Furina, Please Let Me Steal Your Heart!

"Lady Furina, here's the latest hydrology report. The parameters are still rising..."

Furina accepted the report, glanced at it casually, and seemed not at all surprised. A hint of dimness flickered through her eyes, but noticing that the reporter was still watching her, she quickly assumed a confident expression.

"Very well. Continue analyzing. Just how far will human ingenuity go? I'm truly looking forward to seeing the extent."

"Lady Furina, the prophecy still predicts that..."

Furina snorted softly. "Don't start worry before the sky falls! With me, the Hydro archon Furina, here, what need is there for fear? If people don't believe in their gods, then the gods have no power to help them."

"My apologies. You are quite right, Lady Furina."

Furina nodded. "Good. Just remember, this is an exception, not the rule."

She turned and swiftly left the room.

Back in her chambers at the Palais Mermonia, Furina collapsed onto her bed, utterly exhausted.

If life was a play, then she had already witnessed countless acts and intermissions.

She gazed at the ceiling, lost in thought for a long while.

"Oh right, I have to go to the opera house tomorrow."

It wasn't for any trial, but rather because numerous plays and performances were about to open their curtains at the opera house.

This was a rare opportunity for diversion and relaxation.

Furina sat up, picking up the opera house's monthly performance schedule from the table.

"Let's see... Ah... It's all these again," she said, deeply disappointed.

They were all performances she had grown weary of watching.

If fashion could be described as a circle, always cycling back, then drama itself was no different.

The longer one lived, the more plays they had seen, so even if they started out with no understanding, eventually their standards would become increasingly discerning after witnessing so much.

Love-hate relationships, life-departures-death... countless similar stories unfolded on that familiar stage, but few truly moved Furina's heart anymore.

Either the formulas were too repetitive, or various aspects such as the actors or stagecraft fell short.

I want to see a stage I've never encountered before, Furina thought to herself.

It should be a stage that shines with dazzling brilliance!

"One of the few things I can look forward to is the Melusine Philharmonic Orchestra... Hmm?"

There's no hymn of praise to the Archon on the program.

"This won't do! Add it in!"

That very night, the opera house's performance announcement was revised:

[Special Addition]

[At the request of a certain audience member, "The Grace of Furina" will be performed in its entirety for your enjoyment. Please note that this special addition has been made to the original program. We kindly request that all patrons remain in their seats until the end of the performance.]

The next day...

Furina lingered in bed for quite some time before finally rising slowly. After glancing at the day's schedule, she dressed and stepped out of her bedroom.

Outside, her subordinate bodyguard and proxy duelist, Clorinde, seemed to have been waiting for some time already. Her short, deep-blue hair complemented her form-fitting uniform, exuding charm while her calm-to-the-point-of-indifference gaze added a touch of cool aloofness to her demeanor.

However, Furina knew Clorinde's true character was the polar opposite of her outward appearance, so she didn't let it bother her.

"Good morning, Lady Furina," Clorinde greeted mildly.

Furina suppressed a yawn and forced a theatrical smile. "It's not just 'good morning'—it's good all day long! With me here, every moment is guaranteed to be bright and sunny—"

"It's raining today."

Embarrassed, Furina cleared her throat. "Ah, Fontaine, with its abundance of water elements, this is quite normal. Well, it's time to start our day's work."

The morning was filled with various trivial tasks. As evening approached, she had an appointment to watch a performance at the opera house.

"Alright, understood."

"Mm-hmm, it's truly not easy."

"It's only natural that meeting with the Archon would move one to tears of gratitude!"

Despite being an Archon, she wasn't responsible for any crucial work. Others wouldn't entrust actual tasks to her either; at most, she'd attend social functions and handle diplomacy.

When her boredom nearly killed her... well, when it was about to kill the Grim Reaper himself, Furina's beloved sunset finally arrived.

Flash—The Opera House!

"Is Neuvillette not coming?"

"No, he's not."

"Would you like a chair?"

"I can sit on air."

"You're serious...?"

Clorinde's expression remained unchanged. "Just joking."

Couldn't she at least change her expression?!

Furina was tempted to voice her frustration but held her tongue; such outbursts weren't befitting of her status.

She ascended the stairs to take her seat in the opera house's reserved VIP area. Clorinde stood nearby, seemingly unwilling to join her.

The lighting focused solely on the stage, casting the rest of the opera house into shadows.

Furina leaned back in her chair, surveying the audience below. Once the performance began, their attention would be fixed on the stage, not herself.

She exhaled softly and redirected her gaze to the stage. But as the show droned on, yawns became inescapable...

Boring, utterly, mind-numbingly boring! Furina's thoughts screamed in monotony.

Isn't there a single performance that could, perhaps, make my heart race?

"The next act is Dark Moon Troupe's 'Masque of the Dead.' Please give them your full attention and enjoyment!"

Dark Moon Troupe? Yeah, probably just another group of forgettable actors... Furina's interest was lacking.

However, whispers of discussion rose from below.

"Isn't that the troupe whose lead actor went missing?"

"No, I heard they found a new lead. It made the newspapers, even."

"Luna? Never heard of her. Is this newspaper just full of fluff? I bet this theater troupe has hit rock bottom. They're probably just grasping at straws for attention..."

Furina's interest was piqued.

She turned to ask, "Disappeared?"

Clorinde nodded. "That's the rumor. She was supposedly a victim of a series of young women going missing. Even now, no one's found her—neither alive nor as a corpse."

"So they had to find a new leading actress? Why not just promote someone from the supporting cast?" Furina couldn't wrap her head around it.

"Maybe the new one's really good."

"Let me check—" Furina pulled out the program.

Leading Actress: Luna.

"Hmm, doesn't ring a bell," she murmured.

This must be a newbie, Furina thought. But using a newcomer in a role at the opera house? She had to admit, the theater's director was quite daring.

Still, it's nice to see fresh faces instead of the usual suspects. At least it won't be boring.

"Well, I guess I'll give it a shot, then," Furina said, crossing one leg and gazing at the stage.

The lights suddenly went out—showtime.

Characters were about to appear one by one...

But they didn't.

When the lights came back on, not a single soul was on the stage.

Just as everyone was puzzled, a powerful burst of music filled the air.

It seemed quite modern, blending classical elements with a futuristic feel.

Immediately following was a voice that sounded like divine music from the heavens.

The high notes and breath control... For the first time that day, Furina looked genuinely amazed.

What a beautiful tone, what incredible breath stability!

Considering the complexity of the melody... "Can a human really sing like this?" she wondered. "Who is this singer?"

The audience below was also captivated by this captivating voice. They craned their necks, like giraffes reaching for the sky, to catch a glimpse of the splendid figure emerging on stage.

Shimmering golden hair.

Eyes as precious as gemstones.

Paired with that luxurious costume, it's as if she stepped right out of a storybook. Her vulnerable expression is enchanting, instantly drawing us into the world of the opera.

She's truly lovely.

This opera is absolutely magical.