章節 105: The Season of Giving [1]
At a certain restaurant in the Court of Fontaine, the news journalist, Charlotte, was meeting someone for an interview.
It was currently the morning, and the streets of Fontaine were teeming with snow that had fallen last night.
Due to the cold weather, the two ladies sitting down had to wear clothes for winter; yet they still appeared fashionable.
"Thank you for your time, Mrs. Herbert!"
"It's no problem, Charlotte. If it's you, I can rest assured that my story would be well-received."
With those words, the elderly woman waved goodbye to the news journalist with a small smile.
Watching the woman who she had just interviewed walk away, Charlotte went and sat down again, reviewing the notes she had just taken.
"The recent fall of criminal cases in the past month have benefitted Fontaine greatly. Even someone like Mrs. Herbert, who used to be harassed by a local gang, is now living free of their influence."
Indeed, the past month had shown a lot of changes in Fontaine, be they the public or underground. Not too long ago, all of a sudden, the scattered criminal circles in Fontaine have stopped all of their actions and have become more tame, paving the way for a more peaceful winter this year.
Of course, only those who have connections or sufficient knowledge know that what really happened was an aggressive takeover and assimilation. A much more enigmatic organization, simply known as The Syndicate, assimilated every crime circle in Fontaine in less than two months, leading to a shift in leadership in said circles.
Now, every kingpin bows their heads to a mysterious figure whose agendas are unknown.
As for Charlotte, she knows some insider knowledge. However, instead of fearing this new intimidating figure, she instead wants to find out more.
"The Nameless King... That's what the Maisson Gardiennage calls him..."
She murmured to herself as she reviewed the other stories she had collected from others who have benefitted from the Nameless King's takeover.
Nothing was known about him besides that he was a male and use guns as his weapons. There were no potential suspects, background, or motives. It was as if he appeared out of nowhere like the Masked Clown a few months ago.
"Is he really a wicked person or someone who has good intentions? He puts a stop in Fontaine's crime effectively in exchange for harboring all of them for himself. A real enigmatic and interesting figure you are..."
She knew that seeking more information about such a figure was dangerous. In fact, it could even lead to life-threatening events for her.
Yet she just can't seem to contain her desire as a news journalist, whose wish is to capture the veritas of mysteries.
"Perhaps if I could somehow... just somehow take a picture of the Nameless King..." She whispered to herself, her hand wiped her kamera lens which had slight condensation on the surface.
Just then, while she was lost in her thoughts, she suddenly caught a figure from the corner of her eye walking down the street.
"Hm? Is that...?"
She adjusted and rubbed her monocle, which had fogged up due to the environment's temperature, and looked at the figure she saw.
Instantly, upon confirming who it was, her eyes gleamed with intrigue. "So it is! The new hot topic for conversation in Fontaine who debuted with a groundbreaking performance during the film festival..."
Standing up, she raised her hand, and, with a voice that was audible enough for the man she saw to hear, she spoke.
"Mr. Isaac! May I have some of your time?"
Isaac, who was walking back home while carrying a bag of items, heard her call and turned his head, instantly seeing the journalist.
Just like her, he too wore clothes fit for winter, albeit she could easily notice his penchant for aesthetics.
"Ms. Charlotte? Fancy meeting you here." Upon realizing who it was, Isaac approached the journalist as he approached her with a comely smile. "Is there something you need from me?"
"I do, actually. May I have a bit of your time for some questions?"
He hummed for a bit before nodding. "I could do that, but I need to be quick. I still have somewhere to go, after all."
"That's fine! Let's keep this short then." She said, her hand picking up pen and paper.
"Alright, what do you want to ask?"
"Mr. Isaac, you have been fairly known to be well-acquainted with many high-profile figures; so I want to ask... What's your opinion of the recent changes in Fontaine's fall in turmoil?"
Indeed, it wasn't a secret to most journalists about the connection that the humble barista known as Isaac has. In fact, his connection to the nation's Archon, Furina, was so close that most assumed that there was something going on between them.
Not only that, but he was also close with Spina Di Rosula's president, Navia, whose organization has tapped into many factors of Fontaine both in the light and darkness.
As such, Charlotte figured that inquiring such a person's opinion over the dilemma she was facing was quite worthwhile.
The man in front of her seemed to be lost in thought for a moment before gently replying.
"I think it's a transient period. Kind of like the eye of the storm, if you will?" He explained. "I believe that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. And so, As peaceful as it is right now, I think that something would soon happen to compensate for it."
He paused, thought for a bit longer, before shaking his head with a faint smile.
"But don't take what I said to heart; after all, it's just my opinion. Thinking about something as pernicious as this at this time would only be detrimental for anyone."
Charlotte wrote down his insights over the matter. Just as she had expected, he had some quality discernment about the whole situation.
Curious, she decided to ask him one more question.
"I like your opinion over this, Mr. Isaac. Might I inquire further about the storm you're talking about?"
