the way, Furina made Isaac put on a variety of things. Some were pleasant while some were... suspiciously thought-provoking.
He then shuddered as he whispered something under his breath.
"I don't want to be a doll again..."
It was going to be a long day.
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