When Luna awoke, the night was already deep.
"You're awake," Arlecchino said softly.
"Mmm..."
Luna remembered what she had done just a short while ago. The sensation of Arlecchino's lips still seemed to linger on hers, making her yearn to do it again.
But the warmth of Arlecchino's embrace banished the thought.
Just leaning against her like this... it's quite nice.
"It's late, Luna. I imagine your Lady Furina has been waiting for you at home for quite some time."
It was time to say goodbye.
Luna, deeply reluctant, kissed Arlecchino's neck. "...Alright. I'll come find you later."
"Mm. One more thing."
"What is it?"
Arlecchino spoke plainly. "In a few days, I'll be sending the children to Poisson to investigate something: the extra child at the House of the Hearth."
The extra child? The phrase sounded vaguely familiar.
It was a "rumor" within the House of the Hearth—or perhaps a ghost story. A restless spirit, a child who shouldn't exist, wandered the shadows of the House. She looked like an ordinary child, but in the blink of an eye, she would vanish.
No matter how many years passed, her appearance and behavior never changed.
"If you're interested, you can find me there. After all, you want to know about my past, don't you?"
Arlecchino brushed her finger against Luna's ear.
Luna nodded.
The only way to learn about Arlecchino's past is to investigate it myself.
"Very well. Let's go, then."
Just as Arlecchino was about to rise, Luna pulled her face close and kissed her.
Their lips pressed together.
Arlecchino: "..."
She said nothing, her expression showing no hint of shyness. It was as if the kiss had been a mere illusion. But Luna didn't mind.
Or rather, she didn't mind for now.
"May I ask you a question?"
"Go ahead."
Luna wrapped her arms around Arlecchino's neck and breathed softly against her ear. "Can I call you 'Mother'? Not all the time, of course."
After all, they were a foster mother and daughter in a rather... unique situation.
Mother... Arlecchino seemed to recall something and shook her head slightly.
"You may call me by my name, but titles like 'Mother' are unnecessary. For the House of the Hearth, that word carries rather unpleasant connotations."
Is she talking about the previous Knave? Luna vaguely remembered Freminet mentioning her once.
Back then, the children of the House of the Hearth had all called the previous Knave "Mother," but her actions had been a complete betrayal of what that word should mean.
"Luna."
Arlecchino's voice was a gentle reminder.
Time to get down.
"Will you carry me back, Arlecchino?" Luna asked with a small smile.
"...I can carry you for part of the way."
She actually agreed? Luna was taken aback, but she quickly tightened her hold, clinging to Arlecchino.
"That's good enough for me," Luna said.
Arlecchino nodded lightly, lifted Luna into her arms, and started down the mountain path.
The night obscured the trail, but they were long accustomed to the darkness. The bright moonlight spilled down, illuminating the ground before them.
"Was your original name... cuter?" Luna's warm breath brushed against Arlecchino's ear.
"That depends on your perspective. To me, a name is just a name. Whether it's 'Arlecchino' now or the name I had before, it doesn't change who I am."
Luna smiled. "Then what do you think of my name?"
Arlecchino returned the smile, a faint curve of her lips. "It's very nice."
-
Back in Fontaine, Arlecchino bid Luna farewell.
The loss of her beloved's warmth left Luna with a sudden, sharp pang of unease. The feeling had never been this intense before; it seemed that everything that had happened today had carved a hole right through her heart.
Though she wasn't the emptiest person in the world, she desperately needed an equal measure of warmth to fill the void.
So, the very first thing she did upon returning home was—
"L-Luna..." Furina's face flushed crimson as Luna hugged her tightly. "You're squeezing a little too hard! I can't breathe!"
"I'm not even using that much strength."
"But... but you know how delicate I am!"
True.
Luna loosened her grip slightly, allowing Furina to finally catch her breath. She puffed out her cheeks. Why did Luna rush over and tackle-hug me the moment she got home?
Not that she disliked it, but Luna had pounced on her like a cat on the hunt—swoosh—and her heart couldn't take that kind of shock!
Still, recalling Chevreuse's recent visit, Furina tilted her head up.
"Did something happen?"
"Mhm."
"How am I supposed to interpret that 'Mhm'...? Never mind. I have a lot of questions, but before we get to that, do you want something to eat? I brought back some delicious snacks!"
Luna buried her face in Furina's hair. "Only if you feed me."
"Fine, fine..." Furina sighed and brought out a plate of pastries.
"Open wide, ahhh—" she said, holding up a piece.
Luna took a bite, chewed, and swallowed. She didn't have much of an appetite, stopping after just two pieces. Furina, on the other hand, was eating with gusto.
"Weren't you supposed to be watching your figure and weight?" Luna asked with a smile.
Furina froze, her eyes darting away guiltily.
"Th-That's a problem for tomorrow!"
The moment the words left her mouth, Furina felt a soft, fragrant presence press against her again as Luna burrowed into her arms, leaning heavily against her.
Luna is being clingier than ever today, Furina thought.
"I don't know what to do with you," Furina said, a playful smile spreading across her face as she flexed her fingers. "Come on, meow for me, and I'll scratch your chin."
"I don't want to."
"Then tell me what happened. You're acting really strange today."
Luna fell silent for a moment. She did intend to tell Furina everything.
She just didn't know where to begin.
"Luna, just tell me already! Don't keep me in suspense," Furina urged.
"I'm not trying to keep you in suspense. I just don't know how to say it."
"...Is this about your biological parents? After all, you went to retrieve your family's ancestral sword today," Furina deduced.
Luna lifted Furina's necklace, gently rubbing it between her fingers as she smiled faintly. "Yeah."
She then recounted everything that had happened that day, even handing Furina the suicide note.
Just as she expected, Furina...
"So that's what happened... It's, it's okay! You can hold me all night! If you're scared to go to the bathroom alone, I'll go with you!"
Despite her brave words, tears were streaming down Furina's face.
A warmth spread through Luna's chest. She smiled. "You don't need to cry, you know."
"Crying isn't about 'necessity'! Besides, I'm not crying—it's just a Hydro overflow! I have a Vision, so it's not strange for me to leak water, right?!"
Such familiar stubbornness, Luna thought.
She took out a handkerchief and gently wiped away Furina's tears.
"Luna..."
"Hm?"
Furina grabbed Luna's hand and said earnestly, "I'll take good care of you. If you dream of your biological parents, you can tell them that!"
"..."
"Why aren't you saying anything?"
A blush crept onto Luna's cheeks. She gripped Furina's shoulders. "Because I suddenly want to devour you completely."
Furina yelped shyly, "Why?!"
"Don't you want me to?"
"...Well, I do."
Furina raised her hands and cupped Luna's face. "Lean on me as much as you want. Whether you're happy or sad, sick or anything else, I'll share your burdens! Of course, you have to share mine too."
Furina gently kneaded Luna's cheeks, a smile spreading across her face.
"That's what it means to be a couple... uh, a wife-wife couple? Anyway, you know what I mean!"
Luna covered the backs of Furina's hands, pressing her palms against her own face. The warm, delicate touch made her eyes sting again.
"Mm," Luna replied simply.