Funinna, please let me steal your heart!

Swordsmanship, physical skills, spearmanship... In battle, she would not be at a disadvantage even when facing well-trained adults.

But occasionally I do some impulsive things.

"Was a fight necessary at that time?" Arecino asked again.

Linni mumbled, "Yes, but..."

Needless to say, she understands everything now.

It's probably because Luna wanted to defeat all the enemies, which led to her getting too bogged down.

"...Where is she now?"

"do not know."

Arecino responded casually with "I understand," and then took a walk around the mansion.

Suddenly, a few notes of music flowed out from under the door.

It was disjointed, unpleasant to listen to, and utterly immature. Arecino, lost in thought, pushed open the door.

Sure enough, what came into view was Luna's surprised expression.

“A Lei....'Father'.”

Luna seemed dissatisfied with calling her "father," but also hesitant to address her by her first name. Arecino, however, didn't seem to care.

Arecino glanced at the keyboard in front of her: "Play the keyboard?"

"Ah."

Luna tried to hide her bandaged hand, but Arecino noticed.

"...You did a great job this time, what kind of reward do you want?" Arecino asked.

At this time, Luna already had the beginnings of becoming a graceful young woman. Although she had not completely lost her childishness and still had some baby fat, she was already a beautiful young girl.

Girls at this age often want some exquisite jewelry, clothes, or cosmetics.

But after a moment's thought, Luna asked hesitantly, "Are you free?"

"Have."

Luna's eyes lit up: "Then can you teach me to play the piano?"

Arecino was not surprised by Luna's request.

Luna has looked like this ever since the night she invited her into the fireplace house.

Arecino gazed at Luna, a familiar face flashing through her mind. She slowly walked to the harpsichord and gently pressed a key.

"That's it?"

"Ok!"

Arecino nodded slightly, agreeing that it was right to reward children who behaved well.

However, it is also appropriate to punish children who do not perform well.

She gently grasped Luna's arm: "Does it hurt?"

Luna blinked: "It doesn't hurt."

Normally, children realize they've made a mistake and feel uneasy and scared. But Luna is different.

She looked into Arecino's eyes, her face showing no fear.

This wasn't meant to be defiant; it was simply that she was never afraid of Arecino.

Arecino pressed her finger against Luna's wound, and a burning pain suddenly surged up, causing Luna's expression to change slightly.

"Does it hurt?"

"Kind of."

Arecino increased the pressure slightly and asked softly, "And now?"

"It hurts."

“Yes, it hurts. But when your hand is severed, there will be more than just pain. You are outstanding, Luna. Both in appearance and ability.”

Although she could not become "king", her excellence is beyond doubt.

"That's why we need to know how to make the most of our strength."

"This wound isn't worth it for you."

Blood seeped out, staining the bandages red.

Arecino released her grip, took out a bottle of medicine, unwrapped Luna's bandages, applied the medicine to her wounds, and then re-bandaged them.

Luna lowered her gaze: "I'm sorry."

"Just remember that."

Arecino lifted the hem of her dress that had fallen behind her and sat down next to Luna.

"Luna, anger leads to impulsiveness, and sadness leads to hesitation. Both are fatal weaknesses. Only by maintaining a stable mindset can you achieve your goals."

Luna stared blankly at her palm, as if she was more concerned about the hand that Arecino had bandaged.

Seeing her like this, Arecino looked back at the piano keys.

What piece of music do you want to learn?

"You like it!"

“I don’t have a favorite piece, but considering you’ve never played an instrument before, this one will do.” Arecino raised her hand and gently pressed the keys.

A light and melodious tune rose and fell with the piano keys.

Luna leaned out and watched carefully which key Arecino's hand landed on.

"Stretch out your hand and stop it on this key."

Luna extended her uninjured hand and placed it on a piano key.

She blinked, her eyes asking what the next step was.

Arecino said softly, "I'll keep playing, and then you can press it when you feel you should."

"Will I be able to learn it this way?"

"No. But explaining music theory directly to you would definitely be boring and tedious. Your talent lies in feeling. Only you can understand what your swordsmanship is all about."

Similarly, the music that belongs to you can only be understood by yourself.

Just experience it for yourself.

Arecino pressed the keys again, the melody interspersed with Luna's touches. At first, it was off track, completely out of sync.

But gradually, the discordant sound disappeared and blended into the music.

Luna tried to use her other fingers, and the discordant sound pierced through her again.

She glanced at Arecino, and seeing that Arecino didn't seem to care, she continued trying and groping. The messy process, however, pleased her greatly.

"Um... 'Father,' may I sit on your lap?"

Arecino stopped playing and watched her quietly.

There was neither agreement nor refusal.

A silent gaze would surely make others back down and abandon their thoughts, but Luna carefully got up and tried to sit on her lap.

Luna slowly sat down, secretly glancing at Arecino's expression.

"I think you should be of age to be a lady by now."

Arecino's expression remained unchanged as she spoke softly, her breath barely touching her skin.

Luna blushed slightly, but still chuckled softly, pressing her hand to her chest, "But I will always be your child, at least I hope so."

"Don't have any expectations. As long as you don't betray 'home,' you will always be a child of the Hearth House."

If her heart no longer cares about "home" and she wants to leave, she will accept that too.

However, there will be a price to pay.

"Not betrayal...?" Luna murmured.

"Yes."

Luna raised her eyes and gently reached out her hand to Arecino's face.

But it was quickly taken back.

"Please continue teaching me. Maybe one day I can even go on stage and play a song for you." Luna smiled shyly.

The sound of the harpsichord began again.

The light and melodious tune was sometimes mixed with discordant and incongruous sounds, and these jarring noises revealed her naivety, just like Luna when she smiled at her back then.

And now.

Every sound in the complex melody is perfect, showcasing a high level of maturity.

Just like Luna, who is smiling on stage right now.

One day I'll go on stage and play a song for her...

Arecino narrowed her eyes slightly, gazing at the figure that could steal everyone's attention.

This very moment is the "someday" of that time.

86: Could she have a crush on me?

The phantom thief, White Cat, is able to accurately spot treasures, which undoubtedly means she possesses an ability to appraise them.

The fact that they were able to escape from so many dangers demonstrates their considerable strength.