After spending the entire weekend and Monday morning without coming up with a satisfactory answer, Alice decided to dump the problem on Klein. Conveniently, it was almost time for the new week's Tarot Club meeting.
At the meeting, while Miss Justice rose to greet everyone, Miss Fortune secretly assigned Mr. Fool a job.
The trading segment was finally no longer Alice's one-woman show. In fact, Alice didn't intend to trade at all today. This was the World's solo performance:
"Mr. Fool, I request a private conversation with the Hermit."
Klein, hidden in the gray fog, nodded lightly for show, then blocked everyone else's view.
Abruptly faced with the familiar gray fog, Alice idly kicked the legs of her chair twice. Then she remembered the light rays coiled around her.
Could they light up this fog?
After blocking everyone else's sight and hearing, Klein made the World speak:
"Admiral of Stars, I have a commission for you."
That alone changed Cattleya's expression. Recalling the exchanges between the World and Alice, she blurted out:
"Did Miss Fortune tell you?"
Klein, who was busy making up an explanation, fell silent. He was about to have the World go along with it when a faint light suddenly bloomed. Soft yet resolute, it parted the fog and revealed Alice behind it.
Klein forgot about controlling the World. He caught himself before his real body made any dramatic movement, but his gaze still turned toward Alice.
He was sure Alice knew what he wanted to ask.
She didn't disappoint him. Her bewildered gaze passed over the World and Cattleya before she realized what was happening. She turned to the head of the bronze long table and said hesitantly:
"Um... Would you believe me if I said I didn't do it on purpose?
"I—I was just