On both sides of the ancient, mottled bronze long table, blurry figures stretched and solidified within the dense crimson glow. As always, the surroundings were quiet and empty, as if no living being had set foot here for millions of years.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Fool~" Justice Audrey's cheerful, pleasant voice quickly echoed through the grand palace supported by countless stone pillars.
Klein smiled and nodded, watching as the members completed their simple greetings under Miss Justice's lead.
Among them, The Hermit Cattleya was noticeably more silent than the others. Audrey felt that she was hiding something heavy on her mind.
Once the murmurs subsided and the members were seated, The Fool Klein first glanced at Miss Justice, allowing this "psychologist" to instantly grasp his intention not to speak up prematurely. He then looked towards The Hermit Cattleya and let out a seemingly carefree chuckle:
"Tell Bernadette she can trade certain things for some answers."
Bernadette... Hearing this familiar name, rather than epithets like "Mysterious Queen," "Owner of the Dawn," or "Leader of the Elements of Dawn," Cattleya understood that Mr. Fool was fully aware of everything. Her little machinations couldn't be hidden from Him!
This realization weighed heavily on her heart, and she couldn't suppress a surge of intense fear, momentarily at a loss for how to react or what to say.
In her view, the true meaning behind Mr. Fool's words was to convey that single message, and only that message. She was not to add anything extra, not even a hint of implication!
Cattleya thought she understood very well what this subtext pointed to.
Bernadette? This is a common Intis female name. Who could it be? What answers does she hope to obtain? What is her relationship with Madam Hermit? Did Madam Hermit make a private request, and Mr. Fool's answer was that it was "acceptable"? No, that's not it, definitely not it. If it were a private, reasonable request, Mr. Fool wouldn't deliberately bring it up in front of everyone. He would have responded directly when Madam Hermit prayed... This is a... warning? Justice Audrey forgot to observe the other members, first a series of questions flashing through her mind, then, relying on the keenness of a "Spectator," she grasped Mr. Fool's true intent.
Immediately, she formed a conjecture.
"Madam Hermit secretly used hints to reveal a little about our Tarot Club to that Miss Bernadette, because the latter was eager to get some answers... Mr. Fool wasn't too happy about this, so he directly called it out as a warning to a first-time offender?
"Seriously, how could she reveal the meeting to an outsider? I didn't even tell Susie! It endangers everyone! Good thing Mr. Fool is here!"
Audrey almost puffed her cheeks, momentarily forgetting her image and etiquette training. She realized for the first time that not all Tarot Club members shared her sense of belonging, adoration, and trust in Mr. Fool.
The Hanged Man Alger, The Magician Fors, and The Moon Emlyn had similar questions and speculations, though their focuses differed:
Alger, while eagerly anticipating what Mr. Fool might do next, was racking his brains to figure out who this common Intis female name "Bernadette" actually represented. Why was it worth it for the shrewd Hermit to risk revealing a tiny bit of information about the Tarot Club? Fors, while worrying if the existence of the Tarot Club could be leaked, had already instantly conceived a story of spies and counter-spies. Emlyn watched with schadenfreude, thinking the Hermit was simply foolish.
Heh, even our vampire progenitor treats Mr. Fool as an equal and sent me, his special envoy, to receive training here. You, someone who isn't even a demigod, dare to play tricks under Mr. Fool's watchful eye? Are you tired of living? I really can't understand some of your short-lifespan creatures' thoughts. As Emperor Roselle said, an insect that can only survive in summer can never truly know what snow looks like... The Moon Emlyn sat back relaxed, shaking his head without any attempt to hide his disdain.
The Sun Derrick didn't think that much. He just vaguely felt the atmosphere was a bit off and asked with half curiosity and half confusion:
"Mr. Fool, who is Bernadette?"
Great question! I thought Miss Justice would set this up, but she seems a bit angry and doesn't want to talk right now... Klein praised silently and answered lightly:
"Roselle's eldest daughter,
"Owner of the Dawn,
"Leader of the Elements of Dawn."
He listed Bernadette's identities one by one, stripping her of her secrets before the Tarot Club members.
He used "Owner of the Dawn" instead of "Mysterious Queen" because Klein felt that The Fool wouldn't address Bernadette as a queen.
"Owner of the Dawn!" "Mysterious Queen!" She's actually Emperor Roselle's eldest daughter! Ha, Hermit, I can confirm you are Star Admiral Cattleya! So the rumors about your falling out with the Mysterious Queen were false... The Hanged Man Alger felt a surge of excitement. The oppressive feeling that had stifled him for the past three months vanished instantly.
This caused the composed man to sneer inwardly at The Hermit:
"Emperor Roselle said, those who play with fire will surely burn themselves. Star Admiral, you dared to challenge the insight of a deity!"
Right now, Alger felt quite relieved, glad that although he had also made some small moves trying to figure out Mr. Fool's identity, purpose, and current state, it didn't involve outsiders or leak any information, so he hadn't directly received such a reprimand.