Astounding! Auguste’s Masterpiece Pilfered!
Recently, it came to light that the Turquoise Wings, a gift from the Emperor to Marquis Auguste, was purloined by Astar. The method Astar employed to abscond with the Turquoise Wings remains a mystery, and the Marquis has opted for silence regarding the incident. It is confirmed, though, that a pair of the Marchioness’s earrings were indeed stolen.
The actual theft of the Turquoise Wings by Astar is still unconfirmed, but shortly after the incident was publicized, an anonymous benefactor appeared at the almshouse, donating a substantial sum of 1,500 francs.
This anonymous benefactor’s pattern of appearing after Astar’s misdeeds adds weight to the assertion that Astar’s latest endeavor was also a success.
It is important to note that this article was initiated and penned by an unnamed source.
***
Chloe, who narrowly escaped with his life, found no time to rest upon his return.
The play this time was a resounding success. It had been ages since he encountered a genuine Ashtarte. Moreover, he even managed to secure a modest bounty from the Marchioness’ abandoned room during Shan’s pursuit.
Chloe relayed the news to Vivianne via telephone, who promptly alerted the newspaper and forwarded the donation before his return. Naturally, the loot was authentic, Ashtarte included.
Feeling celebratory, he purchased a handkerchief he found along the way and left it at the police station’s front desk before trudging home, defeated by exhaustion.
After enduring three hours in the bitter cold, seeking an airship dock amidst a snowstorm, Chloe, who had awakened the Ashtarte, miraculously found a dock and boarded the fastest ticket to the Empire, but alas, it was not a direct flight.
Ultimately, he spent six days circling in the skies, and upon landing, the realization hit him.
Oh God, isn’t it the morning of my first day as Aeon’s physician? I need to leave in a few hours.
Still, I can’t express how relieved I am to be back safe and sound. Chloe yawned, relaxing a bit, slid his key into the keyhole, and opened the door. His house was just as he had left it: somewhat clean but still messy enough to raise concerns…
“Huh?”
Chloe’s drooped eyelids snapped open. The milk bottles that had been rolling across the floor, the newspaper half-read then discarded carelessly, the cluttered shoe rack left in disarray—all had been tidied up.
Chloe, who had no interest in keeping things orderly but possessed a sharp memory for the locations of his scattered belongings, frowned at the cleanliness of his house. If it had been a mess, he might have suspected a thief, but this level of cleanliness was almost sparkling. Could it be…
“Did Eaven clean up?”
“Chloe, you must be out of it, judging by the nonsense you’re spouting,” came a voice.
From behind the wall emerged a figure, wringing a wet rag. The girl with sky-blue eyes and long, deep pink hair tied back in a thick braid, a bandana fastened tightly around her head, was none other than Vivianne.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Aah! Why are you here – wait, I mean, how are you here?”
Chloe exclaimed, stumbling backward. He would have been less surprised to see Eaven tidying up the house than this. I’d given Vivianne my address, but I never gave her a key. Observing him, Vivianne placed one hand on her hip and gestured toward Chloe.
“Qts vbc’a sbe mbwf lc? Pa’r cba clmf ab sfii ilxf atja lc atf wbgclcu; sbe vbc’a kjca ab wjxf fcfwlfr bea bo sbeg cflutybgr, gluta? Dfrlvfr, la’r ufaalcu mbiv yfmjerf sbe’gf ifaalcu jii atf kjgw jlg bea.”
C qjrrfgys kjr jigfjvs fsflcu Jtibf’r julajafv oluegf klat rerqlmlbc. Jtibf aegcfv, rwbbatfv tlr tjlg, boofgfv j yglrx rwlif, atfc delmxis rtea atf ogbca vbbg jcv fcafgfv.
“Vivianne, what are you doing here? No, before that, how did you get into my house…?”
“Surely you haven’t forgotten that your uncle, the one who taught you lockpicking, is my father. For me, picking a lock like this is as easy as pie. Isn’t that right, big guy?”
Chloe rubbed his forehead when he saw Vivianne remove a hairpin that was securing her hair and wave it. He felt a pang of emotion seeing the technique he had often used being turned against him.
Vivianne’s father had indeed taught him the fundamental skills required for thievery; he was the brother of Chloe’s mother and his maternal uncle.
However, I never imagined she would master such sleight of hand techniques, especially since her mother abhorred them.
“Did Auntie give you permission?”
“And you learned yourself by reporting every little detail to her? Regardless, your room is a pigsty, and you need to tidy it up. Living like this is unacceptable.”
“…….”
The mess wasn’t that bad. Chloe felt the urge to retort, sensing the unfairness, but he knew arguing would be futile at this point. More importantly, he needed to persuade Vivianne to leave the house as soon as possible. With her unexpected arrival, any chance of snatching a few moments of rest had vanished.
“So,” Chloe inquired, massaging his temples as a headache loomed, “what made you decide to break in?”
“Because I was dying to see the Ashtarte, and I couldn’t wait any longer! I got here, not knowing when you’d be back, and it’s quite chilly outside, isn’t it? Now, let me have a look. I’m excited to see the real thing,”
Vivianne declared, her smile beaming as she extended her hand. Chloe’s headache intensified upon seeing her; Vivianne’s gesture meant she wouldn’t be leaving for at least a couple of hours. His hopes for a nap thoroughly dissipated.
