Yes, Lady Funina!

"Ok."

"That's fine, let's go to my room and talk."

The two brothers breathed a sigh of relief.

------

Linnie's room was very simple. In fact, the children's rooms in the Fireplace House were all decorated in a similar way, and the furniture they used was all the same style. The layout of the rooms was also very similar.

Linni gathered the magic props on the table aside, and then very attentively brought his sister a chair with a soft cushion, while he and Fimini sat obediently on the edge of the bed.

Lynette, holding a cup of black tea that seemed to appear out of nowhere, took a small sip and said, "Brother and Fimini, what do you think?"

Linni and Fimini exchanged a glance, and finally, the eloquent Linni coughed lightly and spoke up: "We feel that you would have better opportunities for development if you stayed in Fontainebleau..."

"So you're planning to abandon me?"

"No, how could we abandon you? We just..."

"only?"

“I just don’t want you to overthink it. After all, the House of Hearth is so big, and even if we were to evacuate, it wouldn’t be a matter of a day or two…” Linni said.

Moreover, while it's called a withdrawal, it doesn't actually mean that the House of Hearths has truly abandoned Fontaine. It's just that they've shifted their focus to Winter. The House of Hearths will still exist in Fontaine, but it won't be as active as before. At that time, it will probably be similar to an ordinary orphanage.

Moreover, it's still unknown when the "Severe Winter Project" will begin, but according to Linni's estimation, he shouldn't leave Fontaine at least this year.

Overall, there is still plenty of time.

“But that’s no excuse for my brother and Fimini to keep it from me. I’m very angry right now,” Lynette said coldly.

As the person who knew her sister's character best, Linni tentatively asked after hearing his words, "What do you want?"

Goodness, they've even started using honorifics.

"I haven't decided yet, let's just keep track of it for now," Lynette said casually.

Is this even possible to keep accounts? Fimini glanced at Lynette and then at Linnie, deciding to minimize her presence.

However, there were only three people in the room, so where could Fimini hide even if she wanted to?

“Fimini, remember you owe me a favor.”

"Well……"

After seeing that Linnie and Fimini had agreed, Linette stopped worrying about what they had kept from her.

Seeing that her sister was no longer pursuing the matter, Linnie, as expected, asked what her father had said to Linette earlier.

It would have been better if he hadn't asked. As soon as he did, Lynette's pretty face changed color, and she immediately said with a straight face, "I can't say."

Is this something you should be asking? Just ask!

However, Linni took it as a secret that what her father had told Linette was confidential, and that even he could not inquire about it at will.

Despite the possibility of some misunderstanding, Linni did not pursue the matter further.

Lynette also secretly breathed a sigh of relief. How could her father casually say something like sending Richard to her bed?

This makes it seem like she's incapable.

"So what's next for you..." Linni wanted to ask her younger sister about her next plans.

"Go to work as usual." Lynette herself was a little confused about the future, but she was quite clear about what she needed to do right now.

Now that the House of Hearth has successfully obtained the Heart of the Water God, and their influence is gradually withdrawing from Fontaine, her existence, caught between Fontaine and the Fools, is particularly awkward.

It would be fine if people like Linni and Fimini could stay, but it's clear that the two who are the core of the House of Hearths cannot stay.

[Father] My lord, the reason you were willing to let me go with Richard was partly because of our friendship, and partly because Richard valued my brother more.

At that time, Arecino had already decided to make Linni the 'king' of the House of Hearths, to take over this intelligence organization that held a pivotal position within the Fools.

If Richard had asked for Linnie instead, Aregino probably wouldn't have been so agreeable. But thinking about it, that's unlikely, as Richard is unlikely to hire a man as his secretary.

"Then, then what about in the future..." Fimini, still young, couldn't help but ask.

Linni spoke up before Linette could, saying, "We'll talk about the future later. There's an old saying in Liyue, 'Things will work themselves out in the end.' Time will tell."

“There’s no need to wait until then. I… probably won’t go to Winter with you,” Lynette said after a moment’s hesitation.

The atmosphere in the room fell silent for a moment.

