Rosalyne, It Wasn't Me Who Got You Killed. It Was Fate!
La↗la↘la→lalala~
The passionate soundtrack of "The Damselette" Columbina
"We gather here today to commemorate our dear colleague. Her sacrifice deserves a full half-day of remembrance for the entire Snezhnaya."
Rosalyne vanished suddenly in this foreign land, like Chlothar disappearing into the grass.
Crimson Lotus Moth fluttered her wings and flew to the distant Snezhnaya to bring back news of her death.
In Sandrone's living room, the Hearth flames burned just right, the flickering light spilling over the gilded and carved furniture, warming the sofa and the intricate round rug.
A wisp of white steam rose from the silver teapot on the table, the rich aroma of floral tea filled the air, and the delicate desserts on the porcelain plate and the bright berries on the cake were just like any other tea gathering.
However, the atmosphere at the tea party was not as relaxed as usual.
A Crimson Lotus Moth, fluttering its thin, crimson wings, flew leisurely into the room through the half-open window and gently landed on the smooth tabletop.
No one bothered to drive the little visitor away.
"Arlecchino, you saw Rosalyne for the last time. Did she... say anything before she left?" Sandrone's voice was very low, his fingertips gripping the handle of the teacup tightly. The warm cup could not warm his cold knuckles.
"She said that once she has collected the Electro Archon's Gnosis, she will return to Snezhnaya to attend your tea party."
"..."
Sandrone closed his eyes, a pang of sadness rising in his heart, wishing he had never uttered that question.
"Speaking of which... didn't Xingsu come to the tea party?" Columbina, unusually quiet, sat to the side, "gazing" at the Firefly on the table, her voice as soft as a falling feather.
"He was detained by Her Majesty the Tsaritsa and should return in a while." Arlecchino picked up the teapot and poured some more tea for the two of them.
"Speaking of which, Xingsu certainly stole the show in court today." Even if Columbina wasn't good at interpersonal relationships, she knew the atmosphere was a bit heavy and tried to change the subject to ease the tension in the room.
"Speaking of Xingsu was making such a splash in court today, isn't he afraid someone will retaliate against him?" Sandrone crossed her arms. "Let's make this clear first, if anything happens to him, I won't help him at all."
"Oh? Then I am indeed very curious, who dares to touch my people?" A hint of coldness flashed in Arlecchino's eyes.
"However, what Her Majesty the Tsaritsa means..."
"At tomorrow's morning meeting, just help me to give a warning to some of the people who haven't been behaving themselves lately."
Inside the majestic and desolate Throne Hall of Snezhnaya, the Tsaritsa Anastasia sat upon the highest throne, her long, pure white hair cascading over her shoulders. Her cool gaze fell upon Xingsu below the steps, her expression serene and unwavering.
"Oh, this has offended quite a few people, Your Her Majesty the Tsaritsa." Xingsu stood in the hall, seemingly quite fearless.
The fact that the Tsaritsa summoned him specifically was enough to prove that he possessed a value that the Tsaritsa needed and that was irreplaceable. Having leverage in hand gave him the confidence to negotiate.
The Tsaritsa's voice was completely calm. "I will give you a reward you cannot refuse."
"..."
"... Understood, as you wish, Your Her Majesty the Tsaritsa."
"Dottore, you didn't take back the Gnosis that La Signora Ma risked her life for in Snezhnaya, and you're telling me you gave it to Scaramouche to play with?"
"Experiment? Experiment my ass! This is called misappropriation of the Gnosis! To put it more bluntly, this is treason!"
"And you, Pulcinella, I brought the men from the Ninth Company back to you. What do you mean by not releasing them? What do you mean they're already soldiers of the Ninth Company and not under my jurisdiction? We, the House of the Hearth, don't recognize the indenture Crucabena signed back then! You'd better send them both back to the House of the Hearth right now."
Xingsu's gaze shifted to the side, landing on Arlecchino. Arlecchino glanced at him indifferently, and Xingsu's lips curved slightly. He winked at her discreetly, then his eyes hardened instantly, turning back to Pantalone beside him.
"And that Pantalone, what are you pretending to be an outsider for? Don't fucking think I don't know, after the La Signora died you've been blaming her for all sorts of messy things, what do you mean she spent 5 billion Mora on Inazuma's food, clothing, housing and transportation?"
Do you think I've never been on her ship? Her entire entourage consisted of only a dozen or so people, La Signora only had two bodyguards with her. You're telling me they spent 5 billion Mora? And that's not just 5 billion in total, it's 5 billion a month!
D' Tartaglia glanced at the silent Tsaritsa on the throne, then at Xingsu, who was speaking passionately before her, "Um, Xingsu, calm down, composed yourself..."
"What kind of peacemaker are you playing? Is this the place for you to interrupt? Kid, go play somewhere else!"
"Pfft..." Columbina couldn't hold back her laughter. Sandrone, who was beside her, immediately raised his hand and nudged her lightly with his elbow. Columbina then managed to stop laughing, lowered her eyes again, and pretended to be indifferent.
The group of Harbinger looked like children who had made a mistake in front of Xingsu, and no one dared to say a word in their defense.
Everyone harbored the same concerns and fears:
On the eve of the meeting, Xingsu had a private meeting with the Tsaritsa.
His brazen and public reprimand of all senior executives, coupled with his position at the House of the Hearth, demonstrates his unbridled behavior.
Was it merely his personal impulse, or... was it an order tacitly approved or even directly authorized by the Tsaritsa?
No one knows the answer, and no one dares to probe it even slightly.
However, everyone had a clear understanding of the situation and remained calm.
The main hall is closed today, and only the Harbinger and the Tsaritsa's close confidants are present; there are no outsiders.
All the incidents that Xingsu now, whether minor or major, are gray secrets that everyone in the Snezhnaya leadership knows in private but no one has ever brought to the forefront.
But today, he exposed it in front of everyone, and these words coming from the Tsaritsa's mouth meant something completely different.
Then the Tsaritsa's meaning becomes clear.
I know what you've been doing, but don't go too far.
"So Dottore and the others were lectured like that for almost an hour? That's much more entertaining than an opera performance." Sandrone finally smiled slightly, his tense expression relaxing a little. "If only every meeting were this interesting. Usually, meetings are either Pulcinella chasing Pantalone for money, or a bunch of people sitting around the table just passing the buck."
"Hmm... I should have known better than to sleep. I slept through the first half and missed it." Columbina couldn't stay still after all. She quietly moved closer to Sandrone and curiously fiddled with the spring that was sticking out from behind the Marionette.
"Columbia! What are you doing?!" Sandrone froze, whirled around, and shoved Columbina down onto the thick carpet. "If you keep acting up, believe me, I'll throw you out!"
"Don't believe me?" Columbina replied casually, lying on the soft carpet.
"Ughhhhh! Columbina! You're so annoying!" Sandrone straddled her, gripping her shoulders and shaking her up and down in exasperation.
"Hey, beautiful La Signora, I'm back! What are you all doing?"
Xingsu pushed open the door to the Marionette's room and saw Sandrone panting as she straddled Columbina, Columbina lay on the carpet with an expression that seemed... enjoyed?
"Oh, really? I won't bother you any longer." Xingsu quickly took a step back and slammed the door shut with a "bang."
"Xingsu! You come back here! Ughhhhh! You two are so annoying!"