Ch 36 :AmIveryhumaneandmerciful?
"According to the verdict given by the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale... Mr. Su Yuan... is guilty!"
Neuvillette stood in his designated position, delivering the judgment.
"The final sentencing result given by the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale is..."
"Death penalty... to be executed immediately..."
"This guy Neuvillette, seriously? There are only a few of us here, and he still insists on going through this whole procedure..." Wriothesley, sitting in the audience, couldn't help but complain.
"Perhaps this is just Lord Neuvillette's unique sense of ceremony," Chevreuse commented.
After completing all the necessary procedures, the group exchanged a few more words before preparing to part ways.
After all, Wriothesley still had affairs to handle in the Fortress of Meropide, Sigewinne needed to take care of the patients, and Chevreuse couldn't neglect her patrol duties.
Before leaving, Chevreuse said, "Su Yuan, judging by what happened to Erin last night, you might be executed tonight..."
"So, after finishing our work during the day, we'll all come to your side in the evening. We promised to protect you—we can't just let you face those things alone, right?"
"Su Yuan, what do you say? Want to come back to the Fortress of Meropide with us?" Wriothesley asked, but then quickly shook his head.
"Forget it, forget it. You've been here for two days, and for most of that time, you've been stuck in the Fortress of Meropide. It's not exactly prison, but it sure feels like it!"
"Before, you had no choice but to stay in the Fortress of Meropide to recover. But now that your injuries are healed, why not take the chance to explore the city of Fontaine and its various places? Experience the culture and atmosphere of Fontaine properly!"
"Lord Duke, in that case, should I prepare Su Yuan's nutritional meal for you instead today?" Sigewinne asked with a playful smile.
Wriothesley turned to Su Yuan with a look of pleading in his eyes.
"Su Yuan, maybe you should just come back to the Fortress of Meropide with me after all..."
Everyone burst into laughter, filling the scene with a lively and cheerful atmosphere.
"Su Yuan, I'd love to accompany you around Fontaine today, but with everything that has happened, Neuvillette and I really can't step away—we need to stay in Palais Mermonia," Furina said with a smile.
"But when the weekend comes, or whenever we have some free time, I'll definitely go exploring with you!"
Su Yuan's heart soared with excitement.
Wow, Fufu actually invited him to go shopping together! He felt incredibly lucky!
"Su Yuan, if anything happens, just come back to Palais Mermonia to find us—we'll always be here," Neuvillette added.
...
As Su Yuan walked through the streets of Fontaine, he rubbed his stomach.
Since today seemed to be a peaceful day with nothing major happening, he figured he might as well take the opportunity to try some authentic local cuisine in Teyvat.
After all, he had been in Teyvat for two days now and hadn't yet tasted any of its true specialties!
With that thought, Su Yuan made his way to Fontaine's most prestigious and renowned restaurant—Hotel Debord!
Hotel Debord was luxuriously decorated, provided excellent service, and even featured stunning performances for guests to enjoy while dining.
It was the finest restaurant in all of Fontaine, without a doubt!
It was somewhat akin to Liyue's Liuli Pavilion and Xinyue Kiosk.
On an ordinary day, Su Yuan would never have come here—he simply couldn't afford it!
He much preferred street-side eateries like Wanmin Restaurant, where the food had a warm, homey feel and was much more affordable.
But today was different—Neuvillette had promised to cover all expenses!
Otherwise, Su Yuan would never have stepped foot into Hotel Debord.
Thinking about Wanmin Restaurant reminded him of Xiangling and Guoba…
He wondered how they were doing now.
Once everything in Fontaine was settled, he definitely wanted to go to Liyue for a visit.
After all, in some ways, Liyue was his true home.
After indulging in a satisfying meal, Su Yuan couldn't help but compare it to Sigewinne's cooking.
He had thought he'd gotten used to her food, but when placed side by side with the delicacies of Hotel Debord… well, the difference was like heaven and earth!
Su Yuan felt that the next time he had to eat Sigewinne's cooking, he would need to mentally prepare himself in advance…
"I could have endured the darkness if I had never seen the light…" This was probably what that feeling was like.
That said, it was understandable.
After all, restaurants prioritized taste above all else, often relying on heavy oil, salt, and seasonings, making the food somewhat unhealthy.
But indulging once in a while wasn't a big deal…
"Sir, your total bill at Hotel Debord comes to 114,514 Mora. We'll round it down for you—just 114,000 Mora will do." The server smiled as they handed him the bill.
Over 100,000 Mora for a single meal…
To be honest, Su Yuan didn't have a clear concept of Mora's value.
In Inazuma, Sayu, a ninja of the Shuumatsuban, earned 200,000 Mora per month.
