Funinna, please let me steal your heart!

"Father, would you like something to drink?"

The warm firelight illuminated the room.

While the ambient lighting throughout Fontainebleau makes the bulbs and tubes as bright as day, the flickering firelight brings a greater sense of warmth during gatherings.

The fireplace was glowing red. Arecino turned her gaze back to the party.

Lynette carried a tray with different drinks on it, her figure vaguely reflected in the glass.

Her white hair, tinged with black and a touch of red, was tied back, and her close-fitting menswear could not conceal her unique feminine charm.

But what's most striking is her eyes.

Her eyes were as black as ink, yet her pupils were as red as blood. Anyone who looked into her eyes for more than three seconds would feel a chill creep up their spine.

Even in front of children, she always maintained this serious and unsmiling expression.

"Black tea is fine."

"Ah."

Lynette handed the tea to Arecino and went to the other children.

It seems she drew lots and got the job of serving dishes and drinks.

"Fimini, why did the stove suddenly stop burning?!" Linni's voice rang out.

"Ah, it must be a malfunction. Let me check..."

Linni drew the chef's lot.

There was no rule about drawing lots at the Fireplace House; it was clearly a rule the children had made themselves.

Arecino's gaze swept across the room, where children of all ages were gathered together enjoying a barbecue.

However, there seemed to be a few fewer people than the last time I saw them.

"........"

Arecino's gaze finally settled on the sofa.

“Father! I miss you so much!”—The blonde girl who once held this position and showed no fear of her is no longer here.

Picking up an old newspaper, Arecino took a sip of black tea.

But she understood that this did not mean she had betrayed them.

At least for now.

.............

After the lively party, Linnie, Linette, and Fimi went to Arecino's office.

It's called an office, but that's just a convenient name.

Generally, she would give orders and tasks to the children in the living room, and only in special circumstances would she call the children here.

“Father, what do you need us to do?” Linni asked first.

Arecino stood by the window with her hands behind her back.

“I need you and Lynette to bring the intelligence over, and Fimini will assist you during your evacuation. The target is this person.” She turned her head and gestured with her eyes towards the table.

The three of them picked up the picture cards.

Linnie exclaimed in surprise, "Isn't this the recently famous philanthropist, Alkyne?"

“What kind of intelligence does ‘Father’ need?” Lynette twitched her cat ears.

"His accomplices."

Linni nodded seriously: "Understood..."

Arecino's expression remained unchanged: "Don't let your guard down, the 'phantom thief' might appear there."

Phantom thief! ?

"Why...why?" Fimini asked, puzzled.

"Because all his pearl-accented keyboards are also precious treasures, if I were a phantom thief, I would never let go of such a great opportunity."

Lynette couldn't understand: "But...isn't the harpsichord a rather large instrument?"

It was not only large, but also incredibly heavy.

How can the phantom thief White Cat steal such a treasure?

It's impossible that he just picked it up and ran away, right? I've never heard of a phantom thief being a strongman.

"What methods she uses is not the point," Linni pondered.

"So what's the key point?" Lynette gave up thinking.

"The key point is that the special patrol team may also come, no, it should be said that they will definitely come."

"Wouldn't that turn into..." Fimi said uneasily.

"Yes, an extremely chaotic scene."

Linni then explained further.

Once the phantom thief issues a warning letter, the special patrol team will take action and rush into Alkien's mansion to protect it.

This makes obtaining intelligence even more difficult.

It's best to avoid direct conflict with the other party.

"The best approach is to wait until they start fighting amongst themselves, then we can take advantage of the chaos to enter the mansion and gather intelligence as quickly as possible. But there's another problem here."

Linnie frowned: "What if the Special Patrol also notices Alkeane?"

Lynette said softly, "They might get the information first."

“Yes…the difference between obtaining intelligence from the Special Patrol Headquarters, or even from the Law Enforcement Court archives, and obtaining it from a noble’s mansion is like heaven and earth.”

While it cannot be confirmed whether this is the special patrol team's plan, thorough consideration must be given before taking action.

Consider all possibilities and incorporate them into your plan.

That's what Linni needs to do.

Life in the Hearth House is often fraught with danger; a moment's carelessness while carrying out "Father's" orders could mean certain death.

Several more children have died due to negligence, and he absolutely cannot let this happen again, especially not to Lynette and Femini.

Arecino silently watched the three people who were discussing.

Linni said with a troubled expression, "This is really troublesome, Phantom Thief White Cat... What do you think, Luna—"

The words that came out were met only with deathly silence.

“Brother.” Lynette said expressionlessly.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry..."

Fimini shook his head: "No need to apologize, she really is the best among us, whether it's infiltration or combat... We used to rely on her a lot."

“It used to be,” Lynette added.

Fimi lowered his gaze.

“That, ‘father’…”

Arecino's face remained expressionless: "Just say it."

"...Why didn't you execute Luna?"

Anyone who betrays the Hearth House in any way must be executed; that is the rule.

However, Luna was not executed by Arecino after leaving the House of Hearths.

Why? This is also a question that has been lingering in the minds of the other children.

Linnie and Linette looked at Arecino in silence.

Arecino watched them silently until they all looked away in awe, then she slowly spoke:

"Perhaps the time is not yet right, or perhaps, as you think, she has not betrayed us. Ultimately, only she can decide the outcome. I am simply waiting for her now."

"Wait?" Lynette couldn't help but ask.

"Yes, I'm waiting for her answer."

Arecino glanced at the figure in the newspaper.

That was none other than the phantom thief, White Cat, who had appeared at the banquet. Arrogant, flamboyant, and ostentatious, he was nothing like the child she remembered.

But as her "father," Arecino would not admit his mistake.

Phantom Thief White Cat....Phantom Thief Luna....

Depending on her choice, Arecino will decide whether she will still have a place in the family.

It will determine her life or death.

56: The Phantom Thief Is Undefeated by Traps (Third Update)

"Well then, goodnight, Lynette."

"Ah."

After saying goodbye to Linnie, Lynette returned to her bedroom.

In order to fight, she knew she needed to get a good night's sleep to recharge her energy.

But perhaps it was because I hadn't heard a familiar name in a long time that I felt no sleepiness even with my eyes closed.

The clock ticked away, and Lynette finally sat up and went to the window.

The bright moon hung high in the sky, its light soft and cool, just like that night.

"Your name is?"

“Lin...Linette...”