"'Father', the documents you requested are all here... 'Father'?"
Arlecchino nodded calmly and took the files.
Perhaps it was just Lyney's imagination, but "Father" had seemed rather absent-minded these past few days. Her decisions were still sound, but she always looked as if her mind were elsewhere.
She must be contemplating something important, he thought.
Lynette, however, noticed something else: Arlecchino's fingernails seemed shorter.
No longer sharp and menacing, they were now rounded and smooth.
"'Father', did you trim your nails?" Lynette couldn't help but ask. Why?
Arlecchino snapped back to the present and nodded. "Yes."
"For any particular reason?"
"Just on a whim."
It was an impeccable answer. Lynette didn't press further—not that her suspicions would change anything. She and Lyney withdrew together.
Arlecchino leaned back in her chair, gazing at her neatly trimmed, rounded nails.
While she didn't feel like a beast that had been declawed, she certainly exuded less of a dangerous aura.
But while appearances are easy to change, the scars left within the body are another matter entirely.
The last thing she wanted was to hurt Luna.
Gazing at her reflection in the mirror, she saw that her injuries had almost completely healed. It had taken only two short days.
She should be here any moment now.
These past few days, Luna had made a habit of coming to her for affection. Today would surely be no exception.
"'Father'."
Sure enough, Luna appeared at the window.
Arlecchino smiled faintly. "You're here."
"Mhm, I'm here."
Luna threw herself into Arlecchino's arms, savoring the warmth and fragrance as she gently pressed against the areas where her wounds had been, checking for any reaction.
"Don't worry," Arlecchino murmured. "My injuries have almost fully healed. If you wish, we can begin now."
Begin what? Why, that would be...
Luna's heart pounded. She had finally waited for this day!
She couldn't help but lift Arlecchino's hand and gently kiss her fingertips.
Only then did she notice—Arlecchino had trimmed her nails.
She ran her thumb over them. They were rounded and smooth, without a single rough edge, clearly having been meticulously cared for.
This was good.
Luna did love Arlecchino, yes, but if Arlecchino had used those nails from before... she would have been broken, in every sense of the word.
"Shall we move to the bedroom?" Luna suggested.
"Very well."
They moved to Arlecchino's bedroom and drew the curtains. Though the room grew dim, Luna and Arlecchino could still see each other perfectly clearly.
Arlecchino's cross-shaped pupils gleamed. As Luna leaned in, Arlecchino raised her index finger and pressed it to Luna's lips.
"Shh. Wait a moment."
She started the gramophone, letting a record play.
"Though I've never done this before, I imagine a bit of ambiance is necessary for intimacy."
Arlecchino then opened a bottle of red wine and poured it into a glass.
She moistened her lips and throat.
When she offered the glass to Luna, Luna didn't take it. Instead, she pressed her lips against Arlecchino's.
...This is fine too.
Arlecchino thought, setting the lipstick-stained glass on the table. She cradled the back of Luna's head, her eyes half-lidded as she responded to Luna's yearning, her love. Every soft murmur echoed in her chest.
I must admit, Arlecchino mused, it seems I'm enjoying this quite a bit myself.
Is it because she's my adopted daughter, someone who can share the burdens of my life?
"Was the appetizer to your satisfaction, little Luna?" Arlecchino smiled.
"I'm very satisfied."
Arlecchino asked, "Then it's time for the main course. But before that, tell me, what role do you want me to play?"
"The 'predator,' or the 'prey'? Or perhaps we should drift between the two as the moment dictates, following only our emotions and pleasure?"
Luna hesitated.
This was her and Arlecchino's first time. What did she truly want? Arlecchino's desire and love.
The more Arlecchino desired her, the more satisfied she would be.
She wanted Arlecchino to leave marks all over her body, to satisfy her, to exhaust her own strength until Luna was dazed, even unconscious—just this once, Luna wanted Arlecchino to take the lead.
So Luna wrapped her arms around Arlecchino and breathed against her ear.
"Satisfy me, Mother."
"...Very well."
Even for a foster mother and daughter, this was something they shouldn't be doing.
But normalcy had never concerned them. Neither Luna nor Arlecchino cared for so-called conventions or what was considered "normal."
Luna's back pressed against the wall as she gently caressed Arlecchino's face.
"I love you," Luna whispered softly.
Arlecchino smiled faintly and sealed Luna's lips with her own. The music continued to flow, masking the other sounds in the room. Drip... drip... The faucet in the washbasin dripped, overflowing the sink and spilling onto the floor.
-
Luna lay sprawled on the bed, utterly spent.
This was the first time she'd ever felt this way. Even when besieged by Furina and Focalors, she had never been this exhausted.
Forget her legs; even breathing felt like an effort.
It seems we went too far, she thought.
In what felt like the blink of an eye, the world outside had been steeped in darkness. Arlecchino parted the curtains slightly to glance at the moonlit sky, then turned on the lights.
The room had been fine in the dark, but with the lights on, the "traces" of their passion were impossible to ignore.
Arlecchino returned to Luna's side and gently stroked her back.
"Are you satisfied?"
"Mmm..."
Arlecchino had granted her wish, leaving no room for rest. But now that things had quieted down, Luna began to wonder: had Arlecchino felt any pleasure or happiness?
The current Arlecchino wouldn't defy her requests; she would give Luna whatever she asked for.
Luna managed to sit up and hugged Arlecchino.
"Did you... feel any pleasure or comfort just now?" Luna asked.
"Are you worried I was forcing myself?"
"I was thinking you might have just been fulfilling my request—"
The moment the words left Luna's lips, Arlecchino lifted her chin with a finger and kissed her.
The gentle touch was fleeting.
"You're overthinking it," Arlecchino said. "I agreed to become an actor on your stage, but that doesn't mean I'll start performing elsewhere too."
"Everything you see, hear, and feel is the real me. I can tell you that just now, I was very relaxed and very pleased."
"It seems that, just as you chose, I prefer being the 'hunter' rather than the 'prey'..."
Arlecchino teased Luna's skin with a fingertip. "Let's do this again next time."
If that's the case, then nothing could be better.
But... Luna suddenly felt a surge of strength. She whispered, "We don't have to wait until next time. We can go again right now."
"Are you sure? You're already exhausted."
"I'm sure."
Luna pinched Arlecchino's chin. "Hurry. I want to make Mother even more relaxed and pleased..."
That commanding tone indeed suggested she had regained some of her strength.
And Arlecchino, too, was far from satisfied.
Well then.
She pinned Luna down once more.
"Then let's savor this moment a little longer, my daughter."
Furina raised an eyebrow, standing at the doorway as she watched Arlecchino hold the sleeping Luna in her arms.
"What happened?"
"She drank too much."
"...Really?"
Arlecchino offered a faint smile, providing no further explanation.
Furina took Luna from her, half-believing, and murmured, "Thank you..."
"You're welcome. Please continue to take good care of Luna, Lady Furina. She is my most special child—always has been, and always will be."
Arlecchino's voice was gentle, her eyes filled with a trace of maternal affection.
Furina was taken aback but quickly recovered.
"You don't need to tell me that! I'd do it anyway!"