After a long pause, Linnie finally snapped out of her daze at Lynette's reply, and said with a smile, "That's for the best. Fimini and I were both thinking about how to persuade you to stay, and it's great that you've come to your own conclusion."

Although Linnie was genuinely happy for Lynette's choice, the thought of inevitably having to part with her sister in the future still made her feel a little sad. Even the smile on her face just now was not as bright as usual, and was mixed with a bit of bitterness.

"Well, this is fine too." Fimini felt similarly to Linni, a mixture of happiness and sadness.

Having made her choice, Lynette was clearly much more relaxed than before. Looking at her brother and Fimini, she said, "Although I probably won't be going to Winter with you, please contact me if you need any help. No matter where we go, we'll always be siblings."

Lynette glanced at Fimini and said, "You're the same, Fimini. Even though we're not related by blood, you're still my little brother in my heart."

“Yes.” Fimini nodded emphatically.

"Not to mention you even took over my job as the magician's assistant. I heard from my brother that you've been doing better and better lately. Are you guys having a magic show today? It's rare for me to take a day off, and I want to see Fimini on stage..."

"No...don't do this..."

Chapter 221 Peruvian (Part 1)

While Linnie, Linette, and Fimini were chatting inside, the servant Arecino had already received the message from the Moman Palace.

Prime Minister Furina has accepted her appointment and they will meet at the Prime Minister's office in City Hall on Friday morning.

This was excellent news for the servant. She had prepared herself for the worst, waiting until she left Fontaine before Frynn would not see her again. But to her surprise, she received a definite answer from the other party in just one week.

I don't seem so scary after all?

Arecino knew that Frynn was afraid of her. And rightly so, anyone who was suddenly attacked while petting their cat at night would be left with a very deep psychological trauma.

Not to mention that at that time, Funina was not much different from an ordinary person. Her only reliance was the ring that Richard gave her, but the ring exhausted all the elemental power stored in it with a single blow. Without any protection, Funina was no match for the servants at that time.

That's not a pleasant feeling.

Arecino squinted, seemingly recalling some of her own experiences.

However, unlike Furina, she already possessed considerable strength at that time and could be considered one of the best in the House of Hearths.

Even with her exceptional abilities, she ultimately couldn't save her...

With that thought, Arecino frowned, putting those troubling thoughts aside. Now she needed to consider what kind of bargaining chips she could offer to get Funina to accept the children left behind by the House of Hearths.

Perhaps... she could try to find Richard?

When the thought arose, Arecino took action.

The reason Arecino went to Richard instead of asking Lynette was because she knew that asking Lynette would only put her in a difficult position, and in the end, she would still have to get past Richard and Furness.

If that's the case, why make Lynette suffer in the middle?

It must be said that, as a father, Arecino is far better than the previous generation of servants.

Arecino walked along the road, but the bustling scenery did not stop this powerful executive. For some reason, she was unusually sentimental today, and memories of the past kept flashing through her mind.

Arecino knew Richard very early on, when she was just a child and people her age were just beginning their early education. At the same time, her name wasn't what it is now.

Let her think, back then her name should have been... Peruvéli.

A name from long ago, but when Arecino thinks of it, some things feel like they happened just yesterday…

"You really like spiders?"

A sound interrupted Peruvier's feeding of the spider, and the insect she was holding fell to the ground. Fortunately, her pet spider jumped down from Peruvier's right hand as the insect fell, successfully capturing its food for the day.

What is "like"?

Faced with the young girl's puzzled answer, Richard was taken aback at first, then, as if he too was stumped by the question, he replied, "Yes, what is liking?"

Peruvieri ignored the strange man and continued to observe her little spider eating with a blank expression.

It first gently wraps its forelegs around its prey, ensuring it cannot escape. Then, it releases a special digestive fluid that breaks down the prey's body, turning it into nutrients that the spider can absorb.

As digestive juices work, the insect's body gradually softens, eventually turning into a viscous liquid. The spider then uses its mouthparts, like a straw, to slowly suck up this liquid. Its movements are incredibly delicate, as if it were savoring a delicious meal.

Upon seeing this, Peruvieri's usually expressionless eyes finally stirred; she was curious about what the insect tasted like.