***
Vivianne, slouched over a chair with her knees drawn up, examined the tie pin and asked curiously, “You said it resembled a winter dragonfly specimen?”
She continued, “You also claimed he crafted it so realistically that not even the owners themselves, the Marquis and Marchioness, could tell it was an actual Ashtarte. So, how did you figure it out?”
Chloe returned from the kitchen with two cups of hot tea to warm them up, setting one down in front of Vivianne and sinking back into his chair. Did I sit down harder than I thought? He wondered, puzzled by the sensation as he felt a slight wince in his seat, akin to a sore muscle.
“Upon picking it up, I discerned a subtle difference in weight, so slight that it would escape most people’s notice. Moreover, when I examined it against the light, the patterns on the dragonfly’s wings shifted, influenced by the light reflecting off the jewels set within its eyes. In intense light, the finest solid lines on the wings disappeared.”
The master had crafted a device within a lifelike dragonfly model. It was engineered so that, upon illumination, light would radiate from the gem and spread across the dragonfly’s back. As a result, the designs on its wings would subtly change with the light, a nuance that could be overlooked without careful observation, reinforcing Chloe’s conviction that the dragonfly was indeed an Ashtarte.
“Picturing only the absent solid lines and mentally tracing them, the emblem of Drapull, the god of the past, emerged. It was hard to believe he would devise such a ruse. Nonetheless, you have to acknowledge Lutz’s ingenuity, right? He was quite a clever one.”
“Aren’t you equally remarkable for discerning it as well?”
Vivianne tsked and addressed Chloe, who was snickering as though he couldn’t contain himself.
She went on, “The god of the past, then maybe his power isn’t flight. He’s not Igik, the god of flight, nor Leaf, the god of freedom.”
“That’s precisely why the master hinted at its name. Drapull fluttered his wings amidst the marshes and traversed through the bygones of people’s pasts. So yes, the god of the past possesses the gift of flight, I assure you.”
Chloe grasped the Turquoise Wings that had caught Vivianne’s attention, twirling it between his fingers. Suddenly, a band of verdant light sprang from the artifact’s tip, encircling the pin, and two pairs of dragonfly wings, each no larger than a thumb, materialized and fluttered.
“These may not be the mythical wings of the marshes, but considering they sustained me in flight through fierce winds for three hours, I’d say they possess considerable power.”
“My God!”
Vivianne gasped, her hands coming together as though in prayer. Witnessing the child-like wonder in Vivianne’s eyes, Chloe offered a gentle smile and passed it to her. As he released the Turquoise Wings, the light and wings that had emanated from it disappeared instantly. Vivianne, struck with a sense of helpless disbelief, murmured.
“Just as I thought, it vanishes once you let go.”
“Of course. Did you think the Ashtartes would respond to anyone but me? Now that the master is no more, their affection belongs solely to Astar.”
Chloe gazed fondly at the Ashtarte, which, true to form, reacted only to his touch. Then, his expression grew serious. The device, crafted by an artisan belonging to the imperial family, was designed to hide its contents—a clear sign that its creation was meant to be kept secret from the emperor.
Vivianne, admiring the intricate artwork engraved on the tie pin, shifted the conversation upon noticing Chloe’s distress and inquired,
“Well, it’s exceedingly beautiful. Chloe, have you noticed the snowy landscape etched here? What skills must one have to craft such beauty on this tiny pin solely by hand? And if this Ashtarte is so stunning, can you imagine what Dawn, the finest of all Ashtartes, might look like?”
“We’ll find out one day. That’s precisely why I’m keeping a vigilant watch over Aeon.”
Chloe passed the Marchioness’ earrings to Vivianne, who was already aware of the items Chloe had pilfered from the airship, and she nodded in acknowledgment. In place of the Ashtarte, he had obtained the earrings to be sold on the black market as a means to collect donations.
“Do you truly believe that man possesses information about Dawn? You mentioned having an intuition… though it’s merely a suspicion, correct?”
“No, it’s highly probable he does. His insight was sharp enough to see through my disguise on the airship. It’s not far-fetched for someone of his caliber to be aware of Dawn.”
“What? He recognized you even with the Ashtarte? Did you slip up?”
“Vivianne, do I strike you as someone who would blunder in the field? Now, we have to uncover what transpired.”
As Chloe stood up, seizing his jacket and overcoat to put them on, Vivianne asked,
“Where are you going?”
“I start work today.”
“Going to play doctor? But you’ve barely arrived.”
“Fortunately, I got here a little early. Where’s Eaven?”
“He’s been over at my place, and even in your absence, he ate well. How is he so clever? By the way, have you been eating properly? When I looked in the kitchen, it seemed quite bare.”
“Whoa, I’ll be late. Till later, Vivianne! Return the Turquoise Wings when you’re done with them!”
“Chloe! You, as a human being, ought to live better than a bird, Chloe!”
He scurried off before Vivianne could catch up and begin her scolding. His confidence in the art of escape was second only to his skill in thievery. Chloe burst through the front door, leaving Vivianne staring after him, at a loss.
Translator’s Corner:
Here is a bonus chapter fueled by your lovely comments! And the start of the 3rd Arc, Dr. Evanchester. 
Chloe needs to take better care of himself! You tell him, Vivianne!
PS: I’m as zonked as poor Chloe and am too tired to write as well as I’d like to. If there is anything that reads awkwardly, or any typos, please let me know! I will try to fix it later.
very excited for this arc
Thanks for the chapter!! <33