Chevreuse had thought she was beginning to understand the White Cat, but Luna's actions once again reminded her that perhaps she knew nothing at all about the Phantom Thief.
Luna straightened up and twirled lightly on her feet.
"Why indeed? I can give Miss Captain three answers. Care to guess which one is correct?"
Luna spun around lightly, raising a finger.
"One: Because the Miss Captain I admire belongs to the Court of Justice, and I'd rather keep being chased by her than have her attention diverted by some other criminal."
She raised a second finger.
"Two: Because I can't bear to see the efforts of the Maison Gardiennage, the Special Task Force, and countless others dismissed. Even though the Court of Justice's leadership is in chaos and riddled with problems, it's wrong to condemn them all outright."
She raised a third finger.
"Three: A Phantom Thief may be optional, but the Court of Justice is essential. Justice without strength only breeds more crime."
She retracted two fingers and wiggled them.
"Four."
Chevreuse crossed her arms. "Four? You only gave me three answers."
"Where there are three, there must be a fourth, right?" Luna replied with a nonchalant smile.
"That only undermines your credibility."
"But whether you believe me or not is up to you, Miss Captain," Luna said, unconcerned.
Chevreuse fell silent.
"Four: I want to go on a date with Miss Chevreuse."
First, rule out number four. There's no way that's true.
But what about the rest?
Chevreuse couldn't decide. Could they all be true? Could only one of the first three be right? Or none at all?
"Can't decide?" Luna chuckled softly.
"You've always had your eyes on the Special Task Force," Chevreuse suddenly stated.
"More specifically, someone like you, Miss Captain."
Luna sat on the table, her smile gentle. "Every little kitten in distress yearns for a large hand to rescue it, and Fontaine is full of such kittens."
"Were you once one of those kittens?" Chevreuse ventured cautiously.
"Perhaps I was? And the woman I admired, respected, cherished, and longed to possess took me in—"
"Not the Maison Gardiennage, nor the Special Task Force."
"You're..." Chevreuse began, then trailed off.
Luna hopped down from the table, her fingers brushing Chevreuse's shoulder as she gracefully circled behind her. Her fingertips traced a path down Chevreuse's back, pausing at her abdomen. Luna's other hand gently covered Chevreuse's lips.
A delicate fragrance and soft warmth clung to Chevreuse's back.
Luna's breath tickled her ear. "Of course, I could never hate any of you for this."
"It's simply that you're too weak."
Chevreuse: "..."
"But strength can be forged, honed, surpassed. Only the heart—"
Luna's hand settled on Chevreuse's chest.
"—will never change."
"And that's precisely why I adore Miss Chevreuse. Please accept this performance I dedicate to the Court of Justice, and then go forth to find those little kittens hidden in the shadows, their cries for help muffled by walls, their spirits nearly withered amidst the laughter of sinners."
Chevreuse felt something soft and moist gently envelop her ear. Luna kissed her lightly once more, sending shivers down her spine.
But Chevreuse clenched her fists, forcing herself to endure. She couldn't reveal her weakness to the Phantom Thief.
"...Miss Chevreuse, are you free tomorrow?"
"For what?"
Luna chuckled softly. "How about we go on a date? You want to understand me, and I'm willing to be understood by you. You want to catch me, and I can only be caught by you..."
Wasn't this a mutual pursuit?
Luna continued, her warm breath tickling Chevreuse's ear. "Or have you lost interest in catching me?"
"Impossible," Chevreuse retorted instantly.
...Indeed, this Phantom Thief White Cat was different from other criminals. Upright, even virtuous.
But she had still violated Fontaine's laws, and by both reason and duty, she had to be apprehended.
That was all there was to it.
"Fine," Chevreuse said, closing her eyes.
"Then let's meet tomorrow at 8 AM sharp. Don't be late. And remember to dress nicely, Miss Chevreuse. Someone as beautiful as you deserves to dress up properly."
Chevreuse scoffed. "It's just a casual meeting."
"One more thing," Chevreuse said, turning to Luna with a sidelong glance. "...Thank you for what you did for the Court of Justice."
Even without the Phantom Thief, the Court of Justice would have inevitably made a grave error in the Serial Disappearance Case, given the mole that had infiltrated their ranks. No matter how tightly they tried to control the information, leaks were inevitable. After all, those villains who lacked any sense of justice would only stir up chaos to protect themselves. Their only hope lay in muddied waters, just like in the previous incident.
"They should be grateful they let Miss Chevreuse join the Special Task Force."
"Otherwise, I might not have done anything at all, you know?" Luna said, wrapping her arms around Chevreuse from behind.
Chevreuse pried her hands away. "Enough. I'll catch you next time, but I'll turn a blind eye this time. Don't push your luck."
"Alright, alright," Luna said, hopping back onto the desk.
"...Aren't you leaving?"
"What if I said I wanted to sleep with Miss Chevreuse tonight?"
"Then tomorrow, you'll find yourself in the Fortress of Meropide."
"Oh dear, how dreadful," Luna said, strolling to the window. "Miss Captain, don't get jealous now."
"What?" Chevreuse raised an eyebrow.
Jealous? Of White Cat? Impossible.
"I never mind if the number of people I like increases," she said with a smile before leaping out the window.
The room fell silent.
Chevreuse had no interest in Luna's teasing; her mind was elsewhere.
Could the Phantom Thief have been born from sin?
Was she a victim created by the sins of others?
Chevreuse lowered her gaze, a strange sense of helplessness and anger creeping into her heart. But the Captain of the Special Task Force couldn't afford to lose control, not ever.
She exhaled slowly and lay back on the bed.
The next day, another package awaited at the Special Task Force headquarters.
Furina's Smile—one of the Phantom Thief's earliest heists.
"What about the Dawnstone Cone?" Turenna asked.
"She probably wants to finish exploring the vault before returning it," Chevreuse replied.
"She's... remarkably curious."
Chevreuse glanced at the card. "After all, she is a cat."
The card was tucked behind the painting frame, bearing a simple message:
"Let's meet at the plaza in two hours."
But there was something else written on the back.
"But besides that, Miss Captain, there's something I need to confess—I kissed you while you were asleep. So, why don't you carefully count your treasures? The extra one? That's the sweet kiss."
When did she do that?
Chevreuse frowned. There was no way she wouldn't have sensed Phantom Thief White Cat's intrusion.
Furina's Smile—that's one. And... another. But she clearly remembered White Cat only kissing her twice last night.
Where did this third treasure come from?
Only then did Chevreuse belatedly realize, "This woman..."
She was deliberately making her remember last night!
Chevreuse crushed the card in her hand, startling Turenna and the other team members.
What did the Phantom Thief do now to make the Captain angry again?