“This must be what liking someone is, right?” Richard’s voice reached Peruvier’s ears again.

Peruvieri's eyes flickered, but she didn't look at Richard. He continued, "If you don't like it, why waste your limited time observing spiders? Don't you agree?"

"So you like me too?" Peruvieri turned her head to look at the strange adult who was squatting on the ground just like her.

She rarely saw outsiders come to her home, especially adults like Richard. Even if there were strangers, her mother would not allow them to have casual contact with her.

Moreover, she didn't understand why this somewhat handsome man would approach her. Even at home, the only child who was truly willing to interact with her was Clementine.

Despite her young age, Peruvieri was already aware of her unusual nature; she was emotionally detached and unlikable.

Everyone enjoys playing with lively children like Clementine, but tends to keep their distance from her.

So when Peruvieri asked Richard, 'Do you like me?' she was already prepared to be disliked.

After all, if it's not liking, then it's disliking.

But to Peruvieri's surprise, the man didn't show any dislike for her as she had expected. Instead, after a moment of surprise, he gave her a warm smile and said:

"Yes, I really like you."

"Strange adult."

After saying this, Peruvier put her little spider into the box, stood up and walked into the house, leaving Richard alone in the garden, watching the remains of the little spider that had been eaten.

Although I don't know why I have to go back, even though my 'playtime' isn't over yet, but...

Well, Peruvieri already knew in her heart why she had suddenly left the garden.

That man's smile... was too dazzling for her.

She's just like Cleveland.

Fortunately, the other party was just an outsider, and outsiders couldn't stay in the fireplace house for too long.

I probably won't see him/her tomorrow, right?

For some reason, Peruvieri felt a surge of irritation.

The next day, Peruvieri saw that strange adult again.

This time, however, the other person was accompanied by their mother, and the other person even waved to them when they saw them.

When the familiar smile came into Peruvier's view, she subconsciously looked away, hesitated for a moment, and then turned and ran away.

For some reason, her steps were lighter this time, and she didn't feel as agitated as when she left before.

Watching Peruvieri jog off to find her daughter, Kujavina showed no surprise.

“It seems she’s not interested in you,” Kujavina said softly, standing next to Richard. She didn’t understand why someone like Richard would be interested in a child.

Even if that child has the potential to become a 'king', in the eyes of the man beside her, he probably doesn't amount to much.

But no matter what, as long as it doesn't affect her plans, Kujavina is actually a little worried. If Richard really becomes interested in Peruvelle and wants to take her away, she really doesn't have a good way to stop him.

Richard didn't look at the woman beside him. He knew very well what kind of person this executive was; no matter how beautiful her appearance was, it couldn't hide her ugly and crazy heart.

Of course, Richard had no intention of judging other people's views on good and evil, let alone the fact that he had already left the Fools and that his relationship with her was merely that of former colleagues.

To establish himself in Fontainebleau, Richard needs the other party's help in managing his identity, so he won't break ties with them.

“It’s a bit of a waste to entrust such an interesting child to you to raise.” Richard’s voice was unreadable.

“Perhaps my abilities are indeed inferior to yours, but when it comes to how to cultivate a ‘king,’ I don’t need Mr. Richard’s guidance.” Kujavina’s tone was somewhat wary, because Richard had just revealed that he wanted to steal her most outstanding ‘work’.

Although the rough jade has not yet been fully carved, the glimpse it reveals is enough to captivate Kujavina.

In order to better nurture this child, Kujavina spared no effort in spending a lot of manpower and resources to conduct one 'experiment' after another in cooperation with the 'Doctor', and the experimental site where Peruvieri was located was undoubtedly the one that Kujavina valued the most.

Therefore, even if it were Richard, Kujavina would not give in the slightest.

She had heard about the conflict between Richard and the Doctor, and she was also well aware of the final outcome of that dispute. It was true that Richard was very strong.

But the other side is no longer the Fools. If another conflict breaks out, the opponent will no longer be targeting the previous Executor, but all the Executors, including her, and even the Winter Queen may intervene.

Thinking about it this way did give her, the "servant," a little courage to confront him, but only a little.