Mr. Pantalone has no crazy plans today.

"It seems I was punctual enough not to keep my 'servant' waiting. Would you like something to drink?"

"Whatever, I'm not interested in what to drink. You can decide for yourself."

Arecino ignored the rest of Pantalone's words and instead replied calmly.

Pantalone didn't seem to care much, but simply accepted Arecino's words, as if taking Arecino's casual remark seriously, and ordered two glasses of Mondstadt's specialty dandelion liqueur from the tavern's waiter.

The harmonious greeting made it seem as if Pantalone wasn't there to cause trouble for Arecino, but rather as if they were friends who had arranged to meet for drinks.

At least that's how it appears to outsiders, even though she, as one of the parties involved, doesn't see it that way. However, Pantalone doesn't seem to care and calmly drinks her dandelion wine instead.

He had fallen in love with this slightly sweet and incredibly smooth drink ever since he tasted it in Mondstadt, a drink unlike any other winter spirit.

After a large influx of this liquor into Zhidong, it quickly became popular among the people of Zhidong, occupying a significant share of the market and injecting new vitality into Zhidong's economy.

Although many people consider this beverage more like a soft drink than a strong spirit that can be enjoyed to the fullest, its popularity and widespread appeal are undeniable.

Similarly, sales in this market share also brought in a lot of tax revenue for Winter. From any perspective, Pantalone would not dislike this light-bodied beverage imported from Mondstadt, as it would bring him huge profits.

However, he also knew that alcohol could numb a person's senses and impair their judgment at times.

That's why, although Pantalone likes dandelion wine, he only ever drinks it in small amounts.

Amidst the clamor and noise of the tavern, no one would notice the two people at Pantalone's table.

No one could imagine that the two people present were actually among the most powerful figures in the Winter Kingdom, serving as executives of the Fools, who resided at the pinnacle of power within the Winter Kingdom.

It's even less likely that people would imagine that the two friends who seem to have made the arrangement together are actually enemies with deep-seated and irreconcilable conflicts.

In this unique atmosphere, Pantaloni and Arecino maintained a unique and subtle harmony.

The first to break the atmosphere was Arecino. Looking at Pantalone in front of her, she turned her gaze away from the other corners and spoke softly as she looked at Pantalone's figure.

"Let's skip the other small talk. Since you specifically asked me to meet you, there must be something you want to talk to him about, right? Otherwise, given your character, I don't think you would do anything unnecessary."

"The reason I asked you out is naturally because I have something to talk to you about, but... I need to think a little about where to begin with this matter."

Pantalone gently put down the glass of wine in his hand, then pretended to be deep in thought.

After thinking for a long time, a smile of sudden enlightenment appeared on his face. He looked at Arecino's face with a smile and said with a chuckle.

"Let's start with what happened between us. If the information my people submitted to me was correct, then you should have already met my adopted daughter from the Lawrence family, right? What do you think of her?"

"Is this what you wanted to say? What kind of comments do you expect me to make about your consistently vulgar and tasteless humor, which has remained virtually unchanged for so long?"

Arecino answered Pantalone's question with a look of disgust and mockery on her face.

She couldn't possibly be unaware of why Pantalone had brought it up in front of him—it was simply to evoke some unpleasant memories.

Seeing Pantalone's wicked smile, Arecino put on a bored expression and laughed sarcastically.

"Should I address you as such? Or perhaps 'Master' or something like that?"

"If you insist on calling me that, then I won't mind."

Pantalone gave a slight, noncommittal smile, seemingly acknowledging the statement.

Seeing that Arecino seemed to be taken aback by the answer, Pantalone did not give Arecino a chance to retaliate, but deliberately changed the subject and regained control of the situation.

"Instead of that, how about we talk about what you've been instilling in my adopted daughter? I'm quite interested in the things you've done."

"Or, for example, the spies you've planted around me, and the agents and intelligence personnel you've trained—I'd like to know what kind of answer you'll give me about that?"

Pantalone slowly and deliberately brought up another topic, then leisurely posed a question to Arecino.

Arecino, who had been stirred up by Pantalone's words, couldn't help but sneer when she saw Pantalone questioning her about those things.

"What? Does our banker care about such things? Or is this a warning not to cross the line? Or is he trying to concede and settle things?"

"That's meaningless. If we both knew what kind of people we were, we would understand that this kind of thing is simply impossible for us."

Pantalone took a small sip of his dandelion liqueur, then put down the glass and said calmly.

Pantalone knew Alegino's personality very well. Having dealt with her for so long, he knew very well that this woman would not accept his terms of reconciliation.

She'd rather see herself in a sorry state than reconcile. If the other person is really that easy to accept those conditions, then he won't need to go through any more trouble.

Fortunately, before making any preparations, he had already figured out how to deal with the other things.

Pantalone, having withdrawn his other thoughts, returned his gaze to Arecino, resting his chin on his hands on the table and looking at Arecino's delicate face in the dim light.

"In fact, I didn't care about what you did from the beginning until recently, but I've changed my mind now."

“I know very well that the few spies you planted are not everything to you. As the manager of the ‘House of Hearth Walls,’ you can probably find the information you need anywhere you want, right?”

"So I don't intend to do anything meaningless, but that doesn't mean I'll just ignore it all. That's why I specifically asked you to come out and talk to you. I think you won't refuse such a thing."

After listening to Pantalone's words, Arecino pondered them for a moment, then revealed a mocking expression on her face.

"Can I take this as you trying to reconcile with me? Surprisingly, I don't think you're the type of person who would give in or admit defeat."

“I didn’t say that. But I don’t deny that I wanted to take this opportunity to sort everything out once and for all, which is why we had this meeting.”

Pantalone denied Arecino's statement and gave this response.

Arecino frowned slightly after receiving this answer, wondering what Pantalone was really up to.

She initially thought Pantalone was there to get rid of her spies and for his adopted daughter, but now it seemed things weren't as simple as she'd imagined.