That should be considered a mid-tier salary for a basic job…
That meant this one meal had cost half a month's salary for Sayu…
Meanwhile, in Liyue, Yanfei, the renowned legal expert, charged 180,000 Mora for a two-hour legal consultation, while handling a commercial case started at 710,000 Mora…
Seeing it this way, the wealth gap in Teyvat was really quite large.
A high-end restaurant like this was definitely not a place ordinary people could afford to dine at…
But it didn't matter.
Neuvillette had already promised to reimburse him, and he was surely wealthy enough not to care about such an amount.
However, Su Yuan quickly realized a serious problem…
Reimbursement, reimbursement—he still had to pay upfront first, then bring the receipt or invoice to get reimbursed, right?
But right now, he didn't have a single Mora on him…
"Oh my god, I've been so focused on dealing with the Eerie that I never even considered this kind of issue…"
Su Yuan muttered to himself, feeling exasperated:
"I've been infected… I've turned into that old man who never brings his wallet when he goes out…"
"But… at least he has a personal wallet that follows him around. I don't!"
Feeling awkward, Su Yuan excused himself and went to the restroom.
He splashed some water on his face to calm himself down.
Looking at his reflection in the mirror, he tried speaking aloud:
"If I say, 'Put everything on the Palais Mermonia account, on Neuvillette's tab,' will they believe me?"
"Or… should I ask them to let me go back first, then find Neuvillette to get the money?"
"You're not going back…"
Suddenly, Su Yuan heard a voice behind him…
At the same time, he saw a figure appear in the mirror.
However, because there were water droplets on the mirror, the reflection was somewhat blurry.
Even so, he could vaguely make out the silhouette of a long-haired woman…
Su Yuan immediately felt a little strange.
This was the men's restroom.
Did she enter by mistake?
"Miss, I think you might have gone to the wrong place. This is the men's restroom— the women's restroom is next door," Su Yuan said.
Through the mirror's reflection, he clearly saw the woman slowly approaching him.
Then, she gently placed her hand on his shoulder, leaned in close to his ear, and whispered:
"I didn't go to the wrong place… because I came here specifically to find you, Su Yuan…"
"Letting you eat and drink to your heart's content before carrying out your execution…"
"This kind of consideration for a condemned man—am I not humane? Am I not merciful?"
Ch 37 : YoumustbeNeuvillette andFurina'schild,right?
Su Yuan turned around in horror.
The woman speaking to him had the same face as Furina, but her hair was longer, and she wore a flowing silk gown…
That's right! She was Focalors!
It seemed the previous intelligence analysis was incorrect…
The execution didn't necessarily have to take place at night!
"Focalors" showed a puzzled expression.
"Su Yuan… There's a familiar scent on you…"
"This scent… It makes me nostalgic… It excites me… Hehehe…"
The blue gown of "Focalors" began to be tainted with crimson blood-like patterns.
Her face underwent a drastic transformation—her eyeballs disappeared, her eye sockets sank inward, sharp fangs grew in her mouth, and from her seven orifices, a mixture of bright red and dark brown liquid began to seep and spread…
Seeing "Focalors" in this state, Su Yuan was even more certain—she had been taken over by some kind of eerie entity!
Su Yuan knew he was absolutely no match for this horror, but surrendering and begging for mercy was simply not an option!
Since he was doomed anyway, he had to use this opportunity to gather as much information as possible!
"Heh… Focalors, you say I have a familiar scent. What exactly is that scent?" Su Yuan forced himself to suppress his fear and tension as he asked.
"You actually know my name… It has been five hundred years… Finally, someone has called my name once again…"
"Focalors" looked surprised as she spoke slowly.
"You know… now that you say that, I almost don't want to execute your death sentence anymore…"
"After all… you're the only one in all these years… who truly understands me…"
Su Yuan thought to himself, Focalors, this isn't right!
A death sentence is a death sentence!
You can't bend the law for personal feelings or halt the execution!
If you don't kill me, how am I supposed to reset and go back?!
With that in mind, Su Yuan slowly reached into his pocket, gripping the small knife he carried with him.
If necessary, he would have to end things himself…
Moreover, Su Yuan couldn't shake the feeling that this eerie version of "Focalors" was different from the other people who had been taken over by the strange force…
"Oh! I remember now!"
"Focalors" suddenly exclaimed.
"You have Neuvillette's scent on you… His blood flows through your veins… Half of your bloodline belongs to Neuvillette…"
Su Yuan was taken aback.
Had "Focalors" really figured it out?
Indeed, his body contained half of Neuvillette's ancient dragon blood.
Should he be impressed by her sharp eyes or her keen sense of smell?
