Of course, one must always leave oneself a way out. If the plan fails, one will become a lamb to the slaughter.
The more she thought about it, the more confident she became. Ying's spirits immediately lifted, and her attitude towards the Fair Folk improved somewhat. After all, it was thanks to him that she hadn't spent much these past few days.
"Don't worry, Fair Folk. Once I've dealt with this mess in Inazuma, I'll help you find that scoundrel."
Hearing Ying say this, the Fair Folk's expression softened with a hint of emotion.
"Really? That's wonderful! You truly are the friend I'd hoped for~"
Ying accepted the Fair Folk's praise without pretense.
"Heh heh... of course. But let's be clear, you can ask your questions, but after you're done, you have to hand him over to me for judgment."
"Huh? But then..."
The Fair Folk started to retort, but before he could speak, Ying's subsequent words silenced him.
"Stop! Don't tell me your Empress wants to capture him alive or anything like that. I absolutely will not compromise on this. If you go against me, don't blame me for beating you up too. (￣へ￣)"
The Fair Folk: …………
He suddenly wished he could take back what he had just said...
Seeing the seriousness in Ying's eyes, the Fair Folk pondered for a long time before finally relenting.
"Sigh... forget it. Anyway, Her Majesty the Empress only asked me to investigate."
"Hmph hmph... that's more like it~"
Ying nodded with satisfaction. She was about to find something else to chat about when the sound of the door opening interrupted her.
Upon seeing who had entered, Ying couldn't help but ask curiously,
"Oh? Lumine is here. Did the plan discussion finish... Woah?!"
Before she could finish speaking, Ying, who had walked up to her, yanked her off the bed and dragged her outside.
"Hey! Wait! At least let me put on my shoes!!"
"I have something urgent to tell you. Just bear with me for a moment."
Ying protested as she was being dragged along, but the other person seemed to be in a great hurry. After offering a brief reassurance, she forcefully pulled Ying outside, leaving Paimon and the Fair Folk inside looking utterly bewildered.
Outside, after pulling her younger sister to a secluded spot, Lumine finally stopped and grasped Ying's shoulders seriously.
"I just saw the Doctor!"
"Hmm? The Doctor?"
………………
"The Doctor?!"
Ying exclaimed, quickly looking around for the scoundrel who had deceived her.
Seeing Ying's reaction, Lumine hurriedly continued her explanation.
"Yes, it's like this..."
After hearing the discussion between Yae Miko and Kujou Sara, Lumine intended to inform Ying about what they had just discussed. She walked towards the Grand Shrine, processing the information she had just learned as she went.
"The Tenryou Commission has been infiltrated by the Fatui... I have to admit, it's a bold theory... and the Fatui are indeed capable of such a thing..."
"But why would they do this? Risking the wrath of the Electro God, all for the sake of having one less enemy in a future war?"
As soon as Lumine finished speaking, a familiar voice echoed from beside her.
"Heheheh... as expected of Yae Miko, your insight is indeed sharp~"
What?!
Lumine quickly ran a few steps forward, turned around, and stared warily at the person who had appeared behind her without her knowledge.
"You're... the Doctor?!"
"Oh? To think that you would remember my name, it truly is something worth being happy about. (^_^)"
The Doctor smiled kindly, but in Lumine's eyes, his smile held a multitude of schemes.
Lumine had no intention of conversing with him. She immediately took out the invisibility cloak Ying had just given her and tried to put it on to escape.
"Oh?"
The Doctor's eyes lit up. He flicked his finger, and suddenly, Lumine felt an immense pressure on her head, causing her to lose her balance and fall to the ground.
"This... is Anemo?!"
Lumine quickly recognized the method the Doctor was using. She tried to struggle up, but the strong wind pressure pinned her firmly to the ground.
Seeing that he had subdued her, the Doctor summoned another gust of wind and brought the cloak Lumine had just taken out into his hands, observing it with curiosity.
"Interesting... to think someone could improve upon the invisibility cloaks I created... Is it someone you know?"
Lumine glared at the Doctor through gritted teeth, with no intention of telling him anything. She regretted her own weakness, having fallen into someone's hands so easily.
Seeing Lumine's lack of cooperation, the Doctor did not get angry. Instead, he put away the invisibility cloak, then walked in front of Lumine, crouched down, and smiled at her.
"Relax. I have no ill intentions coming here today, so you don't need to worry about becoming a burden to your little sister."
Lumine's thoughts were instantly seen through by the Doctor. Although her gaze at him remained sharp, her demeanor subtly weakened.
The Doctor paid no mind to Lumine's silent treatment. He took out a vial of liquid from his pocket and placed it before Lumine, saying with a smile.
"How about a trade? A potion that can alleviate your condition, in exchange for a favor from you."
"Hmm?"
Despite having captured her, he was backing down and offering to trade. Such a strange action naturally aroused Lumine's suspicion.
Seeing Lumine's doubtful gaze, the Doctor couldn't help but chuckle twice, shrugged, and said helplessly.
"It seems my sincerity isn't enough."
With that, the Doctor put the vial back into his pocket, then took out a smaller test tube from himself, giving the impression that he had expected Lumine to distrust him.
"In that case, I'll pay a deposit first. Once you use it, you'll naturally understand if my sincerity was genuine."
Saying this, the Doctor placed the test tube before Lumine, then turned and left. He casually released the wind pressure pinning Lumine's head, waved goodbye, and said leisurely.
"By the way, don't think a large organization would only have one plan to subvert Inazuma's high-ranking officials. Perhaps their superiors might think so, but as the saying goes, 'A general outside the command of his sovereign may act without further orders.'"
With the wind pressure gone, Lumine stood up and silently watched the direction the Doctor had left, her eyes filled with solemnity.
Back to the present, Ying looked at the potion she had just received from Lumine, biting her thumb in distress.
"I believe that guy can concoct an antidote. After all, the poison you all have was concocted by him. Scaramouche only made some modifications to it..."