Clorinde glanced left at Furina, then right at Focalors.
"Did something happen between you two?"
Furina snapped out of her daze and shifted her gaze. "No, you're just imagining things."
"Nothing happened between us, but something did happen with Luna," Focalors admitted frankly.
Chiori set down her script.
"For example?"
"Just a minor disagreement. Nothing to worry about, it's already resolved."
Chiori raised a skeptical eyebrow, but seeing no telltale signs on either Furina's or Focalors' faces, she reluctantly dropped the matter for now. She still needed to memorize her lines.
Last time, Luna had given her a custom-made gown and invited her to walk the runway at the Fashion Show.
This time, Luna had invited her to participate in the play, playing one of the dual-wielding characters.
After making Luna pay a certain "price," Chiori reluctantly agreed.
"Clorinde, why are you always touching your neck?" Navia asked curiously. "Is your collar too tight?"
"...It's nothing," Clorinde replied. She couldn't exactly say she'd gotten it from playing "games" with Luna.
"And you? Why are you constantly looking at your nails? Thinking about your next manicure?" Clorinde countered.
Navia quickly withdrew her hand. "Eh? Ahaha, you could say that! By the way, where are Lulu and Chevreuse?"
Furina, sipping her tea, replied, "Luna went back to the House of the Hearth. She probably wants to have a talk with her 'Father'—or maybe even a fight."
"What a formidable household," Clorinde remarked.
Chiori casually added, "Chevreuse is back at work. She returned to her post as soon as her injuries healed. I never expected the Captain of the Special Task Force to take on a role like this. I wonder how Luna managed to persuade her."
-
Meanwhile,
Luna, having returned to the House of the Hearth, glanced at the empty seats around the dining table. Ever since Filliol and the others had been expelled, these seats had remained unoccupied.
"Still bothered by it?" a voice came from the sofa.
Arlecchino crossed her legs and sipped her tea. "Welcome back, Luna. I heard you're already preparing for your next performance. Tell me if you need anything."
"What if I asked 'Father' to play a role?"
"I'm afraid I can't agree to that."
"Even if no one would see through your identity as the Harbinger 'The Knave'?" Luna perched on the sofa armrest, asking with a sweet smile.
Arlecchino pondered this. "If that were the case, we could give it a try. However, my identity must remain completely hidden at all times—during rehearsals, backstage, and the actual performance."
"Even if you control the entire Troupe, you can't guarantee that someone with ulterior motives won't slip through."
Just like at the House of the Hearth not long ago.
Luna smiled sweetly. "Of course, I can rehearse with you, 'Father'. I'm sure you'll do perfectly."
"Then we can give it a try."
Arlecchino set down her teacup.
It was past noon, the time for afternoon naps. The House of the Hearth was quiet; all the children were asleep, and even those who didn't want to nap were tucked away in their rooms.
Therefore...
Luna bent down and lifted Arlecchino's chin.
Here we go again, Arlecchino thought as she accepted the lingering kiss.
Fortunately, the other children were napping, with only Luna awake and restless.
While being seen wouldn't matter, avoiding the trouble of explaining was preferable.
"There's sugar in this Black Tea," Luna observed, savoring the taste.
"If you want more, there's plenty left. You don't need to taste it this way."
Arlecchino's face remained pale, devoid of any blush as she spoke calmly.
"But I prefer my tea hot. The tea in 'Father's' cup seems to have cooled."
Arlecchino smiled faintly. "It's just your perception that it's cold."
She set down her teacup, stood up, and walked toward her office. Luna followed briskly behind her, pulling out the script as Arlecchino settled into her seat.
Arlecchino glanced through it. "This is quite a challenging play," she remarked.
Closing the script, Arlecchino asked, "If you could truly make a wish to turn back time, restarting the story while retaining your memories, what choice would you make? I'm genuinely curious."
Luna leaped up and perched on the desk in front of Arlecchino, looking down at her.
"A question like that is pointless for me," Luna declared. "I don't regret any of my choices, whether it's leaving this place or returning to it. Besides, even if I went back to the beginning, I'd still just be a baby, helpless to do anything."
After a pause, Luna wondered:
And what about Arlecchino?
Arlecchino openly admitted she did have regrets, but she had left them all in "yesterday."
If there were a way to erase regrets, would she act on it?
Hypothetical scenarios were meaningless, but Luna desperately wanted to know.
"If you were in my place, what would you do?" Luna countered.
"I would kill the previous Knave again, then destroy the Orphanage and take you in sooner," Arlecchino replied.
Protecting Luna from unnecessary suffering was, after all, what a "Father" should do.
"What about Clervie?" Luna asked.
Arlecchino admitted, "If I killed the Knave—killed her 'mother'—before her eyes, I think it would create a rift between us."
"She can't abandon her own bloodline. Deep down, she still harbors kindness and ideals. No matter what, she isn't suited to dwelling in the darkness. Even if she left the House of the Hearth, she couldn't survive within the Fatui."
Luna nodded in understanding.
"...So, if I had the chance to go back in time, I would first refine the Bottled Flame, then kill Mother and erase her memories. But of course, these are all just hypotheticals."
It's pointless to dwell on "yesterday's" regrets with "what ifs" that can never be.
Luna leaned forward. "You said you wanted to adopt me sooner..."
She took Arlecchino's hand and caressed it.
"Can I take that to mean you wanted to reunite with me as soon as possible?"
"Yes," Arlecchino replied. "Because you are my daughter."
Is that all...? Luna wasn't satisfied with this answer. Her former self might have accepted it, but the person she was now? Not in the slightest.
She sat on Arlecchino's lap, her slightly parted lips enveloping the vividly colored lipstick before her.
"Or perhaps a 'daughter' who really wants to kiss you?"
Luna exerted slight pressure, the faint metallic tang of blood spreading across her tongue, sending faint waves of heat through Arlecchino.
Arlecchino's face showed no anger, only a slight softening in her eyes.
"Yes, even if it means wanting to possess my daughter."
She brushed a strand of hair away from Luna's ear, letting Luna lick the wound.
The dissatisfaction in Luna's heart vanished.
In its place, an impulse surged from the depths of her heart: she wanted more. Arlecchino should have felt the heat rising in her skin, but she said nothing.
As if tacitly consenting.
Without hesitation, Luna parted her lips, pressed them against Arlecchino's slight wound, and began to suck out the "toxin" that kept Arlecchino calm and rational, even if it caused pain.
"Luna."
"I won't stop, you know."
"I know. I just want you to hand me the water glass on the table."
Luna glanced over and realized her mistake.
Hand it to her? Of course she would fulfill Arlecchino's wish. Luna picked up the glass, took a sip, and then "handed" it to Arlecchino.
Such a disobedient, naughty child.
Arlecchino felt the water trickling down her skin, pooling on her neck, yet remained unangered. Instead, she seized the moment while Luna was absorbed and abruptly leaned in closer.
"—!? Cough cough..."
Luna choked, her face flushing crimson as she coughed several times.
A hand pressed against the back of Luna's head, pulling her closer.
Arlecchino kissed her, "Such a naughty girl."
"If I'm a good girl, will you give me the reward I want?" Luna asked with a light laugh.
"You can only earn what you desire for yourself."
Luna wiped the glistening moisture from the corner of Arlecchino's lips, her voice brimming with barely suppressed excitement. "Then I have no choice but to be a disobedient naughty girl for once."
She leaned close to Arlecchino's ear and whispered, "Peppy."