But then, what "Focalors" said next completely baffled him…
"Su Yuan… you must be Neuvillette's child, right?"
Su Yuan: ?
"Such pure Neuvillette blood… and it just happens to make up half of your body's lineage…"
"There's no way such a coincidence could exist in this world…"
"Su Yuan, you must be Neuvillette's child, aren't you?"
"Thinking back to four or five hundred years ago, when Neuvillette first arrived in Fontaine… Back then, he still wasn't accustomed to interacting with humans…"
"I never expected that after all these centuries, his child would have grown so much…"
"Uh… Focalors, can you let me explain for a moment?"
At this moment, Su Yuan no longer felt fear or terror—what he felt more was absurdity and speechlessness…
Focalors' imagination was way too wild…
However, Focalors didn't seem to care about Su Yuan's reaction at all.
She simply continued speaking on her own:
"The other half of your bloodline is an utterly pure human bloodline…"
"Such an unbelievably pure human bloodline—there's only that little one who possesses it, right?"
"In my eyes, they are the perfect and purest human, because they are completely the same as a true human—the ideal version of myself…"
"Furina… she must be your mother, right?"
Su Yuan: ?
Su Yuan truly hadn't expected this—Focalors' imagination had no limits, only greater extremes…
In Teyvat, humans and other species could have offspring.
Take Liyue's overworked maniac Ganyu and the legal expert Yanfei, for example…
Not to mention, some creatures could also take on human form—like that scheming fox from Inazuma, or that carefree wind spirit in Mondstadt who never does any real work…
And in Fontaine, the vast majority of people were originally pure water spirits.
Neuvillette had yet to reclaim the full authority of the ancient dragon and absolve their sins, so they weren't even considered true humans yet…
But in his world, humans and other species were reproductively isolated—only humans could reproduce with humans.
So he was definitely a pure human, right?
Moreover, Su Yuan clearly sensed that this eerie version of "Focalors" was fundamentally different from the others who had been taken over by the eerie force…
She seemed to possess more memories—and more rationality as well…
"I really never expected this… Neuvillette and Furina actually ended up together in the end…"
"I always thought that Neuvillette would forever see that timid, weak, yet brave and kind Furina—the one who possessed both the flaws and virtues of humanity—as a little sister or daughter to protect…"
"But in the end, Neuvillette made a decision that completely caught me off guard…"
As "Focalors" spoke, her twisted face gradually returned to normal, transforming into a gentle and kind expression.
She gave Su Yuan a soft smile and said, "Su Yuan, because you are Neuvillette and Furina's child, I will not lay a hand on you. I hereby pardon your death sentence."
"However, the execution must still take place today, so… I'll just randomly select a lucky person instead."
"Su Yuan, in a way, I suppose you could consider me your mother too…"
"Come, let me hear you call me 'Mom.'"
Su Yuan instantly felt a massive headache coming on.
Focalors wasn't going to execute him anymore?
This… didn't seem like a good thing at all…
"Focalors! Neuvillette is not my father! Furina is not my mother! And you are definitely not my mother! Listen to me! The reason I have Neuvillette's blood in me is because…"
"I'm not listening! I'm not listening!"
"Focalors" reached out and covered Su Yuan's mouth, giving him a gentle smile.
"Since you don't want to admit it and don't want to call me 'Mom,' I won't force you…"
"Well then, goodbye, my dear little Su Yuan…"
As she spoke, "Focalors" gently kissed Su Yuan on the cheek.
Then, her entire body transformed into shimmering particles of blue, black, and red—like glittering sand and flowing water—before vanishing into the bathroom, disappearing right before Su Yuan's eyes…
"Focalors! Think this through properly, will you?! If I were really Neuvillette and Furina's child, why is my surname 'Su' instead of 'Neuv' or 'Fur'?!"
Touching his cheek, Su Yuan felt utterly speechless.
This eerie version of "Focalors" was completely different from any of the strange entities he had encountered before!
At least to him, she wasn't terrifying or horrifying… she was just absurd!
Su Yuan thought to himself—he needed to hurry back to Palais Mermonia and tell Neuvillette about this…
First of all, "Focalors" didn't necessarily have to carry out executions at night…
Secondly, his plan to use himself as bait had failed—since Focalors was going to randomly select another person for execution, they had to find out who it was as soon as possible and protect them!
Right now, Su Yuan couldn't afford to worry about the embarrassment of not being able to pay—he needed to rush back to Palais Mermonia immediately!
But just as he was about to leave the restroom, he suddenly heard voices from outside…
"That's right, officer! This guest was acting nervous just now, looking like he couldn't afford to pay, and then he hid in the restroom for ages… We suspect he's trying to dine and dash!"
