บท 84: Oil, Water, and Something Else [3]
"...is that really it?" Navia asked Isaac as she and him hid behind a boulder, looking at something in the distance.
"It should be." Behind her, Isaac nodded his head in response. "I mean... There shouldn't be any other paintings similar to the Dame de Eaux, right?"
"I know that, but still..." Still looking at the distance, Navia wore a wry expression as she let out a soft sigh. "Isn't this a bit too..."
"How should I put it? Welcoming?"
At the distance, beneath the Weeping Willow of the Lake, a sole painting was present surrounded by its roots. There were no traps nor any kind of obstacles found anywhere around it.
It was as if it was left there with not much thought.
"There's no ambush waiting for us if we reached out for it, would there?" She asked once more as she looked around the surrounding area.
"I doubt it. No one would sit through the rain for an indefinite amount of time just waiting for someone to claim the painting." Isaac, still acting, suggested. Albeit, he was also subtly telling the truth.
'In truth, I just didn't care that much.' He thought to himself while observing Navia's actions. 'I just wanted to give the darn painting away.'
'Though, to be fair, adding a sort of perilous journey to reach it would have been a great idea.' Shaking his head, Isaac dismissed those thoughts and returned to the matter at hand.
"Well, there doesn't seem to be anyone around," Standing up, Isaac went past Navia and started walking towards the center of the lake. "So I say we take the painting now."
"Well... I guess you're right." After looking around, Navia couldn't help but agree with Isaac and followed behind him.
"Why do you think that Clown left this painting here of all places?" As they walked, she couldn't help but get curious about the overall situation. "He could have sold this somewhere for a lot of Mora."
"If this is what the Clown wanted to do from the start, then why even bother stealing it in the first place?"
"I agree, it's ludicrous." Isaac, having formed a small smile, nodded at her comments.
Internally, however, he was lampooning. 'I'm sorry, okay? It was the system's mission! Moreover, I didn't have the balls at that time to sell this to anyone.'
The painting would only bring unnecessary trouble to Isaac. If he placed it in his cafe, even secretly, someone might still find it.
If he sold it, then there would be a great chance that he'd get exposed, and get sent to the depths of the Fortress of Meropide where he'd eternally serve Wriothesley tea.
As such, before the ticking time bomb explodes, Isaac just planned to give the painting away in a random location.
"Still, the Clown might have other agendas, and just chose to disregard this painting." He said to her with a light tone. "It's as you said— stealing this painting was meaningless for him to do."
"This is the problem with criminals like these, you just can seem to figure out their true intentions." Navia chuckled wryly, trying to lighten up the conversation.
"And that's what sets them apart from us good law-abiding citizens of Fontaine." The most wanted criminal of Fontaine, Isaac, said.
"Indeed. We're different from them. We don't dabble in barbaric actions." The head of the Spina Di Rosula that accepts any kind of commissions, Navia, nodded her head.
Isaac nodded his head as he turned and looked at Navia beside him. "So what are you gonna do with the painting?"
"I think I'd return it to Palais Mermonia." Navia crossed her arms and said. "Returning it would give the Spina quite a hefty compensation, after all."
"Of course, I'd still share some spoils with you..." She then looked back at Isaac and winked at him. She paused for a moment before saying with a light smile, "...partner."
"Oh my, does that title mean I'd be used by the Spina again in the future?" Isaac scoffed lightly. "If so, then my doors are always open."
"Spoken like a true merchant— forever seeking business and profit." Navia rolled her eyes upon hearing Isaac's reply.
The two continued to talk to each other as they walked towards the center of the lake. It didn't take long, and soon, they found themselves standing before the painting under the tree.
Looking at the painting of Furina, Isaac's warm amber eyes softened as he couldn't help but compliment it. "What a truly stunning piece of art."
"Is that compliment for the painting or for Lady Furina, I wonder?" Upon hearing Isaac's compliment, Navia smiled softly at him.
