This Trainee Fatui Harbinger is Too Unreliable [382]
Glancing at the opera house in the distance, Luo Qing noted Furina's antics. For some reason, she seemed particularly agitated, aggressively targeting Childe as the supposed culprit.
Her heated debate with Navia had the audience applauding enthusiastically, marveling once again at the Lord of Water's dramatic flair.
"Tch, playing Ace Attorney over there, huh?" Luo Qing quipped under his breath before rising to follow Lynette out of the room. Suddenly, a thought struck him.
"Oh, Lynette, did your 'Father' question you about anything after that day?"
"This…"
Lynette hesitated, but the compulsion Luo Qing had implanted in her mind left no room for deception. With difficulty, she nodded.
"'Father' asked me and my brother if you… might have planted a mental suggestion in us."
"And what did you say?"
"We didn't admit to anything."
"Good. That's my obedient little Lynette."
Luo Qing chuckled softly, reaching out to pat her head.
"…"
Lynette felt an inner resistance but had no choice but to lower her head and endure. She was, after all, now Luo Qing's… subordinate.
Though they had known each other for a while, Luo Qing's current status was worlds apart from hers, creating an awkward distance.
Maybe next time, I'll just let my brother deliver the messages, she thought.
---
Before long, Lynette led Luo Qing to the Beaufort Manor once more.
"'Father,' Lord Brighella has arrived."
After escorting Luo Qing to Arlecchino, Lynette quickly excused herself.
She had already endured Luo Qing repeatedly touching her ears along the way—claiming there was something stuck on them or that her fur looked unhealthy and needed inspection.
"Take a seat."
The elegant round glass table was adorned with an assortment of delicacies.
Arlecchino, poised and graceful like a noblewoman, personally prepared tea for Luo Qing with practiced finesse.
"So, Arlecchino, summoning me at a time like this… I assume you intend to leverage our mutual colleague for some scheme?" Luo Qing smiled, taking a seat opposite her. Compared to the exquisite desserts, he found Arlecchino herself far more intriguing.
"He came here under the pretext of a vacation but caused such a mess that we now have to clean up after him. Snezhnaya believes in equivalent exchange, after all. He'll have to pay a price, don't you think?"
"Well, the verdict isn't out yet," Luo Qing replied casually. "The debate over there seems lively enough. Who knows—he might just walk free."
"You can observe the proceedings remotely; I can't. But…"
Arlecchino sipped her tea, her tone indifferent.
"This situation isn't mere coincidence. He won't get off so easily. If you don't believe me, how about we sit here and enjoy tea until the trial concludes?"
"Sounds fine to me." Luo Qing chuckled, nodding.
"Come to think of it, it's been a while since I've had tea with you, 'Father.'"
The two then exchanged casual conversation, steering clear of official matters. Luo Qing complimented Arlecchino on how well she had maintained her figure over the years, while Arlecchino, as always, expressed concern for Luo Qing's well-being.
At one point, however, when the topic of romance and settling down arose, Luo Qing simply smiled and brushed it off.
Meanwhile, at the opera house, Lumine had joined the trial, presenting crucial evidence.
The real perpetrator of the missing girls' case was revealed to be Navia's uncle, Marcel.
As a result, Neuvillette declared Childe innocent.
But in the final moments of the proceedings, the Oratrice, Fontaine's ultimate arbiter, rendered a different verdict: Childe was guilty.
The courtroom erupted in shock. Even Luo Qing was momentarily stunned.
"Judging by your expression, it seems the verdict is in," Arlecchino remarked, her lips curling into a faint smile.
"Looks like I was right after all."
"…"
Luo Qing remained silent.
When Lumine appeared, he had assumed the story would follow its usual path—Childe declared innocent and released.
But for the Oratrice to intervene like this…
What on earth did that brat get up to behind my back in Fontaine?
"You win, Lady Arlecchino. I concede."
Luo Qing raised his tea cup and downed its contents in one gulp.
"…"
"Now, it's my turn to step onto the stage."
Arlecchino stood, her expression calm as she walked to the window.
"Childe has been summarily declared guilty and is to be sent to Meropide. This is the perfect opportunity to pressure Fontaine externally… and you, Brighella…"
Turning back to face him, her gaze was resolute yet tinged with a rare hint of warmth.
"You've grown, so much like I once was. I'm proud of you, but there are some things I cannot let happen again. So don't get in my way. Do you understand?"
"Are you issuing me an ultimatum, Lady Arlecchino?" Luo Qing crossed his arms, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Should I take that to mean if I refuse, you'll consider me your enemy?"
"…"
Arlecchino fell silent.
Every child of the House of the Hearth held a special place in her heart, Luo Qing included. The last thing she wanted was to stand against one of her own.
But the Tsaritsa's orders left her no choice. Luo Qing had disrupted her plans multiple times since arriving in Fontaine. Out of sentimentality, she had spared him from any serious repercussions so far.
But with Childe's capture presenting such a golden opportunity, she couldn't afford to let it slip. If Luo Qing interfered again…
"Don't do anything foolish, Luo Qing…"
For the first time in a long while, she addressed him by name. Yet her tone carried a chilling edge, like a predator warning its prey.
"Alright…" Luo Qing stood, shrugging nonchalantly.
"Since you've put it that way, I suppose I'll give you this one."
He walked over to her, lightly patting her shoulder.
"Go ahead, Lady Arlecchino. Do what you need to do."
Turning to leave, he added with a smirk,
"I promise I won't cause trouble."