"Trying to dine and dash at Hotel Debord in Fontaine? If I remember correctly, the prices here are quite high… That's enough reason for me to send him straight to Meropide! Let's see how he likes the special meals there!"
"The person inside! You have five seconds to come out! You are under arrest!"
For some reason, Su Yuan felt that this officer's voice sounded really familiar…
Slowly, he opened the restroom door—only to see Chevreuse staring at him, completely stunned.
"Uh… hey, Chevreuse. Fancy meeting you here…" Su Yuan greeted her with an awkward smile.
Ch 38 : TheTragedy of PoissonVillage: The WitheringSpinadiRosula
"My deepest apologies, Captain Chevreuse! Mr. Su Yuan!"
The waiter bowed deeply to both Chevreuse and Su Yuan.
"It's fine, it's fine. I was the one at fault first…" Su Yuan said with an embarrassed smile.
"I went out to eat without bringing any Mora… and even made Captain Chevreuse cover for me."
"No, no, Mr. Su Yuan…" The waiter shook his head repeatedly.
"I'm apologizing because when I saw you and Captain Chevreuse chatting and laughing, I thought the two of you were engaged in some unspeakable black-market deal…"
"I slandered your pure and noble souls. I am guilty!"
"Alright, alright, it's nothing serious. Don't take it to heart," Chevreuse said with a helpless smile.
With that, Su Yuan and Chevreuse left Hotel Debord.
"Chevreuse, isn't the Special Patrol Unit supposed to deal with the most dangerous criminals? Since when do you have to handle something as trivial as a dine-and-dash?" Su Yuan asked in confusion.
"I just happened to be patrolling near the hotel when I saw the waiter running out for help, so I lent a hand," Chevreuse replied.
"But seriously, Su Yuan, how do you even go out without bringing any Mora?"
"I've just been too focused on dealing with the Eerie… I didn't think about something like this," Su Yuan muttered.
Then, all of a sudden, a thought struck him, and he quickly glanced at the firearm slung on Chevreuse's back…
Fortunately, the barrel was pointed upward.
"You only just thought of that now? Looks like you've got something on your mind," Chevreuse observed, eyeing Su Yuan thoughtfully.
"As expected of Captain Chevreuse, nothing gets past you," Su Yuan admitted.
"Let's go. We need to head to Palais Mermonia. I'll explain everything in front of Neuvillette and Furina."
Su Yuan and Chevreuse arrived at Palais Mermonia and headed to Neuvillette's office, only to find that no one was there.
Just then, a Melusine from the Gardes de Lumen happened to pass by the doorway.
Su Yuan stopped her and asked, "Hello, do you know where Lord Neuvillette has gone?"
"Oh, I know. It seems there have been some issues with the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale again, so Lord Neuvillette and Lady Furina have already headed to the Opera Epiclese…"
"Su Yuan, we should head there too," Chevreuse said with a nod.
Without delay, the two made their way to Opera Epiclese, where they found Neuvillette and Furina standing before the Oratrice, their brows slightly furrowed as if deep in thought.
Hearing approaching footsteps, Neuvillette turned around and saw Su Yuan and Chevreuse.
"Su Yuan, you came at the right time. I was just about to look for you," Neuvillette said.
"I don't wish to interrupt your sightseeing in Fontaine, but this matter is far too important."
As he spoke, Neuvillette handed Su Yuan a peculiar-looking piece of paper.
Su Yuan and Chevreuse looked at the paper, which read:
[The death sentence for… Su Yuan… has been pardoned…]
[But the execution… must take place…]
[A random person… has already been chosen…]
[The execution… will happen today…]
"Su Yuan, do you have any idea what this means?" Neuvillette asked.
"Why would the one behind the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinalepardon your execution…?"
"And more importantly, it seems they are no longer giving us the chance to re-evaluate the sentence. Instead, they have directly chosen someone at random to be executed…"
"This is the worst-case scenario… because we have no way of knowing who they've chosen."
"Neuvillette, this is exactly why I came to find you… The execution doesn't necessarily have to take place at night!" Su Yuan said slowly.
"Just a while ago, I met the person behind the Oratrice!"
"What?" Furina immediately leaned in, carefully examining Su Yuan with concern.
"Su Yuan, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"
Hearing Furina's worried voice, Su Yuan felt a warm sensation in his heart:Fufuis worried about me… She cares about me… That means I have a place in her heart…
"For certain… special reasons, that person gave up on executing me," Su Yuan explained.
"Special reasons?" Neuvillette murmured thoughtfully.
"Could it be… because you are not a native of Teyvat, but rather a traveler from another world?"
