Meanwhile, on the other side of the theater...
Odette and Columbina walked one after the other down the corridor toward the stairs.
The theater's corridors were covered with thick carpets, making no sound when you stepped on them.
"This way, please. The stairs are a bit steep, please take your time," Odette said, taking a half-step ahead, her voice still carrying a hint of respect.
"Hmm."
Columbina lifted her skirt and walked slowly beside her, her pale purple eyes quietly sweeping across both sides of the corridor.
The wall was covered with posters of the troupe's performances over the years, some old photos faded with age, others newly released. She looked at them one by one, her eyes filled with curiosity.
"Did you perform all of these, one show after another?"
"Yes," Odette followed her gaze and, unusually, said a few more words.
"The leftmost picture is from the troupe's first performance; I wasn't very familiar with Varesa back then."
"Next, we'll have our partners."
"It's very precious," Columbina said softly.
Odette didn't quite understand why an Harbinger would make such a remark, but she nodded earnestly nonetheless:
"You can take your time to look at it while you stay here; there's still a lot more."
The two people stepped onto the stairs, the wooden steps making a very slight creaking sound under their feet.
As she reached the corner of the stairs, Odette finally couldn't hold back any longer and decided to ask the question that had been lingering in her mind all night.
"Columbina," she stopped, turned around, and said with a hint of hesitant caution, "There's something I want to ask you."
"You said..."
" Bai You..." Odette carefully chose her words, her light purple eyes gazing at the other woman.
"She wasn't at the theater all day today, and we were all very worried after rehearsals."
"But then, in the evening, she actually came back with you. I still don't understand—how did she meet you? And what did she do today?"
This problem has been weighing on her mind ever since.
Bai You was brought back to the theater by Varesa a few days ago. She just eats and sleeps all day, sticking to Varesa, and is a soft, fluffy little thing.
"She looks like just an ordinary little Water Nymph who needs to be taken care of."
"But how did she... end up connected with you, the Harbinger of the Snezhnaya Palace, and even manage to invite you back to live in the theater?"
Columbina looked at her face, which was full of confusion and worry, and smiled slightly, but instead of answering immediately, she asked a question in return:
What does Bai You look like in your eyes?
Odette paused for a moment, then said truthfully, "She's very well-behaved, very cute, a little greedy, and always a bit absent-minded... Varesa always treats her like a little animal she cherishes and protects."
"Is that so?" Columbina chuckled softly, a smile carrying a hint of deeper meaning.
"What I'm about to say might be something you should be prepared for."
Odette's heart inexplicably jumped.
"This morning, Bai You went to the Snezhnaya Palace alone to request an Her Majesty the Tsaritsa," Columbina's voice was calm.
"It was Tartaglia who happened to meet her at the door, mistaking her for a lost child. Later, for some reason, she met the Queen."
"Another Harbinger, Childe Tartaglia?! And he even met Her Majesty the Tsaritsa?!" Odette's breath hitched.
The adorable and seemingly harmless Bai You has encountered the aloof and revered Tsaritsa?
" Her Majesty the Tsaritsa has given her a chance," Columbina continued, a faint ripple appearing in her pale purple eyes.
(Regarding Columbina's eyes, they were closed before the Moon 3 storyline, so it's difficult to change them now.)
"If she can defeat the Tartaglia present, she will be appointed as the Harbinger of the Fatui."
Odette instinctively found it absurd— Tartaglia was the lowest-ranking Harbinger, a battle maniac who had climbed up through countless bloodshed, how could Bai You possibly be—
"Then," Columbina paused, and said softly, word by word, "She punched Tartaglia and sent him flying."
The corridor fell silent for a moment, with only the sound of wind and snow outside the window remaining.
Odette stood frozen in place, her expression frozen.
"... A punch?" She almost thought she had misheard.
"One punch." Columbina nodded, her tone as calm as if she were discussing the weather.
"Tartaglia didn't even have time to activate his Foul Legacy before he burst through the wall and flew to the Snezhnaya's End."
"I wasn't in the audience room at the time, so that's about all I learned."
Odette opened her mouth, but couldn't make a sound for a long time.
The image of Bai You uncontrollably surfaced in her mind—the little bundle who would get jam on her face while eating, get sleepy while walking, and have her head rubbed in Varesa's arms—who had punched the eleventh Harbinger of the Fatui?
These two things simply couldn't be pieced together in her mind to represent the same person.
Seeing her dazed expression, Columbina continued:
" Her Majesty the Tsaritsa has officially issued the appointment. From today onwards, Bai You will be the twelfth Harbinger of the Fatui, codenamed ' Water Nymph '."
"The twelfth seat..." Odette murmured, repeating the words.
I felt my understanding, built up from childhood, was quietly collapsing and rebuilding... She actually... became Harbinger...
"Surprised?"
"... This is too unexpected." Odette, holding onto the stair railing, slowly processed this astonishing news, and after a long while shook her head with a wry smile.
"We were always afraid something would happen to her, but... according to you, she's probably the most capable person in this theater."
"You can't say that. Her power is very strange; even I don't know why she can use it," Columbina said gently.
"Then why... did you come to the theater with her?" Odette asked again, "Given your status, you should..."