Furina, Please Let Me Steal Your Heart!

As Navia beheld Luna's true appearance, she was momentarily stunned, feeling an uncanny sense of familiarity.

Right! I've seen her in the newspapers! Navia exclaimed, realization dawning on her. "So you're the new lead actor of the Dark Moon Troupe, Luna!"

Luna smiled and nodded, then repositioned her sunglasses. "That's correct. I apologize for keeping my identity hidden from you all."

No sooner had she spoken than Silver suddenly stepped forward.

"You're actually..."

"Silver?"

His voice was low, as if suppressing something.

Luna felt bewildered but before she could inquire further, he hastily offered her paper and pen.

"It's actually you, Miss Luna! Could I please get your autograph? I saw your performance yesterday—it was truly amazing!"

Luna, puzzled, replied, "Thank you?"

Navia, facepalming, said, "No wonder Silver was tearing up when he returned from his day off yesterday... Um, could you please help me with something?"

Luna glanced at Navia and smiled, "Of course, it's just an autograph."

She accepted the paper and pen, swiftly drawing her own portrait.

"So this gentleman turns out to be my fan after all."

"Hm? Not signing your name?" Navia asked curiously.

"This should make my fans even happier, don't you think?"

Navia didn't suspect anything, accepting it with a smile, "You're right! Wow, the drawing looks quite good. Could you do one for me too?"

"Of course, but I just concealed my identity by not signing..."

"It's alright. You're quite famous now, I know it's strange to everyone staring at you. Yes, hiding your identity is understandable."

Luna softly sighed, Not having to fabricate excuses myself is such a relief.

Navia Caspar... She's much too trusting of others. Though Luna didn't dislike this trait; she even found it somewhat charming.

Brush still in hand, Luna remarked as she drew, "Miss Navia, you do trust others rather easily, don't you?"

"...I'm not gullible to just anyone," Navia replied, "I just felt I could trust you."

"Intuition?"

"Exactly! Intuition!" Navia asserted, unconsciously puffing out her impressive bosom.

Well, that intuition certainly isn't very accurate.

Luna handed over the portrait, bringing them back to their original topic. "So, shall we head to the theater company next?"

"Of course. But speaking of which, there is something I wanted to ask you."

"What is it?"

Navia's face lit up with a gentle smile. "May I continue calling you 'Lulu'? It just rolls off the tongue more easily, don't you think?"

Not only is she too trusting, but she also has an unusually thin boundary when it comes to personal space.

Luna brushed a strand of hair aside, replying coolly, "If it makes things easier for you."

Navia nodded enthusiastically, taking Luna's response as agreement.

"Lulu."

"Yeah?"

"Sounds like a delicious dessert."

Luna's response was half-hearted. "Indeed."

Long ago, someone else had called her the same way, with the same tone and the same warm smile.

But that was a memory from a bygone era. Luna twirled a golden strand of hair around her finger, her thoughts drifting aimlessly.

"Navi."

"Hm?"

Pointing to herself, Navia suggested lightly, "Why don't you call me that too? It's only fair."

Silver, with hands on his hips, quipped, "Sure, I'll be Silly."

Melus chimed in, "Then I can be Melmel."

Unlike Navia's serious tone, these two were clearly joking around.

Luna smiled, "You all have such a great bond."

"Well, I've watched the misses grow up, after all," Melus said.

"Indeed, the misses has always been kind to everyone at our club," Silver added.

Navia puffed out her chest proudly. "That's just how we Spina di Rosula are! Luna, would you like to join us too? I think you'd thrive in our group."

"My apologies, but I'm not considering such a thing right now," Luna replied tactfully.

"Oh, well, the invitation will always be open, then."

Luring a wolf into one's home is never wise, Luna mused.

Though seemingly straightforward, Luna's response was layered: "I understand, Miss Navia."

"Please, just call me Navia."

"Very well, Miss Navia." Luna's smile was intentional, carrying a touch of deliberate irony.

"Wow, you're actually mocking me..."

Upon returning to the troupe, Luna promptly began gathering statements from the members.

They all mentioned having already spoken to the security detail, but she felt certain there must be overlooked clues waiting to be unearthed.

Navia volunteered, "I'll record everything for you!"

She knew they wouldn't catch every detail—she might as well put pen to paper. Otherwise, she'd feel like she hadn't helped at all and would only have been a part of the atmosphere group.

[Collecting Nuggets of Wisdom: Gathering Witness Accounts from Dark Moon Troupe Members]

Interrogation of Romi, Master of the Dark Moon Troupe

Luna: "Did Mary act unusually before she went missing?"