Su Yuan was still trying to come up with an excuse to explain everything, but Neuvillette had already jumped to his own conclusion…
"That's right, that might be the reason…" Su Yuan nodded.
"Then this is a real problem…" Chevreuse said.
"We don't know who the chosen execution target is, nor do we know when the execution will happen…"
"That means we can't make any preparations in advance…"
"We'll only find out who was chosen once they're already dead…"
"Lord Neuvillette, bad news! The young lady of Spina di Rosula—no, now she should be called the president—Miss Navia has been assassinated in Poisson Village!"
At that moment, a Gardes Melenes member rushed in, speaking anxiously to Neuvillette.
"Miss Navia's death is exactly like Erin's! It must have been done by the same person!"
Everyone was utterly shocked…
No way—had the execution already happened so quickly?
At this moment, Poisson Village was even more desolate than ever…
Everyone had gathered in the village's central clearing, staring at the bloodstained white cloth in the middle.
Beneath that cloth lay their beloved Miss Navia—her broken and battered body…
Melus and Silver knelt beside her, unable to stop their tears.
"So that the young lady could enjoy the fun of baking at any time, Silver and I were always prepared…" Melus said slowly, his aged face appearing even older in this moment of grief.
"Eggs… sugar… almonds… I brought them all…" Silver, even behind his dark sunglasses, could not hide his tears and the unbearable sorrow written across his face.
"But where are you now, my lady…"
Melus looked around at the gathered crowd and spoke in a voice filled with anguish:
"My lady… all of us here… we long to taste your baking one last time… To have one more bite of your macarons… To savor your gingerbread cookies again…"
"Hey, look over there—isn't that Lord Neuvillette? And Lady Furina? And Captain Chevreuse? They've all come to Poisson Village!"
At that moment, someone from the outer edge of the crowd shouted.
"Lord Neuvillette! Lady Furina! Captain Chevreuse! You must find the culprit and deliver justice for our most beloved Lady Navia!"
"This murderer is absolutely unforgivable! Miss Navia was still so young… I would rather have died in her place!"
"Lord Callas died an unjust death, and now his only daughter, Navia, has met the same cruel fate! In this world, good people never get the reward they deserve!"
"We had hoped that under Miss Navia's leadership, Poisson Village would thrive again, that Spina di Rosula would reclaim its former glory… But now, all of that is impossible!"
The crowd surged forward, each person voicing their sorrow, rage, pain, and regret…
Seeing this scene, Su Yuan and his companions couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with sadness.
If Eirin's fate could still be considered deserved in some way, then Navia's death was nothing but pure misfortune…
Su Yuan had already made up his mind—after gathering all the necessary information, he would take his own life and reset the timeline.
Even though he had never met Navia since arriving in Teyvat, he still knew her well.
A young lady so just, kind, and full of warmth—she could not be allowed to die in vain.
"Navia!"
Suddenly, from one of the nearby rooms, someone burst out, screaming Navia's name.
But the moment that person laid eyes on the bloodstained white cloth—and on Furina, standing at the center of the gathered crowd—
"Furina!"
Without a shred of hesitation, that person drew the twin blades and charged straight at her!
"Give Navia… back to me!"
"You—"
"Murderous demon!"
Ch 39 : Chioriand Furina
Furina suddenly heard someone calling her name.
She instinctively turned her head and saw a person wielding dual blades, charging toward her with overwhelming fury.
Tears glistened in the attacker's eyes, filled with sorrow and pain.
"You…!"
"Murderous demon!"
Furina was stunned on the spot.
Murderous demon? Were they talking about her?
The next moment, Neuvillette stepped forward, shielding Furina.
With a wave of his hand, a thick and impenetrable wall of water formed, standing between them and blocking the incoming attack.
"Chiori! What are you doing?! Calm down! There must be some misunderstanding! Stop this at once!"
It was only now that Chevreuse could clearly see the person before them—her clothes were filthy and tattered, her hair messy and unkempt, and her eyes brimming with pain and fury.
To Chevreuse's shock, this person was none other than her dear friend, the owner of the renowned fashion boutique "Chiori Atelier"—Chiori herself!
But the Chiori standing before her now was nothing like the composed and elegant woman she once knew.
This was the first time Chevreuse had ever seen her like this…
"Hahahahaha… Chevreuse, so you're here too…"
Chiori, locked in a standoff with Neuvillette, suddenly let out a bitter, sorrowful laugh.
"Chevreuse, you're one of the people who knows me best. You know that I've always been like this!"
"Blunt and straightforward, never caring about what others think—I just want to be my true self!"