Since he mentioned that they were currently at the eye of the storm— where everything was in a transient peacefulness— there was bound to be the rest of the storm where everything would go haywire. She immediately picked up from his word and inquired further to it.
Indeed, there were too many swelling undercurrents beneath the calm exterior of Fontaine. She can't understand it herself, but she has a feeling that something big was happening behind the scenes.
And, perhaps this man in front of her, who was connected to most major players in this compounding conspiracy, had some answers on his person.
Isaac lingered for a bit, his deep amber eyes piercing through Charlotte for a brief moment before shaking his head. He mildly smiled.
"I don't know, really. It could very well be anything."
Hearing this, Charlotte's expression became crestfallen at the mention of his ignorance. However, she immediately sobered up and replied quickly with a wry smile.
"That's not fair, Mr. Isaac. You can't just throw in a bait like that and leave your catch hanging like this..."
He chuckled lightly as he adjusted and tucked in his scarf, a clear look of subtle amusement all over his face.
"Well, if this was a more formal interview, then I might have expanded more on this. But, unfortunately, I have more important things to attend to."
She looked at him for a moment and was just about to ask what he was going to do, when suddenly, another figure approached them.
Wearing a pair of mitten gloves and a scarf around her neck, as well as an attire attuned for the cold, Furina walked over to Isaac, her figure shuddering a bit.
Seeing who it was, Isaac turned his head and faced her, his expression turning languid as his eyes mellowed at the sight of her.
"Furina? What are you doing here? Look at you... you're shivering..."
"You fool... It's because you're taking too long..." Sticking close to him, she took his right arm and hugged it, seeking warmth. "Just where have you been? I was starting to feel lonely back at the cafe..."
Seeing her shiver in the cold, he paused briefly before chucking softly and taking her off him. He then raised both of his hands and cupped her face, sharing his hand's warmth to her.
Sensing the warmth of his hands, Furina stopped and felt them a few moments, finding their presence enjoyable.
He then bent down and softly spoke to her, his words low and gentle, accompanied by a faint vapor in the air due to the cold.
"I'm sorry for making you wait like that. I'm going back now, see? I even bought gifts for later's party..." He gestured at the items he bought while still looking at her fondly, his eyes full of cherish. "Well then, do you want to go back with me? It looks like you'll turn to a frozen statue if I don't accompany you..."
"Alright..." Holding both of his hands which were cupping her face, she agreed. "However..."
She closed her eyes. "Can... Can you give me a kiss...?"
He hummed, amused. "Right now?"
"Right now." She reaffirmed without a second of a thought.
"...okay." Finding her actions endearing, Isaac lingered for a bit before leaning closer to her face and fulfilling her wish.
- Chu
Feeling his lips touch hers, a red hue spread from her face as she cherished every moment of that warmth; one that was exclusively for her and her only.
After a brief moment, he retracted his head and looked at her, his deep eyes, which were usually hollow, full of fondness.
Seeing his eyes look at her that way, she couldn't help but feel a certain warmth spread from inside of her. She felt her heart beating faster as she felt him closer to her.
"Let's go back now, shall we?" Letting go of her face, he held one of her hands and smiled softly.
"Yes, of course." Looking back at him, she smiled warmly while thinking of the kiss he just gave.
Isaac nodded lightly before turning over to Charlotte once more. He then smiled mischievously, his expression knowing what he had done.
"We'll take our leave now, Ms. Charlotte. It's great meeting you again."
"Farewell, Ms. Charlotte! Next time, don't claim Isaac by yourself that long again, okay?" Furina by the side commented.
And with that, the two, which looked no different from any other couple, walked away while talking to each other fondly.
Meanwhile, Charlotte's mouth started freezing due to how it had been open since earlier out of bafflement. She stood there dumbfounded for a few brief moments before she could move again, her eyes still fixated on the road that the two took.
"That... What... Lady Furina and Isaac are..." She stuttered at her words as she began to digest what had happened. "I-I can't believe it... There were some suspicions and rumors but... To think that..."
"The two greatest actors of Fontaine... are together! And I'm the first one to know!" She couldn't hide her euphoria upon realizing this. "Oh! This would make the headlines for the coming days— no, weeks!"
Recalling Isaac's figure, she couldn't help but smile appreciatively. "Thank you for this scoop, Mr. Isaac! I— huh?"
Just then, while she was in the middle of celebrating a new piece of groundbreaking news, she caught something from the corner of her eye once more.
"What... is that?"
Gazing over to a certain location, she saw two people wearing black masks holding big sacks containing unknown items. The two disguised figures sneakily moved in the corners of Fontaine, showcasing their experience in stealth.
"That's... definitely suspicious." She uttered to herself while secretly keeping an eye on them.
Looking at her Kamera, she lingered for a moment smiling. "Well, it wouldn't hurt to find more than one interesting story today."
Paying up her bill, Charlotte stood up and followed them, intending to find out the suspicious activity.
Just then, the skies darkened and the temperature sharply dropped. Soon, white specks began to drop down from the skies.
It was snowing, once more.
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