"Why can't it be both?" Isaac shrugged his shoulders before shooting a glance back at her. "Remember what we talked about earlier? About beauty? Well..."
Isaac then raised his hand and opened his palm before the painting. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And this painting in my eyes..."
"The muse and the art are both beautiful!"
Hearing Isaac's complimenting words, Navia spoke out her mind. "There you go saying romantic things again..."
"I can't even tell if you're just an adamant worshipper of Lady Furina or..." She paused for a moment before continuing. "...or you genuinely feel something for her."
"Guess?" Choosing to be enigmatic, Isaac chuckled wryly at her words.
"What a charlatan you are." Navia rolled her eyes as she too chuckled lightly.
As the two continued to chat, Isaac, who was paying attention to their surroundings, suddenly heard rustling from a certain direction.
Navia, who was also speaking with Isaac, noticed the sound too and looked at the direction he was looking at.
"You heard that, right?" Pulling out his silver revolver, Isaac pulled the hammer back and rested his finger on the trigger.
"Loud and clear." Putting down her parasol, Navia pulled a lever, and it immediately transformed into a gun— a gunbrella!
As the two aimed at the bushes not far away where they heard the noise, the perpetrator finally revealed itself.
- Grr...
- Howl!
"Oh? That's..." Looking at its appearance, Isaac lifted his gun and aimed it at the creature. "A rifthound, huh?"
A floating wolf-like creature emerging from the void. It's appearance alone envoked the feeling of terror and corruption.
"Five of them too." Also aiming her gunbrella at the monsters that just emerged, Navia added. "These things are ferocious— even in small numbers. Be careful, Isaac."
"Got it." He replied as he nodded his head.
Isaac was just about to fire the first shot at the rifthounds, when suddenly, something interrupted him.
"Hmph!"
- Whimper...
- Grr...
- Awoo!
In an instant, the five rifthounds were enveloped in a gush of water so strong that it tore through their hide and obliterated them in an instant.
By the time the gush of water disappeared, the rifthounds present were no longer there. It was as if they had been thoroughly cleansed from the face of the Earth.
"Huh?" Seeing this, both Isaac and Navia looked dumbfounded for a moment, not knowing what happened.
"That... What was that just now?" Turning off her gunbrella, Navia turned her head to the source of the water. Upon seeing where the water came from, however, did her eyes widen. "Wait... Isn't that?"
"Monsieur Neuvillette?" Isaac, upon seeing who it was, questioned in surprise.
Neuvillette, who was carrying an elegant umbrella on one hand and a cane on the other, walked over to Isaac and Navia.
"Did the two of you get hurt?" He asked gently and solemnly once he approached the two of them.
"No— we're fine." Looking at herself and Isaac's current condition, Navia shook her head. She then continued speaking with a somewhat awkward tone. "On the contrary, we're doing excellent. Thank you for... asking."
"That's wonderful to hear, Miss Navia." Looking at her appearance, Neuvillette observed her for a moment and immediately recognized her. He then turned his head and looked at the person behind her. "As for you, Mister Isaac..."
"I'm doing f—" Before Isaac could continue his words, however, he was suddenly interrupted. "Puh?!"
In an instant, someone jumped into him and clung onto him, causing him to be disoriented in balance.
'Déjà vu?!' He thought to himself upon feeling the sensation of what just happened. 'If I'm not wrong, this is...'
Turning his head and looking at who jumped on to him, sure enough, Isaac guessed it right.
"Furina... You can't keep doing that..."
Hugging his neck from behind, Furina clung to Isaac and hugged him tightly, not letting him move an inch.
"My dear Isa.... Assistant Isaac! What are you doing here?" Still hugging him tightly, Furina started a conversation as if nothing had happened. She then brought her face closer to his shoulder and looked at him, "Have you eaten today?"
"I... I have." Feeling Furina's entire body cling unto him, Isaac's face immediately started showing faint red hues. He then quickly tried to dismiss her. "Furina, can you please get off me?"