"And as for staying calm? Haha…"
"How can I possibly stay calm when the murderer who took Navia's life is standing right in front of me?!"
The next moment, the Vision hanging at Chiori's waist suddenly emitted a dazzling light.
Powerful Geo energy surged through her dual blades.
"Get out of my way!"
To Neuvillette's slight surprise, Chiori, with an unstoppable force, slashed straight through his water wall.
This was completely beyond his expectations…
Although he had shared half of his Ancient Dragon blood with Su Yuan, causing his strength to decline, Neuvillette had not expected himself to be this fragile…
As expected, humanity was a species full of infinite possibilities.
The power they could unleash under certain circumstances was enough to make even the gods take notice…
It seemed he needed to take this more seriously as well.
Neuvillette was about to take action again to stop Chiori, but Chevreuse stepped forward first, positioning herself in front of Furina.
She drew her spear and blocked Chiori's powerful strike head-on!
"Chiori! There must be some misunderstanding!" Chevreuse struggled to hold back the overwhelming force.
She hadn't expected Chiori to erupt with such strength.
"Lady Furina has been with us the entire time! She never once left our sight—how could she possibly be Navia's murderer?!"
"Yeah, yeah! Chiori, you must be mistaken!" Su Yuan, having recovered from his initial shock, quickly chimed in.
That moment when Chiori had sliced through Neuvillette's water wall—the sheer presence, the unyielding determination—it reminded Su Yuan of a certain wandering samurai…
There would always be those among the beings of this land who dared to stand against the might of thunder itself.
And there would always be those among the beings of this land who dared to cleave through the Dragon King's walls of water.
Both Chiori and Kazuha were originally from Inazuma, yet neither of them returned there often…
Were all Inazuman expatriates this fierce?
As for why Chiori saw Furina as Navia's killer, Su Yuan had a good guess—it was likely because she had witnessed "Focalors" carrying out the execution at that exact moment…
"And who the hell are you supposed to be? Do I even know you?"
Chiori snapped at Su Yuan, her words sharp as ever.
Su Yuan could only smile helplessly—classic Chiori, her tongue was as venomous as ever…
"Miss Chiori, there must be some misunderstanding… Lady Furina could not possibly be the murderer," Neuvillette spoke up calmly.
"Impossible? Heh…" Chiori let out a cold laugh before saying,
"I saw it with my own eyes. The murderer who killed Navia—though the attire was somewhat different—that face, that figure, that voice… There's no mistake. It was Furina!"
"What…? Was it really Lady Furina who killed Miss Navia?"
"Didn't the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale malfunction yesterday? That Erin guy was sentenced to death, but Lady Furina insisted the machine wasn't faulty…"
"And then, come nightfall, Erin was dead."
"Now people are saying that Lady Furina and the Palais Mermonia refused to admit the Oratrice's malfunction in order to cover up their mistake, so they resorted to silencing her instead!"
"Not to mention, Miss Navia's death today is almost identical to Erin's. It has to be the same culprit!"
Hearing the murmurs and discussions of the onlookers, Su Yuan felt a deep sense of unease.
He knew the truth, but for many reasons, he couldn't reveal it…
"Hey! Don't you all think that someone might have disguised themselves as Lady Furina to commit these murders?" Su Yuan raised his voice.
"If Lady Furina really was the killer, why would she take such a huge risk by returning to the crime scene?"
"Hah! Haven't you read detective novels? The culprit always returns to the crime scene after committing the crime!" someone retorted.
Su Yuan was momentarily speechless.
Detective novels?
You do realize those are just stories, right?
You're really taking them seriously?
"Even if Lady Furina wasn't the one who killed Erin and Miss Navia, the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale has been functioning without error for centuries. And now, all of a sudden, it starts malfunctioning? The Palais Mermonia still hasn't given the public a proper explanation!"
"And Lord Neuvillette, what were you doing taking a sudden leave? Do you know how much chaos Fontaine fell into yesterday in your absence? You must take responsibility for this as well!"
"Chevreuse, isn't the Special Security and Surveillance Patrol supposed to protect Fontaine? Why is the killer still at large after all this time? Just what exactly have you and your patrol been guarding? You also have an undeniable responsibility in this!"
"But… I think that gentleman has a point…" someone muttered.
"And Lady Furina has loved the people of Fontaine for centuries—why would she harm anyone?"
The crowd erupted into a heated discussion.
Some were trying to think rationally, considering all possibilities.
