Sleeping Peacefully

Warm blood slowly trickled down the blade, Xingsu calmly withdrew the short sword.

Daerdufu slumped heavily against the back of the chair, his pupils dilated, and in the last moments of his consciousness, a sense of disbelief and astonishment lingered.

"Sigh, I was originally planning to spare your life for now as a witness, and then settle your scores in front of that child from the House of the Hearth. Unfortunately, some people just don't know when to stop."

Xingsu's tone was flat, as if he were just talking about a trivial matter.

He raised his hand, gently placing his palm on the top of Daerdufu's head, feeling the memories that had not yet been lost with the Ley Line.

Tick-tock, tick-tock

The only sound around him was the continuous ticking of a clock. In the long silence, countless dark and filthy images flooded into Xingsu's mind.

After a long while, Xingsu slowly withdrew his hand, a cold gloom clouding his eyes, and whispered:

"It's... disgusting."

The embezzlement of donations mentioned earlier is just the tip of the iceberg.

Daerdufu also specifically selected handsome young men the Damselette to use as playthings to please the upper nobility in exchange for power, business opportunities, and protection.

Those children came seeking refuge with the hope of "being able to eat bread," but what awaited them was endless humiliation and an abyss.

Xingsu lowered his gaze to the merchant who had completely lost his life, his tone carrying a suppressed chill:

"To end your life with just one cut would be too easy for your dog's life."

Night fell over the streets of Fontaine. Xingsu slowly walked out of the gates of the luxurious Daerdufu mansion. The bloodstains on the blade had been cleaned up, but a faint, lingering smell of blood remained on the cuff.

Outside the mansion's gate, Arlecchino leaned against a pillar, her black clothes blending into the deep night, her scarlet eyes standing out starkly in the dim light. Hearing footsteps, she turned her head and spoke softly:

"Slower than expected, is there some big information about him?"

Xingsu walked slowly to her side, nodded slightly, and a layer of coldness appeared in his eyes. "Yes, this matter involves many high-ranking nobles in Fontaine."

He took out the sheet of paper filled with confessions and handed it to Arlecchino.

"Daerdufu used charity as a bond to collude with these nobles. He used charitable accounts to help them evade taxes, while also collecting children to curry favor with the powerful in exchange for business and protection."

Arlecchino glanced down at the dense writing on the paper, her fingertips lightly tracing the surface, her expression remaining calm and unsurprised.

"These kinds of sordid transactions among the upper echelons of Fontaine have never ceased."

"Daerdufu is nothing but a scapegoat." Xingsu gazed at the scattered lights in the city. "Eliminating one person is pointless; as long as the noble behind him remains unscathed, someone else will quickly take his place, and the children will still become victims of this deal."

"So you're planning to use this list to treat Fontaine's bruises?"

Xingsu gently shook his head, a cold glint in his eyes. "Blood stasis is too conservative; it's more like parasites. They cling to the suffering at the bottom, sucking the blood and flesh of the Fontainian, and lingering in the upper levels, impossible to get rid of."

What are you planning to do?

"This pie of profit is far-reaching and intricately intertwined. We are ultimately outsiders; rashly intervening will only give others ammunition and invite endless trouble," Xingsu clearly stated his thoughts. "It would be better to seek official endorsement from Court of Fontaine."

"For Court of Fontaine, they need a hidden hand to purge these disgraced nobles, appease the lower classes, and consolidate their rule; for us, the House of the Hearth, it's a win-win deal—we can destroy a black chain that harms Fatui, cultivate good relations with Court of Fontaine officials, and Court of Fontaine spies to facilitate future operations in Fontaine."

Arlecchino smiled. "A good plan. It seems you are indeed capable of managing Fontaine's affairs."

Xingsu took a small half-step forward, the coldness in his eyes fading from when he was scheming, and teased softly, "Hmm, aren't you going to reward me?"

Arlecchino looked up at the young man beside her who was feigning expectation, sighed helplessly, and gently poked Xingsu's head with her fingertip.

"Tsk... always so unserious."

Bo

"Father, my dear father, Mr. Xingsu..."

Freminet walked briskly along the stone path, and when he saw two figures standing under the veranda in the distance, he hesitated and stopped. As the breeze blew, a faint but undeniable smell of blood entered his nostrils.

He frowned slightly, his gaze unconsciously sweeping over Xingsu's sleeve.

"I just dealt with a troublesome matter, and I have a trace of that aura on me." Xingsu noticed the boy's subtle change and subtly pulled his arm back slightly. "By the way, Freminet, when you get back, call Lyney and the others. There's a group of persecuted children who need help. You're in charge of this."

"Yes!" the boy replied softly.

Just as the boy was about to turn and leave, Arlecchino spoke up slowly beside him, "Freminet, we can take in more homeless children next year. We just received a new grant."

With that, he patted Freminet on the shoulder and followed Xingsu forward.

Tick-tock, tick-tock.

The second hand on the wall of the ward continued to tick relentlessly.

Arlecchino bent down and held the child's hand on the bed, her gentle voice losing its usual sharpness, softly falling on the Damselette's ear.

"Mission accomplished, you can get a good night's sleep now."

The Damselette lying on the hospital bed was breathing weakly, her chest rising and falling shallower and shallower. She struggled to move the corners of her lips, her breath coming in short, intermittent gasps.

"Thank you... Father... Once I'm healed... I'll go on my next mission..."

The words faded into the air, the last glimmer of light in the Damselette's eyes slowly melted away, and her pupils gradually dilated.

Arlecchino remained silent, her slender fingertips gently rising and falling to slowly close her eyes.

Thump--thump--thump--

The chimes of the hour echoed outwards, like a mournful bell specially played for this scarred the Damselette.

Xingsu stood quietly to one side, a heavy feeling settling in her heart.

They successfully dealt with Daerdufu, obtained evidence of collusion with the nobility, and received a huge sum of money to take in homeless children. The promises they made are about to be fulfilled.

She was the first to step forward and risk everything to seek justice, but she will never be able to witness the dawn of justice.

"She still looks forward to continuing her missions after recovering from her injuries." Xingsu's voice was low and filled with melancholy.

Arlecchino withdrew her hand, gazing silently at the Damselette's serene face, a layer of determination settling deep within her crimson eyes.

"Her journey has come to an end, but her unwavering spirit in the face of suffering will not fade. We will fulfill all the promises we made to her."

The lingering sound of the bells slowly faded away, only the clock on the wall continued to tick.