"Why should I? Might I remind you that I am your God." She brought her face closer to his shoulder before looking at him in the eye. "Should I not have this much reign at the very least?"
"I know that, but..." Isaac, struggling to deal with her right now, continued to argue. "Someone is staring."
Neuvillette and Navia, who were chatting just a moment ago, were now looking at Isaac and Furina.
"Umm..." Navia, who was watching Isaac struggling to breathe due to Furina's hug, could only conjure a confused expression. "Should I be asking questions?"
"It's better to not bother." Beside her, Neuvillette shook his head as he silently sighed. "Lady Furina right now is... just happy to see her assistant."
"I-Is that so?" Navia has a feeling that that wasn't the case, but for now, she'll just have to accept that excuse.
Furina, upon hearing Isaac's reason, showed a blank expression for a moment before letting go of him.
"Whew, you finally let go of me. Seriously, you've gotta stop—" Isaac thought he was free from her control, only to find out how wrong he was. "Whoa— hey?!"
Furina, who had gone down Isaac, walked over to his front and grabbed him by his shirt collar.
The way she stood upright with a solemn expression showed how serious she was about it.
"I need to chat with you. Privately." She said before dragging Isaac's collar towards the boulder beneath the tree.
With Navia and Neuvillette watching them, Furina dragged Isaac away.
"We'll be back soon! We're just gonna have a chat!" Isaac waved his hand at Navia, indicating that he was doing alright.
---
After being dragged away from Navia and Neuvillette, Isaac and Furina now had an alone time for their chat.
"Furina, can you let go of me now?" Still being held by Furina, Isaac spoke to her. "I'm sure this must be tiring for you too."
"...why..."
Isaac then heard her grumble something under her breath while not looking at him.
"Hm?" Not hearing her clearly, Isaac leaned his head closer to her to better pick up her sound. "Can you repeat that?"
Isaac, who leaned closer, was finally able to hear what she was saying. "Why... Are you flirting with her?"
Furina turned her head and looked at Isaac. She had a somewhat upset expression and the light in her eyes was dim, as if she didn't have any energy.
Isaac, who was suddenly accused, immediately retorted with bafflement. "Flirting? Hold on— I was never flirting with anyone!"
"You liar! You were flirting with Navia!" Furina, however, didn't accept his excuse and berated him. "You kept talking about romantic things and the two of you even had a good synergy going on!"
"It's... It's unfair!" She continued as she started hitting Isaac's chest in frustration. "Why would you flirt with another woman when..."
She paused for a moment before a single shed of tears ran down her face. "When you have me...?"
"Furina..." Upon hearing her complaint, Isaac couldn't help but feel a bit ashamed. Upon introspection, what Furina said was right, and he couldn't help but feel guilty. He then tried to explain himself, "...It wasn't my intention to flirt with her. I might have sounded like I was trying, but believe me..."
He then took her hands and held it firmly, not letting them go. Afterwards, Isaac wiped her tears and looked at her directly in the eyes before speaking. "I would never intentionally hurt you."
It was the truth. Never in a million years would Isaac think of hurting her, and only vows to make her live a serene happy life.
"Do you... mean it?" Looking up at Isaac, Furina's voice trembled. "For five hundred years... That is the first time I've heard such words..."
Hearing this, Isaac smiled softly before bringing himself closer to her. "I mean it. If you don't believe it... Then..."
"I'll just have to make you believe it." With that said, he took her one hand and kissed it while looking at her.
Furina, seeing this, wiped her tears before speaking with a faint voice. "You... I hate you, but..."
She then leaned closer and hugged Isaac once more. This time, it was much gentler.
Isaac reciprocated and returned the hug, and the two embraced each other's heat beneath a tree under a rainy day.
Then, with a faint, watery voice, Furina continued speaking.
"I don't want to lose you... Not now that you've shown me this feeling."
"Don't worry... I'll always be here for you. So don't cry anymore."
He replied with a soft and gentle voice, soothing her worries away.
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