But the majority, consumed by grief and anger, had already lost their reason, directing their fury at Furina, Neuvillette, Chevreuse, and the Palais Mermonia…
The crowd was just like this—like a flock of sheep without independent thought, only following the lead of others; like grass by the wall, swaying with the wind; like fallen leaves on water, drifting aimlessly with the current…
To Su Yuan, this scene felt eerily similar to the internet mobs of his previous world—
Always youthful and passionate, always moved to tears, always failing to learn their lesson, and always being used as pawns…
"ENOUGH!"
Furina suddenly shouted with all her strength.
The entire area fell silent in an instant.
Chiori glared at Furina with furious eyes and let out a cold laugh, mocking her.
"What's wrong, dear Lady Furina? Can't take it anymore? Are you finally about to reveal your true nature?"
But in the next moment, Furina did something completely unexpected—
She gently pushed Chevreuse aside, stepped forward, and slowly placed Chiori's blade against her own neck.
Tears streamed uncontrollably down Furina's face, yet she looked at Chiori with a soft, faint smile.
"Miss Chiori, if you truly believe that I am the one who killed Navia… then go ahead and do it."
"Furina!" Neuvillette's expression shifted in alarm.
He instinctively wanted to intervene.
"Neuvillette! Do not move!" Furina turned to him, shouting.
"If Miss Chiori truly chooses to strike…"
"You are not to judge her. You are not to condemn her!"
"This is an order!"
"And also… my final request."
Ch 40: Su Yuan'sPassion
Chiori stared intently at Furina, watching her actions…
She gritted her teeth, her expression conflicted, and the hands holding her blades trembled uncontrollably…
"Kill her! Kill her! Kill her! Avenge Lady Navia!"
Amid the tensesilence, a discordant voice suddenly erupted from the crowd.
A loud slap rang out, as someone nearby struck the person who had shouted, angrily rebuking them:
"What nonsense are you yelling?! Can't you see that something isn't right here?"
Melus and Silver also stepped forward from the crowd, coming to Chiori's side.
Melus spoke up:
"Miss Chiori, we also believe… Lady Furina could never be the one who killed our Lady Navia."
"Furina, you…" Chiori's grip on her blades trembled even more violently.
Finally, she let out a long sigh and lowered her weapons.
"I'm a fashion designer… My hands… have never shaken like this before…"
...
"Because of my personality, I don't have many friends..."
Inside the room, Chiori spoke slowly.
"Navia was one of them. She was passionate, easygoing, and never minded my temper..."
"She always had so many creative ideas, which were incredibly helpful for my fashion designs..."
"Those who say my ideas are ahead of their time have probably never had a conversation with Navia."
"If Navia had studied fashion design and become a designer herself, she would have been my lifelong rival..."
"She once asked me to make her a 10-meter-tall hat, but I refused..."
"But now, even if it were 100 meters, 1,000 meters, I would give it my all to create it..."
"But Navia... where are you now..."
"Earlier… it was around 2 PM, I think. Navia and I were strolling through the plaza of Poisson Vilagge, chatting about designing school uniforms for the children there..."
"But suddenly, someone appeared before us—someone who looked exactly like Furina, though her clothing was slightly different..."
"To be honest, her outfit had a remarkable texture. I had never seen such a design before..."
"At that moment, I thought she was Furina and wanted to ask her about the material of her outfit..."
"But in the next instant, before I could even react, she struck me down to the ground..."
"Before I completely lost consciousness, I saw her attacking Navia…" As Chiori spoke, tears welled up in her eyes once again.
"Later, Silver and I found Lady Navia's body… and Miss Chiori, unconscious nearby…" Melus took over, speaking sorrowfully.
"We brought Miss Chiori back to her room to rest, then informed everyone about Lady Navia's assassination…"
Chiori cried for a while, then seemed to gradually regain her composure.
With sharp eyes, she looked at Furina and the others, speaking firmly: "I've said everything I wanted to say… Now, come on, I want to hear your explanation."
"Yes, we also want to know the truth behind all this," Melus and Silver added.
"I will explain," Neuvillette spoke slowly.
"As Navia's friends and family, you have the right to know the truth."
"First, the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale did indeed malfunction. And we've discovered that behind the machine, there is a mysterious individual who carries out executions on those sentenced to death…"
"But Navia never even went to the Opera Epiclese for trial, let alone received a death sentence!" Chiori interrupted.
"That's correct, and this brings us to the second rule," Neuvillette continued.
"If no one is sentenced to death that day, the mysterious individual will randomly select someone and execute them instead."
"Oh? So, in order to protect your own reputation, the Palais Mermonia completely disregarded the safety of Fontaine's citizens? You didn't even care who the unlucky victim was?" Chiori sneered coldly, her expression darkening.
"No, that's not it," Su Yuan spoke up.
"Every single one of us here was willing to become the bait—to lure out the mysterious individual behind all of this."