Romi: "Unusually? Not really..."

Luna: "Was there a particular male she was close to?"

Romi: "Not that I know of. Engaged? Well... I've never heard anything about that. But now that you mention it, about three months ago, she did seem unusually excited for a few days. Oh right, our playwright Judith was the same way. I suppose they're just close friends."

-

Luna: "Does she have any close relationships with the opposite sex?"

Logistics Team member: "Nope, her work is the central point to start and end her day... Every day she practices really late and arrives very early; she hasn't taken many days off either. I don't think she has much time for a boyfriend."

Luna: "Is she close with the writer, Judith?"

Logistics Team member: "Practically inseparable! She even said her dreams rest upon Judith, which is why she works so hard..."

-

Interview with the Extra Actors of the Theater Group

Luna: "Does she have any close relationships with members of the opposite sex?"

Actor: "I'm not sure, honestly. I never got the feeling she was seeing anyone. But her emotions have been pretty rollercoaster lately. Maybe she has a boyfriend and just hasn't mentioned it?"

Luna: "Emotional ups and downs?"

Actor: "Yeah, exactly! One day she'd be super excited, almost floating on cloud nine, and the next she'd be all depressed and sad. But every time, after drinking something, she'd perk up and become all energized and strong. Do you think she might be one of those rare people who live off drinks alone?"

Luna: "What kind of drink?"

Actor: "I have no idea. I tried asking her, but she wouldn't say. All I know for sure is that it's definitely not Fonta!"

-

After some time, the collection of testimonies came to a temporary end.

Luna rubbed her nose bridge, lost in thought.

Navia glanced at her notes and muttered, "The people from the troupe seemed completely unaware that she had a fiancé. So now, how are we supposed to find her boyfriend?"

"....."

Seeing Luna's prolonged silence, her eyes shimmering with contemplation, Navia hesitated. She opened her mouth, wanting to ask if Luna had reached a conclusion, but ultimately chose to continue thinking on her own for a moment.

Silver and Melus were equally engrossed in their thoughts.

"Why are you looking for Mary?"

At that moment, a voice caught Navia's attention.

Playwright Judith approached, her face etched with an ineffable complexity of emotions.

"Strange, isn't it?" Luna observed.

"...She's already gone. There's no bringing her back now."

What a peculiar attitude, Navia mused.

Shouldn't they be urgently trying to find their friend?

"Perhaps, but isn't this better than doing nothing?" Luna's response was unassailable.

Judith's eyes were filled with anguish. "...Indeed..."

Her lips moved slightly, then she turned and walked away.

Navia came to her senses. "Shouldn't we try to keep her? She's the only one we haven't spoken with yet."

"No, it's not necessary. Let's all adjourn for today. I need to sort out my thoughts."

"Huh? That's it for today?"

Luna strode away with long steps. "That's right."

As Luna's figure disappeared from view, Navia turned her attention back to the notebook in her hands.

"What should we do next, miss?" Silver asked.

"...Of course we must continue our investigation. We can't rely solely on Luna, you know."

Navia straightened her hat, a smile playing on her lips.

"The phrase 'sitting idly by and doing nothing' doesn't exist in my dictionary."

Without warning, Silver interjected, "Shall I buy you a new dictionary, miss?"

The smile on Navia's face froze.

-

Luna waved the key in her hand. For someone with the Steal skill, snatching a key from someone's person was child's play.

Unlocking the door, she stepped inside.

The dimly lit room was suffused with an indescribable odor. Luna furrowed her brow, circling around and investigating her surroundings.

And then she found two things.

The Greatest Masterpiece (title temporarily placeholder) - a script.

Flipping through it casually, Luna murmured to herself.

Although neither the protagonist nor the female lead were named, the realism permeating the words made it's difficult to believe it was purely fiction. This was a story based on real experiences...

What clinched it was the message that popped up before her eyes.

-

Treasure Information Discovered: Scarlet Fruit

Scarlet Fruit

Description: A blood-red gemstone once set in a necklace, encapsulating memories of generations past. But is its crimson hue natural, or stained by sin?

This treasure has been pledged to the Sinthe Trading Company as collateral.

Treasure Rarity: C

Fixed Points: 200

-

As for the other object...

Luna followed the script's instructions, making her way to a corner of the room.

There, a sleek, elongated box rested. As she gently lifted the lid, the figure inside came into view.

"So that's how it is..."

She closed the box, standing up.

The truth had been revealed, but this matter could wait for now. There was more pressing business to attend to first: sending out the announcement letter.