"Originally, I was supposed to be the one executed. But due to certain special circumstances, my death sentence was revoked. And then… that person chose a random target instead."
"In a way, Navia died because of me. I will take responsibility for her death."
"Take responsibility? Heh…" Chiori let out a cold laugh.
"What good does that do? Navia is already dead! She's gone!"
"Speaking of which, who even are you? I've never seen you in Fontaine before."
"His name is Su Yuan," Neuvillette said.
"He is our friend and someone worthy of trust."
"Alright then, Su Yuan, is it? I'll remember you. I'll resent you for the rest of my life," Chiori said slowly.
"Both Palais Mermonia and you, Su Yuan, bear undeniable responsibility for Navia's death."
"Chevreuse, I know that hitting people in public is wrong, but no matter what, I will not compromise on this," Chiori looked at Chevreuse and spoke with absolute certainty.
"From now on, every time I see Su Yuan, I'm going to punch him!"
Chevreuse: …
"By the way, Su Yuan, didn't you see the mysterious person behind the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale?" Furina suddenly turned to Su Yuan and asked, "Then why didn't we hear you mention that she looked just like me?"
"Uh… well, that's because her appearance… was a disguise," Su Yuan explained.
If Sigewinne were here, she would have immediately seen through Su Yuan's lie.
Su Yuan felt that time was running out.
He couldn't afford to delay any longer—any further hesitation could lead to complications.
He needed to prepare to reset by dying.
So, finding an excuse, he said, "You guys keep talking. I need to use the restroom."
"I'll take you there, Mr. Su Yuan," Melus stood up and led Su Yuan out of the room.
After Su Yuan and Melus left, Neuvillette felt that something was off.
Making an excuse of his own, he also left to follow them.
Sitting on the toilet in the restroom, Su Yuan pulled out the small knife he always carried with him and placed it against his neck, taking a deep breath…
Even though he had rehearsed this many times, now that the moment had arrived, he still felt a bit nervous.
But if he wanted to save Navia and stop the Eerie Focalors, this was the only way!
With a determined grip, Su Yuan slashed his own carotid artery!
Blood splattered instantly as Su Yuan slowly closed his eyes, waiting for death to take him...
But after just a short moment, he noticed that the blood from his neck had stopped spurting, and the pain was gradually fading…
Su Yuan opened his eyes in confusion, realizing that he was still alive?
What was going on? Could he not even kill himself now?
"Could it be because of Neuvillette's ancient dragon blood... I remember he said it would enhance my body's recovery ability..."
Su Yuan pondered for a moment.
It seemed like he hadn't cut deep enough just now—he needed to go deeper to make sure he actually died.
So, he once again placed the small knife against his neck, this time preparing to cut deeper and more decisively, ensuring that he wouldn't survive…
But in the next instant, the bathroom door was suddenly flung open!
Neuvillette appeared right in front of him!
"Su Yuan! Didn't you promise me that you wouldn't do this again?" Neuvillette questioned loudly, grabbing Su Yuan's wrist and using his other hand to snatch the knife away!
Su Yuan stared in shock at Neuvillette, who had appeared so suddenly.
He had deliberately avoided him to commit suicide in secret, yet Neuvillette still came looking for him?
Although his attempt at suicide had been temporarily halted, Su Yuan couldn't help but feel a warmth in his heart…
It seemed that his previous actions had truly made Neuvillette deeply worried about him.
"Even though I know you feel guilty about Navia, this isn't entirely your fault. Why must you atone with your life?"
"Is it because of Chiori's words? Did they hurt you that deeply? But that's just how she is—it's her personality. Don't take it to heart!"
Neuvillette pleaded earnestly.
"Neuvillette, actually... I have the ability to return to the past..."
At this point, since he was about to reset anyway, Su Yuan decided to reveal his secret to Neuvillette.
Otherwise, he would never let go, just like Wriothesley...
Huh?
Su Yuan felt a bit confused.
Why had he suddenly thought of Wriothesley?
"Neuvillette, you're wrong. I'm not trying to atone for my sins with death," Su Yuan said with a smile, looking at Neuvillette.
"I'm doing this to go back to the past, to fix my regrets, and to save Navia!"
Neuvillette stared at Su Yuan in shock, unable to utter a single word…
"Neuvillette, you promised to believe in me, right?"
Seeing the determination in Su Yuan's eyes, Neuvillette clenched his jaw tightly.
He didn't say anything—he simply let go of Su Yuan's hand and returned the small knife to him…
Then, unable to bear it, Neuvillette closed his eyes.
"Thank you, Neuvillette."
The next moment, Neuvillette felt Su Yuan's burning-hot blood splatter onto his face…
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